AL Central: Problems abound for fading White Sox

Baseball Betting Lines

05/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After six weeks of play, delving into the Chicago White Sox' laundry list of problems is like opening Pandora's Box.

Chicago (14-20) has not won back-to-back games since the final week of April, a feat the team has accomplished only twice all season. Offensively, the team is hitting a combined .230, which ranks dead last in the American League.

In Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Minnesota, the White Sox did all of their scoring in the first inning and the final 14 batters went down in order. They are now 1-15 in games when they score three runs or less.

And with that, Chicago remains 8 1/2 games behind the division-leading Twins, and the teams won't face off again for another two months. Manager Ozzie Guillen was clearly frustrated while talking to reporters after Wednesday's game.

At least one person is optimistic, and that's the guy who works directly with the hitters day in, day out.

"Right now, to this point, everybody is dwelling on batting average and says we are not hitting for average," hitting coach Greg Walker told the Chicago Tribune. "We are not last in the league in offense. We are middle of the pack scoring runs. Last time I checked, there's no penetration rule or tiebreaker in baseball.

"I don't look at it so much as where we are at. I look at the potential we have. You've never heard me one time say this team is not talented enough to be good."

One of those guys Wilson is counting on to produce is right fielder Carlos Quentin, who is now hitting .180 on the season after going 0-for-8 in two games with the Twins this week. Quentin was expected to be a key cog in the middle of the lineup, though he has not been able to replicate his 2008 season, when he hit .288 with 36 home runs and 100 RBI during his first year in Chicago.

Guillen said this week that Quentin is putting too much pressure on himself, and that needs to just relax and take good at-bats. On Wednesday, he had planned to replace Quentin in the lineup with Andruw Jones -- whose offensive struggles have been well documented -- but that plan changed when Jones was a last-minute lineup scratch with stiffness in his neck.

While Quentin and the offense continue to search for answers, the starting rotation ranks 24th in the majors with a 4.80 ERA. At the same time, Guillen has opened the search for another closer after Bobby Jenks' meltdown in Sunday's 9-7 loss to Toronto. Jenks entered the game with a two-run lead and wound up allowing four runs without retiring a batter. He has now allowed 20 hits in 13 innings this season and has seen his ERA balloon to 6.23.

Jenks did end up closing out Tuesday's 5-2 win at Minnesota, though Guillen has not ruled out the possibility of turning to left-hander Matt Thornton (2-2, 2.20) or right-hander J.J. Putz (0-2, 4.91), who was Seattle's closer from 2006-08 before an injury shortened season with the Mets last year.

END OF THE ROAD FOR HILLMAN IN KANSAS CITY

Nobody told Trey Hillman that managing the Kansas City Royals would be an easy job. On Thursday morning, that reality came to a head when general manager Dayton Moore replaced Hillman with Ned Yost.

Following a seven-game skid that dropped the team's record to 11-23 entering Thursday, Moore decided it was time to make the move to Yost, who managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2003-08. He had been serving as a special advisor to baseball operations with Kansas City.

Hillman was in the third and final year of his contract. For all of the Royals' misery over the years, they haven't had too much success among their early draft choices. Third baseman Alex Gordon -- the team's 2005 top pick -- was viewed as a future cornerstone, but so far he has crashed and burned. Earlier this year, he was optioned back to the minors and was recently moved to left field. Luke Hochevar -- the top overall selection of the 2006 draft -- is 16-27 with a 5.85 ERA in 55 career starts. And the list goes on.

Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin credited Yost for developing young players in Milwaukee -- namely infielders J.J. Hardy, Ricky Weeks and Prince Fielder -- while also getting top production from mid-level players such as Scott Podsednik.

Ultimately, Moore broke the news to Hillman Thursday morning, and then gave him the option to manage that night's game against Cleveland, which the Royals went on to win, 6-4.

"(Hillman) said, 'I'm not going out losing seven in a row. I'm going to go out a winner today,'" Moore said.

TWINS READY FOR LITMUS TEST WITH YANKEES

The Minnesota Twins have coasted through the early portion of the season, boasting a 22-12 record and opening up a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central.

Now, the road is about to get dicey, as the Twins begin a seven-game road trip against AL East foes New York, Toronto and Boston, beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium. There may not be a more daunting venue across the league right now than Yankee Stadium, where the reigning World Series champs are 10-2 thus far.

Of course, Twins fans remember all too well last season when Minnesota went 0-10 against the Bronx Bombers, including a swift first-round playoff exit.

Under manager Ron Gardenhire, the Twins have won five of the last eight AL Central titles. Still, when it comes to the Yankees, one can't help but feel there is somewhat of a big brother-little brother complex at work.

The Twins catch a bit of good fortune this weekend, as they won't have to face staff ace C.C. Sabathia or unbeaten Phil Hughes (5-0, 1.38). These teams will face off again at Target Field later this month.

TIGERS SEND MESSAGE TO REST OF AL

While the Twins get set to take on the Yankees this weekend, the Detroit Tigers just wrapped up their early-season test with the champs. And they passed with flying colors, taking three of four from the Bronx Bombers this week to capture their first home series victory over New York since 2007.

With that, Detroit improves to 20-15, entering play Friday 2 1/2 games off the pace in the division, and 5 1/2 games ahead of third-place Chicago. Unless the landscape of the AL Central changes soon, it's looking like we could be headed toward a two-team race in the division.

The Yankees series had a bit of everything. Detroit scratched and clawed its way to a 5-4 win to open the series on Monday night, the same night the organization honored the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

The teams split Wednesday's doubleheader, with the Tigers winning the front end, 2-0, behind seven shutout innings from starter Rick Porcello. In between games, about half the team decided to get mohawk haircuts.

On Thursday, Justin Verlander outdueled Yankees' ace C.C. Sabathia, as he threw 6 2/3 scoreless frames to lead the Tigers in a 6-0 win. The offense was aggressive in that victory, scoring six runs on nine hits off Sabathia. It marked his highest run total allowed in any game this season.

Now, the Tigers move on to face Boston in a three-game set this weekend, followed by two more home games against the White Sox before beginning a seven-game road trip.

TRIBE'S REBUILDING PLAN HITS A ROAD BLOCK

When a team makes the decision to rebuild, very rarely is it a streamlined process with the results steadily improving from one day to the next. When you're talking about young players getting their first extensive taste of the daily grind that is Major League Baseball, there are bound to be some road blocks.

The Cleveland Indians (13-19) are finding that out right now.

Matt LaPorta, acquired as the key piece to the Sabathia deal in July 2008, has seen his playing time cut dramatically as he's struggled with a .218 batting average.

Luis Valbuena, who is viewed as the team's primary second baseman now and in the future, has also been given more and more days off to clear his head. He is hitting just .159.

Manager Manny Acta had a closed-door meeting with young left-hander David Huff following Thursday's 6-4 loss to Kansas City, in which Huff allowed six runs in five innings. Huff is now 1-5 with a 5.34 ERA -- although those numbers would be worse had his last start not been rained out after he allowed seven runs through two innings.

Acta's message was clear: "command the fastball and be aggressive with it."

Acta is sticking behind his young guns because he knows they are the building blocks of the team's future. But still, that doesn't mean he'll always play those youngsters over veterans who are more productive.

"We can't lose track of the big picture," Acta said. "We're trying to find other players to go along with Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo for the long ride. We're still trying to develop these guys."

Wmarketwatch Baseball Betting News

<< Canada, Denmark win big in opening qualifying matchups
Mannheim, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Tavares, the top overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, notched a hat trick in Canada's 12-1 rout of Norway in the qualifying round of the 2010 World Championship. Evander Kane added two goals and a

<< Reeling Revs hope to right ship vs. San Jose
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Revolution host the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium on Saturday in a battle of two Major League Soccer clubs heading in opposite directions. Since the two sides met in a league

<< Lille hopes to hold off Lyon for second place
Lorient, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Marseille having already clinched the Ligue 1 title, most of the attention in France turns to the race for Champions League places on the final day of the season. Lille is in position to grab second

<< Hillman not to blame in Kansas City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't a complete shock that the Trey Hillman era ended in Kansas City on Thursday. The Royals had taken a step back last year following a promising 2008 that saw them out of the American League Central cellar for the f

<< Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - San Jose vs. Chicago
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Finally, the San Jose Sharks have turned in a postseason run that seems worthy of their regular-season success. But, just because the club has finally made it past the second round doesn't mean that the pressure is off the

NBA Eastern Conference Finals Preview - Orlando vs. Boston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics were able to put the NBA's best player, LeBron James, in the rear view mirror and are now moving on to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years. Things don't figure to get any eas

Crew, Chivas clash before losing U.S. players >>
Columbus, Ohio (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus is one of just two undefeated teams remaining in MLS but, like the unbeaten Los Angeles Galaxy, the Crew are about to face a spell without some of their top players. Columbus defender Chad Marshall

Can Super Saver make it two in a Row? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Only one horse has a chance to win the Triple Crown and that's Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt will take the next step towards racing immortality this Saturda

Serie A title to be decided on final day >>
Rome, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Serie A title race has come down to the final day with defending champions Inter Milan holding a two-point lead on second-placed Roma. Inter can secure its fourth successive Scudetto with a win at r

Nebraska extends women's basketball coach Yori through 2015 >>
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nebraska announced on Friday that women's head basketball coach Connie Yori received a three-year contract extension through the 2014-15 season. The National Coach of the Year, Yori led Nebraska to its

It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.

As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.

Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.

Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.

Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.

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

Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends

We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS.  Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned.  For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go.  As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190).  Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”.   By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet.  For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction.  On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later.  Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick.  Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com

New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors

Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
 New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season. 
 
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls

Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times. 
 
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons

Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season. 
 
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers

In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS. 
 
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”.  With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit.  Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your basketball sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.