Yanks should have A-Rod back for finale with Jays

Baseball Betting Lines

09/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have put together their longest winning streak of the season without the presence of Alex Rodriguez in their lineup. The All-Star third baseman hopes to provide the American League East leaders a further boost when he makes an expected return to action for this afternoon's clash with the Toronto Blue Jays from Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez hasn't played since leaving an August 20 contest against Seattle with a strained left calf, but the Yankees haven't been hindered by the three- time AL MVP's absence. New York has gone 11-3 since Rodriguez went on the DL and prevailed for the eighth consecutive time with Saturday's 7-5 triumph over the Blue Jays in the second test of this three-game series.

The surge, coupled with Tampa Bay's loss to Baltimore last night, has moved the Bronx Bombers 2 1/2 games up on the Rays for first place in the AL East as well as the best record in baseball.

Marcus Thames knocked in the deciding runs in Saturday's matchup by belting a tie-breaking two-run homer off Toronto reliever Jason Frasor in the bottom of the seventh inning. The blast followed a two-out single by Robinson Cano, who finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI on the afternoon.

Big. Huge home run," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi about Thames' shot. "Marcus has been a huge addition for us."

Joba Chamberlain, one of five New York relievers for the game, received the win after keeping the Jays off the board in the top of the seventh. Kerry Wood followed with a shutout inning before Mariano Rivera worked a scoreless ninth for his 29th save of the year.

Yankees starter Javier Vazquez lasted only 4 2/3 innings and was reached for five runs while walking four batters. Marc Rzepczynski wasn't any better for Toronto, allowing five runs and issuing three walks before exiting after four innings.

"You can't walk people and expect to survive, especially when you're dealing with a team like the Yankees, Boston or anybody in the East Division," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston remarked. "You have to throw strikes."

The Yankees will be aiming to string together nine straight victories for the first time since May 13-21, 2009 and will have 16-game winner Phil Hughes on the hill for today's finale. The All-Star hurler has compiled a 10-3 record at home during his breakthrough campaign, although he's pitched to a so-so 4.60 earned run average and surrendered 16 homers in 88 innings over those 15 Yankee Stadium starts.

Hughes has an opportunity to atone for a poor outing against the Blue Jays in Toronto on August 25, when the young right-hander was tagged for five runs and walked five while throwing 104 pitches in just 3 2/3 innings to take a loss. He also walked five batters in Tuesday's home assignment against Oakland, but was able to limit the damage to two runs in five innings and got plenty of offensive support in a 9-3 win.

The 24-year-old did come through with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball to defeat Toronto in the Bronx on August 4 and is 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA in 15 career appearances (eight starts) against Toronto.

Brett Cecil opposed Hughes in that August 25 tilt at the Rogers Centre and helped the Blue Jays to victory by yielding just two runs over eight effective innings. The sophomore lefty has given the Yankees trouble all throughout the year, as he's 2-0 with an excellent 1.64 ERA in three 2010 starts against the defending world champs.

Cecil wasn't as sharp in last Monday's encounter with Tampa Bay, permitting five runs in seven innings during his team's 6-2 setback. Three of those runs wound up being unearned, however, due to one of three errors committed by the Blue Jays on the night.

The 24-year-old, who's 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA over five lifetime meetings with the Yankees, has put together a solid 11-7 record with a 3.74 ERA in 23 starts for the year.

Cecil will be attempting to halt a three-game slide for the Blue Jays, losers of five of their last six tests. Toronto has split 14 bouts with the Yankees this season, with New York having won five of the eight games played between the teams at home.

Thegrek Baseball Betting News

<< White Sox target rare sweep at Fenway
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After putting what could be the final nail in the coffin in regards to the Boston Red Sox' playoff hopes with Saturday's performance, the Chicago White Sox now set their sights on earning their first series sweep in Fenway Pa

<< Davis goes for seventh straight win in Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis has been awfully tough to beat over the past two-plus months. Against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher has been just about invincible during his brief tenure in the majors. Davis tries to extend

<< Tigers pin hopes on Galarraga in finale with Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Streaking righty Armando Galarraga can stay perfect for his career against Kansas City today when the Detroit Tigers visit the Royals in the finale of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. The Tigers won Friday's opener

<< Ishikawa wins playoff in Japan
Yamanashi, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryo Ishikawa knocked off Shunsuke Sonoda in a playoff Sunday to repeat as champion at the Fujisankei Classic. Ishikawa closed with a one-under 70, while Sonoda posted a four-under 67. They finished at ni

<< Runnin' over Rebels: Badgers win on strong ground game
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Clay ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, as 12th-ranked Wisconsin used its ground game to take a resounding 41-21 win over UNLV in the teams' season-opener. Clay picked up right where he lef

Minor shoots for fourth straight win in rubber match with Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Minor goes for a fourth straight win this afternoon when the Atlanta Braves play the rubber match of their three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium. After getting a no-decision in his b

Cellar-dwellers wrap up set at PNC Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling one-win pitchers square off today at PNC Park when the host Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Washington Nationals meet in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series. The Nationals dropped Friday's o

Red-hot Phils attempt season sweep of Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies shoot for their sixth straight win and try to complete season sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies, who also swept the Brewers in a three-game set back

Cubs, Mets conclude series at Wrigley >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their resurgence under interim manager Mike Quade this afternoon when they go for a sweep in their three-game series with the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. The Cubs improved to 8-3 under

A's try to break out the brooms on Angels >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim haven't been swept in a series of at least three games by the Oakland Athletics in more than six years, partly due to the success Ervin Santana has produced against the team's American League

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football betting sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

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