Canadian MLB Report: Axford making most of chance

Baseball Betting Lines

07/23/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Multiple Canadian-born hurlers were supposed to be impact pitchers for their respective teams in 2010, but the first half of the year didn't exactly reflect those predictions. On the other hand, some have stepped up and assumed new roles, exceeding expectations by putting together a strong first half.

All John Axford has done so far this year is stave off Trevor Hoffman, the all- time saves leader, for the closer's role in Milwaukee. The Brewers' new stopper has not allowed a run since the All-Star break, collecting three saves and lowering his ERA to 2.70 in the process. While the intention of the Brewers organization may not have been for Axford to assume the closer role on a full-time basis, he's making their decision easier than anticipated. Alford is sporting a 1.17 WHIP, a K/9 ratio of 11.40 and has yet to blow a save this entire season.

He may not be the prettiest at times, but Blake Hawksworth continues to start for the St. Louis Cardinals since taking over the fifth spot in the rotation for the injured Brad Penny. The sophomore threw out of the bullpen to start the year, a role he assumed last season as well, but has gone 3-1 with a no- decision in his last five outings. Hawksworth's 4-5 record, 4.85 ERA and 1.77 WHIP may not be overly impressive, but the 27-year-old is soaking up innings for a Cardinals team that is battling for the National League Central division with the Cincinnati Reds. The North Vancouver native has allowed three runs or less in four of his last five starts, and should continue to get the ball until if/or when the Cardinals supplant him in the rotation.

Ryan Dempster, who has turned into Canada's marquee starting pitcher in the big leagues, has boasted impressive stats while playing for one of the league's most underachieving teams. The Chicago Cubs right-hander continues to reinforce his reputation as a workhorse, and has pitched well this season for a staff that sits 10 games under .500.

Dempster's eight complete games are tops in the NL and his 130 strikeouts are good for eighth in the league. Dempster is coming off his worst outing in over a month, however, as the four earned runs he surrendered snapped a consecutive streak of eight straight games without allowing more than three earned runs. The 33-year-old is not showing meaningful signs of letdown though, boasting a deceiving 8-7 record, with a 3.70 ERA, while on his way to a third consecutive season of over 200 innings pitched, (133.2 to date).

With speculation that his rotation spot may be in jeopardy, Jeff Francis picked a good time to have a strong outing against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. The Colorado Rockies left-hander blanked the Nationals over seven innings, striking out seven in the process, while holding them to three hits, en route to his third victory of the season. Before this start, Francis had allowed 16 runs over his last 12 innings, a span which covered three games. Francis was the ace of the 2007 NL pennant-winning Rockies, but after shoulder surgery which cost him the entire 2009 season, he's now fighting just to get the ball every fifth day. With more performances like his most recent one, when he effectively used his changeup as an "out" pitch, Francis could be a key contributor down the stretch for a Rockies team fighting for a postseason berth.

INJURY UPDATE

Seattle Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard will now be facing an even longer road to recovery than what was previously expected. After throwing successful rehab assignments in June, Bedard subsequently felt discomfort in his surgically- repaired shoulder that will require him to be re-examined, further prolonging his return to the big leagues. The 31-year-old has been plagued with injuries throughout his career and has not thrown at the major league level since last July. Until further evaluation, the Canadian's immediate status is currently unknown.

Rich Harden, the Texas Rangers' biggest pitching acquisition of the offseason, is once again dealing with injuries. The talented right-hander is on the DL with a non-arm-related injury (glute) but is on his way to a fifth straight season of logging less than 150 innings.

Harden, who when healthy racks up strikeouts and at times can be dominant, could prove to be a formidable sidekick to Cliff Lee down the stretch run if he can stay off the shelf. A player of Harden's capabilities should be able to turn it around despite sporting a career worst 5.68 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. The oft-injured 28-year-old could return to the big league club as early as next week.

Wwwthesimpsons Baseball Betting News

<< Wigan inks midfielder McArthur
Wigan, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Promising Hamilton midfielder James McArthur has joined Wigan for an undisclosed transfer fee. The 22-year-old has penned a four-year contract at the DW Stadium, where he will team up with former Accies c

<< Gaming: Can the WAC maintain its ATS Superiority?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last season was quite a turnaround for the Western Athletic Conference, as the league's nine teams covered 21 of their 36 non-conference games (with two pushes) for an impressive 61% winning percentage.

<< AL Central: White Sox GM Williams exploring limited trade options
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Chicago White Sox continue to try and fend off Detroit and Minnesota in the American League Central standings, all eyes are on general manager Kenny Williams to make something happen before next Saturda

<< White Sox' Buehrle tries to end longtime woes against A's
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though they still own the best record in baseball since June 9, the Chicago White Sox have hit a bit of a rough patch of their last few games. The timing couldn't be worse for starter Mark Buehrle, who has yet to taste succes

<< Rays hope to end epic winless drought in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Trying to remain in the hunt for first place in the American League East, one would think the Tampa Bay Rays would welcome a trip to Cleveland to face the last-place Indians. Problem is, Tampa Bay hasn't won in 17 straight

Cubs activate P Schlitter; option P Stevens >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have activated right-handed pitcher Brian Schlitter from the 15-day disabled list. He was placed on the DL on July 7, retroactive to July 3, with a right shoulder impingement. Sch

Bengals sign third-round pick Ghee >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals have signed cornerback Brandon Ghee, the team's third-round draft choice. He was the 96th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. The 6-0, 192-pound Ghee made 56 tackles,

Wanted: A must-see player for Clippers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rapper Young Jeezy once boasted that mentioning his name would bring an entire city out. That same drawing power can be heralded by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and a just handful of other players in the NBA.

Sunderland completes Bramble capture >>
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is adamant that the capture of Titus Bramble is a great deal for the club after completing the signing of the Wigan defender on a three-year deal. Bramble played

Tennessee Titans 2010 Training Camp Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - REPORT DATE: July 31st SITE: Baptist Sports Park, Nashville, TN CAMP OBJECTIVES: With the Chris Johnson drama having been extinguished by the extra money the Titans put in his pocket earlier this week, Jeff Fisher can

FOOTBALL BETTING LINES

NFL Football Sports Betting

Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.

New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.

His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.

HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.

The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.

RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.

First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.

The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.

These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.

New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.

You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff!

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting

SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

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 for online football betting .

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

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards