05/12/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The surging Florida Marlins will try to extend their season-high winning streak to eight games tonight, when they open a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
The NL East-leading Marlins are three games ahead of both New York and Philadelphia in the division standings thanks to their recent winning ways. They notched their seventh straight victory with a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals in Sunday's finale of a three-game set, with Dan Uggla hitting a pair of solo homers -- including the eventual game-winner in the eighth inning.
Jeremy Hermida went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Marlins, while pitcher Logan Kensing picked up the win with a scoreless inning in relief of Scott Olsen. Kevin Gregg later notched his seventh save.
Olsen allowed four runs on six hits over six frames.
Florida will send rookie hurler Burke Badenhop to the hill on Monday, and the youngster is 1-2 with a 6.31 ERA in six games (5 starts) this season. Badenhop recorded his first career win on Wednesday versus Milwaukee after allowing a pair of runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-2 triumph.
The right-hander has never faced the Reds.
Cincinnati will begin a seven-game homestand tonight versus the Marlins and Indians after losing two of three games to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium over the weekend. The Reds fell by an 8-3 score in Sunday's finale as rookie pitcher Johnny Cueto continued to struggle to regain the form from his first two starts.
Cueto, who fanned 18 batters and allowed just three runs over his first 13 1/3 innings in the majors, gave up eight hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings on Sunday, fanning five and walking three.
Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored a run for the Reds.
Reds ace Aaron Harang will try to pitch his way to victory on Monday, as he sports a 1-5 record with a 3.09 ERA in eight starts this season. Harang has lost his last three trips to the hill and is 0-4 with a 3.05 earned run average through his last five outings.
Harang absorbed the loss on Tuesday versus the Chicago Cubs, yielding three runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 3-0 defeat. The righty is 1-1 with a 6.49 earned run average in five career starts against the Marlins.
Cincinnati went 4-3 against the Marlins in 2007, with a 3-0 mark at Great American Ball Park. The Reds are 8-5 in the last 13 meetings in this series, including a 5-1 ledger at home.
<< Hernandez tries to continue hot start in finale with Red Sox
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the opportunity to achieve a series win over the
defending world champions, the Minnesota Twins will send out their newfound
ace in tonight's finale of a four-game set with the visiting Boston Red Sox.
Livan Hernandez
<< Jays, Tribe play doubleheader in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After getting an unscheduled day off due to bad weather,
the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays conclude a four-game series today
with a doubleheader from Progressive Field.
The Indians have won the first two tests o
<< Oswalt, Zito square off at AT&T Park
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National League's hottest team during the month of May
invades San Francisco's AT&T Park for the opener of a four-game series, as the
Houston Astros attempt to keep up their torrid stretch in tonight's matchup
with t
<< LeBron, Cavs host Garnett, Celtics in Game 4 of East semis
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers attempt to knot their Eastern
Conference semifinal series at two games apiece with the Boston Celtics
tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavaliers made it a 2-1 series with a big victory on Saturd
Brewers to wrap up series with slumping Cards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have found their winning ways
as they wrap up a four-game series versus the NL Central-rival St. Louis
Cardinals tonight at Miller Park.
The Brewers have won two of the first three matc
Rays try to extend home winning streak vs. Yankees >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays try to extend their franchise-record
home-winning streak to 10 games this evening when they start a four-game
series with the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Extending the streak may be
Pirates, Braves play two at PNC Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jair Jurrjens seeks a fifth straight start without a loss
today, when the Atlanta Braves enter PNC Park for the third and fourth games
of a weather-interrupted series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sunday's scheduled
Angels open series with White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hope a return home gets
them off the schneid this evening when they kick off a four-game series with
the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium.
The Angels, who will be home for the nex
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.
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
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