Mariners end Yankees' seven-game win streak
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2009 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russell Branyan belted a two-run homer and the Mariners pounded CC Sabathia early on the way to an 8-4 win, ending New York's winning streak at seven contests.
Franklin Gutierrez had three hits, including a solo homer, and Ichiro Suzuki doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Mariners, who had lost their previous 10 games in the Bronx.
Chris Woodward also had two RBI for Seattle, which won for the eighth time in its last 12 contests overall. The Mariners also averted a sweep in the finale of the three-game series.
Jason Vargas allowed four hits and four runs over the first four frames in the start for the Mariners. Miguel Batista (5-2) threw two hitless innings to get the win.
Hideki Matsui belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs for the Yankees, while Robinson Cano had three hits and scored twice.
Sabathia (7-5) was charged with 10 hits and six runs over 5 2/3 innings. He also walked three and struck out eight and lost for just the second time in his last 11 starts.
Matsui's homer to right field in the fourth had the Yankees within 6-4.
Seattle wasted a bases-loaded chance in the sixth, but then added to their lead in the ninth off Alfredo Aceves. Suzuki reached safely on first baseman Mark Teixeira's throwing error.
Branyan, who had a career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped by striking out four times Wednesday night, then smoked the first pitch over the wall in center. It was the first home run hit off the glass facing of the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar at Yankee Stadium.
David Aardsma nearly loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, giving up singles to Cano and Nick Swisher to begin the frame. Matsui then flied out to center field in a 10-pitch at-bat. Melky Cabrera also flied out and pinch-hitter Jorge Posada fanned to end the game.
Suzuki started the game with a double, stole third with one out and scored on a Jose Lopez groundout.
Seattle expanded the margin to 3-0 in the second. Gutierrez homered to left field. Kenji Johjima and Ryan Langerhans followed with singles before Woodward lifted a sacrifice fly.
A Swisher sac fly got the Yankees on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame, and a dropped ball by Suzuki in right field allowed Cano to score for a one-run difference.
Woodward's RBI single and a Suzuki two-run double to the gap in left-center increased Seattle's lead to 6-2.
Game Notes
The start of the game was delayed 36 minutes due to threatening weather...Actor Jack Nicholson was in attendance, sitting in the lower level behind home plate...The Mariners play a three-game series in Boston this weekend, while the Yankees host Toronto in a four-game set...Teixeira had gone 72 games at first base without committing an error this season. It was the longest current errorless stretch for any major league infielder and the longest in one season for a Yankees first baseman since Tino Martinez (82) in 1996. This was his first error since August 19, 2008...Seattle beat the Yankees for just the third time in the last 14 matchups...Suzuki recorded his major league-leading 37th multi-hit game this season and has yet to post consecutive hitless games in 2009...Branyan hit his team-leading 20th home run of the season...Gutierrez had his third three-hit game in his last five contests.
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What Is the Point Spread?
What are Sports Betting Point Spreads?
In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
How to Read Point Spreads
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
- Philly wins the actual game by any amount of points
OR
- Philly loses the game by less than 7 points.
-
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
For Those Who Like to Consider Things Mathematically
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
- Subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score (thus the minus sign before the number) and then compare to the underdog’s score
OR
- Adding the point spread to the underdog’s score (thus the plus sign before the number) and then compare to the favorite’s score
Who Really “Won” the Super Bowl odds ?
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.