Cards finish series in San Francisco

Baseball Betting Lines

04/19/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Southpaw Noah Lowry gets another chance to reverse some tough early 2007 luck today when the San Francisco Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals in the final game of a two-game series at AT&T Park.

Lowry, 26, who was a first-round selection in the 2001 draft, is 0-2 this season despite allowing just 11 hits and four earned runs in 13 innings. He's had his last two scheduled starts postponed by rain.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder reached the majors with a bang in 2004, going 6-0 in 16 appearances to earn a slot in the rotation. He followed it up with a 13-13 record in 2005 before falling to 7-10 in 27 starts last season.

In two lifetime meetings with the Cardinals, Lowry is 0-2 with a 4.85 earned run average, having allowed 18 hits and seven earned runs in 13 innings.

St. Louis reclamation project Kip Wells continues a bounce-back performance for the Cardinals, in which he's allowed just 11 hits and five earned runs over 20 innings while getting a win and a pair of losses.

Wells dropped a 3-2 decision to Milwaukee in his last start while allowing five hits and three runs in seven innings. In his victory, against Houston, he gave up one hit over seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts.

Lifetime against the Giants, Wells is 3-2 in five starts with a 2.87 ERA.

On Wednesday, Barry Bonds tied the game in the eighth inning with his 738th career homer and Rich Aurilia won it with a single in the 12th, as the Giants beat the Cardinals, 6-5.

Randy Winn legged out an infield hit in the bottom of the 12th and moved to second on a bunt by pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney. Omar Vizquel then walked and Todd Linden fanned before Aurilia laced a 1-1 offering to left-center field to win the game.

Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) threw the final three innings for the Giants and got the win, while Josh Hancock (0-1) was saddled with the loss.

St. Louis won four of five from the Giants last season and is 11-7 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. The Cards have also won six of their last 10 in the Bay Area.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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