Archive for August 19th, 2008
MLB Betting Odds – Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies (Aug 22-25)
For the best odds on online baseball betting, make sure to visit the Pinnacle Sportsbook before the series between the Phillies and Dodgers gets underway on Friday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-60, -4.13 units) look to continue their dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies (66-58, -4.18 units) when the teams meet this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, and you can get 60% better MLB betting lines at PinnacleSports.com, offering 8 cent moneylines and 10 cent runlines.
The Brewers won 16 of their first 24 games after the All-Star break, and led the NL wild-card race going into this week by three games over their division rival St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee is proving itself this season by winning on the road; after going 32-49 away from home last year, the Brewers are 32-28 on the road this season.
The Dodgers swept the Phillies in their four-game set last week at Dodger Stadium, winning 3-1 on August 14 as -117 home favourites at the Pinnacle Sportsbook. Hiroki Kuroda allowed only one run over seven innings to earn the win for Los Angeles, as the game played under the 8.5-run total.
Lefthander Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 3.59 ERA) gets the ball for the Dodgers in Game 1, while the Phillies counter with Kyle Kendrick (10-7, 5.01 ERA). Kershaw is 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA over his last three starts, which bodes well for Los Angeles punters considering Kendrick’s last few outings. The Phillies righthander has a 9.00 ERA in his last three trips to the hill.
The starters have not yet been announced for Saturday’s Game 2, but it’s Kuroda (7-8, 3.68 ERA) against Phillies righty Joe Blanton (6-12, 4.79 ERA) for Sunday’s showdown. Kuroda is undefeated over his last three trips to the hill with a sparkling 1.21 ERA, as Blanton heads into the game with a 1-0 record and stellar 2.37 ERA in the month of August.
Both teams enter the pivotal series with injury trouble. Dodgers’ second baseman Jeff Kent is dealing with a sore left foot, and Andruw Jones is on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendonitis in his knee. Phillies’ third baseman Pedro Feliz is on the 15-day DL with a bulging disc in his back, while setup man Tom Gordon remains sidelined with inflammation in his right elbow.
The series finale is set for Monday night at 7:05 PM EST. The starting pitchers have not yet been announced.
Check back at Pinnacle Sports betting for updated odds on this and every other MLB series.
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August 19th, 2008
We thought we’s share the latest blog from the team at Bodog Sport UK on their views on this weeks’ England Captaincy announcement – ah, say what you think guys…don’t hold back. Really!
And the England captain is…. John Terry. Booooooo!
We should have guessed when all the newspapers this morning reckoned Rio Ferdinand would get the permanent job of captaining England that canny ol’ Fabio Capello would throw a curveball and go for someone completely different. So it’s not Rio, who has barely put a foot out of place in the last two seasons for Man. United, who is easily the best defender England has, who has impressed all and sundry with his mature displays in the centre of defence for club and country.
It’s John flamin’ Terry. Terry, who has been injured on and off for the past two seasons. Terry, whose form has flitted between poor, indifferent and average for those two seasons. Terry, who slipped over when handed the chance to win the Champions League, thus screwing his penalty wide in Moscow.
And Terry, who was captain under Steve McClaren’s miserable tenure and so, has actually proven that when it comes down to the serious business of qualifying for a major tournament, he cannot inspire his teammates to win – or eve draw (remember Croatia at home?) the big games.
John Terry, England captain. Humph. Wrong choice, Fabio.
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August 19th, 2008
With the Premier League barely a couple of days old Fabio Capello faces his first international fixture of the season, and his last friendly outing before next month’s World Cup qualifiers – where he’ll really earn, or waste, his wages.
The hot topic going into the Wembley fixture on Wednesday night surrounds his choice of strikers. Despite a great pre-season for Darren Bent and a big money move for Peter Crouch both have been left out of the side, which many see as an indication of Capello’s first choice for the qualifiers ahead.
It’s Emile Heskey who is the shock inclusion. What he lacks in goalscoring form, he more than makes up for in being there at the right time. Remember, he got himself on the scoresheet against the Germans in that famous 5-1 victory. And in the Euro 2008 qualifiers he hit some form at just the right time. Infact, only injury ruled him out of the important final few games. Who knows, had he played maybe England would’ve had a more interesting summer schedule.
The other topic of discussion is based around the captaincy role. Capello is due to name his permanent leader ahead of the friendly with the Czechs. Those in the know suggest it’s a clear cut contest between John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. It could be argued that Ferdinand has the mental toughness and recent accolades to warrant the role, but does the Italian risk upsetting the cart in what has been a disappointing year for Terry so far?
Back to the task in hand though – Capello will be looking for a win on Wednesday night. He’s done his experimenting, has had a look at the players he deems suitable for the starting eleven and is now raring to go in the build up to World Cup 2010.
Bet on England v Czech Republic at Bodog Sports
Czech Republic should provide good competition, they are ranked eighth in the world after all. There’s no doubting their skill on the pitch, and their threat in front of goal, but Capello will be well aware of their defensive frailties, as highlighted at the Euro championships. Ever-dependable goalkeeper Petr Cech has had a few howlers in recent months, star player Tomas Rosicky is still crocked and main striker Jan Koller has now retired, so an England victory is expected.
Wayne Rooney will be looking to get back on track after only managing five goals in three years for his country, largely due to injury. Who starts alongside him remains unclear. Jermain Defoe has pace but lacks that killer touch at the top level. Theo Walcott has skill but inexperience. Emile Heskey plays best in a supporting role – perhaps too similar to Rooney.
Capello could choose to try the 4-3-3 formation with Walcott and Joe Cole supporting the Man Utd man – it worked very well for Chelsea at the weekend after all. David Bentley will be snapping at his chance to earn a first England goal though, and judging by his pre-season form it’d be foolish to not utilize his ever-improving output.
Prediction: A morale-boosting win for England
Bet on England to win the World Cup 2010 at Bodog Sports
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August 19th, 2008