Bonds takes aim at history, as Giants go for sweep of Fish

Baseball Betting Lines

07/29/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Bonds will try and match Hank Aaron's all-time home run record this afternoon when the San Francisco Giants try and complete a three-game sweep of the Florida Marlins at AT&T Park.

One night after pulling within one of Aaron with home run No. 754, Bonds finished 0-for-3 with a walk, but the Giants used a late rally to post a 4-3 victory on Saturday against Florida.

Bonds was on deck in the ninth inning, but Ray Durham singled to the warning track in right field to drive in pinch-runner Fred Lewis with the winning run, capping a two-run frame as the Giants posted their fourth straight win.

If Bonds wants to become the all-time home run king in front of his own fans, he will have to deliver in a big way today, as the Giants head to the road after today's tilt for six games at Los Angeles and San Diego.

Kevin Gregg (0-4) blew the save last night in the ninth, walking pinch-hitter Dave Roberts and then giving up a pinch-hit double to right field by Mark Sweeney. The speedy Roberts beat the relay throw home with a nifty slide and Lewis came on to run for Sweeney, who got congratulatory pats in the dugout.

Omar Vizquel then put down a sacrifice bunt, moving Lewis to third, and Durham followed with a blast over the head of Jeremy Hermida in right field, all as Bonds stood on deck, ready for another chance for homer No. 755.

Jack Taschner (2-0) struck out two over an inning to get the victory.

Miguel Cabrera belted a two-run homer for Florida, which has lost six in a row.

Hoping to keep Bonds in the park will be right-hander Sergio Mitre, who is 4-5 on the year with a 3.34 ERA. Mitre, who will be making his first-ever start against the Giants, was tagged with the loss after a brutal outing in his last start on Tuesday in Arizona when he was ripped for seven runs and eight hits in three innings.

Mitre has never faced Bonds.

San Francisco will counter with veteran Matt Morris, who is winless in his last seven starts. Morris, who is 7-6 with a 4.16 ERA this season, received a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, as he surrendered four runs and eight hits in six innings of a 7-5 loss.

Morris has faced the Marlins 13 times (10 starts) and s 7-4 against them with a 4.23 ERA.

San Francisco and Florida are playing their first series since splitting six matchups in 2006. With a win today, though, the Giants will post their first home sweep of the Marlins since turning the trick from August 14-16, 2001.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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