Torrealba had been sidelined since June 2 after his son and brother-in-law
were kidnapped. Fortunately, they were safely recovered. He missed a total of
27 games in which the Rockies compiled a 21-6 record.
On the season, Torrealba is hitting .230 with two homers and seven runs batted
in through 19 games this season.
To make room for Torrealba, the Rockies designated catcher Paul Phillips for
assignment. He batted .310 with one homer and seven RBI in 13 games this
season.
<< Canadiens sign Cammalleri to five-year deal
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward
Mike Cammalleri to a five-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though multiple media outlets
reported it
<< Bruins ink Bitz to multi-year deal
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins signed forward Byron Bitz to a
multi-year contract on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Bitz appeared in 35 regular season games in his rookie season with Boston in
2008-09, r
<< Flames sign D Pardy
Calgary, Alberta (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Adam
Pardy on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not released
Pardy recently completed his first NHL season with Calgary, posting one goal
and nine assists in 60 r
<< Cuddyer helps Twins slip past Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Cuddyer hit a solo homer and
knocked in two runs, as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals,
5-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium.
Joe Mauer went 3-
<< Furcal's hit lifts Dodgers over Rockies
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Furcal's pinch-hit RBI single proved
to be all Los Angeles needed, as Clayton Kershaw and three relievers combined
on a three-hit shutout in the Dodgers' 1-0 victory over Colorado.
Kershaw allowed
Flyers sign Boucher, Laperriere >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers brought a familiar
face back into the fold Wednesday, as they signed goaltender Brian Boucher to
a two-year deal. The club also inked veteran forward Ian Laperriere to a
three-y
Thrashers acquire Kubina, Stapleton from Toronto >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers acquired defenseman
Pavel Kubina and forward Tim Stapleton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for
defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Colin Stuart on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Kub
Blue Jackets add Pahlsson >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets signed free agent
center Samuel Pahlsson to a three-year contract Wednesday.
Terms were not disclosed, but NHL.com reports the deal is worth a total of
$7.95 million.
"Sami
Wild add D Zanon >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild agreed to terms with
defenseman Greg Zanon on a three-year contract Wednesday.
Financial terms were not released, but NHL.com reports the total value of the
contract is $5.8 million.
Report: Pistons agree to deals with Gordon, Villanueva >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons have reportedly agreed to
deals with guard Ben Gordon and forward Charlie Villanueva.
While any deal cannot be formalized until July 8, the Detroit Free Press
reported Wednesday th
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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