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08/17/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have any hopes of playing playoff baseball come October, now is the time to make a push.
When the Angels kick off a three-game series in Boston Tuesday night, they'll be eight games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. And thanks to the ultra-competitive AL East division, they are also 12 1/2 games back in the wild card race.
Of course, the Halos have grown accustomed to running away with the division by now, given their AL West dominance over the past few seasons. But the landscape has indeed changed, and the Rangers have complemented their potent lineup with a bona fide ace in Cliff Lee.
The Angels did their best to mirror the Lee acquisition by trading for starting pitcher Dan Haren at the trade deadline. Although Haren has been as advertised, it hasn't translated over to the win column. In five starts with his new team, Haren has a solid 3.44 ERA but only a 1-3 record to show for it. In addition, the offense has scored a grand total of only six runs during his 34 innings.
Let's just say it hasn't gone unnoticed by Haren.
"The margin of error has been a little thin," he told the OC Register following Sunday's 4-1 loss to Toronto. "I did what I could with the situations that came up. By no means is it the offense's fault. I'm the one who went out there and gave up four runs and gave up the hits. The loss gets pinned on me."
Then, there's Jered Weaver, who has a 2.87 ERA and leads the majors with 182 strikeouts. However, he has a modest 11 wins in 25 starts as the offense hasn't done him many favors, either.
Angels hitters went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. As a team, they are hitting just .259 with runners in scoring position, down from a team-record .285 last season.
Manager Mike Scioscia sees his players pressing a bit too much in those situations.
"Situational hitting is important to this group and when we're struggling with it, you can see the effect it has on our offense," Scioscia said. "We've struggled with it and we've paid the price for it this season. Some guys are doing a terrific job with runners in scoring position. Some guys are really struggling with it and it's caught up to us at times."
The team kicks off a three-game series in Boston beginning Tuesday night, followed by a three-game set in Minnesota this weekend. The Angels won't have any time to catch their breath, as Tampa Bay comes to down Monday night.
Unlike the past few seasons, the Angels will have to scratch and claw their way through August and September in order to earn a playoff berth. But if the offense continues to leave the starting pitchers hanging, the window will soon be shut.
RANGERS' CRUZ CAN'T AVOID DL STINT
The good news for Nelson Cruz and the Texas Rangers is that Sunday's MRI on his left hamstring revealed no tear in the muscle. The bad news is that it did show enough inflammation to land the right fielder on the 15-day disabled list.
The injury occurred while rounding the bases during Saturday's 3-1 loss to Boston. Cruz said he didn't think a DL stint was necessary, though he understood the team's approach. This marks the third time this season Cruz has gone on the DL because of a hamstring issue.
"I'm not feeling any pain or anything," Cruz said on Monday. "I understand. I get it. Part of me doesn't want to be on the DL. I get the point. The point is it's better for me to miss a couple games now and play in September and October."
Cruz added that he'll spend some careful consideration on his offseason workout routine "so it doesn't happen again." In 77 games this season, he is hitting .320 with 16 home runs, 21 doubles and 64 RBI. He has a team-high .587 slugging average.
Infielder Joaquin Arias, who just completed a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco, was activated from the disabled list to take Cruz's place on the active roster.
STRUGGLING A'S TRYING TO GET HEALTHY
August has not been kind so far to the Oakland Athletics (57-60), who are 5-9 for the month entering Tuesday night's game against Toronto. They are 10 games off the pace in the American League West, and 14 1/2 back in the Wild Card. As the A's try to figure things out during this seven-game homestand, they are also starting to get some guys back healthy.
Outfielders Conor Jackson and Travis Buck rejoined the team on Monday. Buck hasn't played a big league game since April 20th, as he has dealt with an oblique strain and leg soreness. Manager Bob Geren said Buck would be shuffled into the outfield based on matchups. Meanwhile, Jackson has spent the last six weeks recovering from a strained right hamstring. Now finally healthy, Jackson was slotted into the No. 3 hole in Monday's lineup.
To make room, prized prospect Chris Carter was sent back down to Triple-A Sacramento to continue to work on his swing. Since being called up last Monday, Carter was 0-for-19 at the plate with Oakland. He had 27 homers and 89 RBI before his promotion. Jeff Larish was also sent down to Sacramento.
In addition, the team is hoping All-Star closer Andrew Bailey can return by the end of next week. According to team reports, Bailey is progressing well in his recovery from a strained rib cage muscle, which has kept him out of game action since July 20th. After throwing a bullpen session on Sunday with no setbacks, he was scheduled to throw another on Tuesday.
"We're still a couple days away, but it's getting close," Bailey said. "Each and every day you're feeling better and now that I'm feeling good, it's just about getting back into baseball and game form."
MARINERS COURTING VALENTINE?
Multiple media reports have surfaced this week indicating that former New York Mets manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine would be interested in the Seattle Mariners. Don Wakamatsu was fired last week and replaced by interim manager Daren Brown, who has guided the team to consecutive series victories.
Valentine's last managerial job was in 2009 with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. Most recently, he has been tied to potential coaching gigs with Baltimore and Florida, both of which ultimately fell through. It has also been speculated that Valentine could replace Cubs' manager Lou Piniella when he retires at the end of the season, or Mets manager Jerry Manuel if he is let go.
According to the Seattle Times, a person familiar with Valentine's thinking said that Valentine believes the Mariners job "is among the most appealing jobs in baseball."
That's an interesting perspective, considering the team just set a franchise record in July for most losses in a month, going 6-22. Mariners' general manager Jack Zduriencik was the Mets' director of minor league operations during Valentine's stint as a Triple-A manager in the Mets' farm system.
<< Budweiser moving sponsorship to Harvick's No.29 team in 2011
Welcome, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Harvick will become NASCAR's next "Bud
Man," starting in 2011.
Richard Childress Racing announced on Tuesday that Budweiser will serve as
primary sponsor of Harvick's No.29 team for 20 points ra
<< Chiefs bring in QB Stull
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs have signed
quarterback Bill Stull, who went undrafted after a standout collegiate career
at Pittsburgh.
Stull started 26 of the 32 games he played for the Panthers and
<< Cardinals try to bounce back in battle with Brewers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - August is Albert Pujols' month to shine, and the St. Louis
Cardinals hope the consistent slugger can help get them back into first place.
Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, St. Louis welcomes the Milwaukee
Brewers t
<< Pirates continue set with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins have lost four consecutive games, and
an ineffective offense has been a big reason for the team's current woes.
They'll try once again to break out of that funk in tonight's clash with a
Pittsburgh Pirates
Browns put P Zastudil on IR >>
Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns announced Tuesday they have
placed punter Dave Zastudil on injured reserve and that Reggie Hodges will
handle the punting duties in 2010.
Zastudil was unable to sufficiently recover
German Ozil leaves Bremen to join Real Madrid >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid signed German international Mesut
Ozil from Werder Bremen on Tuesday, acquiring the 21-year-old attacking
midfielder for a fee reported to be nearly $20 million.
Ozil joined Bremen from Sch
Titans sign Gado; waive injured rookie Johnson >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans have waived/injured
rookie running back Stafon Johnson and signed journeyman running back Samkon
Gado.
Johnson underwent surgery to repair a dislocated right ankle Sunday less tha
Twins activate Punto >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins have activated
infielder Nick Punto off the 15-day disabled list.
Punto had been sidelined since July 29 with a strained left hamstring.
In 80 games entering Tuesday's game
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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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.
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