Yankees, Blue Jays open key series with weekday matinee
Baseball Betting Lines
07/03/2009 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees will try to start a new winning streak
this afternoon, when they play the first of four straight games versus the
American League East-rival Toronto Blue Jays in the Bronx.
New York had a seven-game winning streak come to an end with Thursday's 8-4
loss to the Seattle Mariners in the finale of a three-game series at the new
Yankee Stadium. Prized free agent acquisition CC Sabathia was pounded for six
runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work to absorb the loss. He also walked
three and struck out eight batters.
"It was frustrating because we scored four runs," said Sabathia. "It should be
enough to get the win, but I just wasn't on today. My delivery was just one
of those days where I couldn't get the ball down. It was off the plate and put
me in some tough counts."
Hideki Matsui belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs, while Robinson
Cano had three hits and scored twice for the Yankees, who are now three games
off Boston's lead in the AL East. Nick Swisher drove in the other run in
defeat, which put the Yankees two games ahead of Tampa Bay for the AL Wild
Card lead. Texas is third at 2 1/2 games behind New York.
Former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett gets the call for the Yankees Friday and will try
for a measure of revenge against his one-time employer. Burnett faced Toronto
for the first time since joining the Yankees on May 12 at Rogers Centre, where
he allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 5-1 setback.
Burnett, who pitched for Toronto from 2006-2008, is 1-1 with a 3.24 earned run
average in two lifetime starts against the Jays. He has won four of his last
six outings overall, including a 5-0 win over the Mets his last time out on
Saturday. The righty tossed seven shutout innings and allowed three walks with
10 strikeouts to improve to 6-4 in 15 starts this season, while lowering his
ERA from 4.24 to 3.93.
The Jays will open a 10-game road trip against the Yankees, Rays and Orioles
today and ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory versus Tampa
Bay Wednesday at Rogers Centre. Starting pitcher Ricky Romero won his sixth
game of the season with eight shutout innings of four-hit ball, striking out
eight batters and walking only one.
"It helps a lot when everyone is on your side and everyone on your team is
backing you up," Romero said. "It's not a one-man show out there. It's nine
guys trying to grind it out and trying to get a win."
Adam Lind, Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas all helped Romero out with solo homers
and Marco Scutaro doubled in a run for Toronto, which won for the second time
in its last seven tries and sits seven games off the pace in the AL East. The
Jays are also four games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card race.
Toronto will send Brian Tallet to the hill on Friday, and he is 5-5 with a
4.47 earned run average in 19 games (15 starts) this season. He fell to 1-2
over his last four trips to the hill and most recently dropped a 5-4 decision
to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Tallet surrendered five runs -- four
earned -- and eight hits in six innings of work versus the Phils.
The left-hander out of LSU took on the Yankees in a 3-2 loss on May 14, but
did not factor in the outcome after yielding a pair of runs and four hits in
six innings. In 21 career games (1 start) against New York, spanning 34 1/3
innings, Tallet is 1-0 with a 2.88 ERA.
The Yankees won two of three matchups in Toronto from May 12-14 and have won
four of the six most recent meetings between the teams.
<< Ray carries Eskimos over Bombers; Lumsden hurts shoulder
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Ray went 29-for-41 passing for 318 yards
and a touchdown, as the Edmonton Eskimos edged the Winnipeg Blue Bombers,
19-17, in the teams' season-opener.
Edmonton took the win after Winnipeg kicker
<< Abreu homers twice in Angels' win over O's
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bobby Abreu hit a pair of homers, accounting
for four runs batted in, and John Lackey threw eight strong innings, as the
Angels beat Baltimore, 5-2, in the opener of a four-game series.
Chone Figgins had
<< Mariners end Yankees' seven-game win streak
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russell Branyan belted a two-run homer and the
Mariners pounded CC Sabathia early on the way to an 8-4 win, ending New
York's winning streak at seven contests.
Franklin Gutierrez had three hits, inclu
<< NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees announced
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR on Thursday revealed the 25 nominees
for the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class. Nominees included
pioneers, former champions and driver-turned-team owners of the sport.
A 21-member committe
<< Kings reach agreement on four-year deal with Scuderi
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings have reached an
agreement on a four-year contract with former Penguins blueliner Rob Scuderi.
Scuderi was a key cog in helping Pittsburgh claim its third Stanley Cup title
in t
Ramirez, Marlins host Pirates in Miami >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hanley Ramirez will try to stretch his franchise-record RBI
streak to 11 games this evening when the Florida Marlins begin a three-game
series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Land Shark Stadium.
Florida, meanwhile, has
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
Cubs' Zambrano takes mound against Milwaukee >>
(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 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 >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies limp back home tied atop the NL
East after a dreadful road trip. Tonight, they try to improve upon their
horrific play in front of their own fans when they open a three-game series
against
MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.
|