Kinsler, Wilson lead Rangers past Astros

Baseball Betting Lines

06/26/2010 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Kinsler finished with two hits including a three-run homer as Texas got back on the winning track with a 7-2 decision over Houston in the middle test of a three-game interleague set.

Nelson Cruz was 3-for-5 with a triple for the Rangers, who had their 11-game win streak halted with a loss in the series opener on Friday. Elvis Andrus added two RBI and Vladimir Guerrero had two hits and knocked in a run.

C.J. Wilson (6-3) worked seven innings in the win, allowing five hits and two runs for Texas, which has won 15 of their last 17 contests.

Jason Michaels went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run for the Astros, whose three-game win streak was halted.

Josh Banks (0-1) was charged in defeat for eight hits and six runs with four walks over four-plus innings. He was pressed into service for injured starter Felipe Paulino and recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Michaels' two-run shot in the fourth put Houston ahead by a run but the Rangers responded with four in the home half to take the lead for good. Justin Smoak worked a leadoff walk before Max Ramirez plated him with a double. With one out Michael Young singled and Kinsler launched a three-run blast for a 5-2 score.

Singles from Cruz and David Murphy in the fifth preceded Andrus' two-out, two- run single which gave the home team a five-run bulge.

Wilson allowed two baserunners in the sixth, but a run was saved as Hunter Pence was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Michaels' double. He'd exit by retiring the Astros in order in the seventh.

Darren O'Day stranded a pair of runners in the eighth then Frank Francisco fanned a pair in a scoreless ninth.

Texas got on the board in the third, as Kinsler doubled and Guerrero singled him in before being thrown out at second.

Game Notes

Rangers centerfielder Josh Hamilton extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a single, making it the 14th total 20-game hit streak in Texas franchise history...The Rangers improved to 19-5 in the month of June...Banks went 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA in six games (three starts) for San Diego in 2009.

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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.

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