Mike Scioscia readies Angels

Coming off a 4-3 loss last time out, Minnesota can redeem themselves and get back on the winning track Tuesday at Los Angeles.

The Twins start Baker, 2-4, 5.48 ERA. His last trip was a win, a 16-10 team win against the Brewers, when he threw 5 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits.

Sporting a 23-27 overall record and an 8-18 mark within the division, the Twins aim to knock the Angels (8-9 in the division) for a loss.

Oddsmakers like the Angels in this one, opening the line at 145 in favor of Los Angeles. They are 22-29 this season, while the Twins are 23-27. The total, which is 29-21-1 to the OVER in Angels games and 29-19-2 in Twins games, opened at 9.5.

Mike Scioscia's team was busy last game winning against Minnesota 4-3 as favorites. The 7 runs sent that game under the total of 9.

Los Angeles hitters can get ready or be made to look foolish today, as the Twins staff boasts one of the best strikeout ratios in the league, fanning 7 per game.

Royals head to Oakland

Oddsmakers don't give the Royals much of a chance Monday, installing them and their starting pitcher as pups when they visit Oakland at McAfee Coliseum.

Sporting a 23-27 overall record and a 13-9 mark within the division, the Athletics aim to knock the Royals (10-21 in the division) for a loss.

The Athletics are a huge favorite, but offer the temptation for dog bettors to collect big if they can win despite the 320. The Royals, with an 11-37 mark on the season, look to bite as a big road dog in a game that saw the total open at 8.5.

Giants look to Regroup

After losing two-of-three to the Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants hope they can get back into the win column Monday against the Houston Astros.

So much for being road warriors, San Francisco tries to shake its current rep for being road patsies along with its four-game road losing skid at Minute Maid Park.

Houston has been struggling of late, winning just three of their past 10 games. They have averaged just 4.5 runs per game during this stretch and getting 8.9 hits per game. For the season, they are 22-16 facing a San Francisco team carrying a 18-20 record.

The Astros (22-16) opened as 160 favorites and they host a Giants team that has won 18 of their 38 games this season. The total opened at 9.

Felipe Alou's troops hosted Los Angeles last game and came away with a 6-3 loss, a game that went over 8. Oddsmakers had them as favorites in that one.

Phil Garner's troops were at home against the Rockies last game and came away with a 3-0 win, a game that went under 9. Oddsmakers had them as favorites.

Expect San Francisco to be tough at the plate and not sink themselves by striking out a lot. The Giants batters are in the top three in the league, fanning just 5.1 times per game.

Technorati Tags: San Francisco Giants, Felipe Alou, Phil Garner

Doug Flutie Retires

He came from Boston College and will leave a New England Patriot. After 21 seasons in pro football, 12 of them in the NFL, Doug Flutie has announced his retirement.

Technorati Tags: Doug Flutie, New England Patriots, Boston College

Phoenix looks to Bounce

With the series tied 1-1, the Phoenix Suns look to rebound from a 122-97 loss to the Clippers when they tip off tonight for Game 3 in Los Angeles.

The Clippers play into revenge Friday, after handing Phoenix a 122-97 defeat in their last meeting back on May 10, 2006.

The Clippers are favored slightly by the bookmakers, who opened the game at 3. They are 47-35 on the season, while the Suns bring a 54-28 mark to the table. The total has been set at 215.

Last time out, at US Airways Center against Los Angeles, the Suns as favorites lost to the Clippers 122-97. The game was an over play.

This game is likely to come down to the Suns' execution on offence. They rank 1st in the league in scoring and look to sustain their 108.4 points per game average against the Clippers' #11-rated defensive unit.

Nets Battle Heat

With the series tied 1-1, the Nets and the Heat get set for Game 3 of their second-round playoff matchup tonight in New Jersey.

Miami gets its chance to win as a road dog after the line opened with them as 1.5-point underdogs. They are 52-30, while the Nets are 49-33. The total opened at 188.

Miami won at home against the Nets last game as 8-point favorites, tallying a score of 111-89. The total sailed over.

Gatlin Breaks World Record

Olympic champion Justin Gatlin broke the 100-meter world record Friday with a time of 9.76 seconds at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The American sprinter lowered the mark of 9.77 seconds set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell on June 14, 2005, in Athens, Greece.

Philadelphia Goes for Four

Philadelphia can extend its win streak to 4 games Wednesday, while the Braves will be looking to snap that streak.

The Braves start John Smoltz, 1-2, 4.09 ERA. His last trip was a loss, a 5-2 team loss against the Mets, when he threw 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits.

Philadelphia brings a 12-14 overall mark (6-4 in the division) into this game versus an Atlanta team carrying a 12-14 record.

If you don't see much advantage or edge between these teams, you and Vegas oddsmakers have it the same way. The game opened as a pick'em on the line and 8.5 on the total. On the season, the Phillies are 12-14, while the Braves are 12-14.

Bobby Cox's team was busy last game winning against the Rockies 5-4 as favorites. The 9 runs sent that game as a push against the total of 9.

Meanwhile, at Dolphins Stadium, the favorite Phillies were winning against the Marlins 7-5. The game was an over play.

Atlanta hitters had better be ready today, as the Phillies staff boasts one of the best strikeout ratios in the league, fanning 6.9 per game.

Spurs Host Kings

After droping two straight games in Sacramento, the San Antonio Spurs have the chance to get back on the winning track when they host the Kings tonight in Game 5.

The Kings play into revenge Tuesday, after handing San Antonio a 102-84 defeat in their last meeting back on April 30, 2006.

The Spurs are favored, opening as 9-point chalk, with an opening total of 186. They are 63-19 this season and 35-46-1 OU. The Kings are 44-38 and are 28-37 OU.

The Kings come off a 102-84 win against the Spurs, a game where they were 5-point underdogs. The game went under the closing total of 188.

Canes Look to Finish Habs

The Montreal Canadiens will be looking tp push the Carolina Hurricanes to a Game 7 when the two teams meet tonight at the Bell Centre for Game 6.

Montreal gets its chance to win as a home dog after the line opened with them as 115 underdogs. They are 55-23-9, while the Canadiens are 44-33-10. The total opened at 6.

Peter Laviolette's troops hosted Montreal last game and came away with a 2-1 win, a game that went under 6. Oddsmakers had them as favorites in that one.

This game is likely to come down to the Hurricanes' execution on offence. They rank 3rd in the league in scoring and look to sustain their 3.5 goals per game average against the Canadiens' #12-rated defensive unit.

Clippers seek History with Win

The Los Angeles Clippers can do something they haven't done in 30 years Monday - win a playoff series - when they host the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 at STAPLES Center.

The Clippers were soild in their Game 4 win, and look to continue the onslaught of offense tonight in front of the home fans.

The Clippers are favored, opening as 4.5-point chalk, with an opening total of 191.

George Karl's team hopes to rebound from a 100-86 loss at the hands of the Clippers last game. They were 3-point favorites in a game that went under the total.

If Denver is to get back in the series they will need to generate more offense to combat the balanced attack of the Clippers, who had seven players in double figures last game.

Rangers Need Game Three

After going down 0-2 to the Devils, the Rangers return home tonight needing a victory to get back in their series with New Jersey.

The Devils are road favorites, opening as 140 chalk, with an opening total of 5. They are 48-27-9 this season and 32-46-6 OU. The Rangers are 44-28-12 and are 33-49-2 OU.

Lou Lamoriello's troops hosted New York last game and came away with a 4-1 win, a game that went under 5.5. Oddsmakers had them as favorites in that one.

Rangers star Jaromir Jagr is considered doubtful for tonight's game.

Hurricanes Need a Victory

Carolina will be desperate for a victory tonight to get back into their series with the Canadiens, when the two hit the ice at the Bell Centre for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Oddsmakers like the Canadiens in this one, opening the line at 110 in favor of Montreal. They are 44-31-9 this season (18-11-3 in the division), while the Hurricanes are 52-23-9.

After giving up 6 goals in a loss against the Canadiens, Carolina fans expect their defence to hold the fort better against the Canadiens. If not, this one will likely go into the books as a loss.

This game is likely to come down to the Hurricanes' execution on offence. They rank 3rd in the league in scoring and look to sustain their 3.6 goals per game average against the Canadiens' #12-rated defensive unit.

Drop the Puck

While my Vancouver Canucks have gone home without making the playoffs. This years playoffs are shaping out to be very exciting. Some of the matchups that standout more than others.

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs.(8) Edmonton Oilers
The Detroit Red Wings will play host to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

Even as the eighth seed, the Oilers will not be intimidated as they took five of a possible eight points in the season series between the two rivals. Edmonton will be hoping the recent stellar play of goaltender Dwayne Roloson will give them an edge.

Oddsmakers believe the Wings will show up in high gear to start the playoffs, installing them as -280 home favorites in the series opener on Friday. The opening OVER/UNDER total stands at 6.

(1) Ottawa Senators vs.(8) Tampa Bay Lightning
The Ottawa Senators will play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

The Senators rolled to an Eastern Conference best 51-29-9 record, while the defending Stanley Cup champions from Tampa Bay finished with a record of 43-33-6, and enter the playoffs as the eighth seed in the East.

Oddsmakers set Ottawa as -255 home favorites on the opening line, with an opening total of 6.5 goals.

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks
The Nashville Predators will play host to the San Jose Sharks on Friday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series in the Western Conference.

Despite entering the playoffs as the fifth seed the Sharks are listed as -115 road favorites on the opening line, with an opening total of 6.5 goals.

(3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
The Calgary Flames will play host to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Friday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series in the Western Conference.

Calgary was set as a -170 home favorite on the opening line, with an opening total of 5 goals.

(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) New York Rangers
The New Jersey Devils will play host to the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

The Devils finished the regular season with a record of 46-27-9, while the Rangers were 44-26-12 on the year.

Oddsmakers set New Jersey as -215 home favorites on the opening line, with an opening total of 5.5 goals.

(2) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Colorado Avalanche
The Dallas Stars will play host to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

Dallas is coming in as -170 home favorites to open the series, while the game's OVER/UNDER is set at 6.

(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs.(7) Montreal Canadiens
The Carolina Hurricanes will play host to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

Carolina finished with a season record of 52-22-8, while the Canadiens sneaked into the playoffs with a record of 42-31-9.

Oddsmakers set the Canes as -190 home favorites in this game, with an opening total of 6 goals.

(4) Buffalo Sabres vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
The Buffalo Sabres will play host to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

Buffalo had their best season in franchise history, posting a record of 52-24-6, while the Flyers finished with a record of 45-26-11.

The Sabres opened as -165 home favorites in this game, with an opening total of 6 goals.

Phil Masters the Lines

Well March Madness is over and the Masters golf tournament is quickly approaching.

The Masters PGA golf tournament is a different cat altogether. Currently Tiger Woods is the early favorite according to the Bodog Masters Golf Betting page. He is followed a close second by Phil Mickelson.

I think my money is going to go on Phil Mickelson at this time. That may change between now and the first drive, but if I was a betting man (and I am) I have to go with Phil.

Packers' ink deal with Henderson

The Packers faithfull (myslef included) are very happy today to find out that William Henderson has signed on for a 12th season with the beloved Green Bay Packers.

Henderson has played all 11 of his seasons with Green Bay and is sixth in the franchise's history with 174 games played. He played in all 16 games last season, starting eight, and had 264 yards receiving.

LSU Over Duke

Happy Days! Happy Days! LSU and Big Baby left the tears last night for J.J. Redick.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis and the defensive-minded freshmen have LSU just one win away from the Final Four, stifling Redick and sending top-seeded Duke to yet another loss in the round of 16.

Davis scored 14 points despite early foul trouble, freshman Tyrus Thomas swatted away five shots and another freshman, Garrett Temple, shut down Redick to lead No. 4 seed LSU to a 62-54 upset Thursday night in the Atlanta Regional. "It feels good, but it's over," Davis said. "There's another task at hand."

Bears' Azumah Retires

Bears cornerback Jerry Azumah retired because of neck and hip pain the past two seasons, ending a seven-year career with Chicago in which he made the Pro Bowl in 2003.

Washington 75, Utah State 61

The Washington Huskies showed they are serious about competing in the NCAA Tournament with a first-round win over Utah State in the Washington, D.C. Region on Thursday.

Brandon Roy kept Washington rollin' with 28 points which allowed them to blow by the -6.5-point spread.

Georgetown 54 , Northern Iowa 49

No. 7 Georgetown Hoyas gave the Big East its first NCAA Tournament win Friday, a 54-49 victory over No. 10 Northern Iowa. That's good news for bettors who had them in their bracket and great news for bettors who picked them to cover the -4.5 spread. The game's combined total of 103 fell UNDER the posted total (115).

John Little picked up 17 points and heads to the second round where the Hoyas will play No. 2 Ohio State.

Longest Standing Team Monikers

Wow, I found this today and was suprised with some of the teams and their names.

Team, Sport -- First year under current name
"Cincinnati Reds," baseball -- 1878
"Pittsburgh Pirates," baseball -- 1891
"St. Louis Cardinals," baseball -- 1900
"Detroit Tigers," baseball -- 1901
"Chicago Cubs," baseball -- 1902
"Chicago White Sox," baseball -- 1904
"Boston Red Sox," baseball -- 1907
"New York Yankees," baseball -- 1913
"Cleveland Indians," baseball -- 1915
"Montreal Canadiens," hockey -- 1917
"Green Bay Packers," football -- 1919
"Chicago Bears," football -- 1922
"New York Giants," football -- 1925


NOTE: Basketball's oldest names are the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks (both 1946).

Ferguson still Growing

The buzz in the NFL surrounding D'Brickashaw Ferguson is not the only thing that continues to grow.

He weighed in at 312 pounds, 14 pounds heavier than his 298 weigh-in at the Senior Bowl. The tale of the tape was a bigger surprise. "I was 6-foot-5½, but I was 6-6 this week," Ferguson said with a smile.

A growing tackle is on the minds of many NFL teams, with the focus of improving pass protection becoming increasingly important in the age of scrambling quarterbacks.

Aggies' Schedule is a Drag

Texas A&M fans are holding their collective breaths in these final weeks leading up to March Madness. The Aggies' light nonconference schedule may cost them a trip to March Madness.

Saturday nights game against Baylor will more than a few Aggie fans sitting on pins and needles.

The Winter Olympics are Here

Well the Winter Olympics are here and I can hardly contain my enthusiasm (sarcasm). I was looking at different polls online today that talked about people's overall attitude towards the Olympics but more specifically the Winter Olympics and it seems that people just don't care.

One of the majour reason people don't show much interest, is because they never played the sport. That being said its not shocking hockey and figure skating tend to be the most popular sports at the Olympics.

I know their are many other stories surrounding the Olympics, and a couple particular members or coaches specifically but I wont be talking about that on here. I feel sorry for icon players they spend their whole lives with the bulk of the population looking for their flaws. I really don't understand why people love tearing down their hero's, but I assure you that will never be me!

NCAA Top 10

The NCAA Top 10 has just come in and it looks like the 2006 Final Four should be smoking hot! Here is a list of top 10 teams according to SI magazine.

1) Connecticut Huskies (21-1)
2) Duke Blue Devils (22-1)
3) Texas Longhorns (20-3)
4) Memphis Tigers (21-25)
5) West Virginia Mountaineers (17-4)
6) Villanova Wildcats (18-2)
7) Tennessee Volunteers (17-3)
8) Gonzaga Bulldogs (19-3)
9) George Washington Colonials (19-1)
10)Illinois Fighting Illini (20-3)

I'm looking for a good fantasy basketball game online. If anyone knows of a good one please leave it in the comments. Thanks

Superbowl XL Over

Well it's been a coupld days since the tragic superbowl xl and I have decided to move on. The mainstream media hasn't dropped it yet but I will!

It's March Madness time so it's time to move on.

Terrible Towels Sold at Ford Field

“Steelers towels were on sale at every souvenir stand in the stadium, Holmgren said, noting that blue-and-green Seahawks towels were not available.

That, he said, seems pretty unfair.

Wow, I would think the NFL would try to cover up the most disgusting display of biased I have ever seen on the football field, but apparently they don't care.

Steelers Win Tainted

I am still in shock after that terrible display of referring I witnessed Sunday afternoon. I am not a conspiracy theorist but I really don't know how to explain what happened to the Superbowl this year.

Was it a simple fact that the referring group wanted to see Jerome lift the trophy over his head or was it something more complex. I hope it was just a matter of a personal biased and not something more, but I think this is something the NFL cannot assume and should spend some time investigating. Now whether they investigate or not we will never know. If they find out something they don't want to know, we the loyal fans will never know.

All we ask is that it is fixed. I am not a diehard Seahawks fan, to all of you who are I apologize. It was difficult for me to swallow I can just imagine how hard it would have been for you. If the NFL does not get this under control they will loose a lot of fans to scandal much like MLB did not to many years ago.

Coyotes edge Kings in Shootout

Steve Reinprecht showed his stuff Thursday night when he scored the lone goal in the shootout following the tie at the end of regulation.

I however wasn't to please with the goal because it cost me my Los Angeles Kings for the win bet. I did however cash in on the Los Angeles with them scoring the first goal of the game in a props hockey bet.

Get Rid of the Ball

I think one of the keys to Sundays football matchup will be Hasselbeck getting the ball out quick and not trying to make something out of nothing. The Steelers linebackers are going to be coming hard on Sunday and a quick passing game will slow them down considerably.

I would not be surprised at all if they come out showing blitz then drop back in the flats to disrupt the overall game plan of the Seattle Seahawks, but we will see. I just hope Matt can bounce back after what I'm sure is at least one inevitable interception.

I will be following the Seattle spread all week to get the very best bet I can FIND.

Seattle No Underdog

Most football fans aren't giving the Seahawks a chance going into Sundays game against the Steelers, I think a big part of that is the role the Steelers have been on lately knocking off the top three seaded teams in the AFC.

What most people forget is that the Seahawks have been on a role of their own lately. If you overlook the last game of the season against the Packers the Seahawks are on a 14 game winning streak, not a bad way to be entering into the biggest game of their lives.

I think the Steelers spread is a little off base, but what people need to remeber is the general rule of sports betting is, the people who will be betting Steelers are going to place their bet early in the week while the people going with the Seahawks spread will wait till just before the game.

Either way you cut it the time is almost here. Stock the fridge and unplug the phone, cause in three days Superbowl XL will be kicking OFF!

Fans Get Their Revenge

Disgruntled Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals fans get a chance to get some revenge on Steelers fans this week when the road to super bowl leads right through the Ohio state.

Ohio State Highway Patrol is gearing up for the anticipated Black-and-Gold caravan, but insists it has nothing to do with the fact that the Steelers beat both teams during the regular season.

Superbowl gambling may not only take place on the field for Steelers fans this year!

Steelers Spread Covered!

If you have been following the Steelers spread for Sundays game, you might be interested to know that this year in the Madden 2006 Superbowl Challenge the Steelers where victories over the Seahawks by a score of 24-19.

Now this might not mean much to you but over the last couple years the Madden Superbowl challenge has been very accurate when determining a Superbowl champion. For all those people that have been sitting on the fence trying to decide which way to go, this may be an important piece of the puzzle when determining your superbowl bet!

Either way you go Sunday is shaping up to be a stellar contest.

Superbowl Betting

What a great post to be able to start my blog, superbowl betting. Superbowl is indeed the pinacle of online sports betting. It's the biggest and most watched NFL game of the year. It's the highlight of the year for every NFL junkie.

This year is shaping up to be an amazing game, between two evenly matched teams. Will the experience of Mike Holmgren win thru or will Jerome Bettis get to life the Lambardi trophy in front of his home crowd.

These are all questions that will work themselves out this coming Sunday. Enjoy the game I know I will.