Padres send out Latos in hopes of taking set from Dodgers

Baseball Betting Lines

07/29/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mat Latos attempts to win his seventh straight decision this evening, when the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers close out a three-game series at Petco Park.

Latos, who had recently been sidelined with a strained left oblique brought on by a sneeze, has won his last six decisions and is 11-4 with a 2.48 earned run average on the year. He returned from the disabled list to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, holding them to two runs and seven hits in six innings.

"I thought he threw the ball well from the first inning on," Padres manager Bud Black said of Latos in his return. "Hopefully he'll do what he's done all year."

Latos has allowed just three runs over his last five starts and has also allowed two runs or less in 13 of his last 14 outings. He lost to the Dodgers in his only career start against them, which took place last season.

San Diego evened this series at a game apiece on Wednesday, as Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in three runs and Clayton Richard was solid in six innings on the mound, helping the Padres to a 6-1 win.

Richard (8-5) gave up one run on four hits for the Padres, who bounced back from a 2-0 loss in the opener of this series. He also struck out six and walked one.

Chris Denorfia, Nick Hundley, and Adrian Gonzalez each had an RBI for NL West- leading San Diego, which has won four of five.

"We really don't put that much pressure on ourselves," Hairston said. "We just got out and have fun. Maybe this team doesn't know any better, but that's a good thing."

Jamey Carroll knocked in the lone run for the Dodgers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Hiroki Kuroda (8-9) went six-plus frames in the start, giving up three runs on four hits to take the loss. He also fanned five batters and walked two.

"He had good stuff today. We just couldn't get a win for him," Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said of Kuroda afterward.

Getting the call for the Dodgers tonight will be righty Vicente Padilla, who is 4-3 with a 3.41 ERA. Padilla did not get a decision on Friday against the New York Mets, but allowed two runs (one earned) and six hits in seven innings of his team's 6-1 loss.

Padilla has faced the Padres 16 times (seven starts) and is 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA.

Los Angeles has won five of seven over the Padres this year, including a three-game sweep at Petco Park from May 14-16.

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NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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