Football Betting

Padres go for another sweep of Diamondbacks

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08/26/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres have built a comfortable lead atop the National League's West Division, and their performance at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks has certainly played a part in the team's rise to first place.

The surprising Padres have their sights set on another sweep of the last-place Diamondbacks when the divisional foes wrap up a three-game series this afternoon at Petco Park.

San Diego improved to 8-0 against the Diamondbacks at home this season with Wednesday's 9-3 victory, the ninth in a row for the Padres as the host in this series. The win was also the Friars' ninth in the past 11 overall meetings between the clubs, and Bud Black's squad is now 10-4 versus Arizona over the course of this season.

With second-place San Francisco losing to Cincinnati on Wednesday, the Padres now own a season-high 6 1/2-game advantage on the Giants in the NL West standings.

Adrian Gonzalez belted a three-run homer and Miguel Tejada had a two-run shot to key last night's triumph, with Yorvit Torrealba contributing a two-RBI single in the third inning. Tejada ended the night 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while leadoff hitter David Eckstein collected three hits and also crossed the plate three times to help the Padres to their 13th win in the last 16 games.

San Diego also received solid pitching out of Wade LeBlanc (8-11), with the young southpaw working 6 2/3 innings and allowing three runs while striking out seven Arizona hitters.

Diamondbacks starter Joe Saunders (1-4) wasn't nearly as effective, as the midseason pickup was battered for nine runs (six earned) and eight hits before exiting after only four innings.

"It's embarrassing to go out there and give up that many runs," Saunders told MLB.com afterward. "Hats off to them, they're a good ballclub, but the way I've been pitching I'm making them look like Babe Ruth up there. I've just got to make adjustments."

Stephen Drew was a lone bright spot for Arizona, losers of three in a row and seven of its last nine contests, with the shortstop hitting two solo homers and finishing 4-for-4 at the plate.

The Padres will shoot for the sweep today behind Kevin Correia, a pitcher who's bested the Diamondbacks twice at Petco Park already this season and is 3-0 with a 2.63 earned run average over four lifetime encounters with Arizona held in San Diego. The right-hander also enters this afternoon's clash with a 5-2 record and 3.79 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break.

Correia did have a personal three-game winning streak come to an end with a setback at Milwaukee this past Saturday, however. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings in that one and struggled with command, issuing four walks in addition to giving up five runs.

Prior to that outing, the 30-year-old fired six shutout innings to defeat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 16.

Correia has faced the Diamondbacks a total of 21 times, 12 of which have come as a starter, and is 4-6 with a 3.66 ERA lifetime against Arizona.

Arizona counters with Ian Kennedy, who comes in having won four of his past six decisions and has done a good job keeping his team in games, as the D- Backs have prevailed in six of the right-hander's last eight trips to the mound.

Kennedy did not get a decision his last time out after surrendering three runs on 10 hits in a five-inning stint against Colorado last Friday. The California native was quite sharp in his preceding start, holding Washington to a pair of runs and striking out seven over seven frames in a 9-2 Arizona victory on August 14.

The former New York Yankees first-round draft choice has notched a pair of no- decisions in two prior starts against San Diego this season. In his lone career appearance at Petco Park, Kennedy yielded just two hits and fanned seven over five shutout innings back on April 18.


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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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