Stewart, Hawpe power Rockies past Dodgers

Baseball Betting Lines

08/20/2008 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Stewart hit a three-run homer and finished with a career-high five RBI while Brad Hawpe continued his recent strong offensive play with a two-run homer, as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Hawpe, who finished 1-for-3 with three runs scored, is batting .478 with four home runs and nine RBI during his current six-game hit streak for the Rockies, who have won four straight games. Matt Holliday was 4-for-5 with a solo home run in the win.

"Things have been good for us the last four games." said Hawpe. "We got our hits at the right time with runners on base."

Ubaldo Jimenez (9-11) earned the win after he tossed five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts.

"I could've done better," said Jimenez. "I'd like to throw more than five innings, but it's great to have a bullpen like ours."

Jeff Kent finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI for Los Angeles, which has dropped two of three following a five-game win streak and fell one game back of the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. Matt Kemp registered an RBI and a run scored in the loss.

Hiroki Kuroda (7-9), who started and yielded four runs on six hits over six innings, suffered the loss.

Earlier Tuesday, the Dodgers acquired future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux from the San Diego Padres for two minor leaguers to be named later or cash considerations. Maddux pitched for the Dodgers in a portion of the 2006 season and will in essence replace Brad Penny in the starting rotation. Penny was placed on the disabled list on August 14 with right shoulder inflammation.

After the Rockies grabbed an early lead on a two-run single by Stewart in the top of the first, the Dodgers cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the frame on a pair of doubles by Kemp and Kent.

In the top of the third, Hawpe crushed a low fastball over the wall in center field. Holliday, who reached on a one-out single, also scored on Hawpe's 22nd home run of the season for a 4-1 Colorado lead.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth inning brought the Dodgers within 4-3. Nomar Garciaparra's single preceded a double by Casey Blake and with runners on second and third and two outs, a passed ball allowed Garciaparra to cross the plate. Kemp's second double of the game followed and Blake scored, but Andre Ethier fanned to end the frame.

Blake doubled with two outs in the sixth, but Luis Vizcaino induced a groundout off the bat of pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney.

Manny Corpas escaped a big jam in the seventh. Kent and Manny Ramirez both hit two-out singles and Corpas issued a walk to James Loney, but Russell Martin flied out to deep right field.

The Rockies put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth inning. Holliday led off the frame with his 24th homer of the year, a blast which brought Hong- Chih Kuo to the mound from the LA bullpen. Consecutive walks to Hawpe and Garrett Atkins preceded a three-run blast by Stewart, who belted a low fastball over the right-field wall.

"Our bullpen couldn't keep it close," said LA manager Joe Torre.

Game Notes

The scheduled pitching matchup for Wednesday's game is Colorado left-hander Jeff Francis versus Chad Billingsley...The Rockies have won 10 of their last 14 on the road...Jimenez is now 4-0 lifetime against LA...With his double in the game, Kent moved into a tie with Eddie Murray for 20th place on the all-time doubles list with 560...Attendance was 46,687.

Wwwvirginialottery Baseball Betting News

<< Arizona edges San Diego to take NL West lead
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer in his home debut and Conor Jackson chipped in two RBI, as Arizona held off San Diego for a 7-6 victory, in the opener of a three-game set. Chris Snyder, Chris Burke and M

<< Nolasco's near no-no allow Marlins to spear Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Nolasco was dominant, fanning 11 in a two-hit shutout as the Marlins cruised to a 6-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game set. Nolasco (12-7) walked one in his first

<< This Week in Auto Racing August 20 - 24
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR roars into "Thunder Valley" as all three of its national touring series race under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee this week. The IndyCar Series heads to Northern Califor

<< Bartoli, Mauresmo, Szavay post wins in New Haven
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, fourth-seeded Hungarian Agnes Szavay and former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France were all winners Tuesday at the $600,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final h

<< Padres activate Tomko from DL
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres activated pitcher Brett Tomko off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. Tomko had been sidelined with a strained right elbow since July 1. The journeyman right-hander made two

Cards' Isringhausen shut down with elbow tendonitis >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason Isringhausen has been shut down indefinitely after an MRI exam Tuesday revealed tendonitis in his right elbow and a partial tendon tear in his flexor group.

Red Wings re-sign Downey >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings re-signed forward Aaron Downey to a one-year, two-way undisclosed contract Wednesday. Downey signed with Detroit last season following a training camp tryout and appeared in 56 game

Royals, Indians resume three-game series in Cleveland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Zach Jackson makes his second appearance in a Cleveland uniform tonight when the Indians take on the visiting Kansas City Royals in the second of three midweek games at Progressive Field. Jackson, a supplemental 2004

Lilly goes for Cubs against Reds >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Ted Lilly can reverse the result of his lone loss in 10 starts when the Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds in the middle test of a three-game series tonight at Wrigley Field. A 32-year-old Californian, Lilly is 5-

Pirates wrap up short set in St. Louis >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Todd Wellemeyer goes for an eighth start without a loss tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second and final game of an abbreviated two-game set at Busch Stadium. Wellemeye


MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.









Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.