Tigers now the hunted

Baseball Betting Lines

04/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carrying the label of the defending American League champs, the Detroit Tigers are finding out first hand that they must bring their A- game to the park on each day.

This time last year, the Tigers came into the season following a 71-win campaign the previous season, which pit the Tigers 28 games back in the AL Central. So in essence, Detroit was able to fly under the radar for a good portion of the 2006 season. Not so in '07.

With the majority of last year's team still around, and with the intriguing acquisition of Gary Sheffield, the Tigers are a popular pick to again represent the AL in the World Series. But they'll have to overcome opposing teams' top hurlers and most potent lineups in order to get there.

In closing out April, Detroit will face the White Sox for five games, the Twins for three, and the Angels for two before transitioning into May with a set against the Orioles. It's sure to be another dogfight this season in the AL Central, arguably baseball's toughest division. And even though it's only April, each and every division game is a critical one if the Tigers are to get back to the postseason. Just ask the White Sox, who won 90 games last year but were sent home come playoff time, while the Tigers and Twins moved on.

"I don't see any breaks in this division," explained White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "You gotta be ready every game or you can get buried."

"It has been (the strongest division in baseball) the last couple of years, and I'm sure it will be this year, too," concurred Indians manager Eric Wedge.

The advantage the Tigers have lies with their pitching staff, undoubtedly one of the best in the majors. The team has gotten off to a 9-6 start largely because of its starting pitching, which has kept the Tigers in games despite the absence of lefty Kenny Rogers (17-8, 3.84 ERA in '06), who started the season on the disable list.

Jeremy Bonderman (14-8, 4.08 ERA in 2006) has a 0-0 record in four starts, but he has been solid with a 2.25 ERA. Nate Robertson, coming off a 13-win season and a 3.84 ERA, has started out this season 2-1 with a minuscule 1.80 ERA. And Justin Verlander, who won 17 games in '06, has gotten off to a dazzling 1-0 start with a 1.42 ERA. Mike Maroth, admittedly the recipient of some heavy run support, is 2-0.

The Tigers are not known for winning slugfests. Rather, they've enjoyed some masterful pitching performances and have played solid defense to grind out wins. The addition of Sheffield, a lifetime .296 hitter who is closing in on 500 career home runs, was an aim to bring the offense up to speed with the pitching.

CHEMISTRY TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP

Unfortunately for the Tigers organization, Sheffield has been slow to provide a return on their investment. He has stranded more than a few base runners while hitting a pedestrian .132 on the young season. He has only one multi-hit game, and his power numbers are way down (one home run, five RBI).

The killer for manager Jim Leyland is that Curtis Granderson (.305) and Placido Polanco (.381) lead the team in on-base percentage at the top of the order. Sheffield has been in the league since 1988 and knows what he's doing at the plate, but he has yet to transition to playing in the Motor City. Leyland is not going to pull the plug on the Sheffield experiment after only 15 games, but management did not pay Sheffield to leave ducks on the pond all year.

ROGERS ON THE SHELF

During the Tigers' World Series run, Rogers was one of the horses that got them there. The veteran pitcher continued his dominance in the postseason -- pine tar or not. But on the eve of the 2007 season after posting a 2.05 ERA in Spring Training, Rogers was placed on the disabled list with what was originally described as arm fatigue.

But after being re-evaluated, it was determined Rogers had a blood clot and damaged arteries in his left shoulder. And after having surgery to remove the clot and repair the arteries, Rogers will be sidelined for three months, or roughly half the season. At 42, there's no telling how the left-hander will respond from the setback.

"I'm just glad because Kenny's OK," Leyland said after the surgery. "Forget the pitching part. This is pretty dangerous stuff. For him to come back this year, that's a bonus."

Of course, no timeline has been set in stone with his comeback. In either case, it will be up to Detroit's young arms to carry the team.

WHO'S HOT

Polanco is hitting a team-best .381 and has struck out only twice. A career .301 hitter, Polanco has been a consistent presence batting out of the two- hole since he's been with the Tigers.

Granderson is hitting .305 at the top of the order, though he is not putting up typical leadoff-type numbers. Nine of his 18 hits on the season went for extra bases, and he has struck out 17 times in 59 at-bats.

WHO'S NOT

It took Brandon Inge 20 at-bats to record a hit this season and, after a brief spurt, has gone hitless in his last nine.

Sean Casey is in a 2-for-21 rut and is hitting just .176 on the season.

A LOOK AHEAD

In the upcoming series with the White Sox, Chad Durbin (0-1, 12.46) will face John Danks (0-2, 3.97) in the opener, followed by Robertson (2-1, 1.80) versus Jose Contreras (1-2, 6.00), and Verlander (1-0, 1.42) versus Jon Garland (0-1, 4.66).

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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