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07/22/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shut out for the fourth time this season, the Seattle Mariners try to bounce back this afternoon as they challenge the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game set at the Rogers Centre.
On Saturday the Seattle offense fell silent in a pitchers duel that ended up 1-0 in favor of the Jays.
Josh Towers pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings for the home team, giving up just three hits while striking out four and walking two for the Blue Jays, who have won two of three after a three-game slide.
Toronto's bullpen closed out the game with 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief, with Jeremy Accardo getting the final two outs in the ninth for his 15th save of the campaign.
Aaron Hill plated the lone run of the game for the Blue Jays with an RBI single in the second inning.
Jeff Weaver was the hard-luck loser, dropping to a dismal 2-8 on the season, after pitching eight solid innings. The right-hander gave up just the one run on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Jose Vidro hit a pair of singles for the Mariners, while Jose Lopez posted a single as well.
Setting up to take the hill for the visiting Mariners this afternoon in the Great White North is right-hander Felix Hernandez. The three-year veteran made it through six innings against the Baltimore Orioles in his most recent outing on Tuesday, giving up three runs on eight hits and three walks, but he was still saddled with the loss in an 8-3 final at home.
As for Toronto, they go with former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, who has been credited with just one win in the last four outings.
On Tuesday the 10-year veteran permitted only a single run on five hits and three walks, while striking out six over seven innings, and still that failed to get him and the Jays over New York in a 3-2 setback.
Halladay entered this season an even 3-3 versus Seattle all-time, but he took the loss in his previous start versus the Mariners, dropping him below .500 against the club.
Over the last week of action Vidro has a team-high eight hits, doing his damage in just five games while Ichiro Suzuki has seven hits and five runs scored in six outings. While he has one of the team's four home runs in the last week, Adrian Beltre has been anything but a reliable hitter, posting a .125 average in six starts for the Mariners, who are now just a game behind the Angels for first place in the AL West.
As for the Blue Jays, three games under .500 overall and 11 out of first in the AL East, they are hitting a collective .244 over the last seven games even with Alex Rios coming in at a .345 clip with a team-high four runs scored for a squad that has plated a total of only 15 runs in the last week of action.
Seattle, which had won a total of just 10 games against the Jays over the last three seasons combined, has already swept Toronto at Safeco Field and is 4-1 overall in 2007.
<< Twins go for sweep of Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Losers of two straight and five of the last six, the LA
Angels of Anaheim try to salvage a win as they close out a three-game set
against the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome this afternoon.
On Saturday Joe Mauer produced
<< A-Rod tries to inch closer to 500 homers as Yanks host Rays
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shooting for their third straight victory, the New York
Yankees close out a four-game set against division rival Tampa Bay this
afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
After being crushed in the series opener on Friday night by a sco
<< Marines, Blue Jays try to get offenses going at Rogers Centre
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shut out for the fourth time this season, the Seattle
Mariners try to bounce back this afternoon as they challenge the Toronto Blue
Jays in the finale of a three-game set at the Rogers Centre.
On Saturday the Seattle offen
<< Streaking Tigers aim to crown Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Winners in five of their last six and now two games ahead
of Cleveland for first place in the American League Central, the Detroit
Tigers close out a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica
Park this afterno
Byrd, Rangers best Indians >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marlon Byrd matched his career high with
five RBI as the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians, 8-5, in the third of
a four-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Byrd had a two-run double in th
Pirates wrap set with Astros at PNC Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros conclude a nine-game road trip this
afternoon when they play the rubber match of a three-game series with the
Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
On Saturday, Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche both drove in two run
Byrd is the word: Rangers try for split with Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having snapped a three-game slide on Saturday, the Texas
Rangers close out a four-game set against the Cleveland Indians tonight at
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Marlon Byrd erupted for five RBI, matching a career-high, a
Giants, Brewers wrap anticipated set in Milwaukee >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers will get one last look at Barry Bonds
at home this season when they try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of
the San Francisco Giants this afternoon at Miller Park.
The Brewers came into this s
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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