SPORTS N STUFF

The way that the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals got in to the postseason was nothing short of impressive, but now comes the even tougher task of making an impact in the playoffs against two of the best teams in the majors in the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies respectively. Both teams have the weapons to make an impact, but will be in tough to continue their improbable runs after spending a ton of gas just to get to the big sports betting dance. Here is a quick look at this Saturdays games.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers
Saturday, TBS

The Diamondbacks broadcasters had a sense of uneasiness in their voice when they talked about preparing to face Milwaukee in the NLDS on Thursday, and it could be because of the way that the Brewers have dominated this season. With the All Star trio of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee will look to flex its muscle at home against an Arizona team that was able to win games despite not playing at an elite level in the NL West, and unless Ian Kennedy can carry out the unlikely task of shutting down the Brewers offense they will have a tough time opening the series with a win.

MLB Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees
Saturday, TBS

The Yankees biggest problem heading in to this MLB betting season was a lack of pitching depth in their starting rotation, an area that Ivan Novas development has been crucial in. Nova goes second for New York behind CC Sabathia at the top of the rotation, and will counter veteran Doug Fister for Detroit as the pinstripes look to improve their standing in the series before the series shifts to the Motor City.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers
Saturday, TBS

The Rays will never stop believing after the incredible sequence of events that unfolded on the final day of the regular season, and if they can somehow work with the momentum and continue to play the way that they have as a unit, they do have a chance at an upset. Matt Holland will start the series for Texas with Tampa Bay expected to release their official decision sometime on Friday. The Rangers have unfinished business in the AL, and have no intention of letting the Rays Cinderella story continue.

MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies
Saturday, TBS

The Cardinals fought with everything that they had to complete the comeback and catch the Braves, but now face the even more daunting task of matching up with the Phillies in the NLDS. Philadelphia will have the edge in every pitching matchup as expected, and it may take another sports betting bonus miracle for St. Louis to rock the boat in these beginning with Roy Halladay on the mound Saturday against Jaime Garcia for the Cardinals.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

Just when it seemed as though the Miami Dolphins were destined to earn their first sports betting victory of the season, a cruel twist of fate stole that destiny from their grasp in the dying seconds of a 17-16 loss to the Cleveland Browns, leaving head coach Tony Sparanos club at 0-3. With just 14 wins through his past 34 games there is little doubt that Sparano is now on the hot seat in Miami, and things could get worse with a trip to face another talented team in the San Diego Chargers this Sunday.
Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers
Sunday October 2, 2011 4:15 PM ET
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
NFL Betting Lines: San Diego Chargers – 7

If any group can sympathize with early season struggles, it is head coach Norv Turner and his Chargers. Slow starts have hurt San Diego in each of the past two years, and cost them a postseason position a year ago. Turner would now like to think those struggles are in the past as his team looks to earn their third win in four weeks this Sunday, but fans arent taking anything for granted on the west coast.
NFL Betting Preview: Miami Dolphins
For a team ranks 12th in total offense and third in total defense, the Dolphins could be the best team to start with three straight losses in recent memory. Quarterback Chad Henne has shown progress and still has the potential to be a solid NFL starter, and the Miami rushing attack ranks seventh, so the offense has been in pretty good shape. The problem so far has been the inability of the defense to stop some of the talented offenses they have faced, although there is no excuse for the Cleveland Browns scoring 17 after they held the Houston Texans to just 23 the week before. The Dolphins will need a strong effort from their defense and a little luck if they are going to be able to keep up with a talented San Diego team.
NFL Betting Preview: San Diego Chargers
The Chargers have managed to avoid another rough September in terms of wins and losses, but they still havent come close to reaching their potential as a team. San Diegos two wins have come by an average of 5.5 points against the winless Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs, and they are going to have to play with more intensity on both sides of the ball if they are going to complete the first quarter of the season above the .500 mark. The Chargers have a ton of weapons on offense, but quarterback Phillip Rivers is going to have to do a better job of protecting the football after throwing four interceptions through the past two games. San Diego has had trouble stopping the run so far, and that usually leads to bigger problems.
NFL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The Chargers have all the tools to be a Super Bowl contender, but they still havent proven that they can demonstrate that potential early on in the season, and they could be due for another upset against a Miami team desperate for a win before their bye. The Dolphins may not come out on top in a tough best sportsbook promo stadium, but they should be able to keep it close.

NFL Betting Pick: Miami Dolphins

Buffalo Bills starting right guard Kraig Urbik returned to practice Friday, but is doubtful for Sundays game at Cincinnati.

Urbik worked out on a limited basis for the first time since injuring his left knee against the Oakland Raiders in Week 2. Backup Chad Rinehart has been playing in place of Urbik.

Defensive backs Terrence McGee (hamstring) and rookie Aaron Williams (chest), and rookie linebacker Chris White (hamstring) all wont play when the undefeated Bills (3-0) play the Bengals (1-2). Both Williams and White were injured in Buffalos Week 3 win over the New England Patriots.

McGee hasnt played since getting hurt in Buffalos season-opening win at Kansas City.

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Browns right tackle Tony Pashos appears fully healed from his injured left ankle and is expected to make his season debut on Sunday against Tennessee (2-1).

Pashos missed Clevelands first three games, forcing the Browns (2-1) to use both Artis Hicks and Oneil Cousins in a rotation on the right side. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Pashos played in just six games last season with an injured right ankle. He worked with Clevelands starting offense during the portion of practice open to the media on Friday.

His return should help the Browns running game, which should be improved with Peyton Hillis back in the lineup this week. Hillis missed last weeks game against Miami with strep throat but has recovered and practiced all week.

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NEW YORK — The Detroit Tigers have put all five starters on the roster for their playoff series against the New York Yankees.

The Tigers released the roster hours before Friday nights Game 1 of the American League Division Series in New York.

Manager Jim Leyland has already said Justin Verlander, Doug Fister and Max Scherzer are his first three starters against the Yankees. The roster also includes Rick Porcello and Brad Penny instead of an additional reliever.

The Tigers also have catcher Omir Santos on the roster to back up Alex Avila and Victor Martinez.

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington is going with an extra catcher and seven relief pitchers in the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay.

The 25-man roster released Friday for the ALDS includes catchers Mike Napoli, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor, a part of the Rangers World Series run last year who was reacquired a month ago.

Napoli set career highs with a .320 batting average, 30 home runs and 75 RBI in 113 games. He can also play first base or DH, flexibility that gives Washington more options with his lineup with an extra catcher.

The relievers are right-handers Mike Adams, Scott Feldman, Neftali Feliz, Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara, with left-handers Mike Gonzalez and Darren Oliver.

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The lawyer for a man who threw a banana at a black NHL player says his client deeply regrets what he did and had no idea his actions could be seen as racist.

Lawyer Faisal Joseph says Chris Moorhouse was caught up in the drama of a tense game featuring his favorite hockey team and threw the banana at the Philadelphia Flyers Wayne Simmonds in hopes of preventing the winning goal. The Detroit Red Wings won in a shootout in the game played in London, Ontario.

The lawyer says the 26-year-old Moorhouse is “mortified” and deeply remorseful. Moorhouse fears the reputation of his family and hometown have been clouded.

“He was horrified when he saw the implications a day later as to how it had come out, and he said to me, If I had an apple or an orange, I would have thrown that out onto the ice. I did not realize the significance,” Joseph said. “This is a young guy whos guilty, if anything, of an act of stupidity.”

Moorhouse has been charged under Ontarios Trespass to Property Act and faces a maximum fine of $2,000. Police say Moorhouses actions do not meet the test for a hate crime or mischief charge.

London police chief Brad Duncan said the case didnt meet the criteria for a hate crime or mischief charge.

“You have to demonstrate and be motivated by hatred,” Duncan said. “Although the banana did hit the ice it did not interfere with the play so it didnt meet the mischief threshold.”

Joseph said fans watching the game near Moorhouse reported that he didnt utter any racial epithets or show any hateful attitudes during the exhibition match.

Simmonds himself has downplayed the banana-throwing incident, calling it unfortunate, but the NHL was quick to weigh in the morning after the game.

“The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

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‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree was a number one hit song in April of 1973 but sports betting speculators must now focus on real racing in Southern California as the Oak Tree stand is set to kick off.

Senator Ken Maddy will be honored on opening day, as a race in his name will be spotlighted. Maddy, of course, was a longtime friend of horseracing and $100,000 will be on the line in the about 6 and a half furlong fray on the hillside grass course but well get into the contenders a bit later in this column.

One of the best things a horseplayer can have is the ability to put a race, or a race meeting behind you and move on. That is what must occur before the Oak Tree meet that starts on September 30 and one must forget about everything that happened at the recently concluded Fairplex meeting.

Okay, last year the Oak Tree meeting was held at Hollywood Park but there may be a trend about trainers that can be utilized as some barns just point to certain times of the years.

Last season, Peter Miller owned Oak Tree. He won with 14 of his 35 starters and only 8 starters ran out of the online casino websites money.

Eoin Harty won with 9 of his 20 starters and Tom Proctor was 4 for 15 and 6 others ran in the money. 

Of course, there is nothing written in stone, but knowing what happened last meeting cant be totally ignored.

As far as the meeting as a whole is concerned its the only time on the Southern California circuit that two consecutive conventional dirt tracks will be utilized.

Switching race meetings can offer unique betting opportunities for those that can project likely change. Take the move from Saratoga to Belmont. One cannot just assume that because a horse thrived in the upstate confines of New York, hell be ready to roll again when hes back at Belmont. The same can be said of the beach crowd when they are forced to deal with traffic and smog again at the Fairplex meeting. And when they move to Oak Tree, that meeting will take on a world of its own.

As for the Maddy on Friday, a short and sweet best sportsbook promo 6-pack will pit skills so lets look at them from the rail out.

Waveline will take the same path she did last year into this race as she has finished 5th in her prior Maddy start now twice. Last season she was a clever 2nd in the Maddy, but that was going 6 furlongs on grass at Hollywood Park.

Unzip Me is out to defend her Maddy crown. She won her prep before the Maddy last year with a 96 Beyer and just posted a winning 97 figure taking the Daisycutter at Del Mar in August.

Broken Dreams could get away on the board as she is facing the same three that just beat her while Tanda is a double winner on the tricky hillside course here and is coming off a Grade 3 victory.

Separate Forest was a late third in her last, a $200,000 turf stakes in Philly. She has won thrice including a Grade 3 since being claimed by Doug ONeill in her 2011 debut.

On the outside starts Givine, who was third in the Daisycutter and recently third again in a $95K Del Mar stakes on the Polytrack.

Weve never been a big fan of the rail on this course so toss Waveline. Unzip Me is the one to beat but online players could do worse than take a shot at the speed of the race, Separate Forest, who beat Unzip Me on this course in April.

Back with Patrick Valenzuela, Forest just might forget to stop again.

The big guns will be out in full force this weekend at Oak Tree as three Grade 1s, all with $250,000 purses, will be on the menu.

The best juveniles in the West will square off in the Norfolk at a mile and a sixteenth, older runners will pit skills in the Goodwood going a sixteenth farther and distaffers will fight in the Ladys Secret Stakes.

Juvenile fillies will take center stage on the first Sunday of the meet in the Oak Leaf Stakes and speedballs will rev their collective engines the following week in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at 6 furlongs.

State-breds will be in the spotlight closing weekend at Oak Tree as a total of 5 Cal-bred Stakes will be run starting with the two Juveniles divisions, followed by the Sprint and the Distaff sprinting on the hillside and finally the best Cal-breds in the state will square off in the Cal Cup Classic and 9 furlongs on turf.

A word to the wise must be stated regarding the Cal Cup. Year in and year out these races come up very tough and a win in one division can make a year for a smaller type barn. Never discount the chances of Northern California runners as they have popped at prices consistently on Cal Cup Day.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are a very unconvincing 4-0. The Wisconsin Badgers are a convincing 4-0. Will two teams non-conference seasons matter before a ballyhooed battle?

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers – Saturday, October 1

Sports betting line: Wisconsin -9

Why Nebraska Will Win

The community of MLB baseball betting experts will be immersed in analysis of the baseball playoffs this weekend, but it is very much aware of the fact that in one specific event as opposed to the long march of the regular season a prime-time pitcher can still lose the mustard on his fastball. Russell Wilson, the quarterback of the Wisconsin Badgers, is a gifted natural talent. He owns the arm, he has the legs, and hes generally blessed with top-shelf playmaking capabilities. He could indeed be just the tonic Wisconsin needs to become a national championship contender in 2011. Clearly, Wilson has flourished in four non-conference games, making the Badgers offense look like a juggernaut.

However, in one game on one night, Wilson could slip up. Its very much worth mentioning that Wilson failed to win even a division title in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He plainly came up short when North Carolina State, his former team, tried to make a run at the ACC Atlantic Division crown. Wilson is still mistake-prone in big games; his decision making is wobbly. Nebraskas defense has not been the picture of dominance this season, to say the very least, but Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, a defense-first guy, will be game planning to get Wilson out of rhythm. Its quite plausible that Pelini will succeed and rattle the Badgers hyped quarterback. It takes just one bad night at the office to swing a football game. Wisconsin would likely beat Nebraska eight times out of ten in an extended series of games on neutral fields, but this is just one game. Wilson could lose it and Nebraska could escape Madison with an upset.

Why Wisconsin Will Win

When you do your homework and arrive at a decision in this sports bet, you need to realize that while Russell Wilson can slip on the banana peel, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez is even more likely to do so. Martinez has not played heavyweight defenses this season, to say the very least. Chattanooga, Fresno State, Washington, and Wyoming is a lineup of tomato-can defenses with very little to offer. Yet, Martinez has not played surpassingly clean football. Hes generated points and has shown an improved ability to throw the football, but hes still committed a number of turnovers and has shown enough lapses to indicate that he hasnt turned the corner as a collegiate quarterback. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema should be able to exploit the weaknesses in Martinezs game. The Badgers will disguise their looks and present a level of physicality that Nebraskas offensive line has not yet encountered this season. If Martinez gets rattled, it will be hard for Russell Wilson to lose this game on the other side of the ball

Who Will Win

Its Wisconsins game to lose. The Badgers are at home, and even though they havent been tested, Nebraska has been shaky to this point in the season. Taylor Martinez is likely to commit multiple turnovers, which will open the floodgates for Wisconsin.>

College Football Betting Pick: Wisconsin

SPOKANE, Wash. — Former Seattle Seahawks center Joe Tofflemire has died of heart failure, according to his brother Paul Tofflemire. He was 46.

The reports that Joe Tofflemire died Tuesday at a hospital in Coeur dAlene after being found unconscious and unresponsive in his Post Falls home.

Tofflemire was the Seahawks second-round pick in the 1989 draft. His injury-plagued career lasted until 1995. His 33 appearances were concentrated mostly in 1990 and 1992.

Joe Tofflemire played in college at the University of Arizona, where his brother Paul followed, giving the Wildcats a Tofflemire starting at center for seven years.

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