Mets begin key early series with Braves
Baseball Betting Lines
04/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Hudson hopes to quiet New York's potent lineup when the Atlanta Braves open a three-game set with the Mets this evening at Shea Stadium.
Hudson has been sensational through his first three starts, allowing just two runs in 21 innings. After earning a no decision in his season debut against Philadelphia, Hudson has bounced back with consecutive victories against the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins.
In his last start on Sunday, Hudson gave up just a run on six hits in seven innings against Florida. He also fanned four, but walked four as well.
Hudson, who is pitching to a sparkling 0.86 earned run average this season, has faced the Mets eight times in his career and is 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA against them.
While Hudson's wins have not necessarily come against the elite teams in the National League, he will get a true test tonight when he faces a Mets team that has scored 28 runs over its last three games.
New York's offensive onslaught continued Thursday in Florida, as Carlos Beltran, Ramon Castro and Jose Valentin all homered in the Mets' 11-3 win over the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium.
Orlando Hernandez tossed seven solid innings for New York, which has won three straight and five of six overall.
Hernandez (2-1) allowed just two runs -- one earned -- on three hits with a pair of walks. The veteran right-hander notched 10 strikeouts and improved to 3-1 in four career starts against the Marlins.
David Wright singled in the fifth to extend his franchise-best hitting streak to 26 consecutive games, dating back to last season. Hubie Brooks and Mike Piazza, though, still hold the team's single-season record of 24 straight games.
The Mets will hand the ball to rookie Mike Pelfrey this evening. Pelfrey, who will be facing the Braves for the first time in his young career, received a no decision last Friday against the Washington Nationals in his only other start this season. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings in the Mets' 3-2 victory that night.
Atlanta, meanwhile, enters this series on a sour note after getting blanked by the Chicago Cubs, 3-0, Thursday at Turner Field. Kelly Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double for the Braves, whose two-game win streak came to an end.
Mark Redman (0-3) was the hard-luck loser, giving up seven hits and three runs while fanning five and walking a pair in 7 1/3 innings.
Atlanta took two of three from the Mets earlier this season, but New York holds a slight 12-9 edge in the series since the start of last season. The Mets also hold a slim 15-14 advantage in the last 29 games played in Flushing.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Young right-hander Brandon McCarthy looks to recover from the shortest start of his career tonight when the Texas Rangers host the Oakland Athletics to begin a three-game series at Rangers Ballpark at Arlington. The 23-ye
<< Struggling Cleveland heads to Tampa Bay for series
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians will attempt to rebound from a rough
three days in the Bronx when the struggling club visits the Tampa Bay Devil
Rays tonight in the first of a three-game series.
Cleveland lost all three of its games
<< NBA Playoff Preview - Miami vs. Chicago
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The defending NBA Champion Miami Heat are in the
postseason for a fourth straight year and will take on the Chicago Bulls in
the opening round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.
Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is set for Saturd
<< Game on: Yankees, Red Sox renew rivalry at Fenway
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2007 debut of one of baseball's most heated and storied
rivalries takes place this evening at Fenway Park, as the Boston Red Sox and
New York Yankees hold the first of 19 regular-season meetings between the
hated clubs.
<< NBA Playoff Preview - Cleveland vs. Washington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers needed the entire regular season to
capture the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and will take on the
Washington Wizards in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.
Game 1 of the best-of-sev
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Lieber makes his return to the Philadelphia rotation when the Phillies start a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds this evening at Great America Ball Park. Lieber started the season in the bullpen for the Ph
PSV try to hold on for two more weeks >>
Utrecht, Holland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSV is just two weeks away from
clinching its third-straight Eredivisie title, but with a pair of teams just
two points back and ready to take over if PSV slip up, there is no room for
error.
Blue Jays hit the road to battle Orioles >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays begin a seven-game road stretch
against fellow American League East teams with tonight's opener of a three-
game series against the surging Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Baltimore comes in having
Defending Fed Cup champs open against China >>
Castellaneta Marina, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Italy will begin defense of its
Fed Cup crown this weekend against China in one of four quarterfinal ties for
the 2007 championship.
The Italians pulled off a stunner last September with a vi
Tigers now the hunted >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carrying the label of the defending American League champs,
the Detroit Tigers are finding out first hand that they must bring their A-
game to the park on each day.
This time last year, the Tigers came into the season fol
Super Bowl 2009 Betting
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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SPORTS BETTING
NFL Football Betting OnlineIn 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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