Mets return home, rock Wainwright and Cards

Baseball Betting Lines

07/27/2010 - Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Francoeur and Jose Reyes each homered as the New York Mets made a successful return to Citi Field by roughing up Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals, 8-2, in the opener of a three-game series.

The Mets shook off their debilitating 2-9 road trip by scoring as many runs as they had in their previous four games combined. The total was the most the club scored since a 9-5 win over Washington on July 4.

Carlos Beltran aided the rare offensive outburst with two hits, a run scored and another driven in, while Jon Niese (7-4) gave up just one run on seven hits and two walks over six-plus innings to get the win.

Wainwright (14-6) came in sporting a 25-inning scoreless streak but was knocked around for a season-high six runs on six hits and three walks in five innings, his second shortest stint of the year.

St. Louis has dropped four of five following an eight-game winning streak.

New York jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth on Francoeur's towering blast to left-center, his ninth round-tripper of the year. Beltran walked and Ike Davis singled before the homer.

The hosts tacked on two more in the fifth via David Wright's sacrifice fly and Beltran's run-scoring base hit to left.

Aaron Miles flied out to leave the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, and Reyes' drive off Fernando Salas in the bottom half reached the second deck down the right-field line to make it 8-1.

Manny Acosta relieved Niese after the starter put the first two hitters on in the seventh and quickly got out of the inning unscathed.

Raul Valdes came in for Acosta after three consecutive singles loaded the bases in eighth and limited the damage to Randy Winn's pinch-hit double play grounder that scored Ryan Ludwick.

Francisco Rodriguez hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the convincing win.

Ludwick's infield single in the first inning scored Jon Jay, and New York tied it in the second on Davis' RBI groundout, which ended Wainwright's streak at 26 innings.

Game Notes

The Mets had lost their seven previous series openers...The Cardinals came into the game with a major league-leading 39-9 record when scoring first...Mets manager Jerry Manuel was not on the bench, as he was serving a one-game suspension for his actions during last Friday's game against the Dodgers...Mets outfielder Jason Bay was not in the lineup and is being listed as day-to-day, as he is experiencing concussion-like symptoms after crashing into the outfield wall while making a catch against the Dodgers last Friday...Wainwright, whose six losses this season have all come on the road, had won his previous four decisions...St. Louis outhit New York, 10-9, but went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10.

Football356 Baseball Betting News

<< Shields follows Garza's no-hit gem with strong outing
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One night after Matt Garza pitched the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay franchise history, the Rays used a solid outing from starter James Shields and a timely RBI double by Matt Joyce to defeat the Detroit

<< Bautista powers Blue Jays over Orioles
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Bautista went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and knocked in five, as the Toronto Blue Jays downed the Baltimore Orioles, 8-2, in the second of a three-game series at Rogers Centre. Vernon Wells

<< Tomlin shines in MLB debut; A-Rod held homerless on birthday
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Tomlin pitched into the eighth inning in his major league debut and Matt LaPorta provided enough support with two RBI, as Cleveland downed the Yankees, 4-1, in the continuation of a four-game series

<< No Strasburg, no problem: Nationals shut out Braves
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miguel Batista, thrust into emergency duty after the late scratch to phenom Stephen Strasburg, hurled five scoreless frames as Washington downed Atlanta, 3-0, in the first of three games at Nationa

<< Broncos sign draft picks Beadles, Decker
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos came to terms with their second and third-round draft picks, offensive lineman Zane Beadles and wide receiver Eric Decker, the team announced on Tuesday. Terms of the deals were not di

White Sox rout Mariners, Floyd strong again in victory >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alexei Ramirez, Paul Konerko and Andruw Jones each homered, and Gavin Floyd threw seven scoreless frames for Chicago en route to an 11-0 annihilation of Seattle in the second meeting of a four-game series.

Tomlin wins in major league debut for Indians >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Tomlin pitched into the eighth inning in his major league debut and bested former Indians ace CC Sabathia in a 4-1 Indians win against the Yankees. Tomlin was recalled from Triple-A Columbus Tues

Phillies use long ball vs. D'Backs to stay hot >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Howard finished 2-for-4 with a two- run homer, three RBI and two runs scored as Philadelphia rallied past Arizona, 9-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Cody Ransom and

ECU assistant resigns over possible NCAA violations >>
Greenville, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - East Carolina assistant football coach Mark Nelson announced his resignation Tuesday after possible NCAA violations were uncovered regarding the illegal observation of voluntary summer workouts. Nelson s

Myers' CG, six-run seventh gets Astros past Cubs >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Myers went the distance and Lance Berkman's grand slam capped a six-run seventh inning as Houston downed Chicago, 6-1, in the second of three between the clubs at Minute Maid Park. Hunter

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.