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07/29/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies completed their trade for Roy Oswalt on Thursday, acquiring the pitcher from the Houston Astros.
The Phillies also received cash considerations, and sent pitcher J.A. Happ and two prospects -- outfielder Anthony Gose and infielder Jonathan Villar -- to Houston.
Oswalt will make his first Phillies start Friday in Washington.
Oswalt is owed approximately $5 million for the remainder of this season. He's due to make $16 million next season and there is a club option of $16 million in 2012 or a $2 million buyout.
The 32-year-old Oswalt, who has only pitched for Houston over his 10-year career, is 6-12 with a 3.42 ERA this season. He's lost his last two starts, but has received little run support from his team. In fact, the Astros have scored two runs or less each of the last six times he's pitched.
With 143 wins, Oswalt is one victory shy of matching Joe Niekro as the all- time leader in Astros franchise history.
The addition of Oswalt gives the surging Phillies a powerful 1-2-3 punch in the rotation, led by Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Additionally, the Phillies acquired a frontline starter for the second straight season, having traded for Cliff Lee last year.
Lee helped the Phillies reach the World Series for a second consecutive year in 2009, and Philadelphia is hoping Oswalt will help the club in its push to get back there this year.
The Phillies have won a season-best seven games in a row and were 3 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East standings following Wednesday's games. The Astros are well out of the playoff race at 42-59, and now lose the face of their rotation.
In return, Houston gets a young left-hander in Happ. The 27-year-old broke out in 2009, when he went 12-4 with a 2.93 earned run average in 35 games (23 starts). He had three complete games, two shutouts and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Happ has made only three starts this season, as he went on the disabled list in April with a left forearm strain. On Sunday, Happ made his first start since returning from the DL, and is 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA this year.
<< Howell's 64 leads Irish Open
Killarney, Ireland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England's David Howell fired a seven-
under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Irish Open at
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club.
Richard Green and Damien McGrane both posted ro
<< Rain wipes out Day 4 in Umag
Umag, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rain washed away Thursday's second-round
schedule at the clay-court Croatia Open.
Second-seeded French Open semifinalist Jurgen Melzer of Austria was scheduled
to face Czech Jan Hajek and third-seede
<< Big South teams embrace playoff bid
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Almost everywhere you look, Liberty is
considered the prohibitive favorite to win the Big South football title this
fall.
The rest of the conference, however, has motivation that goes way beyond
feeling o
<< Schiavone ousted in Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French Open champion Francesca
Schiavone was a second-round loser Thursday at the $220,000 Istanbul Cup
hardcourt tennis event.
Britain's Elena Baltacha sent the top-seeded Schiavone pa
Sabres' Kennedy awarded one-year deal >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Sabres forward Tim Kennedy was awarded
a one-year contract worth $1 million by an arbitrator on Thursday.
Per guidelines set in the NHL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the
Sabres cannot
NCAA penalizes Arizona basketball program >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NCAA has penalized the University of
Arizona for major violations involving the men's basketball program.
The NCAA said in its release that the violations, which include
impermissible
Desmond helps Nats win series from Braves >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Desmond went 2-for-3 with a home run and
drove in two, as the Washington Nationals edged the Atlanta Braves, 5-3, in
the rubber match of a three-game series.
Scott Olsen (3-2), who was reinstated from
Real Madrid sold its 'soul' to Schalke >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Raul in Royal Blue? Fitting, I guess, even
if it's tough to imagine. Raul ended his 16-year stay at Real Madrid this week
and started his second life at Schalke on Thursday.
Signed to a "lifetime contract"
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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