White Sox hope to pad lead in Seattle

Baseball Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox will be vying to further pad their lead atop the American League's Central Division when the resurgent club resumes a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners this evening at Safeco Field.

Chicago was able to extend its advantage over Detroit and Minnesota in the division race by coming through with a 6-1 victory over the lowly Mariners on Monday. With both the Tigers and Twins losing last night, the White Sox are now 2 1/2 games ahead of both teams for the Central's top spot.

The White Sox also rebounded from three straight road defeats to the Twins over the weekend and received a big effort from rookie pitcher Dan Hudson in the opener. The young right-hander threw 6 1/3 effective innings and limited Seattle to a run on five hits while striking out six batters in earning the second win of his brief major league career.

Alex Rios was the offensive star for Chicago, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and belting a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning that snapped a 1-1 tie. Andruw Jones added a solo shot in the win, while Omar Vizquel and Gordon Beckham each went 2-for-4 with an RBI to help the Sox prevail.

"We didn't panic and say, 'Oh my gosh, we have to win this game today'," said Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski afterward. "We just went out and played and things worked out."

The win was the White Sox' 10th in their past 13 contests, and Beckham has played a big role in that surge. The second-year second baseman is riding an eight-game hitting streak and is batting a scorching .636 (14-for-22) over his last six outings.

Russell Branyan knocked in the lone run for Seattle, which fell to 3-13 in July, with a first-inning double. Starting pitcher David Pauley (0-2) worked the first six innings and surrendered three runs while striking out four.

"I thought Pauley did a nice job," said Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. "Early he got hurt with some base hits with his fastball, but [he] made some adjustments with his breaking ball."

Chicago has now won all four meetings between these teams in 2010, having swept a three-game set from Seattle in the Windy City from April 23-25. John Danks was responsible for one of those victories and will be taking the mound tonight seeking to keep his own personal unbeaten streak intact.

Danks has won two straight starts and five of his past seven decisions to up his season record to 9-7. The steady left-hander did struggle in Thursday's matchup with Minnesota, permitting six runs and nine hits in a six-inning stint, but received plenty of offensive support in the White Sox' 8-7 triumph over the rival Twins.

The 25-year-old was much better in his previous assignment, firing a two-hit shutout and striking out seven Anaheim hitters in a July 8 win over the Angels.

Danks also pitched well in besting the Mariners on April 25, with the former first-round pick yielding two runs and no walks over eight sharp innings. He's just 2-4 with a 4.50 earned run average in seven lifetime encounters with Seattle, but has posted a 2.93 ERA in four Safeco Field starts.

The Mariners counter with Doug Fister, with the right-hander aiming to put an end to a frustrating seven-start winless streak. The Fresno State product has registered four losses and three no-decisions since a May 14 ousting of Tampa Bay and hasn't pitched well since returning from a month-long stint on the disabled list in late June. In four starts after being activated, Fister is 0-2 with a 7.08 ERA.

The 26-year-old seemed to have turned the corner after holding Kansas City to a run in a six-inning no-decision on July 7, but was hit hard by the Angels in his first start after the All-Star break. Fister allowed five runs and a whopping 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings of Thursday's 8-3 loss to Anaheim.

Fister did give up just two runs over eight innings in a no-decision against the White Sox on April 24 and also performed well in a test with Chicago at Safeco Field last August. In that game, the White Sox managed no runs and just one hit in six innings against the Seattle starter.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.