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06/06/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a rough nine-game road trip, the Houston Astros return to the comfortable surroundings of Minute Maid Park tonight for the first of three straight meetings with the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals.
Houston lost plenty of ground to the Cardinals and the red-hot Chicago Cubs in the National League Central standings after winning just twice during the three-city swing, which began with two losses in three games to St. Louis from May 27-29. The Astros hope to close the gap with a nine-game stretch at Minute Maid Park, where the club has compiled a strong 15-9 record so far this season.
The Astros were handed their seventh loss in eight games with Thursday's 4-3 setback in Pittsburgh. The Pirates' Jason Bay drove in the eventual winning run with a tie-breaking triple in the bottom of the fifth inning, while Bucs starter Paul Maholm worked eight strong frames to make the lead stand.
Brandon Backe (4-7) took the loss after allowing four runs and nine hits over the first six innings. The Houston starter did help himself at the plate, though, with an RBI single in the second inning.
Lance Berkman singled in his first at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. The Houston slugger is batting .368 (14-for-38) during the run and a robust .382 on the season.
The Cardinals come into town after having to play a doubleheader at Washington yesterday due to a rainout on Wednesday. St. Louis received another strong showing from Todd Wellemeyer in a 4-1 decision over the Nationals in the opener, but suffered a 10-9, 10-inning loss in the nightcap.
Wellemeyer (7-1) posted his fifth straight winning decision by twirling six shutout innings. The right-hander yielded just five hits and one walk while striking out five.
Troy Glaus socked a two-run homer in game one and Albert Pujols hit the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a solo blast in the seventh inning.
Pujols, who is bothered by a strained left calf, also did not start Thursday's second game but was used as a pinch hitter. The All-Star first baseman is considered questionable to return to the lineup tonight.
Joe Mather went 2-for-5 with a homer and three runs scored in the nightcap, while Glaus homered again for St. Louis, which lost for just the third time in its last nine games. Relief pitcher Mark Worrell added a three-run blast in the sixth inning during the rookie's first major league at-bat.
Mather's first career homer put the Cardinals up by a 9-8 score in the top of the 10th, but Ryan Franklin (2-2) served up a two-run shot to Elijah Dukes in the bottom of the frame to give the Nationals a twinbill split.
Braden Looper goes in search of his eighth victory of the season when he takes the mound tonight for the Cardinals. The converted reliever upped his 2008 record to 7-4 with a solid 5 2/3 innings in Sunday's 7-4 decision over Pittsburgh.
Looper allowed three runs and eight hits in his latest outing, a big improvement over the righty's previous start. Against the Astros on May 27, Looper was tagged for eight runs (7 earned) and nine hits while lasting just 4 1/3 innings in an 8-2 St. Louis loss.
The veteran hurler did fire seven shutout innings versus Houston on April 25, although he did not receive a decision, and is 7-4 lifetime against the Astros with a 3.12 earned run average in 37 games (7 starts).
Brian Moehler gets the assignment tonight for Houston and is coming off a loss in his most recent mound trip. The journeyman did strike out a season-high six batters over five innings Saturday at Milwaukee, but permitted three runs and wound up on the wrong side of a 4-1 decision.
Since entering the Houston rotation in early May, Moehler has posted a 2-2 record and a solid 3.81 ERA in five starts. He has faced the Cardinals twice in relief this season and allowed one run over two innings of work.
For his career, the 36-year-old is 2-0 with a 4.89 ERA in 13 games against St. Louis, five of which have come as a starter.
These NL Central foes have already met nine times this season, with the Cardinals winning six of the clashes. The Cardinals took two of three games from the Astros at Minute Maid Park from April 7-9.
<< D-Backs' Webb heads to Pittsburgh in search of 11th win
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Brandon Webb can continue an impressive
bounce-back from his initial bad stretch of 2008 tonight, when the Arizona
Diamondbacks head to Pittsburgh's PNC Park for the first of four straight
games w
<< Ivanovic, Safina set for Saturday's final in Paris
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The women's French Open champion will be
decided here on Saturday, when second-seeded and 2007 runner-up Ana Ivanovic
tangles with red-hot 13th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina.
Ivanovic and Safina will meet
<< Tar Heels' Lawson arrested
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson was
arrested early Friday morning.
The Charlotte Observer reported Lawson was charged with driving after drinking
alcohol and driving with a revoked license, as w
<< Euro predictions: Spain's time has arrived
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Euro 2008 has a tough act to follow after
a surprise champion, Greece, and a pair of the world's top young strikers
emerged from the 2004 edition.
Greece is back to defend its title, but is it a threat to
Phillies send Moyer to hill in opener against Braves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia veteran starter Jamie Moyer will try to
stretch his unbeaten streak to five games this evening, when the Phillies open
a three-game series against the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Moyer has wo
Angels try to pull away from A's in AL West clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American League West-leading LA Angels of Anaheim can
pull away from the division-rival Oakland Athletics tonight, when the two
ballclubs get together for the first of three straight games at McAfee
Coliseum.
The Ange
Twins' Blackburn returns to hill after scare, takes on White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Minnesota Twins starter Nick Blackburn took
the hill he earned a hospital visit after a line drive glanced off of his
nose. Tonight, he will put all jitters aside in the opener of a four-game
series against the
Rays, Kazmir aim to stifle Rangers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir will try to run his unbeaten
streak to six games tonight, when he leads the Rays in the first of three
straight games against Texas at Rangers Ballpark.
Kazmir dropped his season debut at Bos
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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