Buehrle, Pierzynski carry White Sox over Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

07/09/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Buehrle spun seven scoreless frames and A.J. Pierzynski hit two home runs and drove in a season-high four runs to power the White Sox to an 8-2 victory over Kansas City in the opener of a three-game set.

Buehrle (8-7) allowed six hits, while walking three and striking out a pair to lead Chicago to its sixth consecutive win.

Andruw Jones had three hits and drove in two runs and Paul Konerko had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the White Sox, who have won 12 of their last 13 home games.

Bruce Chen (5-3) suffered the loss after yielding three runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, while walking one and fanning one for the Royals, who were denied their first four-game win streak of the season.

Konerko and Carlos Quentin opened the second inning with singles, advanced on a Pierzynski sacrifice bunt and scored on a single off the base of the left field wall by Jones, who had driven in only one run since June 11.

Pierzynski went from small ball to long ball with a one-out solo home run in the fourth that made it 3-0 and knocked Chen out of the game.

Meanwhile, the Royals put a runner at second base in four of the first five innings and had multiple base runners in the first, fourth and fifth innings but could not score against the ChiSox southpaw.

Chicago added another run in the fifth against Kanekoa Texeira when Gordon Beckham doubled, moved to third on a Juan Pierre bunt base hit and scored when Alexei Ramirez bounced into a double play.

Alex Rios worked a two-out walk in the eighth off Victor Marte, stole second and scored when Konerko doubled to the gap in right-center. Quentin drew a walk, and was replaced by a pinch-runner, before Pierzynski followed with his second clout of the night to right field to finish the scoring for the home side.

Sergio Santos threw a scoreless eighth for the Sox and turned things over in the ninth to Jeff Marquez, who was making his major league debut. The right- hander retired the first batter he faced before Mitch Maier singled and scored on a Yuniesky Betancourt home run that spoiled the shutout bid. Marquez then retired the next two hitters to end the game.

Game Notes

Royals' outfielder Jose Guillen missed his second straight game due to a left quadriceps strain suffered in Tuesday's game in Seattle...Quentin returned after missing the last three games because of a knee injury...Jones had his first multi-RBI game since May 5...Buehrle beat the Royals for the first time in three meetings this year and for a 21st time in his career...The season series is even at five games apiece...The White Sox are 23-5 since June 9. Bryan Bulaga, the 23rd overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

Wwwmindspring Baseball Betting News

<< Wainwright dominant as Cardinals blank Astros
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Wainwright turned in eight scoreless innings while Albert Pujols collected two hits, including a two-run shot, and drove in three as St. Louis downed Houston, 8-0, in the first of three between

<< Isles ink D Reese
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders have come to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Dylan Reese. The 25-year-old played in 19 games last season for the Isles and had two goals and a pair of assist

<< Red Sox go on the offensive in rout of Blue Jays
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bill Hall finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a two-run homer and drove in four as Boston torched Toronto, 14-3, in the opener of a three-game set from Rogers Centre. Mike Cameron went 3-for-4 with

<< Ordonez, Guillen power Tigers to win over Twins
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Magglio Ordonez had three hits and drove in three runs in Detroit's 7-3 victory in the opener of a crucial three-game intradivision set. Carlos Guillen had two hits and drove in two runs, and Miguel C

<< Cabrera, Infante hit back-to-back HRs as Braves top Mets
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante clubbed back- to-back home runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets, 4-2, in the opener of a critical three- game se

Stockton takes lead at Dakota Dunes >>
Saskatoon, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brady Stockton shot an eight-under 64 to take the midway lead Friday at the Canadian Tour's Dakota Dunes Casino Open. Stockton, a 30-year-old from Arizona, completed two rounds on the Dakota Dunes course wit

Report: Knicks agree with PG Felton >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks have reportedly come to terms on a multi-year contract with point guard Raymond Felton. According to the New York Daily News, the three-year deal could be worth $25 million for the fiv

Bosh arrives in Miami via sign-and-trade >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Bosh officially joined the Miami Heat Friday night via sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors acquired two first-round draft picks and a trade exception from the Heat to facilitate th

Braun delivers in extras to end Brewers skid >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Braun lined an opposite-field single over Ryan Church's head in right field to score Rickie Weeks with the game- winning run in the 10th inning, as the Brewers earned a 5-4 comeback win over the Pir

Busch denies Logano second straight Nationwide win at Chicago >>
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch had the dominant car, but needed a little bit of luck at the end to win Friday's Dollar General 300 Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Despite leading a race-high 110 laps, Busc

2007 online football betting Preview

My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."

The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.

To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.

However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.

Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.

Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.

Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.

2007 College Football Betting Preview

There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.

The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.

So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.

USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.

USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.

Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.

That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.

The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"

The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.

Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.

Las Vegas Sports Lines

The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.

It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."

The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.

The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.

Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.

After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.

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

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.