Tribe inks Guzman to minor league deal
Baseball Betting Lines
02/22/2012 - Goodyear, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have signed veteran infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
Guzman, 33, did not play in 2011, reportedly due to family issues. In 104 games in 2010 with Washington and Texas, the switch-hitter posted a .266 batting average with 26 runs batted in.
He led the major leagues in triples in 2000, 2001 and 2003 with 20, 14 and 14, respectively.
An 11-year MLB veteran, the two-time All-Star has a career .271 average with 467 RBI in 1,406 games.
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have signed reliever David Aardsma to a one-year contract with a club option for 2013. The 30-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last July 22. Prior to missing the 2011
<< Blokhin extends stay with Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oleg Blokhin will remain coach of Ukraine
beyond Euro 2012, it was announced by the Ukraine Football Federation on
Wednesday.
Blokhin led Ukraine to a place in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cu
<< Flames' Butler out with lacerated thigh
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames announced Wednesday that
defenseman Chris Butler is expected to miss three weeks with a left thigh
laceration.
Butler 25, has posted two goals and 13 points in 60 games this seas
<< Queen's Plate highlights Woodbine stakes
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 153rd edition of the $1 million Queen's
Plate headlines the 2012 Woodbine Race Course stakes schedule. The historic
track will offer 102 stakes worth a total of $23 million.
The 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate for
<< Terry to undergo knee operation
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea captain John Terry looks set to be
out for up to six weeks after undergoing a knee operation.
Terry has been out of the Chelsea lineup for over three weeks, and it has been
decided by the club's me
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka decided to pull out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships, citing a left ankle injury, while former top-ranked star and reigning champion Caroline Wozniac
Indians ink Guzman to minor league deal >>
Goodyear, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have signed veteran
infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league contract with an invitation to
major league spring training.
Guzman, 33, did not play in 2011, reportedly due
City brushes Porto aside in Europa League >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City steam rolled over Porto
at home on Wednesday, earning a 4-0 victory against the Portuguese side to
advance to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
Four different players got on th
Pogatetz commits future to Hannover >>
Hannover, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hannover defender Emanuel Pogatetz has
signed a new three-year contract with the club, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
The Austria international's contract was due to expire at the end of the
seas
Hradecka exits Memphis >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Czech Lucie Hradecka was
a second-round loser Wednesday at the $220,000 Memphis International tennis
event.
Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko came from behind to beat Hradecka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
on the
What Is the Point Spread?
What are Sports Betting Point Spreads?
In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
How to Read Point Spreads
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
- Philly wins the actual game by any amount of points
OR
- Philly loses the game by less than 7 points.
-
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
For Those Who Like to Consider Things Mathematically
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
- Subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score (thus the minus sign before the number) and then compare to the underdog’s score
OR
- Adding the point spread to the underdog’s score (thus the plus sign before the number) and then compare to the favorite’s score
Who Really “Won” the Super Bowl odds ?
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.
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.