BoSox place Mirabelli on 15-day DL

Baseball Betting Lines

08/17/2007 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox placed catcher Doug Mirabelli on the 15-day disabled list Friday after the veteran left the team's opener of a day-night doubleheader against the LA Angels of Anaheim with a strained right calf.

Mirabelli ripped an RBI double as part of a six-run first inning for Boston, but pulled up after rounding third and eventually limped home on a double by Alex Cora.

Jason Varitek replaced Mirabelli behind the plate as the Red Sox won the game, 8-4.

In corresponding roster moves, Boston recalled outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury from Triple-A Pawtucket and purchased the contract of catcher Kevin Cash.

Hallnark Baseball Betting News

<< Blue Jackets' Svitov inks deal with Russian Super League
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus forward Alexander Svitov, who signed a two-year contract with the Blue Jackets on July 2, has also inked a deal with the Russian Super League and intends to play there in 2007-08. The 24-yea

<< Red Sox pound Lackey in game one of day-night doubleheader
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Ortiz blasted a two-run homer as part of a six-run first inning, and the Boston Red Sox made Clay Buchholz a winner in his major league debut with an 8-4 victory over the LA Angels of Anaheim in the fro

<< Jones' two-run blast lifts Cubs over Cardinals
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacque Jones hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Rich Hill twirled seven strong frames, as the Chicago Cubs edged the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, in the opener of a key four-game division series at Wrig

<< Gordon edges Biffle for pole at MIS
Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Going out last, Jeff Gordon captured the pole for Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports driver circled the high-speed, two-mile oval in 38.090

<< PSV begins quest for fourth-straight league crown
Almelo, Holland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSV Eindhoven captured its third consecutive Eredivisie crown on the season's final day last year, but the club will be looking to win another title in more convincing fashion this season. PSV wa

Orioles' Ray has Tommy John surgery >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baltimore Orioles closer Chris Ray underwent Tommy John surgery Thursday, a procedure that will sideline him for this and possibly the entire 2008 season. Ray was placed on the disabled list on July 2

Clemson loses RB McElrathbey for season >>
Clemson, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clemson sophomore running back Ray Ray McElrathbey suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Thursday. Last year, McElrathbey attained national attention when he adopted his now 12-year o

T-Wolves' Madsen undergoes shoulder surgery >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that forward Mark Madsen underwent successful right shoulder pectoral surgery on Friday. The surgery was performed at the TRIA Orthopaedic Center and Mads

Driscoll alone in front in Rochester >>
Rochester, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Driscoll posted a four-under 66 on Friday to move into sole possession of the lead after two rounds of the Xerox Classic. He stands at 10-under-par 130 and is three ahead of Scott Parel, who fir

Trio leads in Greensboro >>
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Overton, John Huston and Steve Marino are tied atop the leaderboard after Friday's second round of the Wyndham Championship. The trio is knotted at 12-under-par 132. Overton and Marino both

MySportsbook features easy-to-use online betting software that’s the most reliable in the industry. If you’re looking to bet underdogs, then this Sportsbook is the place - we have the best betting lines in the business. MySportsbook is your one-stop shop for all your betting needs - sports betting, poker, casino, and horse racing . MySportsbook offers every bet type with lightning fast settlement of wagers. Take advantage of free statistical analysis - including against-the-spread and straight-up trends - in MySportsbook’s game previews section. With MySportsbook there are unlimited free deposits and payouts - and no transaction fees!

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.