05/15/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Webb will try to put together the best start to a season in franchise history tonight, as he leads the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game set at Chase Field.
Webb has won all eight of his starts this year -- the first to do so in the National League since Pedro Martinez in 1997 -- and has a 2.41 earned run average on the season. It marks his best start since also beginning the 2006 season with a franchise-record 8-0 mark, though he did that over his first 11 starts. Of course, Webb went on to win the National League Cy Young Award that year after posting a 16-8 mark and 3.10 ERA.
Webb's current eight-decision win streak is tied for the second longest in club history, one behind Curt Schilling's nine-decision run from April 23-June 8, 2002.
The right-handed Webb's most recent win came on Thursday against the Phillies, a complete-game effort that saw him give up three runs (2 earned) on six hits without a walk.
Webb has already bested the Rockies twice this year to improve to 10-7 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 career starts against them. However, he also lost to Colorado in last year's NLCS, dropping Game 1.
The 29-year-old will also get a chance to pitch Arizona to a three-game sweep of Colorado tonight. The Diamondbacks have already swept the Rockies once this year -- in Colorado from April 4-6 -- and try for their first three-game sweep of the club at home since April 11-13, 2005.
Arizona lost 10 of 18 to Colorado last year and was swept by the Rockies in the NLCS, but has claimed victory in seven of eight matchups so far this season.
The Diamondbacks won the second game of this set on Wednesday by a 4-3 count. Micah Owings (5-1) gave up only five hits and two walks over six scoreless innings, while Orlando Hudson had a pair of hits and drove in two. Stephen Drew had two hits and scored a run, while Conor Jackson went 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI.
Jorge De La Rosa (1-2) lasted only 4 2/3 innings after surrendering four runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six batters in the losing effort, the Rockies' fourth straight loss.
Todd Helton was 3-for-4 while Ryan Spilborghs had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies. Garrett Atkins singled to extend his hit streak to 12 games, and he is batting .383 in that span. The outfielder also has a hit in 26 of his last 27 games.
Though Colorado starters have struggled to a major-league worst 5.51 ERA this season, Aaron Cook has been the Rockies best hurler by far and will try to win his seventh straight start tonight.
Cook hasn't lost since April 2 and following a no-decision on April 7 versus Atlanta, the right-hander has ripped off six straight wins while lowering his ERA to 2.26, fourth best in the National League. He has yielded more than two runs in just two of his eight starts this year, including Friday in San Diego when he limited the Padres to a run on three hits in seven innings. He did walk a season-high four though.
Cook's current win streak began on April 13 with a win over the Diamondbacks, as he gave up three runs on eight hits in six frames of a road victory. Cook went 1-0 in four starts versus Arizona in 2007, but gave up seven runs in 12 innings at Chase Field, where he has a career ERA of 5.83 in eight games (7 starts).
<< Rolling Astros face tough test in Giants' Lincecum
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros haven't had much trouble scoring runs
lately, but the red-hot club may have trouble keeping up that pace when it
takes on San Francisco Giants star Tim Lincecum in this afternoon's finale of
a four-game ser
<< Royals aim for another sweep of Detroit
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a rough start to their 10-game homestand the Kansas
City Royals can finish the residency with a .500 mark and also sweep the
Detroit Tigers for a second time this season, as the two teams end a three-
game se
<< Mets conclude series with pesky Nats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former first-round draft pick Mike Pelfrey will try to end
a four-start winless skid today when the New York Mets finish off a four-game
series with the visiting Washington Nationals at Shea Stadium.
The No. 9 overall sele
<< Angels send Garland to hill against former club
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Garland will face the team that traded him this past
offseason when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hurler takes the mound for
his new club in tonight's finale of a four-game series with the visiting
Chicago White Sox.
Phils send out Hamels in hopes of gaining series win from Braves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Cole Hamels will try for a fourth straight start
without a loss tonight, when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves
in the finale of a three-game set between National League East Division rivals
at Citi
Brewers ink Braun to record-setting extension >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder
Ryan Braun to a record-setting eight-year contract that sets the bar for
players with three years or less of major league experience.
The deal, worth a re
Brewers P Riske lands on DL >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher David Riske
has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow,
the team announced Thursday.
Riske left Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles
Nationals' Johnson heads to DL again >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals have placed oft-
injured first baseman Nick Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with a torn
tendon in his right wrist, the team announced Thursday.
Johnson, who missed the
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 sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.
Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.
Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.
Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
Arizona 20-1
Butler 20-1
Duke 30-1
Florida 7-2
Georgetown 30-1
Indiana 35-1
Kansas 15-1
Marquette 25-1
Maryland 40-1
Memphis 50-1
Nevada 50-1
UNC 9-2
OSU 8-1
Oregon 30-1
Pittsburgh 15-1
Texas 30-1
Texas A&M 18-1
UCLA 6-1
Wisconsin 10-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.
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