10/06/2008 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell's torn labrum in his right hip will keep him out of the starting lineup for Game 4 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Lowell, who is hitless in eight at-bats in the series, missed Game 2 due to the hip condition. He has been hampered for the past few months, and recorded just one at-bat in Boston's final 11 regular season games.
Kevin Youkilis will move across the diamond from first base to play third, and Mark Kotsay will play first base. J.D. Drew, who sat out Game 3 with a bad back, is back in the lineup in right field. Drew struck out Sunday in a pinch- hit appearance but recorded the game-winning home run in Game 2 on Friday.
In the Angels lineup, Mike Napoli was moved to sixth after hitting two home runs in Sunday's game. Juan Rivera was dropped a spot to seventh after going 0-for-3.
The Red Sox lead the series 2-1, with Boston's Jon Lester squaring off against Los Angeles' John Lackey. Lester got the best of Lackey in Game 1, as Boston took the game 4-1.
<< Arizona State QB Carpenter questionable for USC game
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter is
questionable for Saturday's game at No. 8 USC.
"We need to get the OK from the doctor, and then see how he moves out there
(in practice)," said Arizona State
<< Report: Vikings' Henderson placed on injured reserve
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker E.J.
Henderson has reportedly been placed on injured reserve after dislocating two
toes on his left foot, ending his season.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported
<< Toronto's Hollweg suspended for two games
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Ryan Hollweg
received an automatic two-game suspension on Monday after receiving his third
boarding or checking from behind major in a 41-game span.
The third penalty came
<< Sprague, Kevin Harvick Inc. part ways in Truck Series
Kernersville, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
champion Jack Sprague has been released as driver of the No.2 Chevrolet, Kevin
Harvick Inc. officials announced Monday.
KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will assume
Red Sox 3B Lowell off active roster >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell's
torn labrum in his right hip forced the team to take him off the ALDS roster,
making him ineligible for the rest of the series against the Angels and for a
possibl
Indians' Lewis, Reds' Votto named Rookies of Month for September >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Indians pitcher Scott Lewis and
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto were named AL and NL Rookie of the
Month, respectively, for the month of September.
Lewis, 25, went 4-0 with a 2.6
Rays roll over White Sox, punch ticket to ALCS >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - B.J. Upton hit two solo homers, and the Tampa
Bay Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-2, to clinch their first berth in
an American League Championship Series in franchise history.
Andy Sonnanstine (1-0
Padres' Bard, Estes elect for free agency >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego Padres catcher Josh Bard and
pitcher Shawn Estes both cleared waivers and elected for free agency, the team
announced Monday.
Bard, 30, hit just .202 with 16 RBI in 57 games of an injury
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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