Braves keeping pace despite recent woes

Baseball Betting Lines

06/15/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's amazing how baseball works with the mix of streaks, slumps and so on. For the Atlanta Braves, a three-game sweep by the Minnesota Twins still has them in the thick of a tight race for NL East supremacy.

It was only the second time this season Atlanta was swept in a set (Philadelphia -- May 25-27).

Bobby Cox's club has just three wins over the last 12 contests, but his team is only 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets. The Mets have struggled as of late which is a big reason for Atlanta's current spot in the standings. Philadelphia has been playing good ball and sits two games back.

I'm sure Cox thought his team would get a lift with the return of star third baseman Chipper Jones, who missed almost three weeks (19 games) due to bone bruises on both of his hands. Jones hadn't played since a loss to the Mets on May 23 and returned from the disabled list in a setback to Minnesota on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 as a designated hitter. He went 1-for-2 with two walks in last night's loss in the series finale at the Metrodome.

"We're at a pretty frustrating part of our season," Jones said following Wednesday's loss in the second test of the Minnesota series.

Jones is right, but with the Mets scheduled to visit the red-hot Yankees this weekend in the Bronx and the Phillies hosting the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers, the Braves have a chance to gain more ground or even take over the NL East with an upcoming set against the Cleveland Indians. Atlanta will receive a tremendous boost when veteran pitcher John Smoltz returns to the mound on Saturday.

Smoltz hasn't toed the rubber since the Florida Marlins handed him his third loss of the season on June 5 because of a sore right shoulder. Smoltz, who was reached for two runs and three hits in six innings, went 5-1 in nine previous starts before the setback. His shoulder should be ready tomorrow versus the Tribe.

In order to stop their June swoon, the Braves have to take at least two of three games from Cleveland this weekend at Jacobs Field. Atlanta is 5-9 so far this month after going 14-14 in May and 16-9 during April.

The Braves and Indians will be playing a rematch of the 1995 World Series won by Atlanta in six games. Jones, Smoltz and current bullpen coach Eddie Perez were on that championship team. Cleveland won two of three games against the Braves in 2004 at Turner Field.

WHO'S HOT

Right-handed relief pitcher Rafael Soriano has been lights out over his last 21 trips to the mound. Soriano owns a 0.42 earned run average in 21 1/3 innings with four saves over that span.

Rookie catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, whose 14-letter last name is the longest in major league history, made his first start in the infield last night against the Twins at the Metrodome.

Nicknamed "Salty", the youngster has been a pleasant surprise with every chance he gets and is batting .302 with two homers and eight RBI in 22 games this season. He has nine hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in over his last seven games.

WHO'S NOT

Even in his contract year, Braves All-Star center fielder Andruw Jones is batting just .163 through 14 games this month. Jones, who has nine hits in 55 at-bats in June, is batting .215 with 11 homers and 42 RBI this season.

I thought contract years meant ballplayers go out and play their best. So far Jones is looking much like my older and less-athletic sister did when she was a softball player for Notre Dame High School in Easton, PA.

No offense, Kelly.

You have to admit he is still drawing fans and has been a staple in center for many years, and yet he is only 30. Jones can still knock the ball out of the park, but consistency has been his Achilles' heel in 2007.

Starting pitcher Tim Hudson is just 1-3 over his last six starts with a 6.14 ERA and the Braves are 2-4 during that stretch.

In Thursday's loss to the Twins, Hudson was reached for two hits over 7 1/3 innings for the no decision. The right-hander was 5-1 over the first nine starts of the 2007 campaign.

ON DECK

After the Braves complete a six-game road trip with three tests against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field, they will open a nine-game homestand.

Atlanta will host the Boston Red Sox for three games before the Detroit Tigers pay a visit to Turner Field for three more. The club will then close out the stand with a three-game set versus the National League East-rival Washington Nationals.

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Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

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

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.