Tigers pin hopes on Galarraga in finale with Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

09/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Streaking righty Armando Galarraga can stay perfect for his career against Kansas City today when the Detroit Tigers visit the Royals in the finale of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

The Tigers won Friday's opener and moved within a game of a sweep on Saturday when Austin Jackson went 3-for-4 and singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for a 6-4 win.

Jackson also hit a home run in the fifth inning for Detroit, which has won three in a row. Miguel Cabrera, who did not play Friday because of biceps tendinitis, added a two-run double in the victory.

Rick Porcello (8-11) took the victory after pitching seven innings, in which he allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless ninth to get his 25th save and spared the Tigers from playing a fourth consecutive extra-inning game.

They lost to Minnesota in 10 innings Wednesday before beating the Twins in 13 the following day. Detroit then won the opener of this series in the 11th inning Friday.

Billy Butler had three hits, while Kila Ka'aihue added a two-run homer and drove in three to lead the Royals' offense. Ka'aihue has three homers this season, all against Detroit.

Bruce Chen got the start for Kansas City, which has lost three in a row, and allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Galarraga, best known for his near perfect game earlier this season against Cleveland, has pitched particularly well in his last three starts - allowing just three runs in 16 hits in 19 1/3 innings.

He defeated the Indians, 6-0, on Aug. 20 and has picked up no-decisions in his last starts against Kansas City and Minnesota, both Tigers losses.

Against the Royals on Aug. 25, he gave up a run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He is 2-0 against them in seven lifetime games with a 2.56 earned run average.

Galarraga is 1-2 in seven road starts in 2010.

For Kansas City, righty Kyle Davies gets the start four days before his 27th birthday. The Georgia native is seeking a first win since Aug. 13 against the New York Yankees, when he allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings of a 4-3 triumph.

In three starts since, he's allowed 29 hits and 13 runs in 20 1/3 innings against Cleveland, Detroit and Texas.

The Tigers drilled him for 12 hits and seven runs in a 9-1 rout on Aug. 24 at Comerica Park, lowering his career record against them to 2-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 10 starts.

He is 2-5 in 12 home starts this season.

The Tigers have won eight of 14 meetings with the Royals so far this season.

Sporysbook Baseball Betting News

<< Ishikawa wins playoff in Japan
Yamanashi, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryo Ishikawa knocked off Shunsuke Sonoda in a playoff Sunday to repeat as champion at the Fujisankei Classic. Ishikawa closed with a one-under 70, while Sonoda posted a four-under 67. They finished at ni

<< Runnin' over Rebels: Badgers win on strong ground game
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Clay ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, as 12th-ranked Wisconsin used its ground game to take a resounding 41-21 win over UNLV in the teams' season-opener. Clay picked up right where he lef

<< Giants rally past Dodgers, close gap with Padres
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Uribe hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to cap San Francisco's comeback, as the Giants edged the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, in the middle test of a three-game series. The Giants trailed by four

<< Talbot gets elusive win as Indians edge Mariners
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mitch Talbot pitched into the seventh inning and won for the first time since late June, as the Indians held off the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, in the third installment of a four-game series. Talbot (9-1

<< No. 21 LSU escapes late charge from Yates, No. 18 UNC
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - T.J. Yates led 18th-ranked North Carolina to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and nearly a third on the final play of the game, but it wasn't enough for the short-handed Tar Heels, as No. 21 LSU barely

Davis goes for seventh straight win in Baltimore >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis has been awfully tough to beat over the past two-plus months. Against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher has been just about invincible during his brief tenure in the majors. Davis tries to extend

White Sox target rare sweep at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After putting what could be the final nail in the coffin in regards to the Boston Red Sox' playoff hopes with Saturday's performance, the Chicago White Sox now set their sights on earning their first series sweep in Fenway Pa

Yanks should have A-Rod back for finale with Jays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have put together their longest winning streak of the season without the presence of Alex Rodriguez in their lineup. The All-Star third baseman hopes to provide the American League East leaders a further

Minor shoots for fourth straight win in rubber match with Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Minor goes for a fourth straight win this afternoon when the Atlanta Braves play the rubber match of their three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium. After getting a no-decision in his b

Cellar-dwellers wrap up set at PNC Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling one-win pitchers square off today at PNC Park when the host Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Washington Nationals meet in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series. The Nationals dropped Friday's o

MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.