Angels sign IF Hillenbrand

Baseball Betting Lines

12/26/2006 - Anahiem, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a tumultuous 2006 season, infielder Shea Hillenbrand has landed in Anaheim for 2007, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with the Angels that includes a club option for 2008.

Hillenbrand started last year with Toronto before blasting the Blue Jays organization and forcing the club to trade him to San Francisco. After taking three days off to complete the adoption of a baby girl, Hillenbrand ripped Blue Jays officials for not putting him in the starting lineup.

He also was upset about not being congratulated by the team's front office on the adoption while Blue Jays manager John Gibbons reportedly challenged Hillenbrand to a fight during a closed-door meeting.

Hillenbrand batted .301 with 12 home runs and 39 runs batted in 81 games with Toronto before the Blue Jays designated him for assignment. In 60 games with the Giants, the 31-year-old hit .248 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. His 21 combined home runs established a career-high.

"We are pleased that Shea Hillenbrand is joining the Angels' organization," said Angels vice president and general manager Bill Stoneman. "He is a solid right-handed hitter who brings the additional element of power and he should fit nicely into the middle of our lineup."

In six major league seasons, Hillenbrand owns a career-average of .287 with 104 home runs and 1,482 RBI in 970 games with Boston, Arizona, Toronto and San Francisco.

Mtsportsbook Baseball Betting News

<< Josh Howard, Mo Williams capture NBA weekly honors
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard and Milwaukee Bucks guard Mo Williams were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for the period ending December 24.

<< Giants place Strahan on IR
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was placed on injured reserve Tuesday because of sprained foot. Strahan returned to the lineup for this past Sunday's game against New Orleans after miss

<< College Football Bowl Season Hits Full Stride
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'll begin with Thursdays Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Oklahoma State and Alabama hook up in a game where tempo will decide the outcome. The Cowboys like to run it up, averaging 35.3 points per

<< Hershey's Laing named AHL Player of the Week
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American Hockey League announced today that Hershey Bears left wing Quintin Laing has been named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending December 24, 2006. In three games last week,

<< Thomas, Legace and Lecavalier earn NHL weekly honors
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Goaltenders Tim Thomas of Boston and Manny Legace of St. Louis joined Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier as the NHL's Three Stars of the week for the period ending December 24. Thomas captured the firs

Latent Heat sizzles in Malibu Stakes >>
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Latent Heat, ridden by Edgar Prado, took control down the stretch on his way to winning Tuesday's $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The Malibu is the last graded stakes race on dirt fo

Big start helps Washington past Memphis >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gilbert Arenas poured in 31 points on 9-of-13 shooting as Washington waxed Memphis, 116-101, at the Verizon Center. Antawn Jamison added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who won their

Slater lifts Thrashers over Lightning >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jim Slater scored with just 8.1 seconds left in the game to lead the Atlanta Thrashers to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Philips Arena. With time winding down in the contest Bobby Holik flicked

Arkhipov leads Blackhawks over Stars >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denis Arkhipov had a goal and an assist and Nikolai Khabibulin made 20 saves, including 11 in the third period, as the Chicago Blackhawks edged the Dallas Stars, 2-1. Martin Lapointe scored the game-

Head's trey lifts Pacers over Rockets >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luther Head's three-pointer drew iron with three seconds left as the Indiana Pacers held on to defeat the Houston Rockets 81-76. Jamaal Tinsley scored 17 points for Indiana, which has won thre

Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.


NFL Football Betting


BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES

It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.

BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES

All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.

COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES

Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.

TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES

Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.

RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.

PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.

JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.

SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES

I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.

VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES

Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.

DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES

Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.

SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES

I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.

BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES

Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.

BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES

Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.

RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES

A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.

PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers

Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.

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