Football Betting

Tigers chew up White Sox

Baseball Betting Lines

09/07/2010 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 9-1 win over the Chicago White Sox in the continuation of a four-game series.

Verlander (15-8) allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts for the Tigers, who bounced back from a 10-inning loss in Monday's opener and won for the fourth time in their last six games overall. Brandon Inge belted a three- run homer and Johnny Damon added a two-run blast in the victory. Jhonny Peralta added two RBI for Detroit.

Freddy Garcia started on the mound for Chicago but left after two innings with lower back stiffness. Garcia (11-6) was dealt the loss with a line that showed two runs allowed on three hits. Lucas Harrell provided four innings of long relief and was charged with four runs -- none of which were earned -- on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

Juan Pierre posted two hits and scored the only run for the White Sox, who fell to four games behind the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Chicago also saw its seven-game win streak halted.

A slugger from both teams left the game early. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera lasted six innings but felt soreness in his shoulder, while newly-acquired Manny Ramirez of Chicago exited after he was hit by a pitch in the eighth.

In the home first, Damon's towering two-run homer to right gave the Tigers an early lead.

The Sox trimmed their deficit in half in the top of the third inning. Pierre hit a one-out double and scored when Omar Vizquel followed with a base hit to right field.

However, a four-run effort in the bottom of the third moved the Tigers ahead for good. Harrell replaced Garcia to begin the stanza and the first batter he faced, Austin Jackson, reached first base on a fielding error. Jackson was then bunted to second before a two-out intentional walk to Cabrera.

Don Kelly ripped a single and Jackson scored, and another ChiSox error put two runners in scoring position. Another two-out base hit by Brennan Boesch brought home Cabrera and the rally was capped via Peralta's two-run double to right field. Peralta was cut down at third to end the frame.

From there, Verlander cruised. He worked around a two-out single in the fifth and tossed a scoreless sixth. In the top of the seventh, A.J. Pierzynski hit a one-out double, but Mark Kotsay and Pierre both flied out.

Robbie Weinhardt closed it out with two scoreless relief innings for Detroit and in the eighth, Inge provided more insurance runs with a three-run blast that cleared the wall in left.

Game Notes

Garcia failed to earn his ninth straight victory as an opposing pitcher here...Verlander upped his career mark against the ChiSox to 6-9...The Sox still lead the season series, 8-5, including a 5-2 mark at Comerica Park.


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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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