Roberts, Orioles top Yanks to start series in Bronx

Baseball Betting Lines

09/06/2010 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Roberts' seventh inning single drove in the winning run as Baltimore downed New York, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game set.

Roberts finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Matt Wieters knocked in a run and walked twice for the Orioles, who won their third straight in manager Buck Showalter's return to the Bronx.

Brian Matusz (8-12) picked up the win after allowing three runs on five hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts over six innings, and Koji Uehara sewed up the victory by retiring the side in order in the ninth to earn his seventh save for the Birds, who have won three straight against the top two teams in the division.

A.J. Burnett (10-13) was tagged with the loss after yielding all four runs on seven hits and four walks while fanning five over seven innings for New York, which saw its lead trimmed to two games in the AL East over Tampa Bay, which plays later this evening at Boston.

Alex Rodriguez hit a solo home run in defeat for New York, his first since coming off the disabled list Sunday and the 605th of his career.

After the Yankees had scored twice in the home sixth to tie the game at three, the visitors produced the decisive run in the next half inning.

Corey Patterson led off with a single, moved to second base on a Cesar Izturis sacrifice bunt and scored on Roberts' single to right.

Josh Bell doubled to open the third, advanced on a Roberts single and scored the game's first run when Felix Pie grounded into a 3-6-3 double play.

Rodriguez's long ball to left with two outs in the fourth tied the game.

The visitors regained the lead in the fifth when Izturis doubled with one out and scored on a two-out single by Roberts, who was thrown out at second base to end the inning.

Pie singled to start the six and then advanced to third after a Nick Markakis walk and a wild pitch before coming into score on a Wieters sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 game.

Nick Swisher opened the home half of the inning with a walk that was followed by a Mark Teixeira single. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Swisher came home on a Rodriguez sacrifice fly before Robinson Cano's single fell in between the shortstop Izturis and left fielder Pie to chase home Teixeira.

Game Notes

Sunday marked the 15th anniversary of former Baltimore shortstop/third baseman Cal Ripken, Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig's historic consecutive games played mark. On September 6 the following year, Eddie Murray belted the 500th home run of his Hall of Fame career in his return to Baltimore off Detroit's Felipe Lira. Matusz improved to 2-3 in five career turns against New York with both of his wins coming at Yankee Stadium...Roberts has hit safely in six straight games. Weiters had a seven-game hit streak snapped, while Markakis went 1-for-3 and has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games...The Yankees lead the season series, 10-3, including a 6-1 record at home...Burnett has allowed the first run of the game in 18 of his 28 starts. He is 2-2 against the Birds this year and 11-4 in 17 career starts...New York's Brett Gardner had a streak of drawing a walk in 10 straight games snapped...The Yankees concluded a stretch of five straight home day games which they had played since April 8-14, 2004 against the White Sox and Tampa Bay.

Mysportbook Baseball Betting News

<< Team USA thumps Angola to reach quarterfinals
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups led a 121-66 rout of Angola with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range, as Team USA rolled into the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Kevin Durant,

<< Espinosa powers Nationals to win over Mets
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Espinosa had the best game of his very young career as he hit a grand slam and a solo home run to lead the Washington Nationals to a 13-3 rout of the New York Mets in the opener of a three-g

<< Walker, Pirates shut down stumbling Braves
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Neil Walker's two-run homer in the sixth inning proved to be the difference, as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game set at PNC Park. Jose Tabata a

<< Chicago stays hot with win over Detroit in extras
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Pierzynski singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat Detroit, 5-4, in the opener of a four-game series at Comerica Park. Pierzynski added a two-run singl

<< Mendez goes six strong in debut as Marlins down Phils
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adalberto Mendez pitched six shutout innings in his major league debut, and the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1, in the first of two games Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

Kubel, Thome homer to help Twins edge Royals >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kubel and Jim Thome both homered in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the Minnesota Twins clipped Kansas City, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field. Thome, who now has 585

Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field. Soto launched his

Bucs claim RB Blount, release WR Brown >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed running back LaGarrette Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released veteran wide receiver Reggie Brown. Blount was let go Sunday by the Titans afte

One More Laugh claims Cane Pace >>
Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odds-on favorite One More Laugh rolled to victory Labor Day in the $300,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace is the first of Pacing's Triple Crown races. Pacing's Triple Crown will continue

Steelers name Dixon starting quarterback >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers named Dennis Dixon as the team's starting quarterback in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's suspension and Byron Leftwich's knee injury. The choice was between either Dixon or

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.