Sports Betting and Dancing With the Stars

Baseball dominates the sports schedule again on Wednesday, with the Yankees hosting the BoSox in one of the marquee games. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup . . .

Event of the day . . .

The Red Sox are leading the Wild Card race in the American League (with the Rays still comfortably holding down first place in the AL East), but the Yankees will be looking to make up some ground in their quest for yet another postseason berth when they continue their three-game home series against their bitter rival on Wednesday night.

Boston is expected to send recently-acquired Paul Byrd (8-11, 4.61 ERA) to the mound for this contest. Byrd has managed to pick up the win in five of his past six outings, and oddly he's faced the Blue Jays in each of his last three starts (going 2-1). The righthander last took on the Yankees back on May 8, giving up five runs in a defeat.

New York has Sidney Ponson (7-4, 4.67 ERA) on tap for Wednesday night's matchup, and the righthander is coming off a brutal outing against Toronto in which he gave up seven earned runs on eight hits over just two innings of work. Ponson is just 1-3 over his past six starts, and he was pummeled by Boston for seven runs back on July 27.

Non sports betting event of the day…

Yesterday we told you have Dancing With the Stars odds were already posted. Today the same sportsbook believes there could be some backstage kissing.

We have gotten a few suggestions as Desi Foxx for our OffshoreInsiders.com hottie, but we are a family oriented site. Foxx is as filthy as Amy Fisher, the real hillbilly house wife, just easier on the eyes. We will add Mia Tyler and Liv Tyler though.

Political betting…

As the world awaits President Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention, the political betting odds are temporarily off the board. According to Grandmaster sports handicapper Joe Duffy the Hurricane Gustav projected path could also greatly affect the election.

"If the hurricane hits New Orleans and the federal government shows they've learned from the blunders of Katrina, this could take a lot of the sting out of Barack Obama's attack dogs making this election focused as much on George Bush as John McCain," says Duffy.

Non-event of the day . . .

The Rangers have been terrible in August, and the Royals have been terrible for many, many years. Those two teams will meet on the field in Kansas City on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series. Matt Harrison (5-3, 6.27 ERA) will get the ball for Texas in that contest, while Brian Bannister (7-13, 5.89 ERA) will pitch for Kansas City.

Also on the schedule . . .

It'll be Fausto Carmona (6-5, 4.40 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (10-13, 4.42 ERA) in the Indians/Tigers game on Wednesday. Also on the AL's slate for the day: Minnesota at Seattle, the White Sox at Baltimore, Toronto at Tampa Bay, and Oakland at the Angels.

There are two key divisional battles in the National League on Wednesday night, with the Mets at Philadelphia and Milwaukee at St. Louis. Filling out the Senior Circuit's schedule: the Cubs at Pittsburgh, Arizona at San Diego, the Dodgers at Washington, Florida at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Houston, and Colorado at San Francisco.

News from the wire . . .

The White Sox activated third baseman Joe Crede from the disabled list on Monday . . . . the Mets have second baseman Luis Castillo back from the DL, but pitcher John Maine is now on the shelf . . . Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz homered and drove in three runs in his return to the big leagues on Monday . . . Bengals running back Rudi Johnson, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, is reportedly on the team's trading block.

Peek at the future . . .

The NFL's preseason schedule concludes on Thursday and Friday this week . . . the WNBA returns to action on Thursday night; the league was on a break during the Olympics . . . Phil Mickelson is pegged as the 6/1 Vegas favorite to get the win in the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship, which gets underway Friday morning.