SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres tangle in Game 2 of a three-game series on Wednesday, with the National League West champions seeking to keep their mojo.Its about playing good baseball, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Not to get complacent and lose that edge.Roberts has been on squads that have clinched playoff spots and gone soft. This is his first go-around as a manager heading into the postseason, but hes going to lean on his experience as a player.I have been on teams that continued to keep that momentum and Ive been on teams that went the other way, Roberts said.Its easy to keep the Dodgers focus. While they know theyll play the Washington Nationals in the National League Divisional Series, they arent quite sure where.The Nationals, who have been hit by injuries, led the Dodgers by just two games for home-field advantage.Washington picked up a game on the Dodgers as they fell to the Padres 7-1 in the opener.Knowing that we have something to play for, that is an incentive for us, Roberts said. I think considering the way we have played this year at home (53-28) we put a lot value on it. Its not the be-all, end-all, but we are going to try and catch the Nationals.I think regardless of the injuries we still had the mindset to go after them. But it does kind of have us looking at them and approaching them different. It changes the landscape of their club. They are still a very good club.First the Dodgers catch up with Luis Perdomo (8-10, 5.59). The right-hander has been among the positive signs for the Padres near the end of their 10th year of missing the playoffs.He is one of those guys that at the end of the year we are going to smile about, Padres manager Andy Green said. He continues to make strides.His biggest step has been mastering his slider. Work with pitching coach Darren Balsley has paid off. Over his last 15 starts, Perdomo has gone 6-8 with a 3.90 ERA.If its not working, he is able to fix it pitch-to-pitch instead of game-to-game, Green said. Now hes able to make that adjustment.Perdomo had never pitched above Double-A before the season.He had to get a belief that he could plow through a major-league lineup with his slider, Green said.Roberts counters with Jose De Leon (2-0, 5.52 ERA) in this battle between right-handed rookies. De Leon last pitched on Sept. 18 at Arizona, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.De Leon notched his first major-league win on Sept. 4, beating the Padres at Dodgers Stadium. He struck out nine Padres without issuing a walk.Roberts knows he has some difficult decisions ahead as fringe players jockey for spots on the playoff roster. This last week of the season will serve as an audition for some as they try to prove their worth to Roberts and the front office.That is what these guys play for, to see things through the playoffs, Roberts said. We are going to have some tough conversations, but it is a compliment to our guys that we have so many good players.The Padres have many good prospects -- such as slugger Hunter Renfroe, fresh from a two-homer, seven-RBI game -- and theyll be on display against the Dodgers. Joao Cancelo Jersey . 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The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Its a fact: The sharp money has been on the Cleveland Browns all season.Every week, its the same thing, Ed Salmons, assistant manager at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, said Sunday afternoon. Well write a limit bet [on the Browns] by a wiseguy right at the gun.It may be time to question the wisdom of the wiseguys.Cleveland fell to 0-13 on the season with Sundays 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are now a league-worst 2-11 against the spread. The 2008?Detroit Lions, the only team to go 0-16 in a season, went 7-9 ATS during their winless campaign. No team has covered the spread in fewer than three games in a season in the past 20 years.Its hard to be that bad and not cover, Salmons said of the Browns. Because the spreads get so inflated, its really hard not to cover.The Browns are managing to pull it off, and the betting public has rejoiced. Who is playing Cleveland has become a free bingo spot on parlay cards, bookmakers said.On Sunday at William Hills Nevada sportsbook, 85 percent of the money bet on Cincinnati-Cleveland was on the favored Bengals. It doesnt seem to matter what number we hang, the public is going to fade them, a Caesars sportsbook manager said. Honestly, I cant blame them.Action was lopsided toward Cincinnati around Las Vegas. Yet, as kickoff approached, the line began shrinking.Earlier in the week, the Browns grew to as much as 6-point underdogs. On Sunday morning, the line dipped to 4.5, after the routine late sharp action showed up on Cleveland, right before kickoff.We actually won money on the spread on that game, because of the sharp action that was on the Browns, Jason Simbal, vice president for Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology, said. But obviously all the parlays accumulating had Cincinnati.The Westgate took a $10,000 limit bet from a professional player on the Browns +4.5 right before kickoff Sunday. Still, the public money on the Bengals outweighed the amount on Cleveland, leaving the Westgate rooting against the Browns alongside professional bettors.These guys are professionals. They are playing numbers, Sallmons said.ddddddddddddYou want to gamble against the public, but at some point youd like to see a team cover.William Hill is offering odds on whether the Browns will finish 0-16. Yes is currently a -240 favorite.At William Hills 108 Nevada sportsbooks, 93 percent of the bets and 55 percent of the total dollars wagered are on Yes. The book took a $5,400 bet on the No at -900 on Oct. 20. If the Browns win a game, the bet would net $600.The Browns are the only team in the NFL this season to have been an underdog in every game. The SuperBook has installed Cleveland as a 10-point underdog at Buffalo this week.Giants help salvage Sunday for Vegas booksSeveral Las Vegas sportsbooks were down heading into the Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and home underdog New York Giants. The Westgate and South Point sportsbooks said they were in practically no-win situations. Six favorites covered in the early nine-game slate, and the Green Bay Packers, a popular home-underdog pick with bettors, rolled past the Seattle Seahawks in one of the bigger afternoon losses for MGMs sportsbook.The early results left the MGM with a big decision brewing on the NFC East primetime showdown between the Cowboys and Giants. An hour and a half before kickoff, six times as much money had been bet on Dallas as had been bet on New York. If we get Giants, we hold onto the money, Jay Rood, MGM vice president of race and sports, said. If we dont, its going to be pretty much a wash.The Westgate was in a more precarious position heading into the night game, after losing big decisions with the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams in the afternoon.If its Dallas and over, we can lose a ton, SuperBook assistant manager Ed Salmons said. If its Giants and over, we still lose. And if its Giants and under, we win literally next to nothing on the game. So its like you can lose a lot or win hardly anything.The Giants won 10-7 in a low-scoring game that stayed under the total. ' ' '
