Red Sox send Lester to the hill against Orioles

Baseball Betting Lines

09/07/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Lester tries to win his third straight start this evening when the Boston Red Sox continue their four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.

Lester got the best of Baltimore in his last start on Sunday, as he allowed a pair of runs and six hits in six innings to run his record to 3-0, while lowering his earned run average to 5.26.

The 23-year-old left-hander is 2-0 in his young career against the Orioles, pitching to a 4.91 ERA in the process.

Baltimore will counter with right-hander Daniel Cabrera, who is 9-14 on the season and lost to Lester and the Red Sox in his last trip to the hill on Sunday. He surrendered three runs and five hits in six innings of that one and walked four batters to up his MLB-leading total to 95.

Cabrera, who is pitching to a 5.06 ERA this season, is just 1-8 lifetime against the Red Sox with a 7.88 ERA in 10 starts.

In the opener of this set on Thursday, Coco Crisp went 3-for-4 with a three- run homer and three runs scored, while Jason Varitek drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to lead Boston to a 7-6 win. Kevin Youkilis went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the AL East-leading Red Sox, who have won five of their last six.

The Red Sox also extended their lead in the East to 6 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees. They have been in first place for 142 straight games, their longest streak since 1986.

Clay Buchholz (3-0), in his first appearance since throwing a no-hitter on Saturday, earned the win by allowing one hit over three relief innings. Starter Tim Wakefield was charged with nine hits and six runs over 3 2/3 frames in his first no-decision of the season.

Danys Baez (0-6) took the loss by allowing Boston's go-ahead run. O's starter Garrett Olson left after 3 2/3 innings with left forearm tightness, allowing five hits and five runs with three strikeouts and two walks.

Tike Redman had three hits and scored two runs for the Orioles, who have dropped 14 of their last 16 games and 10 in a row at home to match the franchise record first set from August 8-September 6, 1954 in the team's inaugural season in Baltimore. They also dropped 10 straight at home the following season.

Boston has won 10 of its 15 matchups with the Orioles this season and is 35-16 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign. The Red Sox have also had success in Baltimore, where they have won in 14 of their last 18 visits.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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