7-3-10

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NEW GUYS! LURKERS!

Dont be afraid to post services if you come across them. Your posts will be appreciated for sure.

Just put them in the appropriate section (regular go here).

good luck!!( lets make some money)

post'em if you got'em gl!

[spook]

Re: 7-3-10

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Saturday’s Streaking And Slumping Starting Pitchers
By Covers Staff


Streaking

Jon Lester (9-3, 2.86 ERA), Boston Red Sox

Lester is the unquestioned ace on Boston’s deep pitching staff and that comes with a price. The southpaw is usually a heavy favorite but the Sox have won six of his last eight starts.

He owns a 2-1 record with a 1.64 ERA in his last three appearances and has walked just five batters compared to 22 strikeouts during that span.

Johnny Cueto (8-2, 3.74 ERA)

Cueto and the Reds continue to roll to the surprise of most baseball pundits. Cincinnati is 8-2 in the righty's last 10 trips to the bump thanks largely great run support.

The Reds scored 6.4 runs per game over that 10-game stretch. Makes sense then that the over is 12-4 in his 16 starts this season.
Still, Cueto has been doing his share of the work too. He allowed just one run in eight innings of work in his last start.

Slumping

Tommy Hanson (7-5, 4.50 ERA)

This young pitching phenom has hit a rough patch. He’s been shelled for 14 earned runs in his 7.1 innings – and that’s over two starts.

The hard-throwing righty - who can make batters look foolish at the plate - has just four K's in those two outings compared to three walks.

“[Hanson] left his breaking ball up,” Braves manager Bobby Cox told AP reporters after Atlanta fell 10-4 to the Tigers. “He had a great breaking ball at times, and a bad one at times. His mechanics are exactly what they’ve always been. But Tommy can pitch a lot better than he did, that’s for sure.” Reply Reply With Quote

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Re: 7-3-10

HOT LINES

Saturday's Best MLB Bets

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (+100)

Forget about the Zambrano debacle, the Cubs have plenty of problems to worry about from an offensive standpoint.

Chicago has dropped 10 of its last 14 games with five of those losses by the way of shutout. The Cubbies have plated a total of six runners during its five-game homestand.

"Two hits again. You're not going to win too many games with two hits," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said after a 12-0 loss to the Reds Friday. "Look, we lost, what, 12-nothing? It could have been 2-nothing or 3-nothing, but it's still nothing."

Failing to convert with runners in scoring position has been the bane of the Cubs’ offensive woes. The lack of production from 3- and 4-hole sluggers Derrek Lee (.229) and Aramis Ramirez (.177) hasn’t helped either.

Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo was paid big bucks to transfer to Chicago from Texas where he was insanely successful, but the dividends have failed to pay off.

"I take full responsibility -- I'm the hitting coach, I'm accountable," Jaramillo said. "But I don't doubt myself in any way in what I'm doing and the direction I'm going. It's a two-way street and those kids have to respond.”

The Cubs have fallen back 11.5 games in the NL Central standings and don’t appear to be ridding themselves of their curse any time soon.

Pick: Cincinnati Reds


Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks (+140, 9.5)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, a change in management can inflate motivation levels in a clubhouse.

Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch became the fourth skipper this season to find himself unemployed after the Arizona franchise relieved him of his duties Friday.

"The evaluation that we made basically drew us to a conclusion that a change was necessary," managing partner Ken Kendrick said, "hopefully to bring a new energy to the club and to the organization."

After losing 10 games in a row in late May, Hinch acknowledged to the media that he has lost control of the team saying, “This group hasn't responded that well to me."

The man now responsible for getting that group to respond – Kirk Gibson. Gibson is best remembered for his pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when he limped around the bases while pumping his fist.

Much like that Dodgers 5-4 victory over Oakland, it’s going to take another Gibson miracle to turn this team around. The D-backs are 15 games out of first place in the NL West and might not have much motivation regardless of who’s at the helm.

Pick: LA Dodgers

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Re: 7-3-10

SOCCER NEWS AND NOTES
Germany vs. Argentina: What Bettors Need To Know
By Michael Da Silva


Argentina vs. Germany

Odds: Argentina (+138), Germany (+232), Draw (+234); Over/under (2.5)

A bitter war of words has accompanied the build-up to this World Cup quarterfinal with Diego Maradona this week asking Germany ace Bastien Schweinsteiger: "What's the matter Schweinsteiger? Are you nervoussh?'' - in what can only be described as a very poor German accent.

On the pitch however, the contrast of styles could make this not only one of the best, but also one of the most intriguing games of the World Cup so far. Germany made counter attacking an art form against England, and Argentina have looked so fluid going forward that it seems like they are capable of scoring – with Messi, Tevez and Higuain in attack – against anyone.

Goals, it would seem, are a certainty but predicting the winner of this contest is far from straightforward...

Game Strategy

Both teams are free of injuries and suspensions, allowing coaches Joachim Low and Diego Maradona to pick their strongest line-ups. Both are expected to keep faith in the starting line-ups that saw them ease into the last eight teams.

Expect Argentina to dominate possession and attempt to pass Germany into submission but, as we saw during their annihilation of England, the Germans are more than capable of soaking up the pressure and hitting teams on the break.

The likes of Ozil, Podolski and Khedira will be a handful for Mascherano in defensive midfield. And, although Mascherano has been strong throughout the tournament, the chances of him picking up at least one yellow card are high, given how exposed he could be.

It’s not just Schweinsteiger that Maradona has been taunting ahead of this game - he has also had a pop at 20-year-old forward Thomas Muller.

Despite scoring twice in Germany's 4-1 hammering of England last Sunday, Muller was virtually unknown outside of Germany when he made his debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Argentina in Munich in March and attended the post-match press conference alongside the Argentina coach.

Maradona joked he thought the ‘ballboy’ had arrived and felt so slighted that he stormed off and refused to return until the German left the stage to him alone.

"Now I have won two titles and played in the Champions League with Bayern, so a few things have changed," said Muller.

Muller, 20, said he was too young to remember Maradona the player, but recalled when he saw him play in a testimonial game in 2000 and was greatly impressed.

"He was overweight at that time but what he did with the ball was amazing," he said.

“But we must not be provoked," warned Muller. "I won't mind a fight afterwards if we have won."

Argentina defender Martin Demichelis, who plays in Germany for Bayern Munich, also gave his thoughts ahead of the game, saying: "I have been in Germany for seven years. They know me and they know I won't change. But it does seem they don't have a lot of respect for us.

"I am not paying much attention to it, but maybe they should show us some respect.''

He then added that he would have to be on top form against a German attack containing the lethal Miroslav Klose, admitting: “If I play as badly against Germany as John Terry did, I won’t be allowed to return to Argentina.”

Know Your Enemy

These two are no strangers and have met several times in this competition, including the World Cup finals of Mexico ’86 and Italia ’90. Maradona captained Argentina to a 3-2 success in 1986, while Germany got revenge four years later by winning 1-0.

But the game that is still fresh in the memories of many of the current players is the ill-tempered quarter-final of 2006, which saw a fight break out on the pitch between staff and players after Germany beat the South Americans 4-2 on penalties, with Cambiasso missing the crucial spot-kick for Argentina.

Players To Watch

Germany – Bastien Schweinsteiger

Against England, Schweinsteiger was the unsung hero. The architect of every meaningful move, the Bayern Munich midfielder sits in a deep, quarterback position, spraying out passes and bringing the likes of Ozil into the game. Unless Argentina – specifically Mascherano – can close Schweinsteiger down, he has the ability to exploit their suspect defence with his vision and range of passing.

Argentina – Carlos Tevez

Tevez plays on the right side of a three-pronged attack for his country, with Messi and Higuain providing extra bite. Overshadowed by the mesmerising skills of Messi and the goals of Higuain in the group games, Tevez decided to grab some of the spotlight against Mexico by firing in a straight-to-YouTube classic and fuelling the technology debate with an offside opener.

His high work rate and endless harassment of defenders was enough to retain a place in the team ahead of Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero and now that he has added a goal-scoring touch there is no stopping the Manchester City striker.

Weather

A fine afternoon in Cape Town is forecast, with sunny highs of 64 degrees Fahrenheit predicted.

Stat Attack

Germany’s Thomas Muller has been involved in six goals (three goals & three assists) in this World Cup, more than any other player.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi has created more goal-scoring opportunities for teammates (14) than any player at the 2010 World Cup finals.

Paul the Octopus, the German World Cup sensation with a 100 percent record of predicting Germany’s World Cup results, has forecasted a Germany win. He took six seconds to decide – the longest he has taken to decide on an outcome – perhaps suggesting there will be extra time or penalties.

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Re: 7-3-10

PICKS FOR KICKS

Saturday's Best World Cup Bets

Argentina (-136) vs. Germany (+128, 2.5)

The two highest-scoring teams in this year’s World Cup go toe to toe in a match most are expected to be interesting, to say the least.

The two sides don’t like each other and don’t make an effort to hide it.

"We have to concentrate on our own game. [Argentina] are temperamental, we'll see how they deal with defeat on Saturday," German captain Philipp Lahm told AP reporters. "They are impulsive, temperamental and they don't know how to lose."

We haven’t seen Argentina trail yet at the finals, thanks to a prolific offensive attack. But Diego Maradona’s central defenders – Martin Demichelis in particular - have looked shaky when tested.

Germany will concede possession and take their chances on counter attacks, much like they did successfully against England.

Pick: Germany


Spain (-440) vs. Paraguay (+400, 2)

Spain take on the roll as top favorite to hoist the World Cup trophy now that Brazil has been sent home. A modest scoring Paraguayan side stand in their way of advancing to the semifinals.

What Paraguay lack in offense, they make up for in defensive responsibility. No team has scored against Paraguay since their first match in group play, and they still only surrendered one goal in that contest.

The Red Fury’s inability to take advantage of their chances has frustrated their supporters. David Villa appears to be the only forward capable of testing opposing goalkeepers.

Spain has shown a tendency at the World Cup to dominate possession, but rarely pressure opponents in the final 30 yards.

Pick: Under

[spook]

Re: 7-3-10

BASEBALL CRUSHER
PLAY OF THE DAY

Minnesota Twins (-150) over TB Rays

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Re: 7-3-10

papayagang pick of the day 7/3

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San Fran Giants 75* ML
Cleveland Indians 75* ML

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Re: 7-3-10

shut em down sports 7/3

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20*Cincy -119 pod

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Re: 7-3-10

Paul the Octupus Sports Advisor

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PAUL THE OCTOPUS SPORTS ADVISOR

Capper: Paul the Octopus

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[9002] Germany

Today's selection

Pick Germany over Argentina in World Cup

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Very solid and reliable capper

Current record: 100% 5-0(World Cup).

[spook]

Re: 7-3-10

Pro Tipster
Date Country League Event Our pick
03.07.2010 International World Cup Argentina - Germany Argentina +0
03.07.2010 International World Cup Paraguay Spain Spain


SAM Picks
International - World Cup - 19:30
PARAGUAY - SPAIN take SPAIN to win
Bet365 odds: 1,5
Best odds: 1,53 Pinnacle

[spook]

Re: 7-3-10

Revelation sports 7/3

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Seattle Mariners ML
Washington Nationals

[Mr. IWS]

Re: 7-3-10

King Creole | MLB Total Sat, 07/03/10 - 1:05 PM

double-dime bet 967 TOR / 968 NYY Under 8.5 Sportbet
Analysis:
1:05pm ET / Toronto Blue Jays with Romero @ New York Yankees with Pettitte
2** BEST BET on: UNDER the TOTAL

2 Starters in great current form.... a low-scoring series history... two teams that are offensively-challenged versus southpaw pitchers... and a home plate Umpire on a great 'Under' run. Add 'em all together and you have the ingredients for a 4* Best Bet.

[Mr. IWS]

Re: 7-3-10

Tony George | MLB Money Line Sat, 07/03/10 - 8:05 PM

dime bet 978 TEX (-139) Bodog vs 977 CWS
Analysis:


Texas -139

The Rangers off a loss last night which is rare at home where they are 21-7 their last 28, this is a GREAT bounceback spot with an undefeated starter in Tommy Hunter who has a low WHIP and a 2.15 ERA on the season going up against John Danks for the WS. The Rangers are red hot at the plate but only had 7 hits last night and gave up 14. I see the opposite scenario tonight and a Rangers home win to even the series ata decent price.

Play 1 Unit on the Rangers

[Mr. IWS]

Re: 7-3-10

Lenny Del Genio | MLB Money Line Sat, 07/03/10 - 8:05 PM

double-dime bet 977 CWS (+125) Bodog vs 978 TEX
Analysis:
Play on Chicago White Sox at 8:05 EST

[Mr. IWS]

Re: 7-3-10

KIKI SPORTS

Saturday July 3rd

1 unit Atlanta -165
1 unit White Sox +125

WORLD CUP :
1 unit Paraguay +775
At that price, we gotta take a shot at them taking down Spain. Spain is the better rounded squad, but on any given day....
Pass on Germany/Argentina. Truly a matchup to watch unbiased (Go Germany), as talent abounds in this one from all areas !!