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NL East: With playoffs in sight, Braves make a switch at shortBaseball Betting Lines07/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It appears as though the Atlanta Braves got tired of waiting for Yunel Escobar. The Braves dealt the 27-year-old shortstop to the Blue Jays on Wednesday in a five-player trade that sent 33-year-old Alex Gonzalez to the Braves. Atlanta also shipped 25-year-old pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes to Toronto for the shortstop while getting back a pair of minor league players in the deal as well. Escobar was a second-round pick of the Braves in 2005 and showed flashes of being a solid player for Atlanta. He hit .299 last season with 14 homers and 76 RBI, but was batting only .238 in 2010 with 19 RBI and zero home runs this year before the trade and has before taken heat due to his inability to mature and grow on the field. Escobar has at times looked lazy on defense and was prone to making mental mistakes. Currently the owners of first place in the National League East, the Braves decided to part ways with a young talent in exchange for a veteran presence at short in Gonzalez as they look to make a playoff run in manager Bobby Cox's final season before retirement. "We have been looking at ways to strengthen our club offensively and Alex Gonzalez is a proven veteran player who gives us added power," said Braves general manager Frank Wren. "He is a winner and a solid offensive presence in the lineup as well as a quality defensive shortstop." A member of the 2003 Florida Marlins championship club, Gonzalez was hitting .259 this year with 17 home runs and 50 RBI with the Blue Jays. His trade to the Braves marks his fifth different team since making his debut in 1998. The right-handed hitter has also played with the Marlins, Red Sox and Reds in addition to the Blue Jays. Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in his Atlanta debut on Thursday, a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. MARLINS: RAMIREZ, JOHNSON SHINE AT ALL-STAR GAME They may have some ground to make up if they want to compete for a playoff spot, but that didn't stop some of the Florida Marlins from making a name for themselves at this past week's All-Star Game. The Marlins have a pair of representatives in Anaheim in shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Josh Johnson. Ramirez was voted in to start at short for the Mid-Summer classic, but his biggest impact came at Monday's Home Run Derby. Ramirez had 13 homers at the break, but belted a total of 26 during the event. The 26-year-old made it to the finals, but hit just five in the final round to finish second behind Boston's David Ortiz. "The most important thing tonight is that we were all rooting for each other," Ramirez told MLB.com. "Nobody was rooting for himself. We had fun." It was then Johnson's turn to shine during Tuesday's game. Though given serious consideration to start, Johnson entered the game in the third inning after Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez threw the first two frames. The right-handed Johnson didn't allow a hit in his two innings of work, striking out two while throwing 18 of his 29 pitches for strikes. Considered a contender for this year's NL Cy Young Award, Johnson went 9-3 in the first half and led the majors with a 1.70 earned run average while striking out 123 batters over 122 innings. NATIONALS: CLOSER HELPS CAP NL ALL-STAR VICTORY The rule in major league baseball has always been that every team must be represented at the annual All-Star Game. That means even last-place clubs that are 11 games under .500 at the break get represented at the Mid-Summer Classic, which is why Nationals closer Matt Capps found himself among baseball's elite in Anaheim this week. Capps earned the All-Star nod over teammates Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn, who both could have made a case to serve as Washington's representative, but don't think Capps wasn't worthy either. The 26-year-old is tied for third in the NL with 23 saves and is just four shy of matching the 27 he posted last season with Pittsburgh. In his first year with the Nationals, Capps is 3-3 with a 3.18 earned run average in 41 games. He has also been charged with four blown saves, but was credited with the win in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the American League. The right-hander faced just one batter, but struck out Boston's David Ortiz to end the sixth inning with a runner on first base. "It feels pretty good," Capps told MLB.com after the game. "I just came in to face one hitter. The guys did a great job of putting some runs up later. ... It worked out well, I'm very pleased with it, excited about it." There was some rumblings out there, mostly by the media, that starter Stephen Strasburg should have been named to the All-Star roster. While the soon-to-be 22-year-old has lived up to his epic hype so far, going 3-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings, the bottom line is that the phenom has made just seven major league starts. His time to run with the All-Stars will come soon enough. PHILLIES: HOWARD GETTING HOT While the Philadelphia Phillies' offense continues to run warm and cool, All- Star first baseman Ryan Howard is doing his best to stay at one temperature: hot. Howard hit a pair of two-run homers in Thursday's loss to the Chicago Cubs, giving him a National League-leading 69 runs batted in heading into play on Friday as well as 19 homers and a .298 batting average. The left-handed slugger is on pace for his highest season average since a .313 clip during his 2006 MVP season. The 30-year-old has driven in 14 runs over his last 10 games, belting four homers in that span. Howard could use some help though. While the Phillies continue to play without second baseman Chase Utley (right thumb) and third baseman Placido Polanco (left elbow), outfielder Shane Victorino is hitting just .252 while shortstop Jimmy Rollins has a current average of .248. Polanco, who was hitting .318 before going on the disabled list, could return before the end of this weekend. "He might be," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Philadelphia's website on Thursday. "We'll see. He might join us in a couple days -- hopefully will. We'll see how it goes." METS: BELTRAN RETURNS The New York Mets know they need a little something extra if they are to catch the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Enter Carlos Beltran. The 33-year-old returned to center field on Thursday versus the Giants, his first major league game this season. Offseason knee surgery caused Beltran to miss all of spring training and the first half of this season. Beltran didn't have it easy in his return as he faced two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who threw a six-hit shutout versus the Mets. Beltran went 1-for-4 in the 2-0 loss and was also thrown out trying to steal second. "I thought he had some good at-bats, for the first time facing a major league pitcher of that stature," said Mets manager Jerry Manuel. A five-time All-Star, Beltran was limited to just 81 games last year due to injury, but hit .325 with 10 homers with 48 RBI. In 161 games in 2008, he batted .284 with 27 homers and 112 RBI. A healthy Beltran should take some pressure off teammates David Wright and rookie Ike Davis. Beltran hit between the two on Thursday, with Davis shifting down to the fifth spot, while Jason Bay hit sixth.
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Online Sportsbook Football BettingThe NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason. New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall). The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo. Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years. Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason. Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes. The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher. Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer. The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick. Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards. However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed). The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense. Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style. In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record. Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme. Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack. MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction. MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence Work left to do: Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8. Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday. DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ... West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule. Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games. For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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