Colorado rocks Hamels, Phils in home opener

Baseball Betting Lines

04/10/2009 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Atkins' first hit of the season -- a two-run homer -- highlighted a five-run third inning, as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-3, in the home opener at Coors Field.

Ryan Spilborghs was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored for Colorado, which took two of three in Arizona to begin the 2009 campaign. Clint Barmes had two hits and scored three times, while Todd Helton drove in three.

Jason Marquis (1-0), who was picked up from the Cubs in the offseason, continued his success at Coors Field, allowing two runs and five hits with two walks and as many strikeouts over seven solid innings. The veteran right- hander is now 4-0 in five starts in the Mile High City. Marquis also helped his cause at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and a run batted in.

Coming off a stellar postseason a year ago in which he emerged as an elite pitcher, punctuated by capturing MVP honors in both the NLCS and World Series, Cole Hamels struggled in his season debut for Philadelphia. The lefty was slated to start on Opening Day, but elbow issues during spring training delayed his start.

Hamels (0-1) was hit hard by Colorado, yielding seven runs on 11 hits with a walk and one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Jayson Werth went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a homer and three runs scored for the Phillies, who are off to a 1-3 start. Pedro Feliz knocked in the other two runs.

The Phillies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Werth led off with a double and later scored on a Feliz sacrifice fly.

Colorado then put up a crooked number in the third. Barmes doubled to lead off the frame and raced home after Marquis' grounder found a hole on the left side of the diamond. One out later, Spilborghs lined a double to right and Helton's ground out plated Marquis before Atkins stepped in and homered to left field. Brad Hawpe then hit a ground-rule double and Troy Tulowitzki followed with an RBI triple.

Philadelphia got a run back in the top of the fourth, as Werth, once again, smacked a double to begin the inning and scored following a pair of groundouts, the second one from Feliz.

The Rockies plated two more runs in the bottom half. Barmes had a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sac bunt, took third on a ground out and waltzed home on a double by Spilborghs. Helton then slapped a base hit past a diving Ryan Howard at first for a 7-2 lead.

Colorado added three more runs in the eighth off Chad Durbin on bloop singles by Dexter Fowler and Spilborghs and a sac fly from Helton.

Werth went deep to open the ninth inning.

Game Notes

Marquis became the first Rockies starter to earn a win in the home opener since Shawn Chacon in 2003...Colorado is 10-7 all-time in home openers... The Rockies have hit at least one home run in each of their first four games of the season...Philadelphia won all five of its matchups with Colorado last season after being swept (0-3) in the 2007 NLDS...Howard was hitless in four at-bats and grounded into three double plays...J.A. Happ tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames for the Phillies.

Speedwaygambling Baseball Betting News

<< Pettitte has strong outing as Yanks top Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Pettitte scattered three hits and one run through seven innings, as the New York Yankees topped Kansas City, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game set. Pettitte (1-0) held his foes in check with six

<< Driver charged with murder in Adenhart's death
Fullerton, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrew Thomas Gallo is facing three felony murder counts in the drunken driving accident that killed Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, The Orange County District Attorney announced the 22-yea

<< Norman misses cut after a 77
Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The crowd surrounding Augusta National's familiar 18th green applauded Greg Norman. He applauded them right back. If the tournament hasn't always been kind to The Shark, at least the gallery has. No

<< Serena Williams withdraws from Family Circle Cup
Charleston, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Serena Williams has pulled out of the Family Circle Cup due to a left leg injury. The top-ranked player in the world hurt her leg at the Sony Ericsson Open, which she lost in the final to Victoria

<< Hall out as Cincy women's coach
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J. Kelley Hall, who had served as the head coach of Cincinnati's women's basketball team for the last two seasons, will not return next year, the school revealed on Friday. Hall put together a 26-33 m

Pirates/Reds postponed >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Friday's game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park was postponed because of rain. A makeup date has not been announced. Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens and Cincinnati

Weeks leads Brewers' ninth-inning comeback over Cubs >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Weeks doubled home the tying run in the ninth, took third on a ball in the dirt and scored the winning run on an infield hit with a head-first slide just ahead of the tag to give Milwaukee a thrilling 4-3

Gilroy wins 2009 Hobey Baker Award >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Executive Committee announced Friday that Boston University senior defenseman Matt Gilroy was named the 29th winner of college hockey's most prestigious individ

Mickelson bounces back with a 68 >>
Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After struggling to a one-over 73 on Thursday, Phil Mickelson bounced back with a four-under 68 Friday to move into share of 11th at three-under-par 141 after two rounds of the Masters. Mickelson was well o

Hawks F Marvin Williams returns to lineup >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams returned to the lineup in Friday's game with the Indiana Pacers at Philips Arena after missing the last 16 with a lower back injury. The former North Carolina product is

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.


Betting the NFL preseason

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.