09/05/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers do their best to lose the NL West, a third team has entered the fray in by far the league's worst division.
That's right, the Colorado Rockies are right back in the mix and with nine of their 21 games remaining against the division's top two teams, who says they can't steal this thing once it is all said and done?
As I write this, the D'Backs hold a one-game edge on the Dodgers in the West with a critical three-game set between the two of them slated to get underway at Chavez Ravine. Colorado, meanwhile, finds itself six back thanks to wins in 12 of its last 18 games.
Of course, the Rockies were 6 1/2 games back in the division last year when they went on one of the most amazing runs in the history of sports, winning 12 their final 13 regular season games before winning the first eight games of the postseason on their way to an NL pennant.
Besides the nine aforementioned games with Arizona and LA, Colorado's other 12 contests come against Houston, Atlanta, San Diego and San Francisco - the latter three teams being under .500.
Then again, despite the Rockies' recent success they are still nine games below the break-even mark at 66-75.
This weekend could go a long way in determining the team's success. The Rockies host the Astros, who have climbed back in the playoff mix themselves courtesy of an eight-game winning streak.
If Colorado comes out of this weekend's set relatively unscathed, things could get real interesting out West.
What has gotten the Rockies back into contention, if you want to call it that?
Well, two things, in my opinion.
One, the emergence of 24-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez as a legitimate front-of-the- line starter. During a seven-start stretch from July 2 through August 1, Jimenez went 6-1 with a 1.49 earned run average. He has cooled off considerably since - winning just one his four decisions - but I would trust him in a big spot.
And secondly, the fact that Troy Tulowitzki, one of the driving forces behind last season's late run, has come to life. After hitting a mere .166 as late as July, Tulowitzki has been on fire since returning from the disabled list on July 21, batting .327 to raise his season average to a still-paltry .245.
I don't know how it is all going to shake out in the West. I guess somebody has to win it. Why can't it be the Rockies?
If you look at the three teams, Arizona, with that pitching, should be running away with this. Brandon Webb, though, hasn't been the same pitcher since taking a line drive off his chest three starts ago. If he doesn't right himself, things could get ugly for them in a hurry.
Is history going to repeat itself? Probably not, but then again, I won't be surprised either if that final weekend series in Arizona between the D'Backs and Rockies is more than just a playoff tune-up for Bob Melvin's crew.
How's that for taking a stance?
PHILS-METS BATTLE FOR NL EAST SUPREMACY
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks are not the only teams battling for first place this weekend, as the NL East-leading New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies for three games in the final matchup of the season between these division rivals.
New York, which enters the series with a three-game lead in the division, will be throwing Mike Pelfrey, Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana. Philadelphia, meanwhile, counters with its top three pitchers in Brett Myers, the ageless Jamie Moyer and Cole Hamels.
Sunday's finale (should it still play out this way with Tropical Storm Hannah looming) has all the makings of a thriller with Santana and Hamels facing off on national television.
However, with heavy rain in the forecast for Flushing on Saturday, it looks as if we could be seeing a day/night doubleheader to close the series.
Hopefully, the pitching matchups will stay the same, though, and the aces go in the finale.
HOME SWEET HOME FOR MINNESOTA
The Minnesota Twins return home this weekend after wrapping up their 14-game road trip - the team's longest since a 15-game trek in 1969 - at 5-9. Luckily, though, they only lost a half-game in the standings to the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, whom they trail by 1 1/2 games.
Minnesota is now home for the next six games before hitting the road again for 10 contests.
If the Twins are going to reach the postseason, their stretch from September 19-25 will likely be the reason why or why not. Minnesota will visit the Tampa Bay Rays for four games before closing the seven game run with three games at the Metrodome against the White Sox.
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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.
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