Friday 10/27/17 ... Comps / Bonus Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Requests Etc.

Pesos · Oct 24, 2017

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

Rick Needham at Belmont Park

RACE #5 - BELMONT PARK - 3:07 PM EASTERN POST
8.0 FURLONGS DIRT FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD ALLOWANCE $77,000.00 PURSE

#2 TAPELLA
#6 FULL HOUSE
#4 BOW TOWN CAT
#3 CRIMSON FROST

#2 TAPELLA is the overall speed and pace profile leader in this field racing at today's distance of a mile on the dirt, and has hit the board in "POWER RUN FASHION" in each of her three career starts to date, including a maiden-breaking, "POWER RUN WIN" facing slightly better company (+1) in her last start. Jockey John Velazquez and Trainer Todd Pletcher send her to the post this afternoon ... they've hit the board with 54% of nearly 350 entries saddled as a team to date. #6 FULL HOUSE also has a nice pace profile, and has hit the board in four of her last five outings, including a 14-length, "POWER RUN WIN" in her 4th race back.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

The Walker Group at Gulfstream Park West

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

Race 8 - Maiden Special Weight - 5.0f on the Dirt. Purse: $40000 Class Rating: 79

FOR STATE BRED MAIDENS, FILLIES TWO YEARS OLD. WEIGHT, 119 LBS.

RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 3 FIRST DUDETTE 4/1

# 5 SILVER BAY 8/1

# 2 LA CHICA RIPOOL 3/1

FIRST DUDETTE looks quite good to best this field. Bennett has been tough as nails with two year olds, winning at a 31 percent clip. Decent shot today on Lasix. SILVER BAY - Cannot be overlooked - Hickey is a sharp conditioner with the babies, winning 25 of his races. There is a formidable chance that this entry's late pace will improve on Lasix. Hickey has a solid try every time he puts a 2 year old on the track. LA CHICA RIPOOL - Sharp conditioner with 2 year olds has given bettors good returns (+316 ROI) - very important in baby races. Could provide positive profits based on competitive recent Equibase Speed Figures with an average of 64. Don't overlook this filly in your wagers - very dangerous with Ruiz aboard.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Hawthorne - Race #6 - Post: 5:30pm - Starter Allowance - 6.5 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $10,200 Class Rating: 96

Rating: 3

#3 NYOMAN (ML=5/2)
#1 SIDE POCKET (ML=5/1)

NYOMAN - On October 11th this gelding shipped in to finish first and looks good right back. I am keen on that last effort on October 11th at Hawthorne where he ended up first. You have to really like that most recent race speed rating, 95, which is the top latest race speed figure of this group. SIDE POCKET - Smith has this gelding signed up for the ideal contest.

Vulnerable Contenders: #6 KYZAN (ML=7/2), #2 GOOD SAMURAI (ML=6/1), #5 OH OZ (ML=8/1),

KYZAN - Finished third in his most recent race with a somewhat easily forgotten speed fig. When I look at today's class figure, it would take an improved performance to score after that in this group. GOOD SAMURAI - Not likely that this animal will finish better than he did last time when placing seventh. Won't be easy for this horse to beat this field off of that last speed rating. Improbable to improve enough to run a figure anywhere near today's class rating, so put him on the questionable challengers list. OH OZ - When you keep scanning through the TrackMaster pps and don't see a victory recently, you have to say to yourself, 'Not worth it on this animal'. You have to be concerned that this horse added wraps last out.

STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Bet on #3 NYOMAN to win if you can get at least 7/5 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [1,3]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
3 with 1 with [2,4,5] Total Cost: $3

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
None

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse)

Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse) - Race 3

$1 Exacta / $1 Trifecta $1 Superfecta (.10 cent minimum wager $2 Pick Six / $1 Pick Three

Claiming $2,500 • 4 1/2 Furlongs • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 82 • Purse: $8,500 • Post: 7:56P
FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON TWO RACES. THREE YEAR OLDS, 120 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE AUGUST 27 ALLOWED 3 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $2,500 (MAIDEN RACES AND RACES FOR $2,000 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED).
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds

Race Type: Dominant Stalker. MR. HALE is the Dominant Stalker of the race. * KEY ANGLES * MR. HALE: Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse has the highest average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. DRAMATIC ANGEL: Toda y is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth start after a layoff. Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. CORN ON THE CODE: Today is a sprint, horse is a Front-runner with an inside post position. Horse's average winning dista nce is within half a furlong of today's distance (within 50 yards if a Quarter Horse race).
6
MR. HALE
8/5

5/2
7
DRAMATIC ANGEL
2/1

5/1
3
CORN ON THE CODE
4/1

10/1

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

The Walker Group at Laurel

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

Race 5 - Claiming - 8.0f on the Turf. Purse: $23000 Class Rating: 89

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS OR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON THREE RACES. THREE YEAR OLDS, 121 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE AUGUST 27 ALLOWED 2 LBS. SUCH A RACE SINCE THEN ALLOWED 4 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $16,000, FOR EACH $1,750 TO $12,500 2 LBS. (RACES WHERE ENTERED FOR $10,000 OR LESS NOT

RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 12 ALL I KARABOUT 9/5

# 15 APPA 8/1

# 11 MAN OF WIREGRASS 9/2

ALL I KARABOUT has a respectable shot to take this race. Is hard not to examine based on Equibase Speed Figures which have been respectable - 86 avg - of late. Ran a strong last race. Formidable average Equibase Speed Figs in turf route races make this animal a solid contender. APPA - Is a key contender - given the 82 speed rating from his most recent race. Has run solidly when running a turf route race. MAN OF WIREGRASS - With a nice Equibase class figure average of 93, has one of the strongest class advantages in this group. He looks very good in this slot and I expect will be on the front end or close at the halfway point

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Woodbine - Race #7 - Post: 4:04pm - Maiden Optional Claiming - 8.0 furlongs on the Turf. Purse: $34,000 Class Rating: 75

Rating: 4

#4 COURT REPORTER (ML=6/1)
#8 TWENTYTWENTYCREST (ML=5/2)

COURT REPORTER - Contreras was aboard this filly last time out and was impressed enough to take the horse right back. TWENTYTWENTYCREST - This filly has a lot of ability on the turf. Could be long gone by the time they hit the top of the lane. This jockey and trainer are honest together. Win pct when teamed up is extremely hard to top. This mount wins a lot of money per start. I believe she will add to the lifetime total right here. Had a strong closing move last race out, running the last quarter in less than 25 seconds. A similar performance today, and it's straight to the winner's circle.

Vulnerable Contenders: #1 EVENT HORIZON (ML=3/1), #5 TREASURE FINDER (ML=4/1), #7 FIELD PARTY (ML=8/1),

EVENT HORIZON - Awfully hard to play this entrant when she hasn't been showing any indications of eagerness recently. TREASURE FINDER - Just cannot wager on this less than sharp equine. Didn't show me anything positive in the last race or on Sep 29th. This rallier looks to have almost no chance without a speed duel at the front. FIELD PARTY - Didn't hit the board on Sep 1st at Woodbine. Followed it up with another lackluster performance.

STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Play #4 COURT REPORTER to win if you can get odds of 3/1 or more

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [4,8]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
None

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Will Rogers Downs

Will Rogers Downs - Race 10

Exacta / Quinella / Trifecta / Superfecta / Pick 4 (Races 10-11-12-13)

Maiden Claiming $15,000 • 250 Yards • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 84 • Purse: $9,000 • Post: 3:45P
QUARTER HORSE 250Y, FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 124 LBS.; OLDER, 126 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $15,000.
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds

Race Type: Not Applicable (Quarter Horse). * KEY ANGLES * TOO LONG KISSIN: Quarter horse has the highest last race Equibase Speed Rating. Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. Jockey/Trainer combination return on investment is at leas t +20.
1
TOO LONG KISSIN
3/5

4/5

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

NBA Knowledge

Spurs won nine of last ten games with Orlando, but Magic covered five of their last seven; San Antonio covered four of its last five visits here. Last five series games stayed under. Spurs are 4-0 this season (3-1 vs spread, over 2-2); they won their two road games, by 10-17 points. Orlando won three of its first four games (over 3-1); they won their two home games by 7-4.

Rockets won nine of last 10 games with Charlotte, but Hornets are 3-2 vs spread in last five. Houston is 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Rockets won four of their first five games; their last four games stayed under total. Houston is 3-0 on road, 1-2 vs spread. Hornets split their first four games (under 4-0), winning their two home games, by 17-18 points.

Nets are 6-4 in last ten games wth the Knicks; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Madison Square Garden. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games. Brooklyn is 3-0 at home, 0-2 on road (over 3-1-1), losing away games by 4-9 points. Knicks are 0-3 this season, losing by 4 to Detroit in their only home game (under 2-1).

Hawks won/covered their last four games with Denver; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Nuggets are 1-4 vs spread in last five games in this building. Denver lost three of its first four games (under 4-0), losing away games by 10 at Utah, 17 at Charlotte. Atlanta lost its last three games, by 18-12-11 points; this is their home opener. Under was 2-1-1 in their first four games.

Thunder is 7-3 in its last 10 games with Minnesota; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Twin Cities. Road team won six of last 10 series games, under is 6-3 in those games. OKC split its first four games (under 3-1), losing by 9 at Utah in their only road game. Timberwolves are 2-3 to start season (over 4-0-1); they allowed 130-122 points in last two games. Minnesota split its two home games.

Lakers lost their last five games with Toronto (1-4 vs spread, under 4-1); Raptors are 4-1 vs spread in last five series games here. Toronto split their first four games, losing road games by 5-4 points (under 2-0) at San Antonio/Boston. Lakers split their first four games, with two wins by total of five points. LA is 1-2 at home, with losses by 16-7 points.

Golden State won five of last six games with Washington (4-2 vs spread); Wizards are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Oakland (under 4-1). Washington won three of last four games, but lost to the Lakers Wednesday; they’re 1-2 on road. Over is 3-2 in their games. Warriors are 3-2 to start season (over 3-2)— they’re 1-4 vs spread, 0-2 as a home favorite this month.

SAN ANTONIO (4 - 0) at ORLANDO (3 - 1) - 10/27/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1007-879 ATS (+40.1 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 807-686 ATS (+52.4 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 87-51 ATS (+30.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 334-274 ATS (+32.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
ORLANDO is 35-50 ATS (-20.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 60-91 ATS (-40.1 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 3-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (4 - 1) at CHARLOTTE (2 - 2) - 10/27/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 316-263 ATS (+26.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 111-81 ATS (+21.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 47-75 ATS (-35.5 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 2-2 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 3-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BROOKLYN (3 - 2) at NEW YORK (0 - 3) - 10/27/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 4-4 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DENVER (1 - 3) at ATLANTA (1 - 4) - 10/27/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-0 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 4-0 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY (2 - 2) at MINNESOTA (2 - 3) - 10/27/2017, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-3 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (2 - 2) at LA LAKERS (2 - 2) - 10/27/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-0 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (3 - 1) at GOLDEN STATE (3 - 2) - 10/27/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 147-191 ATS (-63.1 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 88-59 ATS (+23.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 2-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

SAN ANTONIO @ ORLANDO
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

HOUSTON @ CHARLOTTE
Houston is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing at home against Houston

DENVER @ ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver

BROOKLYN @ NEW YORK
Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Brooklyn's last 12 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New York's last 12 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

OKLAHOMA CITY @ MINNESOTA
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

TORONTO @ LA LAKERS
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Toronto is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing Toronto

WASHINGTON @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Golden State is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games

StatFox Super Situations

BROOKLYN at NEW YORK
Play Against - Road teams vs. the money line (BROOKLYN) terrible defensive team - allowing 103+ points/game on the season, after scoring 105 points or more 4 straight games 97-70 over the last 5 seasons. ( 58.1% | 46.0 units )

BROOKLYN at NEW YORK
Play Against - Road underdogs vs. the 1rst half line (BROOKLYN) an explosive offensive team (>=102 PPG) against an average offensive team (92-98 PPG), after scoring 105 points or more 4 straight games 46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )

HOUSTON at CHARLOTTE
Play Under - All teams where the total is greater than or equal to 200 good ball handling team from last season - committed <=14 turnovers/game, in non-conference games 67-31 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.4% | 32.9 units ) 12-6 this year. ( 66.7% | 5.4 units )

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

Friday's Tip Sheet

Game of the Night: Wizards at Warriors

Golden State (3-2 SU, 1-4 ATS) returned home from a three-game road trip on Wednesday and needed a late rally to stun Toronto, 117-112. The Warriors outscored the Raptors, 12-0 in the final 90 seconds, but failed to cover as 12 ½-point favorites. The defending champions shot nearly 56% from the field, led by Stephen Curry’s 30 points and Kevin Durant’s 29 points. Golden State has covered only once this season, while laying at least 8 ½ points in all five games.

Washington (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) fell apart late in Wednesday’s 102-99 overtime loss to the Lakers, while blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The Wizards struggled from the floor by shooting 41% and an abysmal 6-of-26 from three-point range, as point guard John Wall converted only 7-of-22 shots from the field. Washington continues its four-game road trip which concludes in Sacramento on Sunday, as the Wizards are 0-3 ATS this season in the favorite role, but are 1-0 ATS in its only opportunity as an underdog by winning at Denver on Monday.

Last season, the home team won each time as the Wizards squandered an early 19-point lead but held off the Warriors in D.C. by a 112-108 count as seven-point ‘dogs. Durant suffered a hyper-extended knee in the opening minute when teammate Zaza Pachulia collided with the former scoring champion, but Golden State rallied back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Golden State didn’t mess around the second time in Oakland by blowing out Washington, 139-115 as 9½-point favorites this past April as Curry torched the Wizards for 42 points.

Shooting for Five

The Spurs and Rockets have each won four games through the first two weeks of the season. San Antonio (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) finishes off its tour of the Sunshine State following a 117-100 triumph at Miami on Wednesday as 3½-point favorites. The Spurs continue to play without MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard, who is nursing a quad injury, but LaMarcus Aldridge has stormed out to a terrific start by averaging 26.0 ppg, while coming off a season-high 31 points against the Heat.

Orlando (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS) didn’t have high expectations coming into the season, but the Magic are pushing the pace this season by averaging 119 ppg. The Magic pulled off a 114-93 rout of Cleveland as 11½-point road underdogs last Saturday night, while knocking down 17 three-pointers and limiting the Cavaliers to 38% shooting from the floor. Orlando will look to turn around its luck against San Antonio at home after dropping the last six contests at Amway Center, including a 107-79 setback last season.

Houston heads to Charlotte for the third game of its road swing after knocking off Philadelphia at the buzzer on Wednesday, 105-104. The Rockets (4-1, SU, 2-3 ATS) are riding a four-game UNDER streak after hitting the OVER in their season-opening victory at Golden State. The backcourt duo of James Harden and Eric Gordon combined for 56 points against the 76ers, but shot 7-of-24 from three-point range, even though one of those treys was the game-winner from Gordon.

The Hornets (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) improved to 2-0 at home on Wednesday with a 110-93 blowout of the Nuggets as two-point underdogs. Charlotte’s offense has been dynamic at home this season by scoring 109 and 110 points in its two victories, as the backcourt of former UConn Huskies comprised of Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb combined for 35 points against Denver. Charlotte has finished UNDER the total in all four games this season, while four of the past five home matchups with Houston have cashed the UNDER.

Lightning Striking Again?

Oklahoma City and Minnesota met up last Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena and played to an exciting finish. Carmelo Anthony’s go-ahead three-pointer with five seconds left gave the Thunder a 113-112 lead, but Andrew Wiggins banked in a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to lift Minnesota to a 115-113 triumph as four-point underdogs. Reigning MVP Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 31 points, but couldn’t finish off the rally after trailing by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter.

The Wolves (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) haven’t won since beating the Thunder as Minnesota is coming off consecutive losses to Indiana and Detroit. The common theme from those setbacks was offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler sat out with a respiratory infection and the defense was torched by allowing 130 points to the Pacers and 122 points to the Pistons. Butler is listed as questionable for Friday’s contest, as the Wolves have lost six of their past seven matchups with the Thunder at the Target Center.

The Thunder (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) own a pair of home blowouts over the Knicks and Pacers, coming off Wednesday’s 114-96 victory over Indiana as 13-point favorites. Westbrook and Anthony each scored 28 points, while Paul George fouled out in his first game against his former squad, while putting up only 10 points. OKC’s defense has performed well for the exception of the Minnesota loss by allowing 96 points or less in its other three games.

On the Ball

Nobody said it was going to be easy, but the rebuilding Lakers are holding their own through four games. Los Angeles (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) picked up its first home win in three tries on Wednesday by rallying past Washington in overtime, 102-99. The Lakers have yet to lose consecutive games this season, as rookie Lonzo Ball was limited to 2-of-11 shooting and six points, but he dished out 10 assists for his second double-digit assist effort. Los Angeles has not shot the ball well from beyond the arc at Staples Center in three games by hitting only 20-of-73 attempts (27%), including 1-of-13 from Ball.

The Raptors (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS) have yet to win a game away from Air Canada Center following road losses at San Antonio and Golden State. Granted, those were the top two teams in the Western Conference last season and the two defeats came by a combined nine points, but Toronto looks to get on track in the midst of this six-game road trip. In Wednesday’s 117-112 setback at Golden State, DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 20 points, while second-year forward Pascal Siakam put up 20 points as Toronto cashed 12½-point ‘dogs. Toronto has owned Los Angeles recently by winning five straight matchups, including the last two visits to Staples Center.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

Wizards, Warriors meet at Oracle

The Wizards get an early road test when they take on the Warriors in the Bay on Friday.

Other than, of course, the Boston Celtics, perhaps no team experienced a greater contextual shift for their season when Gordon Hayward went down with an injury than the Washington Wizards. Their had already been whispers that the Wizards might present the Eastern Conference's greatest challenge to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and after the star Celtics forward broke his leg, the loud-mouthed Wizards' season will be considered a disappoint if they fall anywhere short of the conference finals. With a Friday night game at Oracle Arena this weekend, Washington will be getting perhaps the toughest game on its schedule—at Golden State—out of the way just over a week into the season. The Warriors, who many in the preseason had slotted for 70 wins, started a surprising 1-2 with losses to Houston and Memphis. They'll be looking to shut down the Wizards' explosive playmakers and make a statement in a game televised on NBATV.
PG John Wall makes everything go for Washington, having led the team in scoring and assists for the past several seasons. While he didn't shoot particularly well in two early games this season (10-28 vs PHI; 3-13 at DEN), he still finished with 28 and 19 points in those respective contests, thanks to a more aggressive approach to getting to the foul line than he has shown in the past. Time will tell if he continues with this tactic, but it is something that has certainly paid dividends for similarly ball-dominant players like James Harden over the years. Wall didn't score very effectively in two games against Golden State last season, averaging 13.5 PPG in them. In the first one, though, a 112-108 win, he dished out 19 assists. In the other, a 139-115 defeat, he had 11 assists with no turnovers. SG Bradley Beal was the Wizards' leading scorer in both of those games, and he remains option 1B in the Washington offense. He and SF Otto Porter will need to hit some three-pointers if Washington wants to pull off the upset this weekend. SF Kelly Oubre and SF Jodie Meeks have also attempted their fair share of threes on the young season. Some believe Oubre is due for a breakout this season, and an explosion against Golden State would make for a great start. C Marcin Gortat will go to war with the Warriors bigs, and the Wizards will be in good shape if he can come out on top in those matchups. Washington could, however, be a bit gassed

The defeat to Washington last year was a game to forget for the Warriors, and not just because it was one of the few losses they sustained on the season. SF Kevin Durant went down with an injury less than two minutes into the game, and it kept him out for significant time down the stretch run of the regular season. He still wasn't back on the court when Golden State played the Wizards again, but by that time the team had adjusted to his absence and made easy work of the Wizards. PG Stephen Curry had 42 points on blistering 9-of-14 three-point shooting, and PF Draymond Green had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 boards and 11 assists. While Green won't guard Gortat directly, keep an eye on the two when they cross paths—they're two of the mouthiest players in the NBA. Curry and Wall, meanwhile, both love to test themselves against the best guards in the league, and it figures to be a back-and-forth slugfest between the PGs on Friday. This will be Durant's first real game as a Warrior against the Wizards, and the opposition will have to find a way to contain him. Since it's a feat seldom achieved by any team, they're unlikely to be able to do so. Plus there's SG Klay Thompson, who, as the Warriors' fourth fiddle, is still a better version than Beal. Both SG Nick Young and C JaVale McGee are ex-Wizards, a dynamic that could add further spice to this contest.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

NBA Pick 'n' Roll: Friday's Picks and Analysis

Yesterday’s picks: 1-1
Season record: 9-11

There have been 10 nights of NBA action so far and 10 editions of NBA Pick 'n' Roll. We've gone 0-2 twice, 2-0 once and 1-1 every other time. Chances are there is one winner in our two picks below and one loser. Let's hope everyone follows and fades our picks correctly.

Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks (-2.5, 220.5)

There’s still a lot to figure out in this young NBA season but there is no mystery which team is the league’s worst. Please step forward Jeff Hornacek and the rest of the New York Knickerbockers.

The Knicks are 0-3 straight up and against the spread, and they’ve failed to score more than 90 points in two of their three contests. That’s not going to get the job done against the league’s highest-scoring side.

The Brooklyn Nets are averaging a league-best 121.2 points per game and they overpowered LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Brooklyn will be without their leading scoring, D’Angelo Russell, again on Friday.

Expect the Knicks to try their best to slow the pace down against the new-look Nets and turn this game into a half-court slugfest.

Pick: Under 220.5

Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers (+5.5, 224)

The Raptors are in the middle part of their longest road trip of the season and the road has not been kind to them. They lost a winnable game at San Antonio, and they scratched and clawed to grab a five-point lead with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter before Kevin Durant and Steph Curry nailed back-to-back 26-footers and seal the game for the Dubs.

NBA teams have a habit of overlooking the inferior teams and play to level of the competition. That shouldn’t happen for Toronto on Friday night. We expect the Dinos will play angry knowing they played well enough to beat two of the league’s best sides and came away empty-handed.

Plus, Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan likes to show out against his home town team. He’s averaging 25.8 points in his last four games against the Lakers at Staples Center.

Pick: Raptors -5.5

Total Streaks

*The under is 4-0 in the Rockets’ last four games and 6-0 in the Hornets’ last six games.
*The over is 17-5 in the Spurs’ last 22 games overall and 8-2-1 in the Magic’s last 11 games.
*The under is 9-0 in the Nuggets’ last nine games.
*The under is 5-1 in the Thunder’s last six games.

Injury To Note

All-Star wing Jimmy Butler has missed the last two games for the Timberwolves and he’s questionable to return to game action on Friday because of a lingering respiratory infection. The T-Wolves are 0-2 straight up and against the spread in the two games they’ve played with Butler in the lineup.

Referee Assignment to Watch

The refs working the Wizards-Warriors game are calling low scoring-games so far this season. The under is a combined 1-6 in any games worked by Bill Kennedy, Eric Dalen or Gary Zielinski.

The total is set at 231 for Washington-Golden State tonight at Oracle Arena.

Trends

*The Magic are 13-27-1 ATS in their last 41 home games.
*The Hawks are 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 games playing on zero days’ rest.
*The Timberwolves are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.

Consensus

More than 70 percent of contest players expect the Rockets to cover as 3-point chalk against the hosting Hornets on Friday night.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

NHL Knowledge

Colorado lost three of its last four games; they’re 2-4 on the road (under 4-1-1). Las Vegas won its last four games, is 7-1 in its first season in the NHL. Over is 4-2 in their home games. Golden Knights are 5-1 at home, with a couple of OT wins.

Road team won seven of last nine Winnipeg-Columbus games; Jets won their last four games in Ohio. Six of last eight series games went over the total. Winnipeg lost three of their last four games; over is 6-3 in their games this season- they’re 2-3 on the road. Blue Jackets won five of their last seven games, are 3-2 at home. Four of their last five games went over the total.

Road team won seven of last ten Ottawa-New Jersey games; Senators won three of last four series games- they’re 3-2 in their last five visits to the Garden State. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Senators are 3-0 on road, 2-5 at home; over is 5-2 in their last seven games. New Jersey won six of its last eight games; they’re 2-2 at home. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Road team won last five St Louis-Carolina games; Blues won last three visits to Raleigh. Over is 4-0-2 in last six series games. St Louis won three of last four games; they’re 4-3 on road. Over is 3-1 in their last four games. Hurricanes lost two of last three games, are 1-2 at home; four of their last five games went over the total.

Nashville won four of its last five games with Chicago (under 2-0-3); Blackhawks are 2-3 in their last five visits to Music City. Predators lost 3-2so/4-2 in their last two games; they’re 1-4 on the road- under is 5-1 in their last six games. Chicago lost three of its last four games; they’re 3-2 at home this month. Over is 6-3-1 in Blackhawks games this season.

Flames won five of their last seven games with Dallas; under is 4-1 in the last five. Dallas Stars won three of their last five visits to Calgary. Stars split their first 10 games; they lost four of their last five road games, losing in Edmonton last nite, 5-4. Last four Dallas games went over the total. Calgary lost three of its last four games; they’re 1-3 in the Saddledome this season. Flames’ last four games went over total.

COLORADO (5-4-0-0, 10 pts.) at VEGAS (7-1-0-0, 14 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 27-64 ATS (+113.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VEGAS is 7-1 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 7-1 ATS (+8.1 Units) first half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 11-5 ATS (+17.4 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 186-218 ATS (+472.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
COLORADO is 13-7 ATS (+24.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

WINNIPEG (4-3-0-1, 9 pts.) at COLUMBUS (6-3-0-0, 12 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.2 Units)

OTTAWA (5-1-0-4, 14 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (6-2-0-0, 12 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 4-3 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 4-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.2 Units)

ST LOUIS (7-2-0-1, 15 pts.) at CAROLINA (4-3-0-1, 9 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 14-6 ATS (+6.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 9-2 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 167-161 ATS (+345.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 124-88 ATS (+212.1 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 21-9 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 2-2 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 2-2-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.5 Units)

NASHVILLE (4-3-0-2, 10 pts.) at CHICAGO (5-3-0-2, 12 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 38-45 ATS (-22.2 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 41-85 ATS (+139.0 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
CHICAGO is 62-69 ATS (-39.5 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.
CHICAGO is 344-342 ATS (+689.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 95-85 ATS (-59.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-7-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.8 Units)

DALLAS (5-5-0-0, 10 pts.) at CALGARY (5-5-0-0, 10 pts.) - 10/27/2017, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 4-2 (+2.9 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 4-2-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

COLORADO @ LAS VEGAS
Colorado is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games on the road
Las Vegas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Las Vegas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

WINNIPEG @ COLUMBUS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games on the road
Winnipeg is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg

OTTAWA @ NEW JERSEY
Ottawa is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
New Jersey is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

ST. LOUIS @ CAROLINA
St. Louis is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games on the road
Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games

NASHVILLE @ CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games
Nashville is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Nashville
Chicago is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville

DALLAS @ CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing Dallas

StatFox Super Situations

COLORADO at VEGAS
Play Against - Road underdogs against the money line (COLORADO) after allowing 3 goals or more 4 straight games against opponent after scoring 3 goals or more in 5 straight games 85-26 since 1997. ( 76.6% | 40.3 units )

COLORADO at VEGAS
Play On - Road teams against the money line (COLORADO) after playing a home game against opponent after playing 4 consecutive home games 55-36 over the last 5 seasons. ( 60.4% | 28.3 units ) 1-2 this year. ( 33.3% | -0.8 units )

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

NHL Situational betting:

St. Louis Blues at Carolina Hurricanes – These Friday night spots for the Hurricanes cashed at a very high rate last season. The Hurricanes were 7-2-2 in Friday night home games last season and the record was even better when it was a standalone road game for the opposition. That is the case in this one for the Blues. It’s a cross-conference game with St. Louis looking ahead to the Blue Jackets at home on Saturday. Carter Hutton has played really well and he’ll likely get the nod here, but these Carolina Friday games are so strong situationally. You can bet that we’ll be on this one and hope that the Hurricanes get rolled on Thursday to give us a little value.

Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks – This is one spot when the standalone road game angle simply doesn’t work. Nashville’s full attention will be on this rematch. The Predators swept the Blackhawks out of the playoffs last year and Chicago got revenge with a 2-1 overtime win in the first meeting on October 14. The Predators are not playing well away from Music City thus far, so you can bet that will be a point of emphasis from Peter Laviolette here. Chicago does have two days to recover from Vegas, though the schedule may allow the players an extra day to get in trouble and spend money. Either way, both teams should be fully focused here and we should get the best from both. The rub here is that the best from Chicago is better than the best from Nashville with some of their losses and lineup changes.

Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights – Another favorable spot for Vegas, and not just because it is such a hard city for players to visit. This is a standalone road game for Colorado with a day in Vegas on Thursday to have some fun. The Avs also host the Blackhawks at home on Saturday and a visit from Chicago is a big deal within the division. The Golden Knights hit the road for four games in six nights in the Eastern Time Zone a couple days after this one, so this should be a rallying point game with the long roadie coming up. It’s Vegas or nothing in this one.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

Projected Starting Goalies:

51 Colorado Avalanche +100 Over 5½ -120 Varlamov: 4-2-0, 2.34, 0.929 (1st start vs. Vegas)
52 Vegas Golden Knights -120 Under 5½ +100 *Dansk: 2-0-0, 2.44, 0.929 (1st start vs. Colo)

53 Winnipeg Jets +170 Over 6½ -105 Mason: 0-3-0, 5.98, 0.846 (4-5-4, 2.75, .909)
54 Columbus Blue Jackets -200 Under 6½ -115 *Bobrovsky: 5-2-0, 2.00, 0.934 (2-5-1, 4.18, .872)

55 Ottawa Senators +120 Over 5½ -125 Condon: 1-0-1, 1.44, 0.962 (4-0-1, 1.37, .946)
56 New Jersey Devils -140 Under 5½ +105 Kinkaid: 2-1-0, 2.13, 0.932 (1-1-0, 1.51, .949)

57 St. Louis Blues -105 Over 5½ -110 Hutton: 2-0-0, 2.00, 0.946 (1-1-0, 2.53, .917)
58 Carolina Hurricanes -115 Under 5½ -110 *Ward: 1-0-0, 3.01, 0.941 (6-2-4, 2.11, .933)

59 Nashville Predators +100 Over 5½ +100 *Rinne: 4-1-2, 1.99, 0.933 (17-16-5, 2.49, .918)
60 Chicago Blackhawks -120 Under 5½ -120 Crawford: 5-3-0, 2.13, 0.937 (16-9-1, 2.45, .916)

61 Dallas Stars +115 Over 6 -115 Lehtonen: 0-3-0, 3.98, 0.851 (11-7-2, 2.72, .906)
62 Calgary Flames -135 Under 6 -105 Smith: 5-4-0, 2.49, 0.928 (7-7-6, 2.22, .921)

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

MLB Knowledge

Los Angeles @ Houston
Astros are 6-0 at home in playoffs, outscoring opponents 31-7. Dodgers are 8-2 in the playoffs, 3-1 on the road.

Darvish is 4-0, 1.17 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1); Dodgers are 5-2 in his road starts. Darvish is 1-1, 3.00 vs Houston this year; he allowed one hit in seven IP in his only start here this year, on June 12. He is 2-2, 3.52 in four playoff starts.

McCullers is 0-1, 5.21 in his last four starts; he threw four scoreless innings in relief in AL clincher vs New York. Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts. Astros are 6-3 in his home starts. McCullers is 0-0, 2.33 in four career playoff games (2 starts).

LA DODGERS (112 - 60) at HOUSTON (109 - 66) - 8:05 PM

YU DARVISH (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)

Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 20-32 (-13.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 91-81 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 28-37 (-23.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 105-123 (-34.4 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 148-106 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 97-94 (-34.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 32-26 (-15.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DARVISH is 16-17 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 109-66 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 43-19 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 84-40 (+26.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 40-26 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MORTON is 30-12 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 63-55 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

YU DARVISH vs. HOUSTON since 1997
DARVISH is 5-5 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.067.
His team's record is 8-6 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.1 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MORTON is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 6.55 and a WHIP of 1.909.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

LA DODGERS @ HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

StatFox Super Situations

LA DODGERS at HOUSTON
Play On - Road underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (LA DODGERS) with an excellent bullpen whose WHIP is 1.150 or better on the season, after a game where the bullpen threw 7 or more innings 33-17 since 1997. ( 66.0% | 24.1 units ) 1-3 this year. ( 25.0% | -1.3 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

LA DODGERS at HOUSTON
HOUSTON is 84-40 (+26.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season. The average score was: HOUSTON (5.4) , OPPONENT (4.2)

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

World Series Game 3 Betting Preview: Dodgers at Astros

Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros (-115, 8.5)

The Houston Astros emerged victorious in an epic Game 2 and now look to take a 2-1 lead when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers for Game 3 of the World Series on Friday. The teams combined for a World Series-record eight home runs on Wednesday, with George Springer's two-run blast in the 11th inning being the biggest in the Astros' come-from-behind 7-6 road win.

Houston carries the momentum home after the comeback triumph and has made the decision to close the roof on Minute Maid Park for Friday's game, assuring that crowd noise will play a role in the festivities. "It's quite an environment when we play under the roof," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said during his press conference on Thursday. "It was one of the loudest stadiums the last series; I expect it to be the same. We're coming off one of the most epic baseball games in any of our careers, so that feels good. It will feel good right up to first pitch, and then it will be a new game." The 4-hour, 19-minute Game 2 classic featured six homers in the final three innings as Los Angeles saw a chance for a 2-0 series advantage evaporate. "I think all year long we've done a nice job of recovering, turning the page, whether it's a big win or tough loss," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "It's a tough loss - just refocusing on the day at hand."

LINE HISTORY: The Astros opened Game 3 as -125 favorites, but have been bet down to the current number of -115. Oddsmakers set the total at 8.5. Check out the complete line history here.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Yu Darvish (2-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 2.08)

Darvish has fanned 14 batters in 11 1/3 innings this postseason to improve to 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in four career playoff starts. The 31-year-old from Japan fared well at Minute Maid Park during his tenure with Texas, going 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in six career outings. "I feel like it doesn't really matter," Darvish said of his past success through his translator at his press conference on Thursday. "It's better to know that I've pitched here before. But (Friday's) game, it could be totally different from my previous outings here."

McCullers, who has posted a 2.33 ERA in four playoff appearances (two starts), is making his second start this postseason and has recorded 13 strikeouts in as many innings. The 24-year-old took a shutout into the seventh frame of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series before allowing a homer by New York Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge but has been mesmerizing hitters with a steady diet of curveballs. "I don't view it as an off-speed pitch," McCullers said at his press conference on Thursday. "I just view it as another one of my weapons that I can use to get people out."

UMPIRE REPORT: Gerry Davis

When it comes to home and away splits, Davis was pretty even, with the home team having a slight edge in games he officiated, going 16-14. Davis is the thrid straight Under umpire to call balls and strikes in this series, with the Under going 18-10 in his games this season. Davis has seen an average of 7.8 runs per game anad has a strike rate of 63.63 percent.

TRENDS:

* Dodgers are 21-5 in their last 26 games following an off day.
* Astros are 6-0 in their last six playoff home games.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Dodgers last eight road games.
* Under is 8-1 in Astros last nine home games vs. a right-handed starter.

CONSENSUS: Bettors like the Astros at home in Game 3, with 56 percent of wagers on Houston. When it comes to the total, bettors are on the Over after the offensive outburst in Game 2 with 58 percent of wagers on it.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

MLB Betting Analysis & Tips

Game 3 of the World Series moves to Houston, where the Astros will send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound to be opposed by Yu Darvish. The Astros have climbed to -132, making this game only the fifth time the Dogeers have been an underdog of +120 or more this season. The Dodgers were 1-3 in those first four games.

The Astros were favored -132 or less at home 15 times and were 8-7 in those games, another losing proposition for flat-bet wagering. This is the lowest McCullers has been priced at home all season, where the Astros went 6-3 in his starts. He was at least -160 in his other home starts.

The Dodgers are 7-4 when Yu Darvish has taken the mound for them and he was favored in all of those starts but one, the victory at Chicago against the Cubs in the playoffs. Darvish has had a couple of rough outings with the Dodgers, but for the most part has been solid since coming over from Texas. Los Angeles allows an average of 3.36 runs per game when he starts, compared to the 4.77 the Rangers allowed with him on the hill, a number that is a bit misleading, as he started the game they lost to Miami 22-10.

Darvish has been better on the road this season and had a solid start at Houston as a member of the Rangers, while McCullers typically posts better numbers at home, but had several bad starts, which have inflated his numbers a bit.

McCullers has battled some injury issues down the stretch and flat-out hadn’t pitched well up until the playoffs started. In his last 10 starts, only twice has the opposition been held to three or fewer runs and in six of those games, the Astros allowed seven or more runs. For comparison, Darvish has held five of the last 10 opponents to three runs or fewer and allowed seven runs once and six runs two times.

Morton was expected to get the start and had opened up -115 over Darvish, but the line climbed a bit when McCullers was announced as the starter. He looked strong in relief against the Yankees, but it’s a question of if he can keep it against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have seen McCullers just once, back in 2015, while Darvish has faced the Astros six times the past two seasons. He’s had a few good starts and some poor ones, as well.

The line is pretty close to where it should be, as I have it Houston -124, but will have to take the underdog in this spot.

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

NCAAF Week 9

Florida State is 2-4 and struggling mightily; their last five games were all decided by 7 or less points. Despite struggles, FSU is 2-0 in true road games, winning by 7 at both Wake Forest/Duke. Boston College ran ball for 601 yards in winning last two games, at Louisville/Virginia; Eagles covered their last five games, but they’re 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as a home underdog. Seminoles won their last seven games with BC (4-2 vs spread in last six); FSU won its last three visits to Boston, by 31-14-14 points. Under is 5-1 in Florida State games.

Memphis won its last ten games with Tulane (8-2 vs spread); Green Wave lost its last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Tigers scored 47.3 ppg in winning last three games; they’re 3-0 at home this year, beating UCLA/Navy by 3 points each. Memphis is 8-12 vs spread in its last 20 games as a home favorite. Tulane lost its last two games, by 13-6 points; they’re 0-3 on road, losing by 2-42-13 points; Green Wave is 8-11 in last 19 games as a road underdog- they gave up 378 rushing yards in 34-28 loss to South Florida last week. Over is 4-2 in Memphis games,

Tulsa lost five of its last six games; they’re 0-4 on road, giving up average of 48.8 ppg- they gave up 62 points at Tulane- no bueno. Since 2015, Golden Hurricane is 7-3 as a road underdog, 1-2 this season. SMU is 5-2 after escaping Cincy with 31-28 win LW; Mustangs are 6-1 as home favorites under Morris, 3-0 this season. Tulsa won its last three games with SMU, by 3-9-10 points; teams split last four meetings played here. Four of last five Tulsa games, three of last four SMU games stayed under the total.

FLORIDA ST (2 - 4) at BOSTON COLLEGE (4 - 4) - 10/27/2017, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 since 1992.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA ST is 2-0 against the spread versus BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA ST is 2-0 straight up against BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

TULANE (3 - 4) at MEMPHIS (6 - 1) - 10/27/2017, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
TULANE is 92-124 ATS (-44.4 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
TULANE is 35-55 ATS (-25.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
MEMPHIS is 25-46 ATS (-25.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
MEMPHIS is 16-35 ATS (-22.5 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULANE is 2-0 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 2-0 straight up against TULANE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

TULSA (2 - 6) at SMU (5 - 2) - 10/27/2017, 9:00 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SMU is 1-1 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
TULSA is 2-0 straight up against SMU over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

FLORIDA STATE @ BOSTON COLLEGE
Florida State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston College
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida State's last 5 games on the road
Boston College is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston College is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home

TULANE @ MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tulane's last 7 games when playing Memphis
Tulane is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tulane
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tulane

TULSA @ SOUTHERN METHODIST
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulsa's last 5 games
Tulsa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Methodist
Southern Methodist is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Southern Methodist is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

StatFox Super Situations

FLORIDA ST at BOSTON COLLEGE
Play On - Road favorites of 2 to 6 points vs. the first half line (FLORIDA ST) average passing team (175-230 PY/game) against an average passing defense (175-230 PY/game) 89-45 over the last 10 seasons. ( 66.4% | 39.5 units ) 5-2 this year. ( 71.4% | 2.8 units )

Pesos · Oct 27, 2017

CFL Betting Recap - Week 18
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

League Betting Notes

Favorites/underdogs went 2-2 SU in Week 18
Underdogs went 3-1 ATS in Week 18
Road teams posted a 3-1 SU record in Week 18
Road teams posted a 4-0 ATS record in Week 18
The 'Over' went 3-1 in Week 18

Analysis

It was another banner week for road teams in the Canadian Football League, as it was a clean sweep for the away teams against the number at 4-0 ATS. Only Toronto (8-9) protected their home field, edging Winnipeg (11-5) by a 29-28 count. However, the Blue Bombers were able to hang on for their fifth cover across the past six games, and ninth cover over the past 11.

The Argos reclaimed first place in the East Division by a half-game over idle Ottawa (7-9-1). Toronto will have Week 19 off before traveling to meet the BC Lions (6-10) on Nov. 4 in the final weekend of the regular season. The 'over' hit for the Argos this past weekend, and the total has gone over in five of the past six for the division leaders.

Calgary (13-2-1) suffered its first loss since July 14, falling 30-7 at McMahon Stadium against Saskatchewan (9-7). Even more shocking, QB Bo Levi Mitchell struggled with just 14 completions on 27 attempts for 136 yards and two interceptions, perhaps his shoulder hurting more than he initially let on. Similarly in 2014, the Stamps lost at home to the Blue Bombers of Winnipeg late in the season, and that served as a wake-up call for the eventual Grey Cup champs that season. Will history repeat itself?

Team Betting Notes

Hamilton (5-11) hammered Montreal (3-13) to likely help them avoid the basement in the East Division for the season. The Tiger-Cats might be a dismal 1-7 at Tim Horton's Field this season, but they're an impressive 4-4 SU on the road. After going 0-3 ATS in their first three forays from home the Ti-Cats have covered five in a row on the road. They have a quick turnaround before meeting the RedBlacks on Friday in Canada's capital city. They won 26-22 in Ottawa back on Sept. 9.

The 30-7 win for the Roughriders was their fourth straight win away from home, and they're 3-1 ATS during the span. Unfortunately for Saskatchewan they will be home for their final two regular season outings.

BC started out 4-1 SU/3-2 ATS through the first five games, but they have been in freefall ever since. The Lions have dropped five in a row, going 0-5 ATS during the span, and they're 2-9 SU over the past 11 while failing to cover eight of their past nine. They'll meet Winnipeg on Saturday on the road. They just lost to the Bombers on their field by a 26-20 score back on Oct. 14, and they're 0-2 ATS in two previous meetings this season.

Edmonton (10-6) continued its up and down season. After starting out 7-0 SU, the Eskimos dropped six in a row before recovering to win three in a row. The 'over' has also hit during each of the wins for the Esks. They'll battle for Alberta next Saturday looking to avenge a pair of losses Sept. 4-9 in a home-and-home with the Stamps.