Davis goes for seventh straight win in Baltimore

Baseball Betting Lines

09/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis has been awfully tough to beat over the past two-plus months. Against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher has been just about invincible during his brief tenure in the majors.

Davis tries to extend a club rookie record for consecutive victories and lead the Rays to a series win over the Orioles when the two American League East inhabitants play the rubber match of a three-game set this afternoon at Camden Yards.

In an eight-start stretch beginning on July 3, Davis has won six times without a loss and posted a solid 3.66 earned run average over the course of his unbeaten run. The young right-hander has allowed two runs or less in each of those six wins and now owns an 11-9 mark over 23 outings during his first full season in the big leagues.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old wasn't slowed down by a brief stint on the disabled list last month due to a strained shoulder. Davis has won both of his two starts since being activated and pitched very well in Monday's home triumph over Toronto, yielding just two runs on six hits over 7 2/3 innings.

Davis' best work has come against the Orioles, however, and especially so on the road. He's 3-0 in three career meetings with Baltimore and permitted a mere two runs over a combined 24 innings versus today's opponent, while holding the O's to one run over eight stellar frames in a July 19 matchup at Camden Yards.

The Florida native's first major league win also took place in Baltimore during September of last season, with Davis surrendering just four hits and striking out 10 batters in a complete-game shutout that night.

Tampa Bay has also fared quite well as a team against the Orioles in 2010. The Rays have prevailed in 10 of 14 matchups between the clubs this year and are 6-2 at Camden Yards for the season.

Baltimore was able to best the playoff-hopeful Rays on Saturday, though, with the Orioles pounding out 15 hits and receiving seven strong innings out of Jeremy Guthrie to come through with an 8-4 verdict.

Nick Markakis belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Matt Wieters knocked in two more men with a double during a three-run third that gave Baltimore an early 5-1 advantage. Both players finished with two hits on the night, with Felix Pie going 2-for-5 with two RBI to aid the Orioles as well.

Guthrie (9-13) didn't need all that much support, as the right-hander limited Tampa Bay to two runs and struck out seven to improve to 6-2 in 10 starts since the All-Star break.

Baltimore halted a three-game losing streak with last night's result and is now 5-3 over its last eight contests overall.

"It's been going good so far," said Markakis after the game. "We've just got to keep it going against the teams that we're going to be facing for awhile."

The loss was a costly one for Tampa Bay. With the Yankees defeating Toronto earlier in the day, the Rays fell to 2 1/2 games behind New York in the battle for first place in the AL East. The team still managed to lengthen its lead over Boston in the league's Wild Card standings, though, after the Red Sox lost both ends of a doubleheader with Chicago on Saturday.

Matt Joyce ended 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI and recently-acquired Brad Hawpe also went deep for Tampa Bay, which had won five of its last six coming in.

Rays starter James Shields (13-12) struggled through 4 1/3 innings, with the right-hander reached for six runs on eight hits.

"I don't think I did a very good job of getting ahead in the count today," he stated afterward.

The Rays will attempt to bounce back in today's clash with O's rookie Chris Tillman, a pitcher whom the club battered in a showdown at Camden Yards earlier in the year. The highly-regarded rookie was rocked for eight runs on seven hits and issued four walks in that loss, while lasting only 2 2/3 innings.

Tillman was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk immediately following that disaster and received a promotion when rosters expanded in September. The young righty finished with an 11-7 record and a 3.34 ERA in 21 starts with the Orioles' International League affiliate.

The 22-year-old also took a loss against the Rays last season and is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA over three career encounters with Tampa Bay. Tillman has also lost all three of his Camden Yards assignments this season and given up 15 runs (14 earned) in just 10 innings, with the opposition batting .435 against him.

Aaacyberbookie Baseball Betting News

<< Tigers pin hopes on Galarraga in finale with Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Streaking righty Armando Galarraga can stay perfect for his career against Kansas City today when the Detroit Tigers visit the Royals in the finale of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. The Tigers won Friday's opener

<< Ishikawa wins playoff in Japan
Yamanashi, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryo Ishikawa knocked off Shunsuke Sonoda in a playoff Sunday to repeat as champion at the Fujisankei Classic. Ishikawa closed with a one-under 70, while Sonoda posted a four-under 67. They finished at ni

<< Runnin' over Rebels: Badgers win on strong ground game
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Clay ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, as 12th-ranked Wisconsin used its ground game to take a resounding 41-21 win over UNLV in the teams' season-opener. Clay picked up right where he lef

<< Giants rally past Dodgers, close gap with Padres
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Uribe hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to cap San Francisco's comeback, as the Giants edged the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, in the middle test of a three-game series. The Giants trailed by four

<< Talbot gets elusive win as Indians edge Mariners
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mitch Talbot pitched into the seventh inning and won for the first time since late June, as the Indians held off the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, in the third installment of a four-game series. Talbot (9-1

White Sox target rare sweep at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After putting what could be the final nail in the coffin in regards to the Boston Red Sox' playoff hopes with Saturday's performance, the Chicago White Sox now set their sights on earning their first series sweep in Fenway Pa

Yanks should have A-Rod back for finale with Jays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have put together their longest winning streak of the season without the presence of Alex Rodriguez in their lineup. The All-Star third baseman hopes to provide the American League East leaders a further

Minor shoots for fourth straight win in rubber match with Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Minor goes for a fourth straight win this afternoon when the Atlanta Braves play the rubber match of their three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium. After getting a no-decision in his b

Cellar-dwellers wrap up set at PNC Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling one-win pitchers square off today at PNC Park when the host Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Washington Nationals meet in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series. The Nationals dropped Friday's o

Red-hot Phils attempt season sweep of Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies shoot for their sixth straight win and try to complete season sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies, who also swept the Brewers in a three-game set back

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.

Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.