05/21/2008 - Detroit, MI (Baseball Betting) - The Detroit Tigers reinstated pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, though, the left-hander will not return to the rotation immediately.
Rather, the 26-year-old will be available to pitch out of Detroit's bullpen.
Willis has been sidelined since hyperextending his right knee in his second start as a Tiger on April 11 at Chicago. He has pitched in just two games this season, a total of five innings for a 7.20 earned run average. Willis has never made a relief appearance in his 164 games pitched in the majors.
For now the Tigers will continue to use right-hander Armando Galarraga in the rotation instead of Willis. The 26-year-old Galarraga, who replaced Willis once he was injured, is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in six games this season.
Willis started Saturday at Columbus for Triple-A Toledo as part of a rehab assignment and earned the victory after allowing one run on five hits, while walking four and striking out four in six innings. He has posted a 1-1 record and a 4.41 ERA with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in three starts with Toledo.
The Tigers placed reliever Clay Rapada on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis to make room for Willis on the 25-man roster.
<< Colon to make Red Sox debut Wednesday
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bartolo Colon is set to make his Boston Red Sox
debut Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals.
The 10-year veteran, who was signed February 8 to a minor-league deal, made
three starts for the team's Trip
<< United tops Chelsea in PKs to win Champions League
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs scored
in the seventh round of penalty kicks and Edwin Van der Sar made his only save
on Chelsea's next attempt for a 6-5 shootout victory in a historic all-English
Champio
<< Angels activate Figgins; Aybar lands on DL
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels activated third
baseman Chone Figgins from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday.
Figgins will resume his duties at third base after he was sidelined with a
strained right ha
<< Jeter to play against Baltimore
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is in the
starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
He left Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Orioles with a wrist injury
after being hi
Vizquel, Giants rally to top Rockies in 10th >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Omar Vizquel's sacrifice fly in the 10th inning
drove in the winning run, as the San Francisco Giants rallied to defeat the
Colorado Rockies, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Coors Field.
Jona
Raptors' Parker, Bargnani have surgery >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto Raptors guard Anthony Parker and
forward Andrea Bargnani underwent surgery on Wednesday.
Parker had his procedure, to repair an extensor tendon on the middle finger of
his right hand, done at Tor
Rapids add veteran 'keeper Burpo in trade with 'Quakes >>
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rapids acquired veteran
goalkeeper Preston Burpo and a 2009 fourth round pick in the Major League
Soccer SuperDraft from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for Jovan Kirovski
and Kel
Rangers designate P German for assignment >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers designated pitcher
Franklyn German for assignment Wednesday and recalled pitcher Kameron
Loe from Triple-A Oklahoma.
The 28-year-old German was 1-3 with a 2.08 earned run
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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