Giants, Lincecum welcome a returning Beltran to the Bay Area

Baseball Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum didn't help the National League break its lengthy losing streak in the All-Star Game, but the New York Mets may have wished he had.

The rested two-time NL Cy Young Award honoree will take the mound when the San Francisco Giants start up their second-half schedule tonight against the Mets in the opener of a four-game series between postseason hopefuls from AT&T Park.

Lincecum received a third consecutive All-Star nod after compiling a 9-4 record with a 3.16 earned run average and a league-best 131 strikeouts through 18 pre-break starts, but didn't pitch in the NL's 3-1 victory over the American League in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. That will enable the hard- throwing right-hander to start tonight's matchup of this key set, which takes place on his 26th birthday.

The San Francisco ace was last in action on July 7, when he struck out 10 Milwaukee batters and yielded just one run and four hits over seven sharp innings to defeat the Brewers. It was a needed return to form for Lincecum, who was reached for eight runs over a combined nine innings in back-to-back losses to Boston and Colorado during his two previous starts.

For all the success Lincecum has attained since breaking into the majors in 2007, he hasn't fared well in past matchups with the Mets. The former first- round pick has registered a loss and three no-decisions in three prior matchups with New York, while pitching to a subpar 5.04 ERA in those games.

Lincecum will be getting the call for a San Francisco squad that finds itself just two games back of fellow NL West members Colorado and Los Angeles for the lead in the league's Wild Card standings and is four behind first-place San Diego in the division race. The Giants closed out their first half strongly, winning six of their final seven contests and taking the final two bouts of a three-game series at Washington that culminated with Sunday's 6-2 triumph.

Travis Ishikawa went 2-for-3 with three RBI and rookie sensation Buster Posey delivered an two-run triple to help support a strong six-inning start from Giants youngster Madison Bumgarner in Sunday's victory. The 20-year-old Bumgarner (2-2) held the Nationals to one run and struck out a career-best six without a walk in earning his second win at the major-league level.

"My last two starts have been a little better," said Bumgarner, who's posted consecutive wins after losing his first outings since being recalled from Triple-A Fresno in late June. "I would have liked to go a little deeper [Sunday], [I] threw more pitches than I needed to early on, but that's a good hitting team. They're aggressive and are going to make you make good pitches."

Posey, San Francisco's other prized prospect, has been on a serious tear during his team's recent strong run. The highly-regarded catcher is batting a torrid .516 (16-for-31) with five homers and 14 RBI during an eight-game hitting streak that has raised his season average to a robust .350.

Closer Brian Wilson finished off Sunday's win by throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings and helped the NL prevail as well in the All-Star Game, working a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to protect the Senior Circuit's two-run lead.

The Mets currently sit just one game off the pace in the NL Wild Card picture and are four behind Atlanta in the battle for first place in the NL East. New York will also get a welcome boost to its lineup as it begins the season's final 2 1/2 months, with standout center fielder Carlos Beltran set to make his 2010 debut this evening.

Beltran, a five-time All-Star selection with three Gold Gloves to his credit as well, sat out the entire first half recovering from knee surgery performed in January. The speedy switch-hitter, who hit .325 for the Mets last season and has knocked in at least 112 runs in three of the past four years, completed a successful minor-league rehab stint last weekend and is expected to bat cleanup in the lineup tonight.

"I'm happy to be back and be part of the team [and] to try to help accomplish our mission, which is to try and win a division and try to be in the playoffs," Beltran told the Mets' official site on Sunday.

While Beltran is ready to go, it's unclear as to whether the Mets will have leadoff hitter Jose Reyes available for the opener. The dynamic shortstop sat out both Sunday's 3-0 victory over Atlanta and the All-Star Game due to an oblique strain that has plagued him for the past two weeks.

New York didn't need Beltran in their last game, thanks to a top-notch performance out of starting pitcher Johan Santana. The two-time AL Cy Young recipient firing seven shutout innings as the Mets averted a three-game sweep by the division-leading Braves on Sunday, scattering five hits and three walks in improving his 2010 record to 7-5.

The Mets also received some clutch hitting on the afternoon, with both Alex Cora and Josh Thole coming through with RBI singles and Ike Davis supplying a solo home run as part of a 2-for-3 day. Angel Pagan finished with three hits for New York, which halted a three-game overall losing streak with Sunday's verdict.

"We scratched a couple runs on the board and got a [win]," said Davis afterward. "It's huge."

New York hopes to carry that momentum over into a critical 11-game West Coast road trip that begins this evening. The Mets have amassed an impressive 30-16 mark at home this season, but are a lackluster 18-24 away from Citi Field.

The Mets have acquitted themselves well as the visitor in this series, however, winning in nine of their last 12 stops at AT&T Park. New York took three of four matchups with the Giants held in San Francisco last season and also won two of three bouts between the teams at Citi Field back in May.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel will hand the ball to R.A. Dickey for tonight's opener, with the journeyman seeking to build off his pleasantly surprising first half. Since joining the club's rotation in mid-May, the knuckleball specialist has gone 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts and lasted at least six innings in all but one of those appearances.

Dickey has struggled some as of late, however. After ripping off six straight wins from May 25-June 23, the right-hander is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in a three- start span. His latest defeat took place against the Braves last Saturday, where he was reached for four runs (three earned) and gave up a pair of homers in 6 2/3 innings.

The 35-year-old, who's 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA in six road starts so far this season, has never previously faced the Giants.

Casiononnet Baseball Betting News

<< Szavay stays hot; Dulgheru pulls out in Prague
Prague, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last week's Budapest titlist Agnes Szavay was among Thursday's second-round winners, while second-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania pulled out of the draw at the $220,000 Prague Open te

<< Angels hope to get second half off to good start vs. Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No team was happier to see the All-Star break than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hopefully recharged, the Angels get their second half started with the opener of a four-game set with the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium

<< White Sox put win streak on the line versus rival Twins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An eight-game winning streak propelled the Chicago White Sox to the top of the American League Central at the All-Star break. Tonight, they put that streak on the line against a division foe, as they open a four- game set wit

<< Pierce makes it official, re-signs with Celtics
BOSTON (AP) -The Boston Celtics have re-signed captain Paul Pierce.The club made the official announcement Thursday, six days after a team official said it had reached an agreement to keep the star forward.The Boston Herald had reported that the con

<< McIlroy posts record-tying 63; Woods four back
St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rory McIlory said the thought crept into his head on 17 that he could set or match the low round in a major. He missed his four-footer for birdie on 17, but closed with a three-foot birdie put

Rangers open second half at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers enter the season's second half in good position to end an 11-year playoff drought. The Boston Red Sox, on the other hand, still have some work to do in order to secure a fourth consecutive trip to the postse

First-place Braves open second half against Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves have done everything possible in this season's first half to potentially make Bobby Cox's last year as manager a special one. Seeking to give their manager one more championship before he retires at sea

Phillies head to Chicago riding win streak >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies had an up-and-down first half, and it was no different for the club over the season's final week before the All-Star break. They do come out of the hiatus with some momentum, and the Phillies will

Top hurlers to clash in Dodgers-Cardinals opener >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw pitched well enough to be an All-Star, but ultimately did not join four of his teammates in Anaheim for the Mid-Summer Classic. Despite the snub, Kershaw will look to get his sec

Blue Jackets re-sign Sesito >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Tom Sesito to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the two-way deal were not disclosed. Sesito appeared in three games for the Blue Jackets last se

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.