Phillies-Rays Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Tropicana Field in an interleague contest.
The Phillies will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander Brett Myers in this game. Myers has a 12-13 record and a 4.59 ERA this season.
Meanwhile, it’ll be James Shields who starts for the Rays. Righthander Shields is 15-10 with a 3.57 ERA so far this season.
Odds aren’t yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Carlos Ruiz’ fielder’s choice in the fourth inning proved to be the winning run Wednesday, as the Phillies got past the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of the World Series. The Phillies won the game as a -105 pick’em, while the five runs went UNDER the posted over/under (7.5).
Chase Utley belted a two-run homer in the first inning for the Phillies. Cole Hamels allowed just two runs off five hits over seven innings for the win, and Brad Lidge turned away the side in the ninth to earn the save.
Akinori Iwamura went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run for the Rays. Scott Kazmir gave up three runs off six hits over six innings in the loss.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 92-70 SU
Tampa Bay: 97-65 SU
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Tampa Bay are 2-8
After playing Tampa Bay are 6-4
After a win are 8-2

Tampa Bay most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
Before playing Philadelphia are 8-2
After playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After a loss are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia’s last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Tampa Bay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Philadelphia
Next up:
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, Saturday, October 25

 

The Curse of Billy Penn

The Philadelphia Phillies take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series. The Rays have ended their curse by eliminating the Devil from their nickname, now the Phillies try to eliminate the Curse of Billy Penn.

We will leave the 2,353 other media sources to rehash everything you know about the Rays dramatic series against the Red Sox and how the Phillies got here by beating the LA Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. Instead, here is the official betting preview.

Sportsbooks have this game close to a pick ‘em as Cole Hamels takes on Scott Kazmir. Will rust be a factor for the Phillies bats as they have not played since Oct. 15, while Tampa‘s AL series clincher was on the 19th.

The Phillies would qualify as the slightly hotter team having lost just two playoff games, while Tampa has dropped four.

Philadelphia was horrible in Interleague play going 4-11 for -9.2 units with an OBP of .297. They are in fact, just 17-36 to the AL going back a few years, 8-23 in IL games against teams with a winning record. Tampa is 12-6 against the other league with a .290 batting average and .366 OBP.

Cole Hamels has a 1.23 ERA in his last three starts with a .864 WHIP. He’s gotten the decision in every start in his recent 5-1 run, never giving up more than two earned runs in that span.

Tampa has split Scott Kazmir’s last six starts and he sports a 6.06 ERA in those six games.

Who wins? The home page of OffshoreInsiders.com has all the World Series picks for bettors.

Wednesday Betting Rundown

The World Series gets underway in Tampa Bay on Wednesday night, with the Rays looking to take Game 1 of the set from the Phillies. Here’s your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

If the Tennessee Titans are going to remain unbeaten on the season they’re going to have to knock off the rival Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football this week. The oddsmakers have the Titans listed as 4-point home favorites, with the total at 42 points.

The NFL’s two winless teams are also in action this week, with 0-6 Detroit hosting Washington, and 0-7 Cincinnati playing in Houston. The Redskins are 8-point favorites to continue Detroit‘s woes, while the Texans are 10-point favorites versus the Bengals.

NFL picks week 8 is the same as the college football spread betting picks and NFL picks for the first seven weeks. You should never place a bet without visiting OffshoreInsiders.com first.

The official injury report for NFL betting comes out Sunday morning on Lines-Maker.com but here is an early look.

Out includes: Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, Brodie Croyle, Laurence Maroney, Reggie Bush, Felix Jones.

Doubtful: Joseph Addai.

Questionable: Matt Hasselbeck, Anquan Boldin, Ike Hilliard, Deion Branch, Jeremy Shockey, Orlando Pace.

Probable: Brian Westbrook, Willie Parker.
 
Other Notable Events

The Rays will send Scott Kazmir to the mound in Game 1. Kazmir was up and down in the ALCS against the Red Sox, giving up five earned runs over 4 1-3 innings in his first outing, and then tossing six shutout innings in his second kick at the can. The lefthander won his only start in the ALDS, making him 1-0 with two no-decisions in the postseason.

Cole Hamels will counter for the Phillies. Hamels has rolled in each of his three playoff starts this month. The lefthander blanked the Brewers through eight innings in his only NLDS outing, and he held the Dodgers to three earned runs on 11 hits over 14 innings over two starts in the NLCS. That performance earned MVP honors for the lefthander.

The oddsmakers currently have Hamels and the Phillies pegged as -106 road favorites for Game 1, with the Rays listed at -104. The total for the game is sitting at just 7.5 runs.

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The Rest of the Schedule

There are five hockey games on the Wednesday schedule, including the Detroit Red Wings at the St. Louis Blues. The defending champs are 3-1-1 through five games, while the Blues have surprised with a 4-1-0 record. Other NHL games on the slate: Dallas at New Jersey, Florida at Ottawa, San Jose at Philly, and Edmonton at Chicago.

As well, there are six preseason NBA games set for Wednesday: Memphis at Orlando, Cleveland at Detroit, Philly at New Jersey, Chicago at Minnesota, Washington at San Antonio, and Portland at the Clippers. The exhibition schedule will end on Friday night.

NBA odds on proposition bets have been posted, such as who wins the league MVP (we don’t think Doug Christie), who wins the championship, the first coach to be fired (George Karl isn’t even the favorite), and much more.

Others may be saying, “I hate your guts Jim Norton,” but the sportsbooks say the same thing about Curt Thomas, the only full-time NBA handicapper and part of the Dream Team at GodsTips, anchor of OffshoreInsiders.com   

News from the Wire

Brett Myers and James Shields are slated to pitch in Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night, with Jamie Moyer vs. Matt Garza the expected matchup when the set heads to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Saturday . . . the Colts might get running back Joseph Addai back from his hamstring injury for the Monday nighter . . . Canadiens forward Andrei Kostitsyn missed Monday night’s win over Florida with his head injury…David Beckman may leave the LA Galaxy for AC Milan.

A Peek at the Future

The Broncos will sit out Week 8 after getting pounded by the Patriots on Monday night; New England, though, will be back in action on Sunday with a 1:00pm ET game at home against the Rams . . . No. 1 Texas will host No. 7 Oklahoma State in college football action on Saturday. Other ranked matchups include No. 3 Penn State at No. 10 Ohio State, No. 9 Georgia at No. 11 LSU, and also No. 8 Texas Tech at No. 19 Kansas.

Political Betting Odds

We know that the odds for President say it will take a miracle to defeat Barack Obama, but there are other odds posted. Partisans can insert their own joke, but what will happen with George W. Bush’s legacy? The odds are posted on the next landmark to be named after him and the next US Treasury Secretary.

One would think it’s more significant that talking about Sarah Palin’s clothes or Morning Joe’s ratings.

Phillies-Rays Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays will both be gunning for a victory on Wednesday when they meet at Tropicana Field in Game 1 of the World Series.
The Phillies will pin their hopes on the pitching of lefthander Cole Hamels in this game. Hamels had a 16-10 record and a 2.92 ERA this season.
Hamels’ opponent in this one will be Scott Kazmir. The Rays ace lefthander had a 3.54 ERA to go along with a 13-8 record this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Phillies listed as 103-moneyline favorites versus the Rays, while the game’s total is sitting at 7½.
The Phillies finished off the Dodgers with a 5-1 win in Game 5 to clinch the NLCS last week, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
The Phillies won the game as -118 favorties, while the six runs fell UNDER the posted over/under (7.5).
Ryan Howard went 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI for the Phillies. Hamels allowed one run off five hits over seven innings for the win.
Matt Garza went seven strong innings on Sunday night to lead the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Red Sox and a berth in the World Series.
The Rays got the victory as +120 home underdogs in that Game 7, while the combined score fell UNDER the night’s posted total (8.5).
Garza gave up just one earned run on two hits and fanned nine over his seven innings of work in the win. Willy Aybar homered for Tampa Bay on the night.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 92-70 SU
Tampa Bay: 97-65 SU
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 8-2
Before playing Tampa Bay are 2-8
After playing LA Dodgers are 8-2
After a win are 7-3

Tampa Bay most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing Philadelphia are 7-3
After playing Boston are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

A few trends to consider:
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia’s last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Tampa Bay’s last 19 games at home
Next up:
Tampa Bay home to Philadelphia, Thursday, October 23

 

Tuesday Betting

Five NHL games, some preseason hoops, and a single college football matchup make up the schedule for a low-key Tuesday sports night. Here’s your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

There’s one college football game on the schedule for Tuesday night, but don’t get too excited – it’s only Ohio at Temple. Those two Mid-American teams are sitting near the bottom of the their conference standings, with both of them posting 2-5 records to date. However, both the Bobcats and the Owls have been moneymakers for their supporters, as they’re a combined 9-4 against-the-spread (Ohio is at 4-2 ATS, Temple is 5-2 ATS).

The Owls are coming off a 24-14 loss to Central Michigan, but they still opened as a 5-point home favorite in this contest. The Bobcats beat Kent State 26-19 in their last game. No total was listed at press time; the two teams are a combined 4-9 on the O/U.

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Other Notable Events

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be looking for their first win of the season when they take to the ice in one of five games on the National Hockey League schedule for Tuesday night. The 0-2-3 Bolts were blanked 1-0 by the Minnesota Wild in overtime on Saturday, and they’ll try again for a victory when they host the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night

Also on the NHL’s Tuesday calendar: Boston at Buffalo, Anaheim at Toronto, Vancouver at Columbus, and Washington at Calgary. The 3-1-1 Capitals fell in overtime to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night; that snapped their three-game win streak.

The Rest of the Schedule

Tuesday is a busy night for exhibition basketball, as there are eight games on the slate including Cleveland at Philadelphia, Memphis at Miami, Boston at New York, Indiana at New Orleans, Chicago at Dallas, and Denver at Toronto. As well, it’s Phoenix at the Clippers in Los Angeles, and Charlotte at the Lakers at the San Diego Sports Arena.

News from the Wire

Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle suffered a torn MCL on Sunday and will miss the rest of the year . . . . . . Saints running back Reggie Bush could be out of action for weeks after suffering a knee injury as well . . . Clippers guard Baron Davis has a finger injury that might force him to miss the start of the season . . . Jazz guard Deron Williams has a sprained ankle . . . the Padres are set to shop around ace Jake Peavy in the offseason.

A Peek at the Future

The Rays will have home-field advantage in the World Series thanks to the American League’s win in the All-Star Game; they’ll play host to Game 1 on Wednesday night, and they opened at around -150 favorites to win the series . . . the Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this week for Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500; Jimmie Johnson takes a big 149-point lead on Greg Biffle in the driver standings into that event.

NBA Prop Season Odds and Betting Line

The NBA off-season saw odd behavior, proclamations, franchise discord, player acquisitions and trades as well as an influx of new talent from this year’s rookie class.  Fans have gotten a chance to see their teams in action during the pre-season and with the regular season just weeks away, speculation is on the rise and fans are looking for answers.

This being the case, the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com once again beat everyone to the punch and posted odds and predictions for the upcoming season

“NBA fans are as passionate as they come in professional sports,” stated BetUS.com spokesman Reed Richards. 
“And with odd off-season behavior from stars like Josh Howard, an influx of new talent, and previously injured players ready to suit up – fans across the country are wondering how their teams will perform, and what kind of drama will unfold.  Our analysts and oddsmakers make it a priority to get them the answers they’re looking for, when they’re looking for it – as a result, they keep coming back.”

Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following odds and predictions on the upcoming NBA season:
(Please scroll all the way down to view all scenarios, including in-market team and player specifics)

MVP
Al Jefferson      28/1  
Allen Iverson      15/1  
Amare Stoudemire      10/1  
Brandon Roy      40/1  
Baron Davis      12/1  
Carmelo Anthony      10/1  
Carlos Boozer      10/1  
Chauncey Billups      25/1  
Chris Bosh      15/1  
Chris Paul      4/1  
David West      25/1  
Deron Williams      15/1  
Dirk Nowitzki      9/1  
Dwight Howard      15/2  
Dwyane Wade      10/1  
Elton Brand      20/1  
Jason Richardson      30/1  
Joe Johnson      30/1  
Josh Howard      45/1  
Kevin Durant      30/1  
Kevin Garnett      10/1  
Kevin Martin      30/1  
Kobe Bryant      5/2  
LeBron James      5/2  
Michael Redd      20/1  
Paul Pierce      15/1  
Richard Hamilton      40/1  
Shaquille ONeal      15/1  
Steve Nash      9/1  
Tim Duncan      15/2  
Tony Parker      16/1  
Tracy McGrady      12/1  
Vince Carter      25/1  
Yao Ming      10/1 

NBA Championship
Atlanta Hawks     80/1
Boston Celtics      3/1
Charlotte Bobcats      100/1
Chicago Bulls      25/1
Cleveland Cavaliers     16/1
Dallas Mavericks      22/1
Denver Nuggets      50/1
Detroit Pistons      10/1
Golden State Warriors      80/1
Houston Rockets      10/1
Indiana Pacers      125/1
Los Angeles Clippers      50/1
Los Angeles Lakers      13/4
Memphis Grizzlies      250/1
Miami Heat      40/1
Milwaukee Bucks      150/1
Minnesota Timberwolves      150/1
New Jersey Nets      100/1
New Orleans Hornets      10/1
New York Knicks      100/1
Orlando Magic      22/1
Philadelphia 76ers      30/1
Phoenix Suns      20/1
Portland Trail Blazers      30/1
Sacramento Kings      200/1
San Antonio Spurs     17/2
Oklahoma City      200/1
Toronto Raptors      40/1
Utah Jazz      12/1
Washington Wizards      40/1

Who will be the first NBA Coach fired this season?
Lawrence Frank    11/2
Reggie Theus       13/2
Mike Brown          6/1
Mike Woodson    7/1
Sam Mitchell         7/1
Randy Wittman    13/2
George Karl           9/1
Marc Iavaroni       8/1
PJ Carlesimo          12/1
Field                       5/1
 
Who will score the most points in a game during the 2008/09 season?
Kobe Bryant                5/4
Lebron James               3/1
Carmelo Anthony         8/1
Allen Iverson                9/1
Dwyane Wade             9/1
Kevin Martin                11/1
Josh Howard                13/1
Manu Ginobili               15/1
Field                             5/1
 
Most likely NY team to win Title:
Rangers            3/1
Knicks             20/1
Giants               1/3
 
How many 50+ point games will Kobe Bryant have?
Over    4         5/6
Under   4       5/6
(Last year he had 3 – In 2007 he had 10 and  in 2006 he had 6)
 
 How many different players will have 50+ point games this season?
Over    5          10/11
Under   5          10/13

Team with most losses (top 4)
Minnesota        2/1
NJ Nets           5/2
Memphis          4/1
OKC               5/1
NY Knicks       5/1
 
Team with most wins (top 4)
Celtics    2/1
Lakers    5/2
Hornets 4/1
Pistons   5/1
Spurs      11/2
 
What team will win the NBA lottery draft   
OKC               3/1
Memphis          5/1
Minnesota        4/1
NJ Nets           8/1
NY Knicks       10/1
Field                 2/1
 
Steve Nash average totals (Rebounds, Points, Assists)
18.1 Points
Over    5/6
Under  5/6
 
11.2 Assists
Over    5/6
Under  5/6
 
3.4 Rebounds
Over    5/6
Under  5/6
 
Player with most technical fouls
Rasheed Wallace          5/1
Carmelo Anthony         5/1
Kobe Bryant                11/2
Baron Davis                 7/1
Shaquille O’Neal          7/1
Chris Paul                     9/1
Ron Artest                    9/1
Brad Miller                   10/1
Kenyon Martin 12/1
Field                             12/1

Longest early season win streak (who and how many)
What team will start the season with the longest win streak?
Boston Celtics              3/1
San Antonio Spurs        4/1
Detroit Pistons              5/1
LA Lakers                    7/1
New Orleans Hornets   9/1
Portland Trailblazers     10/1
Dallas Mavericks          7/1
Field                             8/1
 
What will be the most wins by a team to start the season?
Over    7          5/6
Under   7         5/6

Coach of the year
Mo Cheeks            9/2
Rick Carlisle          5/1
Nate McMillan     11/2
Doc Rivers            6/1
Stan Van Gundy   13/2
Rick Adelman       7/1
Jerry Sloan            8/1
Phil Jackson          9/1
Field                       10/1
 
Odds on Oden’s stats averages for season
Average 14½ PPG        
Over       5/6
Under     5/6
 
Average 8½ RPG      
Over       5/6
Under     5/6
 
How many games does Oden play in this season?
Over    64               5/6          
Under   64              5/6          
 
NY Knicks Total Regular Season Wins
Over    30½            5/6          
Under   30½           5/6
 
Rookie of the year
Anthony Randolph      20/1  
Brandon Rush      15/1  
Brook Lopez      15/1  
Chris Douglas Roberts      25/1  
Darrell Arthur      30/1  
DeAndre Jordan      40/1  
Derrick Rose      7/2  
Danilo Gallinari      17/1  
DJ Augustin      12/1  
Donte Greene      24/1  
Eric Gordon      6/1  
Jerryd Bayless      10/1  
Joe Alexander      15/1  
Kosta Koufos      30/1  
Kevin Love      7/1  
Michael Beasley      3/2  
OJ Mayo      3/1  
Roy Hibbert      24/1  
Russell Westbrook      12/1  
Greg Oden      5/2  
 
Most likely scenario for Stephon Marbury
Traded                         1/3
Stays with Knicks         2/1

NHL Season Odds

The NHL has gotten off to a rip-roaring start to the season.  Great goals, winning streaks, and hard hits describe the season so far.  Additionally, after only four games,  Blackhawks coach Denis Savard was fired.  Acvtion like this has got fans buzzing and looking for answers.
With fan speculation heating up, the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com posted odds and predictions on all things NHL.  Fans are flooding the site for answers and taking their chances of picking with or against the most trusted analysts on the web.

Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following odds and predictions on the remaining NHL season:

Who will be the next NHL coach to be fired?
Barry Melrose              5/2
Alain Vigneault             7/2
Mike Keenan               5/1
Andy Murray                5/1
Randy Carlyle               6/1
Field                             4/1

Who will win the NHL Heart Trophy?
Alexander Ovechkin     3/1
Sidney Crosby             4/1
Henrick Zetterberg       12/1
Joe Thornton                13/1
Miikka Kiprusoff          13/1
Henrik Lundqvist          15/1
Jarome Iginla                15/1
Paul Stastny                  15/1
Nik Lidstrom                15/1
Eric Staal                      18/1
Vincent Lecavalier        18/1
Pavel Datsyuk              18/
Roberto Luongo           18/1
Andrei Markov             18/1
Dany Heatley                20/1
Ryan Getzlaf                 20/1

Who will win the NHL Calder Trophy?
Steven Stamkos            3/1
Kyle Turris                     4/1
Drew Doughty                5/1
Fabian Brunnstrom         6/1
Luke Schenn                 7/1
Viktor Tikhonov              8/1
Josh Bailey                   9/1
Mikkel Boedker              10/1
Field                             6/1

Stanley Cup Champs
Anaheim Ducks       16/1
Atlanta Thrashers          100/1
Boston Bruins       30/1
Buffalo Sabres          30/1
Calgary Flames          25/1
Carolina Hurricanes           30/1
Chicago Blackhawks           22/1
Colorado Avalanche         30/1
Columbus Blue Jackets            60/1
Dallas Stars      18/1
Detroit Red Wings           7/2
Edmonton Oilers         30/1
Florida Panthers      50/1
Los Angeles Kings         100/1
Minnesota Wild          25/1
Montreal Canadiens          9/1
Nashville Predators          50/1
New Jersey Devils          20/1
New York Islanders          100/1
New York Rangers            10/1
Ottawa Senators       20/1
Philadelphia Flyers          18/1
Phoenix Coyotes      40/1
Pittsburgh Penguins         7/1
San Jose Sharks      8/1
St Louis Blues          60/1
Tampa Bay Lightning          30/1
Toronto Maple Leafs            75/1
Vancouver Canucks           30/1
Washington Capitals     16/1
 


Odds on W


What will be the next landmark named after George W Bush?

Oil Field                                     3/1

Funeral Home                            10/1

Slaughterhouse                          30/1

Highway                                    12/1

Planet                                        25/1

Star                                           15/1

MLB  Stadium                            12/1

Iran                                            35/1

Iraq                                              15/1

Department of Infectious Disease  20/1

School                                         6/1

University                                     7/1

Airport                                         5/1

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