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Dodgers roll over Astros for ninth straight winBaseball Betting Lines05/19/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hiroki Kuroda pitched six solid frames and the Dodgers capitalized on two-out opportunities to win their ninth straight game, a 7-3 victory over slumping Houston to sweep a two-game set. Russell Martin extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games, Manny Ramirez drove home a pair of runs, as did James Loney and Case Blake for the Dodgers, who have won 11 of 12 overall and extended their longest winning streak since ripping off 11 in a row from July 28-August 8, 2006. Kuroda (5-1) gave up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk, picking up his fifth victory of the young season. "A lot of contributions from a lot of people tonight," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "We are playing well. We still rely on pitching to make it possible." The Dodgers kept rolling despite placing Andre Either on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right pinky. Either is on the DL for the first time in his five-year career and missed out on Andre Either Bobblehead Night. In a corresponding roster move, Xavier Paul was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, started and batted second, finishing 0-for-3 in the win. Carlos Lee homered and drove in all three runs for Houston, losers in five straight. Bud Norris (2-5) was saddled with the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks over 4 1/3 frames. "I pitched as long as I could," said Norris. "They swung the bats well. They hit some good pitches. It is frustrating. We have to keep pushing and fight hard every day." After a quick top of the first, the Dodgers struck for a three-spot in the home half. It all began with a two-out walk to Ramirez then Matt Kemp drove a ground-rule double that one-hopped over the wall in right. Loney drove home both runners with a single to right, stole second and scored on Blake's single that found its way into center. Lee swatted a solo home run to deep left in the second and Houston squared the game in the third. Again, it was a two-out rally for one team, as Michael Bourn singled to right and Jeff Keppinger singled to center. Lance Berkman walked to load the bases and Lee once again delivered, this time with a two- run single to center. The Dodgers took the edge in the fourth. The first two runners reached base, and Carroll's one-out sacrifice fly to right scored Loney for the one-run margin. The home team's two-run fifth began with a walk to the pitcher Kuroda, followed by a Martin single to center and an Xavier Paul sacrifice bunt. Ramirez knocked in both runs with a base hit to left. Blake's solo shot in the eighth capped the scoring. Game Notes Both Lee and Blake have hit four home runs this season...Kuroda has pitched at least six innings in six of his eight starts this season...Bourn and Keppinger both had two hits in defeat.
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Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Papelbon locked down this one, striking out Randy Winn to cap Boston's five-run comeback in the late innings, as the Red Sox earned a split of a brief two-game set with a 7-6 victory over the Yankees
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Betting FootballNFL Football Betting OnlineIs 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. |
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