Phils seek offensive breakout in latest visit to Mets
Baseball Betting Lines
09/10/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back on top in the NL East for the first time in more than three months, the Philadelphia Phillies return to the venue where runs have been scarce this evening in the opener of a three-game set against the rival New York Mets.
The Phillies have scored just seven runs in six games at Citi Field this season, but their recent surge may reap better results. Having won three straight and 11 of its last 14 games, Philadelphia is a game ahead of Atlanta for the division lead and has scored 25 runs during its current win streak.
Spirits are high for the Phils entering Friday's series opener, especially with Roy Halladay set to take on a Mets team he has dominated this season. He is 3-0 with a 1.88 earned run average in three starts against tonight's opponent and previously beat New York on August 8 at Citizens Bank Park, as he fired eight shutout innings and struck out seven.
Halladay, who is 5-2 in seven career starts against the Mets, ended a two- start skid his last time out Saturday versus Milwaukee. The right-hander did allow four runs in seven innings of the 5-4 win, but improved to 17-10 with a 2.36 ERA in 29 starts this season. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner has won seven of his past nine starts and is 6-5 in 12 road outings in 2010.
The Phils have been getting solid pitching lately and went 5-2 on a recent homestand which was capped by Wednesday's 10-6 triumph over the visiting Florida Marlins in south Philadelphia. Cole Hamels continued his impressive run towards the postseason by holding the Marlins to only four hits in seven scoreless innings of work.
Hamels benefited from a huge night by first baseman Ryan Howard, who ended with three hits, including a three-run homer, and tied a season high with six RBI.
"It just happens to be September, but it's one of those things where you're coming down the stretch and knowing that every game counts, and I'm just trying to do my part," Howard said.
Chase Utley added two hits, two runs scored and drove in two for the Phillies, while Shane Victorino went 3-for-6 with an RBI and three runs scored. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins left the game with a sore hamstring, however, and is listed as day-to-day.
The Phillies will also visit the Marlins for three games in south Florida on the trek.
Meanwhile, the Mets are back in Queens for a 10-game homestand versus the Phillies, Pirates and Braves and just went 4-6 on a recent road trip. They won the final two portions of a three-game series in Washington and recorded a 3-2 victory Wednesday from Nationals Park.
Nick Evans came on as a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh and stroked and RBI double to score Josh Thole, putting the Mets ahead for good. Luis Hernandez and Carlos Beltran also drove in a run for New York, which got two hits and six productive innings out of winning pitcher R.A. Dickey.
Dickey (10-6) held the Nats to a pair of runs and five hits for his 10th win of the season. Hisanori Takahashi earned his fifth save by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.
"I just tried to slow the game down," Dickey said. "I've found the more I'm able to do that, the better results I've been having. It takes a long time to learn how to do that. It has for me at least."
The Mets, who are 10 1/2 games off the NL Wild Card lead, will send promising rookie Jenrry Mejia to the mound Friday for his second career start. Mejia was the losing pitcher in last Saturday's 5-3 loss at Chicago and permitted four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings. The Dominican right-hander fell to 0-3 this season with a 3.86 ERA in 31 games (one start).
Mejia has pitched two separate innings of relief against Philadelphia this season and has no record or ERA in those games.
The 2010 season series between the Phillies and Mets is tied at six games apiece, but Philadelphia has won three of the last four matchups between the two ballclubs.
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals co-ace Chris Carpenter has recorded 16 wins in a season only twice in his career, He'll be looking to reach that mark again tonight in the second installment of a four-game series against the Atlanta Brave
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Playoff Pickups >>
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Fortunate
Super Bowl 2009 Betting
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog 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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