Orioles shoot for sweep of Angels
Baseball Betting Lines
08/29/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have an opportunity to earn a rare sweep today as they visit the LA Angels of Anaheim in the final of three weekend games.
Baltimore will give the ball to Jeremy Guthrie, and like the vast majority of Orioles pitchers, the righty's numbers aren't impressive. Guthrie is 7-13 with a 4.13 ERA and has allowed 11 earned runs in his last two starts. On Tuesday, he permitted six runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings against the White Sox.
For his career against the Angels, Guthrie is 2-2 with a 5.02 ERA.
He will oppose Jered Weaver this afternoon. Weaver's 3.21 ERA is strong, and he is aiming for his 12th win of the season. The standout righty hasn't received consistent run support this season, and his last two outings have resulted in defeat, including the most recent contest against the Twins.
Weaver is 2-2 lifetime versus the Twins with a 4.44 ERA.
On Saturday, Josh Bell hit a two-run homer and Kevin Millwood pitched his best game of the season, as the Orioles shut down the Angels, 5-0, in the second test of a three-game series.
Millwood (3-14) gave up six hits over eight scoreless innings for the Orioles, who have won three of four. He also struck out five and walked one in just his third victory of the year.
"I threw my fastball where I wanted to all night," Millwood said. "I tried to stay in there to finish but I understand the situation."
Baltimore was without outfielder Adam Jones (left shoulder) and second baseman Brian Roberts (left hip).
At 15-11, the Orioles recorded their first winning month since they went 15-12 in June of 2008. The last winning August for the O's came in 1997.
Craig Tatum, Jake Fox, and Cesar Izturis each drove in a run for Baltimore, which leads the season series with Los Angeles, 5-0.
Scott Kazmir (8-12) went 5 2/3 frames, allowing four runs on eight hits to suffer the loss for the Angels, who have dropped five of six.
"Kazmir threw better than his line score indicated," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He showed fastball command and he had a good changeup. Our offense has been limited and it puts pressure on our pitchers."
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins will attempt to complete a three-game road sweep of the lowly Seattle Mariners today at Safeco Field. Carl Pavano, one of the majors' most surprising performers in 2010, will take the ball for Minn
<< Richard, Padres aim to salvage set with Phils
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Padres left-hander Clayton Richard will try to keep his
unbeaten streak intact and pull San Diego to victory this afternoon against
the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series at Petco Park.
Richa
<< Cards' Wainwright goes for win No. 18 in Washington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals co-ace Adam Wainwright will try to
become the first 18-game winner in the National League when he takes the ball
Sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series from Nationals Park.
Wainwrigh
<< Reds, Cubs conclude set in Cincy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie left-hander Travis Wood steps into Edinson Volquez's
spot in the Cincinnati starting rotation today, when the first-place Reds
close out a three-game weekend series with the visiting Chicago Cubs at Great
America
<< Dickey leads Mets into finale vs. Astros
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Resurgent knuckleballer R.A. Dickey aims for a second
straight win and third in four decisions today, when the New York Mets close
out a three-game series with the visiting Houston Astros at Citi Field.
The Mets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. Cellular Field is the site of this afternoon's rubber match of a three-game series between the hometown White Sox and visiting New York Yankees. Ivan Nova will make his second Major League start today against Chi
Rangers, A's set for another Arlington battle >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers will continue their journey to an AL West
title tonight, when they close out a three-game series with second-place
Oakland in Arlington.
Gio Gonzalez will get the ball for the Athletics this after
Rays face Red Sox in series finale at the Trop >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A critical series between AL East rivals concludes tonight
in Tampa, as the hometown Rays host the Boston Red Sox in the rubber match of
a three-game set from Tropicana Field.
A pair of successful hurlers will battle th
Indians aim for sweep of visiting Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The finale of a three-game series between Kansas City and
Cleveland ensues this afternoon, as the two worst teams in the AL Central get
together again at Progressive Field.
Bruce Chen is slated to make his 17th star
Detroit hands ball to Porcello in finale at Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays close out a four-
game weekend set at Rogers Centre this afternoon.
Detroit will give the ball to Rick Porcello, and the second-year hurler is
just 6-11 this season with a 5
Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.