Lines

NFL Money Lines

With NFL betting sites opening up for the 2010 campaign a few weeks ago, we felt it was important to go over one of the more overlooked options when wagering, the money line. Since the NFL kicked off its popularity campaign in the 1970s, most NFL betting online fans have used the point spread when watching a game. Today we want to let you know that for every 1000 point spread bettors, there are 500 money line bettors. Here is how the NFL money line works.

Firstly, the money line eliminates the point spread and uses straight odds on each game. Meaning to say, you have to win or lose your game straight up as the point spread is no longer relevant in the given wager.

It is important to keep in mind, that when using the money line bet, the underdog is a wiser choice to lay your money with. In essence, if you lay your money on a two and a half point underdog, you are not required to give the house a juice commission. Yet lay your points with a three point three favorite, and it is all but certain that you will have to give a big juice to the sportsbook.

Here is how a money line wager appears:

Minnesota Vikings +250
New Orleans Saints – 330

In this game, the Vikings are an underdog, symbolized by a plus sign. Fans betting on the Vikings are required to risk $100 in order to get back $250. What you should also know, is that if the Vikings win, you will get back your $100 in effect making $350 instead of $250.

Conversely, if you bet the Saints who are the favorite, symbolized by a minus sign, you are asked to risk $330 to get back $100.

 

Bad Officiating Quashes Perfection

Wednesday night a feat once rare in professional baseball almost became a commonality. Prior to this year MLB betting based on the possibility of a perfect game, had perhaps the slimmest odds in all of sports. However in the span of five weeks, the odds have increased as two of a possible three pitchers have accomplished the biggest rarity in all of baseball. On May 14th, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics tossed the 19th perfect game in league history against the powerhouse Tampa Bay Rays. Almost two weeks later on May 29th, pitching phenom Roy Halladay became the 20th pitcher in league history to record a perfect game. Finally four days later, last night, on Wednesday June 2nd, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers almost became the third pitcher this season to record a perfect game.

However, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, a routine grounder was hit to first baseman Miguel Cabrera, Galarraga, raced down to first to cover for Cabrera who threw the ball to Galarraga recording the out. Or so we thought, fans betting online for the Tigers and Indians game could not have predicted what would happen next, as although Galarraga had clearly beat out the Indians player to first base and recorded the out, veteran umpire Jim Joyce called the Indians player safe. The result was the young Galarraga losing his perfect game bid to what was ruled as an infield single. Galarraga will go down as the player to get the closest to a perfect game, recording 26 of a possible 27 outs before giving up a hit, on perhaps the most controversial call in sports history.

Joyce's error on the play is not the first bad officiating of the year, as various umpires have been making headlines all season. As recently as Tuesday, another umpire was in the spotlight, as Angel Hernandez, the home plate umpire in the Blue Jays versus Tampa Bay Rays game made a few questionable calls. First he refused to grant a time out to Rays designated hitter Carlos Pena resulting in a strike out, where Pena was unprepared for the at bat. Then later in the same inning he shortened the strike zone for Jays closer Kevin Gregg resulting in a four run ninth inning come from behind victory for the Rays.

For Tiger pitcher Galarraga, the missed out is surely disappointing, however Galarraga is a good enough pitcher that he has plenty to build upon after this experience. Tiger's fans betting on another perfect game for the young Galarraga have reason to feel confident as such a strong outing will not go lost on the young pitcher.

 


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