Astros, Cubs wrap set at Wrigley Field

Baseball Betting Lines

09/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have to be thinking about returning home for an extended period of time. But first they have to take care of business in the Windy City, as the Astros shoot for a series win over the Chicago Cubs tonight in the finale of a three-game set from Wrigley Field.

The Astros will begin a 10-game homestand following Wednesday's tilt with the NL Central-rival Cubs and are coming off last night's 7-3 win in which outfielder Michael Bourn contributed three hits, including a triple, three RBI and two runs scored. Brett Wallace homered for Houston, which rebounded from Monday's series-opening loss to win for the sixth time in eight tries.

Nelson Figueroa turned in five solid innings on the hill, allowing six hits and three runs while fanning five and walking three for the win. The righty threw 111 pitches, 76 for strikes.

"Figgy worked through those five innings, but had to use a lot of pitches to do it," Astros manager Brad Mills said.

Before the 'Stros close out a six-game trek through Arizona and Chicago, Brett Myers will toe the Wrigley rubber this evening with hopes of continuing his career dominance of the Cubs. Myers is 2-0 in three starts against them this season and 9-3 with a 2.38 earned run average in 16 lifetime matchups (12 starts) with Chicago.

The right-hander has won his last two decisions, but did not factor in the outcome of Friday's 4-3 loss at the Diamondbacks. Myers allowed three runs, seven hits and walked three batters over six innings to remain at 10-7 this season with a 3.02 ERA in 28 starts. He is only 4-7 in 16 road starts in his first season with the Astros.

Chicago entered Tuesday's second portion of this series having won four of five games. However, starter Carlos Silva wasn't so sharp in his first action since August 1 because of a heart condition and was touched for six runs and nine hits in five innings of work.

"It's late, but you hope he'll go through more activity and his arm strength will be better," Cubs manager Mike Quade said of Silva.

Tyler Colvin finished with two hits and a pair of RBI, while Marlon Byrd drove in the other run for the Cubs, who will hit the road for nine games against Milwaukee, St. Louis and Florida after hosting the Astros.

Randy Wells will try to send Chicago on the road in positive fashion when takes the mound Wednesday. Wells is 6-12 with a 4.56 earned run average in 28 starts this season and is coming off a no-decision versus the New York Mets last Friday. In the 7-6 victory at home, Wells allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Wells, a righty, is just 1-5 in his past six decisions and looks to build on his 3-7 home mark in 16 starts. He has lost both matchups with the Astros this season and owns a 2-2 record in five career starts against them.

Houston has got the better of the Cubs for much of this season, having taken nine of 14 meetings between the clubs in 2010.

Cashbetting Baseball Betting News

<< Angels try to avoid rare sweep at hands of Indians
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Angels haven't been swept by Cleveland at home in more than a decade. They'll try to avoid that distinction tonight in the finale of a three-game series from the Big A. Anaheim was previously swept in this series from

<< Injury-riddled White Sox resume set in Detroit
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Injuries are starting to pile up for the Chicago White Sox. Today, the short-handed White Sox will continue their push towards the postseason, as they play the third installment of a four-game series against the

<< Orioles aim for rare sweep of Yanks in the Bronx
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have been the worst team in the American League all season. Today, though, the Orioles will have a chance to do something against the best team in baseball that they haven't done in more than 2

<< Red Sox, Rays ready for rubber match at Fenway
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Wakefield gets the call on short notice this evening when the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays play the rubber match of their three-game series at Fenway Park. After getting blown out in the opener of this set

<< Mets to wrap up long trip with matinee against Nats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Apparently, winning four straight games just isn't the Washington Nationals' thing. After failing to win more than three games in a row for the seventh time this season, Washington instead seeks a series victory over the N

Rangers hope to lasso win over Jays up north >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers are doing their best to give away the lead in the American League West. Luckily for them, though, nobody else seems to want it. Tonight, the Rangers try to snap a five-game losing streak when they co

Twins close out homestand with Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins will close out another successful home stand this evening, when the American League Central leaders take aim at a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals at Target Field. The Twins have gone 7-1 thus far

Rockies continue late playoff push against Reds >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the Colorado Rockies making a belated push for a playoff spot, Carlos Gonzalez has been enhancing his credentials for a possible National League MVP Award with his performance over the past few weeks. Gonzalez puts a

Padres go for sweep of LA >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres were in serious danger of falling out of first place in the National League's West Division, but a couple of games against the fading Los Angeles Dodgers seems to have gotten the surprising squad back on

FCS championship game tickets to go on sale >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tickets to 2010 Football Championship Subdivision title game will go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, Sept. 13. The championship game will be played Jan. 7, 2011 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. Tickets will be av

MySportsbook.com is one of the most efficient and professional online sportsbook today. While some sportsbooks only excel during the busiest seasons, MySportsbook is an excellent choice for the player who wants year-round quality. From their baseball true dime line to their interactive wagering, MySportsbook makes sure their clients would miss them if they went elsewhere.

Players won’t find any novelties at this sportsbook. The site is clean and simple and most importantly, fast. Customer Service handles matters in an expedient manner and accounting does everything possible to assure players that they have full control of their funds. The online banking center is open 24/7 in which time Neteller payouts are processed.

Management’s background and understanding of sports gambling has helped make them pioneers in the online betting market. MySportsbook was the first betting site to offer sports wagering in the best form. Interactive wagering was first offered in 1997. Players who don’t stop wagering when the game begins consider this sportsbook a true asset.

Players who are looking for outstanding value, extensive wagering options and inexpensive payouts will appreciate what MySportsbook.com offers. Those who are looking for perks and high bonuses would be best suited in a sportsbook geared towards the regular player.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your sports betting needs.

Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

The 2008 NFL betting lines season is almost upon us! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join sportbook today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .