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08/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It was only less than a month ago the Detroit Tigers were in first place in the American League Central. They had won seven of their first nine games in the month of July and headed into the All-Star break with all kinds of momentum.
My, how things have changed.
Since that time, Detroit has gone an abysmal 5-17. No other team in the majors has a worse record over that span.
And it's not just how often they're losing, it's also the way the Tigers have lost games that has been especially gut-wrenching. Thursday's game against the Chicago White Sox was a perfect example. Detroit was on the verge of yet another loss, trailing by three With two outs in the ninth inning. Ryan Raburn stepped to the plate, his team's chances fading, and delivered a mammoth three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings. It wasn't until the 11th inning that things unraveled, when Chicago's Mark Kotsay, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth, delivered a two-run triple for the deciding 6-4 margin.
That setback dropped the Tigers a season-high nine games out of first place.
Sadly, Raburn's game-tying blast will fade into the background, as will his two defensive gems in the ninth and 11th innings. Instead, Tigers fans will remember that Raburn was the one who grounded out to end the game with runners on first and second, on a pitch that was out of the zone.
Indeed, the negatives far outweigh the positives these days in the Motor City. Last weekend's Boston Massacre didn't help, as the Tigers suffered two ninth- inning defeats. It also doesn't help that regulars Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen have been on the disabled list.
And while the rookies on the team have no doubt made a tremendous impact this season, they've also made some mistakes, which is to be expected. Austin Jackson reminded everyone Wednesday night that he is, in fact, still a rookie. Johnny Damon laced a single to right field, but the speedy Jackson didn't get to third. The very next batter, Miguel Cabrera, launched what should have been a sacrifice fly to center field.
A day earlier, rookie phenom Brennan Boesch got himself picked off at first base.
"(Manager Jim Leyland) is taking his time with us," Jackson said. "It's still a learning process here. But at the same time, we are put in a position where we have to step up and make plays."
Jackson brings about an interesting point. When Detroit entered the All-Star break a half-game out of first place, naturally it altered the expectations for a team that has thrust so many youngsters into action this season.
As Tigers fans are currently finding out, maybe it's time to reset those expectations a bit.
GUILLEN SHOWN THE DOOR IN KANSAS CITY
It's not often that a team designates its leading home run hitter and RBI producer for assignment.
But that's exactly what happened on Thursday to the Royals' Jose Guillen, who was designated for assignment despite leading Kansas City with 16 homers and 62 RBI. He was also second on the team in hits (170) and runs (46). Guillen, who is in the last year of a three-year, $36 million contract, was in a 1- for-28 slump over his last seven games.
The Royals have 10 days to trade or release the 34-year-old designated hitter. To his credit, Guillen took the news quite well.
"I don't know if I saw it coming this way, but it's all business," Guillen said. "It's going to work out well. It's going to work out for them because they're going to see some of these young guys. They need to see what they can do for the near future. And it's going to work because I (may) get to go a place where there's a playoff team, a team in the race and go from there."
Essentially, the move clears the way for Kila Ka'aihue to get more playing time. Ka'aihue was hitting .319 with 14 homers and 78 RBI for Triple-A Omaha, while also leading the Pacific Coast League in on-base percentage (.463) and walks (88). He burst onto the scene in 2008, when he hit .314 with 37 homers and 100 RBIs between Double-A and Triple-A.
Quite simply, the more he hit, the more difficult it became to keep him in the minors. Unfortunately for Guillen, that reality came at his expense.
NEW ADDITION JACKSON GIVES SOX' ROTATION A BOOST; DELGADO NEXT?
Few pitching coaches in baseball have more productive side sessions than Chicago's Don Cooper. Before the White Sox acquired starting pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline, Cooper had watched some video of the team's target.
While watching the video, Cooper identified a mechanical flaw, which he thought he'd be able to correct. Soon after Jackson joined his new team, Cooper worked with him on a side session. And on Wednesday, facing his former team, Jackson tossed seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six and walking only one batter. Jackson has struggled with issuing too many free passes this season, but so far he has bought into the importance of first- pitch strikes. And just as critical, he was able to identify when he would slip back into his old mechanical habits, and correct it.
"When a guy knows when he's doing something wrong, there's a chance to fix it," Cooper said. "You don't have to search and struggle all the time."
In other team news, the agent for 38-year-old Carlos Delgado, who has hit 473 career home runs but has not played since May of 2009, said the White Sox have expressed interest in his client. Agent David Sloane said Delgado is recovered from his hip injury and anticipates joining a team by next week.
"Carlos would like to play for a playoff-contending team while getting his at- bats and getting an opportunity to show what he can do for the future," Sloane told the Chicago Tribune.
At least one person in the White Sox organization was unaware of the news.
"Thank you for the surprise," said manager Ozzie Guillen, responding to a report by FOX Sports on Thursday. "I thought this guy was building houses in Puerto Rico."
AS ALWAYS, TWINS KEEPING CHASE IN AL CENTRAL
The 'piranhas,' as White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen calls the Minnesota Twins, are at it again.
The White Sox have won eight of their past 10 games to keep hold of their division lead. However, Minnesota has also won eight of its last 10 to stay within 1 1/2 games of Chicago. The Twins begin a three-game series in Cleveland Friday night. After that, they'll head to Chicago for a three-game set with the very team they're chasing. A week later, the Sox and Twins will meet up again in Minnesota.
The Twins are hopeful they'll have some injury concerns resolved very soon. MVP catcher Joe Mauer, still dealing with discomfort in his right shoulder, sat out consecutive games on Sunday and Monday, then was used as the designated hitter for the next three games against Tampa Bay.
"He's still not quite there," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I think probably this next series, he should be able to catch and start going out there. Just got to give it time. As I told him, I don't want it to be, 'It feels OK,' especially against a team like (Tampa Bay) that does run. I'd rather just give him the time and have him get well."
In addition, reliever Jon Rauch has been dealing with hand, foot and mouth disease, which has caused blisters on his hands. He left prior to Wednesday and Thursday's game to see a doctor. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a week. First baseman Justin Morneau (concussion) and second baseman Orlando Hudson (right oblique strain) are already on the disabled list. Meanwhile, center fielder Denard Span sat out Thursday's series finale, although Gardenhire said it was simply to give Span a rest.
BAD NEWS FOR TRIBE'S SUPER ROOKIE SANTANA
Of the waning reasons to follow the 2010 Cleveland Indians on a daily basis, perhaps the biggest one has learned that his season is, in fact, over. Rookie catcher Carlos Santana will have left knee surgery on Friday to repair his lateral collateral ligament, and he is looking at a four- to six-month recovery time.
The injury happened Monday night during a collision at home plate.
"After our information gathered, the prevailing opinion was that surgery was the most prudent for the short-term and long-term health," head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said on the team's Web site. "Any time that you are performing surgery on a catcher's knee, it is a serious procedure."
Any time you are performing surgery on the face of the organization's future, it is a serious procedure. As manager Manny Acta pointed out, the most notable setback is that Santana will lose two months of precious development at the big league level. In 46 games since being called up, he was hitting .260 with six homers and 22 RBI.
<< KC attempts to keep momentum going against RSL
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards will try to move
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The Goats put together one of their best efforts of the sea
<< Fire trade defender Ward to San Jose
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes acquired defender Tim
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Brewers place Gomez on DL with concussion >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers deemed Carlos Gomez's
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Illinois State adds transfer Harris to defensive front >>
Normal, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Illinois State head football coach Brock Spack
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Malisse ousts Berdych in D.C. >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belgian Xavier Malisse upended top-seeded
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Polynice transfers from Ole Miss to Seton Hall >>
South Orange, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall has announced that guard Eniel
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MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:
Saints +6 @ Colts -6
Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)
Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)
Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5
Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1
Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3
Patriots -5 @ Jets +5
Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5
Steelers -4 @ Browns +4
Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6
Bears +6 @ Chargers -6
Lions +3 @ Raiders -3
Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5
Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4
Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3
Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3
Super Bowl line (2008)
NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5
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Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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