07/24/2008 - Flushing, NY (Baseball Betting) - Carlos Delgado's two-run double in the eighth inning provided the winning margin, and the New York Mets moved into first place in the National League East with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the rubber match of a three-game set at Shea Stadium.
Oliver Perez allowed a run on six hits and struck out a season-high 12 in 7 2/3 innings but didn't factor in the decision for the Mets, who have won three of four and lead the Phils by one game in the East. Aaron Heilman (1-3) retired one batter to earn the win, while Billy Wagner notched his 26th save.
David Wright knocked in the other run for the Mets, who managed just four hits as a team.
J.C. Romero (4-3) pitched the eighth and took the loss for the Phillies, losers in four of their last five. The loss spoiled a brilliant performance by Jamie Moyer, who allowed a run on just two hits in seven frames, striking out six and walking three.
Jayson Werth's home run provided the scoring for the Phillies, while Eric Bruntlett went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while starting in place of Jimmy Rollins, who was held out of the starting lineup with an undisclosed ailment. Rollins appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, grounding into a game- ending fielder's choice.
After Heilman escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth, the Mets forged ahead in their at-bat. Robinson Cancel led off with a pinch single, then moved to second on a Jose Reyes bunt. With two outs, Romero intentionally walked Wright, but Delgado made him pay by lacing a double down the line in left to plate both runners. Delgado was thrown out trying to reach third on the play, but the Mets held a 3-1 lead.
Wagner worked around Chris Coste's two-out single in the ninth for an eight- pitch save.
The Mets benefited from a pair of two-out walks from Moyer to take the lead in the third. Reyes and Nick Evans earned free passes, and Wright hooked a single to left to bring in Reyes.
Moyer settled down through seven innings, but the Phillies couldn't muster any offense against Perez until the top of the seventh, when Werth led off with a mammoth blast off the camera deck in straightaway center.
The Phillies threatened again in the eighth, as Bruntlett led of with a double and Perez loaded the bases with two outs after intentionally walking Pat Burrell and hitting Ryan Howard with a 3-2 slider. But, Heilman come on in relief and retired Werth on a fly ball to escape the jam.
Game Notes
Perez has allowed just one earned run and 17 hits in 26 innings over four starts against the Phillies this season. It was the 20th double-digit strikeout game of the lefty's career...The Phillies finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position...Phillies second baseman Chase Utley went 0-for-4 on Thursday and finished the series 0-for-12 with four strikeouts.
<< Toronto tops Baltimore in rain-suspended conclusion
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyle Overbay went 2-for-4 with a run batted
in, and Toronto pitching racked up 11 strikeouts as the Blue Jays topped the
Baltimore Orioles, 5-1, in the conclusion of a game that was suspended in the
sixth i
<< Phillies' Rollins late scratch from lineup
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was a
late scratch from Thursday's series finale against the New York Mets with an
undisclosed ailment.
Eric Bruntlett started at short and batted leadoff in place of Rollins,
<< Villa's O'Neill getting tired of Barry saga
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has
admitted that he not sure where his club stand in the long-running saga of
Gareth Barry's proposed move to Liverpool.
Villa have so far resisted the Reds
<< Sunderland signs veteran goalie Colgan
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland boss Roy Keane has made a
surprise move to sign veteran goalkeeper Nick Colgan on a one-year contract.
The 34-year-old Irishman ended last season with Ipswich Town, having previously
enjo
Liverpool signs French teen Ngog >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French striker David Ngog left Paris St.
German to sign with England's Liverpool on Thursday.
Ngog, 19, signed a four-year contract. He played in 18 games for PSG last year
and scored one goal. He is c
Field of 11 set for Whitney Handicap >>
Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Salvator Mile winner Notional will go
after a second "Win and You're In" victory on Saturday in the $750,000 Whitney
Handicap at Saratoga. The winner of the 1 1/8 mile Whitney gains automatic
entry
Romero, Vaughan share lead at Senior British Open >>
Ayrshire, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eduardo Romero and Bruce Vaughan opened
with rounds of three-under 68 on Thursday to share the lead after the first
round of the Senior British Open Championship.
Andy Bean, John Cook, Kirk Hanefel
Liverpool's Leto to join Olympiakos on loan >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder
Sebastian Leto is set to spend next season out on loan with Greek side
Olympiakos.
The 21-year-old made four appearances for the Reds last season an
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers SPORTS TRASH TALK
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards
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