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09/04/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Halladay goes after win No. 17 this evening, when the playoff-hopeful Philadelphia Phillies continue their three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.
Halladay has lost his last two starts, though, despite quality outings that have seen him surrender six runs in 14 innings. The Phillies, however, have provided him with just two runs in those outings.
On Monday in Los Angeles, Halladay allowed three runs and 10 hits in seven innings, but the Phillies were one-hit in the 3-0 setback to the Dodgers. The loss dropped Halladay to 16-10 on the year to go along with the second-best earned run average in the National League at 2.27. His 190 strikeouts are also one shy of Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw's NL lead.
Halladay, who is 10-5 with a 1.95 ERA at Citizens Bank Park this year, lost to the Brewers the only other time he faced them, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings back in 2005.
Cole Hamels pulled the Phillies within a game of first place in the National League East on Friday, as the left-hander twirled seven strong innings and Carlos Ruiz drove in the game's lone run in Philadelphia's 1-0 win.
Philadelphia has now held the opposition to one run or less in five of its past seven games.
Hamels (9-10) gave up just three hits to go with seven strikeouts and three walks to pick up his second straight win. Ryan Madson recorded his fifth save of the year by throwing a scoreless ninth.
The Phillies, who have now won four in a row and seven of eight, improved to a major league best 29-12 since July 21 and closed the gap even further on the division-leading Atlanta Braves, who lost to Florida on Friday.
"When you're in first place and people are chasing you and you lose and it's close, you know exactly what's going on and where you're at," said Phils manager Charlie Manuel when asked about the Braves. "We've just got to keep on playing. But they feel us. I think they know where we're at."
Brewers starter Chris Capuano (2-3) was solid in five frames, allowing one run on four hits to suffer the hard-luck loss. He fanned four batters and walked two for Milwaukee, which has lost four straight.
Getting the call for Milwaukee this evening will be righty Dave Bush, who is 7-11 with a 4.71 ERA. Bush picked up a win against Pittsburgh on Sunday, as he allowed four runs (three earned) and seven hits in seven innings.
Bush carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his last trip to Philadelphia, but lost to the Phillies earlier in the season. He is 1-2 lifetime against them with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts.
Philadelphia swept a three-game set in Milwaukee back in May and has won six of the past eight meetings between the two clubs.
<< Braves try to bounce back in key series with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Johnson hopes for a better result than the last time
he faced Atlanta when he and the Florida Marlins continue their three-game
set with the Braves tonight at Sun Life Stadium.
Johnson surrendered just three hits and
<< Rockies try to pin ninth straight loss on reeling Padres
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres try to avoid a ninth straight loss
this afternoon, when they play the middle test of their three-game series with
the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.
San Diego's slide continued in the opener of this s
<< Cards seek to gain further ground on first-place Reds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Wainwright tries once again to become the National
League's first 18-game winner when the St. Louis Cardinals continue their
three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds today at Busch Stadium.
Like his team, Wainwri
<< Marquee mound matchup on tap in Angels-A's tilt
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- This afternoon's showdown between the Los Angeles Angels
of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics may have little effect on the American League
playoff race, but fans attending the Coliseum today should be treated to a
top-notch pit
Tigers vie to break even in matchup with Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers can pull back to .500 in the midst of a
lengthy second-half slump tonight, when they visit Kauffman Stadium for the
second of three weekend games with the host Kansas City Royals.
The Tigers won Friday's
D-Backs host Astros, shoot for fifth straight win >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Recent trade acquisition Joe Saunders tries to make it two
wins in a row for the first time since arriving in Arizona tonight, when the
Diamondbacks meet the Houston Astros in the middle matchup of a three-game
weekend series
Dodgers hoping to further cripple Giants' playoff hopes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Cain tries to make it two straight wins against the
club that has given him more trouble than any other team in his young career
when the San Francisco Giants continue their three-game set against the Los
Angeles Dodgers
Mariners, Indians to go at it again in Emerald City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The Seattle Mariners will attempt to build off an
impressive pitching performance when the American League West cellar-dwellers
take on the Cleveland Indians tonight in the continuation of a four-game
series between last-pla
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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