Indians have deal in place with 1B Kotchman
Baseball Betting Lines
02/02/2012 - Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians reportedly have a one- year deal in place with free-agent first baseman Casey Kotchman.
The deal is worth $3 million plus incentives, according to MLB.com.
The Indians have not confirmed the signing, but an official announcement could come as early as Friday.
The 28-year-old Kotchman posted a .306 batting average with 10 homers and 48 RBI in 146 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last season.
That was a big improvement from his 2010 campaign with Seattle, where he hit .217 with nine home runs and 51 RBI.
In 791 career games with the Angels, Braves, Red Sox, Mariners and Rays, Kotchman has hit .268 with 59 homers and 332 RBI.
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after an MRI on Thursday confirmed a right hamstring strain. Henderson suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wedn
<< Gronkowski limited in Thursday's practice
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob
Gronkowski was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Gronkowski was on the practice field for the first time since suffering a left
ankle injury in the AF
<< Sundhage names U.S. women's training camp roster
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. women's national team coach Pia Sundhage
named 28 players Thursday for an upcoming training camp, including 19 of the
20 players who were on the recent Olympic team roster.
Ali Krieger, who tore the AC
<< Blue Jackets activate Carter
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated
center Jeff Carter off injured reserve.
Carter separated his right shoulder during a game against Anaheim on January
8.
He has posted 10 goals and 17 points
<< AZ signs coach Verbeek to two-year extension
Alkmaar, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AZ Alkmaar gave coach Gertjan Verbeek
a two-year contract extension on Thursday, locking him up through the 2014-15
season.
Verbeek, 49, joined the Dutch side before the 2010-11 season and led the c
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have promoted Tom Clements from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday. Former offensive coordinator Joe Philbin left two weeks ago to become
Magic's Howard to start All-Star Game in Orlando >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic was the
leading vote-getter with 1,600,390 votes and will start for the Eastern
Conference in front of his home crowd at Amway Center in this month's All-Star
Game.
The star
Padres agree to terms with P Owings >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres agreed to terms with
right-handed pitcher Micah Owings on a one-year contract.
"Micah will compete for a spot on our staff," said executive vice
president/general manage
Palmer leads delayed Phoenix Open >>
Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Palmer fired a seven-under 65 Thursday
to grab a one-stroke lead with the first round of the Phoenix Open suspended
due to darkness.
Palmer earned his third PGA Tour title at the 2010 Sony Open.
Duke continues dominance over Wake Forest >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Haley Peters had 18 points and 11 rebounds as
the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils beat Wake Forest for the 37th straight time
in a 75-43 victory Thursday night.
Elizabeth Williams added 16 points and nine boa
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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