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Roy Halladay And Phillies Battle Cincinnati Reds

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay tries to get his Cy Young campaign back on track when he pitches at the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

The broadcast will begin at Great American Ball Park at 7:10 p.m. (ET). Bronson Arroyo will be on the mound for Cincinnati. The Monday night opener on ESPN was still pending with Cole Hamels and the Phils a 145 odds favorite over Homer Bailey and Cincy.

Philadelphia (83-46) is trying to keep focused with a playoff spot all but wrapped up. Hurricane Irene wiped out its Saturday and Sunday home games against Florida.

Halladay (15-5, 2.56 ERA) is still one of the Cy Young favorites, but hasn’t pitched in over a week and the team has lost his last two starts after going 14-1 in the previous 15.

His last start August 21 was at Washington. Halladay lasted just five innings due to a rain delay, his second shortest outing of the season. He left with a 3-2 lead, but saw the bullpen eventually blow it (5-4) in 10 innings.

The 34-year-old right-hander lost his previous start at home against Arizona, throwing a complete game, but losing 3-2. Halladay has been overtaken by Ian Kennedy (17) and Clayton Kershaw (16) for wins in the NL and Kershaw now has a lower ERA (2.51).

Halladay is 7-3 with a 2.86 ERA overall on the road this year, with the ‘over’ 7-1 in the last eight. He has faced Cincinnati just once this season, surrendering three earned runs (11 hits) over seven innings in a 5-4 May home win. He lost his only start at Great American Ball Park last year (4-3).

Cincinnati (67-66) has struggled all season and is double-digit games back in both the NL Central and wild-card. The team is still fighting with a 4-game winning streak, sweeping Washington three over the weekend, and is 12-5 in its last 17 overall.

Arroyo (8-10, 5.02 ERA) has had a season to forget for the most part, but has been much better in August (2.91 ERA) after an awful July (7.42 ERA). Cincinnati is 3-1 in Arroyo’s last four starts. That includes a gem at Florida last Wednesday, eight shutout innings in a 3-2 victory. It was his first winning decision since June 25.

The 34-year-old right-hander has a 5.13 ERA at home and has seen the Reds win just five of his 14 starts there. They did get a victory (5-3) against San Diego in the last one August 12.

Arroyo’s one start against Philly this season was a debacle, nine earned runs over 2 2/3 innings back in May on the road. Cincinnati is 0-4 in his last four starts against Philadelphia (10.00 ERA), dating back to 2008.

The ‘over’ is 11-2-1 in Arroyo’s last 14 starts against a team with a winning record.

This is the second series between the teams this year. Philly took three of four at home in May. The ‘over’ was 4-0 with Philly scoring 28 total runs.

Philly dominated the Reds last year, going 10-2 and sweeping them in the NLDS. However, Cincy was a respectable 2-2 at home.

The Phillies are 37-24 on the road this year (+6.6 units against the betting line) and 14-5 in the second half.

The Reds are 37-30 at home this season (-3.5 units), but 7-1 in their last eight there, feasting on easy competition (Colorado, San Diego and Washington).

Weather should be clear and in the upper 70s. Game 3 of the 4-game set on Wednesday will have Cliff Lee against hard-luck Dontrelle Willis.

Boston Red Sox Host NY Yankees MLB Odds Preview

New England residents are cleaning up in the aftermath of Irene, and the Boston Red Sox hope to do a little cleaning up of their own when they open a crucial 3-game set with the New York Yankees. It all begins at Fenway Park on Tuesday evening (7:10 p.m. ET).

Unlike this past weekend when the storm wreaked havoc all along the East Coast, weather shouldn't be a factor for this game or the rest of the series. Tuesday's forecast calls for clear skies, temps in the mid-70s at game time and a light WNW breeze.

New York was still trying to finish up a long weekend series in Baltimore on Monday night, carrying 170 chalk into the game that was still pending. The Yanks have been in a bit of a tailspin, dropping five of their last eight before Monday's contest.

Boston, meanwhile, was enjoying a second straight day off following a soggy set at home against the Oakland Athletics. The Red Sox will own at least a 1.5-game lead in the AL East when this series gets underway. Boston has picked up the pace with an 8-3 spurt after floundering a bit in mid-August.

Tuesday's initial mound clash pits John Lackey (12-10, 5.98) for the home team against CC Sabathia (19-9, 2.99) in a rematch of an Aug. 6 tilt here at Fenway that went in favor of the Red Sox, 10-4.

Lackey certainly hasn't been a mystery to most lineups this season, but Boston is finding ways to win with him on the hill recently. The Red Sox are 7-2 the last nine times the big Texan went to the mound, the 'over' also 7-2 in that span. In fact, taking the high side on the betting totals in Lackey starts has been a nice bread winner all year at 15-7.

Both of his starts this year against New York have gone into the win column despite Lackey allowing nine runs in 11 innings of work. This will be his fifth start vs. the Yanks here at Fenway since joining Boston in 2010, and the Red Sox are 3-1 in the previous four.

Four of the seven losses on Sabathia's personal ledger this campaign have come against the Red Sox. The big lefty's ERA in those four games is a bloated 7.20 compared to 2.40 against all other comers.

In that Aug. 6 game, New York backers were laying -150 on the road and Sabathia was eventually charged with seven of Boston's 10 runs in his six innings of action. Lackey allowed three of the Yankees' four runs, scattering six hits and a pair of walks over his six frames.

Boston has owned New York in the season series, winning 10 of 12. The Red Sox are 4-2 at home vs. the Yankees with the totals splitting 3-3 at Fenway and standing 6-5-1 'over' for the entire season.

Make sure to check back at DonBest.com for previews of Games 2 and 3. Phil Hughes and Josh Beckett are the expected mound combatants on Wednesday. Boston has yet to officially announce a starter for Thursday, with Andrew Miller and Tim Wakefield the leading candidates; New York is listing AJ Burnett for the series finale.

Diamonds Trends - Tuesday

August 30, 2011


SU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Brewers are 8-0 since May 25, 2010 at home after a one run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $810.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Indians are 0-8 OU since June 28, 2010 as a home dog after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $800 when playing the under.



STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Mets are 0-11 OU since July 01, 2007 when Michael Pelfrey starts within 20 cents of pickem after the team won their last two games for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.



MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Braves are 0-8 (-3.1 rpg) since 2009 as a 200+ favorite when they are off a loss as a favorite in which they never led.



TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Braves are 0-8-1 OU since April 30, 2010 as a home favorite when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800 when playing the under.

The Phillies are 10-0 since April 16, 2010 when Roy Halladay starts as a favorite after giving up no walks on the road for a net profit of $1000

The Red Sox are 11-0-1 OU since May 10, 2010 when John Lackey starts at home in the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing the over.

Around the Horn - Tuesday

August 29, 2011


NATIONAL LEAGUE


Washington at Atlanta - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Hernandez (7-12, 4.36 ERA) 0-6 L6 2-6 L8 away vs division
Jurrjens (13-5, 2.71 ERA) 7-2 L9 8-3 L11 home off loss

Nationals lost to Reds, 5-4 on Sunday
Braves lost to Mets, 6-0 on Friday

Philadelphia at Cincinnati - 7:10 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Halladay (15-5, 2.56 ERA) 5-5 L10 9-1 L10 away Game 2's
Arroyo (8-10, 5.02 ERA) 6-2 L8 OVER 6-2 home on Tuesdays

Phillies beat Reds, 3-2 on Monday

Florida at N.Y. Mets - 7:10 PM EST (Game 3/5)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Vazquez (7-11, 4.63 ERA) 2-9 L11 5-2 L7 away Game 3's
Pelfrey (7-10, 4.60 ERA) 3-5 L8 0-5 L5 home Game 3's

Mets beat Marlins, 2-1 on Monday (G1/DH)
Mets beat Marlins, 5-1 on Monday (G2/DH)

Pittsburgh at Houston - 8:05 PM EST (Game 2/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Morton (9-7, 3.63 ERA) 3-6 L9 1-8 L9 away Game 2's
Sosa (1-2, 5.09 ERA) 4-6 L10 OVER 9-2 L11 home Game 2's

Astros beat Pirates, 7-4 on Monday

St. Louis at Milwaukee - 8:15 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Garcia (10-7, 3.73 ERA) 4-6 L10 2-5 L7 away Game 1's
Marcum (11-4, 3.38 ERA) 8-2 L10 7-0 L7 home Game 1's

Cardinals beat Pirates, 7-4 on Sunday
Brewers beat Cubs, 3-2 on Sunday

Colorado at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 2/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Cook (3-7, 5.47 ERA) 6-3 L9 UNDER 6-2 away on Tuesdays
Miley (1-1, 4.50 ERA) 7-0 L7 6-3 home on Tuesdays

Diamondbacks beat Rockies, 5-1 on Monday

San Diego at Los Angeles - 10:15 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Stauffer (8-10, 3.42 ERA) 0-5 L5 2-5 L7 away Game 2's
Kuroda (10-14, 2.92 ERA) 6-1 L7 5-2 L7 home Game 2's

Dodgers beat Padres, 4-1 on Monday

Chicago at San Francisco - 10:15 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Garza (6-10, 3.68 ERA) 2-7 L9 OVER 5-0 L5 away Game 2's
Vogelsong (10-4, 2.54 ERA) 4-6 L10 9-3 L12 home Game 2's

Cubs beat Giants, 7-0 on Monday

AMERICAN LEAGUE


Toronto at Baltimore - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Cecil (4-7, 4.42 ERA) 1-5 L6 14-7 away Game 1's
Guthrie (6-16, 4.42 ERA) 6-2 L8 1-7 L8 home Game 1's

Blue Jays beat Rays, 7-3 on Monday
Orioles lost to Yankees, 3-2 on Monday

Kansas City at Detroit - 7:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Francis (5-14, 4.82 ERA) 4-6 L10 3-11 L14 away off win
Fister (6-13, 3.35 ERA) 8-2 L10 4-0 L4 home Game 2's

Royals beat Tigers, 9-5 on Monday

Oakland at Cleveland - 7:10 PM EST (Game 2/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Cahill (9-12, 4.13 ERA) 5-5 L10 4-7 away on Tuesdays
Gomez (0-2, 5.70 ERA) 3-7 L10 UNDER 5-2 L7 home off win

Indians beat Athletics, 2-1 on Monday

N.Y. Yankees at Boston - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Sabathia (17-7, 2.99 ERA) 3-5 L8 5-1 L6 away Game 1's
Lackey (12-9, 5.98 ERA) 5-1 L6 17-7 home vs LHP

Yankees beat Orioles, 3-2 on Monday
Red Sox beat Athletics, 4-0 on Saturday

Tampa Bay at Texas - 8:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Hellickson (11-9, 3.01 ERA) 7-3 L10 5-2 L7 away Game 1's
Feldman (0-0, 3.94 ERA) 3-6 L9 11-0 L11 home Game 1's

Rays lost to Blue Jays, 7-3 on Monday
Rangers beat Angels, 9-5 on Sunday

Minnesota at Chicago - 8:15 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Swarzak (3-4, 3.62 ERA) 1-7 L8 0-4 L4 on Tuesdays
Stewart (1-3, 4.76 ERA) 5-3 L8 2-6 L8 home Game 2's

White Sox beat Twins, 3-0 on Monday

Los Angeles at Seattle - 10:10 PM EST (Game 2/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Williams (1-0, 4.82 ERA) 7-3 L10 OVER 5-1 L6 away vs LHP
Vasquez (1-0, 8.44 ERA) 3-7 L10 UNDER 15-6 home Game 2's

Mariners beat Angels, 5-3 on Monday

Brewers look to keep rolling at home

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (70-64, -9.0 Units)

at MILWAUKEE BREWERS (81-54, +21.5 Units)


First pitch: Tuesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Milwaukee -145, St. Louis +135, Total: 8.5

The red-hot Brewers will host the Cardinals at Miller Park on Tuesday night. Milwaukee has gone 27-5 since July 26, and has opened up a 10½-game lead in the NL Central.

Edwin Jackson (10-9, 3.94 ERA) will get the ball for the Cards and try to improve his results against Milwaukee. Jackson is 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA against the Brewers in four career outings. His counterpart will be Shaun Marcum (11-4, 3.38 ERA) who has never lost to the Cards, but carries a 5.68 ERA in three starts against them. The Brew Crew have been unbelievable at home, going a majors-best 50-16 (+29.8 Units). Milwaukee also has won games it is expected to win, going 66-29 (+28.6 Units) as a favorite. On the other hand, the Cardinals are just 15-17 as an underdog and managed just one win in six tries at Miller Park this year. Expect MILWAUKEE to continue to steam-roll to the division title with another win over St. Louis.

These two four-star FoxSheets trends also side with the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE is 29-6 (82.9%, +21.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.7, OPPONENT 2.9 - (Rating = 4*).

MILWAUKEE is 42-12 (77.8%, +24.4 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -125 to -175 this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.2, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 4*).

Jackson is coming off a good pitching performance, allowing just one earned run in six innings in a 8-4 victory over the Pirates. However, Jackson had an atrocious outing the last time he pitched in Miller Park earlier this month. He allowed 10 runs (8 ER) and a career high 14 hits, including four homers, in a 10-5 loss on Aug. 3. Albert Pujols (.288 BA, 31 HR, 78 RBI) is hitting a measly .196 (9-for-46) against Milwaukee this year and will need to heat up his bat to give the Cards a chance.

Milwaukee is on the verge of winning its first division title since 1982 and after winning three in a row, has the fourth-best record in the majors. Marcum has been great his past three starts, going 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. His last time out, he gave up two runs in six innings, but was labeled with the loss in a 2-0 defeat at Pittsburgh. This was Marcum’s first loss in 10 starts since late June.

Reds try to conquer Halladay and Phillies

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (84-46, +16.4 Units)

at CINCINNATI REDS (67-67, -10.5 Units)


First pitch: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -180, Cincinnati +170, Total: 8

After taking the opener of their four-game series Monday night 3-2, the Phillies will look to expand on their MLB-best record with another win over the Reds Tuesday. The Reds, on the other hand, will look to tie the series at one apiece and avoid falling under .500, currently sitting at 67-67.

The Phillies send ace Roy Halladay to toe the rubber, always a good sign for the Philadelphia faithful. The Phillies have lost his past two starts, but overall are a staggering 20-6 (+9.5 Units) when he’s on the hill this season. The Reds will try to scrape some runs off him and hope Bronson Arroyo can continue with his hot hand (1.80 ERA in past three starts) to guide them to victory. Despite the unfavorable odds, the play here is the dominant chalk PHILADELPHIA. The Phillies are 78-38 (67%) when favored this year and have won 66% (19-10) of their games against NL Central opponents. They are 17-5 against the Reds over the past three seasons.

The FoxSheets provide a pair of three-star trends backing the Phils on Tuesday:

Play On - All favorites with a money line of -175 to -250 (PHILADELPHIA) - after a game where they stranded 3 or less runners on base, starting a pitcher who walked <=1 hitters each of his last 2 outings. (57-10 since 1997.) (85.1%, +37.8 units. Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Home underdogs with a money line of +125 to +175 (CINCINNATI) - average offensive team (4.3 to 4.8 runs/game) against a good starter (ERA<=3.70) (NL), after a loss by 2 runs or less. (61-16 since 1997.) (79.2%, +37.1 units. Rating = 3*).

Something to watch out for Tuesday night is the potential for a low-scoring affair. The over/under for the game is set at eight, but both pitchers are on impressive hot streaks that could easily keep it under that total.

The FoxSheets give another reason to side with the UNDER.

DUSTY BAKER is 49-24 UNDER (67.1%, +21.7 Units) as an underdog of +150 or more as the manager of CINCINNATI. The average score was CINCINNATI 3.1, OPPONENT 5.0 - (Rating = 2*).

The perennial Cy Young candidate Halladay (15-5, 2.56 ERA) continues to excel and pitch deep into games, lasting at least seven innings in 20 of 26 starts, including seven complete games. He was most recently scheduled to pitch this weekend, but the start was moved back due to Hurricane Irene. In 11 starts where he has more than five days of rest this year he has pitched four complete games. Halladay is 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA despite a .297 opponents’ BA in five regular-season starts versus Cincinnati.

Arroyo (8-10, 5.02 ERA) threw a gem his last time out, allowing no runs over eight innings against the Marlins, giving up six hits and no walks. He has pitched six or more innings in nine straight starts dating back to July 6, but Wednesday’s win in Florida was his only victory. Arroyo has been dreadful in his career against the Phils, going 1-6 with a 7.13 ERA and 1.68 WHIP against them. When he pitched in Philadelphia on May 23, he allowed 10 hits and nine runs in just 2.2 innings.

Yankees-Red Sox open 3-game set in Boston

NEW YORK YANKEES (80-52, +7.8 Units)

at BOSTON RED SOX (82-51, +8.3 Units)


First pitch: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -145, Boston +135, Total: 9.5

In the battle for supremacy in the AL East, the Red Sox hold 1½-game lead over the Yankees as the two powerhouses start up a three-game series Tuesday night. New York enters the series in a bit of a rough patch, having only won four of its past nine, while the rivals from Boston have won five of six, including three victories over the Rangers.

The Yankees are the sizable favorites in this game with CC Sabathia taking the rubber against the woeful John Lackey. Sabathia has had a rough month of August (4.95 ERA), but he’s still been than Lackey (5.34 ERA in August). The biggest question for the Yankees entering this series is who can actually play for them, with Alex Rodriguez likely out for the series due to a thumb injury and Derek Jeter day-to-day with a knee contusion. Due to the Yankees uncertain health and short odds, play on home dog BOSTON to take this game.

The FoxSheets provides a four-star trend that shows how dominant the Red Sox have been against great teams this year:

BOSTON is 24-6 (80.0%, +18.8 Units) against the money line vs. teams outscoring opponents by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. The average score was BOSTON 6.1, OPPONENT 2.8 - (Rating = 4*).

Something to watch out for Tuesday night is how the MVP candidates fare in this game. For the Yankees, Curtis Granderson is certainly in the conversation while for the Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia will all receive votes.

Sabathia (17-7, 2.99 ERA) has been amazing all year, although his production certainly slowed in the past four starts (three Yankees losses) with a 5.72 ERA. He has allowed 9+ hits in four of his five August outings. He has also been dreadful against the Red Sox this year, losing all four starts. He has allowed 20 runs and 43 base runners in 25 innings against them, for a 7.20 ERA and 1.72 WHIP.

Lackey (12-9, 5.98 ERA) has been one of the worst starters in baseball this season to remain in a contending rotation. The bad news is that he has shown no signs of picking it up, with a 5.12 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in his past three starts. In addition, he has struggled against the Yankees this season with a 7.36 ERA in two starts, although he won both of those games. Get ready for a slugfest on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s betting tips: Can Yanks stop skid vs. Sox?

Who’s hot

MLB: The Boston Red Sox are 12-2 in their last 14 games against the New York Yankees.

MLB: The over is 10-0-1 in the last 11 meetings between the Nationals and Braves.

WNBA: Minnesota is 7-1 against the spread in its last eight home games.

WNBA: Seven of the last eight meetings between Seattle and Los Angeles have played under the total.

Who’s not

MLB: St. Louis is 2-7 in its last nine meetings with the NL-Central leading Milwaukee Brewers.

MLB: Cleveland is 5-12 in its last 17 games against Oakland.

WNBA: Chicago is 2-7 against the spread in its last nine road games.

WNBA: Indiana is 1-1o against the spread in its last 11 matchups with Atlanta.

Key stat

0 – New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey is winless in 15 career starts (0-7) against the Florida Marlins, compiling a 5.23 ERA. The Mets have won just three of those games, while Pelfry has lost all three of his outings against the Marlins this season.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers – Cruz is expected to miss three weeks of action with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which will be a big loss for the Rangers down the stretch. Cruz is hitting .270 with 28 homers and 94 RBIs. The early word is that Cuban defector Leonys Martin may get the call from Triple-A Round Rock to fill in.

Game of the day

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (+135, 9)

Notable quotable

"When people compare him to other players, you can't forget he's a center fielder and he's playing a high quality defense out there. He's scoring a bunch of runs and RBIs, the two most important stats in baseball. In my eyes, he's the MVP." - New York Yankees third baseman on teammate Curtis Granderson, who has 38 homers and 197 RBIs this season.

Notes and tips

The Indianapolis Colts took quarterback Peyton Manning off the PUP list Monday, though he immediately ruled himself out of Thursday’s preseason game and his status for Week 1 is questionable. Oddsmakers currently have the Colts set as 3-point road underdogs in Houston for Week 1.

After jumping out to a 7-1 start to the season both straight up and against the spread, the San Antonio Silver Stars are fighting an uphill battle just to qualify for postseason play. They have dropped six consecutive games straight up (covering just once over that span) and sit 1 ½ games ahead of Los Angeles for the final spot in the Western Conference. The Silver Stars are 3.5-point favorites against Connecticut on Tuesday.

Tuesday's six-pack

Seven players who have come up with most runners on base, and %age of those runners they're knocked in.........

414-- Adrian Gonzalez, 19.3%-- What were the Padres thinking?

401-- Ryan Howard, 18.0%-- Strikes out every time I watch him.

398-- Prince Fielder, 18.3%-- Will be very rich this winter.

394-- Matt Kemp, 18.0%-- Bright spot in a dark, dismal LA season.

381-- Carlos Lee, 15.5%-- Misses Hunter Pence hitting ahead of him.

381-- Casey McGehee, 13.5%-- Notice the low percentage; bad year.

381-- Troy Tulowitzki, 17.3%-- Best shortstop in game today.


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


Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........

13) If I’m coaching the Carolina Panthers, I don’t name a starting QB, I just alternate Clausen/Newton by series, the way Dan Reeves once did in Denver with Tommy Maddox/Shawn Moore (actually he did it each play, but we’d go for each series). It would give Newton experience while also allowing him to be coached during the game.

Panthers desperately need to develop Newton as a QB, but no way is he ready to play full-time (he was 6 for 19 at Cincinnati this weekend), so script how much playing time he gets and let the more experienced Clausen fill in the gaps.

12) Speaking of the Bengals, was there any doubt they were cutting Jordan Palmer after his older brother Carson walked out on them? Jordan Palmer was the Jeremy Giambi of the NFL; there to appease his brother. He wasn't even any good when he played at freakin' UTEP.

11) SI.com estimates that 23,000,000 Americans play fantasy football. Its more mainstream than gambling, and as a result, players/coaches get asked lot of questions that pertain to people’s fantasy leagues. It’s a big reason why the sport is so popular, and players/coaches need to understand that the sport’s popularity is what is making them very wealthy.

10) In 1990, Las Vegas had less than 60,000 residents; last year, it had 223,394. Now it also has the most foreclosures in America. Nowhere in America has the recession hit harder than Nevada.

9) Why would anyone pay $20 to tour the Cowboys’ new stadium? It’s a football field tucked inside a nightclub/restaurant/movie theater/luxury hotel. Over 700,000 tours were given last year. I don’t understand.

8) Will NBA coaches still get paid if there is no season this winter? And if so, what the hell do they do all winter? Are they allowed to go scout college games?

7) Interesting storyline for Sunday’s SMU-Texas A&M football game; if the Aggies bolt the Big 12 for the SEC, SMU is going to be one of the teams considered to replace them in the Big 12. Lot of SMU boosters have very deep pockets.

6) Bernie Brewer was more fun when he slid down his chute into a mug of beer, like he did at old County Stadium. Sliding onto a generic ramp at Miller Park just isn’t as much cool. The park is sponsored by a freakin’ beer company; get a mug in there.

5) When ESPN televises a high school football game between a team from Cincinnati and a team from Florida, who foots the travel bill? ESPN? Nike? Under Armour? Do these high schools have booster clubs with that much money? My guess is that ESPN picks up the tab, but I don’t know that for sure.

4) Local telecasts of NFL exhibition games are just brutal to listen to, even though they’re generally done by guys who work network telecasts. They’re like infomercials for the home team, with the owner or son of the owner “dropping by” the booth to chat up the announcers. Its seriously enough to make you reach for the mute button, but you don’t want to, because you’re hoping against hope someone says something that may drop a hint as to how the team is developing. So far, not much luck there.

3) This might sound weird, but one of the big decisions a new coordinator has to make is where to watch the game from; does he choose the sidelines, where he has contact with players, but can’t see the action as well? Or does he go upstairs and see exactly whats going on, but lose lot of the personal contact with players? It’s a dilemma for some young coordinators.

2) OK, I get that the Cy Young Award is for pitchers, the MVP for everyday players, but what about closers? They’re pitchers who might go out there every day, and they’re extremely valuable. Seems to me they’d fall on the MVP side of the ledger.

1) Let me see, last week we had an earthquake, a hurricane, my fantasy baseball team was ousted from its playoffs. So I'm thinking this week figures to be better, no?

WNBA
Dunkel


Connecticut at San Antonio
The Sun look to bounce back from their 83-72 loss to Tulsa and build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following a SU defeat. Connecticut is the pick (+3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Silver Stars favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+3 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

Game 601-602: Chicago at New York (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 112.231; New York 115.432
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 3; 151
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 5; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+5); Over

Game 603-604: Indiana at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 114.145; Atlanta 118.924
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 5; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 4; 159
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-4); Under

Game 605-606: Washington at Minnesota (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 104.048; Minnesota 120.328
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 16 1/2; 146
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 13 1/2; 148 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-13 1/2); Under

Game 607-608: Connecticut at San Antonio (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 111.267; San Antonio 111.844
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1; 154
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 3 1/2; 152
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+3 1/2); Over

Game 609-610: Phoenix at Tulsa (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 112.621; Tulsa 101.000
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 11 1/2; 172
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 9; 175 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-9); Under

Game 611-612: Seattle at Los Angeles (10:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 109.405; Los Angeles 109.466
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 146
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 2 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+2 1/2); Over




WNBA


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NEW YORK
Chicago is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago

7:30 PM
INDIANA vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MINNESOTA
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games

8:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Connecticut

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. TULSA
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Tulsa is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tulsa's last 10 games when playing at home against Phoenix

10:30 PM
SEATTLE vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 7 games
Los Angeles is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games


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WNBA


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lady luck: Tuesday's best WNBA bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Mystics at Minnesota Lynx (-13.5, 148.5)

The Lynx have accomplished pretty much all of their goals so far this season and could secure home-court for the playoffs with a win Tuesday. Against the Mystics, they shouldn’t have much trouble doing just that.

The Lynx have won their last five games (covering four times) by an average of 13 points and are looking like easily the best team in the league down the stretch.

A lot of that has to do with its depth. Rookie Maya Moore put up 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Minnesota’s 72-61 win over San Antonio and is a perfect example of the team’s depth.

"It's just a blessing to be on this team," Moore told reporters. "All of us have a really special situation, so I'm just excited to play well because we still have a lot of work to do."

The Mystics don’t have anything left to play for, so we’re siding with the Lynx despite this fat line.

Pick: Lynx


Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks (-2.5, 143.5)

As these teams conclude a home-and-home, there is a lot on the line.

The Storm have been a different team since Lauren Jackson returned to the lineup and now look like they could make some serious noise in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Sparks still have some work to do to get into the dance, sitting 1 ½ games out of the last playoff spot in the West.

On Sunday, the Storm needed a pair of free throws from Sue Bird with 1.6 seconds to escape with a 65-63 loss as a 7.5-point favorite.

Sparks coach Jellybean Bryant wasn’t exactly pleased with the result.

"I'm not going to say what I think because I don't want to get fined," Bryant told reporters. "I thought we played great defense. It's just sad that it had to end that way because usually, you let the players make the decisions in games. So that was probably the saddest part about it."

Desperation is one thing, but 2.5-point favorites against the Storm?

Pick: Storm

MLB
Dunkel


San Diego at LA Dodgers
The Padres look to take advantage of a Dodgers team that is 1-5 in Hiroki Kuroda's last 6 home starts. San Diego is the pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+130). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

Game 951-952: Philadelphia at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.487; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.718
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-180); Over

Game 953-954: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Hernandez) 13.784; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 15.243
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-180); Under

Game 955-956: Florida at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Vazquez) 13.678; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.659
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-115); Over

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.348; Houston (Sosa) 13.894
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-120); Under

Game 959-960: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Jackson) 14.890; Milwaukee (Marcum) 16.302
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-150); Over

Game 961-962: Colorado at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Cook) 16.425; Arizona (Miley) 15.699
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+120); Under

Game 963-964: San Diego at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 15.975; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 15.591
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-150); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+130); Under

Game 965-966: Chicago Cubs at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Garza) 13.909; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 14.658
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-145); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-145); Over

Game 967-968: Oakland at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Cahill) 14.994; Cleveland (Gomez) 14.438
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: Kansas City at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Francis) 14.500; Detroit (Fister) 15.859
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-170); Under

Game 971-972: Toronto at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Cecil) 15.609; Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.550
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 973-974: NY Yankees at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.434; Boston (Lackey) 17.056
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+130); Over

Game 975-976: Tampa Bay at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 14.890; Texas (Feldman) 16.514
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 977-978: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Swarzak) 15.375; White Sox (Stewart) 15.144
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+135); Over

Game 979-980: LA Angels at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Williams) 16.147; Seattle (Vazquez) 14.980
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-130); Over

MLB
Write-Up


Tuesday, August 30

Hot pitchers
-- Halladay is 4-1, 2.98 in his last six starts.
-- Jurrjens is 5-2, 3.50 in his last ten starts.
-- Morton is 1-1, 2.20 in his last five starts.
-- Marcum is 2-0, 2.18 in his last three starts.
-- Kuroda is 4-1, 2.43 in his last five starts. Stauffer is 1-1, 2.08 in his last couple starts.

-- Fister is 2-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Hellickson is 2-2, 2.14 in his last five starts.
-- Swarzak is 2-1, 2.42 in his last four starts.
-- Williams won his only '11 start, allowing one run in seven IP.

Cold pitchers
-- Arroyo is 0-4, 6.07 in his last nine starts.
-- LHernandez is 1-2, 7.48 in his last four starts.
-- Vazquez is 0-2, 4.50 in his last four starts. Pelfrey is 1-1, 5.60 in his last five starts.
-- Sosa is 1-2, 5.09 in four starts for Houston.
-- Jackson is 0-2, 8.36 in two road starts for St Louis.
-- Cook is 1-2, 6.52 in his last five starts. Miley is 1-1, 4.50 in two starts for Arizona.
-- Garza is 1-2, 5.09 in his last four starts. Vogelsong is 1-3, 5.00 in his last four outings.

-- Cahill is 0-3, 7.22 in his last five starts. Gomez is 0-2, 6.10 in four starts, last of which was July 17.
-- Francis is 1-3, 7.06 in his last four starts.
-- Guthrie is 1-2, 6.08 in his last four starts. Cecil is 0-3, 4.61 in his last four starts.
-- Lackey has a 5.73 RA in his last six starts; Red Sox are 1-8 when they score less than six runs in his starts. Sabathia is 1-2, 6.04 in his last four starts.
-- Feldman is 31-32, 4.78 in 78 career starts; this is his first 2011 start. He is 0-0, 3.94 in seven games this season (16 IP).
-- Stewart is 1-2, 4.82 in three starts for the Pale Hose.
-- Vasquez allowed six runs in 5.1 IP in his major league debut.

Totals
-- Five of last six Halladay starts went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Jurrjens starts went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Vazquez starts.
-- Three of four Sosa starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Marcum's last eight starts.
-- Eight of last nine Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- 12 of San Diego's last 18 road games went over the total.
-- Eight of Giants' last eleven home games stayed under total.

-- Six of Cleveland's last nine games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Fister starts went over the total.
-- Over is 10-1 in Guthrie's last eleven home starts.
-- Over is 13-3 in Lackey's last sixteen starts.
-- Under is 10-4 in Hellickson's last fourteen starts.
-- Under is 5-2-2 in last nine Minnesota games.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in Angels' last nine road games.

Hot Teams
-- Mets won their last four games, allowing six runs.
-- Braves won seven of their last nine games.
-- Reds won eight of their last nine home games.
-- Brewers won 21 of their last 24 home games. St Louis won three of its last four games.
-- Arizona won last seven games, allowing total of six runs. Colorado won six of its last nine games.
-- Dodgers won eight of their last eleven games.

-- Orioles won six of their last eight games. Toronto is 11-8 in its last nineteen road games.
-- Red Sox won five of their last six games.
-- Tampa Bay are 9-4 in its last thirteen games.
-- Angels won seven of their last ten games.
-- Tigers won eight of their last eleven games.
-- White Sox won six of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost 12 of their last 15 games.
-- Washington lost its last six games, scoring 13 runs.
-- Phillies are just 5-6 in their last eleven games.
-- Pirates lost nine of their last 13 games. Astros lost six of their last nine games, but won last two.
-- Padres lost their last five games, scoring four runs.
-- Giants are 5-9 in their last 14 games. Cubs lost seven of their last nine games.

-- Bronx Bombers are 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- Oakland lost four of its last five games. Cleveland lost seven of its last eleven games.
-- Royals are 5-9 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Rangers lost six of their last nine games.
-- Twins lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Seattle is 4-9 in its last thirteen games.

Umpires
-- Phil-Cin-- Four of last five Kulpa games stayed under total.
-- Fla-NY-- Five of last six Johnson games went over the total.
-- Pitt-Hst-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Winters games.
-- Col-Az-- Four of last five Bellino games went over the total.
-- SD-LA-- Underdogs are 5-3 in last eight Iassogna games.
-- Chi-SF-- Last four Nauert games stayed under the total.

-- A's-Clv-- Underdogs are 14-8 in last 22 Darling games.
-- KC-Det-- Under is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Cuzzi games.
-- Min-Chi-- Over is 9-3 in last twelve Dimuro games.
-- LA-Sea-- Last three Wendelstedt games stayed under the total.

MLB


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. CLEVELAND
Oakland is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oakland's last 9 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing Detroit
Kansas City is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Kansas City
Detroit is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
Baltimore is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
NY Yankees are 1-9 SU in their last 10 games when playing Boston
NY Yankees are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games at home
Boston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Florida's last 21 games when playing NY Mets
Florida is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Mets's last 12 games
NY Mets are 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Florida

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
Philadelphia is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Atlanta's last 11 games when playing Washington

8:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against St. Louis

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 17-7 SU in their last 24 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox are 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota

9:40 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado's last 10 games on the road
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arizona's last 15 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing Colorado

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing at home against LA Angels

10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego

10:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games at home

MLB


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Streaking

Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers (10-14, 2.92 ERA)

Kuroda has won four of his last five trips to the hill, allowing just eight runs over that span. He has pitched pretty well all year, but is finally getting a little bit of run support. While he does have 14 losses on his record this season, his WHIP is sparkling at 1.10.

"He keeps us in every game, and for a while there we just didn't get him any runs at all," manager Don Mattingly told reporters of Kuroda.

Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers (6-13, 3.35 ERA)

Fister is coming off what was likely his best start of the season, throwing a perfect game over 13 outs against the Rays. He ended up blanking Tampa Bay over seven innings in a 2-0 win, improving to 3-1 since joining the Tigers. Fister was 3-12 with the offensively-challenged Mariners.

"You might see some better stuff," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Fister after that start, "but you can’t pitch better than he pitched today. In and out, changing speeds, cutting the ball, sinking the ball, riding the ball. You can’t pitch better than that."


Slumping

Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays (4-7, 4.42 ERA)

The Blue Jays have dropped four of Cecil’s last five starts, including a 9-6 loss against Kansas City in his last trip to the mound. He was smacked for five runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings in that one while striking out three and walking one. Cecil’s control has been better this season, but he has just 67 strikeouts in 97 2/1 innings.

Javier Vazquez, Florida Marlins (7-11, 4.63 ERA)

Vazquez still hasn’t won a start since July 27, but he won’t be in the Slumping section this time around if we had any other options. The veteran went seven innings in his last start against Cincinnati, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out a season-high 11 batters but didn’t factor in the decision.

MLB


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rounding the bases: This week's best MLB trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in Major League Baseball.

HOT TEAM: Arizona Diamondbacks

THIS SEASON: 75-59
LAST WEEK: 6-1

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Rockies for three, at the Giants for three.

THE SKINNY: You have to hand it to the Diamondbacks, who closed Sunday’s action with a four-game lead on San Francisco in the NL West. They are the majors’ biggest surprise story, and it just continues to roll on.

All Arizona did last week was run off six consecutive victories. Did they beat good teams? No, they whacked Washington and San Diego, but wins are wins, and if you’ve been riding this team, you’re not going to complain.

The pitching has been outstanding -- Arizona allowed just two runs total to the Padres in a three-game set -- and how about the underrated addition of second baseman Aaron Hill? He was an All-Star in 2009, and he delivered a triple and a home run in Sunday’s 6-1 win.

Listen, they’re not going to creep up on anyone anymore, and their playoff run -- should this continue -- probably won’t last but a week. But it’s been a heckuva ride, and if you need a win down the stretch, you can do worse than leaning on Arizona.

COLD TEAM: Toronto Blue Jays

THIS SEASON: 66-67
LAST WEEK: 1-5

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Rays for one, at the Orioles for three, at the Yankees for three.

THE SKINNY: The Blue Jays still have a little sock, and are probably right where most people thought they’d be as we hit September: Around the .500 mark. They had a decent start, and turned some heads early. But lately, they’ve been lifeless, and have become a quality fade down the stretch, as a result.

Heading into Monday’s series finale with Tampa Bay, the Blue Jays had already allowed 24 runs to the Rays ... not exactly the AL’s strongest lineup. And the bats have not been able to pick up the pitchers, which shouldn’t come as a surprise when you look at the numbers.

OVER TEAM: Colorado Rockies

O/U THIS SEASON: 68-62-4
O/U LAST WEEK: 5-1

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Diamondbacks for three, at the Padres for three.

THE SKINNY: With little to play for, the Rockies have shown a little life these days, and keeping them on your over radar may be worth your while. Runs have come in bunches this month for Colorado, home and away, and last week, the Rockies scored 38 times in six games.

That’ll get you some over wins at the window, especially when you consider Colorado has a pitching staff that is now minus Ubaldo Jimenez, and sported a 4.33 ERA through Sunday’s action.

And the offense figures to be there till the end. Colorado should finish with two players -- Troy Tulowitzki (28) and Carlos Gonzalez (24) -- over the 30 home-run mark. If you’re an over player, you might want to monitor the Rockies the rest of the way.

UNDER TEAM: Minnesota Twins

O/U THIS SEASON: 59-65-9
O/U LAST WEEK: 2-4-1

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the White Sox for three, at the Angels for three.

THE SKINNY: Lot of teams hit a lot of overs last week, so we’ll give this honor to the scuffling Twins, who not only posted a decent under streak, but also lost Jim Thome to Cleveland. With a weaker lineup, and the season already decided, Minnesota looks like prime under material the rest of the way.

The Twins -- who entered the week 17 games out of first place in the AL Central, a division they used to own -- broke out with the bats over the weekend vs. Detroit. But keep in mind Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the Tigers snapped a run of five straight games in which the Twins scored one run. If that’s not an under play, we don’t know what one is.

In fact, heading into Monday’s series opener with the White Sox, Minnesota had scored one run or less 14 times in August. Sunday’s lineup featured two hitters below the .200 mark, and only one -- Jason Kubel (.283 average, nine homers, 45 RBIs) -- over the .280 mark. You get the idea.

MLB


Tuesday, August 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Tuesday's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers (-145, 6.5)

This story about Andre Ethier saying the Dodgers asked him to play hurt just won’t go away. It sounds a lot like Ethier is just whining about his slow second half while trying to leverage his contract situation.

"If he says his knee’s hurting and this and that, and we put him out there and he blows a hammy or hurts something else, now we're kind of boxed in to really having a lot of trouble using him," manager Don Mattingly said. "So we're going to talk about it and just go from there."

Ethier now says he wants to keep playing, which probably only adds to the tension in the in the locker room.

Still, the way Hiroki Kuroda is throwing the ball, it’s hard to go against the Dodgers at this price.

Pick: Dodgers


Florida Marlins at New York Mets (-115, 8)

The New York Mets won’t have much to play for in September, but now that Jose Reyes is back in the lineup, at least they should be entertaining.

Reyes returned from his second stint on the DL in the second half of Monday’s doubleheader with the Fish. Now, if his hamstring holds up, he should be in the running for the NL batting title. He was hitting .336 heading into Tuesday’s action.

"If I have a strong September, that's going to be good for the team, too, because that means I've gotten on base a lot," Reyes said. "I'm going to be scoring a lot of runs for this team, so it's not only for me. It's for the whole team."

With Reyes back setting the table for the Mets, we’ll jump on the over.

Pick: Over

MLB
Long Sheet


Tuesday, August 30

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

PHILADELPHIA (84 - 46) at CINCINNATI (67 - 67) - 7:10 PM
ROY HALLADAY (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 38-27 (+6.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 84-46 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 138-97 (+26.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 82-45 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 134-75 (+28.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 68-67 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 29-33 (-11.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CINCINNATI is 66-66 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-1 (+2.9 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HALLADAY is 2-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 4-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ARROYO is 1-6 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 6.80 and a WHIP of 1.689.
His team's record is 2-7 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.6 units)

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WASHINGTON (62 - 70) at ATLANTA (79 - 54) - 7:10 PM
LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 79-54 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 59-36 (+13.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 39-16 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 79-54 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 98-53 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
JURRJENS is 17-4 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JURRJENS is 17-4 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JURRJENS is 22-8 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 43-45 (+5.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 31-29 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 11-4 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
ATLANTA is 105-98 (-27.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-6 (+2.9 Units) against ATLANTA this season
10 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+9.2 Units)

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 10-18 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.449.
His team's record is 13-24 (-5.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 20-15. (+3.5 units)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
JURRJENS is 3-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.393.
His team's record is 5-6 (-5.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-7. (-4.3 units)

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FLORIDA (59 - 74) at NY METS (64 - 68) - 7:10 PM
JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 29-44 (-14.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
FLORIDA is 59-74 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 59-71 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 42-56 (-14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 34-29 (+7.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
NY METS are 64-68 (+2.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 64-68 (+2.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 49-51 (+3.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 478-443 (+48.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 33-31 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 44-39 (+13.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 56-43 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 26-20 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
VAZQUEZ is 10-2 (+9.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VAZQUEZ is 14-5 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 28-35 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 248-248 (-66.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
PELFREY is 23-43 (-24.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 7-5 (+1.5 Units) against NY METS this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.7 Units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 10-10 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 1.117.
His team's record is 15-12 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-14. (-5.2 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. FLORIDA since 1997
PELFREY is 1-7 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.593.
His team's record is 4-12 (-10.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-10. (-4.9 units)

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PITTSBURGH (62 - 72) at HOUSTON (45 - 90) - 8:05 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. HENRY SOSA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 28-70 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 81-136 (-27.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 85-140 (-43.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-44 (-21.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 17-49 (-20.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 22-11 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 61-71 (+4.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 36-36 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 63-72 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-35 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-32 (+8.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 14-30 (-13.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 45-91 (-33.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 14-42 (-26.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 24-42 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-25 (-14.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 43-90 (-35.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 33-62 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 28-67 (-30.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-4 (+5.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MORTON is 2-4 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 6.57 and a WHIP of 1.703.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.5 units)

HENRY SOSA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (70 - 64) at MILWAUKEE (81 - 54) - 8:10 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. SHAUN MARCUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 70-63 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-35 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 18-31 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 71-65 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 70-80 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 71-69 (-32.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
JACKSON is 17-27 (-14.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JACKSON is 15-25 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 82-54 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 56-35 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 67-38 (+26.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 32-12 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
MILWAUKEE is 30-22 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 82-54 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 47-23 (+20.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-3 (+13.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 51-16 (+30.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-6 (+21.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 42-21 (+17.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
JACKSON is 9-2 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 17-31 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 8-4 (+4.3 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.5 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
JACKSON is 1-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.04 and a WHIP of 1.560.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

SHAUN MARCUM vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
MARCUM is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.68 and a WHIP of 1.263.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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COLORADO (64 - 71) at ARIZONA (76 - 59) - 9:40 PM
AARON COOK (R) vs. WADE MILEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 14-35 (-19.4 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 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 64-72 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 2-13 (-10.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season.
COLORADO is 60-89 (-32.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 24-31 (-13.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 64-72 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 97-103 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COOK is 31-46 (-23.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 77-60 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 59-42 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 56-41 (+18.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 47-30 (+19.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 20-9 (+13.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ARIZONA is 43-27 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARIZONA is 24-10 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
ARIZONA is 77-60 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 29-16 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 28-21 (+9.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 9-4 (+6.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.2 Units)

AARON COOK vs. ARIZONA since 1997
COOK is 6-4 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 5.26 and a WHIP of 1.540.
His team's record is 7-14 (-8.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 14-6. (+7.7 units)

WADE MILEY vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN DIEGO (60 - 75) at LA DODGERS (63 - 70) - 10:10 PM
TIM STAUFFER (R) vs. HIROKI KURODA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 32-57 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 40-55 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA DODGERS are 17-6 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
LA DODGERS are 41-30 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 148-148 (+6.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 24-22 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 150-149 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 77-75 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 64-70 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 9-14 (-9.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
LA DODGERS are 64-70 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KURODA is 3-11 (-12.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KURODA is 4-10 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
KURODA is 4-10 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KURODA is 2-9 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 9-4 (+4.4 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
10 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.9 Units)

TIM STAUFFER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
STAUFFER is 4-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 6-3 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.7 units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KURODA is 7-4 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.203.
His team's record is 8-5 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.9 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (58 - 77) at SAN FRANCISCO (71 - 64) - 10:15 PM
MATT GARZA (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 58-78 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 865-921 (-158.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-71 (-39.0 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-37 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 58-78 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
GARZA is 16-28 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 20-34 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 16-23 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 174-137 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 123-89 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 26-12 (+14.1 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 123-89 (+27.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 175-139 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 145-92 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 51-51 (-11.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 4-3 (+2.2 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

MATT GARZA vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
VOGELSONG is 3-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.2 units)

OAKLAND (60 - 74) at CLEVELAND (66 - 65) - 7:05 PM
TREVOR CAHILL (R) vs. JEANMAR GOMEZ (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-1 (+2.8 Units) against OAKLAND this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

TREVOR CAHILL vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
CAHILL is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.528.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

JEANMAR GOMEZ vs. OAKLAND since 1997
GOMEZ is 0-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.501.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (56 - 79) at DETROIT (73 - 61) - 7:05 PM
JEFF FRANCIS (L) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 33-70 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 26-63 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 25-57 (-23.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
FRANCIS is 1-16 (-17.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 238-255 (-61.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
FISTER is 17-37 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 2-16 (-15.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 15-35 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 10-27 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FISTER is 11-28 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 8-5 (+1.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.3 Units)

JEFF FRANCIS vs. DETROIT since 1997
FRANCIS is 0-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.300.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
FISTER is 0-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 5.21 and a WHIP of 1.211.
His team's record is 0-3 (-4.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

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TORONTO (67 - 67) at BALTIMORE (53 - 79) - 7:05 PM
BRETT CECIL (L) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-4 (+3.1 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

BRETT CECIL vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
CECIL is 3-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.19 and a WHIP of 1.176.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. TORONTO since 1997
GUTHRIE is 2-7 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.62 and a WHIP of 1.152.
His team's record is 5-12 (-7.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-8. (+0.1 units)

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NY YANKEES (80 - 52) at BOSTON (82 - 51) - 7:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 45-43 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 35-39 (-13.8 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.
NY YANKEES are 65-57 (-12.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 53-27 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 39-16 (+19.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 84-51 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 31-15 (+12.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 70-65 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 16-24 (-18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 10-2 (+8.4 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. BOSTON since 1997
SABATHIA is 6-11 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.66 and a WHIP of 1.292.
His team's record is 7-14 (-10.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-8. (+3.3 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
LACKEY is 8-9 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.48 and a WHIP of 1.506.
His team's record is 13-12 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-12. (-0.9 units)

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TAMPA BAY (73 - 60) at TEXAS (76 - 59) - 8:05 PM
JEREMY HELLICKSON (R) vs. SCOTT FELDMAN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
FELDMAN is 2-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.4 units)

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MINNESOTA (56 - 78) at CHI WHITE SOX (67 - 65) - 8:10 PM
ANTHONY SWARZAK (R) vs. ZACH STEWART (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 37-57 (-15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 28-49 (-16.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MINNESOTA is 56-79 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 66-59 (+2.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-15 (+13.0 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 156-140 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 72-52 (+14.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-26 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-24 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 54-62 (-25.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 30-36 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 55-64 (-20.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-5 (+3.9 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
9 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+7.8 Units)

ANTHONY SWARZAK vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SWARZAK is 1-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

ZACH STEWART vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
STEWART is 1-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 1.422.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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

LA ANGELS (72 - 62) at SEATTLE (57 - 76) - 10:10 PM
JEROME WILLIAMS (R) vs. ANTHONY VASQUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 6-15 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
LA ANGELS are 99-108 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 608-523 (+69.7 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 64-45 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 79-56 (+21.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 615-606 (+65.9 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 30-22 (+11.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 508-500 (+64.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
SEATTLE is 25-44 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 26-58 (-24.8 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.
SEATTLE is 57-77 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 66-80 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 34-62 (-25.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 116-165 (-44.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 86-120 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 8-5 (+1.5 Units) against SEATTLE this season
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.7 Units)

JEROME WILLIAMS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

ANTHONY VASQUEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

MLB
Short Sheet


Tuesday, August 30

National League

PHILADELPHIA at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
HALLADAY: 20-4 TSR as a favorite of -150 or more
ARROYO: CINCINNATI 15-19 after 4 or more consecutive home games

WASHINGTON at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: WASHINGTON 11-4 when playing with a day off
JURRJENS: 24-11 UNDER when the total is 8 to 8.5

FLORIDA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
VAZQUEZ: FLORIDA 29-44 after a loss
PELFREY: NY METS 21-13 after allowing 2 runs or less

PITTSBURGH at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
MORTON: PITTSBURGH 23-11 OVER as a favorite
SOSA: HOUSTON 14-30 after a win

ST LOUIS at MILWAUKEE, 8:10 PM ET
JACKSON: JACKSON 17-27 against division opponents
MARCUM: MILWAUKEE 32-12 in home games after a win

COLORADO at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
COOK: COLORADO 11-31 as a road underdog of +125 to +175
MILEY: ARIZONA 22-7 as a home favorite of -125 to -175

SAN DIEGO at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
STAUFFER: SAN DIEGO 0-9 off 2 straight road losses against a division rival
KURODA: LA DODGERS 20-10 after allowing 1 run or less

CHICAGO CUBS at SAN FRANCISCO, 10:15 PM ET
GARZA: CHICAGO CUBS 21-37 after a win
VOGELSONG: SAN FRANCISCO 123-89 after a loss

American League

OAKLAND at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
CAHILL: 18-11 TSR when working on 5 or 6 days rest
GOMEZ: 6-1 TSR in home games

KANSAS CITY at DETROIT, 7:05 PM ET
FRANCIS: 12-35 TSR as a road underdog of +125 to +175
FISTER: DETROIT 48-15 as a favorite of -150 or more

TORONTO at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
CECIL: 13-17 TSR after a win
GUTHRIE: 1-6 TSR after giving up 1 or less earned runs last outing

NY YANKEES at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
SABATHIA: 134-48 TSR as a favorite of -150 or more
LACKEY: 16-24 TSR when the total is 9 to 9.5

TAMPA BAY at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
HELLICKSON: 7-2 TSR after a loss
FELDMAN: 6-16 TSR at home when the money line is +125 to -125

MINNESOTA at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:10 PM ET
SWARZAK: MINNESOTA 18-12 after 3 consecutive game versus a division rival
STEWART: CHI WHITE SOX 14-21 as a home favorite of -125 to -175

LA ANGELS at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
WILLIAMS: LA ANGELS 6-15 in road games against division opponents
VASQUEZ: SEATTLE 19-11 after 2 straight games where the bullpen gave up no runs

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Tuesday, August 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 7:05 PM ET Toronto -106 500
Baltimore - Over 9 500

Oakland - 7:05 PM ET Oakland -114 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

Kansas City - 7:05 PM ET Kansas City +163 500
Detroit - Over 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Boston +123 500
Boston - Over 9.5 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Washington +175 500
Atlanta - Under 9 500

Florida 0 Bot 0 NY Mets -108 500
NY Mets 0 Under 8 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET Cincinnati +163 500
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 8:05 PM ET Tampa Bay +113 500
Texas - Over 9.5 500

Pittsburgh - 8:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -114 500
Houston - Under 8.5 500

Minnesota - 8:10 PM ET Minnesota +140 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 9 500

St. Louis - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -142 500
Milwaukee - Under 8.5 500

Colorado - 9:40 PM ET Colorado +125 500
Arizona - Under 9.5 500

San Diego - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -148 500
LA Dodgers - Under 6.5 500

LA Angels - 10:10 PM ET Seattle +124 500
Seattle - Over 8 500

Chi. Cubs - 10:15 PM ET Chi. Cubs +126 500
San Francisco - Under 6.5 500