Inning Gets Home Into Pitch

Baseball Betting Lines

Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In hindsight, perhaps Boston starter John Lackey should have pitched around Raul Ibanez. The Philadelphia left fielder clubbed a tiebreaking, solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Phillies edged the Red Sox, 2-1, in the middle test of a three-game interleague series at Citizens Bank Park.

 

Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Howie Kendrick's double-play ground ball provided the game's only run, as Dan Haren outdueled Jordan Zimmermann to help the Angels complete a three-game sweep of the Nationals, 1-0. Haren (8-5) allowed two hits, walked one, hit another and struck out six in 7 1/3 scoreless innings. The only hit he allowed prior to Ivan Rodriguez's one- out base hit in the eighth was Brian Bixler's bunt single in the fourth.

 

Zimmermann (5-7) threw his first career complete game in a losing effort. The third-year starter gave up four hits and one walk in his 11th straight quality start, but an unearned run in the fourth inning cost the Nationals the game.

 

Washington came into the series winners in 13 of 15 overall, but fell back below .500 (40-41) following Davey Johnson's first series as manager.

 

Zimmermann was more efficient with his pitches, though a walk to Bobby Abreu leading off the fourth proved costly. Vernon Wells bounced into a potential double play, but Ryan Zimmerman was wide on his throw to second, allowing Abreu to advance to third and score on Kendrick's ensuing 6-4-3 twin killing.

 

Game Notes

 

Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly in the ninth brought home the game-winner as the Chicago White Sox took a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies in the second of a three-game set. Huston Street (0-2) was on the mound to start the inning, Carlos Qunetin led off with a single and moved to third on a Paul Konerko single. After Alexei Ramirez swung at a pitch in the dirt to strikeout, Pierzysnki hit a short fly ball to right.

 

Sergio Santos then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to lock down his 16th save of the season.

 

After an intentional walk to Pablo Sandoval, Campana missed a diving attempt at a catch of an Aubrey Huff hit to right-center. Marmol (2-2), though, got Cody Ross to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

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Betting Football

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.