White Sox take win streak to Kansas City
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox will be putting a season-high win streak on the line when the resurgent club heads to Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium tonight for the opener of a four-game series with the Royals.
Chicago comes in having won five straight games and 12 of its last 16 contests to creep back into the American League Central race, where the defending division champions now trail first-place Detroit by only three games. The White Sox have also been quite successful on the road as of late, with victories in 11 of their last 14 tilts as the visitor.
That tear began with a three-game sweep of the Royals from May 27-29 in Chicago's most recent visit to Kauffman Stadium.
The White Sox also posted a road sweep earlier this week, taking all three matchups with the wayward Cleveland Indians that culminated with Wednesday's 6-2 win at Progressive Field. Chicago scored four times in the sixth inning, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Ramon Castro, to back eight strong frames out of starting pitcher Jose Contreras.
Contreras (3-7) allowed only two runs on five hits and one walk to continue his in-season turnaround. Since returning from a stint in the minors on June 8, the veteran hurler has gone 3-2 with a 2.17 earned run average in five starts.
"He was real good tonight," said Indians manager Eric Wedge of Contreras.
Alexei Ramirez finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single for Chicago, while Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham each had a pair of hits on the night. Ramirez did leave the game in the eighth inning due to an injury to his right middle finger, however, and is expected to sit out this evening.
The White Sox will send out their top winner in an attempt to extend their impressive streak, with Mark Buehrle slated to pitch tonight's opener. The quick-working lefty is 7-2 with a very solid 3.26 ERA so far this season, although he's recorded only one victory over his past seven starts.
Buehrle has hit a bit of a rough patch as of late, however, as he's surrendered five or more runs in four of his last five outings. In his most recent start, the steady veteran gave up five runs (3 earned) and lasted just 5 2/3 innings during a no-decision against the crosstown-rival Cubs.
The three-time All-Star will try to get back on track when he faces a Kansas City squad he's had plenty of previous success against. Buehrle is 19-8 with a 3.48 ERA over 40 lifetime matchups (38 starts) with the Royals, including a 9-6 mark in 19 Kauffman Stadium starts.
Buehrle got a no-decision in Kansas City back on May 30, a game in which he permitted three runs over 7 1/3 innings.
Bruce Chen gets the call for the Royals this evening and will go in search for his first win in the majors in nearly four years. The journeyman left-hander was called up from Triple-A Omaha last week to replace the struggling Kyle Davies in the team's rotation.
Chen made his Kansas City debut this past Saturday in Pittsburgh and was reached for four runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings of a 6-2 Royals loss.
The 32-year-old Panamanian, who is pitching for his 10th team in a sporadic 11-year career, has lost eight consecutive decisions since his last big-league win, which came on October 2, 2005 while with Baltimore.
Chen has faced the White Sox six times previously, twice in a starting role, and is 0-1 with a 5.66 ERA against Chicago.
The slumping Royals lost for the 10th time in 14 games with Wednesday's 5-1 setback at home to fellow AL Central member Minnesota. Kansas City fell despite compiling 12 hits on the afternoon, the team's most while scoring under two runs since August 29, 1996.
Billy Butler finished 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles in a losing cause, while Jose Guillen knocked in the Royals' only run with an RBI single in the sixth inning.
Kansas City starter Gil Meche (4-8) yielded three runs -- two earned -- and struck out five over a solid six innings, but still suffered his third consecutive losing start.
These AL Central foes have split eight meetings so far in 2009, with the White Sox having won three of the five matchups held in Kansas City.
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The second
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.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.