A-Rod goes for 600th homer as Yankees continue set with Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

07/23/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- Alex Rodriguez will be attempting to achieve another milestone in his illustrious career when the New York Yankees superstar takes the field against the visiting Kansas City Royals this evening.

After homering in New York's 10-4 victory in Thursday's opener of this four- game series, Rodriguez is now just one shy of becoming only the seventh player in major league history to hit 600 for his career. The All-Star third baseman added a pair of doubles and knocked in four runs to help the Yankees win for the 12th time in their last 15 games.

"I'm having fun," said Rodriguez after last night's game. "I'm trying to drive in big runs for this team. When I hit [number 600], hopefully it is for a win."

Derek Jeter added an inside-the-park home run, the longtime shortstop's first since 1996, and Nick Swisher delivered a two-RBI double during a four-run eighth inning that broke open a close contest. Both players finished with two hits, while Mark Teixeira ended 3-for-5 with an RBI single to help pace New York's 14-hit attack.

The Yankees' offensive barrage helped offset a somewhat shaky performance from ace CC Sabathia, who was reached for four runs (three earned) and allowed 11 hits over the first 6 1/3 innings. The standout lefty still was able to become the AL's first 13-game winner and struck out nine Kansas City hitters before exiting.

Royals starter Bruce Chen (5-4) surrendered five runs on nine hits in six innings to take the loss. Kansas City supported him with 14 hits on the night, but stranded 14 runners in losing for the eighth time in 10 games.

"Great game for eight innings," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "Bruce battled through some things, grinded it out."

Kansas City made a move prior to Thursday's matchup, trading third baseman Alberto Callaspo to the Angels in exchange for pitcher Sean O'Sullivan and a minor-leaguer. Wilson Betemit took Callaspo's place in the lineup and went 2- for-4 with an RBI.

The Royals were also without David DeJesus for much of last night's game after the center fielder injured himself while attempting to flag down Jeter's homer in the third inning. DeJesus suffered a sprained right thumb when running into the wall and will sit out the remainder of this series.

Brian Bannister will try to stave off Rodriguez's attempt at history when he takes the mound for Kansas City tonight, but may have a tough time doing so. Rodriguez has clubbed three homers in seven lifetime at-bats against the right-hander, who comes in having lost three straight decisions and has allowed four runs or more in each of his past four starts.

Bannister has had his share of struggles against the rest of the New York lineup as well. The 29-year-old owns a horrid 15.07 earned run average in four career starts against the Yankees, with the Bronx Bombers having racked up six homers and 30 hits in 14 1/3 innings over those games. In his most recent encounter with New York, Bannister was torched for 10 runs and 10 hits -- including three homers -- while lasting only one inning in a loss at the old Yankee Stadium on August 17, 2008.

The University of Southern California product has also posted a poor 7.45 ERA along with a 3-7 record in 12 starts at night this season. Bannister's most recent outing came during the day but wasn't a good one either, as he permitted five runs and walked six men in 6 1/3 innings to lose to Oakland last Sunday.

New York's A.J. Burnett will also be seeking to put a forgettable last start behind him this evening. The struggling right-hander threw only two-plus innings against Tampa Bay this past Saturday, but was rocked for four runs on four hits in a 10-5 setback to the Rays. The defeat was the sixth in seven decisions for Burnett, and he's registered a lousy 8.15 ERA over that eight- start stretch.

Burnett didn't help his cause on Saturday by reportedly cutting both his hands while taking out his frustrations on a clubhouse door after finishing the second inning. He sustained only minor injuries during the blowup, though, and will be able to take his regular turn in the rotation tonight.

The 33-year-old owns a 2-2 record with a 3.32 ERA over six career starts against Kansas City.

Thursday's victory improved the Yankees to 15-4 against the Royals at home since the start of the 2006 season. New York has won 26 of the 35 meetings between the clubs over that time period.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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