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07/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis could be pitching for his spot in the rotation when the Tampa Bay Rays open a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles this evening at Camden Yards.
Davis struggled in the first half, going 6-9 with a 4.69 earned run average. The 24-year-old right-hander won his final start before the break, however, as he held Cleveland to a pair of runs and four hits in seven innings on July 8.
The victory was just his first in seven starts (1-5), and another poor outing tonight could lead to the promotion of prospect Jeremy Hellickson.
Davis has dominated the Orioles the two times he has faced them, though, winning both starts while allowing just one run in 16 innings of those outings.
Tampa could use a strong start from its young hurler after dropping two of three to the New York Yankees over the weekend. On Sunday, the Rays staked David Price to a three-run first inning advantage, but the left-hander could not hold it as Tampa fell, 9-5, in the rubber match at Yankee Stadium.
Price (12-5) absorbed the loss after allowing a season-high seven runs on seven hits over five frames. He walked four and struck out three for the Rays, who had entered the series as winners in seven of their last nine games.
"I felt comfortable out there, I just didn't have it," said Price about his poor outing. "That's a good team over there in that other locker room. After that first inning, we didn't get anything else going."
Tampa now trails the Yankees by three games for the top spot in the American League East.
Baltimore, meanwhile, continued its season-long struggles this past weekend, as it was swept in a three-game set at home by the Toronto Blue Jays, culminating with a 10-1 loss in Sunday's finale.
Adam Jones knocked in the lone run for the Orioles, who came into this series coming off a four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers before the All-Star break.
Baltimore starter Brian Matusz (3-10) lasted a career-worst 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on five hits to take the loss. Mark Hendrickson gave up three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 frames of relief.
Tonight the Orioles turn to righty Chris Tillman, who will try to string back-to-back wins together. Tillman beat the Rangers before the break, holding the AL West leaders to an unearned run and two hits in 7 1/3 frames to improve to 1-3 on the year while lowering his ERA nearly three runs to 5.64.
Tillman is 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts against the Rays.
Tampa has won five of its six meetings with the O's this season.
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New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Yankees organization suffered some big
losses off the field last week with the passing of principal owner George
Steinbrenner and long-time public address announcer Bob Sheppard, but it was
the loss of a pitc
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -Pitt defensive end Jabaal Sheard has been suspended indefinitely after being accused of throwing another man through the glass door of an art gallery.Police say Sheard was in a fight early Sunday and had to be pepper sprayed after h
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -Avery Johnson has named his new coaching staff with the New Jersey Nets.The staff announced by the Nets on Monday includes two former NBA head coaches - Toronto's Sam Mitchell and Milwaukee Larry Krystkowiak.Also named to
<< Cubs batter Halladay, Phillies bullpen
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto each hit a
two-run homer off Roy Halladay, as the Chicago Cubs routed the Philadelphia
Phillies, 11-6, in the finale of a four-game series.
Derrek Lee added a three-run
Kennison retires as a Chief >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Long-time Kansas City wide receiver Eddie
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Kennison spent seven of his 13 NFL seasons with the Chiefs, catch
AL Central-leading White Sox continue trip in Seattle >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox ended the season's first half as
the hottest team in baseball, but things haven't gotten so smoothly since the
club returned from the All-Star break.
The American League Central leaders will try to
Red Sox limp into Oakland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Boston Red Sox continue to lose ground in the
American League playoff chase, the Oakland Athletics are doing their best to
stay in the hunt.
The resurgent Athletics try to extend their season-best winning streak
Indians hope to continue to play spoiler in Minnesota >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians may have little hope of finishing
in first place in the American League Central, but they've done a fine job of
hurting the postseason chances of some of the division's top teams as of late.
Riding
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.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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