Braves try to hold onto first place in Minnesota

Baseball Betting Lines

06/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Division leaders clash in the second of a three-game interleague set tonight as the Atlanta Braves take on the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

The Braves, still five games under .500 on the road (16-21), have the best home record of any team in the majors at the moment and that's why they hold a 1 1/2 game advantage in the National League East. Minnesota, meanwhile, thanks to last night's narrow 2-1 victory in the series opener, has now taken three of its last four outings and is ahead of second-place Detroit by 4 1/2 games in the AL Central.

Francisco Liriano pitched a gem for the Twins as he allowed just the one run on five hits and struck out 11 over the course of eight innings. Not to be overlooked was reliever Jon Rauch who recorded his 16th save of the season by striking out the side in the ninth. Atlanta's rookie sensation Jason Heyward was guilty of four K's all by himself.

"I just wanted to go out and make good pitches," Liriano said of his outstanding effort. "I wanted to get first-pitch strikes."

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau scored the only runs of the game for Minnesota, while Jason Kubel accounted for two of his team's seven hits on the night.

Troy Glaus and Melky Cabrera each tallied a pair of hits for the visitors, the former scoring the lone run of the game on an RBI by Omar Infante before he left the game early due to an injured left foot. Atlanta starter Tim Hudson gave up two earned runs on seven hits, but struck out only two batters over his eight innings of work as he suffered his second loss of 2010. It was the first complete game of the season for Hudson and 23rd of his career. He fell to 6-3 in 14 career starts versus the Twins.

Despite having a lofty 5.04 ERA so far this season, Atlanta hurler Derek Lowe is shooting for his ninth win of the campaign when he takes the hill for the Braves tonight.

Lowe, who has a record of just 1-4 in his career versus the Twins, needs just one more victory to reach 150 for his career as well. The Michigan native saw a personal three-game win streak snapped on Monday when he surrendered seven runs on eight hits and a pair of walks, while striking out only two over the course of just four innings. The outing was the shortest of the season for the 14-year veteran.

Countering for the Twins will be Nick Blackburn, a right-hander who is making his first-ever appearance versus Atlanta. Blackburn has dropped his last two outings, moving him to 6-3 on the season, after giving up five runs against both Seattle and Oakland in a combined 6 1/3 innings on June 1 and 6, respectively. Perhaps even more troubling for the Oklahoma native is the fact that he failed to strike out a single batter in either of those contests.

Over the last seven games Braves hitters have batted a stellar .296, even though they have just three home runs to show for their efforts. With nine hits in 23 at-bats, Brian McCann has done quite a bit of damage, leading to a team-best nine RBI. However, in the four games in which former all-star Chipper Jones has appeared, he has just two hits in 17 at-bats (.118).

As for the Twins, Kubel and Delmon Young are both hitting an even .400 in the last six games, combining for 12 RBI and eight runs scored. Even though he stands as one of the toughest hitters in all of baseball again this season, Morneau has just four hits in his last 16 at-bats.

Footballbettingshop Baseball Betting News

<< Zito faces former team at AT&T Park
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Zito tries for his first win in five starts this evening when the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics resume their three-game series at AT&T Park. Zito won his first five decisions, but is just 1-2 his six

<< Mariners hope Cliff Lee can slow down Padres
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners try to snap the longest current losing streak in the American League as they face off against the San Diego Padres in the second of a three-game interleague set at Petco Park tonight. On Friday night t

<< Rockies, Jays try to play nine innings in Colorado
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies try to make it through an entire nine innings tonight as the two clubs clash in the second of a three-game interleague set at Coors Field. Despite the rain-shortened contest last

<< Angels, Dodgers square off at Chavez Ravine
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Kazmir goes after his third straight win this evening when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continue their three-game Freeway Series with the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Kazmir won for the third time in his last four

<< Royals shoot for third straight win in Cincy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals try to put together a rare three- game win streak tonight as they tangle with the Cincinnati Reds in the second of a three-game interleague set at Great American Ball Park. On Friday night Yuniesky B

Brewers take aim at third straight win in middle tilt with Rangers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers push for their third straight win tonight as they again host the Texas Rangers in the second of a three-game interleague set at Miller Field. On Friday night the Brewers blasted four home runs agains

Sunshine State foes resume set at the Trop >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sunshine State warms up with the second of a three-game interleague set between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field tonight. Despite being just three games over .500 at home so far this season

Sharapova to play Li for Birmingham crown >>
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Sharapova and Li Na were semifinal winners Saturday and will meet for the title of the Aegon Classic on Sunday. The second-seeded Sharapova advanced first with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory o

Argentina holds off Nigeria >>
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gabriel Heinz's goal in the sixth minute was enough to lead Argentina to a 1-0 win over Nigeria at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday in Group B play. Heinz headed home the lone goal from

Federer continues Halle dominance, Hewitt up next >>
Halle, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Federer moved a step closer to his sixth title at the Gerry Webber Open with a straight-set semifinal win over Germany's Philipp Petzschner, and will next face Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday's final.

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.

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.