Cards hope to right ship in Steel City
Baseball Betting Lines
08/23/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen out of first place in the National League's Central Division due to their inconsistent play as of late. A few games against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates may help get them back in a groove.
St. Louis will attempt to maintain its recent mastery of the Pirates, owners of the worst record in baseball, when the two divisional foes start up a three-game series tonight at PNC Park.
The Cardinals had held a one-game edge on Cincinnati for the top spot in the NL Central before losing a season-worst five straight contests from August 14-20. That slide put the defending division champions 4 1/2 games behind the Reds in the standings, but they've since been able to gain a game back after posting back-to-back wins over San Francisco over the weekend.
St. Louis received excellent starting pitching in both of those victories. All-Star Chris Carpenter tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 triumph over the Giants on Saturday, while Jaime Garcia followed up with the first shutout of his career to lead the Cards to a 9-0 win yesterday afternoon.
Garcia (11-6) yielded just three hits and walked none while facing just one batter over the minimum in a masterful performance. The rookie, who struck out six and threw only 89 pitches, had set down 13 straight batters before giving up a two-out single to Nate Schierholtz in the ninth.
"I was just trying to go one pitch at a time and not worry about anything else but that," said Garcia afterward.
St. Louis also supplied plenty of offense in the rout. Allen Craig socked a two-run homer and finished with two hits and three RBI, while Jon Jay went 3- for-4 with a run-scoring single to pace the Cardinals' 15-hit attack.
The Cardinals hope to carry the momentum from this weekend's outcome into a 10-game road trip that also includes stops in Washington and Houston. The team is just 26-31 as the visitor this season, but has won three straight and four of its last five away from home.
St. Louis has had its share of success in the Steel City over the past few years. Tony La Russa's squad has gone 8-4 at PNC Park since the start of the 2009 campaign and took two of three from the Pirates in Pittsburgh back in May. They've also prevailed in 11 of the last 13 overall meetings between the clubs, including five of six bouts so far this year.
And to say the Pirates have been struggling lately is an understatement. Pittsburgh scored less than three runs for the 10th time in its last 11 outings in Sunday's matchup with the New York Mets, although the NL Central basement-dwellers were able to stop a five-game slide by coming through with a 2-1 win.
Bucs starter Zach Duke (6-12) held New York to one run on five hits over the first seven innings, with relievers Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan protecting the one-run advantage over the final two frames. The Pirates mustered only four hits on the day, but two of them were solo homers by Lastings Milledge and Jose Tabata off Mets ace Johan Santana.
"I'm proud of the way we battled to beat one of the best pitchers in the game," said Pittsburgh manager John Russell.
Pittsburgh was able to give Duke just enough support on Sunday, something it's had a lot trouble providing Ross Ohlendorf all throughout this season. The right-hander enters tonight's assignment with a brutal 1-10 record despite a respectable 3.90 earned run average, and he's turned in three straight quality starts with nothing but frustration to show for those efforts.
Ohlendorf worked a season-high eight innings and allowed just four hits against Florida this past Wednesday, but came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision. He fired 6 2/3 shutout frames in his previous start, an August 13 clash at Houston, but wound up with a no-decision after the Pittsburgh bullpen blew a late lead. That scenario also took place in an August 7 tilt against Colorado in which Ohlendorf permitted two runs -- one earned -- and four hits through six innings.
The Princeton product, who has posted a 2.35 ERA since June 27, has yet to face the Cardinals this season and is 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA in four lifetime starts against St. Louis.
Pittsburgh will try to get its slumping offense untracked in a matchup with Cards hurler Kyle Lohse. The right-hander was hammered in his first start back from a near three-month stay on the disabled list in an August 15 game against Chicago, with the Cubs pounding him for seven runs and six hits -- including two homers -- in just three innings of work.
Lohse, who had been sidelined since May 22 with a forearm problem which required surgery, is just 1-5 with a bloated 6.79 ERA in 10 starts this season and has surrendered five or more runs in four of his last five trips to the mound.
On the flip side, the 31-year-old sports a 4-0 record and an excellent 2.14 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against Pittsburgh and won his only encounter with the Bucs last season, permitting three runs (two earned) over seven effective innings in his 2009 debut.
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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Football Betting Lines
The 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.
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