Angels, Mariners to square off in battle of reeling clubs

Baseball Betting Lines

05/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of slumping American League West rivals get together tonight in the Emerald City, where the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim collide in the opener of a three-game series at Safeco Field.

The Mariners have dropped six straight games, while Anaheim enters tonight's tilt riding a seven-game slide. Both teams are last in the division standings, 3 1/2 games behind both Oakland and Texas.

Seattle is still winless on its nine-game homestand after getting swept in back-to-back series with the Rangers and Tampa Bay. In Thursday's 8-0 loss in the series finale with the Rays, Ryan Rowland-Smith had a rough outing and lasted just 4 1/3 innings, permitting six runs on seven hits and three walks.

"I'm a better pitcher than what's going on right now on the field," Rowland- Smith said after falling to 0-2 on the season.

Ichiro Suzuki, Chone Figgins, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jose Lopez provided the hits for the Mariners, who were outhit by a 12-4 margin and have lost 10 of their last 12 contests.

Seattle has been struggling offensively in 2010 and sits second-to-last in the majors in average (.230), slugging percentage (.321), runs (91) and RBI (86). The club also placed outfielder Milton Bradley on the restricted list Thursday. Bradley recently asked the team for help with some personal and emotional issues.

Felix Hernandez hopes to leave his current issues in the dust when he takes the bump for the Mariners tonight. Hernandez has lost two straight starts since opening the season 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA, and is coming off a rough outing versus Texas on Saturday.

The righty was reached for five runs and eight hits over a season-worst 4 1/3 innings pitched against the Rangers, falling to 2-2 in six starts and boosting his ERA to 3.10. Hernandez first lost on April 26 at Kansas City, where he yielded three runs -- two earned -- through seven innings.

"King Felix", who tossed a complete game on April 21 versus Baltimore, will make his 17th career start against the Angels and owns a 4-5 mark with a 4.20 ERA in this series.

Los Angeles is coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park and fell to 0-7 on a 10-game road trip. It entered the series in Beantown following a three-game seep by Detroit and blew an early 4-0 lead in last night's 11-6 loss to the Red Sox.

Scott Kazmir failed in his bid for his third win of the season by surrendering seven runs on six hits and five walks through 4 1/3 innings.

"I got behind on a lot of hitters, walked five guys. It's something where you're just fighting yourself," Kazmir said. "You're not going to have a good outcome when you're putting people on base every single inning."

Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and Howie Kendrick ended with two hits and a pair of runs driven in for Anaheim.

The Angels will send Jered Weaver to the mound Friday with hopes of the right- hander rebounding from his first loss of the season. After beginning the year 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts, Weaver was pummeled by the Tigers in a 5-1 loss at Comerica Park on Sunday.

Weaver lasted a season-low 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs and seven hits, despite striking out seven batters and walking just one. He was coming off a six-inning stint against Cleveland in which he allowed only one run. The wiry right-hander's season ERA rose from 2.53 to 3.19.

The Long Beach State product is very familiar with the Mariners, as evidenced by his 8-3 record and 4.61 ERA in 14 career starts against them.

Los Angeles went 10-9 against the Mariners last season and has won three straight and five of the last seven matchups between the clubs. These two teams split 10 meetings at Safeco Field a season ago.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

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