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08/28/2010 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casey Blake's grand slam off Matt Belisle in the eighth inning gave the Dodgers a 6-2 victory over the Rockies in the opener of a three-game series between the National League West foes.
The grand slam was part of a five-run frame that handed Ubaldo Jimenez (17-5) his third straight losing decision.
Los Angeles' top three hitters -- Scott Podsednik, Ryan Theriot and Andre Ethier -- each had two hits and, as did Blake in the club's fourth straight win.
Jonathan Broxton (5-4) pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win behind Clayton Kershaw, who allowed a run on five hits and two walks while fanning six in as many innings.
Jimenez, looking for a franchise-record 18th win of the season, was charged with three runs on nine hits and three walks in seven-plus innings for the Rockies, who had their four-game win streak snapped.
Colorado relievers pitched 7 1/3 innings in Wednesday's 12-10 comeback victory over Atlanta, and as a result, manager Jim Tracy opted to extend Jimenez's outing despite the ace throwing 114 pitches heading into the eighth with a 1-0 lead.
Podsednik opened the frame with a single, then swiped second. Theriot worked a walk, and Ethier followed with a two-base gapper to right, tying the game.
Belisle was called in to fan the flames and got Matt Kemp to hit a harmless grounder to short for the first out. James Loney was given a free pass to load the bases in front of Blake, who launched a payoff pitch into the seats in center for his fifth career grand slam and first with LA.
Melvin Mora made it a 5-2 game with an RBI single off Broxton in the bottom half, but the visitors got the run back in the ninth when Kemp's single scored Theriot. Hong-Chih Kuo, who recorded the final out in the eighth, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the win and his sixth save.
Todd Helton's two-out, opposite-field homer in the second accounted for the only run in the first seven frames.
Game Notes
The Dodgers have reportedly placed starting pitcher Ted Lilly and outfielder Manny Ramirez on waivers. The White Sox have apparently been awarded a waiver claim on the latter and have until Tuesday to complete a deal for the slugger...Jimenez took his first loss in 12 home starts this season...Kershaw has allowed just three earned runs in 26 innings against the Rockies this year.
<< Busch holds off Bodine for Chicagoland truck win
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch won his fourth consecutive NASCAR
national touring series race by taking Friday night's EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at
Chicagoland Speedway.
Busch, who won the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series
<< Carolina Panthers 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's hard to view the Carolina Panthers as anything but a
team in limbo, and it's difficult to see 2010 as anything but a way station
that precedes the organization's real future.
Start with the head coach, John Fox, who i
<< Late TD helps Eagles nip Chiefs
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Kafka threw the game-winning 18-yard
touchdown pass to Riley Cooper with 23 seconds left to lift Philadelphia to a
20-17 come from behind win over Kansas City in preseason action at Arrowhead
Stadium
<< Young, Murphy help Texas down Oakland
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Young and David Murphy each knocked
in two runs as Texas topped Oakland, 7-3, in the opener of a three-game
series.
Josh Hamilton added three hits and an RBI while Elvis Andrus and Vladi
Enright solid as Diamondbacks shut down Giants >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam LaRoche belted a three-run home run
in support of Barry Enright's seven shutout frames as Arizona opened a three-
game series with a 6-0 blanking of San Francisco.
Enright (5-2) cooled off a red-
Mauer, Baker lead Twins over Mariners >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Mauer had three hits with two RBI and
Scott Baker pitched into the seventh inning, as the American League Central-
leading Minnesota Twins beat Seattle, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game
series
Burris, Calgary continue to roll; Lions drop seventh straight >>
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henry Burris threw two touchdowns and ran in
another as he led the Calgary Stampeders to a 48-35 win over the British
Columbia Lions at Empire Field.
The Stamps (7-1) won for the seventh time in their
Rollins' evasive slide helps Phillies top Padres in extras >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Rollins doubled off the right-field
wall to open the 12th inning and scored on Placido Polanco's base hit up the
middle, lifting the Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Padres in the opener of a
three-g
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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