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The major-league record holder for saves in a single season (62), Rodriguez had a 6-2 record with a 2.64 ERA and 23 saves last season, serving mainly as an eighth-inning man with Milwaukee.

 

Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays have signed pitcher Carlos Villanueva to a one-year contract worth $2.27 million, avoiding arbitration. In 33 games last season, his first with Toronto, Villanueva held a record of 6-4 with an earned run average of 4.04. He started 13 of those games, a career high for the right-hander.

 

Villanueva spent his first five seasons with Milwaukee and owns a career mark of 26-28 in 263 appearances, 40 of which have been starts. His career ERA sits at 4.28 and he has added six saves in 17 opportunities out of the bullpen.

 

The 29-year-old Michigan native appeared in just 44 games last season and batted only .232 with seven runs batted in. He is a career .253 hitter with eight homers and 86 runs batted in over 327 games in parts of five major league seasons.

 

His 14 wins gave him at least 10 wins in five straight seasons, making him the first Phillies pitcher to do so since Hall of Famer Steve Carlton's 13-year streak from 1972-84.

 

An NLCS and World Series MVP for the Phillies in 2008, Hamels has spent his entire six-year career in Philadelphia and has posted a 74-54 mark to go along with a 3.39 ERA. He's also the Phils' all-time leader in postseason wins with seven.

 

Valdez will earn $930,000, plus incentives, after batting .249 in 99 games last season. He also hit .370 with runners in scoring position.

 

Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a one-year deal with pitcher Jeff Karstens, thus avoiding arbitration. Karstens finished 2011 with a 9-9 record and a 3.38 earned run average, the best of his career, in 30 games -- 26 starts-- for the Pirates.

 

Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers have named former infielder Craig Counsell as a special assistant to the general manager. Counsell wrapped up a 16-year big league career in 2011 with the Brewers, for whom he played his final five seasons. He batted .178 in 107 games last year.

 

"We are pleased to have Craig join our organization in a very significant role," said Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. "His knowledge of how to play the game, along with his work ethic and passion to see the Brewers succeed, will now be utilized and welcomed by our front office."

 

Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets signed pitcher Mike Pelfrey to a one-year contract Tuesday, avoiding arbitration with the 28-year-old hurler. Although financial terms were not released, the deal is believed to be worth $5.675 million.

 

In six seasons, all with the Mets, Pelfrey has a 50-54 record with a 4.40 ERA in 876 2/3 innings over 150 games, 146 starts.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.