 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Cubs' Zambrano takes mound against MilwaukeeBaseball Betting Lines07/03/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Zambrano takes aim at his first win in five starts this afternoon when the Chicago Cubs continue their four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Zambrano was roughed up by the Chicago White Sox in his last start on Sunday, as he allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to fall to 4-3 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 3.69. The 28-year-old right-hander did not get a decision against the Brewers earlier in the season, but the Cubs have lost his last six home starts against them. Chicago's offense awakened in a big way in Thursday's opener, as Derrek Lee headlined a home run parade with two long-balls -- a three-run shot and a grand slam -- for a career-high seven RBI, leading the Cubs to a 9-5 win. It was Lee's 20th career multi-homer game, as the Cubs won for the third time in four games. Jake Fox and Geovany Soto each hit a solo shot in a game that featured six total homers -- all in the first six innings. "I don't feel different, just swinging the bat well right now," Lee said of his recent string of good hitting. "Getting a pitch to hit and putting the bat on it -- I don't try to compare different times." Ryan Dempster (5-5) was the beneficiary of the run support, moving to 10-3 lifetime against Milwaukee after allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Mike Cameron and Prince Fielder each hit a home run for the Brewers, who have lost two in a row after winning four of their previous five. Seth McClung (3-2), in his second start of the year, was hammered for seven runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in only 3 1/3 innings. "The offense, after getting shut out yesterday, I was pleased with the offense," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "The offense would have given us a chance to win. The starting pitching didn't." Getting the call for the Brewers today will be veteran right-hander Jeff Suppan, who has lost his last two starts. Suppan absorbed the loss on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants, who hit him for five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping him to 5-6 on the year to go along with a 4.86 ERA. Suppan lost to the Cubs back on April 12 and is 6-8 lifetime against them with a 3.90 ERA in 21 starts. The 34-year-old Suppan may also have to deal with Alfonso Soriano, who has sat out the last two Cubs' games due to his recent struggles at the plate. Soriano has just 13 hits in his last 64 at-bats and has seen his season average dip to .230. Milwaukee has lost four of its seven meetings with the Cubs this season, but won in five of its nine visits to Wrigley a year ago.
<< Braves try to stay hot in opener vs. Nats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves try to push their season-high winning streak to five games this evening when they open a three-game series with the lowly Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Although it still sits in fourth pl
<< Ramirez, Marlins host Pirates in Miami
<< Yankees, Blue Jays open key series with weekday matinee
<< Ray carries Eskimos over Bombers; Lumsden hurts shoulder
<< Abreu homers twice in Angels' win over O's
Serena and Venus reach fourth Wimbledon doubles final >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The incomparable Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, will appear in their fourth Wimbledon doubles final on Saturday. The fourth-seeded sisters drilled a top-seeded tandem of Zimbabwe's Cara
Road-weary Phils return home to host Mets >>
King Felix goes for Mariners at Fenway >>
Cardinals send Pineiro to hill in Cincinnati >>
Rays ride hot streak into Arlington >>
SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?" A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."
Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook. In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small. "Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets." But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?" Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year. This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here. Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions. In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries. No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning. And that's all any bettor can ask for. To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
Football Betting LinesThe 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite. Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense. Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively. A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season. Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back. Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick. And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker. For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below. 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1 Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1 Donald Brown (IND) 5/1 Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1 Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1 Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1 Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1 Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1 Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1 Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1 Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1 Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1 Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1 Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1 Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1 Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1 Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1 LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1 Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2 Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1 Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1 Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1 Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1 Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1 Jason Smith (STL) 40/1 Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1 Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1 Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1 Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2 Pat White (MIA) 30/1 Field (Any Other Player) 9/1 To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs. For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well. |
|
