Halladay, Wang square off in Bronx

Baseball Betting Lines

07/04/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In his second start since coming off the disabled list, Roy Halladay will take the mound for the Blue Jays when Toronto takes on the New York Yankees in the second matchup of a four-game stint at Yankee Stadium.

The strong right-hander suffered his second loss of the season in his last start, allowing two runs in six innings against Tampa Bay. However, despite the setback, Halladay has been one of the top pitchers in all of baseball and is currently 10-2 on the season with an outstanding 2.56 ERA.

The Yankees are very familiar with Toronto's ace, however, the team has not enjoyed much success against him, as Halladay has posted a 16-5 ledger with a 2.79 earned run average in 33 appearances against the Bronx Bombers.

As for the Yankees they will turn to Chien-Ming Wang, who has been brutal throughout most of the season. Wang has just one victory in his last 10 appearances, and on the season the right-hander is just 1-6 with an astronomical 10.06 earned run average.

His lone victory came in his last start, as the Taiwanese native led New York to a 4-2 victory over its NL counterpart, the New York Mets. Wang tossed 5 1/3 innings against the Mets, surrendering just two runs on four hits.

Wang has made nine career starts against the Blue Jays, and has a 4-2 record with a 4.63 ERA.

Yesterday, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez each homered as New York doubled up Toronto, 4-2. Mark Teixeira added a hit and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won eight of their last nine.

A.J. Burnett (7-4), facing his former club for the second time in 2009, went seven innings for the win, scattering six hits and two runs, fanning seven with a pair of walks.

"I made just one mistake the whole game," said Burnett. "Everything went well mechanically and as long as I can keep the ball away from the hitters things will go well."

Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs to earn his 21st save.

Vernon Wells collected two hits including a homer and Alex Rios drove in the other run for the Blue Jays, who have dropped six of eight.

Brian Tallet (5-6) lasted six innings in the loss, charged with six hits and three runs -- two earned -- with four walks and three strikeouts.

"Both guys pitched great," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston. "The walks won the game for them and A-Rod hit a big home run for them. I think both teams hit the ball the same way, but they came out on top."

The Yankees won two of three matchups in Toronto from May 12-14 and have won five of the seven most recent meetings between the teams.

Today, of course is the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech and the Yankees will honor one of their greatest players with a video tribute that includes current players reciting portions of his speech, as well as wearing a "4ALS" patch and the No. 4 will be on first base.

The Yankees also will contribute $25,000 to the ALS Association of Greater New York.

BC-AAN;PREVIEW-TOR-NYY

=== Halladay, Wang square off in Bronx ===

(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In his second start since coming off the disabled list, Roy Halladay will take the mound for the Blue Jays when Toronto takes on the New York Yankees in the second matchup of a four-game stint at Yankee Stadium.

The strong right-hander suffered his second loss of the season in his last start, allowing two runs in six innings against Tampa Bay. However, despite the setback, Halladay has been one of the top pitchers in all of baseball and is currently 10-2 on the season with an outstanding 2.56 ERA.

The Yankees are very familiar with Toronto's ace, however, the team has not enjoyed much success against him, as Halladay has posted a 16-5 ledger with a 2.79 earned run average in 33 appearances against the Bronx Bombers.

As for the Yankees they will turn to Chien-Ming Wang, who has been brutal throughout most of the season. Wang has just one victory in his last 10 appearances, and on the season the right-hander is just 1-6 with an astronomical 10.06 earned run average.

His lone victory came in his last start, as the Taiwanese native led New York to a 4-2 victory over its NL counterpart, the New York Mets. Wang tossed 5 1/3 innings against the Mets, surrendering just two runs on four hits.

Wang has made nine career starts against the Blue Jays, and has a 4-2 record with a 4.63 ERA.

Yesterday, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez each homered as New York doubled up Toronto, 4-2. Mark Teixeira added a hit and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won eight of their last nine.

A.J. Burnett (7-4), facing his former club for the second time in 2009, went seven innings for the win, scattering six hits and two runs, fanning seven with a pair of walks.

"I made just one mistake the whole game," said Burnett. "Everything went well mechanically and as long as I can keep the ball away from the hitters things will go well."

Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs to earn his 21st save.

Vernon Wells collected two hits including a homer and Alex Rios drove in the other run for the Blue Jays, who have dropped six of eight.

Brian Tallet (5-6) lasted six innings in the loss, charged with six hits and three runs -- two earned -- with four walks and three strikeouts.

"Both guys pitched great," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston. "The walks won the game for them and A-Rod hit a big home run for them. I think both teams hit the ball the same way, but they came out on top."

The Yankees won two of three matchups in Toronto from May 12-14 and have won five of the seven most recent meetings between the teams.

Today, of course is the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech a

The Yankees also will contribute $25,000 to the ALS Association of Greater New Y

Wwwdallasnews Baseball Betting News

<< Last place teams continue set in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The cellar dwellers from the AL Central and AL West will collide once again this evening when the Cleveland Indians host the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field. Toeing the rubber this evening for Oakland will be Vin Ma

<< Rays hope the Price is right in Arlington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still trying to work out some kinks, the Tampa Bay's phenom lefty David Price will take the hill this evening against the hard- hitting Texas Rangers in the second contest of a three-game stint. Price, a playoff hero for

<< Rookie hurlers face off in Anaheim
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will take to the field this evening, as they host the Baltimore Orioles in the second matchup of a three-game stint at Angel Stadium. Sean O'Sullivan has been a solid fill in for an Ange

<< Lincecum goes after third straight complete game against Astros
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum hopes for the same type of run support San Francisco provided Ryan Sadowski in the opener of this set when the Giants play the middle test of their three-game series with the Houston Astros at AT&T Park.

<< Report: Clemens' lawyer claims he passed steroid test in '03
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens was reportedly not among the 100-plus players who tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003, when the league conducted an anonymo

Moyer shoots for third straight win in middle tilt with Mets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies hope Jamie Moyer can give them the same type of effort that Rodrigo Lopez did on Friday, when they continue their three-game series against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Lopez (1-0), w

Duke goes for win No. 9 against Fish >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Duke goes after his ninth win of the season this evening when the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their three-game series with the Florida Marlins at Land Shark Stadium. Duke has been one of the best left-handers in the l

Home Cooking: Cubs target seventh straight home win against Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have picked the perfect time to get hot. Today, they try to win their seventh straight game at home and their fourth consecutive game overall, as they continue a four-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers at W

Sibling smash: Serena bests Venus to win Wimbledon >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In an overpowering performance, Serena Williams bested her older sister, Venus, in straight sets to win the title at Wimbledon for a third time. The 27-year-old Serena denied her sibling a three-peat

No rest for the weary: Tigers, Twins back at it after marathon >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers will try to put distance between them and the Minnesota Twins when the two teams collide this afternoon in the second matchup of a three-game series at the Metrodome. Edwin Jackson will toe the rubber

SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.