MLB plans to start and end 2011 earlier

Baseball Betting Lines

07/28/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball is planning to begin and end the 2011 season earlier than it has in recent years to avoid having World Series games played in November.

The season has started over the last handful of years with a nationally televised season opener on Sunday night which has been followed by a near full slate of games the next day.

Instead, play will begin next season on the preceding Thursday or Friday when many teams have been playing their last spring training games at neutral sites or major league parks around the country after leaving Florida and Arizona.

The 2011 season is tentatively scheduled to end on or around September 28 with the first round of the playoffs to begin a few days later. The World Series is slated to start Wednesday, October 19 which would allow a seven-game series to finish on October 27.

Commissioner Bud Selig indicated through the MLB.com story that owners have been discussing the idea for a few years and that it was also discussed by his special committee which was formed to investigate ways to improve the game.

Last year's World Series between the Yankees and Phillies and the 2001 Fall Classic between the Yankees and Diamondbacks both finished in November. The 2001 series was pushed back because of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The MLB official cited in the story said the Players Association supports the new schedule, which is now being reviewed by the 30 owners and teams. A formal announcement could come as soon as early September.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a majority of teams started the season on a Friday was 1905.

Wcondenast Baseball Betting News

<< Jim Dandy Stakes up for grabs Saturday
Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course has attracted an evenly matched field of nine three- year-olds. The 1 1/8-mile contest is the local prep for the $1 million Travers on Satu

<< Rams agree to terms with OL Saffold
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams and rookie offensive tackle Rodger Saffold have reportedly agreed to terms on a contract. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the two sides worked out a deal on Wednesday.

<< Pironkova knocked out in Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova was a second-round upset victim Wednesday at the $220,000 Istanbul Cup hardcourt tennis event. Russian-born Aussie Anastasia Rodionova upended the fi

<< Sochaux adds Maiga from Le Mans
Montbeliard, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sochaux completed the signing of Mali international striker Modibo Maiga from Le Mans on Wednesday. Maiga scored seven goals in 32 appearances for Le Mans last season, but after the club was relega

<< PGA Championship Hole-By-Hole Preview
Haven, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - HOLE ONE - Par 4 - 408 yards: Bending from right to left, the opening hole on the Straits Course gives the player his first glimpse of mighty Lake Michigan, not to mention the myriad bunkers strewn across the cours

Campbell opens camp as Raiders starting QB >>
NAPA, Calif. (AP) -Coach Tom Cable says offseason acquisition Jason Campbell will open training camp as the Oakland Raiders' starting quarterback.Cable spoke on Wednesday at the Raiders' first full day of camp. The team has meetings scheduled all da

Oklahoma State legend Fenimore passes away >>
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Oklahoma State two-way star Bob Fenimore died Wednesday morning at the age of 84. Fenimore was the Cowboys' first All-American and was the number one pick in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago

Seattle puts Rowland-Smith on DL, recalls French >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners have placed pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain and recalled Luke French from Triple-A Tacoma. Rowland-Smith has posted a 1-10 record a

Hendrick Motorsports elevates Carlson to president, COO >>
Concord, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marshall Carlson has been named president and COO of Hendrick Motorsports. The title of president has remained vacant since October 2004, when owner Rick Hendrick's brother, John Hendrick, passed away. Car

Tigers manager Leyland suspended >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball has suspended Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland for one game for his "inappropriate and aggressive conduct" during Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The skipper w

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard