07/04/2009 - Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Angels have recalled infielder Howie Kendrick from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned infielder Sean Rodriguez back to the club's top affiliate.
The move reverses a transaction originally made on June 13 when Kendrick, a career .300 hitter entering the 2009 season, was demoted to find his swing and regroup after batting .231 through 51 games.
"It's time for Howie to go down, exhale and find his swing," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia at the time. "Hopefully he'll be back soon."
Rodriguez was subsequently added to the roster but wasn't much better, collecting just two hits in nine games for a .118 average (2-for-17).
For the season, Kendrick has four homers, two triples, seven doubles, 22 runs batted in and 24 runs scored.
<< Woods, Kim share AT&T National lead
Bethesda, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods managed just an even-par 70
Saturday and will head into the final round at the AT&T National tied for the
lead with Anthony Kim.
Kim, the defending champion, shot a two-under 68 in the third ro
<< Briscoe takes Watkins Glen pole for second straight year
Watkins Glen, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Briscoe won the pole at Watkins Glen
International for the second year in a row after dominating Saturday's
qualifying for the Camping World GP at the Glen.
Briscoe posted a new track reco
<< Nationals recall Bergmann; designate Colome for assignment
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals recalled
right-hander Jason Bergmann from Triple-A Syracuse and designated reliever
Jesus Colome for assignment following Saturday's 5-3 win over the Braves.
Bergmann
<< McNair found dead
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens
quarterback Steve McNair was found dead Saturday. He was 36.
At a brief press conference Saturday, Nashville police department public
affairs manager Don Aaron con
Moyer, bullpen help Phils take down Mets >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer pitched into the seventh
inning and the Philadelphia bullpen did the rest, helping the Phillies upend
the Mets 4-1 in the second of a three-game series between the NL East rivals.
Moyer
Williams sisters take doubles title at Wimbledon >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The dominating Williams sisters,
Serena and Venus, won the doubles final on Saturday at Wimbledon, just hours
after the sisters faced each other in the single's final.
Serena and Venus needed
Punto, Twins edge Tigers >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Punto's RBI single in the eighth
inning helped the Minnesota Twins take a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in
the second of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
Justin Morneau went 4-for-4 wit
Padres rally past Dodgers; Ramirez homers >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Everth Cabrera went 2-for-4 with three runs
batted in, as the San Diego Padres used late rallies to down Los Angeles, 7-4,
in the middle installment of a three-game series.
Cabrera, David Eckstein and Adr
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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