Nats call on Detwiler for Sunday's start

Baseball Betting Lines

07/25/2010 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals recalled left-hander Ross Detwiler from Double-A Harrisburg to start the team's series finale versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Detwiler, who was the Nationals' sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, was 2-2 with a 2.48 earned run average over seven starts for Harrisburg this season.

The 24-year-old began the season on the disabled list after having surgery to repair a torn right hip labrum. He is 1-6 with a 4.93 ERA in 16 career games -- 14 starts -- with the big league club.

To open the roster spot, right-hander J.D. Martin was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lower back. Martin lasted only 2 1/3 innings in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Milwaukee. He allowed one run on three hits with three walks and as many strikeouts before exiting with the injury. Over nine starts with the Nats this season, Martin is 1-5 with a 4.13 ERA.

Wsouthwest Baseball Betting News

<< After busy summer, ACC ready for football season
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -So much for a lazy summer at Atlantic Coast Conference headquarters.Realignment rumors. An NCAA investigation into agent involvement with players at one of its marquee institutions.No wonder the ACC is ready for the offseason

<< 'The savior of the Big 12' - and how he did it
IRVING, Texas (AP) -A few days after the Big 12 was preserved, commissioner Dan Beebe brought together the athletic directors of the 10 remaining schools.There were lots of things to figure out. There also was some healing to do.Egos had been bruise

<< Langer wins first senior major at Carnoustie
Carnoustie, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bernhard Langer bogeyed the final hole Sunday, but it was enough to give him a one-stroke victory at the Senior British Open. Langer posted a one-over 72 to finish at five-under-par 279. The

<< Marlins recall Volstad, place Marinez on DL
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins placed pitcher Jhan Marinez on the 15-day disabled list and recalled right-hander Chris Volstad from Triple-A New Orleans. Marinez was 1-1 with a 6.75 earned run average in four relie

<< Giants' Velez put on DL
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco Giants outfielder Eugenio Velez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a head contusion and concussion suffered as a result of being hit by a foul ball during Saturday's game ag

Overbay's HR in ninth lifts Blue Jays over Tigers >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyle Overbay belted the tie-breaking two-run homer in the ninth inning, boosting the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a doubleheader. Jose Molina also clubbed a two-run sh

McMurray wins Brickyard 400, gives Ganassi "triple crown" >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie McMurray gave team owner Chip Ganassi a trifecta in American motorsports on Sunday by the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. McMurray, who won the Daytona 500 in February, gra

Pettersson comes from behind for Canadian Open win >>
Etobicoke, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sweden's Carl Pettersson posted a three-under 67 on Sunday to come from behind and win the Canadian Open at St. George's Golf & Country Club. Pettersson finished at 14-under 266 and won by a singl

Mets' Dickey departs start against Dodgers >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey left Sunday's start against Los Angeles in the sixth inning. Dickey landed awkwardly while delivering a pitch to Russell Martin but the veteran right-hander recovered t

Brigman wins in Columbus >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.J. Brigman fired a seven-under 64 on Sunday to come from behind and win the Children's Hospital Invitational at The Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Brigman finished at 10-under 274 and won by a str

MySportsbook.com offers Blackjack contest and $10,000.00 in Free Prize money!

Every month MySportsbook.com's casino host, Jack Black, gives away $10,000.00 in free casino prize money. To Enter - All you have to do is play at least 10 hands (total) of Blackjack on one of the specified dates of the blackjack contest. The online casino host randomly hands out free bonuses ranging from $50 - $500, and one lucky player who will receive a free $2,500.00 bonus.

"We have been running this monthly free blackjack contest to our active mebers for 5 years now, and the players just love it," says Jack Black, online casino host at MySportsbook.com. "And why wouldn't they love a free chance to win some extra online blackjack cash."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.

Sportsbooks to bet on football

Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.

He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.

"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.

He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.

Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.

Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.

Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.

Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.

With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.

Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).

And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)

The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.

While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.

Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.

One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.

Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.

What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.

That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.

MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.

"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.

"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."

So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.

In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.

MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.

The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.

Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.

MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.

To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.