Angels, Mariners continue set at Big A

Baseball Betting Lines

07/17/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have owned the Seattle Mariners this season and they will try to continue that dominance tonight as the squads resume a four-game set at Angel Stadium.

Following last night's 3-2 result, the Angels are now 9-2 versus Seattle this season, including seven straight victories in the series.

Jered Weaver pitched seven innings of two-run ball, as the Angels held off the Mariners for the 3-2 victory in the second test of a four-game series.

Weaver (9-5), who gave up six hits, snapped a two-start skid. The right-hander fanned five batters and walked zero to improve to 10-3 in 17 career starts versus Seattle.

"Me and Felix (Hernandez) had some good battles," Weaver said. "I am glad we got the win tonight. Our guys put some good at-bats against Felix and scored three runs."

Kevin Frandsen and Bobby Abreu each had an RBI for the Angels, who won 8-3 in the opener of this series on Thursday. Los Angeles remains 4 1/2 games back of Texas for the top spot in the AL West.

Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer for Seattle, which has lost three in a row and 11 of 13 overall. It was Smoak's first homer in a Mariners uniform after he was acquired from Texas as part of the Cliff Lee deal.

Felix Hernandez (7-6) allowed three runs on 10 hits in an eight-inning start. The right-hander also struck out three and walked zero in his first loss since June 8 against the Rangers. It was his fourth complete game in his last six starts.

"I thought Felix pitched great," Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Early he got hurt with his fastball, but he settled down after the third inning. It's a shame we couldn't get him some more runs."

The Mariners will surely need a lot of run support for tonight, as Ryan Rowland-Smith toes the rubber. The left-hander has just one win in 16 starts and he is 0-5 with a 7.38 ERA in nine road appearances this season. In his last appearance on Sunday, Rowland-Smith lasted only four innings, allowing six runs - four earned - and six hits in an 8-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

Despite boasting a 2.84 ERA, Rowland-Smith is 0-2 in four career starts against the Angels. He last faced them on June 5th, when he gave up just one earned run over five innings. He did not factor in the decision, an 11-2 home loss.

Joe Saunders gets the call for Angels and he will try to continue his mastery of Seattle. In 13 career starts versus the Mariners, Saunders is 8-1 with a 3.58 ERA. He has faced them three times this season, going 1-0 but with just a 5.06 ERA.

The left-hander, though, has had some struggles of late and is just 1-3 with a 5.90 ERA over his previous five overall appearances. He last started on July 7th, when he gave up five earned runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

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