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07/21/2007 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Beckett struck out 10 over six innings and Boston drilled the Chicago White Sox, 10-3 in a game that saw a home run call blown, leading to the ejection of Red Sox manager Terry Francona in the first inning.
Coco Crisp stroked the go-ahead three-run triple in the fifth inning and Julio Lugo had three hits, including a grand slam in the eighth, for the Red Sox, who snapped a three-game skid.
Beckett (13-3) rebounded from a loss against Toronto and joined the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano atop the majors' victory list this year.
Jim Thome blasted a three-run homer for the White Sox, who had a two-game winning streak broken. Chicago won the opener of the four-game series, 4-2, on Thursday, but Jose Contreras (5-12) surrendered 10 hits and 10 runs over 7 1/3 innings a night later. Contreras, who leads the American League in defeats, dropped his fifth consecutive start and has lost eight of his last nine decisions.
David Ortiz walked with two outs and Manny Ramirez was hit by a pitch in the Boston first. J.D. Drew followed with a deep drive to the wall in left-center field. The ball bounced over the top of the wall and hit a protective panel in front of where fans sit atop the Green Monster before bounding back to the field, but instead of a double should have been ruled a homer. Ortiz scored, but Ramirez was thrown out at the plate.
Francona vehemently argued, as replays showed the ball went over the wall, but Boston's manager was ejected by third base umpire Tim McClelland. Francona then tried arguing with second base umpire Paul Schrieber, but the call remained.
Juan Uribe and Jerry Owens singled to start the top of the third, and one out later, Thome belted his 16th homer of the season, a blast to center field for a 3-1 White Sox lead.
However, the Red Sox went ahead for good with a four-run fifth. Jason Varitek walked and Eric Hinske bunted for a hit toward a vacated left side of the infield. Lugo then bunted back to Contreras, who threw high to first, loading the bases. Crisp then tripled down the right field line, and scored one out later on an Ortiz single to right. Ortiz was thrown out trying for extra bases, leaving the Red Sox with a 5-3 lead.
Boston poured it on with five runs in the eighth. Ramirez singled, Drew doubled and Mike Lowell walked to fill the bases. Varitek then lofted a sacrifice fly to right. Kevin Youkilis was hit by a pitch before Lugo blasted an offering from Contreras well over the high wall in left.
Game Notes
Lugo has a 10-game hitting streak...Boston's Mike Timlin threw a scoreless seventh inning and hasn't allowed a run in his last 14 2/3 frames.
<< Beckett wins No. 13, Crisp slams BoSox over ChiSox
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Beckett struck out 10 over six innings and
Boston drilled the Chicago White Sox, 10-3 in a game that saw a home run call
blown, leading to the ejection of Red Sox manager Terry Francona in the first
inning.
<< Beltre's blast helps Mariners past Toronto
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adrian Beltre's two-run homer in the fourth
inning gave Seattle the lead for good and the Mariners went on to defeat the
Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.
Jose G
<< Marlins rout Reds behind Uggla's offense
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Uggla went 3-for-5 with a home run and three
RBI as the Florida Marlins pounded the Cincinnati Reds, 10-2, in game two of a
four-game series.
Scott Olsen (8-7), who had served a two-game suspension laid do
<< Athletics' Piazza reinstated from DL
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics Friday reinstated
designated hitter Mike Piazza from the 15-day disabled list where he had
been placed with a sprained right shoulder.
Piazza suffered a sprained AC joint i
Blake survives to reach Countrywide semifinals >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed James Blake edged fellow
published author and countryman Vincent Spadea 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to advance to
the semifinals of the Countrywide Classic on Friday.
Blake, whose autobiography "
Bedard, Orioles fan A's >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major league strikeout leader Erik Bedard
fanned 11 batters over seven one-hit innings, as the Baltimore Orioles routed
the Oakland Athletics, 6-1, in the opener of a three-game series at McAfee
Coliseu
Eaton beats former team as Phils top Padres >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chase Utley went 2-for-4 with a two-run home
run as the Philadelphia Phillies downed the San Diego Padres, 7-3, in the
second of a four-game series at Petco Park.
Ryan Howard went 2-for-4 with an RBI
Beltran, Mets hold off Dodgers >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Beltran homered for the second
straight game and the New York Mets scored the go-ahead run in the eighth
inning on a throwing error in a 4-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
David Wr
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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