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04/23/2009 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chad Billingsley tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a three-game sweep by edging the Houston Astros, 2-0, in the finale of a three-game series a Minute Maid Park.
Manny Ramirez went 2-for-4 with an run batted in, while Casey Blake knocked in the other run with an RBI double. The Dodgers, who despite losing two-of-three in the series, have won nine of 11 overall. Orlando Hudson had a pair of hits, including a double in the win.
Billingsley (4-0) was sensational in becoming the first four-game winner in Major League Baseball this season. The right-hander allowed only three hits and two walks, while striking out five. Jonathan Broxton registered his fifth save of the campaign, working 1 2/3 innings.
Miguel Tejada finished 2-for-4 for Houston, which was limited to four hits. The Astros have split their last six contests.
Wandy Rodriguez (1-2) was the hard-luck loser after pitching six solid frames. The lefty surrendered a run on five hits, with a pair of walks and struck out four.
The Dodgers put a run on the board in the first. Rafael Furcal led off the ballgame with a walk and Hudson followed with a single, putting runners on first and second. Ramirez then grounded a run-scoring base hit up the middle. The next three hitters were retired and it remained a 1-0 game.
Houston threatened in the six. Pinch-hitter Jason Michaels was hit by a pitch to start the inning and took second on a Kaz Matsui sacrifice bunt. Tejada reached on Furcal's error, but Lance Berkman grounded into a 4-6-3 double-play to end the inning.
In the seventh, Matt Kemp singled and came around to score when Blake ripped a double to right-center field to put the Dodgers up by a 2-0 margin.
Michael Bourn led off the home half of the eighth with a one-out infield single off Billingsley, which would mark the end for the Los Angeles starter. Broxton was brought in from the bullpen and Bourn stole second with pinch- hitter Hunter Pence at the plate, but Pence lined out to short for the second out. The runner was stranded when Matsui grounded out to third.
In the bottom of the ninth, with Broxton still on the mound, Tejada lined a single to right to lead off the inning, but the big right-hander settled down to strikeout Berkman and Carlos Lee, before hitting Geoff Blum with a pitch.
With runners on first and second, a wild pitch moved each up a base, but Broxton got Darin Erstad to bounce out to first to end the game.
Game Notes
Houston will resume its 10-game homestand against Milwaukee on Friday, while the Dodgers continue their nine-game road trip at Colorado...Houston took four of seven from the Dodgers last season, but LA won the final three meetings.
<< Nowitzki leads Mavericks to Game 3 win over Spurs
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dirk Nowitzki's 20 points and seven rebounds
led a balanced Dallas attack, as the Mavericks stymied the San Antonio Spurs
into a stunning display of futility, embarrassing the Southwest Division
champio
<< Speirs, Hawley share lead in Mexico
Mazatlan, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Speirs and Scott Hawley carded
matching rounds of five-under 67 Thursday to share the lead after one round of
the Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA.
The duo tops a crowded leaderboard that has 29 pla
<< Wizards move to top of Eastern table with win over Red Bulls
Kansas City, KA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards got an early goal
from Claudio Lopez and hung on to defeat the New York Red Bulls, 1-0, at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Thursday night in Major League Soccer action.
Red Bul
<< Ochoa leads Wie by one in Mexico
Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending champion Lorena Ochoa
fired an eight-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the
Corona Championship.
Ochoa has finished no worse than tied for second at this eve
Palmer records first MLB win as Angels down Tigers >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Palmer picked up his first major-league
win, as the Angels recorded 14 hits in a 10-5 drubbing of the Tigers in the
rubber match of a three-game set.
Palmer (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A
Williams, Boozer help Jazz beat Lakers in Game 3 >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deron Williams hit the winning fadeaway
jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining, and the Utah Jazz got a powerful
performance from Carlos Boozer in an 88-86 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in
Game 3
Derksen grabs two-shot lead in Korea >>
Jeju Island, South Korea (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robert-Jan Derksen shot a three-
under 69 on Friday to take the second-round lead at the Ballantine's
Championship.
Derksen, coming off three consecutive missed cuts, stands at nine-
Inter confirms Adriano's exit >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Inter Milan confirmed Friday that Brazilian
striker Adriano has left the club by mutual consent.
Adriano has had an incident-packed eight years with Inter but clashed with boss
Jose Mourinho several time
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
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BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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