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04/22/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants have had their problems on the road during the early part of this season, but they've been quite good at home so far.
The Giants shoot for a sweep of a brief two-game series with the San Diego Padres when the National League West rivals square off again this afternoon at AT&T Park.
San Francisco lost all six contests during its only road trip of the young season, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Padres from April 10-12, but has won three of four matchups since returning home from the unsuccessful trek. The Giants exacted some revenge on San Diego on Tuesday, delivering an 8-3 victory led by a big night at the plate from Edgar Renteria.
Renteria went 3-for-4 with five RBI, four of which came on a grand slam off Padres ace Jake Peavy in the fourth inning. Travis Ishikawa added a pair of hits, including a two-run single, to help back six solid innings out of Giants starter Matt Cain.
Cain (2-1) allowed just two runs and scattered nine hits without walking a batter to earn his first win over the Padres since September 8, 2006. The right-hander had gone 0-5 in 10 starts against San Diego following that victory.
Peavy (2-2) was reached for six runs on seven hits through six innings of work to receive the loss.
Brian Giles finished with two hits and a pair of RBI for the Padres, who have lost two in a row after opening a current eight-game road trip with four wins in its first five outings. Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double in a losing cause.
San Diego will turn to Chris Young today in hopes of ending its mild skid. The 6-foot-10 right-hander already owns a victory over the Giants this season, holding San Francisco to one unearned run and just four hits over seven outstanding innings back on April 12. Young struck out seven Giants hitters and did not issue a walk in that game.
The Princeton product wasn't nearly as effective in his most recent start, however. At Philadelphia this past Friday, Young was rocked for seven runs and nine hits before being removed after just 3 2/3 innings. He did end up with a no-decision after his team rallied late for an 8-7 win.
Young's win over the Giants earlier this month was only his second in six career decisions against the club, although he's posted a respectable 3.55 earned run average in nine overall starts versus San Francisco.
The Giants hope to get Barry Zito untracked in today's finale. The former American League Cy Young Award winner has surrendered 10 runs and walked six over a combined nine innings in back-to-back losses to start the season, including a setback to the Padres in San Diego on April 10.
Zito lasted just four innings in that game and gave up four runs on seven hits. He wasn't any better in a start in Dodger Stadium this past Friday, as the Dodgers reached the veteran lefty for six runs in five innings en route to a 7-2 decision.
The 30-year-old is 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 11 career starts against San Diego.
San Francisco won six of nine 2008 meetings with the Padres held at AT&T Park and went 13-5 against San Diego last season.
<< Pirates go for sweep of Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Marlins haven't managed many runs versus the Pirates
and they haven't even faced their top pitcher yet. Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm
looks to extend his torrid start today in the finale of a three-game set with
Florida at PNC
<< Flames aim to even series in Game 4 against Blackhawks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames will try to even things in their Western
Conference quarterfinal series tonight, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks
at the Saddledome for Game 4 of this best-of-seven set.
The home team has won every
<< Capitals try to even series in NYC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals were finally able to break out of
their offensive slump in Game 3 and will try to tie their Eastern Conference
quarterfinal series tonight, when they visit the New York Rangers for Game 4
at Madison Sq
<< Bruins shoot for sweep of Habs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-seeded Boston Bruins will try to complete a sweep
of the rival Montreal Canadiens tonight when they visit the Habs at Bell
Centre for Game 4 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Bruins have ju
Struggling Rays continue set with Mariners >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reeling Tampa Bay Rays will try to avoid a fourth
straight loss when the defending American League champions continue a three-
game series with the Seattle Mariners tonight at Safeco Field.
Tampa Bay suffered its sixth
Rangers-Blue Jays test set to feature young lefties >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two young left-handers will go head-to-head when the
Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers continue a three-game series tonight at
the Rogers Centre.
David Purcey gets the call for the homestanding Jays tonight and will make
Jacksonville Jaguars 2009 Draft Preview (Revised) >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though a number of mock drafts have the Jaguars selecting a
quarterback at No. 8 in order to eventually replace the inconsistent David
Garrard, taking Mark Sanchez (assuming Matthew Stafford will be gone) would
not be the pru
Cubs' Lilly takes hill vs. Reds >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago's Ted Lilly will try for a rare win over Cincinnati
tonight, when the Cubs resume their three-game set with the Reds at Wrigley
Field.
Lilly is just 1-5 with a 5.24 earned run average in nine career starts vers
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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Underdog 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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