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06/03/2008 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez combined with three other pitchers in a five-hit shutout as the Houston Astros downed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, in the opener of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Kaz Matsui went 4-for-4 and scored both runs while Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman each drove in a run for the Astros, who snapped a season-high five- game losing streak. Rodriguez (2-1) gave up five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in six innings of work to get the win.
Jack Wilson had a double and a single while Phil Dumatrait (2-3) gave up two runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work for the Pirates, who have dropped five of their last eight games.
The Astros got on the board in the first inning as Matsui hit a one-out single and came home two batters later on a Berkman double to right for a 1-0 lead.
Wilson hit a one-out double in the bottom of the first, but he was stranded there as Freddy Sanchez lined out and Jason Bay then grounded out.
Houston tacked on another run in the sixth to take a 2-0 lead. Matsui led off with an infield single and raced home when Tejada followed with a double down the left field line.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the sixth, but it was with two outs and Adam LaRoche lined out to end the frame.
Chris Sampson retired the Bucs in order in the seventh, Tyler Yates worked the eighth and Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 16th save of the season.
Game Notes
Pittsburgh catcher Ryan Doumit began a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday. He has been on the disabled list since May 14 with a left thumb fracture...Houston has won four of its last five games against Pittsburgh...Houston had 10 hits in the game and stranded 11 runners on base...Attendance was 13,183.
<< Reds' OF Freel leaves game
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ryan Freel left
Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the top of the sixth
inning due to a leg injury.
The injury occurred with Freel running out a grounder
<< Marquez takes charge at Espanyol
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Espanyol have confirmed the appointment
of Bartolome Marquez as their new head coach.
Marquez has been an assistant with Espanyol for four seasons, but now gets a
chance to step up into the top jo
<< Gomis extends contract with St Etienne
Saint Etienne, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - France striker Bafetimbi Gomis has
committed his long-term future to St Etienne by signing a new four-year
contract with the Ligue 1 club.
The 22-year-old, who is part of his country's Euro
<< Schalke inks Dutch international Engelaar
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Netherlands international
midfielder Orlando Engelaar has agreed a deal to join German club Schalke next
season.
The 28-year-old will follow coach Fred Rutten to the Bundesliga from Twen
Pujols departs with calf injury >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert
Pujols left in the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against Washington due to
tightness in his left calf.
Pujols and the rest of the Cardinals and Nationals
EURO 2008 Preview: Austria faces tough odds >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austria has reached the Euro finals for the
first time - it earned an automatic berth as co-hosts with Switzerland - but it
is not a newcomer to major tournaments.
Austria has played in seven World Cup fin
Burrell's homer helps Phils edge Reds; Griffey stuck at 599 HRs >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Burrell's two-run homer in the sixth
inning provided the difference, as the Philadelphia Phillies edged the
Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, in the second of a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park.
Adam
EURO 2008 Preview: Can Croatia win without Eduardo? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Croatia was as impressive as any team in
qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals, but its title hopes took a huge blow a few
months ago when star striker Eduardo was lost to injury.
The Brazilian-born Eduar
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 football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
| Notre Dame Ohio State West Virginia Texas USC Florida California Auburn Oklahoma Iowa Louisville Florida State Michigan Miami (FL) LSU Penn State Virginia Tech Nebraska Tennessee Georgia Arizona State Oregon Clemson Texas A&M Texas Tech Alabama Arkansas Boston College Michigan State Maryland South Carolina Colorado Purdue Georgia Tech TCU UCLA Arizona Pittsburgh Iowa State Wisconsin North Carolina State Virginia North Carolina Fresno State Hawaii Northwestern BYU Oregon State UNLV Field (Any Other Team) |
5-1 7-1 8-1 8-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 18-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 70-1 70-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 150-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 250-1 250-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 400-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 1000-1 1000-1 40-1 |
| Miami (FL) Florida State Virginia Tech Clemson Georgia Tech Boston College Maryland Virginia North Carolina State North Carolina Wake Forest Duke |
2-1 2-1 3-1 7-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 500-1 |
| Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Texas Tech Colorado Iowa State Texas A&M Kansas State Missouri Kansas Baylor Oklahoma State |
7-5 9-5 9-2 12-1 14-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 35-1 100-1 100-1 |
| Auburn Florida LSU Georgia Tennessee Arkansas Alabama Mississippi South Carolina Mississippi State Kentucky Vanderbilt |
5-2 11-4 4-1 6-1 7-1 7-1 9-1 20-1 28-1 75-1 100-1 300-1 |
For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.
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