Lowrie homer leads Red Sox past Jays in 11

Baseball Betting Lines

08/21/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jed Lowrie led off the bottom of the 11th inning with the game-winning homer, as Boston outlasted Toronto, 5-4, in the middle test of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

Lowrie crushed a Casey Janssen (4-2) offering into the bullpen in right field, giving the Sox a measure of revenge for being on the wrong end of a 16-2 blowout loss Friday in the series opener.

The hit made a winner of Jonathan Papelbon (5-5), who turned in a scoreless top of the frame.

Victor Martinez finished 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Red Sox, who stopped a two-game slide. Daisuke Matsuzaka started and allowed six hits and four runs with eight strikeouts and three walks over eight innings.

Lyle Overbay hit a two-run shot while John Buck and John McDonald knocked in a run each for the Blue Jays, who have lost three of four.

Ricky Romero got the nod for Toronto and gave up nine hits and four runs while fanning eight over seven full frames.

The Sox picked up two runs in the third. Darnell McDonald walked with one out and Marco Scutaro followed with a double, then after J.D. Drew was hit by a pitch Martinez knocked in a pair with a base hit.

John McDonald's RBI double with two down in the fourth got the Jays on the board, but a tying run in Overbay was thrown out at the plate to end the frame.

Boston added two more runs in the fifth with run-scoring hits by Martinez and Adrian Beltre, but Toronto countered with three in the sixth on a Buck sacrifice fly and a two-run shot from Overbay.

Although they had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth, the Red Sox failed to score after Darnell McDonald fanned and Scutaro grounded into a fielder's choice.

The home team also failed to get a runner home from first in the ninth.

Game Notes

Boston has won 10 of the 14 meetings with Toronto this season, and three of five at Fenway...Red Sox DH David Ortiz saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end...Scutaro ended with three hits and Drew notched a pair.

Wwwbingogala Baseball Betting News

<< Diop, Kamara help Wizards rout Revs
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Birahim Diop scored two goals and assisted on another as the Kansas City Wizards cruised to a 4-1 win over the New England Revolution at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday. Diop scored twice in

<< Bucs rally to down Chiefs; Freeman hurts thumb
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rudy Carpenter completed 8-of-11 passes for 79 yards and the game-winning touchdown to lead Tampa Bay to a 20-15 come-from- behind win over Kansas City at Raymond James Stadium. Buccaneers starting quarterback Jo

<< Ching's hat trick helps Dynamo snap 10-game skid
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Ching scored a hat trick and the Houston Dynamo edged the Chicago Fire in a seven-goal thriller Saturday night, 4-3, at Robertson Stadium to snap a 10-game winless skid in Major League Soccer. Ching scor

<< Miyazato still in front at Safeway Classic
North Plains, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ai Miyazato posted a five-under 67 on Saturday to stay atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Safeway Classic. Miyazato, the first-round leader of this 54-hole event, finished two round

<< Three-for-three: Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol week
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch became the first driver in NASCAR to win all three of its national touring series races on the same week after taking Saturday's IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, who won

Enright and Upton carry DBacks past Rockies >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Enright pitched into the seventh inning and Justin Upton finally got the best of Ubaldo Jimenez by hitting the go- ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, as Arizona topped Colorado, 3-1, at Chase F

Daniel leads Saints over Texans >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chase Daniel completed 15-of-21 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns, leading the New Orleans Saints to a 38-20 preseason victory over the Houston Texans. Daniel also threw an interception in r

Longtime Pistons PR director Dobek passes away >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Dobek, who served in the Detroit Pistons organization for 29 years up until this past May, passed away at the age of 51. The Detroit Free Press reported Dobek's death, but cited no reason for his

Folk, Jets edge Panthers >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Folk booted three field goals to lead New York to a 9-3 win over Carolina at Bank of America Stadium. Mark Sanchez completed 5-of-10 passes for 12 yards and Joe McKnight carried 11 times for 28 yards

Rams edge Browns on late FG >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Brown kicked four field goals, including the game-winning 28-yard boot late in the fourth quarter, as St. Louis grabbed a 19-17 preseason win over Cleveland. A.J. Feeley led the Rams on a

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.