Dodgers' Kershaw goes for 10th win versus Lincecum-led Giants

Baseball Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers young starter Clayton Kershaw has never reached double digits in wins and will get a chance tonight against the NL West-rival San Francisco Giants in the continuation of a three-game series from Chavez Ravine.

Kershaw has already won a career-best nine games this season (9-5) and was 5-1 in his previous six decisions before losing to St. Louis last Thursday. In the 7-1 setback at Busch Stadium, Kershaw was reached for five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The left-hander slightly raised his earned run average from 2.96 to 3.16 in his 19th start of the year. Kershaw, who is 5-2 in 10 home starts this season, faced San Francisco back on April 18 and did not figure into the decision of a 2-1 win. He hurled seven innings of one-run ball, struck out nine batters and allowed four walks. In three career games (2 starts) against the Giants, Kershaw is 0-0 with a 1.20 earned run average.

Kershaw is an up-and-coming hurler, but if he wants to win 10 or more games on a consistent basis, he'll just have look across the field at Giants ace Tim Lincecum. Lincecum, the two-time defending National League Cy Young Award winner, has won two straight and five of his last seven starts and will toe the Dodger Stadium rubber tonight.

The right-hander recorded his first shutout of the season the last time out on Thursday in a 2-0 victory over the New York Mets. He allowed six hits, struck out five batters and issued just one walk, improving to 10-4 with a 2.94 ERA in 19 starts.

Lincecum, who is 4-1 in nine road starts, defeated Los Angeles back on April 17 this season and tossed six shutout innings in a 9-0 drubbing. Lincecum struck out seven batters and pushed his career mark against the Dodgers to 4-1 to go along with a 2.96 ERA in eight career games (7 starts).

San Francisco kicked off a seven-game road trip against LA and Arizona with Monday's 5-2 win, as Nate Schierholtz belted a two-run homer and Pablo Sandoval ended with two hits and an RBI. Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez each drove in a run for the Giants, who have won 10 of their last 12 games and sit four games behind San Diego for the NL West lead.

Giants young starter Madison Bumgarner picked up the win by holding the Dodgers to a pair of runs -- one earned -- and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Brian Wilson later worked a busy ninth inning for his 26th save.

"It's fun to pitch here in this rivalry and get the win," Bumgarner said.

Los Angeles starter James McDonald didn't have much fun and was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs and nine hits in five innings. McDonald fanned five batter and issued two walks.

"I thought James had good stuff, but the numbers aren't going to look like that," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "We know we're better than we've been lately. We're not tired, just down a little bit."

Rafael Furcal finished 3-for-5 with a home run, Matt Kemp contributed three hits and an RBI and Russell Martin shook off a thumb ailment to post three hits for the Dodgers, who have dropped five in a row and fell six games off the pace in the NL West standings.

Los Angeles has won five of the first seven matchups with San Francisco this season. The Dodgers swept the Giants in three games by the Bay from June 28-30 and have won 11 of the past 16 meetings between the ballclubs.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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