Cubs vie for perfect homestand, sweep of fading Rockies

Baseball Betting Lines

06/01/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have an opportunity for a perfect week- long homestand, which concludes with this afternoon's finale of a four-game set with the downtrodden Colorado Rockies.

Chicago began the residency with a three-game sweep of Los Angeles and has won the first three tests of this series after holding on for a 5-4 victory over the Rockies on Saturday.

The Cubs have now won 10 of their last 11 matchups at Wrigley Field, including seven in a row, and have amassed a superb 25-8 mark at home this season.

Alfonso Soriano led yesterday's charge with a two-run homer and an RBI single, while Geovany Soto smacked a pair of doubles and knocked in one run for the National League Central-leading Cubs.

Chicago starter Ryan Dempster (7-2) battled through five innings but managed to pick up his seventh win of the year. The former closer allowed three runs and walked four batters, but struck out seven Rockies to improve to 7-0 at Wrigley Field in 2008.

Dempster also helped his cause with an RBI double in the second inning and scored on Soriano's 12th homer of the season.

Ex-Cub Glendon Rusch (1-3) surrendered five runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings to suffer the loss in his Rockies debut. The veteran left-hander signed a minor-league deal with Colorado on May 16 and was promoted from Triple-A to start Saturday's contest.

Omar Quintanilla had a two-run homer for the Rockies, losers of six straight games, while Todd Helton and Scott Podsednik delivered solo shots in defeat.

Colorado is 0-6 thus far on a 10-game road trip and have dropped 16 of its last 18 outings as the visitor. The Rockies are a woeful 8-22 on the road this season.

The defending NL champions have also lost seven straight times at Wrigley Field and are 3-10 over their last 13 overall encounters with the Cubs. Chicago has won four of its five 2008 meetings with Colorado.

Chicago will shoot for the sweep today behind rookie Sean Gallagher, who has impressed since being inserted into the team's rotation earlier this month. The 22-year-old has won two of his last three starts and is fresh off an excellent performance against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Gallagher hurled a career-high seven innings in that game and limited Los Angeles to one run and just four hits to lead Chicago to a 3-1 decision. He was also sharp in his previous start at home, a 7-4 victory over Pittsburgh in which Gallagher delivered six innings of one-run ball.

The young right-hander faced the Rockies once in relief last August, but was tagged for four runs and three hits while getting just two outs.

Colorado will hand the ball today to slumping youngster Ubaldo Jimenez. Like his team, the well-regarded 24-year-old has not had the success many anticipated this season, as the 1-5 record and 5.37 earned run average he brings into this afternoon's tilt will attest.

Jimenez had seemingly turned the corner when he threw seven shutout innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on May 21, but the Dominican native regressed badly in Tuesday's start at Philadelphia. Jimenez was hammered for seven runs and 10 hits in just four innings by the Phillies to receive the loss.

The right-hander's first major league start came at Wrigley Field on October 1, 2006, with Jimenez getting a no-decision after allowing four runs -- three earned -- in 6 2/3 innings. He was also rocked for nine runs (5 earned) in only two innings in a 10-2 loss to Chicago at Coors Field last August.

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Stanley Cup betting

New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.

The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.

MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.

Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.

Stanley Cup Odds    

 Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings 
Carolina Hurricanes  
San Jose Sharks     
Anaheim Ducks    
Philadelphia Flyers 
Calgary Flames     
New Jersey Devils 
Buffalo Sabres   
Dallas Stars    
New York Rangers  
Nashville Predators  
Vancouver Canucks 
Colorado Avalanche  
Minnesota Wild    
Tampa Bay Lightning    
Boston Bruins    
Florida Panthers   
Montreal Canadiens   
Atlanta Thrashers 
Toronto Maple Leafs  
Edmonton Oilers      
Phoenix Coyotes    
Los Angeles Kings      
New York Islanders   
Columbus Blue Jackets  
St. Louis Blues      
Pittsburgh Penguins 
Washington Capitals   
Chicago Blackhawks    
7-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
80-1
80-1
100-1
100-1 

NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games 

Team     
Ottawa Senators      
Anaheim Ducks 
Detroit Red Wings   
Nashville Predators 
San Jose Sharks 
Calgary Flames     
Philadelphia Flyers    
New Jersey Devils     
Buffalo Sabres    
Carolina Hurricanes       
Dallas Stars          
New York Rangers   
Minnesota Wild     
Atlanta Thrashers     
Montreal Canadiens    
Team        
Los Angeles Kings           
Tampa Bay Lightening   
Vancouver Canucks 
Boston Bruins       
Colorado Avalanche 
Edmonton Oilers  
Phoenix Coyotes  
Toronto Maple Leafs   
Florida Panthers 
Columbus Blue Jackets   
New York Islanders   
Chicago Blackhawks  
St. Louis Blues  
Washington Capitals 
Pittsburgh Penguins  
Over/Under
108.5
106.5
104.5
104.5
103.5
101.5
100.5
99.5
97.5
97.5
97.5
95.5
94.5
93.5
92.5
Over/Under
91.5
91.5
91.5
89.5
89.5
88.5
88.5
86.5
84.5
82.5
80.5
72.5
72.5
72.5
71.5

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.

MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.