Astros sign C Snyder

Baseball Betting Lines

01/20/2012 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Astros have agreed to terms with native Houstonian Chris Snyder on a one-year contract. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2013.

The 30-year-old catcher hit .271 with three home runs and 17 runs batted in for the Pirates last season before back surgery ended his campaign in June.

Snyder has a career batting average of .231 in 630 games for Arizona and Pittsburgh with 70 home runs and 273 RBI.

Wwwnytoday Baseball Betting News

<< Marlins sign Rowand to minor league deal
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Marlins have signed outfielder Aaron Rowand to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Rowand spent the past four seasons with the Giants, winning a World Series title in

<< Steelers' Arians retires from coaching
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Friday that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is retiring from coaching. "I appreciate his efforts over the past five years as the team's offensive coordinator and

<< 76ers vie to bounce back vs. Hawks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers try to bounce back from their first home loss of the season this evening when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks to the Wells Fargo Center. After opening the year with six straight home wins, the Sixers

<< Struggling Pistons entertain Grizzlies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Many thought the Memphis Grizzlies would be in trouble after Zach Randolph went down with a torn MCL, but that hasn't been the case. The Grizzlies are 6-3 since the big man went down and will shoot for a fifth straight win

<< Clippers hope to have CP3 back vs. Wolves
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Clippers hope to have Chris Paul back in the lineup tonight when they welcome Minnesota to Staples Center. Traditionally two of the league's doormats both the Clippers and Wolves have made big strides this season

Inter eyes top four spot against Lazio >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When Claudio Ranieri took over as manager of Inter Milan in September the Nerazzurri was hovering just above the drop zone and in the midst of a terrible start to the season. But since the former Chelsea

Pena returning to Rays >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Pena is a Ray once again. The Tampa Bay Times reported Friday that the 33-year-old first baseman has agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.25 million. Pena played for the Rays from 2007-

Pepe sidelined by hamstring injury >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid defender Pepe will miss the next two weeks of action after sustaining a hamstring injury in his team's 2-1 defeat against Barcelona on Wednesday in the first leg of their Cope del Rey clash.

Celik secures Rangers switch >>
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rangers made its first signing of the January transfer window on Friday, securing the services of Swedish midfielder Mervan Celik. The 21-year-old arrives at Ibrox as a free agent after leaving Swe

Betis adds Paulao on loan >>
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Betis added to its defensive options on Friday by taking St Etienne defender Paulao on loan until the end of the season. The Brazilian moved to France last summer from Braga but has been unable

MySportsbook.com, Online Sportsbook and Casino, is celebrating our 9th football season online since our launch in 1997. MySportsbook.com has experienced exponential growth, having taken over $8 billion in Sports and Casino Wagers since we opened our doors.

This year we will accept over $3 billion in wagers. Tens of thousands of winning wagers are created daily for the 300,000 people that have joined our website. In August of 2005, MySportsbook.com was acquired by Sportingbet, a UK company which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Combined, MySportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world's largest internet sportsbook company and one of the internet's most profitable companies. The acquisition has provided for added transparency and accountability to MySportsbook.com customers and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. Our business is audited by BDO Stoy Hayward, one of the largest auditing firms in London, and our accounts are published quarterly on the London Exchange. We encourage you to take a look around and truly hope you enjoy your experience.

Through advertising deals with the top handicapping sites in the world, MySportsbook.com reaches a global audience and is one of the most commonly visited gaming spots on the Internet.

MySportsbook.com offers the largest selection of casino games and sporting wagers on the Internet. We believe that an educated player is a more responsible gambler, thus we provide you with all of the latest news and handicapping information. MySportsbook.com is your ultimate destination for gaming information and wagering. You can start by signing up in the Casino or Sportsbook. Once you sign up you can use your same login in either the casino or Sportsbook. So do it now and start winning serious money Today!

If at any time you have a question, we have numerous people waiting to help you, so don't be afraid to call our customer service department. We do not take any telephone wagers but we can certainly answer any questions you may have about our service.

MySportsbook.com is officially licensed in Antigua as a preferred licensee recognized by the Directorate of offshore gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

What more could you ask for from an Online Sportsbook?

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.