07/04/2008 - Chicago, IL (Baseball Betting) - Jack Cust slammed a two-run homer and Joe Blanton pitched seven solid innings in Oakland's 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the second of a four-game series.
Blanton (5-11) allowed just one run while scattering six hits and two walks for the Athletics, adding five strikeouts in the club's second straight win.
Donnie Murphy had two hits and two runs batted in, while Emil Brown and Wes Bankston each recorded three-hit nights.
"Our hitters took a good approach to Mark Buehrle, and we were able to execute," Cust said.
The aforementioned Buehrle (6-7) snapped a personal four-decision winning streak by surrendering four runs on 10 hits and three walks, as Chicago dropped its second straight following a seven-game winning streak. The White Sox gave up 17 hits, the most allowed this season by a usually stingy pitching staff. Jim Thome went 2-for-4 with the lone RBI in defeat.
Both starters held the offenses in check for the first three frames before the A's plated a pair on two pitches in the fourth. Buehrle's first offering was lined to left by Brown for a single, and Cust quickly answered with an opposite-field shot to left for his 15th home run of the year.
"I never had my stuff from the first inning on," Buehrle said. "I'm just glad I could minimize the damage."
The White Sox cut the lead in half in the bottom half, as Thome roped a two- out double to the left field wall. Carlos Quentin was on with a walk, and he came around to score when Mark Ellis didn't attempt to throw him out at the plate.
Another two-spot for the away team made it a 4-1 game in the sixth. Carlos Gonzalez scored from first on Jack Hannahan's two-out double to the right field gap. Buehrle then intentionally walked Ellis, and Ryan Sweeney rolled an RBI single up the middle. Hannahan slid past the tag of A.J. Pierzynski and was called safe, even though replays showed he may have missed touching the plate.
The A's added two more an inning later behind three straight singles off reliever Nick Masset, the last of which a broken-bat base-hit by Bankston to bring in a run. Two batters later, Murphy bounced a single in front of Quentin in left and the score read, 6-1.
Murphy doubled home another run in the ninth, and Santiago Casilla followed up Brad Ziegler's perfect eighth with one of his own in the ninth to seal the victory.
Game Notes
Buehrle is just 3-11 in 23 lifetime appearances -- 18 starts -- against Oakland...The White Sox are still an excellent 30-13 as the host this season... Oakland has won seven of its eight most recent meetings with Chicago...Oakland placed veteran reliever Keith Foulke on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to July 3, with right shoulder inflammation. To take his spot on the roster, the A's recalled left-handed pitcher Jerry Blevins from Triple-A Sacramento...Gonzalez left the game in the seventh with tightness in his right hamstring...Despite the win, the A's left 13 runners on base.
<< Newcastle signs Taylor to new contract
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor
has finally ended speculation about his future by signing a new three-year deal
with Kevin Keegan's side.
The 22-year-old had only 12 months remaining on his p
<< Ozaki fires 63 for early lead in New York
Endicott, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Ozaki fired a nine-under 63 Friday to grab
a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
Ozaki, who is winless on the Champions Tour, missed the course record at En-
Joie G
<< Galatasaray claims to have signed Kewell
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Galatasaray claims it has won the race to
sign injury-plagued forward Harry Kewell following the end of his contract with
Liverpool.
The 29-year-old Australia international was not offered fresh terms a
<< Hamburg coach expects Van der Vaart to stay
Hamburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hamburg coach Martin Jol believes Rafael
van der Vaart will remain at the AOL Arena for the upcoming season.
The 25-year-old Netherlands international has been linked with a string of top
clubs across
Grant: Scolari faces impossible job at Chelsea >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has warned
successor Luiz Felipe Scolari that he is embarking on an impossible job at
Stamford Bridge.
Scolari was confirmed as the replacement for the sacked Grant
Villa coach O'Neill won't budge on Barry >>
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin O'Neill again warned Liverpool
that Gareth Barry will not be leaving Aston Villa unless they match the value
of the wantaway midfielder.
The Villa boss has now rejected three bids from t
Atletico Madrid signs French striker Pongolle >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atletico Madrid has signed former Recreativo
striker Florent Sinama Pongolle, a French striker.
Pongolle, 23, had more than 20 goals in two seasons for Recreativo. He played
at Liverpool from 2003-06. No
Reds complete signing of Swiss fullback Degen >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool has completed the signing of
Switzerland fullback Philipp Degen on a free transfer.
Degen, 25, had agreed to join the Reds from Borussia Dortmund prior to the
start of the recently comp
MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
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| Notre Dame Ohio State West Virginia Texas USC Florida California Auburn Oklahoma Iowa Louisville Florida State Michigan Miami (FL) LSU Penn State Virginia Tech Nebraska Tennessee Georgia Arizona State Oregon Clemson Texas A&M Texas Tech Alabama Arkansas Boston College Michigan State Maryland South Carolina Colorado Purdue Georgia Tech TCU UCLA Arizona Pittsburgh Iowa State Wisconsin North Carolina State Virginia North Carolina Fresno State Hawaii Northwestern BYU Oregon State UNLV Field (Any Other Team) |
5-1 7-1 8-1 8-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 18-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 70-1 70-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 150-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 250-1 250-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 400-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 1000-1 1000-1 40-1 |
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2-1 2-1 3-1 7-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 500-1 |
| Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Texas Tech Colorado Iowa State Texas A&M Kansas State Missouri Kansas Baylor Oklahoma State |
7-5 9-5 9-2 12-1 14-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 35-1 100-1 100-1 |
| Auburn Florida LSU Georgia Tennessee Arkansas Alabama Mississippi South Carolina Mississippi State Kentucky Vanderbilt |
5-2 11-4 4-1 6-1 7-1 7-1 9-1 20-1 28-1 75-1 100-1 300-1 |
For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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