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07/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Carl Pavano faced the Toronto Blue Jays he was rocked in only four innings of work. The Minnesota Twins hurler will shoot for redemption tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.
Pavano took the hill at Toronto back on May 18 in an 11-2 loss and was battered for six runs and 10 hits, falling to 3-5 in 10 career starts against the Jays to go along with a 6.22 earned run average. Pavano has rebounded nicely since then and is 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his last five starts.
The right-hander did not record a decision in Minnesota's 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay last Thursday, as he was reached for three runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. Pavano, who is 9-6 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 overall starts this season, is 4-3 in seven trips to enemy mounds in 2010.
Minnesota just lost three of four matchups with the Tampa Bay Rays and is coming off Sunday's 7-4 setback at Target Field. Nick Blackburn was saddled with the loss for surrendering seven runs -- four earned -- and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Jim Thome had two hits and two RBI, while Justin Morneau and Delmon Young both went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run for the Twins, who have lost nine of the past 13 contests and sit a half-game behind Detroit for the AL Central lead.
"We're not getting the big hits as consistently as we need to," Morneau said on the team's site. "We've been missing those hits. You can look at our numbers, the runners in scoring position and all that stuff, and we haven't done as well there as we need to."
The Twins will also visit the Detroit Tigers for three games and are 18-21 away from home this season. Morneau and catcher Joe Mauer will both start in next week's All-Star Game in Anaheim, CA.
Much like the Twins, Toronto enters this series on a losing note, having lost seven of its last eight games. After taking the opener of a three-game series against the New York Yankees in extra innings, the Blue Jays dropped the final two tests of the set and suffered a 7-6 loss in 11 innings Sunday.
David Purcey was dealt the loss for allowing Marcus Thames' game-winning hit in the bottom of the 11th, while starter Brandon Morrow put his team in a hole by yielding five runs and nine hits over six frames.
Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay both homered and Dewayne Wise belted a three-run homer and finished with four RBI for the Jays.
Toronto will also welcome AL East-rival Boston up north on the current residency and are expected to send Jesse Litsch to the hill Tuesday. Litsch will make his fifth start of the season and is 0-3 with a 6.98 ERA over his first four starts. He is coming off a tough loss at Cleveland in which he held the Tribe to a pair of runs over six innings of work.
The righty hopes to bounce back against a Minnesota team he's undefeated against, going 3-0 with a 3.10 ERA in five career starts.
The Blue Jays will also host Boston for three games and will be represented by catcher John Buck and outfielders Jose Bautista and Vernon Wells in next week's All-Star Game.
Minnesota and Toronto split a two-game set this season back on May 17-18 at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays have won 12 of the previous 16 matchups between the teams.
<< Votto, Reds resume set with Mets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Reds' Joey Votto said he has moved past not being
selected for the National League All-Star team, there is little doubt he had
some extra motivation when he homered twice in Monday's series opening win
over Ne
<< Cubs' Silva tries to put woes behind him in Arizona
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cubs' offensive struggles have caught up to starter
Carlos Silva, but the right-hander has reason to be encouraged given his
team's performance on Monday.
Chicago will try to win back-to-back games and hel
<< Phils go for another win over NL East-leading Braves
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top of the National League East got a little tighter
after the Phillies took yesterday's opener of a three-game series with the
first-place Braves.
Philadelphia will try to inch a little closer to the top spot
<< Pirates begin series against hosting Astros
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the bottom teams in the National League get together
tonight when the Houston Astros host the Pittsburgh Pirates in game one of a
three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros, who finished fifth in the NL Centr
Rivens returns to Coastal Carolina >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One-time North Carolina Central assistant coach
Antoine Rivens has returned to the university to become the tight ends and
offensive tackles coach for the Eagles.
Rivens spent the last seven seasons at Coastal C
Rivens returns to N.C. Central >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One-time North Carolina Central assistant coach
Antoine Rivens has returned to the university to become the tight ends and
offensive tackles coach for the Eagles.
Rivens spent the last seven seasons at Coastal C
Magic reach deal with former Knicks PG Chris Duhon >>
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -The agent for Chris Duhon says the point guard has reached an agreement with the Orlando Magic for a $15 million, four-year deal.Agent Kevin Bradbury told The Associated Press on Tuesday the chance to play for a championship cont
Free agent LeBron James finally joins Twitter >>
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -LeBron James has made one decision - he joined Twitter.The NBA's most ballyhooed free agent opened an account on the social networking site Tuesday. Publicist Keith Estabrook confirms the monicker kingjames is indeed LeBron.James h
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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