Pirates go for sweep of Marlins

Baseball Betting Lines

04/22/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Marlins haven't managed many runs versus the Pirates and they haven't even faced their top pitcher yet. Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm looks to extend his torrid start today in the finale of a three-game set with Florida at PNC Park.

Maholm is 2-0 with a 0.87 earned run average through three starts, allowing two earned runs over 20 2/3 innings. He has won back-to-back starts, including Friday versus Atlanta when he tossed seven shutout innings, working around four hits and three walks.

The left-hander brings a career 2-3 mark and 4.40 ERA in five starts versus the Marlins into today's game. He has struggled versus Florida's Hanley Ramirez, who is hitting .385 (5-for-13) versus Maholm with a pair of homers.

Dan Uggla, meanwhile, is hitting just .231 (3-for-13) against the lefty, but has homered twice off him as well.

The Marlins will hope their double play combination can get to Maholm today. Florida has scored just twice in its current set with Pittsburgh, losing Monday's opener 8-0 before a 3-2 setback on Tuesday.

Jeff Karstens (1-0) pitched six innings of one-run ball and Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the victory. Matt Capps tossed a scoreless ninth to collect his fourth save of the year and Adam LaRoche and Jason Jaramillo also knocked in a run apiece for the Pirates, who have won four of five overall and are 5-3 on a nine-game homestand.

Jaramillo, who has played in just four major league games, figures to be in line for more time after the Pirates placed starting catcher Ryan Doumit on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a fractured scaphoid bone in his right wrist. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday an is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks.

Ramirez had an RBI double and Cameron Maybin hammered a solo home run to account for the Marlins runs. Florida has dropped two straight after winning the previous seven games and is now 6-2 on its nine-game road trip.

Jorge Cantu missed the game with a sore hand and was replaced by Ross Gload, who finished 1-for-4.

Anibal Sanchez (1-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs on seven hits, striking out six in seven frames.

A 15-game winner last year, Ricky Nolasco will try to get his season on track today. The Marlins right-hander is 1-1 in three starts, but has allowed 11 runs in 15 innings for a 6.60 ERA.

He faced Washington on Friday and lasted only four innings, getting charged with seven hits and two runs in a no-decision.

Nolasco is 1-2 with a 1.99 ERA in five games (3 starts) versus the Pirates. LaRoche is hitting just .176 (3-for-17) off him with three strikeouts, while Sanchez is just 2-for-9 against him lifetime.

The Pirates lost three of five to the Marlins last year, but can sweep the club in three games for the first time since July 16-18, 2004.

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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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ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

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



ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Miami (FL)
Florida State
Virginia Tech
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Duke
2-1
2-1
3-1
7-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
50-1
500-1



ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

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



ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

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.