CNOTES MLB Best Bets !

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
08/22/10 11-16-1 40.74% -2710 Detail
08/21/10 15-16-0 48.39% -845 Detail
08/20/10 13-13-0 50.00% +120 Detail
08/19/10 14-10-1 58.33% +1820 Detail
08/18/10 17-12-0 58.62% +2835 Detail
08/17/10 12-18-0 40.00% -2950 Detail
08/16/10 5-10-1 33.33% -3305 Detail
08/15/10 12-18-0 40.00% -3405 Detail
08/14/10 12-18-0 40.00% -4650 Detail
08/13/10 17-11-2 60.71% +2940 Detail
08/12/10 10-10-0 50.00% -215 Detail
08/11/10 14-15-1 48.28% -575 Detail
08/10/10 16-13-1 55.17% +1530 Detail
08/09/10 9-8-0 52.94% +405 Detail
08/08/10 11-14-2 44.00% -1720 Detail
08/07/10 19-8-1 70.37% +6000 Detail
08/06/10 14-13-1 51.85% +425 Detail
08/05/10 7-12-1 36.84% -3050 Detail
08/04/10 13-16-0 44.83% -1395 Detail
08/03/10 16-14-0 53.33% +1195 Detail
08/02/10 10-10-0 50.00% -250 Detail
08/01/10 8-21-1 27.59% -7790 Detail
Totals 275-296-13 48.16% -15590

Monday, August 23Game Score Status Pick Amount

Kansas City - 7:05 PM ET Detroit -159 500
Detroit - Under 9.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Washington -164 500 *****
Washington - Under 8.5 500

Houston - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia -161 500 *****
Philadelphia - Over 8.5 500

St. Louis - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +118 500
Pittsburgh - Over 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:07 PM ET NY Yankees +113 500 *****
Toronto - Over 9.5 500

Seattle - 7:10 PM ET Boston -192 500
Boston - Over 9 500 *****

Minnesota - 8:05 PM ET Minnesota +136 500 *****
Texas - Over 10.5 500

Atlanta - 8:40 PM ET Colorado +109 500 *****
Colorado - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 10:05 PM ET Tampa Bay -135 500
LA Angels - Under 9 500 *****

Cincinnati - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -132 500 *****
San Francisco - Over 7.5 500 *****

MLB
Dunkel


Atlanta at Colorado
The Rockies look to build on their 4-0 record in their last 4 games as a home underdog. Colorado is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockies favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lohse) 13.511; Pittsburgh (Ohlendorf) 14.071
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115); Under

Game 953-954: Chicago Cubs at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Coleman) 14.161; Washington (Hernandez) 14.691
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Washington (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-165); Over

Game 955-956: Houston at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 14.425; Philadelphia (Blanton) 15.376
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-150); Over

Game 957-958: Atlanta at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 14.556; Colorado (Hammel) 15.174
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+115); Under

Game 959-960: Cincinnati at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Volquez) 16.188; San Francisco (Cain) 14.022
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+125); Under

Game 961-962: NY Yankees at Toronto (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nova) 15.570; Toronto (Morrow) 15.838
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-115); Over

Game 963-964: Kansas City at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 15.419; Detroit (Bonderman) 14.534
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+135); Under

Game 965-966: Seattle at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Fister) 15.204; Boston (Lackey) 15.633
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-180); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-180); Over

Game 967-968: Minnesota at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Blackburn) 16.071; Texas (Harden) 15.175
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.588; LA Angels (Kazmir) 16.192
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+125); Under

MLB
Write-Up


Monday, August 23

Hot pitchers
-- Ohlendorf has 2.18 RA in his last three starts.
-- Hernandez has a 2.63 RA in his last six starts.
-- Former Phil Myers is 3-1, 2.40 in his last nine starts. Phillies won four of last five Blanton starts.
-- Hudson is 5-0, 0.82 in his last six starts.
-- Reds won last five Volquez starts (2-0, 3.22 in last four).

-- Morrow is 4-0, 3.16 in his last five starts; he is 1-0, 5.40 in his starts against Bronx this year.
-- Chen is 3-1, 4.37 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Lohse is 1-4, 10.13 in his last five starts.
-- Coleman allowed three runs in 4.1 IP in his first big league start.
-- Hammel is 1-4, 5.09 in his last seven starts.
-- Cain is 0-2, 5.82 in his last three starts.

-- Nova is 12-3, 2.96 in 23 starts at AAA this year.
-- Bonderman is 0-2, 9.98 in his last three starts.
-- Lackey is 1-2, 6.49 in his last four starts. Fister is 1-2, 6.97 in his last four starts.
-- Blackburn is 1-6, 10.54 in his last nine starts. Harden is 1-3, 6.20 in his last four starts.
-- Shields has a 7.90 RA in his last five road starts. Former Ray Kazmir is 1-5, 9.34 in his last seven starts.

Totals
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight St Louis road games.
-- Seven of last nine Washington home games went over the total.
-- Over is 9-2 in last eleven Houston road games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Colorado home games.
-- Five of last seven Giant games went over the total.

-- Four of last five Toronto home games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Kansas City road games.
-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Boston home games.
-- Five of last six Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Tampa Bay games.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies are 14-4 in their last eighteen home games.
-- Braves won nine of their last twelve games. Rockies won seven of their last nine home games.
-- Reds won eleven of their last thirteen road games.

-- Bronx won five of its last six games.
-- Tigers won last three games by combined score of 19-3. Royals won five of last seven games, but are 3-13 in last sixteen road games.
-- Red Sox won five of their last seven home games.
-- Twins won eight of their last ten games. Rangers are 8-4 in their last dozen home games.
-- Rays won seven of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost 12 of their last 14 games. Cardinals lost five of their last seven games.
-- Nationals are 4-10 in their last fourteen games. Cubs lost 20 of their last 25 games.
-- Astros lost six of their last seven road games.
-- Giants lost five of their last seven games.

-- Blue Jays lost four of their last five games.
-- Mariners lost 17 of their last 24 road games.
-- Angels lost five of their last seven games.

MLB


Monday, August 23

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. WASHINGTON
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games when playing Detroit
Kansas City is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Kansas City
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 12 of St. Louis's last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games on the road
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games

7:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Seattle's last 19 games when playing Boston
Seattle is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Boston's last 19 games when playing Seattle
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TEXAS
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:40 PM
ATLANTA vs. COLORADO
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 9 games at home

10:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. LA ANGELS
Tampa Bay is 3-14 SU in their last 17 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay

10:15 PM
CINCINNATI vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Cincinnati is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cincinnati's last 16 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of San Francisco's last 15 games when playing Cincinnati

MLB


Monday, August 23

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.15 ERA), Atlanta Braves

You’d think with Tim Hudson numbers he’d be getting more consideration for the National League Cy Young award. Here’s a guy who’s the clear No. 1 starter on a first place team and he’s only a year and change removed from major surgery.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Adam Wainwright and Roy Halladay have flasher strikeout totals but Hudson gets the job done. He keeps his pitches per inning way down thanks to a healthy dose of ground ball outs.

Atlanta is 6-0, and so is the under, in the righty’s last six starts. You want more numbers? Nine of his last 10 starts have been quality ones and he’s allowed one or less runs in five of his last six outings.

Livan Hernandez (8-8, 3.06 ERA), Washington Nationals

If you looked at his recent win-loss record, you might think Hernandez belongs in the slumping section. But we’re not going to penalize the soft-tossing righty because of a lack of run support.

The Cuban import has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last seven outings and the under is 8-0 in his last eight trips to the bump.


Slumping

Francisco Liriano (11-7, 3.45 ERA), Minnesota Twins

This lefty is having the opposite luck as Hernandez. He isn’t pitching well but his teammates are bailing him out.

Liriano’s numbers aren’t pretty over his last three starts: 15 1/3 innings, nine earned runs and 12 walks. He’s carrying a 2.08 WHIP (walks + hits per inning) over the slump and he hasn’t pitched six innings or more in any of those three appearances.

John Lackey (11-7, 4.62 ERA), Boston Red Sox

No matter how John Lackey finishes, 2010 will be a forgettable year for the big-league ace. His first season in Boston has fallen way short of the lofty expectations Red Sox backers have for the former Halos hurler.

There was a stretch where he appeared to have turned things around but he’s gone back into a funk. He’s allowed five or more runs in three of his last four starts and the Sox are 1-3 during the cold streak.

Even more troubling - opposing hitters are batting .330 off him this month.



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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants (-155, 7.5)

Reds manager Dusty Baker was rightfully offered a contract extension last week but hasn't yet announced if he will sign it. His players are weighing in with their play and voices.

The Reds have won eight of their last nine games and have scored 38 runs during the first six outings of their current West Coast road swing. It's their way of showing support for their skipper.

"Dusty has done a fantastic job this year in a lot of different ways," first baseman Joey Votto told reporters. "I know a lot of people give credit solely to the players. But we've seen the manager's hand on this winning season."

One of the things that makes Uncle Dusty so popular among his players is that they know he has their backs. One of the big advantages of his managerial style is that they return usually the favor.

One of his chief supporters is pitcher Edinson Volquez, who takes the hill tonight. The Reds have won five straight when Volquez takes the mound and the Giants will be seeing him for the first time.

It's hard to pass on the Big Red (Money-Making) Machine at this price.

Pick: Reds


New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays (-115, 9.5)

It's not often you find the Bronx Bombers listed as underdogs. But then again, it's not often - as in never - that you see Ivan Nova making the start for the Yankees.

The righthander has made just two relief appearances this season and allowed four hits in three innings of work. How the 23-year-old rookie handles his first start on the road is anyone's guess.

More predictable is counterpart Brandon Morrow, whose last home start saw him lose a no-hitter with only one out to go. The Blue Jays are 6-2 in his last eight starts.

The Jays aren't intimidated by the Yankees by virtue of their familiarity and are 4-3 against their AL East rival this season. Morrow won his last meeting with the Yankees, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings.

The Jays are six games over .500 at home and might well be a playoff contender if they weren't in the toughest division in baseball. The Yankees suffer their first loss without A-Rod in the lineup.

Pick: Blue Jays



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i]This Day in Baseball[/i]
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On August 23 in Baseball History...

1881 - Boston left fielder Joe Hornung makes ten putouts and one assist as the Reds beat Buffalo 4-3. This one-game record of eleven chances accepted by a left fielder still stands.

1906 - On their way to the American League pennant, the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators for their 19th straight victory.

1907 - Pittsburgh's Howie Camnitz pitched a five-inning no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader at New York. The Pirates beat the Giants 1-0.

1910 - Fred Clarke makes a record four outfield assists for Pittsburgh against the Phils.

1931 - Lefty Grove is frustrated in his effort to win a record-breaking 17th game in a row. Philadelphia A's outfielder Johnny Moore, in place of regular Al Simmons, misjudges a routine flyball to allow the lone run in a 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns.

1936 - Seventeen-year-old Bob Feller makes his first start and strikes out 15, one less than the American League record, as Cleveland beats the St. Louis Browns 4-1.

1942 - Walter Johnson pitching to Babe Ruth is the **** attraction that draws 69,000 for the New York-Washington game at Yankee Stadium that provides $80,000 for Army-Navy relief. Ruth hits the fifth pitch into the right-field stands, and then adds one more shot before circling the bases.

1952 - At the Polo Grounds, in a Cardinals win over the Giants, New York third baseman Bob Elliott is thrown out of the game for protesting a second strike call by Jocko Conlan. Bobby Hofman replaces Elliott, takes a third strike, and is also thumbed for not liking the umpiring.

1953 - Phil Paine, a former Boston Braves pitcher in military service with the U.S. Air Force in Japan, becomes the first ex-major leaguer to play in Japan. He pitches in nine games for the Nishitetsu Lions.

1970 - Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente compiles his second straight five-hit game during an 11-0 pasting of Los Angeles. He is the first major leaguer this century to collect 10 hits in two consecutive games.

1972 - Chicago's Dick Allen becomes the fourth major league player (Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Alex Johnson are the others) to hit one into the center field bleachers in Comiskey Park when he connects off New York's Lindy McDaniel. The ball just misses Harry Caray, announcing the afternoon game from bleachers.

1980 - Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley sells the club for $12.7 million to the Haas family of San Francisco, owners of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, thus keeping the team in Oakland.

1982 - Seattle pitcher Gaylord Perry is ejected in the seventh inning of a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox for doctoring the baseball. It is the first time in his 20 major league seasons that the self-proclaimed spitball king has been bounced for that offense.

1989 - Rick Dempsey's leadoff homer in the 22nd inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 victory against the Montreal Expos in the second-longest shutout in major league history.

1992 - Dennis Eckersley, who previously set the record for most consecutive saves (40), becomes the first pitcher to record 40 saves in four different seasons.

1992 - There were no hits in Clearwater's 1-0 victory over Winter Haven in the Single-A Florida State League. In what appeared to be the first professional game in 40 years without a hit, Andy Carter and the Clearwater Phillies beat Scott Bakkum and the Winter Haven Red Sox. The only run scored in the seventh inning on a pair of walks and a pair of sacrifice bunts.

1998 - Barry Bonds becomes the first player in major league history to hit at least 400 home runs and steal 400 bases. The Giants' left fielder crushes his 400th home run into the right field seats on a 1-1 pitch from Flordia's Kirt Ojala in the top of the third inning. Bonds entered the game with 438 stolen bases.

MLB


Monday, August 23

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Tips and Trends
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Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies [8:40 PM ET]

BRAVES: (-140, O/U 8) Atlanta is playing well right now, winners of 7 of their past 10 games overall. The Braves have been quite consistent all season long, as they are chasing the Padres for the best record in the National League. Atlanta is 72-51 SU this year, placing them 2.5 games ahead of Philadelphia in the National League East division. The Braves are +10.45 and +13.65 units both SU and on the RL this season. Ace pitcher Tim Hudson has been dominant all season long, and will look to keep up his torrid pace. Hudson is 14-5 this year, with an ERA of 2.15 and a WHIP of 1.09. The Braves are 6-1 in their last 7 games during game 1 of a series. Atlanta is 4-1 in their last 5 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. The Braves are 42-19 in their last 61 games against a right-handed starter. Atlanta is 5-0 in Hudson's last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. The Braves are 5-0 in Hudson's last 5 starts against a team with a winning record.

Braves are 5-1 last 6 games against the National League West.
Under is 11-4-1 last 16 games during game 1 of a series.

Key Injuries - 3B Chipper Jones (knee) is out.

Projected Score: 4 (UNDER-Total of the Day)

ROCKIES: Colorado has been slumping of late, and as a result their playoff chances are all but gone. The Rockies are 62-60 SU this season, a full 11 games behind the National League West division lead. The Rockies have been incredibly inconsistent offensively of late, as they've been held to 1 run or fewer in 3 of their past 5 games. Colorado is -9.88 and -1.04 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. Pitcher Jason Hammel will make the home start tonight, as he is 8-7 with an ERA of 4.36 and a WHIP of 1.30 this season. The Rockies are 80-38 in their last 118 home games. Colorado is 4-14 in their last 18 games against a right-handed starter. The Rockies are 1-5 in their last 6 games during game 1 of a series. Colorado is 1-8 in their last 9 games against the National League East. The Rockies are 4-1 in Hammel's last 5 home starts against a team with a winning record. The Rockies are 18-6 in Hammel's last 24 home starts. Colorado is 2-5 in
Hammel's last 7 starts during game 1 of a series. The Rockies are 1-6 in Hammel's last 7 starts against the National League East.

Rockies 19-7 last 26 home games against a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-0-1 last 5 games against a right-handed starter.

Key Injuries - CF Carlos Gonzalez (knee) is probable.

Projected Score: 2

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, August 23

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ST LOUIS (67 - 54) at PITTSBURGH (41 - 83) - 7:05 PM
KYLE LOHSE ® vs. ROSS OHLENDORF ®
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 33-32 (-11.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 66-54 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 64-53 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LOHSE is 11-21 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LOHSE is 11-21 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LOHSE is 2-14 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 22-18 (+10.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 16-41 (-15.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 41-82 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-35 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 46-87 (-27.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 41-82 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 29-59 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-62 (-29.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-1 (+3.2 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LOHSE is 4-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 0.962.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

ROSS OHLENDORF vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
OHLENDORF is 1-2 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 0.885.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.1 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (51 - 74) at WASHINGTON (53 - 71) - 7:05 PM
CASEY COLEMAN ® vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ ®
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 72-77 (-14.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 22-36 (-27.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 52-74 (-32.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-24 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 60-80 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 17-33 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 52-74 (-32.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-37 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-49 (-19.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 38-32 (+14.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 23-20 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HERNANDEZ is 15-5 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 74-123 (-29.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-1 (+2.4 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

CASEY COLEMAN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 12-6 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.74 and a WHIP of 1.343.
His team's record is 13-9 (+5.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-9. (+2.4 units)

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HOUSTON (54 - 69) at PHILADELPHIA (70 - 53) - 7:05 PM
BRETT MYERS ® vs. JOE BLANTON ®
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-12 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 109-104 (+20.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 46-47 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 214-232 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 43-35 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

BRETT MYERS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

JOE BLANTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
BLANTON is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.231.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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ATLANTA (73 - 51) at COLORADO (63 - 60) - 8:40 PM
TIM HUDSON ® vs. JASON HAMMEL ®
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 77-73 (-20.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-18 (-9.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
COLORADO is 113-94 (+29.3 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 12-1 (+11.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 85-65 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 20-12 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 74-52 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 74-52 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 52-30 (+16.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HUDSON is 42-14 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 204-117 (+43.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 26-36 (-19.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
COLORADO is 64-61 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 64-61 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 38-44 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 37-39 (-10.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. COLORADO since 1997
HUDSON is 3-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.387.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HAMMEL is 0-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 12.65 and a WHIP of 2.905.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.3 units)

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CINCINNATI (72 - 52) at SAN FRANCISCO (69 - 56) - 10:15 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ ® vs. MATT CAIN ®
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 15-5 (+11.5 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 75-55 (+19.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 157-131 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 89-52 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 143-87 (+56.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 68-55 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 47-34 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 116-94 (+18.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 73-52 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 24-17 (+10.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 36-26 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CINCINNATI is 15-5 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CINCINNATI is 73-52 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 49-33 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CINCINNATI is 50-35 (+14.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 43-29 (+11.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
VOLQUEZ is 32-16 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 19-5 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 32-15 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 15-5 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 17-5 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-2 (+0.3 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 2-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.11 and a WHIP of 1.541.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

MATT CAIN vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
CAIN is 3-3 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.5 units)

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NY YANKEES (77 - 47) at TORONTO (64 - 59) - 7:07 PM
IVAN NOVA ® vs. BRANDON MORROW ®
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 64-60 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 32-21 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 28-15 (+11.6 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 280-197 (+49.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
TORONTO is 27-22 (+10.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 53-43 (+13.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 34-31 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MORROW is 12-3 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 101-49 (+26.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 92-78 (+24.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 20-4 (+14.9 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 (+3.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

IVAN NOVA vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

BRANDON MORROW vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
MORROW is 2-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.81 and a WHIP of 1.239.
His team's record is 2-3 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

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KANSAS CITY (53 - 71) at DETROIT (61 - 63) - 7:05 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. JEREMY BONDERMAN ®
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 92-55 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 92-55 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 31-13 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 17-9 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 35-23 (+14.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 69-65 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 222-229 (-36.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 88-121 (-48.1 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.
DETROIT is 7-15 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 89-105 (-37.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-4 (+2.7 Units) against DETROIT this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. DETROIT since 1997
CHEN is 1-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 6.68 and a WHIP of 1.453.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.1 units)

JEREMY BONDERMAN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BONDERMAN is 9-7 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.46 and a WHIP of 1.316.
His team's record is 10-9 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-8. (+0.6 units)

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SEATTLE (49 - 75) at BOSTON (71 - 54) - 7:10 PM
DOUG FISTER ® vs. JOHN LACKEY ®
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 24-50 (-25.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 50-74 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 6-24 (-14.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 21-43 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SEATTLE is 21-54 (-28.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 49-72 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 4-25 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 58-36 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 96-93 (+7.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-34 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
LACKEY is 10-16 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-2 (+1.1 Units) against BOSTON this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

DOUG FISTER vs. BOSTON since 1997
FISTER is 0-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LACKEY is 12-9 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.70 and a WHIP of 1.312.
His team's record is 16-10 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 14-12. (+0.9 units)

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MINNESOTA (72 - 52) at TEXAS (69 - 54) - 8:05 PM
NICK BLACKBURN ® vs. RICH HARDEN ®
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

NICK BLACKBURN vs. TEXAS since 1997
BLACKBURN is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.917.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

RICH HARDEN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HARDEN is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.30 and a WHIP of 1.117.
His team's record is 2-3 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

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TAMPA BAY (76 - 48) at LA ANGELS (62 - 63) - 10:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS ® vs. SCOTT KAZMIR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SHIELDS is 27-31 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 16-20 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 164-133 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 176-137 (+23.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 114-81 (+26.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 560-552 (+46.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
KAZMIR is 54-42 (+25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 37-24 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 35-20 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TAMPA BAY is 29-12 (+14.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 23-9 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA ANGELS are 23-29 (-10.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 59-64 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 41-47 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+0.6 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SHIELDS is 4-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.253.
His team's record is 5-3 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.3 units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
KAZMIR is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

Daily Sports Roundup: August 23

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Twins look for a win over the Rangers in Texas, while the Braves meet the Rockies, and the Cardinals do battle with the Titans.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The National Football League wraps up the second week of its preseason schedule on Monday night with Arizona at Tennessee on ESPN. The Cardinals slipped past Houston 19-16 at home in their first exhibition game, with Matt Leinart going 6-of-7 for 49 yards passing in that contest. The Titans, meanwhile, are coming off a 20-18 loss in Seattle in which Vince Young completed 5-of-6 pass attempts for 78 yards and was intercepted once. The oddsmakers have the Titans pegged as 3.5-point home favorites for Monday.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Monday offers up Kansas City at Detroit, the Yankees at Toronto, Seattle at Boston, Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, and Minnesota at Texas. Nick Blackburn (7-7, 6.66 ERA) is slated to get the ball for the Twins in that last contest, while the Rangers counter with Rich Harden (4-4, 5.45 ERA). Righthander Blackburn was called up from AAA-Rochester on the weekend, and his last major-league outing came in relief against the Orioles on July 25 (three runs over two innings). Righthander Harden, who has been on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, last pitched on August 7 against the Athletics. Harden took the loss in that game, giving up three runs on two hits in only 2 1-3 innings pitched.

There are five games on the National League schedule as well for Monday, with the Cubs at Washington, Houston at Philadelphia, Cincinnati at San Francisco, St. Louis at Pittsburgh, and Atlanta at Colorado. Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.15 ERA) is set to take on Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.36 ERA) in that Braves/Rockies matchup. Righthander Hudson got stuck with a no-decision against the Nationals last time out despite giving up just two runs over seven innings of work; Hudson had been on a five-game winning streak. Righthander Hammel also picked up a no-decision in his most recent trip to the mound, giving up two runs over six innings against the Dodgers. Hammel fanned four that day.

Bettors' best friend: Monday's wagering tips

Lines off the board

Twins at Rangers: Line and total are off pending the conclusion of the Twins' late game Sunday.

Lines to keep an eye on

Cardinals at Titans: Titans opened as a 3-point favorite but have moved to -4.

Braves at Rockies: Total opened at 8 but has climbed to 8.5 at most books.

Weather to watch

Twins at Rangers: 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Braves at Rockies: 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind blowing in from center field at 10 mph.

Astros at Phillies: 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Mariners at Red Sox: 80 percent chance of rain. Wind blowing in fron right/center field at 20 mph.

Who's hot

Twins are 20-6 in their last 26.

Phillies are 14-5 in their last 19.

Reds are 8-1 in their last nine.

Who's not

Royals are 3-13 in their last 16 on road.

Pirates are 2-12 in their last 14.

Cubs are 1-6 in their last seven.

Key stat

12-0 - The New York Yankees' record in games played without All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez in the lineup. A-Rod was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with a strained calf muscle.

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

Detriot Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez probably will miss the rest of the season with his fractured right ankle, manager Jim Leyland said Saturday. Ordonez suffered the injury in late July and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, giving him an outside shot of returning in September. But Leyland said the break is more severe than initially believed and is vertical rather than horizontal. Ordonez batted .303 with 12 homers and 59 RBI prior to the injury.

Game of the day

Reds at Giants (-155, 7.5)

Notable quotable

"The expectations on that side of town is higher, there's no question about it. I don't know if it's tougher or not because I never was on that side. But looking from far away, coming to the ballpark every day and how many years they've gone through [without winning a World Series], a lot of people talk about winning a championship, but it's a lot of losing years out there, a lot. That's frustrating. There's no doubt it's easier to come to this side of town and work."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen about the difference between.mananging on the southside of Chicago vs. the northside, where Cubs manager Lou Piniella retired on Sunday.

Tips and notes

St. Louis Rams quarterback A.J. Feeley will have an MRI exam on his injured right thumb after he was hurt in Saturday night's game against the Cleveland Bowns. Feeley signed to a two-year contract in March and was competing with rookie and top overall draft pick Sam Bradford for the starting job. The Rams had hoped to bring Bradford around slowly but he may be forced to be the opening day starter if Feeley's thumb injury prevents him from gripping the ball.

The Seattle Seahawks are looking for a few good men up front after left tackle Russell Okung suffered a sprained ankle in Saturday's preseason game vs. the Green Bay Packers. The rookie was replacing retired All-Pro Walter Jones so the team hopes to get Okung back for the start of the regular season, especially since backup Ray Willis is out indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery. Third-string left tackle Mansfield Wrotto will start in Okung's absence.

Team USA is getting a serious wake-up call before the FIBA World Championships. The U.S. survived a serious scare from Spain on Sunday, holding on for an 86-85 victory after Kevin Durant scored a game-high 25 points and blocked a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Spain led the Americans by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before rallying and also struggled Saturday against Lithuania before snappoing out of it in the second half for a 77-61 win. The U.S., a slight favorite to win the Worlds, faces one more friendly against Greece on Wednesday before opening the tournament on Saturday against Croatia.

Monday's six-pack

-- Pittsburgh Pirates turned a combined profit of $29.4M in 2007-2008, which is either totally shocking or just plain nauseating. Pirates haven't had a winning season on the field since 1992.

-- Jason Heyward homered twice Sunday, after homering once in the 40 games before that.

-- Cincinnati Reds are now 15-2-1 in their last 18 series.

-- Jacksonville's QB David Garrard makes $2M a year more than Tom Brady, which says more about the Patriots than Jacksonville.

-- There are 15 NFL teams that use a 3-4 defense, 17 that use a 4-3.

-- Vin Scully will be back in the Dodger booth next year; he's broadcast 19 no-hitters, including the only perfect game in World Series history-- that was 54 years ago!!!! Good for him, and good for us.


*********************************************


Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.........


13) Good basketball from Spain on NBATV Sunday, as Americans held on to win 86-85 at Spain in a tuneup game for World Championships that are being held in Turkey next week. Spain led in last 30 seconds before Derrick Rose made couple of foul shots with 0:17 left.

12) Not for nothing, but the best Coach K can do for tactical help is Jim Boeheim? Come on, thats like a gourmet chef hiring a helper and coming up with freakin' Ronald McDonald. This is a guy who lost to LeMoyne last year because his players didn't know how to play man-man. Yikes.

Boeheim has won hundreds of games at Syracuse because he has a dome and the team draws 25,000 when school is in session, so he recruits really well. He also isn't a control freak-- kids like playing for him. But to enlist him as an assistant on our national team is insulting to guys who haven't had the chance to coach Carmelo Anthony but are excellent tacticians.

11) By the way, I'm told the betting line at BWins.com was pick 'em, so you had to sweat it out if you had the American side.

10) Foreign referees call travelling. Its refreshing to see.

9) Jets-Carolina game Saturday contained nine sacks, seven turnovers, no touchdowns, 16 first downs and a total of 287 yards. Not good.

8) They sold 41,386 tickets for Chiefs-Bucs in Tampa Saturday and only 30,413 showed up, not the best crowd for a franchise that hasn't got a lot of high hopes for this year. Tampa is a football-crazy area, but they're not not high on the Buccaneers right now.

7) Michigan Wolverines didn't get any votes in the writers' poll, and only one point in the coaches' poll. Been long time since that happened.

6) Matt Stairs set a big league record Saturday when he hit his 21st career pinch-hit home run, breaking the record he held with Cliff Johnson.

5) Jose Reyes' slugging percentage is 100 points higher batting lefthanded than it is batting righty.

4) New York Times reported that since 2006, Mets, a big market team, ranked 29th out of 30 teams in money spent on draft choices, which goes a long way towards explaining why they're not very good. .

3) Pirates clinched their 18th straight losing season this weekend, which is just not good at all. Watching them a lot against the Mets, doesn't seem to be a lot of hope for the immediate future, either. Its a sad situaton.

2) ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Sunday that some guy bet $8 on tennis player named Fish at 89-1 odds, when he trailed Andy Roddick 4-6/2-5, and the guy pocketed $712 when Fish came back for the big upset. Not a bad payoff for an $8 bet. Wow.

1) Arjun Atwal won the Wyndham golf tournament Sunday after having to qualify on Monday, just to get in the field. He's the first qualifier to win a PGA Tour event in 26 years, when Fred Wadsworth won Southern Open after getting in via a Monday qualifier.

Diamond Trends - Monday

Rays at Angels – The Rays are 6-0 since May 04, 2010 after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a favorite for a net profit of $600. The Angels are 0-5 since May 11, 2010 when Scott Kazmir starts at home for a net profit of $560 when playing against.

Yankees at Blue Jays – The Yankees are 0-6 since April 25, 2010 on the road after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $750 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 6-0 since April 19, 2010 when Brandon Morrow starts as a home favorite for a net profit of $600

Reds at Giants – The Giants are 8-0 since April 11, 2010 as a home favorite after allowing 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $800.

Cubs at Nationals – The Cubs are 0-5 since July 28, 2010 after a 5+ run loss for a net profit of $535 when playing against. The Nationals are 6-0 since May 04, 2010 when Livan Hernandez starts at home in the first game of a series for a net profit of $620

Astros at Phillies – The Phillies are 8-0 since July 27, 2010 as a 140+ favorite when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $800.

Cardinals at Pirates – The Pirates are 0-8 since June 19, 2009 when Ross Ohlendorf starts after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $820 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-6 since May 10, 2010 vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Twins at Rangers – The Twins are 15-0 since April 15, 2010 as a favorite when they came back from a deficit to win in their starter's last start for a net profit of $1500.

Mariners at Red Sox – The Mariners are 0-7 since June 09, 2010 as a road 140+ dog after a 5+ run loss for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Red Sox are 6-0 since June 01, 2010 as a home 140+ favorite after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a favorite for a net profit of $600

Braves at Rockies – The Braves are 0-10 since June 04, 2010 after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $1105 when playing against. The Braves are 6-0 since May 21, 2010 when Tim Hudson starts as a favorite after the team won his last two starts for a net profit of $600. The Rockies are 9-0 since April 24, 2010 at home when they are off a win in which they scored in at most two separate innings for a net profit of $900

Royals at Tigers – The Royals are 0-6 since July 20, 2010 as a dog after a one run win for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The Tigers are 7-0 since June 12, 2010 as a home favorite after a win in which they had 12+ hits for a net profit of $700

Monday Tips

The Monday baseball card has 10 games on display for bettors to place a wager on, including a trio of late first-pitches out west. The Reds start the third leg of their road trip at San Francisco, while the Angels return home to host the AL Wild Card-leading Rays. We'll start at Coors Field with Colorado trying to bounce back from a lousy trip as Atlanta comes to town.

Braves at Rockies - 8:40 PM EST

Odd years have been special to Colorado, while even years just don't seem to work out for Jim Tracy's team. The Rockies haven't finished above .500 in an even year since 2000, as Colorado looks to buck that trend this season. The Braves, meanwhile, are eyeing their first playoff appearance since 2005 as Atlanta leads the NL East by 2 ½ games over Philadelphia.

Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.15 ERA) is the dark horse in the NL Cy Young Award race, as the veteran has given up four earned runs in his last six starts (6-0). The Braves haven't scored many runs for Hudson during this six-game winning streak, resulting in a 5-1 'under' run. Atlanta owns a 6-6 record in his 12 road starts, despite an ERA of 2.46 on the highway. Hudson is 3-2 in his career against the Rockies, but both losses came at Coors Field.

The Rockies send out Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.36 ERA), who is making only second home start since July 10. Colorado is 8-3 in his 11 starts at Coors, while the 'under' has cashed eight times. Hammel has not been profitable as an underdog recently, as the Rockies are 1-4 in his previous five outings at plus-money. Facing the Braves isn't a good spot for Hammel, who has allowed 15 earned runs in 10.2 innings against Atlanta in his career.

The Braves took two of three from the Rockies at Turner Field in mid-April, with the lone Colorado win coming from the Ubaldo Jimenez no-hitter in the second game of that series. The Rockies own a 5-3 mark the last eight matchups with the Braves at Coors Field.

Rays at Angels - 10:05 PM EST

Tampa Bay continues its trip through the Golden State, heading south to Anaheim after splitting a four-game set at Oakland. The Angels come back home following a tough stretch at Boston and Minnesota, losing five of six games. The Rays remain one game behind the Yankees in the AL East race, but still lead the AL Wild Card race.

Ex-Rays lefty Scott Kazmir (8-10, 6.40 ERA) takes the mound for the Halos, going for his third win in eight home starts. Kazmir has won just one outing since June 19, while losing his last start at Boston, 7-5. The southpaw gave up eight hits and four earned runs in five innings, the fifth time in seven starts he has lasted five innings or less. Kazmir lost to his old mates at home in May, giving up seven hits and three earned runs in five innings of a 7-2 setback.

James Shields (11-11, 4.82 ERA) is trying to build off a victory in his last start against the AL West-leading Rangers, limiting Texas to two runs (one earned) in seven innings. Consistency has been difficult for the Tampa Bay right-hander, who has put together consecutive quality starts only once since the start of June. The Southern California native returns home where he has been shelled in two career starts in Anaheim, allowing 12 earned runs in a pair of defeats.

Tampa Bay captured two of three meetings in Anaheim back in May, improving the Rays' to 2-6 the last eight matchups in Orange County. After getting swept by the Red Sox in late July, the Halos are 6-3 the last nine home contests.

Reds at Giants - 10:15 PM EST

A pair of upstart teams that are on the doorstep of the playoffs begins a crucial three-game series at AT&T Park. Cincinnati continues its run through the NL West, looking for a third series victory on this trip after taking series at Arizona and Los Angeles. San Francisco returns to the Bay following a subpar 2-4 road swing at Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Matt Cain (9-10, 3.11 ERA) looks to stop the bleeding for the Giants, who begin Monday's action two games behind the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race. Cain lost at Philadelphia his last time out, allowing five runs (two earned) in six innings of an 8-2 setback. The righty hasn't lost at home since a 4-2 defeat to the Dodgers on June 29, with San Francisco going 4-0 in his previous four outings at AT&T Park. Cain tossed a complete-game shutout at Cincinnati on June 8, scattering seven hits in a 3-0 victory.

The Reds send out Edinson Volquez (3-1, 4.98 ERA), who has been nearly an automatic win for Cincinnati since he was activated from the disabled list after the All-Star Break. Cincinnati is 6-1 in his seven starts, including a perfect 4-0 record as an underdog. Volquez hasn't been as sharp on the highway, owning an ERA of 6.00 in three road starts, but the Reds' offense has plated double-digit runs twice in three wins. The righty will be facing the Giants for the first time since 2008, as Volquez struck out 10 in seven innings of a 10-1 pounding of San Francisco at AT&T Park on April 27, 2008.

San Francisco and Cincinnati split a four-game set at the Great American Ballpark in June, but the Reds have enjoyed success by the Bay with wins in four of their past six road games in this series. Following Sunday's win at Los Angeles, the Reds improved to 12-2 the last 14 contests on the highway.

Powerful bullpen system shows Nationals as play

With manager Lou Pinella announcing his accelerated retirement on Sunday, it’s become official…the Cubs’ season is an utter mess, and the immediate future, meaning Monday night’s game in Washington, doesn’t look any better. Chicago is up against one of the more powerful bullpen betting systems that ******* has to offer. It seems as if bettors are jumping on this opportunity too, as they have pushed what was an opening line of Washington -145 at Sportsbook.com all the way up to -160. It could go higher too, so turn your attention to this one before you miss out on a good price.

If you haven’t been following the Cubs lately, the 2010 season has become a train wreck. The roster has been decimated by trades, injuries, and overall poor play. At 23-games under .500, Pinella’s former team won just five of his last 25 games. In the most recent loss, yesterday at home to Atlanta, the Cubs’ bullpen was ravaged for nine runs in three innings of work. You have to wonder whether or not the 16-5 defeat may have made up Pinella’s mind earlier than expected.

At the same time, the Nationals’ bullpen has been pitching very well of late, and comes into Monday night’s contest with a respectable 3.55 ERA & 1.338 WHIP overall. In the last five games, the relief staff has yielded just three runs in 15 innings. That success leads to what has been a highly profitable ******* Super Situation that could impact Monday night’s game. It reads as follows:

Play Against - Road teams (CHICAGO CUBS) - after a game where the bullpen was rocked for 6 or more earned runs against opponent with a hot bullpen whose WHIP is under 1.000 the last 5 games.
(59-18 over the last 5 seasons.) (76.6%, +37.3 units. Rating = 4*)

The average money line posted in these games was: Team favored with a money line of: -120.6
The average score in these games was: Team 5.1, Opponent 3.7 (Average run differential = +1.5)

The situation's record this season is: (11-1, +8.5 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (31-12, +15.8 units).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (148-89, +29.4 units).

In the Cubs' last visit to Nationals Park, they swept a Washington club playing its first series under interim manager Jim Riggleman. The Cubs are hoping for similar results in this season's trip to the nation's capital as they begin the post-Lou Piniella era. With coach Mike Quade taking over as interim manager, Chicago begins a six-game trip Monday against the Nationals.

With Quade moving from the third-base coaching box to the dugout for the rest of the year, the Cubs give the ball to rookie right-hander Casey Coleman (0-1, 7.82 ERA).

Coming off a 2-4 trip that ended with Sunday's 6-0 loss to Philadelphia, the Nationals (53-71) will counter with Livan Hernandez (8-8, 3.06) as they open a seven-game homestand. The veteran right-hander, though, is 0-3 with a 6.32 ERA in his last three starts at Nationals Park after going 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA in his first 10 home outings this season.

Hernandez, 11-6 with a 3.84 ERA against Chicago, receives among the lowest run support in the NL at 3.39 per game. Washington has scored four runs in his last three outings.

Washington has won four of six against Chicago since last season's matchup at Nationals Park.

Monday night’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM ET as part of a trimmed down betting board of 10 games for the night at Sportsbook.com.

Seattle's Fister faces stiff challenge tonight at Fenway

Seattle (49-75) at Boston (71-54), 7:10 p.m. EDT Sports.com Line: Seattle +185, Boston -200 Total: 9
With the second worst road record (20-43) in the American League behind only Baltimore, the Mariners have a tough task at Boston. Right-hander Doug Fister (4-8, 3.92 ERA) takes the hill for Seattle. Fister brings a bloated road ERA of 5.44 into this contest, compared with his 3.14 home ERA, in addition to an August ERA of 6.32.
The Red Sox will counter with right-hander John Lackey (11-7, 4.62 ERA), who is 8-3 at home this season compared to his 3-4 road record. His home ERA (4.83) is higher than his road mark (4.41). Though Lackey won his last start, a 7-5 decision over his former Anaheim team, the veteran allowed 10 hits and five runs over seven innings. Lackey has not won back-to-back starts since mid-June. However, Lackey is 12-9, 3.70 ERA in 26 career starts vs. Seattle, including total domination of the M’s in the last two starts (17 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K).

Despite Boston’s rash of injuries this season, they are still in the Wild Card chase while Seattle is simply playing out the string. Also consider this favorable FoxSheets trend for Boston based on Fister’s propensity to throw strikes: BOSTON is 23-8 (+14.1 Units) against the money line vs. a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB's/start) this season. The average score was BOSTON 5.5, OPPONENT 3.3 - (Rating = 2*).