07/25/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets open their first series as sole leaders of the National League's East Division tonight, when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of three weekend games at Shea Stadium.
New York, which fought through mediocre play and a managerial switch, got back to the top of the division Thursday with a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia. The Mets posted two wins in a three-game series with the Phillies and provided a one-game edge in the standings.
Carlos Delgado's two-run double in the eighth inning provided the winning margin and David Wright knocked in the other run for the Mets, who managed just four hits as a team.
Oliver Perez allowed a run on six hits and struck out a season-high 12 in 7 2/3 innings but didn't factor in the decision. Aaron Heilman (1-3) retired one batter to earn the win, while Billy Wagner notched his 26th save.
Mike Pelfrey takes the mound for New York against the Cardinals and will try to prolong an unbeaten streak that stretches back to late May.
Pelfrey was 2-6 on the season after a 7-3 loss to Florida on May 26, but is unbeaten in 10 starts since, going 6-0 and watching his earned run average plummet from 5.33 to 3.81.
He got a no-decision at Cincinnati in his last outing on July 20, but had won six in a row just prior to the break, including consecutive shutouts of San Francisco and Colorado.
A defeat of St. Louis came one start prior on July 3, when he allowed six hits and a run in seven innings of the Mets' 11-1 win at Busch Stadium.
Rookie right-hander Mitchell Boggs will try to improve on the result of his last start, which saw him on the short end against Pelfrey and the Mets in that 10-run rout.
The former fifth-round draft pick (2005) was ripped for 10 hits and 10 earned runs over six innings in that outing, which gave him his first career loss and raised his ERA from 4.37 to 6.59.
Previously, in five appearances (four starts), he had given up just 22 hits and 11 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings.
On Thursday in St. Louis, Ryan Braun clubbed a two-run homer with one out in the top of the ninth inning to lift the surging Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 win over the Cardinals and complete their first-ever four-game sweep in the Gateway City.
Rick Ankiel and Albert Pujols knocked in the runs for the Cardinals, whose four-game slide comes on the heels of a five-game winning streak. Skip Schumaker had two hits and scored a run.
St. Louis starter Todd Wellemeyer went five innings, surrendering two runs on five hits while walking five. Franklin (3-4) was charged with his fifth blown save.
The loss dropped the Cardinals four games behind the Cubs.
<< Dempster hopes to keep Wrigley dominance intact against Fish
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Playing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field has been quite
the challenge for enemy teams this season. The task has been even tougher when
Ryan Dempster is on the mound.
Dempster and the Cubs will both be attempting to build
<< Ichiro, Mariners open series at Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ichiro Suzuki closes in on a significant milestone this
evening when the Seattle Mariners open a three-game series with the Toronto
Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Suzuki enters tonight's opener just five hits s
<< Surging Yankees pay a visit to rival Red Sox
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox expect to have David Ortiz back in the
lineup this evening when they start a three-game series against their hated
rivals, the New York Yankees, at Fenway Park.
Ortiz hasn't played since May 31 be
<< Padres, Pirates resume series at PNC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh southpaw Zach Duke tries to end a seven-start
winless skid tonight when the Pirates host the San Diego Padres in game two of
a four-game series at PNC Park.
Duke, a 20th-round draft pick in 2001, was 4-4 on th
Lee shoots for win No. 14 against Twins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Runs have been quite hard to come by for the Minnesota
Twins during the club's current losing streak. A matchup with Cleveland
Indians ace Cliff Lee likely won't help matters.
The struggling Twins take their swings again
Angels send Saunders to hill at Baltimore >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Saunders goes after win No. 13 this evening when the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim kick off a 10-game road trip with the first of
three games against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
However, in a year whe
Stumbling Phils return home to battle Braves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies will try to regroup against
another familiar foe this evening, as they kick off a three-game series
versus the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia just dr
Aces on display in Reds-Rockies opener >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - National League All-Star teammates and fellow 12-game
winners Aaron Cook and Edinson Volquez will meet on the mound when the
Colorado Rockies visit Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park tonight for the
first o
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.
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
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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