Huff, Mora club homers to lift Orioles over Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

05/10/2008 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aubrey Huff went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, as the Baltimore Orioles took the second installment of a four-game set, 7-4, from the Kansas City Royals.

Melvin Mora hit a two-run homer for the Orioles, who have won two in a row on the heels of a five-game skid. Kevin Millar was responsible for the other Baltimore RBI.

Steve Trachsel (2-4) took the win after he went 5 1/3 innings and only gave up two runs on five hits. George Sherrill earned his 12th save of the year after he surrendered one hit and one walk in the ninth.

Alex Gordon hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI for the Royals, who have lost two in a row and four of five. John Buck went 2-for-4 with an RBI in defeat.

KC Starter Gil Meche (2-5) absorbed the loss after he was touched for five runs on six hits in five frames.

The Royals wasted no time in putting runs on the board. Mark Teahen clubbed a single and Gordon followed with a home run, as the Royals took a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

Baltimore evened things up in the third, as Freddie Bynum crushed a double to right field. Two batters later, Mora clubbed a homer to left and it was 2-2.

The Orioles pulled ahead in the fifth. Bynum led off with a single and moved to second on a throwing error by Meche. Nick Markakis was intentionally walked, and Huff then made the Royals pay as he deposited a 1-2 curveball over the fence in right field. Baltimore was sitting on a 5-2 lead.

Markakis' single ignited the Orioles to tack on a couple more runs in the seventh. Huff followed with a double, and KC reliever Ron Mahay was chased in favor of Ramon Ramirez.

A wild pitch scored Markakis and moved Huff to third. Millar followed with a single to left field, which plated Huff, and the Orioles' lead ballooned to 7-2.

The Royals made it 7-3 in the home seventh. Alberto Callaspo worked a walk off of Matt Albers, and David DeJesus followed with a single. Jamie Walker then replaced Albers and struck out Teahen, but Gordon singled to plate Callaspo.

Kansas City inched closer in the eighth. Mark Grudzielanek led off with a single and moved to second on a Jose Guillen groundout. John Buck then singled to right to score Grudzielanek and the Royals closed it to 7-4.

The Royals made a strong push in the ninth. DeJesus singled off of Sherrill to lead off and pinch-hitter Billy Butler worked a walk, bringing the tying run to the plate. Gordon went down swinging for the first out, and Miguel Olivo grounded into a double play to end the threat and the game.

Game Notes

Baltimore has now won 11 straight encounters with the Royals...Grudzielanek and DeJesus each had two hits for the Royals...Markakis, Millar, Bynum and Ramon Hernandez tallied two hits apiece for the Orioles...Time of game was 3:19...Attendance was 21,873.

Wcdnow Baseball Betting News

<< Twins P Neshek has partial tear in elbow; could miss rest of season
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins placed reliever Pat Neshek on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with an acute partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. An MRI exam revealed the tear, w

<< Report: Carlisle gets four-year deal to coach Mavs
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Carlisle has reportedly come to terms on a four-year contract to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. The Dallas Morning News, citing an NBA source, reported Carlisle had agreed in principle to the d

<< Rangers record third straight shutout in win over A's
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Boggs went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in, and the Rangers pitching staff recorded their third consecutive shutout with a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the opener

<< Gonzalez, Marlins dominate Nats in nation's capital
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luis Gonzalez stroked a three-run double and Ricky Nolasco threw six strong innings in Florida's 7-3 win over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series. Jorge Cantu had a pair

<< Malkin guides Pens past Flyers in Game 1
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evgeni Malkin scored twice and added an assist, as Pittsburgh doubled up Philadelphia, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals from Mellon Arena. Sidney Crosby and Petr Sykora also tallied f

Jazz deal Lakers first loss of postseason >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Boozer had a huge night with 27 points and 20 rebounds, as the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 104-99, in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Deron Williams overcame a

Papelbon lets another slip away as Twins rally to win >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Lamb singled home the winning run in the ninth, as the Minnesota Twins rallied to down the Boston Red Sox, 7-6, in the opener of a four-game set from the Metrodome. Jonathan Papelbon entered the g

Weeks wins game in ninth for Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Weeks hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a season-high six-game losing streak with a 4-3 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Braun

Thome homers as White Sox down Mariners >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Contreras hurled seven innings of one- run ball and Jim Thome slugged a home run, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-2 victory over the struggling Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Contreras (3-3

Atkins, Rockies down Padres >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Atkins went 3-for-4 with a run batted in, as Colorado took the opener of a three-game set, 4-2, from the San Diego Padres. Brad Hawpe ended 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI for the Rockies, who


MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

About MySportsbook.com:


MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.








Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.