08/13/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After regaining the top spot in the American League Central on Tuesday, the Chicago White Sox hope to stay there following tonight's clash with the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chicago moved a half-game in front of Minnesota for first place after handing Kansas City a 9-0 loss in Tuesday's opener of this three-game set. The Twins suffered an extra-inning setback to the New York Yankees last night.
Javier Vazquez (9-10) led the way for the White Sox, with the veteran pitcher twirling eight shutout innings on the night. The right-hander yielded just five hits and one walk while matching a season-high with 10 strikeouts.
Jermaine Dye, A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Swisher all hit home runs for Chicago, which improved to 40-19 at home on the year. Dye ended 2-for-4 with three RBI while Pierzynski knocked in two runs on a pair of hits.
Brian Bannister (7-11) worked seven innings for the Royals and allowed four runs on just four hits. All three Chicago home runs came against the Kansas City starter.
Mark Buehrle has the tough task of following up Vazquez's performance tonight. The steady southpaw ended a personal two-start losing streak by delivering seven excellent innings in Chicago's 5-3 victory over Boston this past Friday. Buehrle limited the Red Sox' potent offense to one run and four hits while fanning eight batters.
The 29-year-old rebounded strongly from a shellacking by the Royals in Kansas City on August 2. Buehrle was chased after just 4 1/3 innings during that 9-7 loss and surrendered eight runs on an eye-opening 14 hits.
Buehrle is just 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA in three starts against Kansas City this season. However, he did defeat the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field on July 18 after giving up four runs -- three earned -- over a solid seven frames.
For his career, Buehrle is 17-8 with a 3.55 ERA in 36 games (34 starts) versus Kansas City.
Struggling rookie Luke Hochevar gets the call for Kansas City tonight. The former No. 1 overall draft choice has dropped three straight decisions and is 1-5 with a 7.45 ERA over his last seven starts.
One of those losses came to the White Sox on August 1, when Hochevar was reached for four runs and 10 hits in six innings of work. He followed up by permitting five runs over 5 2/3 frames in the Royals' 8-2 defeat to Boston on August 6.
In his lone career appearance at U.S. Cellular Field, Hochevar allowed four runs and two home runs while issuing five walks in a 5 1/3 no-decision on June 4.
In injury news, Chicago slugger Carlos Quentin sat out last night's game after being hit in the left forearm by a pitch in the team's loss to Boston on Monday. The All-Star outfielder, who is tied for the major league lead with 32 home runs, is expected to miss tonight's test as well.
The White Sox are 8-5 against Kansas City this season and won five of the seven meetings between these divisional foes at home. The Royals are just 9-26 at U.S. Cellular Field since the start of the 2005 campaign.
<< Cubs, Braves set to play two in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After having a day off due to inclement weather in the
Atlanta area on Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs will try again for their sixth
straight road win when they kick off a six-game trek this afternoon with a
day-night doubleheader
<< Red-hot Angels go for sixth straight in finale with Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are going to try and make
their short series with Seattle a good one. The club concludes a two-game set
with the Mariners tonight at Angel Stadium.
Tonight's test brings to a close an e
<< Surging Sabathia, Brewers resume set at Padres
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's been more than a week since the Milwaukee Brewers lost
a game. On the other hand, new team ace CC Sabathia hasn't tasted defeat in
over two months.
Sabathia will attempt to remain unbeaten as a Brewer and lead
<< Yanks to wrap up rough road trip with matinee vs. Twins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are ready to put their disastrous road
trip behind them. The Bronx Bombers conclude a 10-game trek this afternoon
with the finale of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at the
Metrodo
Pirates lefty Maholm takes on Reds >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh lefty Paul Maholm will try to continue a recent
run of quality pitching at home tonight, when the Pirates host the Cincinnati
Reds in the middle contest of a three-game series at PNC Park.
Maholm, a first-ro
Curlin's owner goes after Big Brown >>
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Recent remarks by the trainer of Kentucky
Derby winner Big Brown have inspired Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin,
to seek a confrontation in the upcoming Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Jackson
has of
Marlins continue series with Cardinals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies are
floundering out west in LA, the Florida Marlins are slowly climbing their way
back to the top of the division.
The Marlins will try to gain more ground on the Phillies to
Maine set for return as Mets battle Nationals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets hope that John Maine can make a
successful return from the disabled list tonight, when he takes the ball in
the second test of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.
Maine exited early in h
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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.
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 .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards
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