Happ strong again as Astros down Arizona

Baseball Betting Lines

09/05/2010 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hunter Pence's three-run home run in the first inning stood up as the deciding hit as Houston held off Arizona, 3-2, to wrap up a three-game set.

Pence finished 2-for-4 and Jeff Keppinger added a hit and a run scored for the Astros, who took the final two games of the series and have won five of their last six contests.

J.A. Happ (6-2) continued his fine pitching since being acquired from Philadelphia, as he yielded two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven over seven frames to grab the win and Brandon Lyon worked around a one-out double in the ninth to register his 13th save.

Rodrigo Lopez (5-13) allowed all three runs on six hits and a pair of walks while striking out five over six innings to take the loss for the Diamondbacks, who claimed the season series, 4-3.

Michael Bourn started the game with a walk and Keppinger followed with a base hit before Pence pounded his three-run home run the other way to right field to put the Astros ahead.

Arizona chipped away at the lead on John Hester's solo homer in the third and Kelly Johnson's solo shot to center in the fourth.

The hosts' bid to tie the game in the fifth was thwarted when Hester was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on Stephen Drew's infield single.

Happ worked out of a first-and-second, one-out jam in the seventh by striking out Hester and pinch-hitter Ryan Roberts to close his performance.

Matt Lindstrom stranded Chris Young at third base in a scoreless eighth before turning the game over to Lyon, who got Gerardo Parra to fly out and pinch-hitter Miguel Montero to strike out to end the game after Brandon Allen's pinch-hit double.

Game Notes

Pence has hit safely in six straight, including five multi-hit games, and has 11 hits during that stretch...Lyon has thrown scoreless relief in 13 consecutive outings and in 23 of his last 24 appearances since July 20...He has also converted each of his last 10 save chances since August 13...Lopez fell to 1-2 in four career outings against Houston, with his lone win coming as a member of the Orioles on June 15, 2005...Arizona outfielder Justin Upton missed his fifth straight game due to irritation in his left shoulder.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

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