White Sox begin series with resurgent Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

07/09/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - White Sox starter Mark Buehrle has lost just once in his last five starts. That setback came versus the Royals and the left-hander can get a measure of revenge tonight when Chicago opens a three-game series versus Kansas City at U.S. Cellular Field.

Buehrle has pitched to a 2.70 earned run average over his last five outings and dropped a 3-1 test to the Royals on June 28 after allowing three runs on 10 hits and five walks over 6 1/3 innings. He has now lost both of his starts this year versus the Royals, allowing eight earned runs over 12 1/3 innings of work.

The 31-year-old got a little more support in his last outing on Sunday versus Texas as he again gave up three runs but this time pitched seven innings while yielding just five hits and no walks. Buehrle improved to 7-7 on the season with a 4.53 ERA.

If Buehrle can come close to matching John Danks' gem from Thursday afternoon, the White Sox should have an excellent shot at winning a sixth straight game. Danks took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Thursday's 1-0 finale with the Angels but had to settle for a two-hit shutout, the first of his career.

"As weird as it sounds, it was pretty fortunate that it was a 1-0 game because it forces you not to get ahead of yourself," Danks said about his focus during the start. "You gotta look at the job ahead and win the ballgame. Throwing a no-hitter, or whatever, the main thing was to win the ballgame."

Paul Konerko knocked in the lone run on a sac fly in the first inning for the White Sox, who swept the four-game set with the Angels and are just a half- game back of the Tigers for first place in the American League Central thanks to a 22-5 record since June 9.

The Royals, who took two of three from the White Sox from June 28-30, are also rolling, having won six of their last seven games. They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Mariners, their first on the road against Seattle since 1995, and are in position to win four straight for the first time this season.

Alberto Callaspo had a three-run homer in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 7-3 victory, while Mitch Maier added a solo shot in the frame. Billy Butler also went deep, starter Kyle Davies allowed three runs over six innings and Victor Marte earned the win in relief.

"We won that game in about nine different ways tonight," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "Defensively, Marte did a great job of shutting down the bases loaded. We had a time or two where Davies pitched out of some big jams. He actually threw the ball really well tonight."

Jose Guillen did not play in Wednesday's finale due to a left quadriceps strain suffered on Tuesday that has him day-to-day.

Kansas City might not need Guillen tonight given how surprisingly well Bruce Chen has thrown this season. The 33-year-old journeyman has won two straight and four of his last six starts, giving him a 4-2 mark and 3.66 ERA in seven starts since replacing the injured Gil Meche in the rotation.

Chen has allowed only five runs over his last three outings, a span of 18 1/3 innings, and gave up just one on two hits over 7 1/3 innings versus the Angels on Saturday, a victory in which he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning.

"I kept the ball down and had command of all my pitches. The defense made some great plays. Everyone wants to throw a no-hitter but I know it's hard. I really feel good and I'm putting everything together," Chen said.

The left-hander faced the White Sox once in relief this year, recording two outs without allowing a run, and is 0-2 with a 4.94 ERA in eight career meetings with Chicago, three of those starts.

The Royals have won five of nine versus the White Sox this year, but lost two of three at Chicago on May 3-5.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.