Cubs send out Big Z in hopes of sweeping Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

04/15/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If the Chicago Cubs get the Carlos Zambrano from five days ago, then they have a pretty good shot at sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers at home for the first time since 2004. But if the Zambrano from Opening Day shows up, then who knows what will happen.

Chicago turns to its ace hurler this afternoon at Wrigley Field versus the Brewers, who will activate Jeff Suppan from the disabled list in the hopes of salvaging the finale of this three-game series.

Zambrano's 10th season in the majors got off to a rocky start back on April 5, when the right-hander was drilled for eight runs over just 1 1/3 innings to take a loss against Atlanta. Zambrano showed much improvement on Saturday versus the Cincinnati Reds, though, holding them to three runs over seven innings with nine strikeouts in a 4-3 victory.

"My last game, I was trying to locate my fastball too much," Zambrano told Chicago's Web site after besting Cincinnati. "I'm a sinker pitcher, and that's the mentality I have to have -- just throw the ball."

Zambrano has been hurt by the long ball so far. He has yielded three homers in his two starts after giving up 10 in 28 outings last year.

Zambrano pitched to a 4.50 earned run average in three starts versus the Brewers last year without a decision, but is 10-8 with a 3.74 ERA against them lifetime.

He will face Suppan, who makes his season debut after beginning the year on the disabled list due to cervical disc pain in his neck.

The 35-year-old will be looking to bounce back from a 2009 campaign in which he went 7-12 with a 5.29 ERA in 30 starts. The spring wasn't too kind to Suppan either, as he went 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in five outings.

The right-handed Suppan went 0-3 with a 3.80 ERA in four starts versus the Cubs a season ago. He is 6-9 lifetime versus them with a 3.63 ERA.

Suppan will try to keep the Cubs in check after they rallied for a 7-6 victory on Wednesday, with Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot both delivering two-out, two-run singles in the eighth inning off former Chicago closer LaTroy Hawkins.

"He's getting ahead of everybody," Brewers manager Ken Macha said of Hawkins. "He just couldn't finish anybody."

Fukudome ended with three runs batted in, Theriot had four hits and Geovany Soto clubbed a solo homer in the win.

"It shows the character of the team. We grinded it out until the end," Soto said. "We picked each other up. It was refreshing to see."

Chicago, which lost four of six before beginning its home schedule with this series, will try to sweep Milwaukee for the first time since taking all four games of a road set at Miller Park from July 28-31, 2008. The Cubs haven't swept the Brewers at home since a three-game series from Aug. 23-25, 2004.

The Cubs are expected to have first baseman Derrek Lee back in the lineup after he sat out yesterday's game due to right thumb inflammation.

Alcides Escobar had three hits, including an RBI triple for Milwaukee, which has dropped four of its last five, while Rickie Weeks went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI

The Cubs won 10 of 17 versus the Brewers last year, including five of eight at home.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

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MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds

According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.

Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet.  The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.

MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.  In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State.  Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.

Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL.  In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.

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ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Notre Dame
Ohio State
West Virginia
Texas
USC
Florida
California
Auburn
Oklahoma
Iowa
Louisville
Florida State
Michigan
Miami (FL)
LSU
Penn State
Virginia Tech
Nebraska
Tennessee
Georgia
Arizona State
Oregon
Clemson
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Alabama
Arkansas
Boston College
Michigan State
Maryland
South Carolina
Colorado
Purdue
Georgia Tech
TCU
UCLA
Arizona
Pittsburgh
Iowa State
Wisconsin
North Carolina State
Virginia
North Carolina
Fresno State
Hawaii
Northwestern
BYU
Oregon State
UNLV
Field (Any Other Team)		 5-1
7-1
8-1
8-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
18-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
70-1
70-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
150-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
250-1
250-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
400-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
1000-1
1000-1
40-1



ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Miami (FL)
Florida State
Virginia Tech
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Duke		 2-1
2-1
3-1
7-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
50-1
500-1



ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Texas Tech
Colorado
Iowa State
Texas A&M
Kansas State
Missouri
Kansas
Baylor
Oklahoma State		 7-5
9-5
9-2
12-1
14-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
35-1
100-1
100-1



ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Auburn
Florida
LSU
Georgia
Tennessee
Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Mississippi State
Kentucky
Vanderbilt		 5-2
11-4
4-1
6-1
7-1
7-1
9-1
20-1
28-1
75-1
100-1
300-1

For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.