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07/28/2010 - Thunder Bay, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Ellis is like any other player on Canada's junior national baseball team - following his passion by playing the sport he loves.
What's different about him and the rest of Team Canada's 18-and-unders is that they're chasing a dream very few people their age will ever experience.
So when the 18-year-old pitcher from Surrey, B.C. was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round of the 2010 MLB Draft in June, Ellis accomplished something far from the norm of his peers.
He remembers following the draft online before going to school that day and how it sunk in later that night that his dream of making it to the major leagues was very much alive.
"I was sitting down and it hit me that I have an opportunity to still play pro ball and it doesn't really matter what round I get selected, but where I end up," said Ellis at the junior national team's workouts in Toronto earlier this month.
Where he is now is in Thunder Bay, Ont. representing his country and competing for a world title against the best young baseball players on the planet.
"It's special being able to play for your country," said Ellis, after throwing four scoreless innings in a 9-2 win over Panama at the Worlds on Tuesday night. "I've never had a chance to do that in a tournament like this."
Ellis, who has experienced the perils and spoils of being a star pitcher in his hometown of Surrey, said nothing's quite like donning the red and white on an international stage.
"I've played in a few national tournaments but compared to this, it's a whole new level," he said prior to arriving in Thunder Bay.
He's experienced that other level too, joining teammate and Texas Rangers' first round pick Kellin Deglan at the Seattle Mariners' pre-draft training camp prior to being selected by the Padres.
For a pitcher whose strengths lay in his ability to command the strike zone and keep hitters off balance with breaking pitches, Ellis said it was a little overwhelming to be in an environment where six-foot-five, 230-pound college players were a dime a dozen.
"It really was humbling knowing the kind of competition you're getting into, the guys you're competing for spots with," he said. "I know that I don't have the body type to be the 95-98 miles per hour fastball guy that strikes everybody out.
"I try to be efficient and stay within myself."
At six-foot-one and 180 pounds, Ellis said he focuses on fooling hitters with off-speed pitches rather than blowing them away with heat.
The right-hander's arsenal includes a slider he's been working on since spring training in Florida, one he said back-doors on righties and cuts in on lefties.
With a fastball topping out in the 88-90 miles per hour range, Ellis is constantly trying to figure out ways to maximize his strengths on the mound.
"I want to get a little bit better throwing to both sides of the plate with all my pitches," he said, describing the benefit of working with guys such as pitching coach and former major league pitcher Paul Quantrill. "We have really good coaches with a lot of good insight and professional experience."
Ellis knows locating his pitches will be key in a tournament like the Worlds, where Padres' scouts are sure to be in attendance as he tries to pitch his way into a major league contract.
Should the Padres choose not to sign him before the August 15 deadline, Ellis will attend Florida International in Miami, a Division I school where he expects to compete for a spot in the starting rotation.
<< Talbot adds heat to Winter Classic
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thank goodness the NHL still has a few
guys like Max Talbot.
Today's athletes are generally so concerned with image that they are constantly
guarding themselves against saying something controversial. If y
<< Royals demote Marte, call up Bullington
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals optioned reliever
Victor Marte to and recalled pitcher Bryan Bullington from Triple-A Omaha
Wednesday.
This will be Bullington's second stint with the big league club this s
<< Raul completes Schalke switch
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid legend Raul has
confirmed the new chapter in his career by joining Bundesliga side Schalke.
The 33-year-old striker has agreed to a two-year contract with Schalke after
officia
<< McGowan joins St Mirren on loan
Paisley, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St Mirren have signed striker Paul
McGowan on a season-long loan deal from SPL side Celtic.
The 22-year-old has made just a handful of starts for the Bhoys to date and
has previously been loaned
CFL East: Blue Bombers dominant with Jyles at the helm >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East division took full advantage of
home cooking last week, as Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg all won within their
friendly confines. Hamilton was the lone East team to fall, as touchdowns in
their match
PGA Championship Hole-By-Hole Preview >>
Haven, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
HOLE ONE - Par 4 - 408 yards: Bending from right to left, the opening hole on
the Straits Course gives the player his first glimpse of mighty Lake Michigan,
not to mention the myriad bunkers strewn across the cours
Sochaux adds Maiga from Le Mans >>
Montbeliard, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sochaux completed the signing of Mali
international striker Modibo Maiga from Le Mans on Wednesday.
Maiga scored seven goals in 32 appearances for Le Mans last season, but after
the club was relega
Pironkova knocked out in Istanbul >>
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana
Pironkova was a second-round upset victim Wednesday at the $220,000 Istanbul
Cup hardcourt tennis event.
Russian-born Aussie Anastasia Rodionova upended the fi
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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