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Against the Chicago White Sox earlier in the week Hammel permitted just two runs on six hits and a pair of walks over seven innings, yet he didn't post a single strikeout for the first time in 2011.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Beckett tries to bounce back from a shaky outing his last time out when the Boston Red Sox wrap up a three-game interleague series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Beckett, whose previous start had been skipped because of an illness, was hit hard by Philadelphia on Tuesday for five runs and five hits - two home runs - in six innings, dropping him to 6-3, while raising his earned run average to a still stingy 2.20.
Beckett has faced the Astros six times and is 2-2 with a 2.20 ERA.
Boston put itself in position for a sweep on Saturday, as Darnell McDonald's three-run homer came during a four-run eighth inning in the Red Sox' 10-4 win. Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia all collected three hits and drove in a run apiece for Boston, which has won three straight.
J.A. Happ (3-10) lasted 6 2/3 frames in defeat and was touched for seven hits and five runs while walking three and fanning as many batters.
Houston will hand the ball to rookie Jordan Lyles, who at 0-3 is still searching for his first big league win. Lyles absorbed the loss on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers, as he was hit for five runs and 10 hits in six innings, upping his ERA to 4.75.
Houston took two of three from the Red Sox the last time these teams met back in 2008.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta rookie Brandon Beachy tries to win his fourth straight decision this afternoon when the Braves wrap up a three-game interleague set against the Baltimore Orioles at Turner Field. Beachy won his second straight start on Monday in Seattle, holding the Mariners to a run and three runs, while striking out nine in six innings to run his record to 3-1. The Indiana native has allowed just two runs over his last two starts and has surrendered three or less in eight of his 10 outings for a 3.04 earned run average on the year.
The undrafted Beachy, who has never faced the O's, has compiled 81 strikeouts through the first 13 starts and 71 1/3 innings of his career.
Baltimore, meanwhile, will counter with an impressive rookie of its own in lefty Zach Britton, who has fallen on some hard times after a sizzling start to his big league career. Britton opened the year by winning five of his first six starts, but has gone just 1-5 in 10 starts since.
"[The coaching staff and I] look at the last couple of starts, and there's a handful I could have won easily," said Britton. "We think about that. It's not that I haven't pitched well. There are games that I haven't pitched well at all and deserved to lose. But at the same time, I knew throughout some of these stretches, I threw the ball [well]. It just hasn't worked out for me in the win-loss column."
Mark Reynolds belted a pair of homers and Nick Markakis added a solo shot for the Orioles, who have lost five straight.
Baltimore took two of three from Atlanta the last time these teams met back in 2009. The Braves, though, have won 11 of the last 14 in the series in Atlanta.
Lohse, who is 6-1 on the road, had been winless in his last four starts before throwing five scoreless innings to beat the Baltimore Orioles in a rain- shortened effort on Tuesday.
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Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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