Struggling Nationals search for consistency
Baseball Betting Lines
04/23/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a season which hasn't produced many positives, the Washington Nationals certainly haven't found consistency in the past week. After splitting a two-game set with Philadelphia, the Nats tried their luck in the Sunshine State, as they took on the Florida Marlins over the weekend.
But after outlasting the Fish, 6-5, in a 14-inning affair on Friday, Washington managed to dump the final two games of the series, which included an embarrassing, 12-6 thumping on Sunday.
With victories seeming very few and far between, Chris Snelling was happy to provide some rare fireworks for Nationals' fans on Friday night. Ryan Church led off the 14th with a single and then stole second base. But the 28-year-old right fielder was nearly stranded until Snelling stepped to the plate with two outs.
The Nationals were fortunate to have Snelling deliver a single, but were perhaps more fortunate that Marlins' catcher Miguel Olivo couldn't control the relay throw to home plate, which allowed Church to sneak by.
"I think he closed the mitt a little early. I just made sure I got my hand around him and touched the plate," Church said of the play.
And despite surrendering a double to Jason Wood, and then throwing a wild pitch which allowed him to advance to third, Saul Rivera was able to secure the first save of the season for Washington.
SUNDAY SHELLING
Despite getting the series off to a strong start on Friday night, Matt Chico (1-2) was unable to keep the momentum going for the Nationals on Saturday. In fact, Chico allowed five runs on six hits, while also walking seven batters in the 9-3 setback.
However, as much as Chico's outing puzzled the Washington coaching staff, Jerome Williams' effort on Sunday opened up a whole new can of worms. Williams (0-4) surrendered a gaudy 10 runs, nine of which were earned, on nine Marlins' hits. He also walked four batters, and gave up two home runs to Marlins' second baseman Dan Uggla in his six innings of work.
INJURY SETBACK
Nationals' pitching prospect Mike O'Connor was transferred onto the 60-day disabled list on Thursday, as he continues to recover from offseason surgery on his left elbow. O'Connor had previously been placed on the 15-day DL back in March, but had yet to prove he was healthy enough to suit up.
In his rookie campaign just last season, O'Connor went 3-8 in 20 starts with an earned run average of 4.80. The Nationals were hoping the second year player could help their struggling rotation, but it's now obvious that they will need to wait a couple more months.
WHO'S HOT
After taking a brutal, .209 batting average into their most recent series against the Marlins, Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman seemed to catch fire in the warm Florida weather.
Zimmerman punched two hits in each of the three games, and exploded for a home run and four RBI on Sunday afternoon. Zimmerman's emergence this weekend, which boosted his average to .241, couldn't have come soon enough for a Washington lineup which is desperately trying to compensate for some poor pitching.
WHO'S NOT
After struggling to make it to the Mendoza line all season, Nationals' catcher Brian Schneider dropped his average to a disappointing .169 over the weekend. Schneider flew into Florida batting an even .200, but went 0-of-9 from the plate in his appearances on Friday and Saturday.
Overall, Schneider is hitless in his last three games, and has just 10 hits in 59 at bats this season.
ON DECK
After a day off on Monday, the 6-13 Nationals, who sit dead last in the NL East, will travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday night.
Jason Bergmann (0-1, 3.94) will get the ball for the Nats on Tuesday, as he faces Jamie Moyer (2-1, 3.05) in the series opener. Shawn Hill (1-2, 2.92) will square off against Jon Lieber (0-0, 3.38) on Wednesday night, while Matt Chico (1-2, 6.38) will attempt to down the red-hot Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.57) in the series finale on Thursday.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Maine aims to extend his hot start to the season this evening, when his New York Mets welcome the Colorado Rockies to Shea Stadium for the start of a three-game series. Maine is 2-0 through his first three start
<< Phillies, Astros replay earlier washout
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies go for their third straight win
this evening, when they host the Houston Astros in a makeup game at Citizens
Bank Park.
This contest was originally scheduled for April 15 in what would have be
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cha Seung Baek makes his season debut this evening when the
Seattle Mariners open a brief two-game set with Texas at Rangers Ballpark at
Arlington.
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<< Rockies falling fast after promising start
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After starting the season with a suprising 3-1 mark, it has
been all downhill for Colorado Rockies fans. In fact, the club has lost three
of its last four games, and now sits in the cellar of the NL West at 8-11.
After win
<< Yankees aim to rebound against Devil Rays
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie left-hander Kei Igawa tries to get the New York
Yankees back on track this evening when they open a brief two-game set with
the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
New York comes into this series after getting
Far Hills, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The United States Golf Association announced on Monday that the Charlotte Country Club was awarded the 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship. The course, designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1910, has
Cubs try to end home woes as Brewers come to Wrigley >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Zambrano will try to get back on track when the
Chicago Cubs begin a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers this evening
at Wrigley Field.
Zambrano has turned in consecutive forgettable outings and has
Red-hot Orioles open short set with Athletics >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles try to win their fifth straight game
this evening when they begin a brief two-game set with Oakland Athletics at
Camden Yards.
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Fresh off big sweep, Red Sox clash with Blue Jays at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox target their sixth straight win this
evening when they begin a brief two-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at
Fenway Park.
The Red Sox enter this series after sweeping a three-game set from the New
Yo
Watney, Jacquelin vault into top 100 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - To the victor go the spoils.
For weekend winners Nick Watney and Raphael Jacquelin, that means a new berth
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New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Odds
| Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers Calgary Flames New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Dallas Stars New York Rangers Nashville Predators Vancouver Canucks Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Atlanta Thrashers Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
| Team Ottawa Senators Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars New York Rangers Minnesota Wild Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Team Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightening Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under 108.5 106.5 104.5 104.5 103.5 101.5 100.5 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 95.5 94.5 93.5 92.5 Over/Under 91.5 91.5 91.5 89.5 89.5 88.5 88.5 86.5 84.5 82.5 80.5 72.5 72.5 72.5 71.5 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.
College Football Betting Tips From a Pro
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.