EOG Sports Betting Preview: World Series Game 5: New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies
On Monday night, MLB betting fans may have their last chance to boost their bankrolls when the New York Yankees (113-62, +$1,702) try to close out the Philadelphia Phillies (101-74, +$875). The Bronx Bombers took a 3-1 series lead in this best-of-seven set when they plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning off of Philly RHP Brad Lidge. Closer RHP Mariano Rivera shut the door in just eight pitches for New York, who is on the verge of its 27th championship. If the Yankees cannot close out the World Series wagering proceedings tonight, the two teams will head back to Yankee Stadium for Game 6 on Wednesday.
Manager Joe Girardi is apparently trying to get through the entire postseason by using just three pitchers. For the second time in this series, New York betting aficionados will be banking on RHP AJ Burnett. Burnett bounced back from a miserable outing in Game 5 of the ALCS by shutting down the Phils in Game 2 of the Fall Classic. He allowed just one run on four hits and two walks, striking out a playoff career-high nine batters in the critical 3-1 victory in the Bronx. For his career, Burnett is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA when pitching on just three days' rest. He'll inevitably need another great game in this baseball betting duel for the Yanks to prove victorious.
The Phillies rest their hopes in Game 5 of this series on the left arm of their stud, Cliff Lee. The decision to not throw Lee on three days' rest like the Yanks did with their horse, LHP CC Sabathia, will forever be questioned, but manager Charlie Manuel elected to let his ace get regular rest before throwing him again. In the first World Series betting battle of this series, Lee outdueled Sabathia the whole way, holding the #1 offense in the majors to just one unearned run in the 9th inning of the Phillies' 6-1 victory. The southpaw struck out ten Yankees on the night. In his L/2 starts of the playoffs, Lee has made Philadelphia wagering fanatics happy by throwing 17.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.53 WHIP.
The oddsmakers have lined the Phillies as -145 baseball gambling favorites to push the World Series to a Game 6 tonight, while the MLB gambling over/under has been lined at 8.5.
(c) 2008 Eye on Gambling. LLC , All Rights Reserved.
Sports Betting Preview: World Series Betting Preview
On Sunday night, the New York Yankees captured their 40th American League pennant with a 5-2 victory which ousted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from the playoffs. The Yanks will be joining the back-to-back National League champions, the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 edition of World Series wagering action beginning on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. The oddsmakers have made the Yankees -200 favorites on the MLB betting line to capture the title.
The decision for Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel for his pitching rotation in the Fall Classic is relatively easy. He knows that he'll be throwing LHP Cliff Lee in Game 1, most likely setting up his southpaw for three starts in this best-of-seven sports gambling set. Lee has been absolutely fantastic in these playoffs for Philadelphia betting fans, as the lefty has only allowed two earned runs in 24.1 innings of work, striking out 20 batters along the way. The Phils won all three of his outings. It appears as though RHP Cole Hamels will take to the mound for Game 2, while veteran RHP Pedro Martinez may get the nod in Game 3. The Phillies enter this series with the experience of last year's championship and a lineup that has torn through the Rockies and Dodgers with ease. Four Phillies are batting at least .300 for the playoffs, paced by OF Shane Victorino's .361. 1B Ryan Howard recorded an RBI in his first eight playoff games. He has blasted a pair of homers and driven in 14 runs so far in the playoff betting campaign.
For Yankees betting aficionados, closing out the Halos in six games was of paramount importance. Now, LHP CC Sabathia can pitch on extended rest in Game 1, and may be able to go in Games 4 and 7 if necessary. Sabathia and his cohorts, LHP Andy Pettitte and RHP AJ Burnett, have been fantastic in these playoffs, as they are a combined 5-0 with a 3.18 ERA. As always when you're talking about the Bronx Bombers, the lineup is critical. If there were ever any doubts about 3B Alex Rodriguez's ability to perform in the postseason, he squashed those thoughts with his play these past few weeks. A-Rod leads the team in batting average (.438), slugging percentage (.969), OBP (.548), hits (14), runs (10), doubles (2), homers (5), BBs (9), stolen bases (1), and RBIs (12). It doesn't get much more efficient than that, and MLB betting fans that continue betting on the boys in pinstripes keep on cashing in because of it.
These two teams met once in the regular season, with the Phillies taking two games of the three game MLB gambling set in the Bronx. All three games stayed under the total. The Yankees are 8-5 in their L/13 baseball betting affairs with the Phillies.
(c) 2008 Eye on Gambling. LLC , All Rights Reserved.
Oddsmakers Give Yankees Edge Over Angels In ALCS Game 4
The ALCS is still a best-of-seven series. Seven long possibilities with thousands of opportunities, making a two-game deficit unpleasant, yes, but not insurmountable. The Los Angeles Angels reminded the baseball world of that, asserting themselves back in the race for the American League pennant on Monday.
They avoided the possibility of a sweep when they beat the New York Yankees in extra innings, 5-4, to get the series to 2-1. The Angels were down 3-0 after the first five innings, but managed to chip away at the lead until Maicer Izturis sac fly gave them their first lead of the game in the seventh. Jeff Mathis then hit the game-winner in the 11th inning, ripping a double to the left field wall to score Howie Kendrick, sending the team desperate for life into hysterics. It snapping a six-game losing streak in the ALCS.
Los Angeles will try to even the series tonight, when they put Scott Kazmir on the mound for Game Four. The Yankees are favored by 1 1/2 runs, at BetUS Sportsbook , with an over/under of eight according to their MLB Betting Lines. There are several different ways to approach the line, however. The sportsbook offers two alternate run lines, creating vastly different payouts. If bettors think less of the Angels chances, try buying another run. One of the alternate line allows Los Angeles to gain 2 1/2 runs, with a lower payout of -250. Taking the Yankees + 2 1/2 increases the reward to +180. For those sipping on the Angels' Kool-Aid, can take a risk by switching the favorite, instead giving the Yankees +1 1/2 runs. That yields a greater reward, turning a +110 payout (as the underdog) into +220 return.
For Los Angeles to hit, Kazmir will need to pitch well on one of the most pressure-filled stages he's encountered since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the tail end of the season. But it's not like he hasn't been in this position before. After all, it was just last year when the Rays made their improbable run to beat the heavily favored Boston Red Sox in the ALCS and book a trip to the World Series.
He will surely have to exorcise some demons, however. He did struggle in last year's playoffs, going 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA in five starts according to archived MLB Stats. In his one start in this postseason, he was roughed up for five runs in six innings against Boston, although the team eventually bailed him out with three runs in the ninth to win the game and the series. Making a quick start tonight all the more crucial to providing a quality outing.
The Yankees will see the fruits of their decision to stick with a three-man rotation this series, throwing out C.C. Sabathia to pitch after three days of rest. Joe Girardi will hand the burly lefty the ball in attempt to stop the bleeding before it even really starts. He has been their best pitcher all year and all postseason, winning both of his two starts with 15 strikeouts and only two earned runs. Although he has a rocky history pitching on short rest, he was paid $160 million over the off-season for starts like this one.
He went eight innings in Game One against Los Angeles and the Yankees could really use a long outing. In all, seven relievers were used in Monday night's extra inning affair, including a 13-batter standoff by Mariano Rivera. The ramifications from another long call to the bullpen might be costly as the series continues.
''We'll just watch carefully like we would any other start, and make sure that location is there and physically he feels fine and doesn't have any long innings,'' Girardi said on Yahoo! Sports. ''As far as the pitch count, I would have no problem letting him go 110, 115 if that's what it took.
''But more, you look at the results and how he's throwing.''
Vladimir Guerrero finally broke out of his slump on Monday. He was 2-for-11 in the first two games of the ALCS, but hit a crucial two-run homer that tied the game at 3-all. He has a career .200 batting average against Sabathia with one homer.
(c) 2009 USAplayer.com - All Rights Reserved.
Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees Baseball Playoffs Betting Odds
The Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees will both be trying to pick up a win on Wednesday when they battle at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 of their ALDS.
The Twins will give the ball to starter Brian Duensing in this one. Lefthander Duensing is 5-1 this season with a 2.73 ERA.
Duensing's opponent in this one will be CC Sabathia. The Yankees ace lefthander has a 3.36 ERA to go along with a 19-8 record this season.
Bodog Sportsbook currently have the Yankees listed as 320-moneyline favorites versus the Twins, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Alexei Casilla's run-scoring single in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted the Twins over the Tigers 6-5 and to the AL Central title on Tuesday.
Minnesota cashed as -175 home favorites, while the game played OVER the 8.5-run total listed by Bodog.
Alex Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with two homers and seven runs batted in to lead the Yankees over the Rays 10-2 on Sunday.
New York won as -105 road underdogs, while the game played OVER the 9-run total set by Bodog.
(c) 2009 - BSNSportsblog.
Last Weekend of the 2009 MLB Season
MLB betting hits the final weekend of the regular season on Friday. Here are the top series:
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are already in the playoffs and clinched the NL West crown Thursday night, while the Rockies will be heading to the postseason as well. The Dodgers, though, have been mired in a nasty slump, losing five of their last seven games. Los Angeles' offense has been nowhere to be found, as they're hitting just .208 and scoring just over three runs per game during their skid.
The Rockies have shown a tendency to get hot at the end of the year and carry it over into the postseason. Colorado blasted the Brewers 9-2 on Thursday afternoon, with their bats leading the way to the win. In fact, the Rockies' offense has had no trouble scoring runs down the stretch; they're hitting .282 over the past week and have been putting up runs in bunches.
The Dodgers are still ironing out their postseason rotation and will hand the ball to Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw in the opening games of the series. Colorado is slated to go with Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge De La Rosa, and ace Jason Marquis over the weekend, although that could still change.
Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers' playoff hopes are still up in the air after losing a huge matchup with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon. Detroit holds a slim two-game lead heading into the weekend. The Tigers are 8-7 against the White Sox this season but dropped two of three to Chicago last week, which helped put Detroit in this sticky situation. The Tigers have been stellar at home, posting a 50-28 record and batting .272 inside Comerica Park.
The White Sox will try to save face this weekend after a poor season. Chicago has won four of its last six games, turning around a September slide that has seen the team go 13-14 in the final month of the schedule. Manager Ozzie Guillen has stressed the importance of finishing strong and blasted his players this week with one of his trademark tirades. Since that tongue-lashing the ChiSox have gone 3-1.
Chicago has shut down many of its pitchers for the season, but will send Jake Peavy, Freddy Garcia, and John Danks to the bump this weekend. The Tigers put their postseason position in the hands of Edwin Jackson, Alfredo Figaro, and ace Justin Verlander.
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
MLB Betting Insider - National League Power Poll
We've finally entered the final week of the 2009 MLB betting season! Check out BetUS Sportsbook's final NL Power Poll...
1) Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63, +$1,459) (3-3, -$282 LW) (LW: 1) The Dodgers are playoff bound, but manager Joe Torre still has his eyes set on making sure that they end up with the best record in the NL. They should be good enough to get it done, but both the Cardinals and Phillies are on their backside.
On Deck: @ Padres, vs. Rockies
2) Colorado Rockies (88-68, +$1,227) (3-3, -$174 LW) (LW: 2) The Rocks won't roll to the NL West title, but their bigger concern for the final week of the season is going to be fending off the Braves, Marlins, and Giants for the Wild Card.
On Deck: vs. Brewers, @ Dodgers
3) St. Louis Cardinals (90-66, +$862) (3-3, -$8 LW) (LW: 5) Can the Cardinals still run down the Dodgers for the best record in the NL? If not, they're certainly going to want to beat out the Phillies to avoid having to go to Dodgertown in Round 1 of the playoffs.
On Deck: @ Reds, vs. Brewers
4) Philadelphia Phillies (90-65, +$837) (3-4, -$169 LW) (LW: 3) The Phillies aren't out of the woods just yet. The Braves are within striking distance of them in the NL East, and it sure seems like they can't win the Wild Card to backdoor into the playoffs should they get caught.
On Deck: vs. Astros, vs. Marlins
5) San Francisco Giants (83-73, +$705) (3-3, -$208 LW) (LW: 4) The bottom line for the Giants is that they didn't get enough production from pitchers not named Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum to make the playoffs. Now, barring a miracle, they'll spend the offseason wondering "what if."
On Deck: vs. Diamondbacks, @ Padres
6) Florida Marlins (83-73, +$461) (3-3, -$243 LW) (LW: 6) The situation is now dire for the Fish to the point where they may not be able to afford another loss this year. Even if they can't make the playoffs, they can still make life miserable for the Braves and Phillies down the stretch.
On Deck: @ Braves, @ Phillies
7) Atlanta Braves (85-70, +$290) (6-0, +$600 LW) (LW: 10) Look out Philly and Colorado! The Braves are right on your tails and could run you down if you slip up in the last week of the season. Manager Bobby Cox's boys have played tremendous baseball down the stretch and enter this final week of the season five back of the Phillies and 2.5 behind the Rockies. With a favorable schedule on tap, 92-70 is a legitimate possibility and will probably be good enough to at least force a playoff with someone after the season is over.
On Deck: vs. Marlins, vs. Nationals
8) San Diego Padres (72-85, +$227) (4-3, +$387 LW) (LW: 7) The Pads did a real nice job playing the role of spoiler to the Rockies this week by taking two out of three at Coors Field. Now they'll have one more shot to knock LA out of the #1 seed in the NL and San Fran out of the Wild Card race before the season ends.
On Deck: vs. Dodgers, vs. Giants
And the rest...
9) Cincinnati Reds (74-82, +$221) (5-1, +$475 LW) (LW: 8)
10) Milwaukee Brewers (77-78, -$378) (3-4, -$103 LW) (LW: 9)
11) Houston Astros (72-83, -$843) (2-4, -$318 LW) (LW: 11)
12) Chicago Cubs (81-74, -$941) (5-2, +$414 LW) (LW: 12)
13) New York Mets (67-89, -$1,495) (2-4, -$2 LW) (LW: 13)
14) Arizona Diamondbacks (68-88, -$2,204) (3-3, -$166 LW) (LW: 14)
15) Pittsburgh Pirates (58-96, -$2,631) (2-5, -$158 LW) (LW: 15)
16) Washington Nationals (52-103, -$3,664) (1-5, -$336 LW) (LW: 16)
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
MLB Picks: Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics Baseball Betting Odds
The Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
The Rangers will trot ace Kevin Millwood out to the mound in this one. Righthander Millwood has a 10-10 record and a 3.94 ERA this season.
The Athletics will counter Millwood with Edgar Gonzalez. Righthander Gonzalez has a 3.79 ERA to go along with a 0-1 record this season.
Sportsbetting currently have the Rangers listed as 120-moneyline favorites versus the Athletics, while the game's total is sitting at 9.
Nelson Cruz had two RBI in the Rangers' 10-5 loss to the Angels on Sunday afternoon.
The Angels were winners as -147 road favorites in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (9).
The Athletics defeated Cleveland 11-5 as a -135 favorite on Sunday. The 15 runs scored went OVER the posted over/under total (9.5).
Adam Kennedy was 3-5 with a home run and three RBI for Oakland, while Ryan Sweeney drove in a pair of runs in the win.
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Texas's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Texas's last 22 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oakland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Texas
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
(c) 2009 - BSNSportsblog.
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