Author Archives: Chris Matheson

Will the Patriots turn to Jimmy Garoppolo this season?

The Kansas City Chiefs shocked the nation this past Thursday evening when they upset the defending champion New England Patriots. The Patriots were heavily favored going into the game, with the spread being -9 for New England at most online sports books like Bet365 Casino. The NFL’s opening night game is frequently won by the home team and the Patriots were 51-1 against AFC opponents at home since 2007. It seemed as if the Chiefs had no chance of winning, but Alex Smith and Andy Reid found a way to outfox Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at Foxboro.

Sometimes the unexpected occurs. For example, many people wagered on the Patriots using their betfair promo code during Super Bowl LI when the Patriots were down 28-3.  Those people won a ridiculous amount of money by making a smart sports wager. If we didn’t learn that lesson when the Patriots were down 28-3 against the Falcons in February, we certainly learned that lesson last Thursday night. When it comes to the unexpected, one can’t help but wonder how it pertains to the New England Patriots and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. This rising star is now spending his fourth year on the Patriots bench behind Tom Brady. However, there are strong indications that Garoppolo is the heir apparent to Brady’s throne. For starters, Garoppolo played lights out last season in place of Tom Brady, when Brady was forced to server a four-game suspension for “Deflategate”. Garoppolo’s strong performance undoubtedly increased his trade value, so it was shocking when Bill Belichick failed to deal Garoppolo to a quarterback needy team before the draft. Rumor has it that the Patriots turned down a huge offer from the Cleveland Browns which included the #12 overall pick. For the Patriots to turn down that type of offer for a backup quarterback speaks volumes about what Bill Belichick must think about Garoppolo.

If the Patriots are truly that high on Garoppolo, they will only be able to let him ride the bench for so much longer. His contract is up after this season, and while they are able to place the franchise tag on him to retain his services, doing so would have the Patriots commiting an astronomical amount of their salary cap to the quarterback position, which is the complete opposite of how Bill Belichick typically builds out his roster. At some point, the Patriots will be forced to decide between their legendary quarterback Tom Brady and the youngster Jimmy Garoppolo. As a huge Brady supporter myself, I am uneasy about the situation as youth tends to win all arguments in these types of situation. Brady is 40 years old and not getting any younger. The Patriots’ future is likley in Garoppolo’s hands. The question is when New England turns the keys over to their young backup. If the unexpected happens and the Patriots continue to struggle this season, it’s possible that the torch could be passed from Brady to Garoppolo as soon as the 2017 season.

Manager John Farrell Hopes Zander Bogaerts Will Return from Weekend Fully Rested

Xander Bogaerts took a pitch to the hand in the last game in July before the All-Star break. That was when things changed him. He was hitting .308 at the time. He hasn’t had an at-bat since then and he took a 0-for-4 the last time the Red Sox threw him into the starting lineup.

What does that say about the sportsbook odds for the Red Sox games? Well, for now, nothing. Sure, he’s still fighting to recover and his injuries won’t stop nagging at him. But Manager John Farrell refused to lay the blame for some of the Red Sox’s problems at the feet of Xander Bogaerts.  A move like this shows strong leadership by Farrell and his managerial style plays a big role in the Red Sox’s potential success this year.  In fact, online sportsbooks like wetten-wm-2018.com currently have the Red Sox favored to win the AL East.  If you’re into sports betting, now may be a great time to place a bet on Boston.

According to Farrell, every single player surrounding Xander is struggling with a nagging ache or pain. And Farrell doesn’t expect his team to be free of those ailments anytime soon. But like the rest of the team, Farrell expects Xander to persevere through the injury.

He admitted that Xander was a pretty important component of the team. And the last couple of weeks have been a disappointment on his part. But Farrell isn’t ready to give up on him, which is why Xander has been given an entire weekend to focus on getting into the proper physical and mental shape.

Farrell’s hope is that Xander will come back to the starting lineup in peak physical condition. In the meantime, the likes of Deven Marrero, Hector Velasquez, and Dustin Pedroia – who just came off the disabled list – will be expected to pick up the slack.

The Red Sox are expected to finish 20-for-140 in RISP situations against the Yankees. They had a RISP hit on the weekend courtesy of Sandy Leon’s 9th inning single. The Red Sox have nothing to complain about, especially with regards to runners in scoring position.

They have definitely been one of the better teams. But they haven’t completely eclipsed the Yankees who made many key pitches over the course of their 19 games.

David Price saw his first bullpen session mere days ago and he is set to throw a full bullpen in the coming hours. Farrell knows what Price can do and his hope is for the athlete to throw pitches a total of 30 to 35 when his chance at a bullpen session at Fenway comes.

Farrell will use that as an opportunity to see how soon Price can be thrown against some hitters. Price is still nursing an elbow injury. The Red Sox are not certain when he will be ready to get back into the game.

But he has shown promise. At the very least, his showing in the past week suggests that he is making quick gains.

The month of July was ugly for the Red Sox who saw Andrew Benintendi get held out of the lineup for a couple of days, though he made a splash of a comeback in August and became Rookie of the Month, the first Red Sox player to achieve the feat since 2013.

Everyone thinks Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are leading the charge when it comes to rookies but Andrew Benintendi is quickly pulling away from them.

Sox Fall to Yanks to Even Up Series

The Sox came into Saturday’s game with all the confidence in the world, rallying to beat the Yankees on Friday and having Chris Sale on the mound.   Unfortunately, Sale was bit by the homer bug and CC Sabathia was getting the job done on his side of the rubber.   The Sox got within one run, but had no magic this time in the 9th.  Anyone who wagered on the Red Sox using their bet365 bonus code was likely disappointed.  However, all the Yankees fans who made a big bet on their team definitely went home happy.

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead when Austin hit a 3 run homer off of Sale in the 2nd inning.   Sox 0-3.  The score stayed the same until the 5th inning when the Sox bats finally got to CC Sabathia a little bit.  Sandy Leon hit an RBI sac grounder and then Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single to have the Sox within one run.   Sox 2-3.   Unfortunately Sale gave one of those runs right back to the Yankees in the top of the 6th when he gave up a solo home run to Frazier.  Sox 2-4.  Sale pitched through 7 innings and left the mound in line for the loss.  His pitching line was 117 pitches, 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB and 9 Ks.  This came as a bit of a surprise, as the Sox were favored to win on betting sites like onlinecasinoreview.co.nz.

The Sox once again got within a run in the bottom of the 7th when Rafael Devers hit a solo home run.  Sox 3-4.  With Sale out of the game, Matt Barnes came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.  The Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the 8th, but then Xander Bogaerts killed the rally when he struck out to end the inning.  Heath Hembree came out for the 9th inning and got himself into some trouble.   Hembree gave up a double and then the Yankees sacrificed him over to third with only one out.   Robby Scott came out in relief and was able to get a ground ball and then Ellsbury was thrown out trying to get home.   Joe Kelly came out for the final out and got Judge to strike out to end the inning.  The Yankees went with Dellin Betances since Chapman is no longer their closer due to his consistent struggles.   Betances got the job done for the Yankees as he got the three outs they need to quell any hopes of another Sox walk off.

Red Sox 3  Yankees 4  BOXSCORE

WP: Sabathia (10-5)  LP: Sale (14-5)  SV: Betances (9)

Andrew Benintendi – Can He Fill the Void Left By David Ortiz for Boston Red Sox?

Boston Red Sox fans are gaining an excitement that comes in several forms and shapes this new season. The excitement comes with optimistic and hopeful anticipation for the unknown the real picture, the Red Sox team is in solid shape and Andrew Benintendi is scratching the surface, as other team members such as Hanley Ramirez is expected to maintain his cleanup spot. But the Sox are heading into this season without David Ortiz, and we don’t know how the team will look like without him. Whether Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, David Price, Dustin Pedroia, or Robinson Cano will seal the picture for the Sox without David Ortiz will depend on who can fill his shoes.

Will the widely considered as the best prospect in all of MLB, the left fielder, Andrew Benintendi is expected to fill the gap left by the retirement of David Ortiz last year. Andrew Benintendi’s bat as started to heat up, and with his power and talent that he receives from the fan base, however, with the absence of David Ortiz the Boston Red Sox will have to undergo an era of change concerning the face of the franchise. Andrew Benintendi appears hot in the pursuit to the honor of the Rookie of the Year.

However, you can’t substitute the super utility of a player like Ortiz and Benintendi is better placed to connect with all players on the roster. Ortiz had a room-dominating personality and could bring the team together based on his ability to speak multiple languages. However, the Ohio native, Benintendi appears to understand things differently even if he doesn’t speak a particular language that enables him to bridge the gaps in understanding the players in the manner Ortiz did. Benintendi’s gregarious personality comes naturally that will allow him to create a relationship conducive to enhancing trust with teammates.

The scouting community is in great admiration for Benintendi, and the ZIPS Projections Systems from Dan Szymborski’s Model gives him a hitting of .278/.341/.446 in addition to 31 doubles, 12 home runs, 13 steals, and 62 runs. Considering his strong defensive ability to perform in big leagues and projection of 2.2 WAR in last year’s season, Benintendi is expected to have more OPS+ of 109 as compared to the likes of Hanley Ramirez’s 107, Jackie Bradley’s 105, Dustin Pedroia’s 103, and Xander Bogaerts’s 106. You can book your Red Sox game tickets in advance and make sure that you are not going to miss the best moments of their live actions.

Benintendi is the team’s left fielder and in a lineup that needs the search for the person to fill caused by the retirement of David Ortiz, and the rookie left fielder, however, suffers from the proverbial sophomore slump will continue to dance to take the team to win this season. Benintendi will solidify the problems in the left field and is well on track to become a fantastic player. Boston Red Sox have been pretty good and in a solid shape and Benintendi is not a bust but a beacon of hope, and therefore Andrew Benintendi can he fill the void left by David Ortiz

for Boston Red Sox.

Carpenter Hits a Rare Walk-off Grand Slam

Everybody loves the dramatic moment that comes with a walk-off home run. What could be better? A walk-off grand slam. In extra innings.

That’s what Matt Carpenter did for the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of their doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays. If you had happened to make a bet on the Cardinals using bonus code ladbrokes, you would have walked away a big winner.  It’s amazing moments like these that makes sports and wagering on sports so exciting.  Here’s what happened: Kolten Wong tied the game up in the 11th inning with a run-scoring triple before Toronto opted to walk the bases loaded for Carpenter.  That hit alone created a frenzy in the live sports betting lines.

Then, he did this.

One can only assume that after they were done celebrating, everyone jogged down the right-field line so they could sit down and eat their prepared sandwiches before getting ready for Game 2. Isn’t that how doubleheaders work?

Just in case you were wondering, walk-off grand slams don’t happen all that often. For the Cardinals, it hadn’t happened in nearly 10 years before Carpenter launched that pitch into the seats.

Walk-off grand slams are even more rare in extra innings, though. It hadn’t happened this century before Thursday.

That’s one way to keep the momentum flowing in the right direction — especially since April hasn’t gone how the Cardinals would’ve liked.

As recently as April 19th, St. Louis was just 3-9, living in the basement of the National League Central and were 4.5 games off the pace. However, they’ve won 7 of 9 since and have a chance of getting back to .500 if they can sweep this doubleheader from the Blue Jays.

That seemed like a crazy thought about two weeks ago, but that’s baseball for ya.

Red Sox Get Busy Trading for Chris Sale

The exchange of four Red Sox players for Chris Sale has rocked the baseball world.  With this move, Sale will lead the top of  the Red Sox’s rotation next season. Dave Dombrowski saw an opportunity to add depth to the Red Sox pitching lineup and didn’t look back.  Boston now features a potentially dominant pitching lineup, and the team’s odds are already improving on the best MLB betting sites.

Sale has improved the level of his game and is currently the 12th best-ranked pitcher in Major League Baseball. The strategy of Sale was not considered very reliable, but with each won game, he made sure to be one of the greatest pitchers in the world. The great left arm pitcher is now a part of the Red Sox team, and they have made all possible efforts to make it happen.

The trading will be helpful for Red Sox and also will add some more records to Sale’s carrier. On the opportunity of having Sale in the team, Red Sox are very delighted. Even Dave spoke of getting this opportunity rarely that Sale is switched in some team to play in Boston. So now the matches are going to be epic with Sale on the other side of the ground. There are other right-handed pitchers in the tea, but Sale aces them all.

Sale has been reported of his aggressive nature with the team members and on the field but the efficiency in the game and the passion has made him the top of left-handed pitchers. The addition of Sale to the Red Sox team has made a great change in the next matches to come. The team of Red Sox has the best of pitchers including Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and many potential high line pitchers.

The Red Sox captain makes the statement about not playing against Sale anymore and that the team is happy with him on this side of the field. The highest bid was made for Sale along with the other players added to the team. Sale has the record of 1244 strikeouts in approximately 1100 innings. Dave is suspected to be the architect in making the Red Sox and Sale tie up for the next innings in Boston.

Red Sox paid around $40 million to get Chris Sale on their side. The addition in Red Sox has been taken up with great pomp and show among both Red Sox and Sale’s fans. The coming innings are going to be the grand ones when Red Sox is having the top notch of rotation pitchers.

Chris Sale was top priced this time, and the dispute with White Sox has made him even more vulnerable to other teams. Dave is referred as the best baseball architect for making this trade of Sale and Red Sox happen. The games are about to change and get more exciting with the coming innings.

Interesting bets on sport that you can make via the Internet

Let’s study the bets in online bookmaker offices. The experience shows that you can get bigger profit than, for example, in the local bookmaker offices without websites.

The quantity of bookmaker offices where players can make bets via Internet has risen due to Internet development. The bets via Internet are suitable to everyone. It is very easy for player to make a bet and it is very economically for owners to have such online offices. There is no need to spend extra money for the rent of big office, for the salary to great number of workers, for the payments to authority, security, etc. It influences to the rise of the bets coefficients in turn. Undoubtedly, it is more profitable for players.

What is the player’s operations procedure? First of all, he needs Internet connection and the bank card or some of the popular Internet wallet. As usual, the most Internet users have already all these things. Further, you should only to register on the attracted to you website of bookmaker office. It takes about three minutes and you’ll see at your monitor all bookmaker bets.

So, the Internet area is developed by many bookmaker offices. The competition is very high. That’s why main bookmakers appreciate their name and reputation. Their business is under the full control of the state agencies.

You can also find lots of sport information such as news, statistics and forecasts in Internet which help the player to make a right decision.

There are no differences between online bookmaker offices and land based offices in their work process. You make a decision and bet. If the forecast is right you get a prize which equal to the bet multiplied to the coefficient.

As you know bookmaker offices are created not for the charity purposes. First of all, they want to have profit and they haven’t any similarity with different online casinos, slot machines or fraud lottery because the bookmaker offices can’t influence somehow to the final result of the match or other sport event. Only your intelligence, knowledge and ability to analyze can win in the game with bookmakers. Intuition mustn’t be dismissed too.

Frank Wren unlikely to be Red Sox GM

There has been some exasperation with fans this week suspecting that Frank Wren would be promoted to GM now that Mike Hazen has moved to Arizona. That news has been quieted today by Ken Rosenthal who commented that Wren is happy in his current job.

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Wren is much to similar in mold to Dave Dombrowski and would likely be a bad choice in the GM job, but that said he’s still a voice in the decision making and one that leans on the old school model of acquiring older players and ignoring data analysis.  How this move may potentially impact Online Baseball Betting has yet to be determined.

The Red Sox need a voice in the room aimed at breaking the mold and finding hidden talent and less on 30 year old players signed to big deals that will hurt the team when they hit 33 years of age. That said it’s not clear how much influence the new GM will have and if the team will stay in house or look outside.

What the Red Sox Need to Do to Reach The Playoffs This Season

The Boston Red Sox have enjoyed a very successful July this far and have won six of their nine games this month, including three straight wins over the Tampa Bay Rays. What makes this even more impressive is when you consider the mixed to disappointing June for the Olde Towne team in which they suffered 16 losses from the 21 games. The latest baseball betting tips suggest that Boston could have a very successful season. Let’s take a look at what the Red Sox need to do to reach the playoffs this season.

Boston will need all the momentum they’ve built up this month as they head to Yankee Stadium for three games against the New York team. The Sox are currently in better form than the Yankees but they shouldn’t take that for granted as they head into the crucial second half of the season. Boston are currently joint top of the Wild Card Teams with the Toronto Blue Jays, meanwhile they’re second in the American League East and are currently only two games behind current leaders the Baltimore Orioles. This makes the games against the games against the Yankees even more crucial as they’ll be looking to keep the pressure on the Orioles before they take a bigger lead and make the rest of the season very difficult.   

The Sox will then enjoy nine games at home in a row as they host the San Francisco Giants for two games, the Minnesota Twins for four and the Detroit Tigers for three. This will mark a series of very crucial games as the Red Sox fans will be looking on and expecting their team to make good on their home field advantage or else put the rest of the season into serious jeopardy. Following that, Boston finishes July with four away games against the Anaheim Angels. The Angels are currently struggling in 10th place of the Wild Card Teams, 13 games behind Boston. Meanwhile, Anaheim sit 5th in the American League West, 16 ½ games behind the Texas Rangers. This may well be the best time to play the Angels as they look bereft of confidence. Dare to dream Sox fans, as a series of impressive wins would mark a July that is as close to perfect as you can get in the world of baseball, furthermore, it could well prove to be a catalyst for the rest of the season.

It is also crucial to keep an eye on the teams around Boston. Arguably, the rest of the division has regressed or marginally improved between the end of last season and now, whereas the Red Sox have become a lot stronger with just a few key man management decisions. The major talking point is of course the appointment of Dave Dombowski as the new President of Baseball Operations who then signed David Price and Chris Young to replace receivers Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith.  Price and Young with other Sox players Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Pablo Sandoval, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr and Blake Swihart could very well make up the most dangerous team in all of baseball. Hold onto your hats, it’s going to be a hell of a ride.

Your Guide to MLB All-Star Week

There are only a few more days until the 2016 edition of MLB All-Star Week is upon us. The 87th All-Star game and the exciting events surrounding it are set to take place at Petco Park in San Diego from July 10 through July 12. Check out our exclusive All-Star Week guide below and enjoy all of the action in person, or from the comfort of your own home.

All-Star Game

Time: Tuesday, July 12 – 5:00 PM PDT

How To Watch:  Television – FOX, In Person: Find Tickets

What to Look For:

Hosted by the Padres for the third time, the 2016 All-Star Game will be the first time the game takes place in San Diego in almost 25 years. It will also be the first time the game is held at Petco Park, which opened in 2002.

Aside from the catcher (and possibly the starting pitcher), the entire starting infield for the National League team will be made up of Chicago Cubs players. That’s right, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, shortstop Addison Russell, and third baseman Kris Bryant were all elected to start. Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler and pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester were also elected to the National League squad.

Almost as impressive, the Boston Red Sox have six players who were elected to play in the All-Star Game, with Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, and Steven Wright all making their first appearance in the Midsummer Classic. Relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel will be making his fifth appearance, while designated hitter David Ortiz will be making his tenth trip to the game; not too shabby.

Home Run Derby

Time: Monday, July 11 – 5:00 PM PDT

How To Watch: Television – ESPN, In Person: Find Tickets

What to Look For:

This year’s Home Run Derby will feature the same rules introduced at last year’s derby. The competition will feature timed rounds and a head-to-head bracket, which makes the Home Run Derby much more exciting than it had been prior to 2015.

The official participation list has yet to be released, but fans can expect big names like Kris Bryant, Wil Myers, and Robinson Cano to take part in the event. Unfortunately, young sluggers Mike Trout and Bryce Harper both declined invitations to partake, and Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who was fighting to participate, won’t be allowed to due to a decision by the MLBPA.

All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game

Time: Sunday, July 10 – Following the All-Star Futures Game (1 PM PDT)

How To Watch:  Television – ESPN (Airing Monday, July 11 immediately following Home Run Derby), In Person: Find Tickets

What to Look For:

A staple of All-Star Weekend since 2001, the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game is set to feature a slew of big names in 2016. From former baseball greats, to Hollywood’s elite, to top athletes in other professional sports, there is going to be no shortage of star power on the field. Celebrities set to play in the game include Jamie Foxx, Landon Donovan, J.K. Simmons, Drew Brees, Jennie Finch, Vladimir Guerrero, and Terry Crews. You can view the full participation list here.