Cubs, Pirates resume series in the Steel City
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs will try to get back to the .500 mark this evening, when they resume a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Chicago ended a two-game losing streak with Monday's 3-1 win over the Pirates in the opener of this series, as starting pitcher Rich Harden recorded a rare recent win for the Cubs' rotation with seven innings of one-run ball. Harden, who won for the first time since May 12, allowed nine hits, struck out nine and walked only one batter to lift Chicago to a 2-6 mark on its 10-game road trip.
"The important thing is the team won today," Harden said on the team's site. "I've never really got caught up in personal wins or losses. As long as I'm doing my job out there and giving the team a chance to win, then I'm happy."
Carlos Marmol tossed a scoreless eighth inning and Kevin Gregg followed with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save of the season.
Ryan Theriot homered and Milton Bradley finished with two hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who are 3 1/2 games off the lead in the National League Central division.
Cubs starter Ted Lilly gets the nod on Tuesday and he is 2-1 over his last three decisions, with Chicago going 5-1 over that stretch of games. Lilly lost his most recent outing Thursday at Detroit, as he allowed six runs and 10 hits in six innings of work.
Lilly, who is 7-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 15 starts this season, will try to stay unbeaten over his career against Pittsburgh. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 4.60 ERA in nine games (7 starts) versus the Bucs.
Pittsburgh has lost two in a row after a four-game winning streak and fell to 4-7 over its last 11 games after last night's loss to Chicago. Jack Wilson had the lone RBI, while Nyjer Morgan had three hits and Andy LaRoche added two with a run scored for the Pirates, who are 4-3 on a 10-game homestand.
"We need to play well," Pittsburgh manager John Russell said on the team's Web site. "Whether people realize it or not, we're right there. If we can start sneaking a few games here or there and continue to play well, we really feel like we're right there where we need to be."
Buccos starter Zach Duke entered Monday's start 5-0 with a 2.50 earned run average over his last five trips to the PNC Park mound, but allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work to absorb the loss.
The Pirates will send Ross Ohlendorf to the hill on Tuesday and he is 1-3 over his past four decisions, spanning seven starts. He most recently faced Cleveland on Thursday and did not factor in the outcome of a 3-2 victory.
Ohlendorf was reached for just a pair of runs through seven innings and allowed five hits, with two strikeouts and three walks. The right-hander, who is 4-2 in eight home starts this season, has never faced the Cubs in his career.
Chicago won two of three matchups with Pittsburgh from May 25-27 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have won 20 of the last 25 meetings in the series.
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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
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