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09/09/2007 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Maddux pitched six innings of one-run ball as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies, 3-1, in the second of a three-game set at Coors Field.
Maddux (12-9) gave up just three hits with three strikeouts and has now gone 54 1/3 innings without a walk. He has faced 212 batters since his last free pass, which occurred in the second inning against the Astros on July 28.
Khalil Greene went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in a run for the Padres, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
San Diego now sits 1 1/2 games behind Arizona, which is currently playing St. Louis, for first place in the NL West. Also, San Diego holds a 2 1/2 games lead over the Dodgers for the wild card spot.
Garrett Atkins went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Jeff Francis (15-7) was the hard-luck loser as he gave up just two runs on four hits in eight innings of work for the Rockies, who had won four of five coming into the game.
Colorado dropped to 3 1/2 games out of the wild card lead.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the second. Adrian Gonzalez led off with a walk and Greene followed with a ground-rule double. Kouzmanoff then singled to bring home Gonzalez and Josh Bard hit into a double play to score Greene.
Colorado got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Todd Helton led off with a double and Atkins chased him home with a single to right to make it a 2-1 game.
However, the Rockies offense grounded to a halt after the second. Maddux allowed just one more hit, an infield single to Atkins in the fourth and then retired the final seven batters before hitting the bench.
Doug Brocail got the first two outs of the seventh before giving up a walk to Brad Hawpe. Heath Bell then took the mound and got Troy Tulowitzki to ground out to end the inning.
Colorado did threaten in the eighth as the team had runners at first and third with two outs, but Matt Holliday struck out to end the inning.
Greene gave the Padres some insurance in the ninth as he singled home Mike Cameron to give his team a 3-1 lead.
Trevor Hoffman retired the Rockies in order in the ninth to pick up his 37th save of the season. In the inning, he struck out Helton to start the frame, which was strikeout No. 1,000 on his career.
Game Notes
Maddux's longest streak of innings without a walk was when he set an NL record in 2001 as he went 72 1/3 innings without issuing a free pass...Gonzalez has an 11-game hitting streak...Attendance was 30,429.
<< Zambrano, Soriano lead Cubs past Pirates
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Zambrano tossed a two-hitter over
six-plus solid innings, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates,
5-1, in the middle portion of a three-game series at PNC Park.
Zambrano, who had l
<< Weeks lifts Brewers over Reds
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Weeks' triple in the ninth scored
the go-ahead run and the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3, in
the middle portion of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Craig Couns
<< Young and Upton homer in ninth as Rays top Jays
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Delmon Young and pinch-hitter B.J. Upton
both lofted two-run homers off Blue Jays closer Jeremy Accardo in the ninth
inning to give the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 5-4 victory over Toronto at
Tropica
<< Polanco helps Tigers overcome Mariners
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Placido Polanco went 3-for-4 with two runs
scored and four RBI to lead the Detroit Tigers past the Seattle Mariners,
12-6, at Comerica Park.
Brandon Inge belted a two-run homer for the Tigers, who hav
Moore powers O's past Red Sox >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Moore's grand slam powered a seven-run
third inning, as the Baltimore Orioles routed the Boston Red Sox, 11-5, in the
third of a four-game set.
Baltimore finally ended its 11-game losing streak at home,
Crew's playoff chances singed by Fire >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Crew's 2007 Major League Soccer
playoff hopes suffered a damaging blow with a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Fire in
the pouring rain on Saturday at home.
Not only do the Fire (8-10-5) pass the Crew
UCLA holds off BYU >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tom Blake jumped on a key fourth-quarter
fumble by Max Hall, and 13th-ranked UCLA held off a pesky BYU squad, 27-17, at
the Rose Bowl.
Bruins quarterback Ben Olson had a shaky outing, completing jus
D'Backs Hudson to undergo thumb surgery >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona Diamondbacks slick-fielding second
baseman Orlando Hudson will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn
ligament in his left thumb.
Hudson suffered the injury sliding head first into
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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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