Cnotes Wednesday's MLB Early/Evening Best Bets !

Diamondbacks And Rockies Close MLB Odds Series

Arizona has won four of Josh Collmenter’s last five starts at home.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are the hottest team in baseball over the last week and set to close out a three-game National League West series against the Colorado Rockies Wednesday night. The first pitch at Chase Field is scheduled for 9:40 ET.

Arizona won its seventh consecutive game with a 5-1 win over Colorado in the series opener, pushing its lead to five games ahead the San Francisco Giants in the division standings. Monday’s contest got a little a contentious when Diamondbacks’ outfielder Justin Upton was hit for the 15th time this season during the sixth inning.

It turned into a rallying point for the home team who scored four runs in the frame.

The Diamondbacks have tallied an 9-4 record against the Rockies this season, including a 5-2 mark at tonight’s venue.

Josh Collmenter (8-8, 3.19 ERA) will be making his 27th appearance (20th start) of the season and is coming off a solid performance. He tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings in a 5-0 home win over the San Diego Padres, scattering six hits and registering four strikeouts while not issuing a single free pass.

The rookie has been rock solid at Chase Field in 13 outings (nine starts), posting a 7-3 record and 2.76 ERA and surrendering just three home runs in 62 frames. Opponents are hitting just .206 against him in the desert.

In three lifetime appearances (two starts) versus the Rockies, Collmenter is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA, including a 12-3 victory at home on July 23 (7 IP, 3 ER). The right-hander will definitely be favored in the betting for the ninth straight time at home, as the team has won four of his last five starts here.

Colorado has fallen flat on the road by dropping three of its last four games, which is disappointing for a club that finished off a homestand with five consecutive wins. The Rockies are virtually out of the divisional race 12 games behind their current opponent.

Playing against NL West competition has led to the team’s struggles this year with a 24-30 mark in such contests. In fact, Colorado is 95-105 in this situation the last two-plus campaigns.

Esmil Rogers (6-3, 5.93 ERA) will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak and has allowed four earned runs in each of his last three starts. The right-hander has also struggled with his control over that span, issuing 11 walks in 17 2/3 frames.

Rogers had tallied a solid 5-2 record and 4.50 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) away from Coors Field, allowing just two balls to leave the yard in 42 innings.In four career outings (one start) versus the Diamondbacks, he has yet to record a decision, while giving up five runs and 12 hits over 10 1/3 frames (4.35 ERA).

Home plate umpire Tony Randazzo provides Arizona with a great chance of coming away with a victory, as home teams are 17-9 in his 26 contests (+600). Total bettors will find that the ‘over’ is 16-10 when Randazzo’s calling balls and strikes.

Temperatures well-above the century mark will keep the retractable roof at Chase Field closed in Phoenix.

James Shields And Rays At Texas Rangers

It looks like Texas is about to get a break from a record heat wave and possibly even from the prolonged drought. But not until after the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays play the second of their 3-game set in Arlington.

Thermometers could still be in triple digits for Wednesday's 8:05 p.m. (ET) start when Alexi Ogando (15-10, 3.57) takes the mound for Texas opposite Rays righty James Shields (17-10, 2.96).

Tuesday's series opener found the Rangers listed around -125 on the Don Best odds screen. Jeremy Hellickson was pitching for Tampa Bay against Texas' Scott Feldman, who was making his first start of the season. Unlike his counterpart with the Angels who moved up two of his top starting hurlers this past weekend, Rangers manager Ron Washington was throwing Feldman in a spot start to give his rotation a little extra rest.

The Rangers are also entertaining thoughts of adding an extra outfielder following Nelson Cruz's latest hamstring pull that sent him to the disabled list. Rumors have it that Lance Berkman's name has come up in talks. Berkman has reportedly cleared waivers, but Texas team president Nolan Ryan called the likelihood of adding the Cardinals slugger "remote" in an interview with ESPN Dallas radio.

Texas began the series with a 3.5-game lead over the Angels in the AL West. The Rangers had dropped six of their last nine games and were 3-4 on the current homestand entering Tuesday play.

Ogando will be making his first career start vs. the Rays and trying to pull out of an August funk that has seen his ERA balloon by just less than a run (26 1/3 IP, 6.84 ERA in August). His last two outings at home have resulted in 12 earned runs crossing the plate over the course of 6 2/3 frames.

The second-year hurler faced Tampa Bay three times out of the bullpen in 2010 – 2 1/3 IP, 3.86 ERA – including a very brief appearance in the ALDS.

Three very shaky outings have been sprinkled in Shields' eight assignments since the all-star break, but he is otherwise having a terrific season overall. 'Big Game' is coming off his 10th complete game of the year, tops in the majors, in a 6-1 win last Friday at Toronto. Laying -140 on the road, Shields struck out 12 and walked just one, the only damage coming on a Brett Lawrie solo shot.

This will be his first look at the Texas lineup since Game 2 of last October's ALDS, a 6-0 win for the Rangers. Shields never made it out of the fifth inning of that game and was charged with four of Texas' runs. He is 1-3 in his last four starts vs. the Rangers, counting the playoff loss.

Tampa Bay started the series nine games out of the AL East lead and needing a strong finish plus a major slide by either the Red Sox or Yankees to have any hope of returning to the postseason. The Rays have heated up a bit in the last two weeks, winning nine of their 13 games before Tuesday.

The series closes Thursday night when Jeff Niemann is scheduled to take on Texas southpaw CJ Wilson.

NY Yankees Face Josh Beckett, And Red Sox MLB Odds Preview

There aren't many tighter races in baseball than the one in the AL East, and on Wednesday night, the top two combatants for the division crown duke it out at Fenway Park, as the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees. MLB betting action gets started at 7:10 p.m. (ET) from Beantown, and there will be live television coverage on NESN in New England, and ESPN in the rest of the country.

The Yankees have a boatload of problems that they need to deal with coming into this series. For starters, the injury bug has bitten both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The New York captain has a knee injury but should still be in the lineup, while A-Rod has a thumb injury and could miss some or all of this three-game set.

The other problem is that New York has had absolutely no luck against the Red Sox of late. The Yankees are only 2-12 in their last 14 tries against Boston, including a 2-10 record this year, and just 2-6 in the last eight visits to Fenway Park.

Right-hander Phil Hughes is slated to be on the bump for the men in pinstripes on Wednesday night, and that opens up another can of worms. He is only 2-4 in his career with a 6.25 ERA against Boston, and he was handed the loss in a relief appearance against it earlier in August.

Hughes is just 4-4 on the season with a 6.46 ERA, and his splits are simply dreadful. He has a 1.53 WHIP, batters are hitting a whopping .300 against him, and his K/BB ratio is only 33/18. None of those numbers are stellar, especially since Hughes only has 54 1/3-innings of work under his belt on the campaign.

Meanwhile, Boston has to be smiling. The team just had two straight off-days thanks to Hurricane Irene, whereas the Yankees might only have one more off-day for the rest of the season.

The Sox also know that taking even one out of three against New York will leave them atop the division heading into the final month of the regular season. They were priced at +120 against CC Sabathia and the Yankees in the series opener on Tuesday.

Josh Beckett is going to be the Wednesday night hurler for the hosts. He is only 11-5 on the season, but his stats suggest that he should be a Cy Young candidate. Beckett has a 2.43 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP, and as a result, batters are only hitting .201 against him. That's down 91 points from a season ago.

On top of that, Beckett has been hot with only one start since the start of July seeing him allow more than three earned runs.

Beckett has struggled at times against the Yankees, posting a 5.37 career ERA, but he is 13-7 to show for that work. He has pitched four times against New York this year, and the team has won all four games.

Entering this series, the Red Sox were 18-8 in their last 26 games at home. They are also 26-10 over the course of the last 36 starts at Fenway Park with Beckett on the mound.

New York has lost six straight road starts with Hughes on the hill against teams with a winning record. However, in the second game of a series, the Yankees have won 15 out of 18.

The aftermath of Hurricane Irene has left some beautiful weather in the Northeast, and Wednesday night's duel should be no exception. Expect temperatures in the low-70s around the time of the first pitch with virtually no chance of rain.

Around the Horn - Wednesday

August 30, 2011


NATIONAL LEAGUE


San Diego at Los Angeles - 3:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
LeBlanc (2-3, 5.02 ERA) 0-5 L5 4-1 L5 away during day
Lilly (8-13, 4.43 ERA) 6-1 L7 6-3 L9 home during day

Dodgers beat Padres, 4-1 on Monday

Chicago at San Francisco - 3:35 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lopez (4-5, 4.80 ERA) 2-7 L9 1-4 L5 away on Wednesdays
Bumgarner (8-12, 3.59 ERA) 4-6 L10 UNDER 12-5 L17 home during day

Cubs beat Giants, 7-0 on Monday

Washington at Atlanta - 7:10 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lannan (8-10, 3.59 ERA) 0-6 L6 3-6 L9 away Game 2's
Lowe (8-12, 4.63 ERA) 7-2 L9 7-2 L9 home Game 2's




Philadelphia at Cincinnati - 7:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lee (14-7, 2.71 ERA) 5-5 L10 7-2 away on Wednesdays
Willis (0-3, 4.10 ERA) 6-2 L8 6-3 L9 on Wednesdays

Phillies beat Reds, 3-2 on Monday

Florida at N.Y. Mets - 7:10 PM EST (Game 4/5)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Volstad (5-11, 5.61 ERA) 2-9 L11 OVER 7-2 away on Wednesdays
Capuano (10-11, 4.43 ERA) 3-5 L8 8-1 L9 home on Wednesdays

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 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
McDonald (8-6, 4.22 ERA) 3-6 L9 OVER 10-5 away vs LHP
Happ (4-15, 6.03 ERA) 4-6 L10 6-2 L8 home on Wednesdays

Astros beat Pirates, 7-4 on Monday

St. Louis at Milwaukee - 8:15 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Westbrook (10-7, 4.75 ERA) 4-6 L10 OVER 10-4 away vs LHP
Wolf (11-8, 3.37 ERA) 8-2 L10 18-3 home Game 2's




Colorado at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Rogers (6-3, 5.93 ERA) 6-3 L9 6-12 away Game 3's
Collmenter (8-8, 3.19 ERA) 7-0 L7 UNDER 11-2 L13 home Game 3's

Diamondbacks beat Rockies, 5-1 on Monday

AMERICAN LEAGUE


Kansas City at Detroit - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Paulino (2-10, 4.30 ERA) 4-6 L10 UNDER 6-0 L6 away during day
Porcello (12-8, 5.01 ERA) 8-2 L10 11-5 home Game 3's

Royals beat Tigers, 9-5 on Monday

Minnesota at Chicago - 2:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Diamond (0-2, 4.97 ERA) 1-7 L8 3-6 L9 away during day
Peavy (6-6, 4.93 ERA) 5-3 L8 2-5 L7 home vs LHP

White Sox beat Twins, 3-0 on Monday

Toronto at Baltimore - 7:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Alvarez (0-2, 4.76 ERA) 1-5 L6 2-5 L7 away Game 2's
Reyes (7-10, 5.26 ERA) 6-2 L8 UNDER 5-2 L7 home Game 2's




Oakland at Cleveland - 7:10 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Harden (4-2, 4.55 ERA) 5-5 L10 OVER 5-0 L5 away Game 3's
Jimenez (8-10, 4.71 ERA) 3-7 L10 0-7 L7 home Game 3's

Indians beat Athletics, 2-1 on Monday

N.Y. Yankees at Boston - 7:10 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Hughes (4-4, 6.46 ERA) 3-5 L8 8-3 L11 away Game 2's
Beckett (11-5, 2.43 ERA) 5-1 L6 8-1 L9 home Game 2's

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

Tampa Bay at Texas - 8:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Shields (12-10, 2.96 ERA) 7-3 L10 7-1 away on Wednesdays
Ogando (12-6, 3.57 ERA) 3-6 L9 OVER 8-2 L10 home Game 2's




Los Angeles at Seattle - 10:10 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Haren (13-7, 3.19 ERA) 7-3 L10 UNDER 7-2 away on Wednesdays
Hernandez (12-11, 3.37 ERA) 3-7 L10 6-13 home Game 3's

Mariners beat Angels, 5-3 on Monday

MLB

Wednesday, August 31

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Kansas City - 1:05 PM ET Kansas City +141 500
Detroit - Under 9 500

Minnesota - 2:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -185 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 9 500

San Diego - 3:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -145 500
LA Dodgers - Over 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -180 500
San Francisco - Under 7.5 500

Good luck boss! Can't wait for your COLLEGE/NFL plays!!

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

August 31, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Nationals are 0-15 since April 20, 2010 as a 140+ dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1500 when playing against.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Blue Jays are 10-0 OU since May 18, 2010 as a favorite with a total of at least 7 when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $895 when playing the over.


STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:


The Mariners are 0-8 OU since May 13, 2008 when Felix Hernandez starts within 20 cents of pickem when the bullpen allowed at least three runs yesterday for a net profit of $800 when playing the under.


MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:


The Indians are 23-2 (+3.1 rpg) since August 20th, 2008 when hosting a team that is on a three-plus game losing streak and it is not the first game of a series. This trend is 11-2 this season.


TODAY’S TRENDS:


The Rangers are 0-8 since May 04, 2010 as a favorite when they are off a win in which they had at least three times as many hits as runs and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1050 when playing against.

The Tigers are 9-0 since April 29, 2010 at home when they are off a game in which they scored more runs off the bullpen than they did off their opponent’s starter in a win for a net profit of $945.

The Giants are 6-0 OU since May 14, 2010 as a 140+ favorite when they are off two losses in which they never led for a net profit of $600 when playing the over.

Brewers look to close out August with win

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (71-64)

at MILWAUKEE BREWERS (81-55)


First pitch: Wednesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Milwaukee -135, St. Louis +125, Total: 8.5

The Brewers look for their 22nd win in August on Wednesday, which would set a franchise record for any month. The rival St. Louis Cardinals would like nothing more than to win two straight and get to 8½ games behind them in the NL Central standings.

The Brewers will throw lefty Randy Wolf (11-8, 3.37 ERA) who has been red hot, going 5-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his past six starts with Milwaukee winning all six games. Jake Westbrook (10-7, 4.75 ERA) will be on the mound for the Cards on Wednesday. St. Louis would love Westbrook to throw six innings or more, considering the Cards are 12-2 when he does. The Brewers have been fantastic as a favorite of -110 or higher this year (64-26) and have dominated the NL Central going 41-22. St. Louis has not had much success against good teams (Win Pct. 54% to 62%), going 5-15 and getting outscored by an average of 6.2 to 3.8. With the Brew Crew winning 75% (50-17) of their home games, losing two in a row does not seem realistic. Expect MILWAUKEE to get the victory.

The FoxSheets provide two more trends siding with the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE is 44-16 (+24.4 Units) against the money line after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.7, OPPONENT 3.1 - (Rating = 3*).

MILWAUKEE is 67-38 (+26.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.6, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 2*).

Milwaukee has not had back-to-back losses since July 23-24 and has not lost a home series since July 4-6. Wolf is 2-1 against St. Louis this year, but has a 5.68 ERA in three games. He is coming off two straight wins against the Cards and in his last outing against them he threw eight innings, allowing only one run in a 5-1 victory. Jake Westbrook has not pitched well against Milwaukee this year going 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA. Westbrook’s problem has been six walks in only 13 innings against the Brew Crew. His wildness was also apparent in his last outing on Friday, where he threw six innings and allowed four runs and five walks in a 5-4 victory, which he received a no-decision.

Yankees try to retake AL East lead Wednesday

NEW YORK YANKEES (81-52)

at BOSTON RED SOX (82-52)


First pitch: Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -160, New York +150, Total: 9

With tempers flaring in Tuesday night’s 5-2 Yankees victory, the Red Sox will look to keep the AL East lead and even the series at one game apiece with a win Wednesday night. Protecting their half-game division lead will be ace Josh Beckett, who has been dominant against the Yankees this season and is facing the inconsistent Phil Hughes.

The core of the Red Sox lineup will need to get going early to give them a real chance in the game. Their three MVP candidates – Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia – went a combined 2-for-13 in the series opener, an unsustainable rate if they expect to generate any offense. Fortunately, they shouldn’t need a ton of run support with Beckett on the mound, who has excelled against the division rivals this season, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Hopefully for the righty, Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez remains sidelined with his thumb injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s game. Play on favored BOSTON to take this game.

The FoxSheets provide a rare five-star trend urging bettors to pick the Sox:

Play Against - All underdogs with a money line of +150 or more (NY YANKEES) - average hitting team (AVG = .265 to .279) against a good starting pitcher (ERA <=4.20) -AL, with an on base percentage of .350 or better over their last 20 games. (52-6 over the last 5 seasons.) (89.7%, +41.4 units. Rating = 5*).

A key story line Wednesday will be if either team takes any revenge shots after benches cleared Tuesday night. The Red Sox were not pleased with Francisco Cervelli’s showboating after his home run, hitting him in the back with a pitch later in the game.

Hughes (4-4, 6.46 ERA) has been up-and-down since coming back from the DL, and is now in one of those down patches. After throwing four consecutive quality starts while allowing two runs or fewer, he was shelled his last time out for six earned runs in 2.2 innings. He also has a 7.03 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in seven regular-season starts versus Boston.

Beckett (11-5, 2.43 ERA) has proven why he belongs with the elite in the AL this year, keeping his ERA well below the 3.00 mark. More importantly, he has shown he can excel against good teams this season. In his last start, he gave up just one run against the Rangers and in 27 innings against the Yankees this season, he has given up just 16 hits and seven walks, while striking out 30.

MLB Evening Best Bets:


Toronto - 7:05 PM ET Toronto -118 500
Baltimore - Under 9.5 500

Oakland - 7:05 PM ET Oakland +124 500
Cleveland - Over 8 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Boston -159 500
Boston - Under 9 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Washington +150 500
Atlanta - Over 8.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET Philadelphia -167 500
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 8:05 PM ET Tampa Bay +122 500
Texas - Over 8.5 500

Pittsburgh - 8:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -115 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

St. Louis - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -132 500
Milwaukee - Under 8.5 500

Colorado - 9:40 PM ET Arizona -150 500
Arizona - Over 9 500

LA Angels - 10:10 PM ET LA Angels -111 500
Seattle - Over 6 500

Wednesday’s betting tips: Front office spat hurting CHW?

Who’s hot

MLB: The over is 8-1 in the last nine games when Rick Porcello starts for Detroit against Kansas City.

MLB: The Los Angeles Dodgers are 18-5 in their last 23 as a favorite.

MLB: The under is 10-4 in James Shields’ last 14 starts overall.

Who’s not

MLB: The under is 4-20-4 in Oakland’s last 28 as an underdog.

MLB: Seattle is 1-7 in Felix Hernandez’s last eight starts against the Angels.

MLB: Colorado is 2-8 in its last 10 games in Arizona.

Key stat

57 – If you really need any more evidence that the NFL has become a passing league, consider that almost 57 percent of offensive plays in the regular season last year were passing plays. Indianapolis led the league with 288.1 passing yards per game and head into Week 1 as a 3-point underdog at Houston while questions of Peyton Manning’s status continue.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees – X-rays came back negative on A-Rod’s injured thumb on Tuesday, but he also received a cortisone shot later in the day. Now he isn’t expected to play until at least Friday.

Game of the day

Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers (-130, 8.5)

Notable quotable

“To be honest, it’s pretty good money for him to just let me go. If they don’t think I’m doing my job and all this s---, they think Ozzie f----- this up, fine, let them think that…Let’s get this straight: I’m the face of the franchise. People can say what they want. There’s a lot of blame going around out there, but I blame myself because I guess I’m the one with the balls around here. It’s not because I’m cocky or an arrogant guy, but I can leave Chicago with my head up. That’s what’s important to me.” – Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie about his most recent verbal brawl with GM Ken Williams. Speculation out of Chicago is that both Guillen and Williams could be canned in the offseason. Despite the spat, the White Sox had won six straight before Tuesday's action and were big -210 favorites Wednesday against Minnesota.

Notes and tips

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is set to make his preseason debut Thursday against the St. Louis Rams after sitting out following arthroscopic knee surgery. Jones-Drew said that he still has that “burst” and that he’s looking to take a few hits before Week 1. Oddsmakers list the Jags as 3-point favorites in Thursday’s matchup.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman is trying to shut down rumors that had him on his way out of town. “I’m not going to get moved,” he told reporters. "I think the ship has sailed. I really do." Maybe, but there is talk that the Texas Rangers are interested following Nelson Cruz’s injury. The Cardinals have until Wednesday to decide on Berkman’s fate. He’s hitting .280 with 30 homers this season.

Bettors are already moving the line for the NFL’s opening regular season game of the year. The Packers opened as high as -5.5 for their date with the Saints on Thursday, Sept. 8, but Saints support has books dropping the line to Green Bay -4 across the board. The total is currently holding around 47 points.

Wednesday's six-pack

-- Giants are 11-21 since trading for Carlos Beltran.

-- In his last 16 starts against Florida, Mike Pelfrey has no wins.

-- Marlins are now 9-33 with Hanley Ramirez out of the lineup. They are 51-41 when he's in the lineup.

-- Thursday's UConn-Fordham football game was postponed, because the National Guard is using UConn's stadium to help flood victims.

-- Red Sox had their 697th consecutive sellout Tuesday night.

-- Michael Vick's $100M contract contains $40M in guaranteed money. Hope he sends Tony Dungy an excellent Christmas present.


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


Wednesday's List of 13: In a perfect world, where I make all the decisions......

In a perfect world, where I make all the decisions……..
13) Once a quarterback passed the line of scrimmage with the ball in his hands, he’d no longer be protected, he’d be just another guy who can get hit. If a QB wants to be protected, he has to stay behind the line.

12) The Electoral College would go away; the candidate with the most votes would become President. To me, the Electoral College makes zero sense.

11) Baseball is a better game without the DH, no matter what the Players’ Association thinks. And I root for an American League team.

10) Instead of or in addition to ESPN showing high school games, how about some junior college games? Would’ve been interesting to see Cam Newton playing for Blinn JC two years ago.

Back in 1990, I was at a Santa Monica-West LA game; there were maybe 200 fans there on a crummy field. Turns out that Isaac Bruce played in that game. Very high level of play. In some parts of the country, junior college football is really good.

9) High school basketball players should be able to jump right to the NBA. Don’t think the one-and-done thing is helping anyone.

8) NHL should have a presence on ESPN; it just makes sense for them and for ESPN. Hockey is a great game and it deserves the exposure.

7) Drinking age should be lowered to 18; if you’re old enough to go to war, you’re old enough to have a beer.

6) Terrelle Pryor, Tim Tebow and Cam Newton should all play Arenaball next spring. AFL emphasizes accurate passing and quick decision-making; it’s a terrific place to develop QB’s.

5) No college conferences should have more than 12 teams.

4) Major league baseball should have a payroll floor of $70M and a cap of $140M; if you can’t afford $70M, sell the team. In reality, the actual payroll cap would be tied to a percentage of revenues, but how much better would the sport be if everyone had a chance to win, like in NFL?

3) NFL **** shows should pick games against the spread. To this day, the most interesting part of any NFL **** show ever was when Jimmy the Greek picked games. If you’re going to promote fantasy football, why not gambling too?

2) Every city in America should have a Steak ‘n Shake, and if not, then at least the Albany suburbs should have one, and there should be one within walking distance of Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, not that I’m selfish or anything.

1) Why do NFL teams have their own stadiums? Isn’t this a waste? They play ten home games a year, counting exhibitions; what do they do with them the other 355 days of the year?

MLB
Write-Up


Wednesday, August 31

Hot pitchers
-- Lilly has a 2.20 RA in his last five starts.
-- Bumgarner is 2-2, 3.09 in his last five starts.
-- Lee is 5-0, 1.40 in his last five starts.
-- Wolf is 5-0, 2.79 in his last six starts.
-- Collmenter is 2-1, 1.73 in his last four starts.

-- Beckett is 3-2, 2.94 in his last eight starts. Hughes is 3-0, 3.63 in his last four starts.
-- Jimenez is 2-0, 2.40 in two home starts for Cleveland.
-- Peavy has a 7.00 RA in his last six home starts.
-- Shields is 3-1, 2.66 in his last five starts.
-- Hernandez is 4-2, 2.98 in his last six starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Leblanc has a 6.60 RA in his last three starts.
-- Lopez is 2-3, 7.63 in his last six starts.
-- Capuano has a 5.40 RA in his last eight starts, but he tossed a shutout in his last start. Volstad is 0-3, 5.82 in three starts since coming back from AAA.
-- Lannan is 0-3, 9.00 in his last three starts. Lowe is 2-5, 5.92 in his last seven starts.
-- Willis is 0-2, 4.94 in his last four starts.
-- Happ is 0-4, 8.69 in his last four starts. McDonald is 1-2, 5.05 in his last six starts.
-- Westbrook is 1-2, 4.72 in his last four starts.
-- Rogers is 0-2, 6.11 in his last three starts.

-- Porcello is 1-2, 9.15 in his last four starts. Paulino is 1-2, 5.50 in his last three starts.
-- Diamond is 0-2, 6.39 in two starts this year.
-- Reyes (20 starts for Toronto this year) is 2-2, 4.71 in four starts for Baltimore. Alvarez is 0-2, 5.16 in four starts this season.
-- Harden is 2-2, 5.93 in five road starts this season.
-- Ogando is 1-1, 8.10 in his last four starts.
-- Haren is 1-1, 6.12 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Five of Padres' last six road games stayed under the total.
-- Giants' last three games all went over the total.
-- Six of last eight games at Citi Field stayed under the total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in Washington's last five games.
-- Six of Philly's last seven games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Pirate road games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven St Louis games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-3 in Colorado's last fourteen games.

-- Last three Oakland games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Detroit's last eight home games.
-- Five of last six Toronto games went over the total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in Minnesota's last five road games.
-- Last three Bronx Bomber games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Texas home games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in Angels' last ten road games.

Hot Teams
-- Mets won four of their last five games.
-- Braves won seven of their last ten games.
-- Reds won eight of their last ten home games. Phillies are 7-4 in their last eleven games.
-- Brewers won 21 of their last 25 home games. St Louis won four of its last five games.
-- Astros won five of their last six home games.
-- Arizona won last eight games, allowing total of ten runs.
-- Dodgers won nine of their last twelve games.

-- Orioles won seven of their last nine games.
-- Indians won four of their last five games.
-- Bronx won its last three games, allowing seven runs. Red Sox won five of their last seven games.
-- Tampa Bay won five of its last seven road games. Rangers won three of their last four games overall.
-- Angels won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Tigers won nine of their last twelve games.
-- White Sox won seven of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost 12 of their last 16 games.
-- Washington lost six of its last seven games.
-- Pirates lost 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Rockies lost four of their last five games.
-- Padres lost their last six games, scoring nine runs.
-- Giants are 5-10 in their last 15 games. Cubs lost seven of their last ten games, but won the last two.

-- Oakland lost five of its last six games.
-- Blue Jays lost five of their last six games.
-- Royals are 5-10 in their last fifteen road games.
-- Twins lost nine of their last ten games.
-- Seattle is 4-10 in its last fourteen games.

Umpires
-- Phil-Cin-- Underdogs won last four Cousins games.
-- Fla-NY-- Underdogs won three of last five Culbreth games.
-- Wsh-Atl-- Over is 7-2 in last nine Cooper games.
-- Pitt-Hst-- Last four Everitt games stayed under the total.
-- StL-Mil-- Three of last four Tschida games stayed under total.
-- Col-Az-- Over is 12-7 in last nineteen Randazzo games.
-- SD-LA-- Underdogs are 5-3 in last eight Iassogna games.
-- Chi-SF-- Under is 12-3-1 in last sixteen Eddings games.

-- A's-Clv-- Four of last five Dreckman games stayed under total.
-- KC-Det-- Seven of last ten Hallion games went over the total.
-- Tor-Balt-- Home team won six of last seven Fairchild games.
-- NY-Bos-- Underdogs are 9-5 in last fourteen O'Nora games.
-- TB-Tex-- Last three Hirschbeck games stayed under the total.
-- Min-Chi-- Under is 7-3 in last ten TWelke games.
-- LA-Sea-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Knight games.

MLB


Wednesday, August 31

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Kansas City

2:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 16-5 SU in their last 21 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Minnesota is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
Chi White Sox are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Chi White Sox are 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing Minnesota

3:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of San Diego's last 21 games when playing LA Dodgers
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games

3:45 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Chi Cubs are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. CLEVELAND
Oakland is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Oakland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Oakland

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
NY Yankees are 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing Boston
NY Yankees are 13-6 SU in their last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Boston's last 19 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Boston is 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
Florida is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Florida
NY Mets are 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing at home against Washington

8:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games
Tampa Bay is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay

8:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. HOUSTON
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Milwaukee is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games

9:40 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Colorado's last 14 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado
Arizona is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Seattle's last 12 games at home
Seattle is 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Angels

MLB


Wednesday, August 31

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Wednesday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies (14-7, 2.71 ERA)

Lee is on another remarkable run, allowing just two earned runs over his last four starts, while piling up 32 strikeouts over that span. He blanked the Mets over seven innings in a 10-0 win the last time he took the hill, allowing just three hits.

Randy Wolf, Milwaukee Brewers (11-8, 3.37 ERA)

The Brewers have won each of Wolf’s last six trips to the hill and he has held his opposition to a single run or less in four of those outings. He gave up a homer on his second pitch of the ball game but settled down to fire 6 2/3 innings of solid work in a 5-2 win over the Cubs last week. Wolf has walked 63 batters this season after issuing 87 last year.


Slumping

Chris Volstad, Florida Marlins (5-11, 5.61 ERA)

Volstad continues to struggle in the first inning. He allowed two more runs in the opening frame in a 3-2 loss to Cincinnati in his last outing, raising his season total to 18 runs allowed in the first inning. The Marlins have won just two of Volstad’s starts dating back to June 30 and has given up at least three runs in every start since then.

Dontrelle Willis, Cincinnati Reds (0-3, 4.10 ERA)

Even though Willis is still looking for his first win in a Reds uniform, he has pitched pretty well. He has held his opposition to three or fewer runs in all but one of his nine starts with Cincinnati.

"A lot of things dictate wins and losses," said Willis, who is coming off a no-decision in a 4-3 win over Washington. "I like the way I'm throwing the ball. I like the way I'm competing and I like the way the guys are competing for me."

MLB


Wednesday, August 31

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Hot lines: Wednesday's best MLB bets
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New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-160, 9)

Lost in the shuffle of New York’s big 22-9 win over Oakland last week that featured a MLB-record three grand slams from the Yanks was the fact that Phil Hughes took another beating on the hill before the bats bailed him out.

He gave up six runs on seven hits over just two innings to put New York seriously behind the eight-ball, while also seeing his hold on a rotation spot slip.

"It was just a grind, and unfortunately, I made a lot of bad pitches and command was my biggest issues," Hughes told reporters. "It makes a little easier when we score 22 runs. I can sleep a little easier tonight."

But facing Josh Beckett and Boston’s offense can’t be good for his sleeping habits. We can’t support a Yankees bet with Hughes being so unpredictable.

Pick: Red Sox


Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles (110, 9.5)

Jo-Jo Reyes wore out his welcome with the Blue Jays and landed on waivers earlier this month. The Orioles, not exactly overrun with fabulous starting pitching, took a shot on the lefty and he may work out for them down the road.

He held Minnesota to one run on five hits over six innings of work in a 6-1 last week, in easily his best start since he joined the Orioles.

"It wasn't my best outing, but I was able to get through six and not have to use the bullpen right away," Reyes told reporters after the game.

For a guy who went winless over 28 starts, you’d think he would be a little more excited about the win. Either way, if you’re expecting him to fool his old teammates, you’ve got another thing coming.

The Blue Jays’ offense should eat him alive.

Pick: Jays

MLB
Dunkel


LA Angels at Seattle
The Angels look to take advantage of a Seattle team that is 2-7 in Felix Hernandez' last 9 starts against teams with a winning record. LA is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Angels favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31

Game 901-902: San Diego at LA Dodgers (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (LeBlanc) 13.937; LA Dodgers (Lilly) 16.629
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-145); Under

Game 903-904: Chicago Cubs at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lopez) 15.104; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 13.464
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+160); Over

Game 905-906: Florida at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Volstad) 14.525; NY Mets (Capuano) 14.812
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 907-908: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 15.628; Atlanta (Lowe) 14.400
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+140); Under

Game 909-910: Philadelphia at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 15.958; Cincinnati (Willis) 14.248
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-180); Under

Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (McDonald) 13.902; Houston (Happ) 15.339
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-105); Over

Game 913-914: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Westbrook) 15.292; Milwaukee (Wolf) 15.900
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-140); Under

Game 915-916: Colorado at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Rogers) 15.052; Arizona (Collmenter) 17.071
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Over

Game 917-918: Kansas City at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Paulino) 16.282; Detroit (Porcello) 15.078
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+130); Over

Game 919-920: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Diamond) 13.495; White Sox (Peavy) 16.335
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-185); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-185); Under

Game 921-922: Toronto at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Alvarez) 14.603; Baltimore (Reyes) 15.556
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+100); Under

Game 923-924: Oakland at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Harden) 14.386; Cleveland (Jimenez) 15.046
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-135); Over

Game 925-926: NY Yankees at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Hughes) 17.038; Boston (Beckett) 16.453
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+150); Under

Game 927-928: Tampa Bay at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.573; Texas (Ogando) 15.831
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Texas (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-140); Over

Game 929-930: LA Angels at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Haren) 15.684; Seattle (Hernandez) 14.443
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 5
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-115); 6
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-115); Under

MLB
Long Sheet


Wednesday, August 31

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SAN DIEGO (60 - 75) at LA DODGERS (63 - 70) - 3:10 PM
WADE LEBLANC (L) vs. TED LILLY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 60-77 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 18-32 (-11.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SAN DIEGO is 60-77 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 18-6 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN DIEGO is 77-76 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 28-19 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
LA DODGERS are 65-70 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 65-70 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 20-25 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LILLY is 74-87 (-26.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 10-4 (+5.4 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
10 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.8 Units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LEBLANC is 1-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-5 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)

TED LILLY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LILLY is 8-4 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 1.026.
His team's record is 9-5 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-12. (-10.8 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (58 - 77) at SAN FRANCISCO (71 - 64) - 3:45 PM
RODRIGO LOPEZ (R) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 62-77 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-78 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 22-37 (-14.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-78 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 174-138 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 123-90 (+26.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 175-140 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 51-52 (-13.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 15-18 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 5-3 (+3.4 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

RODRIGO LOPEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
LOPEZ is 0-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 6.31 and a WHIP of 1.822.
His team's record is 1-6 (-5.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BUMGARNER is 1-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.393.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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FLORIDA (59 - 74) at NY METS (64 - 68) - 7:10 PM
CHRIS VOLSTAD (R) vs. CHRIS CAPUANO (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 8-5 (+2.5 Units) against NY METS this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.5 Units)

CHRIS VOLSTAD vs. NY METS since 1997
VOLSTAD is 1-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.440.
His team's record is 1-5 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. FLORIDA since 1997
CAPUANO is 4-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 3.45 and a WHIP of 1.095.
His team's record is 4-7 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-8. (-5.6 units)

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WASHINGTON (62 - 70) at ATLANTA (79 - 54) - 7:10 PM
JOHN LANNAN (L) vs. DEREK LOWE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 18-45 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 79-55 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 79-55 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 98-54 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 63-71 (+1.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 44-45 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 32-29 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 63-71 (+1.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LANNAN is 29-23 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LANNAN is 29-23 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
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 7-6 (+4.6 Units) against ATLANTA this season
11 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+10.2 Units)

JOHN LANNAN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LANNAN is 8-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.31 and a WHIP of 1.553.
His team's record is 9-5 (+9.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.1 units)

DEREK LOWE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LOWE is 9-8 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.299.
His team's record is 12-8 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-5. (+7.5 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (84 - 46) at CINCINNATI (67 - 67) - 7:10 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. DONTRELLE WILLIS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 79-60 (+15.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 85-46 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 87-61 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 83-45 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 135-75 (+29.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-9 (+13.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 68-68 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 29-34 (-12.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CINCINNATI is 66-67 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-1 (+3.9 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.9 Units)

CLIFF LEE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
LEE is 5-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.428.
His team's record is 6-3 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.7 units)

DONTRELLE WILLIS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
WILLIS is 8-7 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.33 and a WHIP of 1.233.
His team's record is 12-9 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-12. (-6.3 units)

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PITTSBURGH (62 - 72) at HOUSTON (45 - 90) - 8:05 PM
JAMES MCDONALD (R) vs. J.A. HAPP (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 28-71 (-26.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 85-141 (-44.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-45 (-23.0 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 17-50 (-21.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 23-11 (+12.3 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.
HOUSTON is 68-72 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 18-16 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 61-72 (+3.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 36-37 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 63-73 (+5.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-36 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 15-30 (-12.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 46-91 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 15-42 (-25.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 25-42 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 12-25 (-12.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 44-90 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 34-62 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 29-67 (-29.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HAPP is 4-19 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HAPP is 4-19 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
HAPP is 2-15 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
HAPP is 10-23 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-5 (+4.1 Units) against HOUSTON this season
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.7 Units)

JAMES MCDONALD vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MCDONALD is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.45 and a WHIP of 1.468.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.5 units)

J.A. HAPP vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HAPP is 2-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP of 1.263.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

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ST LOUIS (70 - 64) at MILWAUKEE (81 - 54) - 8:10 PM
JAKE WESTBROOK (R) vs. RANDY WOLF (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 72-69 (-31.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 71-63 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 43-45 (-18.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 78-77 (-27.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 72-65 (-9.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 71-80 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WESTBROOK is 41-56 (-24.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 33-21 (+11.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 30-23 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 82-55 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 47-24 (+19.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 51-17 (+29.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-7 (+19.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 42-22 (+15.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 82-55 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 56-36 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 67-39 (+24.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WOLF is 187-151 (+31.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 146-115 (+33.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 29-17 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 17-32 (-18.8 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 8-5 (+3.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
WESTBROOK is 0-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.185.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

RANDY WOLF vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
WOLF is 7-7 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.83 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 10-8 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-10. (-4.0 units)

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COLORADO (64 - 71) at ARIZONA (76 - 59) - 9:40 PM
ESMIL ROGERS (R) vs. JOSH COLLMENTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 9-24 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 64-73 (-22.3 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 60-90 (-33.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 10-22 (-13.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 24-32 (-14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 64-73 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 97-104 (-27.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 42-56 (-24.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 29-21 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 78-60 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 60-42 (+20.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 57-41 (+19.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 48-30 (+20.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 21-9 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ARIZONA is 44-27 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARIZONA is 25-10 (+13.6 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 78-60 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 30-16 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 42-27 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 23-11 (+11.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 10-4 (+7.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.2 Units)

ESMIL ROGERS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
ROGERS is 0-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 1.106.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

JOSH COLLMENTER vs. COLORADO since 1997
COLLMENTER is 1-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.147.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

MLB
Short Sheet


Wednesday, August 31

National League

SAN DIEGO at LA DODGERS, 3:10 PM ET
LEBLANC: SAN DIEGO 28-19 in day games
LILLY: 25-9 UNDER as a home favorite

CHICAGO CUBS at SAN FRANCISCO, 3:45 PM ET
LOPEZ: CHICAGO CUBS 22-37 after a win
BUMGARNER: SAN FRANCISCO 123-90 after a loss

FLORIDA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
VOLSTAD: 8-0 TSR after a win
CAPUANO: 1-6 TSR at home when the money line is +125 to -125

WASHINGTON at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
LANNAN: WASHINGTON 38-83 as a road underdog of +125 to +175
LOWE: ATLANTA 17-5 after 2 or more consecutive losses

PHILADELPHIA at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
LEE: 78-40 TSR when the total is 7 to 8.5
WILLIS: CINCINNATI 29-43 after one or more consecutive overs

PITTSBURGH at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
MCDONALD: PITTSBURGH 17-50 on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5
HAPP: 14-4 OVER against division opponents

ST LOUIS at MILWAUKEE, 8:10 PM ET
WESTBROOK: ST LOUIS 17-21 after a one run win
WOLF: MILWAUKEE 33-21 after a loss

COLORADO at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
ROGERS: COLORADO 10-22 on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5
COLLMENTER: ARIZONA 31-17 after 2 or more consecutive wins

American League

KANSAS CITY at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
PAULINO: 9-26 TSR as an underdog
PORCELLO: 12-3 TSR when the money line is -100 to -150

MINNESOTA at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:10 PM ET WGN
DIAMOND: MINNESOTA 72-53 against division opponents
PEAVY: CHI WHITE SOX 17-23 at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

TORONTO at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
ALVAREZ: TORONTO 13-4 after a game where their bullpen blew a save
REYES: BALTIMORE 36-59 in night games

OAKLAND at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
HARDEN: OAKLAND 25-47 in road games
JIMENEZ: CLEVELAND 21-9 at home with a money line of -100 to -150

NY YANKEES at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET ESPN
HUGHES: NY YANKEES 22-11 in road games after 3 or more consecutive road games
BECKETT: 10-2 UNDER as a favorite of -150 or more

TAMPA BAY at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
SHIELDS: 12-19 TSR after a loss
OGANDO: TEXAS 15-4 at home when the total is 7 to 8.5

LA ANGELS at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
HAREN: LA ANGELS 40-25 when the money line is -100 to -150
HERNANDEZ: SEATTLE 86-121 in night games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change