 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Sub over Stud? Making the case for Joey VottoBaseball Betting Lines07/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Another MLB All-Star game and another year of not sending the most deserving players to the Midsummer Classic. Among the more glaring omissions this year is Canadian Joey Votto, the Cincinnati Reds' power-hitting first baseman. After being overlooked by National League managers and his peers, the Reds' slugger has one last attempt to make the NL team by way of the "Final Vote," an online fan ballot process with the winner set to be announced Thursday. But even that's no sure thing, as Votto is battling for the final roster spot between the likes of San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell, Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves closer Billy Wagner and Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. For Votto, it should have never come to this, not for the best player on a division-leading team. Votto's been the driving force behind Cincinnati's 48-36 start, leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (on- base plus slugging percentage), walks, home runs and RBIs. Despite a depth of talent at first base, Votto's steady bat is out performing most of the competition - which is quite impressive in itself. The Toronto native is tops among NL first basemen in average, homers, runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and OPS, and is tied for second in RBIs and stolen bases. Selecting Votto would send four first basemen to Anaheim, but given the designated hitter factor, managers have more flexibility than if the game was in an NL park. That's not to say Votto should take the spot of the other three sluggers patrolling the right corner of the infield, as All-Stars Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard are both among the league leaders in several offensive categories for their position, and the fans voted Albert Pujols into the starting lineup, an obvious choice, as the St. Louis slugger continues to put up his perennial MVP-type numbers. Therefore, the answer was not to replace Votto with any of the other players chosen at first, but instead to select him over Atlanta Braves super sub Omar Infante. Despite manager Charlie Manuel's insistence on having a utility man on the team, this decision is hard to reason regardless of any specific roster needs. Although the outcome of the game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, it wasn't enough to persuade Manuel to choose Votto, one of the young rising stars in the game. Infante is having a good season, but he's not your traditional all-star. He's batting .302 but has just one home run and 22 RBIs and continues to see sporadic playing time. Moreover, he has appeared in 58 of the Braves' 73 games and has logged just 169 at-bats, when most players are around the 300 mark. The case is stronger when you consider his lack of plate appearances make him ineligible for the league leaders in batting average. Meanwhile, Votto, the NL leader in home runs, is quietly flirting with the Triple Crown. To compliment his power, Votto's .318 average is tied for third- best in the league and his 59 RBIs leave him in a tie for fourth. The 26-year-old is coming off a June that was his best month of the season. He hit .314, with eight homers and 22 RBIs, reaching base in every game he played in June. He ran that streak of reaching base safely to 41 consecutive games, before having it snapped on Sunday. Votto did a good job of campaigning for himself on Monday night, too - going 3-for-4 with two home runs, and leading the Reds to an 8-6 victory over the New York Mets. The absence of Votto shows how skewed the selection process is, given it's now contingent on the fans. Come the end of the year, the real debate is likely to be whether Votto is the NL MVP or not.
<< Red Wings sign Miller
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Drew Miller to a one-year contract on Tuesday. Miller, whose brother Ryan is a goaltender with Buffalo, began last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning but was cl
<< Furcal takes home NL weekly honors
<< The brain dictates at Wimbledon
<< Six weeks and counting
<< Lightning sign Lundin, Purcell
Legends Classic matchups set >>
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Legends Classic has announced its lineup for the upcoming season, with Syracuse, Michigan, Georgia Tech and UTEP each hosting a pair of regional round games in late November. The early season tournam
Orioles welcome back Pie; shelve struggling Millwood >>
Pistons sign first-round pick Monroe >>
No charges filed in shooting at Vick party >>
Querrey, Fish, Mahut move on in Newport >>
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details. According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800). Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund. ''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.'' Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby. ''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.'' Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year. ”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?'' For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super BowlThe AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East. Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around. The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. |
|
