Saturday 8/22/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Saturday, August 22

(919) MINNESOTA TWINS VS (920) BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Take: over the total.

Reason: Your Bonus Play Saturday, August 22, 2015 is in the MLB contest between the Twins and the Orioles from Camden Yards in Baltimore. Camden Yards is great for hitters, and Minnesota is on an 8-1 run over the total on the road. Kyle Gibson goes for the Twins with a 5.03 ERA on the road. Gibson was not sharp Monday, allowing six runs in five innings in a no-decision against the Yankees. Gibson has now been roughed up pretty badly in two of his starts this month and four of his last six starts, allowing six runs or more in each of them. He will carry a 3.99 ERA into his start this weekend against the Orioles. The Over is 12-4 in the Twins last 16 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. Baltimore is 4-1 over the total at home with a strong offense, 7th in baseball in runs scored. Chris Tillman has an ERA over 4.3 for the season and when these teams meet the over is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings, including 4-1 over at Camden Yards. Play the Twins/Orioles

Irwin Tools Night Race
By Micah Roberts

It’s time for some short track racing on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, and while I may not like the layout which changed in 2007 to allow multiple grooves on the track, it’s still short track racing at high speeds.

Something always seems to happen that excites, and it usually comes from drivers getting in post-race arguments. It would probably smarter to watch the final 20 laps and wait for the fireworks to occur, but you have to get that entire story of what’s happening in the race.

You have to feel the emotions, like the high of Kevin Harvick leading 184 laps in the spring Bristol race looking to win his third win of the season and first at Bristol since 2005. He was third at the time when Jimmie Johnson, Jeb Burton and David Ragan all spun out in front of him and relegated him to 38th-place finish.

There actually wasn’t any real fun scuffles after the race, but you thought there might be some words. Harvick’s the defending Sprint Cup champion. He had the swagger of winning twice already and finishing in the top-two in six of seven races prior. And just like that, Bristol took him out, failing to see that he was the master on the planet.

In the old days, before the progressive banking, the battle for bottom around the track was everything and it created drama. Now they just kind of go around in circles in two jam packed lanes. But I still like it. No, I love it. Night racing in Bristol, where the sponsor colors on all these cars look the brightest and best among all tracks.

Now, back to Harvick. I don’t want to say his swagger is gone, even though he hasn’t won since Phoenix, but I do think he’s feeling some pressure from Joe Gibbs Racing. He knows these guys are peaking at the right time now. And while Harvick is still running well, the other guys may have passed him with not only better cars, but also momentum.

The Gibbs cars couldn’t get the right package together to start the year, but they’ve got something working now while winning six of the past eight races. Kyle Busch was the entire talk of July with four wins in five races, then Matt Kenseth came along to win two of the past three. Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards haven’t been as strong over that span, but they’re getting close.

The think about Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth this week is they should be be considered co-favorites to win, which is a big statement because Harvick has been that ‘it’ guy favored in almost every race other than the roads and restrictor-plates.

Kenseth won the April race to give him four for his career. He’s won twice each on the old and new layouts. Equally tough and respected at the same time, which gives him kind of edge. He uses that nice thing well and doesn’t get too many cheap shots on him. In short confined areas like Bristol, you don’t want to give anyone and excuse to punt you because it’s so easy.

Kyle Busch has five wins, but none since 2011. The five wins tie him with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch for the most among active drivers. Gordon, still searching for that first win on 2015, hasn’t won at Bristol since 2002.

I think we’re going to see all four Gibbs car run well, with Kyle Busch and Kenseth leading the parade again. Edwards has always been good at Bristol with three wins and Hamlin has a 2012 win.

Jimmie Johnson only has one Bristol win (2010), but has finished fourth or better in past two starts, including runner-up in April. Brad Keselowski has two wins, the last coming in 2012. He was runner-up last fall.

I’m not going to recommend a wager on Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 100/1 odds, but I couldn’t fault anyone for taking a shot with him in match-ups or the daily fantasy stuff. He’s been sixth or better in his past three Bristol starts. It’s obvious he likes this track and he also has some confidence.

And even though Roush Fenway Racing has been garbage lately, they always been good at Bristol for whatever reason. Kurt Busch, Edwards and Kenseth continually rocked this place for the organization.

Top-5 Finish Prediction

1) #18 Kyle Busch (6/1)
2) #20 Matt Kenseth (6/1)
3) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)
4) #4 Kevin Harvick (7/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (10/1)

Drivers to Watch - Bristol

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Irwin Tools Night Race
Saturday, August 22nd – 7:30 p.m. EDT
Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN

The Sprint Cup Series heads back to Bristol, Tennessee for the famous night race this Saturday night as the season has just three races left before “The Chase.” In the first go-around when the racers were here this year at the Food City 500, Matt Kenseth earned both the pole and the victory as he outdueled runner-up Jimmie Johnson and third-place finisher Jeff Gordon.

The oval track runs 0.533 miles and has big turns that land between 26 and 30-degrees which has led to the track being dubbed “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” Not too many of the entrants this week have won multiple times at this event, but once again Kenseth’s name comes up as he is a three-time winner (2005, 2006, 2013) in the night race and is joined by Carl Edwards (2007, 2008) and Kyle Busch (2009, 2010) as recent dominators of this track.

Last year it was Joey Logano who took down the trophy in this race, finishing in 2:52:00, the fastest time since 2011, with an average speed of 92.965 MPH. Logano is a shoe-in for “The Chase” along with last week’s winner in Michigan, Matt Kenseth. Currently just on the outside looking in are names like Almirola, Kahne, Biffle and Larson as they attempt to move into contention.

Let’s take a look at who’s going this week and could come away with the checkered flag in Bristol.

Drivers to Watch

Matt Kenseth (6/1) – It is hard to ignore Kenseth in this race and that should be evident by how many times he is mentioned in the introduction above. The 43-year-old has won at this track four times in his career, adding another nine top fives and two poles. He owns a series-best average running position of 9.821 and driver rating of 104.6 while having the second-fastest green flag speed (115.981 MPH). This is not the only track he has dominated recently, though, with a win in two of the past three times out and seven consecutive finishes in the top-seven dating back to Kentucky. His chances are looking good at a run for the Sprint Cup win which he last did back in 2003 and this week should certainly help in that cause.

Jeff Gordon (18/1) – Gordon’s odds keep dropping as he goes week-to-week without getting a victory in his final season in the Sprint Cup Series. In all, he has won at this track five times over his long career, but has done it just once (2002) after the sun set. He still has shown up for some nice results recently in this particular event, getting two thirds and a seventh in the past four attempts and has 17 top-fives overall at Bristol. He also has the third-best driver rating (100.3) here and has spent 79.1% (8,234 laps) of his laps in the top-15 (2nd-best). Gordon has won three poles this year, but has failed to do much with them as he has zaeo wins and only three top-five finishes. He has four top-10s in his last seven races and is likely to win at some point before leaving the sport, and what better place than under the lights of Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson (18/1) – Larson has visited Bristol just three times in his very young career and in that time has already put up two top-10s; including finishing with a seventh when he came to the track earlier this year. The 23-year-old did well in the night race last year as well with a 12th-place and will be looking to improve on his 99.0 driver rating (4th-best) at the venue. Larson has not exactly torn up the competition this year as he currently sits on the outside looking in at “The Chase,” but does have four straight starts with a finish of 13th or better and should be motivated to continue running well with the playoffs in sight.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (20/1) – Earnhardt Jr. has not had the success that some of the other top names in the sport have had at this track, owning one victory (2004) with the 13th-best driver rating (87.2), but getting solid odds like this on a racer who has two wins already this year and 25 in his career is a tough opportunity to pass up. He’s finished in the top-16 at four of his last five night races here and at one time was a force on this track, tallying a top-nine finish in 7-of-8 years between 2002 and 2009. Earnhardt Jr. has been in the top-11 at four of his last five races coming into this one and has been fairly consistent in 2015 with an average finish of 10.6 and 11 top-fives. Take Earnhardt Jr. based on his abilities, not necessarily his track history.

Aric Almirola (100/1) – Just like Larson, Almirola is aiming his sights at working into “The Chase” as he currently sits a mere 23 points behind Clint Boyer for the final spot while coming at a much discounted price. Despite finishing in the top-10 just once on the year, he has an average finish of 18.3 and has improved on his pole position in each of his last three times out. Almirola’s best finish in this event is 13th back in 2008 and it would not be a surprise if he matched or improved on that mark this week.

Odds to win Irwin Tools Night Race

Kevin Harvick 6/1
Kyle Busch 6/1
Matt Kenseth 6/1
Brad Keselowski 7/1
Joey Logano 7/1
Carl Edwards 10/1
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Kurt Busch 10/1
Denny Hamlin 12/1
Martin Truex Jr. 15/1
Jeff Gordon 18/1
Kyle Larson 18/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 20/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Clint Bowyer 50/1
Jamie McMurray 50/1
Tony Stewart 60/1
AJ Allmendinger 100/1
Aric Almirola 100/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Casey Mears 100/1
Danica Patrick 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Greg Biffle 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Ricky Stenhouse 100/1
Ryan Blaney 100/1
Ryan Newman 100/1
Trevor Bayne 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1

Gordon brings back 'rainbow car' for Bristol
NASCAR Wire Service
Distributed by The Sports Xchange

NASCAR fans will witness a blast from the past this weekend as Jeff Gordon brings back his classic rainbow paint scheme for one last race.

The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion racing in his final full-time campaign will attempt to drive his colorful car to Victory Lane for the first time this season in the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

"I have a lot of great memories with this rainbow paint scheme," Gordon said. "What I love is this paint scheme is for the fans. The fans wanted us to run this scheme again during my final season, and this Axalta Chevy SS definitely stands out. You're not going to miss it."

Gordon would qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs if the season ended today, holding the second-to-last points spot in the standings. He is a comfortable 55 points in front of the cutoff line, but a win would clinch him an automatic berth so he wouldn't have to sweat out the points in the final two races before the Chase.

Bristol has hosted Gordon in Victory Lane five times, tying the 44-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver with Kyle and Kurt Busch for the most wins among active drivers at Bristol. He is also the active leader in top-five finishes (17), top-10s (25), laps led (2,730) and average starting position (7.7) at the track dubbed "The World's Fastest Half-Mile."

When his No. 24 Chevrolet sported the rainbow look from 1992 to 2000, Gordon captured three NSCS championships, won 52 races and took the checkered flag at 17 tracks.

Win or lose, Gordon is prepared to put on one final show for the Bristol fans.

"When you have high-banked, very fast short track in this stadium -- in this 'colosseum' -- surrounded by the most avid NASCAR fans, the energy in the stands and on the track is electrifying," he said. "It just makes for a great event."

REGAN SMITH GOES FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WIN

Regan Smith defined what it meant to pull a 180 at Mid-Ohio last Saturday.

One week after nearly coming to blows with Ty Dillon on pit road at Watkins Glen, Smith found himself smiling and pumping his fist triumphantly in Victory Lane.

"This is an incredible feeling, just an awesome feeling!" Smith exclaimed after winning for the first time in 52 starts.

On Friday, Smith will try to celebrate for the second consecutive week by winning the Food City 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

"Once you do it (win a race) once, you want to do that every week," Smith said. "That moment when you pull up to the pit wall and do a burnout with your guys standing there -- (guys) who put so much time and effort into everything that you get to go out there and showcase -- there's no moment like that, nothing that compares to that, no feeling or sensation."

Fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, Smith trails JR Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon and Chris Buescher for the lead. Bristol is a prime place for Smith to gain ground on his young adversaries. He has made as many starts (11) at the .533-mile track as Elliott, Dillon and Buescher combined.

Also on the line for Smith is the $100,000 NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash bonus. To earn the extra money, Smith must finish ahead of Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Elliott Sadler. He grabbed the first two Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonuses at Dover and Indianapolis, so if Smith earns the bonus this weekend, he can win $1 million through the Dash 4 Cash program by winning the XFINITY race at Darlington on Labor Day weekend.

"We want to win this weekend, for sure, with the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash on the line, and there's no better place for it than Bristol," Smith said. "We're looking forward to it."

NASCAR RACE WEEKEND GUIDE

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Race: IRWIN Tools Night Race

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Date and Time: Saturday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET

On Air: NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps)

What to Watch For: Matt Kenseth is going for his third victory in four races. ... Ryan Newman is making his 500th start, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is making his 100th. ... Joey Logano is trying to win at Bristol in August for the second straight season. ... Brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch, along with Jeff Gordon, lead active drivers with five wins each at Bristol. ... Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart, who have previously won at Bristol, need to win to one of the last three races of the season to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Race: Food City 300

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Date and Time: Friday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

On Air: NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 159.9 miles (300 laps)

What to Watch For: Ryan Blaney will attempt to defend his 2014 August Bristol XFINITY Series victory. He can earn Team Penske its third straight win at "The Last Great Colosseum." ... Six of the last eight Bristol winners have started from the top two positions. ... Standings leader Chris Buescher will attempt to extend his lead over Ty Dillon (24 points behind) and Chase Elliott (25). ... The highest finisher among Regan Smith, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suárez will win a $100,000 bonus as part of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash Program. ... Longtime veteran Hermie Sadler III will attempt to qualify for the Food City 300 this weekend, his first race since last season at Richmond.

EPL Best Bets - Week 3
By Chris David

Week 2 Recap

After the opening week, oddsmakers made Manchester City as the top betting choice to win the Premier League and the club lived up to its expectations last Sunday with a 3-0 home win over Chelsea. It’s still early, but the defending champions are now five points behind City after two games.

Including Manchester’s win, favorites went 5-3 in the second week of the season while road teams produced a 5-3 mark.

There were two draws, one of them going scoreless between Watford and West Bromwich Albion. Even though that 0-0 result was an easy ‘under’ ticket for total bettors, the ‘over’ still managed to produce a 5-4-1 record in Week 2.

Overall, favorites have gone 9-6 in EPL play with five draws. The ‘over’ is 11-8-1.

Still Perfect

Through two weeks, four clubs have managed to secure victories in both of their games.

Manchester City leads the way with a goal differential of six (6-0) while Leicester City is right behind them with a plus-3 differential (6-3).

Liverpool and Manchester United haven’t been spectacular offensively but both have done enough with a pair of identical 1-0 victories. Make a note that the EPL announced on Friday that Liverpool’s goal this past weekend versus Bournemouth should have been disallowed.

Lacking a Punch

West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth are the only clubs in the Premier League that remain scoreless after two weeks of action. Total bettors have watched the ‘under’ go 3-0-1 in their matchups.

Bournemouth actually showed some offensive flurries in its opening 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa but the game plan at Liverpool this past Monday created a boring output for both sides. The Cherries stay on the road this Saturday against West Ham United, who is suspect on the back line.

West Brom could see its drought continue in Week 3 when Chelsea visits. The defending EPL champs have allowed five goals in two games and most believe the Blues will look for the clean sheet, something they did 12 times during last year’s championship campaign.

Top 4

Bettors looking to back the top quartet to earn results (3 points) in a chalky four-game parlay can garner 5/1 odds, which isn’t as easy as it appears.

Manchester United vs. Newcastle United (Saturday, 7:45 a.m. ET, NBCSN)

The Reds (-275) have been installed as the biggest favorites in Week 3 against New Castle (+850) in the first game on Saturday. Man United hasn’t looked overly impressive in two EPL games but the attack woke up earlier this week in a Champions League playoff when it scored three goals and it left a few off the board too.

Will that momentum carry over on Saturday? New Castle has allowed two goals in each of its first two games and hasn’t had much success against Man United recently. The Reds are 6-2-2 in the last 10 encounters which includes a 1-0 win at New Castle and 3-1 victory from Old Trafford last season.

Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion (Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN)

The Blues (-170) haven’t looked great thus far yet the oddsmakers believe they’ll earn their first three points of the season on Sunday at West Brom (+525). Laying a heavy price with a team lacking chemistry isn’t a sound investment but the talent gap could easily justify a lean on Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returns from suspension and a lineup change on the backline plus the possible addition of Barcelona forward Pedro make you believe that a boost will occur.

As mentioned above, West Brom’s offense is lacking and manager Tony Pulis recent comments certainly won’t create much confidence at the betting window. He said, “I am concerned that we haven’t hit the button yet. We are still trying to find our way. It has been a little bit of a messy window for us.”

West Brom did blank Chelsea 3-0 at home last season but the Blues had already locked up the EPL title and were playing out the string. Still, it should be noted that Chelsea hasn’t earned three points at the Hawthornes since a 3-1 win in 2011.

Manchester City at Everton (Sunday, 11:00 a.m. ET, NBCSN)

Man City (-150) faces the proverbial letdown spot this Sunday as it heads to Goodison Park for a matchup against Everton (+400). After opening the season with back-to-back 3-0 wins, which includes a big victory over Chelsea last Sunday, some pundits believe City could get caught in this spot.

Everton is also coming off a 3-0 win, which occurred at Southampton last Saturday. In its home opener, the Toffees were fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw versus newly promoted Watford.

Last season, the pair played to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park while City captured a 1-0 win at home. The ‘under’ cashed in both matchups. Historically, past encounters at this venue haven’t been kind to Manchester, who are 1-3-1 in their last five road battles versus Everton. Going back further, City has only earned three points twice in their previous 17 trips to Walton. The draw is offering close to 3/1 odds at most shops.

Liverpool at Arsenal (Monday, 3:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN)

Liverpool (+400) isn’t mentioned in the Top 4 but when you break down the 20-team league, it’s widely considered the best in the next group. Capturing a win at the Emirates isn’t going to be easy, especially when you realize that they’ve only secured three points once at this venue in the last 15 years.

Arsenal (-140) bounced back strong on the road last week and should be ready to secure its first home win of the season. Last season, the Gunners claimed a 4-1 win at home and 2-2 draw on the road. The ‘over’ cashed fairly easily in both contests and three-plus goals seems doable in the last game of the week.

Fearless Predictions

We couldn’t connect on our live ‘dog in West Brom last week but did manage to cash Arsenal for a couple units. Unfortunately, Monday’s total lacked any threat and we came up short 35 cents ($35) in Week 2. We’re practically even ($5) after two weeks as we look to rebound in Week 3 with one play posted for each day for double units.

Straight – Tottenham (+170) over Leicester City 2 Units

Straight – Over 2.5 (-130) Arsenal-Liverpool 2 Units

Straight – Chelsea (-165) over West Bromwich Albion 2 Units

Premier League betting preview: Foxes in fine form ahead of Tottenham clash
By SOCCER AUTHORITY

Soccer expert Soccer Authority breaks down some of the weekend's biggest fixtures in the Barclays Premier League.

Manchester United vs. Newcastle United

Fresh off a European Champions League Victory (3-1 vs. Brugge), Manchester United will come into this game full of confidence. So far this season the Red Devils have picked up maximum points with wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

Newcastle have a new manager in Steve McClaren but things don't look to be picking up. The Magpies have only earned one point from their opening two games and are struggling in defense.

Key Stat: Newcastle have lost their last seven games on the road with an average of 2.6 goals conceded per game

Injuries and suspensions: Manchester United - Phil Jones (CB), Fellaini (CM). Newcastle - Janmaat (FB), Steven Taylor (CB), Sissoko (CM) is doubtful


Leicester vs. Tottenham

Leicester’s form of late has been nothing short of amazing. Leicester were destined for relegation last year but after a string of big wins they managed to stay up. This season they've continued that fine form with two wins from two.

Spurs have been disappointing this season with only one point taken so far. The Lilywhites lost their opener against Manchester United and drew against Stoke last weekend. We've seen nothing this season to convince us that Spurs will once again have an inconsistent season.

Key Stat: Leicester have only lost one of their last 11 Premier League games and that was against last year’s Champions Chelsea.


West Brom vs. Chelsea

This fixture finished 3-0 in West Brom's favor last year. However, in that game, Cesc Fabregas(Chelsea) received an early Red Card, and Chelsea had already won the Title at that stage.

The Blues have also only picked up one point after drawing with Swansea and losing to Man City last weekend. If Chelsea can't find a victory, they run the risk of losing sight of Man Utd and Man City at the top of the table.

Key Stat: Tony Pulis prides himself on having an organized defense. However, West Brom have conceded 10 Goals in their last five home games in the EPL.

Injuries and suspension: Chelsea - Oscar is doubtful


Everton vs. Manchester City

Everton are unbeaten this season after drawing with Watford and dispatching of Southampton last weekend. If Romelu Lukaku can continue finding the back of the net we have no reason to believe Everton won't have a successful season.

Man City have a 100 percent record so far with 2/2 wins but let's not forget about their poor away form last season.

Key Stat: Everton are unbeaten in 11 of their last 16 meetings with Man City

Injuries and suspensions: Everton - Hibbert, Pienaar and Baines. Man City - Fernando

Memphis even odds to score any time Saturday
Andrew Avery

Following a breakout performance in which he scored a pair of goals versus Club Brugge in Champions League action midweek, Manchester United winger Memphis is even odds to find the back of the net against Newcastle United Saturday.

The Dutch attacker was a goal-scoring machine for PSV in his time in the Eredivisie, leading the league with 22 goals last season. But he has yet to open his Premier League account for the Red Devils.

Ben Stones of Ladbrokes said: "Louis van Gaal may have wanted to kiss Memphis on Tuesday, and the odds suggest the bookies will be Depay-ing out if he continues that sort of form."

Shaqiri should make Stoke debut Saturday
Andrew Avery

Stoke City's record signing Xherdan Shaqiri looks poised to make his debut for the Potters after missing out against Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a suspension he picked up at Serie A side Inter that carried over.

The Swiss star was purchased by Stoke for a fee of £12 million after playing with bigger clubs like Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

The 23-year-old could start in the midfield in between Ibrahim Affelay and Marko Arnautovic and behind striker Mame Biram Diouf.

The Potters are presently +239 in 1X2 markets at Pinnacle Sports when they visit Norwich Saturday.

West Ham's Adrian to serve first of three-game ban
Andrew Avery

West Ham will be without keeper Adrian as he'll serve the first of a three-match ban following a red card received in last week's 2-1 loss to Leicester City.

Adrian was up for a Hammers' corner kick in the final minutes of the game when he went to play the ball but kicked Jamie Vardy. Darren Randolph is expected to start in place of of Adrian.

The Hammers began the season in fine form with a win at Arsenal before the loss to the Foxes. They'll host Premier League new boys Bournemouth Saturday.

CFL Betting Notes - Week 9
By David Schwab

Week 8 Betting Recap

Week 8 of the 2015 CFL regular season wrapped things up this past Saturday and in a reversal from the previous betting trends, the favorites came out on top with a 3-1 record both straight-up and against the spread. The lone exception was Edmonton’s 15-12 victory against Montreal as a two-point road underdog last Thursday.

Toronto got things started as a 5 ½-point road favorite over Winnipeg with a 27-20 victory last Friday. Hamilton pummeled British Columbia 52-22 as an 8 ½-point favorite at home and Calgary made short work of Ottawa in a 48-3 romp as 10-point home favorites.

Saturday, Aug. 22

Calgary Stampeders (5-2 SU, 1-6 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-7 SU, 1-6 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -7 ½
Total: 51 ½

Game Overview

The Stampeders come into this heated West Division rivalry with a head of steam after winning four of their last five games SU, but last week’s romp over Ottawa was the first time they covered the spread this year. Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell continued to light thing up with 243 yards passing and two touchdown throws in that game. He now has 1,865 passing yards on the year and nine touchdown throws.

Saskatchewan is coming off a bye week after a dismal 0-7 SU start. It covered ATS for the first time this season in Week 7’s tight 30-26 loss to Toronto as a nine-point road underdog. The total went OVER (49 points) for the first time in its last four games. Both Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn are on the shelf with serious injuries, so look for Brett Smith or possibly Tino Sunseri to get the start on Saturday for the Roughriders at quarterback.

Betting Trends

Calgary has won four of the last five meetings SU and it is 3-1-1 ATS. The total has gone OVER in three of the five games. This will be the first meeting between the two this year.

Game of the day: Stampeders at Roughriders

Calgary Stampeders at Sakatchwan Roughriders (+6, 51)

The Calgary Stampeders look to continue their winning ways when they make the trip to Saskatchewan to face the winless Roughriders on Saturday. The Stampeders have won back-to-back games, including an impressive 48-3 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 8, to keep pace with Edmonton Eskimos for the West Division lead.

Calgary has dominated the series with Saskatchewan in the last five years winning 10 of the last 12 meetings, including the last four overall, and hopes to heap more misery on the Roughriders. Everything that could possibly go wrong has went wrong for Saskatchewan as it comes off a bye week looking to halt a seven-game slide. The Roughriders are on their third starting quarterback after Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn went down with injuries, leaving rookie pivot Brett Smith to run for his life as he's been sacked 12 times in the past two games. Saskatchewan has dropped 12 of its last 13 regular-season games and hopes to stop the bleeding by beating the Stampeders for the first time since July 5, 2013.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: The Roughriders opened as 6.5-point favorites before dropping to -6. The total opened at 51.5 and has dropped to 51.

INJURY REPORT: Stampeders - OL Dan Federkeil (Ques-Leg) Roughriders - LB Shea Emry (Ques-Neck)

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (5-2 SU, 1-6 ATS, 2-5 O/U): Bo Levi Mitchell was named one of the CFL Top Performers of the Week after finishing 17-of-25 for 243 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two scores on the ground against the Redblacks. Calgary released disgruntled linebacker Jasper Simmons on Tuesday after his agent lashed out on social media by tweeting that the "worst organization in CFL is holding him hostage." The owners of the Stampeders and Calgary Flames have unveiled their $900 million proposal to build a sports complex, including a new indoor stadium that would hold 30,000 people for football, on the edge of the downtown core.

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (0-7 SU, 1-5-1 ATS, 4-3 O/U): Smith finished a respectable 23-of-35 for 298 yards and two touchdowns in the 30-26 loss to the Toronto Argos in Week 7. "I feel a lot more comfortable and I hope the guys feel more comfortable with me back there," Smith told reporters. "I think we'll continue to roll and get some momentum and go into this week as comfortable as they have ever felt." Saskatchewan added special teams ace Scott McHenry to the active roster and signed linebacker Don Unamba on Tuesday after releasing defensive backs Michael Carter and Geoff Tisdale earlier in the week.

TRENDS:

*Stampeders are 0-4-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
*Roughriders are 13-35-3 ATS in their last 51 games following a S.U. loss.
*Under is 6-2 in Stampeders last 8 games overall.
*Under is 7-2 in Roughriders last 9 games following a bye week.

CONSENSUS: 61 percent are backing the Stamps with 64 percent on the over.

Week 9 CFL games

Calgary (5-2) @ Saskatchewan (0-7)-- Stampeders won four of last five games, are 1-6 vs spread this year, all as favorites- last week's win was only one this season by more than five points. Calgary is 11-3 in last 14 games vs Saskatchewan, winning four of last five, but they lost two of last three visits here. Woeful Roughriders (1-5-1 vs spread this year) are off their bye; three of their four home losses were by 4 or less points. Riders led at halftime in three of seven losses; they've been outscored 61-21 in second half of last three games.

Calgary Stampeders 6.5, 51.5
Saskatchewan Roughriders

Ottawa RedBlacks
Toronto Argonauts 8.5, 50.5

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Balmoral Park

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 2 - Post: 7:30 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 66 - Purse:$3400 - 2 YEAR OLDS NON-WINNERS OF 1 RACE LIFETIME


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 2 FV MOSCATO 10/1


# 3 BUTCHSFINALWESTERN 12/1


# 5 BAYSIDE TEQUILLA 6/1

Hey, listen up! FV MOSCATO is the knowledgeable wager if you like to win especially at such a decent 10/1. This interesting entrant may have some hidden form, a score would be a pleasant surprise. BUTCHSFINALWESTERN - Harness players have been looking smart within the recent past by playing horses when Carpenter is piloting. Last 30 days ROI is great. BAYSIDE TEQUILLA - That 58 speed rating clocked in the most recent affair puts this contender in the mix in here. The trainer Simmons has a knack with this gelding, regularly cashing in their affairs.