Reds hope to reclaim first place in test with Braves

Baseball Betting Lines

07/31/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds try to once again reverse their standing in the National League's Central Division today when they host the Atlanta Braves in game two of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds entered Friday's opener in first place in the Central, but their 6-4 loss to the Braves while the St. Louis Cardinals were beating Pittsburgh, 1-0, allowed the Cardinals to reclaim the top spot with a half-game advantage.

Jayson Heyward delivered the game-winning two-run double in the 10th inning as Atlanta upended Cincinnati.

Brian McCann homered and Chipper Jones added two hits, a run scored and a run batted in for the Braves, who have won all three meetings between the teams this season.

Jesse Chavez (3-2) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning and Billy Wagner stranded two runners in the 10th to earn his 24th save of the season for Atlanta, which has won two out of three.

Francisco Cordero (3-4) suffered the loss after giving up the decisive runs on one hit and a pair of walks over 1 1/3 innings for the Reds, who have lost three of five.

Veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo tries to get back on the winning track for the Reds after dropping two straight decisions in late July.

The Florida native was 10-4 on the season after a 3-2 defeat of Colorado on July 16, but has since fallen to 10-6 while losing to Washington and Milwaukee on July 21 and 26, respectively.

In the losses, Arroyo has allowed nine hits and 10 runs in 13 2/3 innings.

The 33-year-old, a 15-game winner in each of the last two seasons, is 4-3 in 10 home starts in 2010 and 5-3 lifetime against the Braves in 12 appearances.

Atlanta goes with righty Jair Jurrjens, who'll aim for his first win of the season on the road and the first of his career against the Reds.

The 24-year-old from Curacao lost three straight decisions to begin the season before he was shelved with injury for May and most of June.

He returned to defeat Washington on June 30 and has since taken three in a row, beating the Nationals, Milwaukee and San Diego while improving his overall mark to 3-3 and lowering his earned run average from 6.38 to 4.37.

Jurrjens is 0-3 with a 7.88 in five 2010 road outings and 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA against the Reds in three career matchups.

Atlanta swept a two-game set from the Reds earlier in the year after the Reds won six of the nine matchups in 2009.

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Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.