07/04/2008 - (Baseball Betting) - The Tampa Bay Rays will try to run their winning streak to five games this evening, when they begin a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field.
The Rays' current winning run includes a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, which pushed Tampa Bay's lead in the American League East to three games after Thursday's off day. The Rays completed their sweep with a 7-6 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rays are the first team other than the Yankees or the Red Sox to lead the AL East in July or later since 2000, when the Blue Jays held the top spot through games of July 6 before finishing third.
Jason Bartlett's two-run single capped a six-run seventh inning to help the Rays rally, while Evan Longoria was 3-for-4 and knocked in three runs. Carl Crawford went 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, while Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Pena also drove in a run for Tampa Bay, which owns the best record in baseball at 52-32.
Bartlett, though, landed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday due to a right knee sprain suffered in the game. The 28-year-old is batting .256 with 20 RBI and 18 steals in 77 games this season, his first with the Rays.
Tampa will try to keep things going with Edwin Jackson on the hill. Jackson has posted two straight no-decisions since a loss to Florida on June 15 in which he allowed six runs. He faced the Pirates on Saturday and gave up three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Jackson is 4-6 with a 4.33 earned run average on the season. The right-hander is also 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA in two career tests versus the Royals. That includes one start, which came on June 2 of last year. Jackson was rocked for six runs on six hits over 3 1/3 frames in that one.
The Royals counter with Brian Bannister, who suffered his first loss since May 22 last time out. He faced the Cardinals on Sunday and gave up seven runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Bannister had given up a total of six runs over his previous three starts, going 2-0 in that span and lasting seven innings in each of those outings.
The 27-year-old is 7-7 with a 4.88 ERA on the season and defeated the Rays in his only other career start against them. On June 1 of last season, Bannister gave up just one run on two hits over eight innings against Tampa, while striking out six.
The Royals just split a four-game series with Baltimore, plating seven runs in the sixth inning of Thursday's finale to turn a four-run deficit into a 10-7 victory.
Mark Grudzielanek had four hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Royals, while Jose Guillen added three RBI with a run scored on two hits. Billy Butler and Tony Pena Jr. each added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored in the win.
Royals outfielder David DeJesus went 1-for-5 to run his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 15 games. He is hitting .403 (25-for-62) with 16 RBI in that time.
Joel Peralta (1-2), Ron Mahay and Joakim Soria, who recorded his 23rd save of the season, combined to toss six scoreless innings in relief in Thursday's win.
Joey Gathright was held out of action for Kansas City last night after pulling his shoulder out of place while attempting an over-the-fence catch on Wednesday. Catcher John Buck, who took a foul tip to the groin Wednesday, also rested.
The Royals and Rays are meeting for the first time this season after Kansas City won four of seven last year. The clubs split four games in Tampa in 2007.
<< Mets, Phillies to renew rivalry with key weekend set
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fireworks are sure to fly in South Philadelphia tonight, as
the Phillies and New York Mets renew their National League East rivalry with
the opener of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies and Mets ba
<< Serena, Venus prepare for Saturday's all-sister Wimbledon final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the third time in seven years
the mighty Williams sisters -- Serena and Venus -- will square off in an all-
American, all-sister final on the Wimbledon grass.
The sixth-seeded former world
<< Williams sisters reach Wimbledon doubles final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The mighty Williams sisters -- Venus
and Serena -- will play for the women's doubles championship Saturday at
Wimbledon. The American sisters, of course, will also decide the singles
victor
<< Jagr to play in Russia
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Russian hockey team Avangard Omsk
announced it has signed former New York Rangers star Jaromir Jagr on Friday.
The team confirmed the deal on its Web site, but did not disclose
financ
Red Sox send Beckett to hill in holiday matinee with Yankees >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For an offense that hasn't produced many fireworks lately,
a matchup with Josh Beckett might be the last thing the New York Yankees want
to see right now. The Boston Red Sox ace will attempt to pitch his team to a
second stra
Buehrle, White Sox host Athletics and Blanton >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two pitchers who have delivered vastly different results
over the last month go head-to-head when the Chicago White Sox and Oakland
Athletics resume a four-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
Mark Buehrle is slated
Federer reaches sixth Wimbledon final >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Roger Federer, seeking a
sixth straight title here, was an easy semifinal winner Friday at Wimbledon.
The reigning five-time champion from Switzerland extended his Wimbledon
winning streak
Red-hot Twins hope to keep rolling versus Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins hope to keep their recent hot streak
going tonight, when the resurgent club begins a three-game home series against
a Cleveland Indians squad desperate to end a five-game slide.
Minnesota has amassed an
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
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