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Alouettes Visit Toronto Argonauts For CFL Betting Action

There’s Thursday Night Football happening north of the border where the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts host the Montreal Alouettes. Each team is riding a losing streak, much more surprising for the visitors.

The Don Best odds screen has Montreal as 4 ½-point road favorites with a total of 52 points.

TSN in Canada will have the kickoff from Rogers Centre starting at 4:30 p.m. (PT). The roof is scheduled to be open with weather expected to be clear and in the 70s.

The two-time defending champ Alouettes started the season in fine fashion, 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread. That includes a 40-17 home win over Toronto as 10 ½-point favorites in Week 3, going ‘over’ the 53 ½-points.

Montreal’s fortunes changed in Week 4 against Saskatchewan. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo (eye injury) went out in the second quarter (not returning) and the team suffered a 27-24 upset as 11 ½-point home favorites.

Calvillo did play last Friday at Hamilton, throwing for 356 yards. However, he only completed 51.1 percent of his passes (23-for-45) and Hamilton got a 34-26 victory as 3-point underdogs.

Montreal now has its first 2-game losing streak since 2008. Calvillo still leads the CFL in touchdown passes (11), although 10 of them came in the first three games. He’s second in passing yards (1,485) despite the injury and needs nine completions to break Damon Allen's all-time record of 5,158.

Coach Marc Trestman has to be concerned about a defense that allowed a season-high 34 points last game. The unit is surrendering 25.8 PPG this year, ranked fifth out of the eight teams.

The ‘over’ is 4-1 for Montreal this year and 2-0 on the road. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in its last six road games overall.

Toronto is in the East Division basement at 1-4 SU (2-3 ATS). Surprising Winnipeg (4-1) leads after already matching its win total from last season. Hamilton and Montreal are tied-for-second at 3-2.

The Argonauts started the season strong with a 23-21 win at Calgary as 8-point ‘dogs. They’ve lost four straight since, but have played just one home game this year, a 33-24 loss to Winnipeg as 3 ½-point favorites on July 23.

Toronto is 0-5 SU and ATS in its last five home games.

Quarterback Cleo Lemon will be back in the starting lineup according to coach Jim Barker. Lemon was 5-for-5 passing in the first quarter against Winnipeg in that home game before suffering a tooth injury on a hit.

Backup Dalton Bell finished the contest and had 169 passing yards and two interceptions. He then struggled again last week at undefeated Edmonton (26-25 loss as 8-point underdogs), throwing for just 156 yards and two more picks.

The close Edmonton game proved Toronto can be dangerous. Running back Chad Kacert had 139 rushing yards on 20 carries, with Cory Boyd still injured (knee). The defense did enough to win, but is surrendering 28.4 PPG this year after leading the league last season (24.6 PPG).

Boyd (1,359 rushing yards last year) is questionable Thursday, but would be a big boost to go along with Lemon. Lemon is second in the league in completion percentage (64.3), although he only has two TD passes. He can’t afford to squander scoring opportunities against Montreal.

Toronto is just 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games against Montreal (1-5 ATS at home). The teams split two meetings in Toronto last year, with the ‘over’ going 2-0.

The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the teams overall.

Speedy San Diego Padres Host LA Dodgers

California rivals conclude their series on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres. The ballgame is slated to begin at 7:05 p.m. (PT) at PETCO Park.

These are the bottom two teams in the National League West standings and each club is trailing the division-leading San Francisco Giants by double digits. While the teams themselves may not have much to gain with a win, the betting world does.

A common theme between the two teams is poor offense. In fact, in the last 31 meetings between these teams the ‘under’ is 24-7. The Dodgers and Padres stand right next to each other in terms of runs scored and that is in the bottom five in all of baseball.

Los Angeles might be below average with their sticks, but San Diego is flat-out awful. The Padres are third from the floor or worse in about every important offensive statistic there is. On top of that, they recently traded their leading home run hitter Ryan Ludwick to Pittsburgh.

About the only thing they can do is steal bases. San Diego is first in the majors at swiping bags with 120, 14 more than their nearest challengers.

Ted Lilly (7-10, 5.02 ERA) has gotten knocked around a bit this season, especially since late June. The left-hander has surrendered six runs three times in his last seven outings and has reached six innings just twice in that stretch.

Lilly has a poor record away from Dodger Stadium (2-4, team 4-6) even though his ERA lowers a bit to 4.82.

The Padres will be going with Tim Stauffer (6-8, 3.10 ERA) on the mound and he has been pitching great in his last 10, minus one start at Philly. Other than that outing, Stauffer has pitched six innings or more in that stretch and gave up three runs just once. He surrendered zero runs three times in his last 10, with two games resulting in shutouts.

Stauffer owns a 2.88 ERA in 11 home outings with a WHIP of 1.19.

Each pitcher has had success against the opposition. Lilly is 4-1 in his last five against the Padres while Stauffer is 5-1 in his last six versus the Dodgers.

Home plate duties for the contest fall to Chris Conroy who has a 10-1 'over' mark in his last 11 plate assignments.

It should be a cool 70 degrees with low winds when play begins on Wednesday night. Both clubs take Thursday off before opening road series on Friday. The Dodgers will be in Phoenix to meet the Diamondbacks while the Padres travel across the Lower 48 to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cubs, Pirates Close MLB Odds Set In Pittsburgh

The Chicago Cubs may be out of the playoff race, but they are relishing the role of spoilers heading into the finale of a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The Cubs won the first two games by a combined score of 16-9 and hope to continue to push the Pirates further behind in their hunt for the National League Central title.

First pitch from Pittsburgh's PNC Park is 4:05 p.m. (PT).

Pittsburgh had won six of the first nine meetings this season before losing Monday’s series opener, 5-3. The ‘over’ had cashed in the previous five meetings going into Wednesday.

Thursday could see another high-scoring game if there is a repeat of what happened the last time these starting pitchers squared off on the mound. Chicago’s Rodrigo Lopez (2-3, 4.40 ERA) has seen the ‘over’ go 3-1 in his last three starts, including a 7-4 road loss to the Pirates on July 8. Pittsburgh’s Jason McDonald (7-5, 4.17) was also the opposing pitcher that day.

Lopez is coming off a rough outing at St. Louis on Saturday, surrendering six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. He walked three, struck out two and served up a solo home run to Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols in the bottom of the first inning.

Surprisingly, Lopez is 1-0 in two career starts vs. Pittsburgh with a 3.00 ERA. He walked away with a no-decision in the last meeting after giving up three runs in six innings but is 0-2 on the road this year with a 5.51 ERA.

McDonald also did not pitch well in his last outing, giving up five runs and 10 hits to the Philadelphia Phillies in five innings of a 7-4 loss. He allowed two homers, walked two and struck out five.

Ironically, McDonald’s only two losses since May 13 have both come against the Phillies. The Pirates had won each of his previous four starts before his latest setback, three of which came as an underdog.

He is 0-1 in two career starts against the Cubs, as he also had a no-decision in the last meeting. McDonald is 3-1 at PNC Park this season with a sparkling 2.83 ERA in 10 starts.

Umpire Lance Barrett will be behind the plate for the eighth time this season, and the home team is 5-2 in his previous seven appearances. There has been an average of 9.14 total runs scored in those games.

Thunderstorms on Wednesday are expected to give way to partly cloudy skies in Pittsburgh on Thursday with a projected high temperature of 85 degrees and a low of 70.

The Cubs will head home to the friendly confines following this game and begin a weekend set with the Reds on Friday. The Bucs remain at PNC Park to host the Padres.

Bedard Leads Red Sox Against Cleveland Indians

Boston hopes its most recent acquisition from the Pacific Northwest will pay instant dividends before a much-anticipated series against New York this weekend. The Red Sox close out a four-game set versus the Cleveland Indians Thursday night with the first pitch scheduled for 4:10 (PT) at Fenway Park.

Erik Bedard (4-7, 3.45) comes over from Seattle and is set to make his first start in a Red Sox uniform. Boston general manager Theo Epstein made the move due to a patchwork starting rotation that includes 45-year-old Tim Wakefield and the potential loss of Clay Buchholz (back) for the rest of the year.

The left-hander certainly wasn’t targeted based on his most recent performance, retiring just four hitters in a 8-0 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He was incredibly wild in issuing four free passes while giving up five runs in that contest, a game that closed as a pick on the MLB betting lines.

Bedard will be making his 11th career start versus the Indians, bringing in an even 2-2 mark and 4.44 ERA, including a 6-4 home defeat in his second start of the season. He will need to tread carefully in pitching to Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who is 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBIs against him.

Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez will also serve as a major advantage for the Canadian hurler in his new surroundings. Bedard pitched seven shutout innings in a 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels with Hernandez behind the plate four starts back.

Cleveland has certainly been going down a slippery slope in posting a 24-38 record and losing 10 games in the American League Central standings since May 24. The Indians have posted two consecutive losing months starting in June and there may be no end in sight.

Management still hasn’t lost its focus on trying to make the playoffs, trading for Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez over the weekend. He will report to the club Wednesday and is slated to make his debut versus the Rangers on August 5.

Justin Masterson (8-7, 2.56 ERA) will not be losing his spot in the rotation and has compiled a 1.76 ERA since June 8, which is the fourth-best mark in the AL over that span. The right-hander comes in with an even 4-4 mark and 2.42 ERA in 10 road starts, surrendering just two home runs in 67 frames.

He is certainly familiar with tonight's surroundings due to spending his first two years in Boston, bringing in a 9-2 record and 4.50 ERA in 37 career appearances at Fenway Park. Motivation has not been an issue in facing his old team, coming in with a perfect 2-0 mark and 1.25 ERA in three starts. He came away with a no-decision in his latest effort against them on May 23, tossing 7 2/3 innings and allowing just two runs in a 3-2 win.

Total players will find that the ‘under’ is 8-2 in Masterson’s last 10 efforts.

Weather forecasts suggest partly cloudy skies and game-time temperatures in the low-70s. A northeasterly breeze of 5-10 mph will be present throughout (in from center), which has caused three of five games to fall below the number at Fenway Park in those conditions.

Minnesota Lynx Host San Antonio Silver Stars

The WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx shoot for their eighth straight victory when they host the San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday night.

The Don Best odds screen will release odds shortly. NBA-TV will have the 5:00 p.m. (PT) broadcast from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Minnesota is 14-4 straight up and 12-6 against the spread. It has the best record in the league and a 3-game lead over San Antonio for tops in the Western Conference. That’s impressive for a franchise that hasn’t finished above .500 or made the playoffs since 2004.

The Lynx last played Tuesday, a 90-73 win over Phoenix as 6 ½-point home favorites. A 14-2 run in the fourth quarter broke open the game. Rookie Maya Moore led with 22 points and she’s brought her winning ways from UConn while averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Minnesota is 4-0 ATS in its last four home games and 6-1 ATS during this winning streak.

The 163 combined points scored last game went way ‘under’ the big 188-point total. Phoenix leads the league in points scored (90.6 PPG), but shot just 39.7 percent and was held to its lowest output since the season opener.

The Lynx’ defense also had something to do with Phoenix’s troubles. They’re third in the WNBA in scoring defense (74.6 PPG). The ‘under’ is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Moore was one of four team All-Stars along with guard Seimone Augustus (16.6 PPG), forward Rebekkah Brunson (11.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG) and point guard Lindsay Whalen (14.1 PPG, 5.8 APG). These players have complimentary skill sets and it’s showing on the court.

Minnesota’s current winning streak includes a 70-69 win at San Antonio last Sunday, the only meeting between the teams this year. Whalen had a season-high 23 points and also hit the game-winner with 1.5 seconds left.

The Lynx did fail to ‘cover’ at San Antonio as 3-point favorites. That’s the only ATS failure in the last seven and second in 10 games.

San Antonio (11-7 SU and ATS) started out the season really strong (7-1 SU and ATS), but is just 4-6 SU and ATS in its last 10. The Minnesota loss at home was followed by a 78-64 Tuesday defeat at Seattle as five-point ‘dogs.

Rookie Danielle Adams (14.3 PPG) has missed the last three games with a foot injury and isn’t expected back until early September. She also seemed to be hitting the rookie wall before getting hurt.

Guard Becky Hammon leads the team in scoring (16.8 PPG) at age 34. However, she’s streaky and just as likely to be in single digits as put up 20-plus. Hammon is forced to carry more of the scoring burden with Adams out, the same for forward Sophia Young (13.9 PPG) and guard Jia Perkins (13.1 PPG).

Young is averaging just 9.7 PPG since Adams went out and shooting a paltry 28.2 percent (11-of-39) from the field. Adams is also the second-leading rebounder (4.6 per game) behind Young (6.3) and the team has been outrebounded 116-78 the last three games.

The rebounding margin in the Minnesota game was 43-28 and that must be shrunk on Thursday.

San Antonio’s offense was struggling even before Adams got hurt, averaging 74.3 PPG in its last 11 games overall, with the ‘under’ 9-1-1. That’s a far cry from the first seven games at 93.3 PPG (the ‘over’ 5-2).

The Silver Stars are 6-3 SU and ATS on the road this year. They 3-2 SU and ATS in their last five visits to Minnesota, but just 4-11 ATS in the last 15 trips there overall.

Tiger Woods Makes Return To PGA Betting Field

Tiger Woods makes his return to the golf course this week when the PGA Tour heads to Akron, Ohio for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. The event gets underway Thursday morning (5:40 a.m. PT) on the South Course at Firestone Country Club.

In case you're thinking Woods is simply warming up for next week's PGA Championship in Atlanta, keep in mind he's won this tournament on this course seven times, the first in 1999 and most recently in 2009.

Woods' addition completes a star-studded field that includes the winners of this year's three majors – Charl Schwartzel along with Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.

US Open champ McIlroy opened as the 12/1 favorite at Firestone followed by a quartet of golfers at 16/1, Woods and fellow American Steve Stricker along with England's duo of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood who are 1-2 respectively in the World Golf Rankings.

The last time we saw Woods he was withdrawing during the first round of The Players Championship in mid-May. His limp from knee and Achilles injuries is reportedly gone after a quick practice session Tuesday morning. Also missing is caddie Steve Williams whose place is being temporarily taken by Byron Bell, Woods' longtime friend.

Woods will be paired in the first two rounds with Clarke, the British Open champion and the winner of this tournament in 2003. Clarke is seen as a long shot this weekend at 80/1.

Defending champion Hunter Mahan (30/1) will play Thursday and Friday with McIlroy. Westwood is paired with McIlroy's Irish compatriot Graeme McDowell (50/1) and Donald will play the first two rounds alongside Masters winner Schwartzel (30/1).

Martin Kaymer, third in the latest rankings, is listed at 25/1 as he attempts to become the first German to win the tourney. He'll be paired with American Bubba Watson (40/1) who is ranked 14th.

Another interesting pairing of golf betting favorites is Phil Mickelson (20/1) and Jason Day (35/1). Mickelson won here in 1996 when the event was known as the NEC World Series of Golf. 'Lefty' will be looking for his second tour win this season after taking April's Shell Houston Open by three strokes.

Day is hoping to become the third Australian to win the tournament, with two-time champion Greg Norman (1995, 1997) and Craig Parry (2002) the others. He slumped to a 30th-place finish at Royal St. George's a few weeks back after second-place finishes at the Masters and US Open.

Dustin Johnson, who tied Mickelson for second in the British Open, deserves consideration at 20/1 as does Rickie Fowler (28/1) who tied for fifth at Royal St. George's.

Thomas Bjorn (150/1), who held the first-round lead at the British Open before finishing fourth, is a long shot as is Scott Stallings (175/1) who won The Greenbrier Classic last week.

The South Course at Firestone plays 7,400-yards long with its signature hole the 667-yard, par-5 16th. This weekend's purse is $8.5 million and has 550 FedEx Cup points to spread around.

Weather shouldn't be an issue the first two rounds with high temps in the mid-80s and little wind, but rain chances increase late Friday afternoon and showers are expected that evening.

2011 Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest


First place in the 2010 Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest was worth $207,000.
Las Vegas’ most illustrious football contest returns for another great season. The Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest offers a competition like no other in the world of sports betting and entries are already being accepted.

Unlike most sports book challenges that have a smaller entry fee with the objective of picking the most games correctly straight up, the Hilton lets players choose their own games against the NFL betting spread with an entry fee of $1,500 for serious players.

Each week, contestants select five games and must have the picks in by every Saturday at 11 a.m. (PT).

The top-20 handicappers at the end of the contest win prize money. In 2010, first place received $207,000, second place received $82,000, third and fourth place received $33,637, and the lowest payout at the bottom of the top-20 was $5,175.

Prize money changes according to the number of entrants.

Last year’s winner, Richard Stand, had a record of 54-28-3 for a total of 55.5 points. That was enough to beat out second place by just a half-point which goes to show that every single pick matters.

Each season there are about 300 to above 400 entrants. Last year there were 345 participants, and 2011 entries could surpass 400.

To enter this competition, contestants must sign up in person at the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook but after that a proxy can be named to enter selections for each contestant.

Once you're entered, be sure to check out the Don Best odds screen during the season for up to the second line changes.

Around the Horn - Thursday

August 3, 2011


NATIONAL LEAGUE


Chicago at Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lopez (2-3, 4.40 ERA) 4-0 L4 6-2 L8 on Thursdays
McDonald (7-5, 4.17 ERA) 1-8 L9 0-4 home on Thursdays

Cubs beat Pirates, 5-3 on Monday
Cubs beat Pirates, 11-6 on Tuesday
Cubs beat Pirates, 1-0 on Wednesday

St. Louis at Florida - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lohse (9-7, 3.33 ERA) 8-3 L11 3-5 L8 away Game 1's
Hensley (1-3, 3.09 ERA) 5-3 L8 3-10 L13 home Game 1's

Cardinals lost to Brewers, 10-5 on Wednesday
Marlins beat Mets, 4-3 on Tuesday

Washington at Colorado - 8:40 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Detwiler (1-0, 2.35 ERA) 4-2 L6 2-5 away on Thursdays
Rogers (4-1, 7.31 ERA) 0-4 L4 5-3 L8 home Game 1's

Nationals lost to Braves, 6-4 on Wednesday
Rockies lost to Phillies, 8-6 on Wednesday

Philadelphia at San Francisco - 10:15 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lee (10-7, 3.14 ERA) 7-3 L10 2-6 L8 away vs LHP
Bumgarner (6-10, 3.80 ERA) 1-5 L6 11-3 home vs LHP

Phillies beat Rockies, 8-6 on Wednesday
Giants beat Diamondbacks, 8-1 on Wednesday

AMERICAN LEAGUE


Toronto at Tampa Bay - 12:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Cecil (4-4, 4.34 ERA) 6-2 L8 UNDER 5-1 L6 away during day
Davis (8-7, 4.62 ERA) 4-6 L10 3-6 L9 home during day

Blue Jays beat Rays, 3-1 on Tuesday
Rays beat Blue Jays, 9-1 on Wednesday

Texas at Detroit - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Ogando (10-5, 2.88 ERA) 3-6 L9 UNDER 9-3 L12 away during day
Penny (7-8, 4.89 ERA) 5-5 L10 10-3 home Game 3's

Tigers beat Rangers, 6-5 on Tuesday
Tigers beat Rangers, 5-4 on Wednesday

Cleveland at Boston - 7:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Masterson (8-7, 2.56 ERA) 3-8 L11 2-4 L6 on Thursdays
Bedard (4-7, 3.45 ERA) 8-4 L12 5-2 home Game 4's

Indians beat Red Sox, 9-6 on Monday
Red Sox beat Indians, 3-2 on Tuesday

N.Y. Yankees at Chicago - 8:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Nova (9-4, 4.01 ERA) 7-2 L9 3-5 L8 on Thursdays
Humber (8-7, 3.44 ERA) 5-3 L8 2-7 L9 home vs RHP

Yankees beat White Sox, 3-2 on Monday
Yankees beat White Sox, 6-0 on Tuesday

Baltimore at Kansas City - 8:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Britton (6-8, 4.56 ERA) 3-7 L10 4-10 away vs LHP
Francis (4-11, 4.38 ERA) 6-4 L10 UNDER 6-1 L7 home vs LHP

Orioles beat Royals, 8-2 on Tuesday
Royals beat Orioles, 6-2 on Wednesday

Minnesota at Los Angeles - 10:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Liriano (7-8, 4.67 ERA) 3-6 L9 4-9 away Game 3's
Chatwood (6-7, 3.93 ERA) 6-3 L9 6-0 L6 home vs LHP

Angels beat Twins, 5-1 on Tuesday

Philadelphia Phillies At SF Giants MLB Betting Preview

Last season, it was the San Francisco Giants who kept the Philadelphia Phillies from winning their third straight National League pennant. Now, these two potential postseason combatants square off once again at AT&T Park on Thursday night for the first game of a crucial 4-game weekend series.

The first pitch from AT&T Park in San Francisco is set for 7:15 (PT), and there will be live television coverage on Comcast Sports Network.

The Phillies are on a clip to win 104 games this season, and the threat is there for them to be one of the best teams in MLB history. They're clearly sailing through the rest of the regular season, as they have an 8-game lead that will almost certainly prove to be insurmountable in the NL East.

They haven't been beaten in a game since Hunter Pence came aboard from the Houston Astros. Pence is batting .294 with his new club, and he has hit safely in all four games. The offense has averaged 5.50 runs per game since his arrival.

We know if the Phils put up five or more runs on Thursday night, they're probably in safe hands with Cliff Lee on the mound. Lee hasn't lost a game in which he has gotten five runs of help all season long.

There is definitely some cause for concern right now for the southpaw though, as his 10-7 record and 3.14 ERA aren't anything to really write home about. Sure, Lee will end up with over 200 strikeouts this season, but he already has 32 walks in his 22 starts, almost double the total number of walks that he had in 2010.

Lee has allowed nine runs in 11 2/3-innings over his last two starts combined. A whopping 21 men have reached base in those two starts, which is an alarming number considering the fact that last season, he only allowed an average of 7.61 hits and walks allowed per game. It's not like these were offensive juggernauts he was facing either; they were only the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

The G-Men on the other hand, are going the wrong direction. They're coming off of a disastrous series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and they now know that they are almost certainly going to be in a dogfight with their top NL West competitors for the rest of the season.

San Fran added Carlos Beltran just before the trade deadline, and he hasn't lent nearly the same helping hand that Pence has for the Phillies. Beltran is hitting just .200 with his new team, and the club hasn't won a game since July 28. The Giants are averaging just 1.60 runs per game on this losing streak, dropping the team's average offensive marks to 3.50 runs per game, No. 28 in baseball.

Madison Bumgarner has only gotten 3.0 runs of support per outing this year, which is why he has a 6-10 record. The southpaw hasn't pitched poorly though, as he has a solid 3.80 ERA, but that lack of run support has been killing him.

Bumgarner was rocked in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing seven runs, five of which were earned, in just four frames. It stopped a string of six straight victories for the Giants on the MLB betting lines in games that he started.

Dating back to the end of the regular season last year, the Giants have won seven of the last 10 meetings of these two NL behemoths, including taking two out of three in the city of Brotherly Love just a week and a half ago.

Temperatures should be cool and breezy at AT&T Park on Thursday night. Low temperatures are expected in the low-50s with westerly winds around 15 mph.

Thursday, August 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 12:10 PM ET Toronto +114 500
Tampa Bay - Under 8.5 500

Texas - 1:05 PM ET Texas -126 500
Detroit - Over 9 500


==============================================


12:00 PM ETChicago at New York

Teams ROT Record Consensus Odds

CHI 651 9-11 (2-7 V) - 151.5 UNDER

NY 652 11-8 (6-4 H) - -6.5 NEW YORK

Stats: Matchup | Preview | Trends | Line Moves My Scores
Opinion: Consensus | Team Experts


8:00 PM ETSan Antonio at Minnesota

Teams ROT Record Consensus Odds

SA 653 11-7 (6-3 V) - 157.5 UNDER

MIN 654 14-4 (8-2 H) - -9 MINNY

Stats: Matchup | Preview | Trends | Line Moves My Scores
Opinion: Consensus | Team Experts

=============================================

Thursday, August 04, 2011

7:30 PM ETMontreal at Toronto

Teams ROT Record Consensus Odds

MONT 491 3-2 (1-1 V) 61% 52.5 OVER

TOR 492 1-4 (0-1 H) 39% - 4 MONT

Stats: Matchup | Trends | Line Moves My Scores
Opinion: Consensus | Team Experts


Evening MLB Games posted later.....check back .

Thursday’s betting tips: Giants hammering the over

Who’s hot

MLB: The over is 7-2 in Tampa Bay’s last nine games.

MLB: Florida has won eight of its last 10.

CFL: Montreal has covered the number in 10 of its last 12 meetings with Toronto.

WNBA: New York is 9-4-1 against the spread in its last 14 games overall.

Who’s not

MLB: Washington is 10-29 in its last 29 games against Colorado.

MLB: Philadelphia has dropped seven of its last 10 matchups with San Francisco.

CFL: Toronto has lost four straight, covering once over that span.

WNBA: The over is 1-9-1 in San Antonio’s last 11 games.

Key stat

5 – The San Francisco Giants have lost five of their last six games, but have been money for over bettors recently. The Giants have played over the total in each of their last five, which is very uncharacteristic for them. San Francisco has actually played under the total 59 times this season - second in the bigs to only the White Sox, who have played under 60 times.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Scott Rolen, Cincinnati Reds – Rolen is expected to miss at least a month following arthroscopic shoulder surgery, leaving a void at the hot corner. Rolen is hitting just .242 this year, but now Cincy will have to lean on rookie Todd Frazier and Miguel Cairo at third base. “He played a huge role on this team,” Reds manager Dusty Bakern said of Rolen. “We’ve got to carry on. We’ve got games in the mean time.”

Game of the day

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants (+125, 6.5)


Notable quotable

“He’d played the best quarter of football he’s had since he got here, so why wouldn’t he start? When your tooth splits, there are head problems and through (last week) we weren’t going to take any chances. He was fuzzy during the week.” – Toronto Argonauts coach Jim Baker on quarterback Cleo Lemon’s status for Thursday's game against Montreal. Lemon has been out since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit against Winnipeg on July 23. In other news, Toronto running back Cory Boyd (knee) is still questionable even though he has been practicing most of the week. The Argos are set as 4.5-point home underdogs.

Notes and tips

The Minnesota Lynx head into Thursday’s date with San Antonio riding an impressive 21-8 run against the spread. They have covered in eight of their last 10, but San Antonio stole the cash in their last meeting. Minnesota came away with the 70-69 win, but couldn’t cover as a 3-point home favorite.

The Denver Broncos have reportedly told Kyle Orton that he will not be traded and will begin the season as the team’s starting quarterback. This news comes just days after the club nearly completed a deal to send the veteran QB to Miami, which would have left them with second-year signal caller Tim Tebow as their No. 1 quarterback.

Detroit Lions DT Nick Fairley will be out for a “significant portion” of training camp after going under the knife to fix his ailing foot Wednesday. Word has it he was suffering from a stress fracture and it doesn’t look like he’ll be lining up on the line with Ndamukong Suh in Week 1.

CFL
Dunkel


Week 6

Montreal at Toronto
The Alouettes look to take advantage of a Toronto team that is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home. Montreal is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Alouettes favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-4 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

Game 491-492: Montreal at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 119.316; Toronto 110.284
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 9; 50
Vegas Line: Montreal by 4 1/2; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-4 1/2); Under

CFL
Long Sheet


Week 6

Thursday, August 4

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MONTREAL (3 - 2) at TORONTO (1 - 4) - 8/4/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 7-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 7-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

CFL


Week 6

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Trend Report
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Thursday, August 4

7:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. TORONTO
Montreal is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal

CFL
Long Sheet


Week 6

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Canadian bacon: CFL Week 6 betting preview and picks
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Montreal Alouettes at Toronto Argonauts (+4.5, 52.5)

The Alouettes are coming to Toronto with a sense of urgency after losing two games in a row, something that hasn’t happened to them since 2008.

Montreal receiver Kerry Watkins, who was back in action in Hamilton, should find his timing by Thursday and you can expect Anthony Calvillo to take full advantage of it. Although the Argos have a defensive front that can put pressure on Calvillo, Toronto’s zone pass coverage will play right into the Alouettes’ passing game and give them a chance to control the ball.

Montreal will be without safety Etienne Boulay (concussion) again, but in his absence Jeff Hecht and Tad Crawford have shared duties with efficiency despite the loss to Hamilton. The injury to DT J.P. Bekasiak has forced a reshuffling on the defensive line, where Anwar Stewart will play tackle.

What the Alouettes lose in size, they gain in speed, allowing them to put pressure on Argos QB Cleo Lemon. Speaking of the Argos, Chad Owens hasn’t been as impressive as last summer. He only caught two passes last week and has been averaging a fumble a game.

If the Alouettes manage to finally play with discipline, which they haven’t done in the last few games, they should win.

Pick: Montreal

WNBA


Thursday, August 4

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NEW YORK
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago
New York is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. MINNESOTA
San Antonio is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
San Antonio is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against San Antonio

WNBA


Thursday, August 4

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Lady luck: Thursday's best WNBA bets
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Chicago Sky at New York Liberty (-6, 151.5)

The Big Apple is rotten for WNBA bettors trying to cash in on the New York Liberty at home.

The Liberty have covered just once in their last four home stands, dropping to 5-5 against the spread inside Madison Square Garden. Their most recent blown cover at home came against the Phoenix Mercury, losing 91-84 as 2.5-point chalk Saturday.

New York, which bounced back from that loss with an 85-75 road win over the Atlanta Dream Tuesday, has averaged 76.5 points over the last four home games – almost four points less than their season average of 80.4. That may not seem like a lot to the casual basketball fan, but to hoops bettors, those four points can mean the difference between hot dogs or steak.

A reason for that offensive slump could be the Liberty’s outside shooting, which has dropped below its season average as well. Over those four home contests, New York has gone 22 for 69 from beyond the arc (31.8 percent), including a 5-for-19 night versus Phoenix. The Liberty shoot just under 37 percent from 3-point range on the season, which is fourth best in the WNBA.

New York could find open looks on the perimeter tough to come by Thursday. It takes on the Chicago Sky, one of the best defensive squads in the league and the top team at defending the 3-pointer – allowing opponents to shoot only 30.6 from beyond the arc.

Pick: Chicago +6


San Antonio Silver Stars at Minnesota Lynx (-9.5, 160)

The Minnesota Lynx are running away with the Western Conference lead, winning seven straight contests and nine of their last 10 outings. However, the one team that came the closest to slowing down Minnesota’s momentum is one the schedule Thursday night.

The San Antonio Silver Stars blew a 12-point halftime lead and fell 70-69 to the Lynx Sunday, covering as 3-point home underdogs and handing Minnesota backers their only blemish against the spread during this current winning streak.

"You don't know until you've been in that spot," Lynx forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin told reporters after the narrow victory. "This is the first time we've been down and had to come back. The games we lost, we were up and let the other teams come back on us. It was our first real challenge on the season."

Despite that close call, oddsmakers are giving the Silver Stars nearly 10 points in Minnesota Thursday. San Antonio, which is second in the West at 11-7, is a profitable 6-3 ATS on the road this summer and has covered in four of its last six outings.

Pick: San Antonio +9.5

MLB


Thursday, August 4

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays (4-4, 4.34 ERA)

Cecil isn’t setting the world on fire with his recent performances, but for a Toronto staff that has struggled with consistency, the southpaw is exactly what the club needs to stay afloat in the American League East. Cecil is 3-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last four starts. His most recent outing was seven-inning effort, in which Cecil allowed only one earned run on seven hits for a 3-2 victory over Texas.

Ivan Nova, New York Yankees (9-4, 4.01 ERA)

Nova seems to be singing for his supper with the big ball club after impressing Yankees faithful in his return from Triple-A. In his first start since July 1, the right hander allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings in a win against the Orioles Saturday. That victory improves Nova to 5-0 with a 3.25 ERA in his last six big-league appearances, dating back to June 10. However, his spot in the rotation is anything but guaranteed, giving the youngster extra motivation going against the ChiSox Thursday.


Slumping

Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles (6-8, 4.56 ERA)

If Britton wants to snap his current funk, he might want to take baby steps – like try getting out of the first inning - when he takes the mound Thursday. Baltimore’s lefty has been hit early into his last two starts. He was thumped for seven earned runs in 2-3 of an inning versus the Red Sox on July 8 and was knocked around for six earned runs, throwing 43 pitches, while just registering a single out in the first inning against the Yankees Saturday. He’s lost four of his last six starts and hasn’t picked up a “W” since June 8.

Erik Bedard, Boston Red Sox (4-7, 3.45 ERA)

Perhaps a change of scenery can snap Bedard’s slumping ways? The newest member of the BoSox, coming over in a trade with the Mariners, has lost three straight starts and lugs an ERA north of 5.00 in those 14 1-3 innings. But, this is Boston, where the Red Sox lead the majors in most statistical categories for hitting. A nice change of pace from Seattle, where the Mariners rank dead last at the plate.

MLB


Thursday, August 4

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Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
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Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco (+125, 6.5)

After stumbling through a couple of series against the Reds and Diamondbacks, it doesn’t get any easier for the Giants.

San Francisco had dropped five straight games heading into its series finale with the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, which saw the club’s lead in the NL West division shrink down to nothing. They fought off the sweep and remain in first place thanks to another gem from Ryan Vogelsong, but they need to pull it together quickly.

Now they have to host a Philadelphia club that just blew past the Pirates and Rockies after dropping two out of three to the Giants.

The only good news for Giants bettors is that Cliff Lee gets the ball Wednesday. As crazy as that sounds, Lee has struggled lately allowing 18 hits and nine earned runs over his last two starts. Then again, Lee struck out 11 Pirates in his last start – a 7 2/3-inning effort during a 7-4 win – so he hasn’t been awful either.

This four-game set clearly means more to the Giants than it does to the Phillies, but this is a bad spot for them. The Phillies are surging and Madison Bumgarner is coming off a terrible start against Cincy.

Pick: Phillies


Washington Nationals at Colorado Rockies (-140, 10)

The Washington Nationals don’t have a lot to play for right now, so they might as well get some of their youngsters some experience in the bigs.

That’s exactly why 25-year-old Ross Detwiler will take Tom Gorzelanny’s spot in the rotation Thursday against the Rockies. Detwiler has 20 starts and 10 relief appearances in the Majors under his belt, but this will be his big shot as he moves from the team’s long reliever to its No. 5 starter.

“It’s not that I don’t like Gorzelanny,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson told reporters. “Gorzelanny doesn’t have anything to prove to me. But if we were fighting for a pennant, we’re not going to do. But because we’re where we’re at, we’re going to look at some young arms, give them an opportunity to kind of establish.”

He’ll have a good chance to make a good impression Thursday with his Nats heading into this series on a hot streak against a Rockies club that is sputtering offensively and struggles at home.

We’ll take a shot at this price with Detwiler and the Nationals.

Pick: Nationals

Cards try to get back on track in Miami

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (58-53, -5.0 Units)

at FLORIDA MARLINS (55-55, -0.7 Units)


First pitch: Thursday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Florida -115, St. Louis +105, Total: 8.5

The skidding Cardinals need to get back on track or they might dig themselves too big of a hole to get out of. Less than a month ago, St. Louis was in first place, but has dropped five of eight, including two of three to the division-leading Brewers, who now own a 3½-game lead on the Cards. On Thursday, they begin a four-game series in Florida against a Marlins team playing great baseball. They are 8-2 in their past 10 games to get back to .500 for the first time since June 12.

Although St. Louis has lost seven of the past nine games started by Kyle Lohse, the Cards are an impressive 17-8 all-time when Lohse opens a series for them. Florida is a lackluster 23-30 at home and only 3-7 when tabbed as a -100 to -125 favorite. The Marlins are 3-13 in their past 16 home games against teams with a winning record. Expect ST. LOUIS to take the series opener as a slight underdog.

Here are two more FoxSheets trends backing the Cardinals:

ST. LOUIS is 22-9 (71.0%, +13.6 Units) against the money line vs. a starting pitcher whose gives up 5.5 or less hits/start this season. The average score was ST. LOUIS 5.1, OPPONENT 3.6 - (Rating = 2*).

FLORIDA is 12-27 (30.8%, -18.3 Units) against the money line in home games vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better over the last 2 seasons. The average score was FLORIDA 3.4, OPPONENT 4.7 - (Rating = 2*).

Kyle Lohse (9-7, 3.33 ERA) has had a pretty good year, but he has struggled recently. He sports a 5.53 ERA in his past five starts and only lasted six innings in one of the five outings. Lohse is 2-2 with a 5.52 ERA in his career against the Marlins, and was tagged for five runs in six innings earlier this year in May. Albert Pujols (.275 BA, 25 HR, 65 RBI) has not had a good start to this month (1-for-14), but he usually stings the ball in August, hitting .342 with a whopping 1.087 OPS.

During the Marlins’ recent run of eight out of 10, they have averaged 5.1 runs with 16 homers. Florida took the first two from the Mets this week before being rained out Wednesday night. Clay Hensley (1-3, 3.09 ERA) has been very effective since getting moved from the bullpen to the rotation. He has a 2.65 ERA in his three starts, as opponents are batting a lowly .167 off him (10-for-60). Hensley is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA versus the Cardinals for his career, but that only includes one start, in May 2006. Florida has won four of the past six meetings with St. Louis, dating back to last year.