09/04/2008 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Teixeira and Juan Rivera each drove in two runs, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pounded the Detroit Tigers, 7-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set from Comerica Park.
Gary Matthews Jr. finished 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored for the Angels, who have won five of their last seven games. Torii Hunter added a solo home run in the victory.
Ervin Santana (15-5) gave up one run on six hits in 7 1/3 innings to get the win. He also struck out eight and walked one.
Curtis Granderson homered for the Tigers, who have dropped eight of their last 11 contests.
It was another rough outing for Kenny Rogers (9-13), who lost for the seventh time in his last eight trips to the bump. The 43-year-old was tagged for six runs on eight hits in just two-plus innings of work. Aquilino Lopez and Nate Robertson combined to allow one run on six hits in seven innings of relief.
Rogers entered the game with a 15-inning scoreless streak against the Angels, but saw that quickly come to an end in the first inning. Matthews opened the game with a double and after Robb Quinlan lined out, Teixeira ripped an RBI double down the left-field line for an early 1-0 edge.
Los Angeles picked up another run in the second when Rivera punched a double to the gap in left-center, plating Hunter, who led off the frame with a single.
The Angels busted the game wide-open with a four-run surge in the third. Four straight hits by Sean Rodriguez, Matthews, Quinlan and Teixeira to start the inning scored two runs and chased Rogers from the mound. Lopez entered from the Tigers bullpen and Vladimir Guerrero continued the assault with a run-scoring single to center. One out later, Rivera smacked a single up the middle for a 6-0 Angels advantage.
Hunter and Granderson exchanged home runs in the eighth to round out the scoring.
Game Notes
Santana is 4-0 over his last seven starts. He also improved to 10-2 in 16 away starts this year...The Halos own the best road record in the majors at 42-26...Los Angeles pitcher Jered Weaver had his start on Friday pushed back to Monday after the right-hander sustained cuts on the middle and ring fingers of his pitching hand. The injury occurred when he gripped a bench in the visitors' dugout during Tuesday's 5-4 win. Dustin Moseley will make the start Friday in Weaver's place.
<< Angels' Weaver has start pushed back
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver had
his start on Friday pushed back to Monday after the right-hander sustained
cuts on the middle and ring fingers of his pitching hand.
The injury occurred whe
<< Champions Tour changes eligibility for 2009
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Champions Tour announced on
Thursday changes to eligibility rules starting in the 2009 season.
The top-five finishers at the 2008 National Qualifying Tournament, scheduled
for November 18
<< Newcastle coach Keegan quits
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Keegan has ended several days of
speculation over his future at Newcastle United by confirming his resignation
Thursday as the club's manager.
The 57-year-old had been locked in talks with the
<< Black, Paes capture U.S. Open mixed doubles title
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A fifth-seeded tandem of Zimbabwe's
Cara Black and Indian Leander Paes captured the mixed doubles title at the
2008 U.S. Open.
Black-Paes bested an unseeded pairing of American Liezel Huber and
Reds rally to down Bucs >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joey Votto hit the go-ahead RBI single in
Cincinnati's three-run eighth inning, as the Reds averted a sweep with an 8-6
win over the Pirates in the finale of a three-game set.
Votto also homered, and Jay
Phillies 3B coach Smith suspended for two games >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball suspended Philadelphia
Phillies third base coach Steve Smith for two games and fined him an
undisclosed amount on Thursday.
Smith was disciplined for his inappropriate actions
Crew's Schelotto earns MLS Player of Month for August >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros
Schelotto was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for August, it
was announced on Thursday.
Schelotto scored a goal while also recording six assists
Giants sign Burress to extension >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York and wide receiver Plaxico
Burress agreed on a two-year contract extension Thursday, hours before the
Giants begin defense of their title against the Washington Redskins.
Burress, who h
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting
Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.
New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.
His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.
HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.
The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.
RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.
First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.
The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.
These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.
New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.
You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff!
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting