Blue Jays, Orioles set to begin stretch of divisional games

Baseball Betting Lines

05/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Already 18 games out of first place in the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles can at least try to have some fun by shaking up the standings with 12 straight matchups against their division opponents.

The Orioles will kick off their tour through the AL East tonight with the first of three straight meetings with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. They will also visit the Yankees for three games before hosting Boston and New York for six encounters at Camden Yards.

Baltimore has dropped four of five and nine of its last 12 games, including the final two portions of a three-game home series versus the Oakland Athletics. In Thursday's 7-5 loss to the A's, Mark Hendrickson gave up three runs during a decisive five-run eighth inning to absorb the loss and blow a three-run lead for the Orioles, who got seven innings out of starter Brad Bergesen. Bergesen permitted four runs on four hits and three walks.

"You take a three-run lead in there to the eighth and a lot of things happen that don't go your way," said O's manager Dave Trembley. "You make the decisions that you think are the right ones and you hope they work out."

Miguel Tejada drove in two runs, Matt Wieters had two hits and an RBI and Julio Lugo finished 3-for-5 with a run scored in defeat.

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones finished with two hits and has hit in a career- high 13 straight games, going 16-for-50 with a .320 batting average in that time. He has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 contests.

Innings-eater Kevin Millwood could use some offensive firepower when he takes the mound tonight for the O's. Millwood is 0-4 with a 3.71 earned run average in 10 starts and has posted three straight no-decisions. He previously took the hill at Nationals Park in Washington on Sunday and gave up three runs, struck out eight and allowed eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss.

Millwood is 0-3 in five road starts this season and will face Toronto for the second time in 2010. He lost to the Blue Jays in a 5-2 decision on April 11 at Camden Yards, where he yielded four runs (1 earned) over 7 2/3 frames. The veteran right-hander is just 2-5 with a 4.80 ERA in 10 career starts against Toronto and is 1-3 in six lifetime starts at Rogers Centre.

Toronto commences its own barrage of matchups with the American League East and will kick off a nine-game homestand Friday versus the Orioles, Rays and Yankees. It will then visit Tampa Bay for three meetings to complete the 12- game journey against division foes.

The Blue Jays have dropped five of seven games and just lost the last two installments of a three-game road set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They suffered a 6-5 loss in Wednesday's series finale as Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu drove in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth.

Scott Downs was saddled with the loss, while Edwin Encarnacion and Jeremy Reed had two RBI apiece for the Blue Jays, who went 3-5 on an eight-game road trip.

"Our guys never quit. It's another tough loss," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "I like the way our guys kept battling."

Brandon Morrow started for the Jays and did not factor in the decision after allowing three runs and three hits in five innings.

Toronto is currently tied with Boston at 6 1/2 games off the AL East lead.

Shaun Marcum will lead the Jays into tonight's series opener and has been on a roll since late April. Marcum opened the season 0-1 with a 4.00 earned run average in his first four starts, but is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA in six starts since. He is coming off last Sunday's 12-4 win at Arizona in which he scattered three runs through five innings. Marcum also struck out eight batters to push his 2010 mark to 4-1 in 10 starts.

The right-hander faced Baltimore earlier this season in a 5-2 win at Camden Yards, but did not record a decision with six innings of two-run ball. Marcum is only 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA in 11 career games -- nine starts -- in this series.

Toronto swept the Orioles in three games back in early April and has won eight of the past 11 contests between the clubs. Baltimore is winless in its last five visits to Rogers Centre.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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