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Brewers aim to set single-season home mark in clash with MarlinsBaseball Betting Lines09/25/2011 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a season of firsts for the Brewers, today represents a chance for the team to accomplish a big feat and move closer to gaining home- field advantage for the first round of the playoffs. With Friday night's win, Milwaukee wrapped up the NL Central championship, its first division title since moving to the National League and the team's first crown since capturing the AL East in 1982. With last night's 6-4 victory, John Axford notched his 45th save of the year, which moved him past Francisco Cordero (2007) for the single-season franchise record. It was also the 54th home win for the Brewers, tying the franchise record for most such victories in a season (54-27 in 1978). They can break the record today in the finale of a three-game series with the Florida Marlins. More importantly, the Brewers are one game ahead of NL West champion Arizona for the second-best mark in the NL, behind Philadelphia. After today, the Brewers host Pittsburgh for three to conclude the season. Milwaukee's Chris Narveson is 0-2 over his last three appearances, including one relief effort. The lefty lasted just four innings in a loss to the Cubs on Monday. He is 0-2 with a 5.60 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins. Ricky Nolasco toes the rubber for the Marlins. He's coming off a no-decision against the Braves on Monday. In that outing, a 6-5 win on a walk-off home run by Omar Infante, Nolasco pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed five runs -- four earned -- on five hits. He faced Milwaukee earlier this season on June 3, but did not factor in the decision, a 6-5 loss for the Fish. He is 1-1 with a 7.99 ERA (23.2 IP/21 ER) in five career starts against the Brewers. Last night, Corey Hart sparked a three-run seventh inning with a pinch-hit, two-run double. Ryan Braun had an RBI double in the seventh and knocked in a total of two runs for the Brewers. Yuniesky Betancourt hit a solo homer for Milwaukee, which got an RBI from Prince Fielder. "The day after is always a concern," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Saturday's victory. "We came out and played a really good ball game." Brewers starter Zack Greinke gave up four runs on nine hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked five. LaTroy Hawkins (2-1) tossed a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. Greinke went 11-0 in 14 home starts this season. Emilio Bonifacio and Infante homered for the Marlins, who have lost four of six. "We had so many chances early to break the game open and couldn't come through with that hit," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. The Brewers swept a four-game series in Florida from June 3-6 and have won seven straight and nine of the last 10 meetings.
<< Skidding Phils turn to Halladay in finale with Mets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A model of consistency, Roy Halladay has been a workhorse for Philadelphia this season and today aims to end the team's longest skid in over ten years. The hitting for the Phillies has struggled since clinching the NL East
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Pujols, Cards try to stay in playoff race vs. Cubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals caught a couple of breaks yesterday, but are still behind the eight-ball in the postseason chase. They need more help from Washington today and Philadelphia over the final three games of the regular se
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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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