07/04/2009 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Everth Cabrera went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, as the San Diego Padres used late rallies to down Los Angeles, 7-4, in the middle installment of a three-game series.
Cabrera, David Eckstein and Adrian Gonzalez -- the Padres' top three hitters -- combined to go 6-for-14 with six runs batted in, helping San Diego snap a three-game losing streak.
Padres starter Josh Geer allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings, while Greg Burke (1-0) took the win after getting the final two outs of the seventh. San Diego scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to take the victory.
Manny Ramirez hit his first home run since returning from his 50-game suspension Friday, when he went 0-for-3 with a walk. The solo shot was the 534th of his career, tying him with Jimmie Foxx for 16th on the career list, but it wasn't enough to help the Dodgers win for the third consecutive game.
After LA starter Randy Wolf gave up one run in six innings, in which he struck out eight, Ronald Belisario (1-3) gave up three runs in the seventh while recording one out. Ramon Troncoso allowed three more runs -- all unearned -- after replacing Belisario.
In a 1-1 game, the Dodgers took the lead in the top of the seventh when Casey Blake scored on Burke's wild pitch.
But the Padres went in front in the home half, which Eliezer Alfonzo began with a walk. Tony Gwynn, Jr. singled to put runners at the corners before Belisario hit Kyle Blanks. Cabrera then smacked a two-run single to right, and Eckstein bunted into a fielder's choice. Gonzalez singled home Cabrera to make it a 4-2 game and chase Belisario. Troncoso came in and got out of the jam.
The Dodgers got a run back in the eighth on Andre Ethier's run-scoring groundout, but San Diego again scored three in the home half. After Alfonzo singled with one away, Gwynn reached on an error by second baseman Juan Castro.
Heath Bell bunted the runners over for Cabrera, whose infield single plated Alfonzo. Gwynn scored on Blake's throwing error, and Cabrera went to third, then scored on Eckstein's single to make it 7-3.
Matt Kemp's RBI single off Bell in the ninth got the Dodgers within three, but the Padres closer kept LA off the scoreboard from there to notch his 23rd save. Bell tossed the final 1 2/3 innings for San Diego.
Ramirez's homer to left in the first inning made it a 1-0 game until Eckstein's RBI single in the third tied the contest.
Game Notes
Alfonzo replaced starting Padres catcher Henry Blanco, who left the game after two innings with a leg injury...The Padres were 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while LA was 1-for-7.
<< Williams sisters take doubles title at Wimbledon
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The dominating Williams sisters,
Serena and Venus, won the doubles final on Saturday at Wimbledon, just hours
after the sisters faced each other in the single's final.
Serena and Venus needed
<< Moyer, bullpen help Phils take down Mets
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer pitched into the seventh
inning and the Philadelphia bullpen did the rest, helping the Phillies upend
the Mets 4-1 in the second of a three-game series between the NL East rivals.
Moyer
<< Lincecum again dominant; Giants continue to pound Astros pitching
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum fired seven innings of
three-hit shutout ball, and the Giants bats produced a second straight solid
effort in a 9-0 win against the Astros.
Lincecum (9-2), fresh off being named the
<< Angels bring back Kendrick; option Rodriguez
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Angels have recalled infielder Howie
Kendrick from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned infielder Sean Rodriguez back to
the club's top affiliate.
The move reverses a transaction originally made on Jun
Marlins get by Pirates >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Emilio Bonifacio went 3-for-4 with two runs
scored to help the Florida Marlins take a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the second game of a three-game set.
Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a two-run
Valbuena and Francisco help Indians past A's >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luis Valbuena and Ben Francisco each went 3-
for-3, with Valbuena knocking in a run and scoring twice and Francisco adding
a two-run homer in Cleveland's 5-2 win over Oakland.
Carl Pavano (7-7) evened his
Blue Jays place P Richmond on DL >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays placed pitcher Scott
Richmond on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 1, with a sore
shoulder.
Richmond is 6-5 with a 3.69 earned-run average in 16 games, 13 starts,
Wang leaves game; likely to go on DL >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang left
Saturday's 6-5, 12-inning victory against the Toronto Blue Jays with a
shoulder injury, and an MRI after the game indicated he may be headed to the
disable
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 sportsbook 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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