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Red Sox Open Huge Series At NY Yankees

The New York Yankees clinched the American League East title with a doubleheader sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Believe it or not, that was good news for the Boston Red Sox who begin a 3-game set in the Bronx against their hated rivals on Friday.

Red Sox fans are certainly never happy to hear "Yankees" and "win" in the same sentence. And bettors who are left holding worthless AL East tickets on Boston aren't too pleased.

But New York's twinbill broom job over Tampa Bay did help the Red Sox maintain a 2.5-game lead in the AL Wild Card race over both the Rays and Angels heading into play Thursday. The series finale between the Yanks and Rays was still pending with Tampa Bay -140 on the MLB odds board behind rookie fireballer Matt Moore.

A second benefit to Boston in New York sewing the division up could come this weekend when Yankees manager Joe Girardi is likely to start resting some of his regulars.

Now, if Mother Nature will cooperate, the Red Sox could be set to take back real control of their playoff hopes in Friday's series opener in New York (7:05 p.m. ET). Boston will send Jon Lester to the mound, with the southpaw looking for his third win in as many starts this season at Yankee Stadium.

Lester (16-13, 3.15) will be out to stop a short 2-game skid when he hits the bump, both of the losing starts coming against the Rays. He surrendered eight runs, all earned, in the 11 combined innings against Tampa Bay, and the Sox have won just once in Lester's four September outings.

Boston has also dropped Lester's last two assignments against the Yankees, both of those games taking place at Fenway Park. He faced the Yankees twice here in New York over about a three week span back in May-June, and while he was far from untouchable (12 IP, 7 ER), Lester picked up the win both times.

Who Lester faces in Friday's contest remains a bit of a mystery with New York yet to name its starting hurler. Wednesday's doubleheader and Phil Hughes' recent back trouble have Girardi's rotation in flux, and it's unclear if Freddy Garcia (14-10, 3.77) will take his regular turn in this game.

Garcia has posted something akin to batting practice stats his last three starting assignments, with New York's lineup bailing him out on two of those occasions. The opposition has accumulated 21 hits off Garcia in his last 12 1/3 innings, six of those going into the bleachers, plus six walks.

The right-hander has also taken a beating twice this season at home against Boston, serving up three homers and allowing eight earned runs in the seven combined innings.

Girardi used eight different hurlers in Wednesday's first game against the Rays after Hughes wasn't able to answer the call. The Yankees skipper could resort to something similar on Friday night if he wants to skip Garcia's turn.

There's also the issue of rain to consider, with the current forecast calling for a 70-80 percent chance of precipitation in the Big Apple on Friday. Temperatures are expected to hover in the upper-60s most of the day.

The series continues Saturday afternoon in a FOX broadcast. Tim Wakefield gets the call for Terry Francona's club against New York's AJ Burnett. Neither team has made an official announcement regarding their starters in Sunday's finale.

SF Giants In Do-Or-Die At Arizona Diamondbacks

The San Francisco Giants are running out of time heading into the desert to start a three-game National League West series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Friday night’s first pitch is scheduled for 9:40 (ET) at Chase Field.

San Francisco entered play Thursday 5 ½-games back of division-leading Arizona, which has likely shifted the team’s focus in trying to catch the Atlanta Braves for the Wild Card spot. The Giants are not alone in that race, as they are in third-place behind the St. Louis Cardinals who were 1½-games behind Atlanta for the final spot in the NL playoffs.

Last year’s World Series champions aren’t going down without a fight, posting a 12-6 record in September, including wins in nine of the last 10 games. San Francisco will enter the series opener with six games remaining on its schedule.

Eric Surkamp (2-0, 2.95 ERA) is scheduled to make his fifth start of the 2011 campaign, and he's helped lead the Giants to wins in all four of his previous outings. He received a no-decision in the team’s 6-5 road win over Colorado in his last effort, giving up a single run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings.

The rookie left-hander has been pretty fortunate with his results thus far, as he’s issued 11 walks and registered just 10 strikeouts in 21 1/3 frames. Opponents are hitting .266 against him.

He will be making his first career start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, bringing in a 1-0 mark and 3.72 ERA in two career starts on the road.

Bettors will find that the Giants are 4-14 in their last 18 series-opening games, while the ‘over’ is 5-2 in their last seven games in that particular situation.

Arizona picked up two of three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates in its latest home series, including an 8-5 win Wednesday. The Diamondbacks have trimmed their magic number to two in hopes of winning their first division title since 2007.

Much of the club’s success has been attributed to a starting rotation that has accumulated 960 1/3 innings, second in the league behind only the Philadelphia Phillies.

It doesn’t stop there due to the bullpen boasting a 3.67 ERA, which is a dramatic improvement from the 5.82 mark it finished with in 2010. Arizona is 81-0 this season when leading after eight innings.

Josh Collmenter (9-10, 3.42 ERA) is the more experienced rookie that will take to the mound in this contest, but will be looking for his first win since August 31. He has worn down in the season’s final month, coming in with an 0-2 mark and 5.19 ERA in three starts.

The right-hander has still been a solid option at home, posting an 8-4 record and 3.38 ERA, issuing just 11 walks and compiling 47 strikeouts in 72 innings of work.

Collmenter will be making his third appearance (second start) against the Giants, entering with a 1-1 record and 6.43 ERA, including a 6-5 home loss on June 14 (5 IP, 5 ER).

The Diamondbacks are 3-8 following a day off this season and the ‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these division rivals.

With temperatures still in excess of 100 degrees in the Phoenix area, it’s likely that the Chase Field roof will be closed for the entire series.

Good luck BRADDAH! Looking fwd to all your plays....

CFL Betting Notes - Week 13

September 20, 2011

The 2011 CFL regular season has begun to really heat up as teams continue to jockey for position for a run at this year’s Grey Cup. Last Friday, Edmonton moved back into a tie for the lead in the West Division with a 38-23 upset of Hamilton as a 4 ½-point road underdog. Saturday’s double-header kicked-off with Saskatchewan outlasting Toronto 30-20 as an eight-point home favorite. In the nightcap, British Columbia shocked Calgary 32-19 as a four-point road underdog. Winnipeg wrapped-up Week 12 with yet another upset as it knocked-off Montreal 25-23 as an eight-point road underdog to extend its lead over the Alouettes to two games in the East.
The following is brief preview of this week’s games along with the opening point spread and ‘over/under’ lines as provided by BetOnline.com.

Friday, September 23

Montreal Alouettes (-1) at Edmonton Eskimos Over/Under (54)

Montreal’s quest for a third-straight CFL title keeps hitting bumps in the road as it is now 6-5 straight-up on the year and 5-6 against the spread. The Alouettes are 2-3 both SU and ATS on the road this season and the total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last five games. Edmonton is 7-4 SU (6-5 ATS) overall and 3-2 SU (2-3 ATS) at home. The total has stayed ‘under’ in eight of its last 10 games.

The Alouettes cruised to a 27-4 victory over the Eskimos in Week 7 as 6 ½-point home favorites with the total staying ‘under’ the 54 ½-point line. They are 5-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall, but just 2-7 ATS in their last nine trips to Edmonton. Montreal still has the league’s top-ranked passer (Anthony Calvillo), rusher (Brandon Whitaker), and receiver (Jamel Richardson) in total yards.

Saturday, September 24

BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-1 ½) Over/Under (50)

BC has firmly worked itself into the playoff picture with four straight wins to get to 5-6 SU (6-5 ATS) on the year. It is 3-3 SU (4-2 ATS) in six road games and the total has stayed ‘under in its last seven games overall. Saskatchewan is still in last-place in the West, but is back in the hunt for the playoffs with three straight wins to go to 4-7 both SU and ATS. It is 2-4 SU (2-4 ATS) at home this season and the total has stayed ‘under’ in seven of its last nine games overall.

The Lions stuffed the Roughriders 24-11 the first time they met this season as 3 ½-point home favorites with the total staying ‘under’ the 53 ½-point line. BC is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 games of this series overall and 6-2 ATS in the last eight games played in Saskatchewan. The total has stayed ‘under’ in 10 of the last 14 meetings. The Lions’ defense is ranked first in the league in points allowed; giving up an average of 22.5 a game.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-3) at Toronto Argonauts Over/Under (48 ½)

Winnipeg now has the best record in the CFL at 8-3 SU (8-3 ATS). It is 4-1 SU (4-1 ATS) on the road this season and the total has stayed ‘under’ in five of its last seven games. Toronto has now lost three straight games to fall to a woeful 2-9 SU. It is 4-7 ATS overall, but 1-3 ATS at home. The total has stayed ‘under’ in its last four games.

The Blue Bombers have won both of the previous meetings this season with a 22-16 win as one-point home favorites in early July, followed by a 33-24 victory as 3 ½-point road underdogs two weeks later. Winnipeg is just 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games in Toronto and the total has stayed ‘under’ in six of the last seven games played there. The Argonauts are last in the league in scoring with a total of just 206 points on the year.

Sunday, September 25

Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger Cats (PICK) Over/Under (54 ½)

Calgary is now 7-4 SU (6-5 ATS) overall, but remains a perfect 5-0 SU (4-1 ATS) on the road. The total has stayed ‘under’ in six of its last nine games, including the last three. Hamilton is now 5-6 both SU and ATS after two straight losses. It is 4-2 SU (3-3 ATS) in six home games and the total has gone ‘over’ in seven of its last eight games overall.

The Stampeders rolled to a 32-20 victory over the Tiger-Cats in Week 6 as 3 ½-point home favorites. The total crept just ‘over’ the 51-point line. They are now 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings and the total has stayed ‘under’ in the last five meetings in Hamilton. These two teams are ranked second and third in scoring this season with a combined average of just under 50 points a game.

Diamond Trends - Friday

September 23, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Brewers are 12-0 since June 24, 2010 when Yovani Gallardo starts as a favorite after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1200.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Dodgers are 0-10 OU since April 29, 2010 as a favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Phillies are 0-9-1 OU since May 16, 2010 when Cole Hamels starts as a road favorite after his team lost the last time he started vs this opponent for a net profit of $900 when playing the under.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

Chris Carpenter has produced a team record of 20-1 since June 25th 2005 at home when he is off a team win in which he went eight-plus innings and threw at least 100 pitches. He allowed an average of 1.50 runs in 7.72 innings pitched and his WHIP was a solid 0.85.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Braves are 0-9-1 OU since May 07, 2010 as a road dog vs a team that has won at least their last three games for a net profit of $900 when playing the under.

The Blue Jays are 6-0-2 OU since May 10, 2010 as a 170+ dog and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $600 when playing the over.

The Blue Jays are 6-0 OU since May 05, 2010 when Brandon Morrow starts as a road dog after more strike outs than hits allowed and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $600 when playing the over.

Red Sox-Yankees begin 3-game set in the Bronx

BOSTON RED SOX (88-68)

at NEW YORK YANKEES (95-61)


First pitch: Friday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -145, New York +135, Total: 9

With the Yankees having already wrapped up the AL East title, there will be a little bit of luster missing when they host Boston for the first of a three-game set on Friday night. The Red Sox are 6-0 at Yankee Stadium this year.

But this game still has plenty of meaning for the slumping Red Sox, who are still grasping onto a tenuous lead in the Wild Card race. The Yankees already punted Thursday night’s game, a loss to Tampa, and they’re less likely to lie down for their bitter rivals. But New York will have a struggling Freddy Garcia taking the mound while Boston has Jon Lester, who’s 6-1 with a 2.67 ERA career in the Bronx. And the FoxSheets have a trend working against the Yankees, and confirming BOSTON is the pick:

N.Y. YANKEES are 7-15 (-13.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season. The average score was N.Y. YANKEES 4.1, OPPONENT 4.4 - (Rating = 2*).

Lester (15-8, 3.15 ERA) is coming off back-to-back poor starts, both against Tampa. He labored through 111 pitches and got through just four innings, allowing 11 base runners and four runs, in a loss to the Rays on September 11. He then allowed another four runs, this time over seven innings, in a home loss to Tampa last Saturday. But the lefty has been better on the road this year, where he’s 10-3 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 16 starts.

Garcia (11-8, 3.77 ERA) has been very shaky of late. He opened September with a 3.09 ERA but has given up 15 runs and 21 hits in 12.1 innings (10.94 ERA, 2.19 WHIP) so far this month. The Sox have beaten Garcia all three times they’ve faced him this year, scoring 10 runs (nine earned) in 12 innings against him.

David Ortiz (.925 OPS over 38 career plate appearances), Carl Crawford (.925 OPS in 25 PA) and Jacoby Ellsbury (.901 OPS in 14 PA) have all hit Garcia hard over the years, as have infielders Marco Scutaro (1.400 OPS in 15 PA) and Mike Aviles (1.545 OPS in 11 PA).

Friday’s betting tips: BYU stinks in September

Who’s hot

NCAAF: Central Florida is 13-3 against the spread in its last 16 road games.

MLB: Washington is 7-3 in Stephen Strasburg’s last 10 starts dating back to last season.

MLB: Philadelphia has won 11 of its last 14 meetings with the New York Mets.

CFL: Montreal is 17-5 against the spread in its last 22 games following a straight up loss.

Who’s not

NCAAF: BYU is 1-5 against the spread in its last six September games.

MLB: The New York Yankees are 3-10 in their last 13 meetings with Boston.

MLB: Cincinnati is 3-7 in its last 10 meetings with Pittsburgh.

CFL: Edmonton is 2-5 against the spread in its last seven overall.

Key stat

23 – The Boston Red Sox had played 23 straight games without recording back-to-back victories.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals - Wells was limited in practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury, or if it will prevent the Cardinals' starting running back from playing in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona is set as a 3.5-point favorite on the road.

Game of the day

Central Florida at Brigham Young (-2, 44)

Notable quotable

“I am more concerned about what we have to improve on than anything else. We are going to work to get that done. When you come in second in a game, I think some of your weaknesses are exposed a little bit, and that’s out now. It's your resume. It’s on film.” – UCF coach George O’Leary about rebounding from last week’s loss to Florida Atlantic as a 6.5-point favorite. The Knights are pegged as 2-point underdogs at BYU.

Notes and tips

Freshman quarterback Braxton Miller will make his first start for Ohio State in Saturday's game against Colorado. Coach Luke Fickell made the announcement Thursday after remaining quiet on the situation since the Buckeyes' 24-6 loss to Miami last weekend. Joe Bauserman has started Ohio State's first three games, passing for 365 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Bauserman struggled against Miami, completing 2 of 14 passes for 13 yards. Ohio State is set as a 16.5-point favorite at home.

Indiana Fever sparkplug Tamika Catchings was named the WNBA’s most valuable player ahead of the team’s 84-72 win over Indiana Thursday night. She responded with 12 points and 13 rebounds to help the Fever to a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final. The two teams play Game 2 Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson is appealing a three-game suspension handed down by the NFL, Yahoo! Sports reported on Thursday. Benson will be able to play in Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. His appeal will be heard next Tuesday. Should the suspension be upheld, Benson will miss contests against the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. Benson was cited for assault of a former roommate during the lockout and served three full days in jail following a more recent charge. He was given considerable time off his 20-day sentence after volunteering for work duty. The 28-year-old Benson has rushed 41 times for 180 yards and one touchdown this season. The Bengals are set as 3-point favorites.

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Some trends to think about with Week 3 of the college football here

-- Underdogs covered seven of last nine East Carolina-UAB games.

-- Last 12 years, Duke is 3-9-1 vs spread as a home favorite.

-- San Diego State is 3-0 for the first time since 1981; they’re facing their old coach (2009-10) this week.

-- Troy won/covered its last five games against Middle Tennessee.

-- Ohio Bobcats are 11-4-1 in last sixteen games as a road underdog.

-- Central Michigan covered its last six games against Michigan State.


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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Dishing out some college knowledge........

13) There are 120 teams in I-A football; Notre Dame (-8) has the worst turnover ratio in the country.

12) How about Iowa State’s 3-0 start? They beat I-AA Northern Iowa by a point, beat arch-rival Iowa in OT and then came back to win 24-20 at UConn. Plus the Big 12 is staying together, so their program will still be cashing big checks. Big month for the Cyclones so far.

11) Auburn’s opponents’ 3rd down conversions in their three games so far: 10-17/11-20/14-18. Not good.

10) Hard to believe, but last week was first time North Carolina won its ACC opener since 2000.

9) Nebraska is banged up on OL; they started three walk-ons on offensive line last week, first time since 1998; they beat Washington 51-38, so it didn’t hurt them too much.

8) Not only are the Akron Zips 0-3, they’ve been outscored 98-3 in the first half, 142-17 overall. Someone needs to get out recruiting, or updating their resume. People get fired for losing that badly.

7) Boston College is also 0-3, but they’ve only trailed one game at the half; they’ve been outscored 41-6 in the second half.

6) Looks like Oklahoma is staying put in the Big IX (or X or XII), and so is Bob Stoops, who is now signed on with the Sooners thru 2018, with an extension worth $34.5M. Good work if you can get it.

5) Missouri Tigers are having open tryouts for basketball walk-ons October 3-4; its weird, at a big school like that, you can find a good practice player every so often.

4) SEC/Pac-12 both have equal sharing of network TV revenue, which is a good thing. Very good if you’re Vanderbilt, since they’re raking in the cash even though they’re never any good in football. Commodores are good in basketball and baseball, but football is the money sport.

3) Very surprised West Virginia got turned down by the SEC. Thought they were a good fit. They’d also be a good fit to replace Texas A&M in whatever that league with Texas/Oklahoma in it is called now.

2) There are 33 unbeaten college football teams left; think there are eight games pitting unbeatens this weekend. Of the 33 unbeatens, Boise State is only one that hasn’t played a home game yet (played Georgia in Atlanta, at Toledo).

1) Weird thing about how college football works: Boise really needs Ohio State to start playing well since Toledo lost by only 27-22 in Columbus, then got drilled 40-15 by the Broncos. Better Ohio State/Toledo play rest of the way, better Boise State looks to the voters.

CFL
Dunkel


Week 13

Montreal at Edmonton
The Alouettes look to take advantage of an Edmonton team that is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 September games. Montreal is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Alouettes favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-1). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Game 491-492: Montreal at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 114.881; Edmonton 112.472
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 2 1/2; 51
Vegas Line: Montreal by 1; 54
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-1); Under

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Game 493-494: BC at Saskatchewan (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 118.411; Saskatchewan 117.735
Dunkel Line: BC by 1; 54
Vegas Line: Saskatchewan by 1 1/2; 50
Dunkel Pick: BC (+1 1/2); Over

Game 495-496: Winnipeg at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 112.821; Toronto 106.904
Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 6; 52
Vegas Line: Winnipeg by 3; 48 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (-3); Over

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Game 497-498: Calgary at Hamilton (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 111.642; Hamilton 109.933
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 1 1/2; 51
Vegas Line: Hamilton by 1; 54 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+1); Under




CFL
Long Sheet


Friday, September 23

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MONTREAL (6 - 5) at EDMONTON (7 - 4) - 9/23/2011, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 23-40 ATS (-21.0 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
MONTREAL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) off a loss against a division rival over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-1 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Saturday, September 24

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 6) at SASKATCHEWAN (4 - 7) - 9/24/2011, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 42-64 ATS (-28.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 9 or more games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 38-22 ATS (+13.8 Units) in September games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 88-56 ATS (+26.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 73-49 ATS (+19.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 51-29 ATS (+19.1 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 31-15 ATS (+14.5 Units) in road games off a win over a division rival since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-3 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 5-4 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WINNIPEG (8 - 3) at TORONTO (2 - 9) - 9/24/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-4 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-4 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, September 25

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CALGARY (7 - 4) vs. HAMILTON (5 - 6) - 9/25/2011, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 3-2 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 4-1 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Week 13

Montreal (6-5) @ Edmonton (7-4)-- Alouettes lost three of four games since beating Edmonton 27-4 (-6.5) in Week 7; Als lost three of last four road games, with setbacks by 8-7-23 points- they're 4-5 as favorite, 1-2 on road. Edmonton is 7-0 when it scores 24+ points, 0-4 when it does not, but they've lost last two home games. Alouettes allowed 25+ points in seven of their 11 games. All five Montreal road games went over the total, but eight of last ten Eskimo games stayed under.

BC Lions (5-6) @ Saskatchewan (4-7)-- Lions won five of last six games after 0-5 start, first win of which was 24-11 (-3) over Roughriders back in Week 6; Saskatchewan is 3-0 since changing coaches during bye week, winning by 20-23-10 points. This is fourth road game in last six weeks for Lions, who are 4-2 vs spread on road, winning last three SU. Six of last seven Lion games, seven of last nine Rider games stayed under total. Riders are 4-2 when they allow 24 or less points, 0-5 otherwise.

Winnipeg (8-3) @ Toronto (2-9)-- Surprising Bombers have already won twice against Toronto this year, 22-16 (-2) in Week 2, 33-24 (+3) here in Week 4. Underdogs are 9-2 vs spread in Winnipeg games this year, with Bombers failing to cover last three tries as a favorite- they're 4-1 on road, with wins by 8-9-2-13 points (0-1 as road fave). Toronto is 0-3 since its bye, losing by 13-22-10 points. Under is 8-3 in Winnipeg games, 4-0 in Argonauts' last four contests.

Calgary (7-4) @ Hamilton (6-5)-- TiCats were 4-1 when they went out to Calgary and lost 32-20 (+4) at McMahon, starting them on 2-4 skid. Hamilton's home loss to Edmonton last week was their first loss in five home games- they've allowed 32+ points in five of last six games. Seven of last eight TiCat games went over the total. Stampeders are 5-0 on road this season, with three of five wins by 4 or less points. Calgary is 6-0 if it scores more than 21 points- they were favored in last nine games.




CFL


Week 13

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Trend Report
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Friday, September 23

9:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games
Edmonton is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal


Saturday, September 24

4:00 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
British Columbia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of British Columbia's last 14 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Saskatchewan's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Saskatchewan's last 9 games

7:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Winnipeg is 7-15-1 SU in its last 23 games ,when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Winnipeg


Sunday, September 25

1:00 PM
CALGARY vs. HAMILTON
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Calgary's last 12 games when playing Hamilton
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Hamilton is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


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CFL


Week 13

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Canadian Bacon: CFL Week 13 odds and picks
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Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos (+1.5, 54)

The Montreal Alouettes are still weakened by injuries and that could be a serious problem against an Eskimos team that seems stronger than it did earlier this year now that it's protecting QB Ricky Ray better. The absence of defensive back Dwight Anderson (hip) makes the Montreal secondary much more vulnerable. Still battling the effects of a concussion, middle linebacker Shae Emry will also be missed while Ramon Guzman and Diamond Ferri will try to fill in the gap.

Keep in mind that WR Kerry Watkins injured as well.

On Edmonton’s side, not only did the offense make some progress but defensively they have improved thanks to young DE Julius Williams. The Eskimos will probably take full advantage of the recent lack of chemistry between QB Anthony Calvillo and his receivers.

If the Alouettes don't start running the ball more often, they could be in for a very long night in Edmonton.

Pick: Edmonton


B.C. Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-1.5, 50)

These two teams are making everyone forget their terrible starts now that they are back in the thick of things in the West Division. Don’t count them out for the playoff race since both squads will play six of their last seven games against divisional rivals.

The Lions have won four in a row while the Riders are on a three-game winning streak. The Lions currently lead the CFL allowing only 22.2 points per game, but their recent strong stretch has brought that average down. B.C. has allowed just 42 points over the last four games.

Ken Miller's return at the helm of the Riders has been a turning point for the entire team and especially for QB Darian Durant. He has eight TD passes in his last three games and now averages better than nine yards per pass attempt.

This should be a close one but since it is played in Regina, we have to go with the Riders.

Pick: Regina


Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts (+3.5, 48.5)

After picking up a key win in Montreal, the Blue Bombers are now in a great position to widen the gap at the top of the East Division against the weakest link of the CFL, the Toronto Argonauts.

While Buck Pierce and his troops will work in the deadly silence of Rogers Stadium, the second-place Montreal Alouettes will have much more adversity at Commonwealth Stadium.

Pierce didn’t take the usual abuse last week and should be in top shape to keep the Bombers attack rolling against a Toronto defense that isn't as stingy as it has been in the recent years. Meanwhile, the Argos' offense isn't scaring anyone - even with Steven Jyles behind center.

That said, the danger for Winnipeg is to have a letdown after a very emotional win against the Alouettes while playing on a short week. But how can the Bombers flop after last year's terrible campaign now that they have a chance to run away with first place in the East?

Pick: Winnipeg


Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger Cats (Pick’em, 54.5)

With the Stampeders and Tiger-Cats squaring off in Moncton, New Brunswick, this could be the toughest game on the board for bettors. Being the second Touchdown Atlantic celebration, there will be lots of distractions around.

However, Calgary is fighting for first place in the West and must feel a sense of urgency. A bye week to start the playoffs will be a strong motivating factor. Also keep in mind that neither team will have much of a home advantage even if the Tiger-Cats are listed as the home team. The Stampeders are unbeaten in five road games this season and should keep that streak going.

Pick: Calgary

MLB
Dunkel


Toronto at Tampa Bay
The Blue Jays look to build on their 7-0 record in Brandon Morrow's last 7 starts with the total set at 7 to 8 1/2. Toronto is the pick (+170) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Jays favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+170). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 14.694; Washington (Strasburg) 15.949
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-115); Over

Game 953-954: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Volquez) 14.390; Pittsburgh (Locke) 13.959
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-130); Under

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 13.890; NY Mets (Dickey) 15.056
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Under

Game 957-958: Colorado at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Pomeranz) 14.340; Houston (Myers) 13.293
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+110); Over

Game 959-960: Florida at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Volstad) 15.015; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 16.187
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-235); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-235); Over

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Dempster) 16.391; St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.580
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-210); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+180); Under

Game 963-964: San Francisco at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.332; Arizona (Saunders) 16.132
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-165); Over

Game 965-966: LA Dodgers at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Lilly) 16.516; San Diego (LeBlanc) 15.539
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-120); Under

Game 967-968: Baltimore at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Simon) 17.083; Detroit (Porcello) 15.905
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+150); Under

Game 969-970: Boston at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 15.011; NY Yankees (Garcia) 16.150
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+125); Over

Game 971-972: Minnesota at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 13.810; Cleveland (Masterson) 14.460
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-180); Under

Game 973-974: Toronto at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Morrow) 16.362; Tampa Bay (Price) 14.953
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+170); Over

Game 975-976: Seattle at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vasquez) 15.983; Texas (Harrison) 15.801
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Texas (-270); 10
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+240); Over

Game 977-978: Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 14.241; White Sox (Stewart) 15.070
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-120); Under

Game 979-980: Oakland at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gonzalez) 15.471; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.503
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 6
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-185); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-185); Under

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up


Friday, September 23

Hot pitchers
-- Strasburg is 0-0, 1.29 in three starts this season.
-- Dickey is 3-2, 1.94 in his last six starts.
-- Pomeranz is 1-0, 1.69 in his first two big league starts.
-- Gallardo is 4-2, 3.33 in his last seven starts. Volstad is 0-0, 2.50 in his last three starts.
-- Myers is 3-0, 1.48 in his last four starts.
-- Carpenter is 2-0, 1.50 in his last three starts.
-- Giants are 4-0 when Surkamp starts (2-0, 3.38).
-- Lilly is 3-1, 3.00 in his last five starts.

-- Porcello is 3-1, 3.24 in his last five starts.
-- Price is 3-2, 1.98 in his last eight starts.
-- Harrison is 3-0, 2.41 in his last three starts.
-- Weaver is 2-0, 1.71 in his last three starts. Gonzalez is 4-1, 3.58 in his last five outings.

Cold pitchers
-- Hudson is 0-3, 6.87 in his last three road starts.
-- Volquez is 1-4, 6.89 in his last six starts. Locke is 0-2, 6.75 in his two starts this season.
-- Hamels is 1-2, 4.50 in his last four starts.
-- Dempster is 0-5, 4.71 in his last six starts.
-- Collmenter is 0-2, 5.19 in his last three starts.
-- Leblanc is 2-3, 6.07 in his last five starts.

-- Simon is 0-3, 6.75 in his last five starts.
-- Lester is 0-2, 6.55 in his last couple starts. Garcia is 0-1, 10.95 in his last three starts.
-- Morrow is 1-4, 7.75 in his last six starts.
-- Masterson is 2-3, 5.87 in his last six starts. Pavano is 2-4, 5.72 in his last six starts.
-- Stewart is 1-4, 6.75 in his last six starts. Chen is 1-3, 5.47 in his last four starts.
-- Vasquez is 0-4, 10.61 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Three of Hudson's last four road starts went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Volquez starts stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Dickey starts stayed under the total.
-- Last four Myers starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in Volstad's last eight road starts.
-- Under is 6-3 in Dempster's last nine starts.
-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Collmenter starts.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Lilly's last five home starts.

-- Under is 3-1-1 in Simon's last five starts.
-- Under is 11-3-1 in Lester's last fifteen starts.
-- Five of last six Masterson starts went over the total.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Price home starts.
-- Four of five Vasquez starts went over the total.
-- Four of last five Stewart starts went over the total.
-- Under is 17-7 in Weaver's last 24 starts.

Hot Teams
-- Washington won 10 of its last 12 games.
-- Astros won three of their last four home games.
-- Brewers won six of their last nine games.
-- Cardinals won 10 of their last 13 games.
-- Giants won nine of their last eleven games. Arizona won three of its last four games.
-- San Diego won five of its last six games. Dodgers won six of their last eight games.

-- Bronx won five of its last seven games.
-- Tigers won 15 of their last 19 games. Orioles won eight of their last ten games.
-- Royals won eight of their last ten games.
-- Mariners won four of their last six road games. Rangers won eight of their last ten games.
-- Angels won six of their last eight home games.

Cold Teams
-- Atlanta lost eight of its last 12 games.
-- Pittsburgh lost 11 of its last 14 games. Reds lost three of their last four road games.
-- Phillies lost seven of their last eight games. Mets lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Rockies lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Marlins lost five of their last seven road games.
-- Cubs lost their last three road games, allowing 17 runs.

-- Red Sox are 5-16 so far this month.
-- White Sox lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Minnesota lost 11 of its last 12 games. Cleveland lost six of its last eight home games.
-- Tampa Bay lost three of its last four games. Toronto lost four of its last five road games.
-- Oakland is 6-10 in its last 16 games.

MLB


Friday, September 23

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Cincinnati is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta's last 14 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Washington's last 14 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games at home

7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. DETROIT
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 12 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 12 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. TAMPA BAY
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Philadelphia's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Mets's last 7 games
NY Mets are 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games at home

8:05 PM
COLORADO vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 8 games
Colorado is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Chi White Sox's last 16 games

8:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. MILWAUKEE
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Florida's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 18 games when playing Florida
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

9:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arizona's last 14 games at home
Arizona is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games at home

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing San Diego
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
San Diego is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of San Diego's last 17 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing at home against Oakland

MLB


Friday, September 23

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Friday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Brett Myers, Houston Astros (6-13, 4.39 ERA)

It seems like Myers spent the better part of the season in our Slumping section, so it’s nice to see him turn it around as the season winds down. He has gone 3-0 over his last four starts, posting a sparkling 1.19 ERA while allowing just a single home run over the hot streak.

Matt Harrison, Texas Rangers (13-9, 3.42 ERA)

Harrison has won three straight and was lights-out in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Seattle when he went 6 2/3 innings while striking out a season-high nine batters while walking only two. A lot of his recent success has been attributed to his killer curveball.

"I probably threw more curveballs today than I have in a month," Harrison told reporters after Sunday’s win. "I felt good early, so I just went with it. It seems like the last three starts they've put a lot of lefties in there and I had to find a way to get them out. I was able to put the curve where I wanted it today and get a lot of swings and misses off it."


Slumping

Anthony Vasquez, Seattle Mariners (1-4, 8.25 ERA)

Everything has been downhill since the rookie lefty won his MLB debut. He has now lost four straight and was chased after only three innings of work in his last outing against the Rangers when he gave up five runs and three dingers. In 24 innings of work he has 11 strikeouts to go against eight walks and faces Texas again Friday.

Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds (5-6, 5.87 ERA)

Volquez has dropped both of his starts since returning from the minors, but the club is trying to remain optimistic. However, he gave up five earned runs over 6 2/3 innings last week to the Brewers while striking out six and walking three.

"I am just trying to go deep in the game and throw more innings," Volquez told reporters. "I want to be more aggressive in the strike zone like I did tonight and throw more strikes."


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MLB


Friday, September 23

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Ranking MLB bullpens of potential playoff-bound teams
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As great as Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has been in the regular season, he has been even better in the postseason. Rivera has allowed just 11 earned runs in 139 2/3 postseason innings for a microscopic 0.71 ERA.

Rivera's favorite time of the year is coming soon as Major League Baseball's postseason begins Sept. 30. With that in mind, let's rank the back ends of the bullpens of the 11 teams who have either clinched playoff berths or are within three games in the loss column of a potential post-season trip:

ATLANTA BRAVES

The trio of rookie closer Craig Kimrbrel and left-handed set-up men Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty has been used often by manager Fredi Gonzalez but been outstanding. Kimbrel has pitched 75 1/3 innings and set the major-league rookie record with 45 saves while posting a 2.03 ERA and 1.85 xFIP, which stands for expected fielding independent statistics, a metric devised by fangraphs.com that measures the three outcomes a pitcher can control--home runs, walks and strikeouts.

Venters has worked 85 innings and has a 1.69 ERA and 2.81 xFIP while O'Flaherty has compiled a 1.02 ERA and 3.08 xFIP in 70 1/3 innings. The Braves' rotation is suspect as Jair Jurrjens (knee) is doubtful for the postseason--if Atlanta can even get there by holding off the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League wild card race--and Tommy Hanson (shoulder) is questionable. However, the terrific trio in the bullpen gives the Braves a chance to play deep into October, assuming of course Atlanta’s relievers can dust of their September slump.

NEW YORK YANKEES

Rivera is having another great year with 43 saves, a 1.95 ERA and 2.64 xFIP in 60 innings but he hasn't been the Yankees' best reliever. That honor belongs to set-up man David Robertson, who has a 1.11 ERA and 2.49 xFIP in 64 2/3 innings. Rafael Soriano, who led the American League in saves last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, has pitched just 37 1/3 innings this year because of injuries and has a 3.62 ERA and 4.08 xFIP but has pitched well lately.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

John Axford, who the Brewers found pitching in an independent minor league, is having a second straight outstanding season with 43 saves, a 2.07 ERA and a 2.88 xFIP in 69 2/3 innings. Francisco Rodriguez, who holds the single-season saves record, has been a reluctant but solid set-up man since being acquired from the Mets at the All-Star break with a 2.13 ERA and 2.79 xFIP in 25 1/3 innings. Kameron Loe has logged 69 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA and 2.82 xFIP.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Ryan Madson entered the season as the Phillies' third-string closer behind Brad Lidge and Jose Contreras but injuries to those two have enabled him to save 31 games with a 2.50 ERA and 3.07 xFIP in 57 2/3 innings. Lidge has worked his way back into a set-up role, pitching 16 innings and posting a 1.13 ERA and 3.50 xFIP. Left-hander Antonio Bastardo has struggled in September but has a 2.22 ERA and 3.43 xFIP in 56 2/3 innings.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Rookie Jordan Walden was handed the job of closer one week into the season and has responded with 31 saves, a 2.41 ERA and 3.17 xFIP in 56 innings. Scott Downs has been outstanding setting up from the left side with a 1.24 ERA and 3.23 xFIP in 50 2/3 innings but Fernando Rodney, who began the season as the closer, has 4.50 and 5.08 marks in 32 innings.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

The bullpen has been unsettled all season but Jason Motte has stepped up to record all eight of his saves since Aug. 28 to help the surging Cardinals draw within 1 1/2 games of the Braves for the NL wild card. In 66 innings, Motte has a 1.91 ERA and 3.31 FIP.

Rookie Fernando Salas has 24 saves in 71 2/3 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 3.61 xFIP but has been relegated to a set-up in September, a role Kyle McClellan is also handling after making 24 starts during the first four months of the season. As a reliever, McClellan has pitched 35 innings and has a 3.60 ERA and 4.37 xFIP.

BOSTON RED SOX

Closer Jonathan Papelbon has been one of the few reliable relievers for the Red Sox as he has 30 saves, a 2.69 ERA and 2.22 xFIP in 60 innings. Set-up man Daniel Bard has nice numbers with a 3.21 ERA and 2.86xFIP in 70 innings but has faded down the stretch.

Dan Wheeler has also struggled in a set-up role in the second half and his season numbers of 4.38 and 3.70 in 49 innings are lackluster.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Kevin Towers had a knack for building good bullpens with he was the general manager of the Padres and he made a good move in his first season with the Diamondbacks by signing closer J.J. Putz as a free agent. Putz has 43 saves, a 2.29 ERA and 3.11 xFIP in 55 innings.

Primary set-up man David Hernandez, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in an offseason trade, has been adequate at 3.53 and 3.83 in 66 1/3 innings while rookie Bryan Shaw has worked his way into meaningful innings in recent weeks and has 2.60 and 3.15 in 27 2/3 innings.

TEXAS RANGERS

Neftali Feliz has struggled after saving 40 games as a rookie last season when the Rangers won the AL pennant. He has 29 saves and a 2.88 ERA but a 4.37 xFIP shows that Feliz hasn't pitched as well as the traditional stats make him look. The Rangers added set-up men Mike Adams (2.08, 2.86 in 21 1/3 innings) and Koji Uehara (4.80, 2.10 in15 innings), solidifying an otherwise weak relief corps.

TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Rays lost their top six relievers in terms of innings pitched last season to free agency over the winter but journeyman Kyle Farnsworth has emerged as an adequate closer with 23 saves, a 2.32 ERA and 3.27 xFIP in 54 1/3 innings.

Joel Peralta has grabbed hold of the top set-up man spot and posted 3.06, 3.86 numbers in 64 2/3 while manager Joe Maddon plans to give high-leverage innings to Matt Moore, considered the best pitching prospect in baseball, if the Rays make the postseason despite the 22-year-old having 4 1/3 innings of postseason experience prior to his first start Thursday against the Yankees.

DETROIT TIGERS

Jose Valverde has converted all 47 save opportunities this season and leads the major leagues in that category with a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings. However, Papa Grande's 4.13 xFIP screams that he has been very lucky and is due to give it up big time at some point. Al Albuquerque (2.04, 2.88 in 39 2/3 innings) and Joaquin Benoit (3.12, 3.47 in 57 2/3 innings) are reliable set-up men.

---

The Braves' starting pitching problems seemingly make them a long shot to win it all in October, if they even make it to the postseason, and WilliamHill.com has them at +750 to win the World Series. However, with the trio of Kimbrel, Venters and O'Flaherty set to pitch late in games, it's worth taking a shot on them at such a high number.


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MLB


Friday, September 23

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Friday’s best MLB bets
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Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (-225, 7.5)

The Cardinals made a big move to solidify their future on Thursday by inking switch-hitting slugger Lance Berkman to a one-year deal that will keep him with the team through 2012. He was hitting .300 with 31 home runs and 91 RBIs heading into Thursday’s game, but couldn't do much to help the team avoid a huge ninth-inning collapse against the Mets.

However, Berkman's still optimistic.

"This is a great place," Berkman told reporters. "It's a great place to be. Having been in one great place for a long time and having to experience being traded and being bounced around a little bit and after the opportunity of free agency, you realize there are other factors besides the dollars that come into play, and certainly comfort is a big part of it."

Having Berkman on board is huge for next year is huge but the Cardinals still have a lot to play for this season. This could turn out to be a massive series for them against the rival Cubs and Berkman has a 10-game hitting streak heading into Friday’s game.

We were hoping for a better price on the Cards, but will have to settle with the under.

Pick: Under


Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (-180, 8.5)

The Twins finally put an end to an 11-game losing streak on Thursday thanks to a two-out double from Rene Tosoni in the bottom of the ninth that brought around the winning run in a 3-2 decision over Seattle on Thursday.

The win was a long time coming for the Twins, who were closing in on the 14-game losing skid they suffered through in 1982. The way manager Ron Gardenhire sees it, the club’s work isn’t done either.

"No one ever wants to see 100 losses during a season," Gardenhire told reporters before Thursday’s game. "It's not something I'm looking forward to, and hopefully we don't go there. I try not to pay attention to the record so much, but this one is kind of staring you in the face."

The Twins still have some work ahead of them to avoid that dubious number, but we’ll take our chances with Carl Pavano Friday. He has allowed just eight runs over his last four starts.

Pick: Twins

MLB
Long Sheet


Friday, September 23

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ATLANTA (88 - 68) at WASHINGTON (76 - 79) - 7:05 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. STEPHEN STRASBURG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 21-27 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
HUDSON is 2-11 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 76-80 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-8 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
WASHINGTON is 76-80 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 52-52 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 58-63 (+4.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 39-37 (+6.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
WASHINGTON is 36-31 (+16.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-8 (+2.6 Units) against ATLANTA this season
11 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+8.1 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HUDSON is 13-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.95 and a WHIP of 1.070.
His team's record is 15-7 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-13. (-5.1 units)

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. ATLANTA since 1997
STRASBURG is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.264.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CINCINNATI (76 - 80) at PITTSBURGH (69 - 87) - 7:05 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. JEFF LOCKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 77-80 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 18-24 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CINCINNATI is 75-79 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 32-45 (-19.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 42-45 (+9.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 434-418 (+47.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 563-648 (+48.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 90-65 (+17.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 373-417 (+40.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 102-68 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 75-44 (+22.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 34-47 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-26 (-13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 22-34 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-4 (+7.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.2 Units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-4 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.5 units)

JEFF LOCKE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (98 - 58) at NY METS (74 - 82) - 7:10 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 146-102 (+26.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 105-86 (+28.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 96-57 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 145-84 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 98-58 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 41-18 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
NY METS are 31-44 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 12-24 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in home games in September games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 250-255 (-72.9 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 31-44 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 9-20 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 10-5 (+2.2 Units) against NY METS this season
11 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+9.0 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. NY METS since 1997
HAMELS is 3-10 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.69 and a WHIP of 1.585.
His team's record is 5-11 (-10.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-8. (-3.2 units)

R.A. DICKEY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DICKEY is 2-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.258.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

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COLORADO (70 - 86) at HOUSTON (54 - 102) - 8:05 PM
DREW POMERANZ (L) vs. BRETT MYERS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 70-88 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 52-56 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 47-66 (-29.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 40-47 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
COLORADO is 71-145 (-51.6 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
COLORADO is 39-42 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLORADO is 36-41 (-14.9 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.
COLORADO is 70-88 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 22-29 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
COLORADO is 19-39 (-17.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 63-95 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 47-45 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 10-3 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MYERS is 16-10 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 20-49 (-26.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 4-21 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
HOUSTON is 53-102 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 55-103 (-32.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

DREW POMERANZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

BRETT MYERS vs. COLORADO since 1997
MYERS is 6-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.47 and a WHIP of 1.299.
His team's record is 7-1 (+6.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

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FLORIDA (71 - 85) at MILWAUKEE (91 - 65) - 8:10 PM
CHRIS VOLSTAD (R) vs. YOVANI GALLARDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 71-85 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 49-64 (-12.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 69-102 (-24.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 92-65 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 53-27 (+20.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 53-23 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 31-9 (+18.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 92-65 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 62-44 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 75-47 (+22.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 56-25 (+24.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 36-10 (+23.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
GALLARDO is 15-2 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GALLARDO is 12-1 (+11.0 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. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 484-451 (+47.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 40-38 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 72-66 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off since 1997.
FLORIDA is 41-37 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 32-24 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 22-10 (+15.3 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 44-40 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 307-328 (+52.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
VOLSTAD is 10-2 (+11.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-0 (+4.5 Units) against FLORIDA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

CHRIS VOLSTAD vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
VOLSTAD is 1-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 1.86 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. FLORIDA since 1997
GALLARDO is 3-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (69 - 87) at ST LOUIS (86 - 70) - 8:15 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. CHRIS CARPENTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-30 (-17.6 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 68-90 (-31.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 69-88 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 165-186 (-35.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 26-43 (-16.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 69-88 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DEMPSTER is 9-18 (-12.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 34-16 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 64-44 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 27-18 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 79-73 (-29.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 169-144 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 92-88 (-36.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 20-21 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 172-147 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CARPENTER is 7-11 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
CARPENTER is 0-5 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 8-4 (+3.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.6 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
DEMPSTER is 6-7 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.532.
His team's record is 8-12 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-8. (+2.6 units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
CARPENTER is 11-6 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.246.
His team's record is 16-8 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-13. (-3.7 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (84 - 72) at ARIZONA (90 - 66) - 9:40 PM
ERIC SURKAMP (L) vs. JOSH COLLMENTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 59-57 (-11.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 56-35 (+21.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 32-28 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARIZONA is 91-67 (+25.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 34-17 (+18.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 21-4 (+14.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 48-29 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 26-11 (+14.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 40-27 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 91-67 (+25.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 69-48 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 89-80 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 41-26 (+10.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 187-146 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 131-96 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 127-93 (+26.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 88-77 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 50-38 (+14.0 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.
SAN FRANCISCO is 188-148 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 59-84 (-28.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-6 (+1.4 Units) against ARIZONA this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

ERIC SURKAMP vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

JOSH COLLMENTER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
COLLMENTER is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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LA DODGERS (78 - 77) at SAN DIEGO (68 - 88) - 10:05 PM
TED LILLY (L) vs. WADE LEBLANC (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LILLY is 3-13 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LILLY is 30-44 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 48-34 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA DODGERS are 18-7 (+11.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
LA DODGERS are 78-63 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 25-8 (+15.8 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 68-89 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 44-62 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 8-18 (-9.5 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
SAN DIEGO is 32-43 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 32-41 (-12.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 7-17 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
SAN DIEGO is 26-44 (-14.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SAN DIEGO is 68-89 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 36-66 (-29.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 10-20 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 11-4 (+6.4 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
11 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.8 Units)

TED LILLY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LILLY is 9-4 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.059.
His team's record is 10-5 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-13. (-11.9 units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LEBLANC is 1-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.21 and a WHIP of 1.447.
His team's record is 1-6 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

BALTIMORE (66 - 90) at DETROIT (90 - 66) - 7:05 PM
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 31-59 (-16.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 58-82 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 85-65 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 61-46 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 91-67 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 148-91 (+30.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PORCELLO is 19-10 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 19-10 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 12-3 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 35-34 (+9.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 51-61 (+18.4 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.
BALTIMORE is 13-10 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in September games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 4-3 (+1.7 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

ALFREDO SIMON vs. DETROIT since 1997
SIMON is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 2.998.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PORCELLO is 1-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.706.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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BOSTON (88 - 68) at NY YANKEES (95 - 61) - 7:05 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. FREDDY GARCIA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 33-32 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 5-16 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
BOSTON is 60-50 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 37-34 (-12.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BOSTON is 90-68 (-7.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 88-53 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 34-15 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
NY YANKEES are 95-61 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
GARCIA is 32-20 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 30-17 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 17-8 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 43-26 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LESTER is 13-2 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 7-15 (-13.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
NY YANKEES are 53-49 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-4 (+6.5 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

JON LESTER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
LESTER is 8-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.340.
His team's record is 9-7 (-0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-7. (-0.4 units)

FREDDY GARCIA vs. BOSTON since 1997
GARCIA is 9-4 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.68 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 9-11 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-10. (-1.6 units)

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MINNESOTA (60 - 95) at CLEVELAND (77 - 78) - 7:05 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 60-96 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 27-50 (-19.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-46 (-18.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 3-16 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
MINNESOTA is 58-91 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 38-60 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 40-72 (-25.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 8-19 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 77-75 (+5.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 61-50 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-52 (+9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 42-28 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 80-78 (+6.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 44-31 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MASTERSON is 13-3 (+9.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 120-91 (+20.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PAVANO is 148-128 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 8-3 (+9.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 75-50 (+26.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 27-19 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 25-15 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 8-6 (+1.2 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.1 Units)

CARL PAVANO vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
PAVANO is 3-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.40 and a WHIP of 1.131.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.5 units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MASTERSON is 1-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.34 and a WHIP of 1.359.
His team's record is 4-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-2. (+4.7 units)

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TORONTO (79 - 77) at TAMPA BAY (86 - 70) - 7:10 PM
BRANDON MORROW (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 86-70 (+4.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 430-530 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 274-293 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 162-168 (+22.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
PRICE is 29-11 (+15.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 37-38 (+4.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TORONTO is 16-9 (+7.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
TORONTO is 54-44 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 86-88 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-48 (+10.5 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.
TORONTO is 79-77 (+3.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MORROW is 20-11 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 20-29 (-23.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 10-5 (+4.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.5 Units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MORROW is 3-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.86 and a WHIP of 1.046.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. TORONTO since 1997
PRICE is 9-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 1.99 and a WHIP of 0.987.
His team's record is 10-1 (+8.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-1.4 units)

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SEATTLE (66 - 90) at TEXAS (90 - 66) - 8:05 PM
ANTHONY VASQUEZ (L) vs. MATT HARRISON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 37-71 (-30.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 66-85 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 94-129 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-26 (-13.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 35-54 (-16.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 29-52 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 13-33 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SEATTLE is 66-91 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 55-102 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 91-65 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 18-6 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
TEXAS is 35-16 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TEXAS is 87-60 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 68-42 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 12-4 (+5.5 Units) against SEATTLE this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)

ANTHONY VASQUEZ vs. TEXAS since 1997
VASQUEZ is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 15.00 and a WHIP of 2.667.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MATT HARRISON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HARRISON is 5-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.73 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 5-3 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (68 - 88) at CHI WHITE SOX (76 - 80) - 8:10 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. ZACH STEWART (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 35-73 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 33-30 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 14-10 (+12.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CHEN is 14-9 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 8-2 (+7.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 9-3 (+7.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 24-21 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-41 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 77-81 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 33-42 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 2-10 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-39 (-14.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 33-42 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-29 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 9-6 (+3.8 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
CHEN is 2-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.135.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.6 units)

ZACH STEWART vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
STEWART is 0-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 5.56 and a WHIP of 1.942.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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OAKLAND (70 - 86) at LA ANGELS (85 - 71) - 10:05 PM
GIO GONZALEZ (L) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 70-88 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 27-50 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
OAKLAND is 65-84 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 40-56 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 46-59 (-15.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 29-43 (-16.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 36-16 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 42-29 (+12.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 21-8 (+10.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA ANGELS are 226-169 (+45.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
WEAVER is 60-25 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 13-0 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 60-25 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 31-10 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 34-32 (+30.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 109-116 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 9-7 (+3.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.4 Units)

GIO GONZALEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
GONZALEZ is 6-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.72 and a WHIP of 1.132.
His team's record is 7-2 (+7.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.8 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
WEAVER is 6-6 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.182.
His team's record is 9-10 (-5.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-4. (+8.2 units)

MLB
Short Sheet


Friday, September 23

National League

ATLANTA at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
HUDSON: 2-11 TSR Away off loss
STRASBURG: WASH 11-5 off division win as underdog of +130 or more

CINCINNATI at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
VOLQUEZ: CIN 5-14 after allowing 1 run or less
LOCKE: PIT 15-7 revenging one run loss

PHILADELPHIA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
HAMELS: PHI 28-12 Away with a money line of -100 to -150
DICKEY: METS 0-11 at home off 5+ road games

COLORADO at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
POMERANZ: COL 1-7 off 6+ losses
MYERS: 3-0 TSR, 1.16 ERA L3 starts

FLORIDA at MILWAUKEE, 8:10 PM ET
VOLSTAD: FLA 6-14 revenging BB home losses
GALLARDO: MIL 30-5 as home favorite of -150 or more

CHICAGO CUBS at ST LOUIS, 8:15 PM ET
DEMPSTER: CUBS 3-22 as a road underdog of +150 or more
CARPENTER: 0-7 TSR as a favorite of -175 to -250

SAN FRANCISCO at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
SURKAMP: SF 11-1 Over off 6+ division games
COLLMENTER: ARZ 31-9 as a favorite of -125 to -175

LA DODGERS at SAN DIEGO, 10:05 PM ET
LILLY: 25-13 Under in night games
LEBLANC: SD 2-10 at home off win by 4+ runs

American League

BALTIMORE at DETROIT, 7:05 PM ET
SIMON: BAL 14-31 off BB Overs
PORCELLO: DET 57-18 as a favorite of -150 or more

BOSTON at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
LESTER: BOS 5-16 in September
GARCIA: NYY 0-6 at home vs. Boston

MINNESOTA at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
PAVANO: MIN 3-16 in September
MASTERSON: CLE 8-1 off win by 6+ runs

TORONTO at TAMPA BAY, 7:10 PM ET
MORROW: 7-0 TSR Away when the total is 7 to 8.5
PRICE: 3-8 TSR as favorite of -150 or more

SEATTLE at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
VASQUEZ: SEA 11-26 vs. lefties
HARRISON: TEX 22-10 off loss by 2 runs or less

KANSAS CITY at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:10 PM ET
CHEN: 9-3 TSR vs. division
STEWART: CHW 2-10 at home on Friday

OAKLAND at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
GONZALEZ: OAK 47-87 off underdog division win
WEAVER: 13-0 TSR at home vs. division

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Friday, September 23

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:05 PM ET NY Yankees +136 500
NY Yankees - Over 9 500

Baltimore - 7:05 PM ET Detroit -163 500
Detroit - Under 9.5 500

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -180 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

Atlanta - 7:05 PM ET Washington -116 500
Washington - Over 6.5 500

Cincinnati - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +121 500
Pittsburgh - Under 9 500

Toronto - 7:10 PM ET Toronto +170 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +127 500
NY Mets - Under 7 500

Colorado - 8:05 PM ET Houston -130 500
Houston - Under 8.5 500

Seattle - 8:05 PM ET Seattle +251 500
Texas - Over 10 500

Kansas City - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City +117 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 9 500

Florida - 8:10 PM ET Florida +219 500
Milwaukee - Over 8 500

Chi. Cubs - 8:15 PM ET Chi. Cubs +196 500
St. Louis - Over 7.5 500

San Francisco - 9:40 PM ET San Francisco +151 500
Arizona - Over 8.5 500

LA Dodgers - 10:05 PM ET LA Dodgers -115 500
San Diego - Over 6.5 500

Oakland - 10:05 PM ET Oakland +173 500
LA Angels - Under 7 500

Friday, September 23

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Montreal - 9:00 PM ET Edmonton +1 500

Edmonton - Over 54 500