Braves take hot streak into Pittsburgh

Baseball Betting Lines

05/09/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves will try to stay unbeaten this month as they open a seven-game road trip with tonight's first of four straight games against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Atlanta is coming off a perfect six-game homestand in which it swept both Cincinnati and San Diego at Turner Field. In Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Padres in the finale of a three-game series, Matt Diaz ripped an RBI single in the ninth inning to score Yunel Escobar, who went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. Greg Norton drove in two runs for the Braves.

Jo-Jo Reyes started on the mound for Atlanta, but left in the third inning with a blister on the index finger of his left hand. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. Buddy Carlyle then took the mound in place of Reyes, but left in the fifth after colliding with Kevin Kouzmanoff. Carlyle had let up one run on one hit with a walk in two innings.

Manny Acosta was credited with the win after getting the final out of the top of the ninth.

The Braves are 4-11 away from home this season and have dropped four straight on the road.

Taking the ball for Atlanta tonight will be veteran Tom Glavine, who is just 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts this season. Glavine, who hasn't recorded a win since beating Houston last September, made his second start since coming off the disabled list with a hamstring injury Sunday versus Cincinnati. He gave up six runs and seven hits with five walks in 4 2/3 innings of a 14-7 win over the Reds, his second straight no decision.

Glavine faced the Pirates on March 31 of this season and did not factor in his team's 12-11 setback. In that game he allowed two runs -- one earned -- in five frames.

The lefty is 22-12 with a 3.09 earned run average in 44 career starts against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is coming off a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants to open a seven-game homestand. Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 victory, while Jason Bay went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ryan Doumit drove in a pair of runs for the Pirates, who have won four of their last six contests.

Bucs starter Paul Maholm yielded four runs on six hits in six innings of work for the no decision. Franquelis Osoria got the win for pitching one inning of scoreless relief.

The Pirates are 9-7 in the Steel City this season.

Ian Snell gets the call for the Pirates on Friday, and he is 2-2 with a 5.09 ERA in seven starts this season. Snell is 0-2 in his last four trips to the mound, as he was roughed up for four runs and 10 hits in six innings Sunday at Washington.

Snell faced the Braves on March 31 and did not record a decision after surrendering four runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.96 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against Atlanta.

Pittsburgh won two of three games against the Braves from March 31-April 3 at Turner Field. Atlanta went 5-1 in last season's series, with a 2-1 record at PNC Park.

Wwwwincity Baseball Betting News


<< Phillies continue western swing in San Francisco
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The struggling San Francisco Giants will open a 10-game homestand this evening, when they welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to AT&T Park for the first of three straight games. San Francisco has lost four in a

<< A pair of aces to highlight Padres-Rockies opener
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A solid pitching matchup is on tap tonight at Petco Park, where Jake Peavy will lead the San Diego Padres against Aaron Cook and the NL West-rival Colorado Rockies. Peavy is 4-1 with a 2.22 earned run average in seven

<< Reeling Brewers return home to face Central-leading Cards
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers are back at home after a lengthy road trip, and they will try to stop a six-game slide tonight in the first of four straight games versus the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Milwaukee went 2-7 o

<< Marlins try to keep up season success against Nats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NL East-leading Florida Marlins will try to extend their current winning streak to a season-high five games tonight, when they begin a seven-game road trip with the first of three straight meetings with Washing

<< Tribe hopes to solve its struggles at Progressive Field
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Beginning tonight against Toronto, the Cleveland Indians will play each of their next seven games at home. While that usually is a blessing for any team, the Indians are just 8-11 at Progressive Field. Last weekend, they w

AL West rivals square off in Arlington >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of American League West members on good recent rolls begin a three-game series tonight in the Lone Star State, where the Texas Rangers take on an Oakland Athletics squad in search of a fifth consecutive victory. O

O's try to continue dominance of KC >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles will attempt to maintain their recent dominance of the Kansas City Royals when the two teams continue a four- game series tonight at Kauffman Stadium. Baltimore has now won 10 straight encounters wit

Red Sox make trip to Metrodome >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The defending world champion Boston Red Sox make their lone regular-season visit to the Metrodome this weekend, when the American League powerhouses start up a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins that begins this evenin

D'Backs, Cubs start series at Wrigley >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of playoff hopefuls get together for a three-game series that begins this afternoon at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first meeting between the teams since last year's Natio

White Sox start trip at Safeco >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox start up a 10-game road trip with tonight's visit to Seattle's Safeco Field, where the club will begin a three- game series with the badly-struggling Seattle Mariners. Seattle has dropped eight of it


Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup

September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com.  The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans. 

Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to  name a  few.  Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR.  They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.

The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer.  Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.

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

Ryder Cup Odds

Europe
Tie
USA
4-5
10-1
6-5


Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich
9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1


Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson
5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com