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07/12/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays will send three of their starting nine to the 81st MLB All-Star Game, after hitting a major-league leading 136 home runs in the first half.
Toronto's All-Star representatives of Vernon Wells, Jose Bautista and John Buck have combined to hit 56 of those homers, as the Jays sit in fourth place in the American League East with a 44-45 record. The three All-Stars are the most the Jays have sent to the Mid-Summer Classic since five were selected to take part in the 2006 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. That event also featured Wells, who looks to be finally living up to the seven-year, $126 million contract former general manager J.P. Ricciardi inked him to in 2006.
Wells has not been running as much this season as in years past (four stolen bases, after swiping 17 in 2009), but the Gold Glove outfielder has provided stellar defense in addition to some pop in the middle of the lineup. The 31- year-old is on the verge of reaching 20 home runs, after doing so just once in the past three seasons, despite five-straight campaigns of 20 or more from 2002-2006. Wells will also be one of eight players taking part in the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby on Monday night. Wells started off the year on a tear but has since seen his average dip to .265, to go along with 19 homers, 49 RBI and 46 extra-base hits, good for fourth most in the majors this season. Oddly enough, the center fielder is hitting just .186 against lefties, continuing a downward spiral from last season, when he hit a measly .206 against southpaws after hitting above .300 against lefthanders in four straight seasons.
Bautista, meanwhile, has been a pleasant surprise for the Jays this year, possessing skills that extend far beyond just pop in his bat. Heading into the break, Bautista carries in a major-league leading 24 home runs and his 54 walks are tied for tops in the AL with Oakland A's first basemen Daric Barton. Despite showing flashes of power throughout his career, dating back to his days with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bautista has already eclipsed his previous best of 16 home runs in 2006. Bautista has been on a home run tear since the end of last season, when he hit 10 of his 13 homers during his final 23 games. While Bautista's average remains a dismal .237, he continues to show strong plate discipline by piling on the walks and providing great defense wherever he plays (third base or right field). His seven outfield assists place him in a three- way tie for second among right fielders, despite playing just 57 games at the position.
Buck, the Blue Jays' starting catcher, earned the right to play in Anaheim by leading all AL catchers in RBI with 41 and ranking second in home runs with 13. The backstop is also sporting a respectable .272 batting average, which includes a whopping .400 average against lefties. The 30-year-old catcher is playing for his second big league organization after spending six years in Kansas City and is well on his way to surpassing career bests in home runs (18) and runs batted in (50). Like fellow teammate Bautista, this will be Buck's first All-Star Game appearance.
CANADIAN MADE
Joey Votto: With Votto down to his last lifeline in order to make the All- Star Game, the fans got it right and selected him as the last player to represent the National League on July 13th. Votto's .314-22-60 line has him in serious contention to make a run at the Triple Crown in the second half of the season. The 26-year-old Canadian will be making his first All-Star appearance and will be joining teammates Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen and Arthur Rhodes at the Mid-Summer Classic. The Cincinnati Reds were rewarded with four representatives for their strong play in the first half, as they hold the division lead in the National League Central.
Justin Morneau: The 29-year-old slugger suffered a mild concussion during a game against the Blue Jays last week, which will prevent him from participating in the All-Star Game festivities. Morneau's injury does not seem to be too serious, and the Minnesota Twins are likely taking a cautious approach to avoid a further setback. This was the first year Morneau had been selected as the AL starting first basemen and the fourth all-star appearance of his career. He remains one of the game's most consistent hitters and is batting .345, with 18 home runs and 56 RBI, placing him among the AL leaders in all three categories.
<< Montana's Wilson to play after murder acquittal
Missoula, MT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Wilson plans to rejoin the University of
Montana football team after the NCAA granted him another year of athletic
eligibility following his acquittal on murder charges.
Wilson was tried in Southern Cali
<< The 'wow' factor in horse racing
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This past Saturday had three stakes races
that were the equal of any last-second result in the more popular sports in
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they hap
<< This Week in Golf - July 12th through July 18th
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, The Old Course
at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland - The season's third major championship
is on deck and it's being contested at the home of golf, The Old Course at St.
Andrews
<< Canucks sign D O'Brien, three others
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks on Monday announced the
signing of defenseman Shane O'Brien.
O'Brien, 26, had two goals and six assists with a plus-15 rating in
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Knicks still have cap space, but future is now >>
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -Enough talk about the salary cap. The New York Knicks think they can win now.New York introduced new additions Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf on Monday. Not quite the same as showing off Le
Ducks sign LW Green >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks added some depth to the
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Knicks officially sign PG Felton >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks made it official on Monday
by signing free agent guard Raymond Felton.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but the New York Daily News
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NCAA Tournament to begin with "First Four" games >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Division I Men's Basketball Committee
revealed its format for the newly expanded 68-team field in the NCAA
Tournament on Monday.
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Michael Vick is back, Brett Favre isn't and the NFC East remains the best division in the NFC, maybe in all of football.
As players start to gather for the start of another season, some things change and some stay the same in the world of the NFL.
The NFC East has been the dominant division in the National Conference for a while, despite limited playoff success, save for the New York Giants surprise Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Hell, there's a generation of kids in Texas who have never seen the Cowboys win a playoff game (last win was in 1996).
But collectively, the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins (well, maybe not so much the Redskins) are as good as a division gets in an NFC conference that has struggled to stay competitive with the AFC side.
Sports bettors have both acknowledged the NFC East's dominance, as one glance at the NFL future odds menu will show.
Looking over the NFL betting odds at online sports book MySportsbook.com we see the top three teams listed to win the NFC Championship are all from the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys - 7 - 1
Philadelphia Eagles - 13 - 2
New York Giants - 9 - 2
Slotting in behind these three are two teams from the NFC North: the Minnesota Vikings (15-2) and the Chicago Bears (10-1).
Again, despite the lack of recent playoff success, the Dallas Cowboys are popular with the sports betting community, as they hold 14% of all the money wagered on who will win the NFC Championship.
So far, the New York Giants are the bettors' favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl, as they have 24% of the overall NFC Championship betting volume.
And what about the Philadelphia Eagles? For the most part, the Eagles had a very productive offseason, the kind that could bring them back to the top.
They had a good draft adding the likes of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy.
Unfortunately, the team received a blow when long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away on Tuesday.
But this team will make a real run at the division title this year. Going into the regular season, Philly is listed at +240 to win the division.
Last season the Eagles were 9-6-1 SU and 10-6 ATS.
Teams from the NFC East will play teams from the AFC West in the regular season and the Eagles haven't really been a good bet in the last 20 games against the likes of San Diego, Oakland, K.C. and Denver, only going 8-12 ATS.
Two seasons removed from that Super Bowl title, the New York Giants see themselves listed as the odds-on favorite in NFC East championship futures at +162.
Plaxico Burress is gone and with him all the bad publicity surrounding the gun in the sweatpants incident, but can they replace him in the offense?
Last season the Giants were a very reliable bet going 12-4 ATS.
In the Giants' last 20 games against fellow teams from the NFC East; they are 13-7 ATS.
Dallas is listed at +240 to win the division.
Dallas went 9-7 SU and 7-9 ATS last season and with the amount of talent the Cowboys have, a similar performance won't do.
The Cowboys have been atrocious against divisional rivals, going 6-14 ATS in their last 20.
The Washington Redskins are longshots to win the division at +550.
Visit MySportsbook.com for free sportsbook odds RSS feeds go to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.
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