Mets wrap up disastrous road trip at Chavez Ravine

Baseball Betting Lines

07/25/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.A. Dickey targets his first win in six starts this afternoon when the New York Mets wrap up what has been a disastrous road trip with the finale of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The Mets have managed just two wins thus far on their season-high 11-game West Coast swing and are 3-11 in their last 14 overall to fall into third place in the National League East 7 1/2-games off the pace of the first place Atlanta Braves.

Offensively the Mets have been abysmal, hitting just .194 on the trek with 23 runs, while being shut out three times.

New York lost in dramatic fashion on Saturday, as James Loney hit the game- winning home run in the bottom of the 13th to lift Los Angeles to a 3-2 win.

George Sherrill (1-1) tossed a scoreless top half of the frame to earn the win for the Dodgers, who used nine pitchers to win for a third time in their last four tries.

Oliver Perez (0-4), who worked out of a jam in the 12th, suffered the loss after yielding the decisive run in one inning of work

Matt Kemp flied out to open the 13th before Loney blasted a 1-0 offering over the wall in right-center field for his seventh long ball of the year.

"It felt pretty good when I hit it," said Loney about his game-winner. "I said to myself if that doesn't go out, something's wrong. If you're going to play a long game like that, it always feels good when you win."

After becoming the first starter in team history to win his first six decisions, Dickey has lost his last four. He lost his third straight start on Tuesday in Arizona, surrendering three runs and seven hits in seven innings to fall to 6-4 on the year, while raising his earned run average to a still respectable 2.73.

This will be his first start against the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will counter with 22-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who is 9-5 with a 3.15 ERA. Kershaw did not get a decision on Tuesday against San Francisco, as he allowed four runs (two earned) and four hits in six innings before being ejected in his team's wild 7-5 loss.

Kershaw has faced the Mets twice and is 1-09 with a 3.72 ERA in those starts.

The Mets have lost 11 of 16 games in Hollywood since the 2007 season, but have won four of six from the Dodgers this season.

Jbscasino Baseball Betting News

<< Shin denies Pressel, Thompson at Evian Masters
Evian-les-Bains, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin birdied the 18th hole Sunday to earn a one-shot victory at the Evian Masters, her seventh win on the LPGA Tour. Shin made five birdies for a five-under 67, fi

<< Hunter tries to stay perfect, as Rangers finish set with Halos
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Hunter will try to remain flawless on the season when he takes the hill for the Texas Rangers this evening in the finale of a four- game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

<< A's, White Sox close set at Coliseum
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Ben Sheets hitting the disabled list Dallas Braden will head to the hill for Oakland, as the Athletics battle the Chicago White Sox this afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at the Coliseum. Sheets, who was su

<< Red Sox send Dice-K to hill in finale with Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -The finale of a four-game series will take place this afternoon at Safeco Field when the Seattle Mariners take on the Boston Red Sox. Heading to the mound this afternoon for Boston will be Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is looking

<< Carpenter, Cards try to avoid three-game sweep at Wrigley
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Carpenter goes after win No. 12 this evening when the St. Louis Cardinals try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Carpenter won his second straight start on Tuesday agains

Giants, Lincecum go for sweep in Arizona >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum tries to bounce back from a shaky effort his last time out when the San Francisco Giants close out a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Lincecum escaped without getting a decision o

Detwiler makes season debut in finale with Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Ross Detwiler makes his season debut today when the Washington Nationals try to avoid a sweep in the finale of a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. On Saturday, Ryan Braun drove in Rickie We

Reds, Leake hope to pad lead in NL Central in finale with Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Leake can finish off a series sweep and keep the Cincinnati Reds in first place this afternoon when they close out a three- game set with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The Reds lead the National Leag

Orioles activate C Wieters >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles activated catcher Matt Wieters from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. The 24-year-old backstop was put on the DL on July 10 with a right hamstring strain. Over 77 games this season,

Gaunt rallies for Challenge Tour victory >>
Essex, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daniel Gaunt closed with a four-under 68 Sunday to come from behind and win the English Challenge. Gaunt finished at 17-under-par 271 for his first European Challenge Tour victory. It was amat

Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

The 2008 NFL betting lines season is almost upon us! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join sportbook today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .