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Phils try to take commanding World Series lead in Game 2 against RaysBaseball Betting Lines10/23/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Myers tries to give the Philadelphia Phillies a commanding two games-to-none lead in the 104th World Series this evening, when they play Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Philadelphia snatched home-field advantage in the series with a thrilling Game 1 victory in this best-of-seven set on Wednesday, as Chase Utley belted a two- run homer in the opening inning and Cole Hamels threw seven strong frames to help the Phillies to a 3-2 win. Shane Victorino scored on a Carlos Ruiz groundout in the fourth inning for what proved to be the winning run, and the Phillies were victorious despite going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Hamels (1-0), the MVP of the NL Championship Series when the Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowed five hits, two runs and had five strikeouts against a pair of walks. The 24-year-old lefty moved to 4-0 with a 1.55 earned run average in the 2008 playoffs. Brad Lidge, who hasn't blown a save all year, worked his slider to perfection in the ninth inning, as the Philadelphia closer struck out Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria before getting Carl Crawford to pop out to third baseman Pedro Feliz in foul territory to finish the game. It was Lidge's 47th save this year, counting the postseason. The team that has won the opening game has won the last five and 10 of the last 11 World Series. Crawford homered in the fourth inning and Akinori Iwamura's third hit of the night, an RBI double in the fifth, accounted for the other Tampa Bay run. The Rays were limited to five hits, none after the fifth inning. Their No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters in the lineup - B.J. Upton, Pena and Longoria - went 0-for-12 with five strikeouts Upton has belted seven home runs this postseason, one shy of the major league record held by Barry Bonds (2002) and Carlos Beltran, who did it with the Houston Astros in 2004. Myers, meanwhile, is 2-0 this postseason but has pitched to a 5.25 ERA. He won his NLCS start against the Dodgers despite surrendering five runs and six hits in five innings. The 28-year-old right-hander, who was 10-13 with a 4.55 ERA during the regular season, was just 3-8 away from home this season with a 6.21 ERA in 16 starts. Myers' biggest contribution this postseason may have come at the plate, where he is 4-for-5 with three RBI. Of course, with this game being played in the AL park, he won't get a chance to hit with the designated hitter being used. Getting the call for the Rays will be righty James Shields, who lost both of his ALCS starts to the Boston Red Sox. Shields pitched Game 6 on Saturday against the Red Sox, surrendering four runs (3 earned) and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of his team's 4-2 setback. Shields hasn't lost three straight starts since dropping four in a row from June 15-July 1, 2007. The 26-year-old hurler beat the Phillies the only other time he faced them, giving up three runs and six hits in six innings back in 2006. The Rays and the 1991 Atlanta Braves are the only teams to reach the World Series a year after finishing with the worst record in the majors. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993 and is trying to claim just its second World Series title since its inception way back in 1893. There also hasn't been a title in any of the four major sports in the City of Brotherly Love since 1983, when the 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship.
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will try to rebound from their first loss of the season, as they visit the Colorado Avalanche tonight at the Pepsi Center. Edmonton opened up the season with four straight wins, its best start si
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Ovechkin, Caps pay a visit to Coyotes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning NHL scoring champ Alexander Ovechkin will try to get on track tonight, as his Washington Capitals visit the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena. Ovechkin led the league with 65 goals a year ago, but has gotten
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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance. Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it? If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.) Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa). In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech. Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down. (Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28) If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you. Atlantic Coast Conference Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Work left to do: Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's. Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win). Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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