Where do the Twins go from here?
Baseball Betting Lines
03/09/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - You could almost hear a collective groan this morning, from
Minneapolis all the way down to Fort Myers, as the news began to circulate that
Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan could be lost for the season because of a
torn ligament in his pitching elbow.
Outside of someone named Joe Mauer, Nathan is probably the most irreplaceable
player on the Minnesota roster. Quite frankly, you can make the argument that
Nathan is the more vital piece to the Twins' puzzle than the reigning American
League Most Valuable Player.
The bad news started for the Twins over the weekend, when Nathan experienced
tightness in his elbow after facing just one batter in an exhibition game
against the Boston Red Sox.
He then left Florida and traveled back to Minnesota for tests, which revealed
the tear. The team is going to get a second opinion, but once swelling in the
elbow subsides, Nathan, in all likelihood, will have to undergo dreaded Tommy
John surgery.
So where do the Twins go from here? With Nathan in the mix they were a heavy
favorite to once again win the AL Central. Now, not so much.
I mean, how exactly do you replace a guy who in the last five years has saved
more games than any other closer in baseball? It is impossible, you can't,
especially if you are the Twins.
There are closers out there for the taking. Cleveland's Kerry Wood and
Cincinnati's Francisco Cordero ring a bell right off the bat. The problem
there, of course, is that while the Twins could probably pull off a deal, they
are paying Nathan $11.25 million this season.
Can you really see them shelling out an additional $10+ million for the closer
position? It is not going to happen.
San Diego's Heath Bell could also probably be had. He only makes about $4
million this season, but the Twins would have to unload the farm for him.
There is an intriguing option out there for Ron Gardenhire, and he does not
have to look very far to find it. That option is lefty Francisco Liriano, who
by all accounts has looked about as good this past winter as at any time since
undergoing his own Tommy John surgery following the 2006 season.
Down in the Dominican, Liriano was throwing his fastball in the mid-90s along
with a "filthy" slider. Minnesota had high hopes for him finally living up to
that world of potential he flashed in the 2006 campaign, when he went 12-3 and
drew comparisons to Johan Santana.
Quite simply, the Twins were counting on him being their ace this season.
I had already pegged Liriano as the key to the Twins' season before I heard
the awful news on Nathan. Now, it is even more apparent that he will make or
break the Twins this season. If they decide to keep him in rotation, there is
an even bigger need for him to be an ace. And if they move him to the pen,
well, all this worrying today could be rendered moot.
Of course, I am not sure that Liriano can handle it from a physical standpoint.
It has been over three years since his own surgery, and unlike other pitchers
who have had it, he has never really been the same.
Actually, he has regressed.
If he is physically up to the task, though, he is the Twins' best option from
an in-house standpoint. But then again, if they move him, could Minnesota get
by with a rotation of Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins
and Brian Duensing?
That is not great, but it is not awful either. The Twins were a favorite to
win the division even before people knew what they were going to get from
Liriano. Not having him in the rotation may not hurt them, simply because he
was such an unknown.
Early on, it would be a struggle for Liriano to go on back-to-back nights, but
the Twins do have a former closer on their roster in right-hander Jon
Rauch, who saved 17 games for the Washington Nationals in 2008. Rauch is the
perfect guy to ease Liriano into an everyday role.
While it sounds easy enough to convert Liriano, Minnesota may not want to mess
with him any further, especially on such short notice. We are just under a
month away from the start of the season. I am not sure they can get his arm
into that kind of shape just yet. He would need a little extra conditioning in
Fort Myers.
But like I said, Rauch should be able to hold down the fort until Liriano is
ready.
I know it is more important to have a dominating ace than a closer, but
Liriano hasn't come close to being the pitcher he was before the surgery. Who
knows if he ever will be again? I say make the move now.
<< 2010 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hawaii Warriors may have the most
Western Athletic Conference Tournament titles with three, the last coming in
2002, but this year the islanders aren't even invited to the party as the 27th
annual event k
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Yankee Stadium starting in 2010 will be called the Pinstripe Bowl, with New
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According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazet
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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards
NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
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