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Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics have agreed to terms with pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Joey Devine on one-year contracts for the 2012 season. McCarthy had the best season of his career with the A's last year, going 9-9 in 25 starts with a 3.32 earned run average. He set career highs in wins (9) innings pitched (170 2/3), strikeouts (123) and complete games (5).
McCarthy, drafted in 2002 by the Chicago White Sox, has played six seasons in the majors, spending time with both the White Sox and Rangers before joining the Athletics in 2011. He holds a 29-33 record in 135 games (81 starts) with a 4.17 ERA and 374 strikeouts in 543 1/3 innings.
He has appeared in just 93 games in the majors in his five-year career, going 8-3 with a 2.75 ERA.
Boston also avoided arbitration with Mike Aviles, signing the infielder to a one-year contract. Aviles batted .255 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in 91 combined games with Kansas City and the Red Sox last season.
In five seasons, all with the Yankees, Chamberlain is 20-13 with a 3.70 ERA in 193 games, including 43 starts.
Robertson was an All-Star for the first time in 2011 and finished 4-0 with one save and a 1.08 ERA in a team-high 70 relief appearances. He led all AL relievers in ERA.
The 29-year-old O'Day was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 relief appearances for Texas in 2011.
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals have signed pitchers Jordan Zimmermann, Tom Gorzelanny and Tyler Clippard to one-year contracts, avoiding arbitration. Zimmermann, a core piece of the Nationals' future, went 8-11 with a 3.18 ERA in 26 starts last season, his first full year back from Tommy John surgery.
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Runner-up Over Wozniacki Clijsters
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Defensive Coordinator Defensive Salvage Smash From Big >>
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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