DeJesus helps Royals edge BoSox

Baseball Betting Lines

05/27/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David DeJesus went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, including the eventual game-winner in the sixth, as the Royals slowed down the surging Red Sox, 4-3, in the opener of a four-game set.

Boston came into the game winners in eight of its last nine and fresh off a three-game sweep of division-leader Tampa Bay, but Brian Bannister (4-3) held the Sox to three runs on nine hits over six frames to earn the win, the Royals' second in a row after three straight losses.

Robinson Tejeda and Blake Wood both hurled a perfect inning of relief to maintain a one-run lead in front of Joakim Soria, who retired the side in order in the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-2) allowed just two hits but tied a career-high with eight walks while being charged with three earned runs in the loss. The subpar start came five days after the right-hander had a no-hitter spoiled with four outs remaining against the Phillies.

Bill Hall hit a solo shot and J.D. Drew went 3-for-4 with a run scored in defeat.

Matsuzaka worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth to keep it a scoreless game, and Boston scored in the bottom half thanks to a lucky break.

After Kevin Youkilis' one-out single, Drew hit a one-hopper up the middle that hit umpire Paul Schrieber, who was stationed in front of second base. The possible inning-ending double-play ball turned into a single, and Adrian Beltre followed with a base hit to left to score Youkilis.

Kansas City went ahead in the fifth despite recording only one hit. A pair of walks left runners on first and second with one out for DeJesus, who singled to center to tie the game.

Matsuzaka walked Billy Butler and Jose Guillen to force in a run, and after a fielder's choice, a wild pitch got far enough away from Jason Varitek to plate Butler for a 3-1 game.

Joe Nelson relieved Matsuzaka after another bases on balls and got Jason Kendall to fly out with the bases loaded.

Hall's leadoff homer in Boston's next at-bat cut the deficit to 3-2, and DeJesus and Varitek traded run-scoring doubles off the Green Monster in the sixth to keep it a one-run contest.

Game Notes

Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the lineup for a third straight game because of soreness in his left side...Bannister came into the game 0-4 with a 5.87 earned-run average in four career starts against Boston...Kansas City had lost seven of eight at Fenway Park coming into the game. and J.D. Drew went 3-for-4 with a run scored in defeat.

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.