First-place teams collide as Rangers visit Twins

Baseball Betting Lines

09/03/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Texas Rangers appear to be headed to their first American League West title since 1999, the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins still have some work to do.

The two division leaders will square off tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Minnesota's Target Field.

Texas won the AL West in 1999, the last time it reached the postseason, and will resume a 10-game road trip Friday in the Twin Cities. The Rangers, who are 10 games ahead of Oakland and 10 1/2 games in front of Anaheim in the division standings, will also visit Toronto for four games on the swing.

The Rangers won for the seventh time in 11 tries with Wednesday's 4-3 triumph over Kansas City in the finale of a three-game series from Kauffman Stadium, as Mitch Moreland homered and Nelson Cruz drove in a pair of runs. Andres Blanco had two hits and an RBI and David Murphy ended with three hits for Texas, which evened its road mark at 32-32 this season.

Tommy Hunter started for Texas and improved to 12-2 by holding the Royals to two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Neftali Feliz later recorded his 34th save with a scoreless ninth.

"Tommy was in and out," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He was getting the ball up a little bit, but he stayed out there and battled. That's all you can ask from him. He didn't have his best stuff but he had good enough stuff."

Derek Holland will try for similar results when he gets the nod Friday. He is 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA in seven games (5 starts) and hasn't won since May 17 versus the LA Angels of Anaheim. Holland did not factor in the outcome of a 5-0 loss versus Oakland last Saturday, as he permitted only one run in 4 2/3 innings of work.

The left-hander suffered a loss to Minnesota on May 30 at Target Field, where he allowed three runs and three hits in an inning of work. Holland is 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA in three career starts against the Twins.

Minnesota will continue a nine-game homestand Friday and lost out on a chance for a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with Thursday's 10-9 loss in 13 innings. Delmon Young grounded into a fielder's choice to score a run in the bottom of the 11th inning, but Twins hurler Nick Blackburn gave up a solo home run to Gerald Laird in the 13th to absorb the loss.

The Twins, who went down in order in the bottom half, got just two innings out of starter Scott Baker because of elbow pain. He allowed two runs in two innings for the no-decision, while Danny Valencia and Jose Morales finished with three hits and two RBI apiece in defeat.

Minnesota was coming off a 2-1 win in 10 innings on Wednesday.

"It's disappointing, you know," said Twins relief pitcher Brian Duensing, who allowed a run over two innings and was one of seven relievers used. "We had a lot of chances to win the ballgame, just couldn't get it done."

Minnesota's lead atop the AL Central is now 3 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. The club will also host Kansas City on the homestand.

In other team news, Michael Cuddyer has 497 RBI for his career and is three away from becoming the 10th player to collect 500 in a Twins uniform.

Blackburn was slated to pitch Friday's game, but was pushed back until Sunday after appearing in yesterday's loss. Manager Rod Gardenhire scoured the minor league system and is scheduled to go with Matt Fox from Triple-A Rochester. Fox, a right-hander, compiled a 6-9 record and a 3.95 ERA in 35 games (21 starts) for the Red Wings this season.

Fox was originally selected by the Twins in the supplemental first round of the 2004 draft.

The Twins have won four of seven meetings with Texas this season and swept a three-game series between the teams at Target Field from May 28-30.

Myspotsbook Baseball Betting News

<< NL East-leading Braves send Kawakami to hill in Florida
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kenshin Kawakami returns to the Atlanta Braves this evening, as they try to hold onto their dwindling advantage in the National League East in the opener of a three-game set against the Florida Marlins at Sun Lif

<< Cubs, Mets kick off set at Wrigley Field
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs will try to continue their strong play under interim manager Mike Quade this afternoon when they open a three-game series against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are 6-3 since Lou Pin

<< Red-hot Yankees eye seventh straight win vs. Jays
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees hoped to be playing their best baseball in September, and the early returns of this month seem to indicate they may have reached that goal. The defending world champions set their sights

<< Ramirez, White Sox begin series in Boston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manny Ramirez returns to one of his old stomping grounds in a new uniform when the former Boston star leads the Chicago White Sox into Fenway Park for a key three-game series with the Red Sox that begins tonight. Ramir

<< Indians, Mariners continue set between last-place clubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shin-Soo Choo and the Cleveland Indians look to remain in the win column when they resume a four-game series against the homestanding Seattle Mariners tonight from Safeco Field. Choo stroked a three-run double during a fou

JoePa, Royster on verge of milestones >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a milestone in itself that Penn State icon Joe Paterno is still coaching in the twilight of his years. So it comes as no surprise that the bespectacled legend is approaching 400 career wins. His tra

Roethlisberger's suspension reduced to four games >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced the suspension of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger from six to four games. The NFL Network reported that the reduction came after Goodell me

WVU's Devine ready for senior year >>
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -Noel Devine stayed in school just for this.Rather than take a chance on the NFL draft last April, Devine is returning for one final season in which he believes ``the sky is the limit.''Liftoff starts Saturday when No. 25 West

No. 8 Nebraska goes down to wire with QB call >>
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -Nebraska fans haven't forgotten that one-point loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game and they're still celebrating next year's move to the Big Ten.But the biggest topic of conversation in Big Red country has been about wh

It's Darron Thomas time for the No. 11 Ducks >>
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -Darron Thomas seems to have it easy, making his debut as Oregon's starting quarterback at home and with the No. 11 Ducks heavily favored.But it's quite the contrary.When Thomas takes the field on Saturday against New Mexico, all e

FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.

Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.

But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.