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07/22/2007 - Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run home run as part of an eight-run eighth inning as the Florida Marlins crushed the Cincinnati Reds, 11-1, in the third of a four-game set at Dolphin Stadium.
The big news for Florida, though, was off the field as pitcher Scott Olsen was reportedly arrested Saturday morning after he did not pull over his car during a traffic stop.
According to the Miami Herald, Olsen was charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest with violence and fleeing and eluding a police officer.
The incident occurred after the 23-year-old Olsen returned to Florida's rotation after serving a two-game suspension by the team for insubordination.
The newspaper also reported that Olsen was clocked for speeding and would not pull over his car. After he finally did stop the car at his home in Aventura, the Herald reported that he fought with officers and would not take a breathalyzer test.
Jason Wood went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored and Matt Treanor also went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI for the Marlins, who have won their last two after dropping their previous two.
Byung-Hyun Kim (5-5) got the win as he gave up just one run on five hits in seven innings of work.
Edwin Encarnacion drove in the lone run while Bobby Livingston (2-1) was tagged with his first career loss for giving up three runs on eight hits in six-plus innings of work for the Reds, who have dropped their past two after a season-high four-game winning streak.
Florida took the lead in the seventh as Wood led off by roping a changeup into the left field stands and Treanor followed with a shot to almost the same exact spot for a 3-1 lead.
The Marlins blew the game wide open in the eighth inning with an eight spot. Jason Willingham got the run parade started with a double that scored Miguel Cabrera. Later with the bases loaded, Wood hit a two-run single and Treanor followed with a single to left that score Todd Linden. Mike Jacobs then punched a single to right to score Wood and Ramirez followed with a three-run home run into the left field stands for an 11-1 lead.
The Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth as Adam Dunn led off with a double and a batter later was chased home on an Encarnacion single.
The Marlins got the run right back, though, as in the bottom of the frame a Ramirez single allowed Wood, who led off with a single, to cross the plate and tie the game.
Game Notes
Florida has outscored Cincinnati, 21-3, in the past two games...Before the game, the Reds transferred shortstop Alex Gonzalez from the bereavement list to the restricted list...Florida has home runs in eight of its last nine games with 19 home runs in that span...It was the third time this season that the Marlins had back-to-back home runs...Cabrera, who finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored, has an 11-game hitting streak...Attendance was 21,823.
<< Herron takes lead at U.S. Bank Championship
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While Tim Herron plays for his fifth PGA Tour
win on Sunday, he'll be chased by two players looking to finally claim their
first.
Herron took a one-shot lead over Tim Clark and Joe Ogilvie after shooting
<< Red Sox rout Chicago for second straight day
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kason Gabbard tossed a three-hitter over seven
innings, as the Boston Red Sox pounded the Chicago White Sox, 11-2, in the
third game of a four-game set from Fenway Park.
Gabbard (4-0) struck out one batter
<< Bonds goes 0-for-2; Lincecum leads Giants past Brewers
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Bonds went 0-for-2, failing to move any
closer to Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, but his teammates provided
enough offense to power San Francisco past the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0, in the
second
<< Henry set to make Barca debut in Scotland
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Striker Thierry Henry successfully completed
his first full practice with Barcelona on Saturday, and is now scheduled to
travel with his new team to Scotland for his Spanish debut.
Henry, who came to Ba
Mauer's inside-the-park HR lifts Twins past Angels >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Mauer's inside-the-park three-run
home run in the eighth inning lifted the Minnesota Twins over the LA Angels of
Anaheim, 5-2, in the second game of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
Jason Bartl
Bowden among those enshrined into College Football Hall of Fame >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in major
college football history, led a group that was enshrined into the College
Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Other notables included former Heisman Trophy winners
Bay and LaRoche help Bucs end skid >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche both drove in two
runs, as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Houston Astros, 7-3, at PNC Park in
game two of a three-game series for their first win since the All-Star break.
Fredd
Injured Beckham sits out scoreless first half >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Beckham did not start for Los Angeles
on Saturday night as the Galaxy are hosting English Premiership power
Chelsea in a friendly at The Home Depot Center.
With the match scoreless at the i
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
Mysportsbook.com online online sportsbook accepts Visa & Mastercard
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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