08/14/2008 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez both blasted homers, as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves by an 11-7 margin at Turner Field.
The two Chicago sluggers led the scoring, combining to drive in five runs on the night. Geovany Soto added two RBI and two runs scored, while Derrek Lee, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot and Mark DeRosa each had two hits in the victory.
Ted Lilly (12-6) threw six solid innings on four runs and eight hits. The Cubs lefty struck out eight and walked two to give Chicago its eighth straight road victory.
Tom Glavine (2-4) did not fare well in his first start since June 10, also against the Cubs. The southpaw lasted only four innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking four, raising his earned run average to 5.54.
Mark Kotsay hit for the cycle, finishing the game 5-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, earning his 1500th career hit in the process. Jeff Francoeur went 3-for-5 -- including a homer -- with three RBI and two runs scored as the Braves were swept by the Cubs for the second time this season.
The Cubs got to Glavine quickly in the first. Fukudome singled, and Lee followed with a double to right. After Ramirez was intentionally walked, Reed Johnson singled to drive in a run. Soto drew a five-pitch walk to give Chicago an early 2-0 lead.
Kotsay got the Braves within one on a two-out RBI triple in the second. Lilly got himself into some trouble after the hit, walking the next two batters to load the bases for Yunel Escobar, who struck out to end the threat.
Chicago added some more offense in the third. Back-to-back singles from Fukudome and Lee started things off, and Ramirez blasted a three-run homer to center to make it a 5-1 game.
The Braves added a run in the third on Chipper Jones' RBI single, scoring Martin Prado, who led off the frame with a double.
Soriano gave the Cubs a commanding 7-2 lead in the fourth on his 20th homer of the season, a two-run shot.
Kotsay hit a solo shot to lead off the fourth, cutting the lead to 7-3 in favor of the Cubs. The Braves added another run in the inning with a two-out rally. Escobar singled, and Prado followed with an RBI double in the gap for Atlanta's fourth run.
The Cubs kept the offense rolling against Buddy Carlyle in the fifth. Ramirez led off with a single, and two batters later Soto hit an RBI double to center. DeRosa followed with a single, scoring Soto and making it a 9-4 game.
Chicago added two more runs in the seventh. Soto walked, and DeRosa doubled to put runners on second and third. Theriot followed with an RBI single to score Soto. Daryle Ward followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in DeRosa.
Atlanta cut the deficit to four on Francoeur's three-run shot in the seventh, scoring Omar Infante and Casey Kotchman, both of whom had singled.
Game Notes
Chicago swept the season series 6-0, the first time the Cubs have ever swept the season series from the Braves...The eight-game road winning streak marks the Cubs longest road winning streak since a 12-game run from July 1-August 3, 1945...Ramirez left the game after scoring in the fifth inning with a left hip contusion...The last Atlanta Braves player to hit for the cycle was Albert Hall on September 23, 1987 against the Houston Astros...Ramirez's home run gave him 20 on the season, making him the first Cub to hit 20 homers and 30 doubles in five straight seasons since Hack Wilson did it from 1926-1930.
<< Lakers sign F Powell
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward
Josh Powell, the club announced Thursday. Terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
Powell comes to the Lakers from the other Los Angeles franchise,
<< Owners approve change at top for Giants
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball owners unanimously
voted on Thursday to approve Bill Neukom as the new majority owner for the San
Francisco Giants.
Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan announced his p
<< Cubs' Ramirez leaves game
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez
left Thursday's game against the Atlanta Braves with a left hip contusion.
Ramirez scored from second on a double by Geovany Soto in the fifth inning and
grimaced
<< Rays take series in Oakland
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Pena hit the go-ahead solo home run in
the 12th and Dioner Navarro wound up with the eventual game-winning RBI
single, as the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Oakland Athletics 7-6, in the rubber
match of a thr
Schneider's blast leads Mets to sweep of Nationals >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Schneider hit a two-run homer and
Oliver Perez pitched effectively into the seventh frame, leading the New York
Mets to a 9-3 victory over the Washington Nationals to sweep the series in
Washing
Reds edge Pirates >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Cueto scattered four hits and one run
over five innings and the Cincinnati bullpen made a one-run lead hold up in a
3-1 victory over Pittsburgh in the rubber match of a three-game series from
PNC Par
Wellemeyer, Cardinals baffle Fish >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Todd Wellemeyer and three Cardinals relievers
combined on a four-hit shutout, and Ryan Ludwick provided all the offense in
St. Louis' 3-0 win over the Florida Marlins in the finale of a four-game
series.
Matsuzaka dominates again as Red Sox sweep Rangers >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daisuke Matsuzaka threw seven shutout innings,
and Boston used a nine-run second inning to cruise to a 10-0 win over Texas,
to complete a three-game sweep of the Rangers.
Matsuzaka (14-2) surrendered six hit
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Is 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.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting