Thursday's MLB Best Bets !

Not the way i wanted to start Sept......geeeez

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
09/01/10 8-17-0 32.00% -4800 Detail
Totals 8-17-0 32.00% -4800

Thursday, September 2Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore +123 500 *****
Baltimore - Over 9 500

NY Mets - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +147 500 *****
Atlanta - Under 6.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET Philadelphia +112 500 *****
Colorado - Over 9 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Detroit +107 500 *****
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Cleveland - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -152 500
Seattle - Under 7.5 500



Good Luck !

MLB


Thursday, September 2

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies (-140, 9)

September is the time we separate the pretender from the contender. The Phillies are making a magical tranformation from the former to the latter.

After a brutal homestand that saw the Phillies go 4-6 against subpar competition, they are 5-1 on their current West Coast road swing with a sweep of the Padres and a series win against the Dodgers. They pull into Colorado on a roll.

"There's the saying the season is a marathon," said Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. "You want to try to be strong at the end of the race, and kick it in during the home stretch."

The Phillies have taken 10 of their last 12 from the Rockies, who also are on a bit of a roll but have lost shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and third baseman Ian Stewart to injuries over the past week.

The Phillies are finally healthy and hitting their high point down the home stretch. The Braves may not be catchable, but the NL wild-card is still up for grabs for a team that knows how to turn it on when it counts.

Pick: Phillies


Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (130, 9)

Banged-up Boston can just about forget about the postseason after dropping four of its last five while the Yankees and Rays have pulled away in the AL East standings.

The Sox can blame their offense for falling off the radar. They have scored just 12 total runs during their last five entering Wednesday night's game against the O's.

The Orioles have won four of their last five but have managed just 14 runs during that span. Their pitching has been stellar, especially today's starter Bradley Bergesen. He has won five straight starts and has allowed only 11 earned runs in that stretch.

For the Red Sox, Dice-K returns to the rotation after sitting out with a sore back, but he has been hot in August by going 3-2 with a 3.49 ERA for the month. He has owned the O's this season, posting a 0.47 ERA against them.

Opponents are batting just .222 against him over the past month, which is about what both teams are batting against righties over their last 10 games (Red Sox .223, O's .224).

Under is 7-0-1 in Boston's last eight games and 20-8-1 in Baltimore's last 29. This one has under written all over it.

Pick: Under



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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Dallas Braden (9-9, 3.28 ERA) Oakland A's

Braden is coming off his second complete-game shutout of the season in his last start, holding the hard-hitting Rangers to four harmless hits.

Braden is 3-1 in his last four starts, two of them lasting nine innings. He has allowed only five earned runs in the 31 innings in that stretch and hasn't allowed a home run since Aug. 6.

Look for Braden to get a Broonx cheer in his first outing in New York since telling A-Rod to keep off the mound.

Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 ERA) Minnesota Twins

After preheating through the first half of the season, Baker has been red hot since the All-Star break.

Baker has won his last five starts, the longest streak of his career, and hasn't suffered a loss since July 19.

The right-hander has 33 strikeouts and a 3.02 ERA during his current winning streak.


Slumping

Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) New York Mets

Santana doesn't really deserve to be lumped in with the slumpers. Perhaps he should sue his teammates for a lack of support.

Santana has lost his last three starts while posting a respectable 3.91 ERA during that span, but the Mets have scored a total of only five runs for him in those outings.



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This Day in Baseball
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On September 2 in Baseball History...

1880 - The first night baseball is played in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, between teams from two Boston department stores. The Boston Post reports the next day that "A clear, pure, white light was produced, very strong and yet very pleasant to the sight" by the twelve carbon-arc electric lamps.

1919 - The National Commission recommends a best-of-nine World Series. The lengthier World Series is seen as a sign of greed and is abandoned after three years.

1952 - Mike Fornieles of the Washington Senators, in his Major League debut, pitched a one-hitter for a 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in the second game of a doubleheader.

1965 - Ernie Banks hit his 400th home run off Curt Simmons as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, at Wrigley Field.

1969 - Ralph Houk signs a new three-year contract with the Yankees at $65,000 a season, the highest managerial salary in either league.

1971 - Cesar Cedeno's 200-foot fly ball in the fifth inning fell for an inside-the-park grand slam as second baseman Jim Lefebvre and right fielder Bill Buckner of the Dodgers collided. The hit helped the Houston Astros beat Los Angeles, 9-3.

1972 - Milt Pappas of the Chicago Cubs retired 26 San Diego Padres batters in a row before walking pinch-hitter Larry Stahl on a 3-2 pitch. Pappas then retired Garry Jestadt to finish his 8-0 no-hitter.

1987 - Houston's Kevin Bass went 4-for-4, including home runs from both sides of plate, and drove in three runs as the Astros beat the Chicago Cubs, 10-1. Bass became the first National Leaguer to homer from both sides of the plate twice in one season.

1990 - Dave Stieb, who had lost three no-hit bids with one out to go in the previous two seasons, finally pitched one as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Cleveland, 3-0. It was the record ninth no-hitter of the season.

1992 - Terry Mulholland of the Phillies becomes the new pickoff king. His 14 pickoffs are the most by any pitcher since the stat became official in 1989.

1993 - The expansion Colorado Rockies drew 47,699 fans for their 6-1 loss to Montreal to set a single-season National League attendance record with a 62-game total of 3,617,863. Los Angeles set the previous record of 3,608,881 in 1982. Toronto set the Major League record of 4,028,318 in 1992.

1995 - Tim Raines is out stealing in a 10-4 win over the Blue Jays to snap the White Sox outfielder's American League record streak of 40 consecutive stolen bases.

1996 - Mike Greenwell set a Major League record by driving in all nine Boston runs, the final one on a 10th-inning single to give the Red Sox a 9-8 victory over Seattle.

MLB
Write-Up


Thursday, September 2

Hot pitchers
-- Hudson is 6-0, 1.43 in his last eight starts.
-- Chacin is 2-0, 0.61 in his last couple starts. Blanton is 2-0, 1.86 in his last three outings.

-- Braden is 3-1, 1.74 in his last four starts. Sabathia is 5-0, 2.95 in his last five starts.
-- Bergesen is 3-0, 2.70 in his last six starts.
-- Twins won last seven Baker starts (5-0, 3.22). Verlander is 2-1, 2.33 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- JSantana is 0-3, 3.91 in his last three starts.

-- Matsuzaka is 0-1, 5.31 in his last three starts.
-- Fister is 1-4, 5.71 in his last six starts. Tomlin is 1-3, 5.87 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Ten of Phillies' last eleven games stayed under the total.

-- 12 of last 16 Oakland road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Baltimore games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Verlander starts.
-- Under is 9-2 in Seattle's last eleven home games.

Hot Teams
-- Braves are 15-3 in their last 18 home games.
-- Phillies won 11 of their last 14 road games. Colorado won seven of its last ten games.

-- Bronx won eight of its last nine home games.
-- Orioles won five of their last seven games.
-- Minnesota won 12 of its last 15 home games.

Cold Teams
-- Mets are 8-18 on the road since the All-Star break.

-- Red Sox lost six of their last nine road games.
-- Oakland is 5-11 in last 16 road games, 1-11 in last 12 games in Bronx.
-- Tigers lost seven of their last nine road games.
-- Mariners lost eight of their last eleven games. Indians are 3-9 in their last twelve games.

MLB


Thursday, September 2

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. NY YANKEES
Oakland is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees are 11-1 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Oakland
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Oakland

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Baltimore is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Boston

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
Minnesota is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Detroit

10:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. SEATTLE
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland

MLB
Dunkel


NY Mets at Atlanta
The Mets look to salvage a game in the series and build on their 6-1 record in Johan Santana's last 7 starts following a team loss in the previous game. New York is the pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+145). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Game 951-952: NY Mets at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Santana) 15.891; Atlanta (Hudson) 15.641
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-165); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+145); Under

Game 953-954: Oakland at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Braden) 16.624; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.044
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+180); Over

Game 955-956: Boston at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.858; Baltimore (Bergesen) 15.310
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-145); Under

Game 957-958: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.860; Minnesota (Baker) 16.125
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-120); Under

Game 959-960: Cleveland at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Tomlin) 14.658; Seattle (Fister) 13.695
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+120); Over

Game 961-962: Philadelphia at Colorado (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 15.483; Colorado (Chacin) 16.108
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-130); Over

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, 9/2/2010

National League

NY METS at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
SANTANA: NY METS 2-16 as a road underdog of +150 or more
HUDSON: ATLANTA 50-19 at home

American League

OAKLAND at NY YANKEES, 1:05 PM ET
BRADEN: 9-2 off 3 or more consecutive losses
SABATHIA: NY YANKEES 12-15 off a win by 2 runs or less

BOSTON at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
MATSUZAKA: 11-2 TSR in road games off a win
BERGESEN: BALTIMORE 11-41 in September games

DETROIT at MINNESOTA, 8:10 PM ET
VERLANDER: DETROIT 2-11 on the road after allowing 2 runs or less
BAKER: 22-7 TSR when the money line is -100 to -150

CLEVELAND at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
TOMLIN: CLEVELAND 1-12 off a game where their bullpen blew a save
FISTER: SEATTLE 51-36 at home off an under

Added Game

PHILADELPHIA at COLORADO, 7:10 PM ET
BLANTON: PHILADELPHIA 17-4 UNDER off 2 straight wins by 4 runs or more
CHACIN: COLORADO 10-2 UNDER off a loss to a division rival as a favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, September 2

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NY METS (65 - 68) at ATLANTA (78 - 55) - 7:10 PM
JOHAN SANTANA (L) vs. TIM HUDSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 7-23 (-13.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 25-43 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
NY METS are 51-76 (-26.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 26-44 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 20-35 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 79-56 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 50-19 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 79-56 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HUDSON is 122-52 (+37.1 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 205-118 (+43.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 113-50 (+29.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 37-29 (+8.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
NY METS are 20-15 (+11.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 8-6 (+0.5 Units) against NY METS this season
11 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+7.6 Units)



JOHAN SANTANA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANTANA is 2-6 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.31 and a WHIP of 1.324.
His team's record is 3-8 (-8.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-1. (+9.0 units)



TIM HUDSON vs. NY METS since 1997
HUDSON is 12-5 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 13-5 (+7.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-11. (-5.0 units)




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OAKLAND (65 - 67) at NY YANKEES (83 - 50) - 1:05 PM
DALLAS BRADEN (L) vs. C.C. SABATHIA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 30-29 (+26.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 since 1997.
OAKLAND is 30-13 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 64-62 (+3.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BRADEN is 9-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 8-1 (+6.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)



DALLAS BRADEN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
BRADEN is 1-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.94 and a WHIP of 1.971.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)



C.C. SABATHIA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
SABATHIA is 6-8 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.36 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 9-11 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-9. (-0.2 units)




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BOSTON (75 - 58) at BALTIMORE (49 - 84) - 7:05 PM
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R) vs. BRADLEY BERGESEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 33-34 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 32-43 (-17.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 61-40 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MATSUZAKA is 43-20 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MATSUZAKA is 31-13 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MATSUZAKA is 11-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 255-325 (-96.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 25-58 (-17.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 130-204 (-61.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 11-41 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 12-38 (-20.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 7-7 (+3.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.4 Units)



DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 3-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.64 and a WHIP of 1.745.
His team's record is 4-3 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)



BRADLEY BERGESEN vs. BOSTON since 1997
BERGESEN is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.050.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)




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DETROIT (65 - 68) at MINNESOTA (77 - 56) - 8:10 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 226-234 (-37.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 101-159 (-46.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
DETROIT is 23-43 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 91-108 (-39.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 21-37 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 45-51 (-9.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 77-56 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 39-19 (+17.4 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 144-84 (+30.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-18 (+9.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 73-51 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 52-36 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 109-81 (+14.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 38-18 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 13-23 (-15.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-5 (+3.1 Units) against DETROIT this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)



JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
VERLANDER is 6-7 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.391.
His team's record is 7-9 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-9. (-4.5 units)



SCOTT BAKER vs. DETROIT since 1997
BAKER is 6-4 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.55 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 10-9 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-6. (+6.7 units)




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CLEVELAND (53 - 80) at SEATTLE (52 - 81) - 10:10 PM
JOSH TOMLIN (R) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 119-178 (-40.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-22 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 109-161 (-37.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 78-115 (-26.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 85-130 (-37.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 58-41 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-54 (-25.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 19-27 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SEATTLE is 267-248 (-72.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SEATTLE is 53-80 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 52-78 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)



JOSH TOMLIN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.



DOUG FISTER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
FISTER is 0-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.106.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)




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PHILADELPHIA (75 - 58) at COLORADO (69 - 63) - 7:10 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. JHOULYS CHACIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 42-31 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 44-22 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 50-35 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-15 (+10.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-68 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 85-65 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BLANTON is 57-43 (+16.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
BLANTON is 21-7 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 70-64 (-6.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 70-64 (-6.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 42-47 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-1 (+3.6 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)



JOE BLANTON vs. COLORADO since 1997
BLANTON is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)



JHOULYS CHACIN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

Daily Sports Roundup: September 2

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NFL's preseason schedule comes to a close, while the Tigers meet the rival Twins, and the college football campaign gets underway.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There is a full slate of 16 NFL preseason games on tap for Thursday, including two involving unbeaten teams: Baltimore at St. Louis, and San Diego at San Francisco. The 3-0 Ravens have dispatched the Panthers, Redskins, and Giants in consecutive outings, but they're 3-point underdogs for Thursday's contest against the 2-1 Rams (with the total at 38). The 3-0 Niners have beaten the Colts, Vikings, and Raiders so far in the preseason, and they're 3.5-point favorites against the 1-2 Chargers on Thursday night (with the total at 36). The Ravens game starts at 8pm ET; the Niners start at 10pm.

Elsewhere around the NFL on Thursday it's Buffalo at Detroit (-4.5), New England at the Giants (-3), the Jets at Philadelphia (-1.5), Atlanta at Jacksonville (-3), Carolina at Pittsburgh (-5.5), Denver at Minnesota (-4.5), Chicago (-3) at Cleveland, Tampa Bay at Houston (-2.5), Miami at Dallas (-3.5), New Orleans at Tennessee (-7.5), Green Bay at Kansas City (-5.5), Seattle at Oakland (-3.5), Washington at Arizona (-5.5), and Cincinnati (-6.5) at Indianapolis. The Colts sit with the Chiefs and Bears as the only winless team so far in the preseason; Indy has fallen to the Niners, Bills, and Packers.

There are also 18 college football games on the schedule for Thursday, including seven with lines from the oddsmakers: Southern Miss vs. South Carolina (-13.5), Marshall vs. Ohio State (-28.5), Northern Illinois vs. Iowa State (-4.5), Pittsburgh vs. Utah (-3), Minnesota (-3) vs. Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic vs. UAB (-15), and Southern Cal (-21.5) vs. Hawaii. The Trojans come into the year at No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll, but they are ineligible for the postseason because of sanctions handed down by the NCAA.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

There are four games on the American League schedule for Thursday, with Oakland at the Yankees, Boston at Baltimore, Cleveland at Seattle, and Detroit at Minnesota. Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.58 ERA) is expected to get the ball for the Tigers in that last matchup, while Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 ERA) counters for the Twins. Righthander Verlander got stuck with a no-decision against the Blue Jays in his last trip to the mound despite giving up just two runs on five hits over his eight innings of work. Righthander Baker is coming off a win over Seattle in which he gave up two runs in his 6 2-3 innings.

As well, the National League has just two games on tap for Thursday, with Philadelphia at Colorado and the Mets at Atlanta. Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) is slated to take on Tim Hudson (15-5, 2.24 ERA) in that Mets/Braves matchup. Lefthander Santana has lost three straight starts, and he also fell to the Braves back on August 2 (four runs over seven innings of work). Righthander Hudson dazzled the Marlins last time out, holding them to just one run over seven innings while fanning 13 batters. The Braves are 8-2 in Hudson's last 10 outings, and he was the winning pitcher on August 2 against the Mets.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the WNBA's Western Conference Finals tip off on Thursday night with Phoenix at Seattle. The Mercury and Storm both swept their first-round playoff series last week; Phoenix knocked off San Antonio 92-73 in Game 2 of their set, while Seattle is coming off an 81-66 Game 2 win over Los Angeles. The oddsmakers have the Storm pegged as the 6-point home favorites for Thursday's matchup, with the total for the contest at 178.5.

Thursday's six-pack

-- Pinch-runner Darren Ford scored winning run for Giants in their 2-1 win Wednesday, in his big league debut. Ford wasn't in the ballpark when game started-- he arrived at the ballpark during the game.

-- Padres have lost seven in a row; their lead in NL West is 3 games.

-- Cardinals have fallen apart, losing 13 of last 17 games; they're eight games out in NL Central, and are getting killed by St Louis media.

-- Roy Oswalt is 4-0, 1.02 in his last five starts for the Phillies.

-- North Carolina has a lot of players suspended for LSU game this week; not sure they've worked out exactly how they're going to be spreading out the suspensions, but Tar Heels are unplayable now.

-- According to ****.com, 72% of investors are on Minnesota (-3) in their opener at Middle Tennessee: MTSU's QB is suspended, and the Gophers have nine starters back on offense.


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Thursday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind..........

13) Next year, the Big 11 will have 12 teams; in 2012 the Big 12 is going to have 10 teams, and you wonder why I'm confused?

12) You know The Most Interesting Man in the World, from those Dos Equis commercials? Turns out he is Jonathan Goldsmith, an actor who once drove a garbage truck for a living. Stay thirsty, my friends, and do not forget to recycle.......

11) Rams have a rookie TE named Michael Hoomanawanui who slipped through some cracks in scouting because Illinois had terrible QBs, so he didn't catch many passes-- the guy has seven syllables in his last name. Coach Spagnuolo refers to him simple as "Illinois Mike".

10) Only one Super Bowl champ has gone winless in preseason and that was in a strike-shortened season-- the '82 Washington Redskins.

9) Core Logic, which provides financial information, clues us in that last year, 18.5% of borrowers chose 15-year mortgages when buying a home, compared to only 9.4% in 2007.

8) Instant replay in tennis is the best replay system of any sport.

7) Angels lost Scott Kazmir's last seven home starts, and were blanked in each of Jered Weaver's last three starts. Terrible year for the Halos.

6) Whats with Friday nights in AL East? Bronx Bombers lost five in a row on Friday. Tampa Bay is 1-15 in its last 16 Friday games. Wow.

5) Mets scored two or less runs in 13 of Johan Santana's 28 starts.

4) Carlos Delgado/Adam LaRoche have hit three HRs into McCovey Cove in San Francisco, the most splash hits of any visiting player.

3) Cardinals at Rams, Week 1. Who would've guessed the best QB in this game would be wearing blue and gold?

2) Why would anyone want Manny Ramirez at this stage of his career? He's a quitter. Effort should never be negotiable.

1) College football starts tonight. Real games. Not soon enough.

Bettors' best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Lines off the board

Florida A&M at Miami: No line or total posted.

Lines to keep an eye on

NFL

Jets at Eagles: Eagles opened as -2.5 faves but are down to -1.5 at most books.

Panthers at Steelers: Steelers opened as -5.5 favorites but have moved to -6.5 at most books. Total has leaped from 36.5 to 37.5.

Falcons at Jaguars: Jags opened as -1.5 faves but that line has doubled to -3.

Dolphins at Cowboys: Dallas opened as -2.5 faves but are down to as low as -1 at some books.

Redskins at Cardinals: Cards opened as -4.5 favorites but now can be found as high as -6 at some books.

NCAAF

Southern Miss at South Carolina: Total opened at 49 but has slipped to 45.5 at most books.

Minnesota at Middle Tennessee State: MTSU opened as -3.5 favorites but are now 3-point dogs at some books. Total dropped almost a TD from 54 to 48.5.

Marshall at Ohio State: Buckeyes opened as -24 faves but have soared to -28. Total opened at 45.5 but has climbed as high as 47 at some books.

Pittsburgh at Utah: Utes opened as -1 favorites but have jumped to -3. Total opened at 51 but has dropped to 49.

Southern Cal at Hawaii: USC opened as 18-point faves but have soared to -21.5 at most books. Total has jumped from 52 to 54 at most books.

MLB

Athletics at Yankees: Total opened at 8 but has climbed to 8.5.

WNBA

Phoenix at Seattle: Storm opened as -6 favorites but are now as high as -7.

Weather to watch

Hurricane Earl, a Category 3 storm with winds up to 125 mph, is closing in on the East Coast this weekend and could wreak havoc on games scheduled for the Northeast this weekend. That list includes MLB games like the Blue Jays-Yankees, Rays-Orioles, White Sox-Red Sox series and college football games such as Weber State-Boston College and Richmond-Virginia. Keep an eye out for postponements and/or dropping totals related to the storm.

Packers at Chiefs: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Who's hot

Phillies are 11-2 in their last 13 on the road.

Orioles have won five of their last six.

Braves are 12-3 in their last 15 vs. Mets.

Who's not

Red Sox have lost four of their last five.

Athletics are 1-10 in their last nine at Yankees.

Phoenix (WNBA) is 25-10 ATS in their last 35 on road.

Key stat

0-for-28 - New York Mets third baseman David Wright's batting stats at Turner Field this season entering Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. For the season, Wright is batting .292 with 21 homers and 86 RBIs.

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

The New York Yankees activated first baseman/designated hitter Lance Berkman from the disabled list Wednesday. It remains to be seen if that is good news or bad news for Yankees fans. Berkman has been plagued by a right ankle sprain after he stepped on the foot of Kansas City Royals pitcher Bryan Bullington during a game last month. Berkman has struggled in his 12 games with New York, hitting 7-for-39 (.179) with no home runs and four RBIs.

Game of the day

No. 15 Pittsburgh at No. 24 Utah (-3, 49)

Notable quotable

"I don't need him, he needs me. Compare my achievements in boxing to his achievements. ... We agree with, you know, his demands. I wanted to know if that's his real reason [for not fighting]."

Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao about Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has failed to agree to a super-fight between the two over drug-testing policies.

Tips and notes

Southern Miss coach Dan Fedora made waves this summer when he said his team will beat South Carolina in tonight's season opener. A better strategy might have been to sneak up on the distracted Gamecocks, who have lost tight end Weslye Saunders and could lose as many as 10 more players in an NCAA inquiry into the players living at a local hotel for reduced rent. The two-TD favorite Gamecocks could be ripe for the upset if Fedora had laid low, but a cover is not out of the question.

Southern California football coach Lane Kiffin has suspended freshman safety Patrick Hall indefinitely, saying he has not demonstrated a full commitment to being a "championship scholar-athlete." Hall did not play last year after failing to qualify academically and then suffering torn ligaments in fall camp, but his loss is just the latest in a long line of distractions for the Trojans heading into their season opener at Hawaii, a place loaded with distractions for college kids. USC is a four-TD favorite.

Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb is out of tonight's preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals due to a sprained ankle and backup Rex Grossman also is expected to sit for precautionary reasons. The Cardinals have a QB battle between Derek Anderson and Matt Leinart so the QB play, if not the entire game, could be one-sided. McNabb also is listed as questionable for the season opener but that could be coach Mike Shanahan's attempt at mind games.

Good luck

I appreciate you, man. I can't tell you enough how badly I needed this tonight. :toast:

Ticket #AcceptedTypeRiskTo Win Short Description
9/2/2010 6:52 PM Parlay 100.00 to win 1,101.10
Baseball - 951 New York Mets/Atlanta Braves under 6½ -115 for Game
Baseball - 955 Boston Red Sox/Baltimore Orioles over 9 -115 for Game
Baseball - 957 Detroit Tigers/Minnesota Twins over 7 -125 for Game
Baseball - 961 Philadelphia Phillies/Colorado Rockies over 9 -110 for Game