08/20/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two American League East foes currently headed in opposite directions continue a three-game set tonight at Toronto's Rogers Centre, where the surging Blue Jays shoot for a second consecutive win over the reeling New York Yankees.
New York's fading playoff hopes took another hit in Monday's series opener, when Toronto rallied for a pair of late runs to edge the Bronx Bombers by a 2-1 count. The loss, the Yankees' seventh in their last 10 contests, moved them 6 1/2 games behind the rival Boston Red Sox for the lead in the AL Wild Card standings.
In contrast, the Blue Jays have won three in a row and six of their last seven, and now trail New York by just one game in the battle for third place in the division.
Marco Scutaro snapped a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a long fly ball that was misplayed by Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon. The play was ruled a double and brought home Joe Inglett, who had singled off reliever Jose Veras (3-2) earlier in the frame.
New York had another costly gaffe in the top of the ninth, as Alex Rodriguez singled to begin the inning but was thrown out by Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay while trying to stretch the hit into a double. Toronto closer B.J. Ryan then retired the next two hitters to record his 24th save of the season.
Scutaro's hit made a winner out of A.J. Burnett (16-9) after the Blue Jays starter limited the Yanks to one run on five hits over eight outstanding innings. The hard-throwing right-hander racked up a season-best 13 strikeouts in winning his sixth straight start.
New York starter Darrell Rasner also pitched well, allowing just one run and three hits in 6 2/3 frames despite getting a no-decision.
The Yankees would love to get a similar line out of Andy Pettitte tonight. The veteran lefty hasn't pitched particularly well as of late, having gone winless (0-2) in four starts since defeating Boston at Fenway Park on July 26.
Pettitte did deliver a solid seven innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Friday, a game in which he gave up three runs on six hits and struck out seven. He's also performed well on the road this season, bringing a 7-4 record with a 3.87 earned run average into this evening's test.
The 36-year-old is 16-10 with a 4.16 ERA lifetime against Toronto, but was hung with a loss by the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre last month. Pettitte was reached for four runs over six innings that day.
Coming off the best outing of his brief major league career, rookie David Purcey takes the mound for Toronto for his first-ever appearance against the Yankees.
Purcey notched his second win in the bigs with six shutout innings at Detroit on August 13, with the young left-hander yielding just two hits and three walks. Prior to that start, the 2004 first-round draft choice struck out eight batters over six frames in a home loss to Cleveland on August 8.
In six starts with the Blue Jays this season, Purcey has amassed a 2-3 record with a 5.93 ERA over 30 1/3 total innings.
These divisional foes have split 10 meetings in this year's season series, but the Blue Jays have won three of the four matchups held in Toronto.
<< Brewers, Astros to complete Central clash
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's too bad CC Sabathia can't pitch every night for the
struggling Milwaukee Brewers, who are 8-1 with the big lefty on the hill.
Manny Parra will try to begin a streak of his own when he handles pitching
duties f
<< Rolling Red Sox shoot for another win in Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox try for their fourth straight road win
this evening, when they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the
Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Boston continued to thrive without Manny Ramirez
<< Mets' Pelfrey toes rubber versus Braves
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Pelfrey tries to win for the 10th time in his last 12
decisions this evening when the New York Mets play the middle test of their
three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium.
Pelfrey's emergence ha
<< White Sox try to finish off home sweep of Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American League Central division-leading Chicago White
Sox will shoot for their fifth straight win and a three-game sweep of the
Seattle Mariners this afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chicago remained one game
Dodgers send Billingsley to hill versus Rockies >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The pitcher who has emerged into the unlikely ace of the
Los Angeles Dodgers' staff will be asked to play the role of spoiler when the
National League West contenders resume a three-game series against the
visiting Colorado R
Marlins, Giants resume series in San Francisco >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins will be trying to put together a
winning streak for the first time this month when the young club takes the
field tonight against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Florida kicked off an import
NASCAR hands out stiff penalties to Gibbs Racing >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR came down hard on Joe Gibbs Racing
Wednesday for cheating during Saturday's Nationwide Series race.
Drivers Tony Stewart and Joey Logano were each stripped of 150 points and
their respective
NCAA Football Preview - Texas A&M Aggies >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: Wins in their first three games, including a thrilling
47-45 overtime triumph over Fresno State, had the Aggies feeling pretty good
about the prospect of making some serious noise in th
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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