Santana, Garcia duel again in Mets-Cards clash

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07/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jamie Garcia faced New York Mets ace Johan Santana, the rookie was able to match the two- time Cy Young Award winner pitch-for-pitch.

He may find that to be more difficult tonight.

Garcia and Santana face off for the first time since St. Louis and New York engaged in a 20-inning marathon back in April when the two teams continue a three-game set tonight at Citi Field.

Santana threw seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball versus the Cardinals on April 17, walking just one batter while striking out nine. Garcia, in just his third career start and first against the Mets, was even better. The 24-year- old yielded just one hit and two walks over seven shutout innings.

Neither starter got a decision, though, as the Mets eventually won a 2-1 contest in 20 innings.

Garcia hasn't slowed down since that outing, going 9-4 with a 2.21 earned run average this season. The southpaw is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA over his last four starts, giving up just a run on four hits and two walks while striking out six over seven innings of a victory over the Phillies last Wednesday.

Santana's outing versus the Cardinals, whom he is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA against lifetime, was part of a first half that saw him carry a 5-5 record and 3.55 ERA into July. However, the 31-year-old lefty is 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA in five starts this month, lowering his season ERA to 2.79.

His latest win came on Friday versus the Dodgers, with Santana giving up just a run on five hits over seven innings of work.

The Mets will turn to their ace tonight in the hopes of notching a second straight victory. New York returned home on Tuesday after a disastrous 2-9 road trip, but was able to hammer the Cardinals and Adam Wainwright for an 8-2 triumph.

Jeff Francoeur and Jose Reyes both homered as New York matched its run total from its previous four games combined. Carlos Beltran added two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Jon Niese allowed a run over six-plus innings to get the victory.

The Mets won despite being without Jason Bay, who is sidelined due to concussion-like symptoms after crashing into the outfield wall in Friday's game with the Dodgers. Manager Jerry Manuel was also absent from Tuesday's opener as he served a one-game suspension for his actions on Friday in Los Angeles.

Entering the game with a 25-inning scoreless streak, Wainwright was tagged for a season-high six runs on six hits and three walks over five innings.

"Tonight was fun against a guy like Wainwright," Francoeur said afterward. "Facing him is not exactly the best way to get started after our road trip, but for us it was nice."

Ryan Ludwick drove in a run in the first inning and later scored for the Cardinals, who have lost four of five following an eight-game winning streak and fell into a virtual tie with Cincinnati for first place in the National League Central.

The Cardinals won two of three at home over the Mets from April 16-18, but lost four of six at Citi Field a season ago.

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Betting Football

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.

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