Cnotes Monday's MLB Best Bets !

Texas Rangers Start Homestand Against Boston Red Sox

UPDATE (July 23): The Rangers announced Roy Oswalt would not make Monday's start against the Red Sox, and instead will send Scott Feldman to the mound against Felix Doubront.

The Texas Rangers catch a late flight from Los Angeles on Sunday night following their series with the Angels, and return home to begin a big 10-game homestand that gets underway Monday with the first of three against the Boston Red Sox.

Roy Oswalt will kick the series off for Texas and Don Best is projecting the veteran right-hander to be a 140 favorite with the run total at 10½. ESPN will carry the game nationally starting at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

Boston had yet to name its starting hurler for Monday's contest at the time of Saturday's taping, but Pat Williams believes the $1.40 line on Texas to be a solid number despite the uncertainty surrounding who pitches for the Red Sox.

Oswalt will be making his sixth start for the Rangers since signing with the club back in late May. Texas is 4-1 in his previous five assignments, and a perfect 3-0 when he takes the mound in the Lone Star State.

He is carrying a 5.22 ERA, the bulk of that number resulting from one very ugly outing in Chicago against the White Sox on July 3. The White Sox pounded three homers and scored 11 times (9 earned) during Oswalt's 4-2/3 innings that night at US Cellular Field, but he has since bounced back to throw 12 innings in two starts combined while allowing just eight hits and two runs total.

Boston is expected to send left-hander Felix Doubront to the hill for the series opener. The Venezuelan leads all Red Sox pitchers with 10 wins and has posted 10 quality efforts in his 18 starts.

Doubront has made one start against the Rangers to go along with three relief outings in his brief career. Texas has scored nine times (7 earned) in his combined 6-1/3 innings of work.

This 10-game homestand promises to be a tough one for Texas with the White Sox following Boston to town for three this weekend before the Angels come to Arlington for four early next week. Boston is beginning an equally crucial road trip with this 3-game set in Texas preceding a series in the Bronx opposite the Yankees this weekend.

Around the Horn - Monday

July 22, 2012


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Milwaukee at Philadelphia - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Wolf (3-6, 5.60 ERA) 44-50 UNDER 8-0 L8 away Game 1's
Halladay (4-5, 3.96 ERA) 42-54 OVER 5-1 L6 home Game 1's


Chicago at Pittsburgh - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Samardzija (6-8, 4.57 ERA) 38-56 3-11 away vs LHP
Bedard (5-10, 4.55 ERA) 54-40 16-4 L20 home off win


Washington at N.Y. Mets - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Zimmermann (7-6, 2.35 ERA) 55-39 8-3 L11 away vs RHP
Young (2-4, 4.11 ERA) 47-48 OVER 9-1 L10 home Game 1's


Atlanta at Miami - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Minor (5-6, 5.69 ERA) 52-43 0-11 on Mondays
Johnson (5-7, 4.35 ERA) 44-51 OVER 12-4 home vs LHP


Cincinnati at Houston - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Latos (7-3, 4.33 ERA) 55-40 UNDER 7-2 L9 away vs LHP
Rodriguez (7-8, 3.75 ERA) 34-62 OVER 9-4 on Mondays


Los Angeles at St. Louis - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Billingsley (4-9, 4.30 ERA) 52-44 2-8 L10 away vs RHP
Kelly (1-2, 2.75 ERA) 50-45 2-6 L8 home Game 1's


Colorado at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Sanchez (NR) 36-57 4-9 L13 away Game 1's
Kennedy (7-8, 4.33 ERA) 47-48 UNDER 7-0 L7 on Mondays


San Diego at San Francisco - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Richard (7-10, 3.86 ERA) 40-56 OVER 11-4 away Game 1's
Vogelsong (7-4, 2.31 ERA) 53-42 10-4 home vs LHP



AMERICAN LEAGUE

Baltimore at Cleveland - 7:05 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Hunter (4-4, 5.71 ERA) 51-44 1-9 on Mondays
Masterson (6-8, 4.29 ERA) 47-48 1-4 Game 4's


Boston at Texas - 8:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Doubront (10-4, 4.24 ERA) 48-48 3-6 L9 away Game 1's
Feldman (3-6, 5.89 ERA) 56-37 7-2 L9 home Game 1's


Minnesota at Chicago - 8:15 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Liriano (3-9, 4.81 ERA) 40-55 5-0 L5 on Mondays
Floyd (7-8, 4.54 ERA) 50-45 OVER 11-4 home Game 1's


Kansas City at Los Angeles - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Chen (7-8, 5.57 ERA) 40-54 UNDER 9-3 away vs LHP
Wilson (9-6, 2.82 ERA) 51-44 10-5 home Game 1's


N.Y. Yankees at Seattle - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Kuroda (9-7, 3.46 ERA) 57-37 8-4 on Mondays
Millwood (3-7, 4.15 ERA) 42-55 5-10 L15 home vs RHP

Diamond Trends - Monday

July 23, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rangers are 14-0 since June 20, 2011 at home after a loss and it is the first game of the series as long as they are not on a 4+ game losing streak for a net profit of $1400.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Cubs are 8-0 OU since April 16, 2011 when playing a night game on the road vs a team that has won at least their last three games for a net profit of $800 when playing the over.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Dodgers are 0-11 since August 25, 2008 when Chad Billingsley starts on the road when he is off a start in which their team scored first and lost for a net profit of $1250 when playing against.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Diamondbacks are 11-0 (+3.1 rpg) since 2004 as a 130-plus favorite when their starter went eight-plus innings in his last start and they beat a non-divisional opponent by at least four runs in that start.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

-- The Giants are 0-5 since August 08, 2011 when Ryan Vogelsong starts as a 140+ favorite after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $765 when playing against.

-- The Phillies are 7-0 since April 07, 2011 when Roy Halladay starts as a favorite after facing 25 or fewer hitters for a net profit of $700.

Hot and Not

July 23, 2012

The first week post All-Star break is in the books with a number of teams making runs in improving their division and wild card standings. Here’s a look at what some of the hottest and coldest teams did over the course of last week as the 2012 regular season heads into the month of August.

Money-Makers
Oakland A’s (5-1, $535): Manager Bob Melvin’s Athletics are now the talk of the AL West, and for that matter, the rest of the league after just pulling off a four-game home sweep of the New York Yankees. Oakland has long possessed solid pitching staffs, but didn’t have the offense to back it up. That has not been the case in 2012 with Josh Reddick and Yeonis Cespedes launching balls out of the park (101 home runs) on a consistent basis. Oakland’s ability to create havoc on the basepaths (73 steals) has also given this offense more favorable situations to work with.

On The Docket: Oakland will attempt to continue its upward ascension within the AL West – now 5 1/2-games back – on the road this upcoming week with three scheduled to go in Toronto and Baltimore. The A’s are 13-8 vs. the AL East and 22-23 ($655) as visitors.

Detroit Tigers (6-1, $492): It’s been a joy to be a Tigers fan recently! Manager Jim Leyland’s squad clawed itself over the .500 mark right before the All-Star break and returned from it a house on fire having won eight of their 10 overall games played. That stretch of hot play was capped off over the weekend with a dominating home sweep of the Chicago White Sox. In doing so, the Tigers surpassed them in the AL Central standings. This club is finally playing like the one baseball pundits expected to see at the outset of the season. If upper management adds another arm in the starting rotation, look out!

On The Docket: The Tigers will be out to add more cushion to their division lead with three in Cleveland before closing out the week in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Miguel Cabrera and his mates have won five of their L/7 away from Comerica Park, but have dropped five of six to the Tribe.

Baltimore Orioles (5-2, $429): Just when you thought it was safe to write off Manager Buck Showalter’s O’s, they rattle off five straight wins to catapult themselves back into the division and wild card races. With the Yankees having just dropped four in a row, Adam Jones and company now trail New York by just six-games in the AL East and are tied with Oakland for the second wild card slot. Provided the starting pitching can hold up and or add a viable arm to the rotation, this club should fight for a playoff spot the remainder of the season due to its ability to hit the long ball (120 home runs) and top notch bullpen.

On The Docket: The Orioles will look to pull the four-game sweep against the Tribe on Monday before returning home for enormous matchups with the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A’s. Baltimore currently sits a game over .500 at home on the year (23-22, $95).

Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Pirates (5-1, $411), Arizona Diamondbacks (5-2, $339), Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2, $279), San Diego Padres (5-2, $274), Cincinnati Reds (5-2, $246)

Money-Burners

Houston Astros (1-6, -$478): The white flag has officially been raised in Houston! Upper management pulled off a number of trades last week in hopes of bettering the franchise for when they start matching wits with American League opposition down the road. As it is right now, the offense has been stripped of most of its power with SS Jed Lowrie on the DL and Carlos Lee being sent to Miami. An already bad pitching staff (#28 with a 4.63 ERA) could get even worse if there are any Wandy Rodriguez takers over the next week. This squad will be heavily dogged throughout the remainder of the season, so if you plan on backing them in any one spot, make sure the scenario is ripe for the big dog to bark!

On The Docket: Though the Astros have been at their best within the comfy confines of Minute Maid Park (24-21, $701), they face a steep uphill climb with both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh paying visits this upcoming week; Houston’s 13-20 within the division to date.

New York Mets (1-5, -$473): Metropolitan fans are hoping that 2012 is not a mirror image of the last two seasons. New York went on to post productive first halves in both 2010 and 2011 only to falter down the stretch and be irrelevant in the NL East race. The same has occurred in 2012 with the Mets posting a +.500 first half, but manager Terry Collins’s squad has dropped eight of its first nine since the Midsummer Classic and now finds itself 8.5-games out in the division and 5.5-games behind the Braves for the second wild card slot. This club just did itself absolutely no favor at all by just allowing the Dodgers to sweep them in their own backyard.

On The Docket: The Mets will look to pick up the pieces back at home with three against the NL East leading Washington Nationals before heading to the desert on Friday for the first of what could be a daunting 11-game road trip versus the NL West. NY currently sits four-games under .500 as a visitor (21-25, $141).

Chicago White Sox (1-6, -$443): Though the White Sox did most things right over the course of the first-half of the season, not many believed the squad was as good as its record or first place position stated it was. Manager Robin Ventura’s squad has relinquished the top spot in the AL Central for the first time since the end of June, but it’s still well within the playoff picture at 1.5-games out in both the division and wild card races. Still, the schedule is going to prove to be a grind the remainder of the month with only three of their next nine games coming at home (24-22, -$326).

On The Docket: The Palehose will return home to battle the pesky Minnesota Twins for three in their first home series since the All-Star break, but Paul Konerko and his mates will then hit the road again for three in Arlington. Schedule makers better not run into any White Sox fans this off-season!

Dishonorable Mentions: Cleveland Indians (2-5, -$385), Miami Marlins (2-5, -$335), New York Yankees (3-4, -$241), Colorado Rockies (2-4, -$234)

Oakland A's playing 'Moneyball' again

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Moneyball, take two?

Exactly a decade after the Oakland Athletics inspired the book that became a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt last summer, baseball's most frugal franchise is becoming a must-see attraction again. The A's are a majors-best 14-2 in July and coming off a stunning four-game sweep of the high-priced New York Yankees to move into a tie for the final American League wild card spot.

With a little more than two months to play, general manager Billy Beane's new bunch of no-names and up-and-comers are starting to turn the Oakland Coliseum into the real-life ``Moneyball'' sequel.

``I think Billy's really good at finding eager players to be able to produce,'' third baseman Brandon Inge said. ``Kind of the opposite of high-maintenance players. They're not all caught up in selfish stats. They want to come in and they want to be a part of a winning organization, and that makes the difference in everything. We really don't have any high-dollar guys who are prima donnas. That's probably the key. We're more of a blue-collar team.''

And a low-budget team, too.

Still saddled with the same ballpark issues, Oakland traded away its three best pitchers - All-Stars Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez, and 2009 Rookie of the Year closer Andrew Bailey - last winter in the latest payroll purge. Oakland began the season with a league-low $53 million payroll.

To put that in perspective: the $200 million Yankees have two stars - slugger Alex Rodriguez ($30 million) and ace CC Sabathia ($24.3) million - making more money combined this year than the entire A's roster.

Sweeping the big, bad Bronx Bombers for the first time in a four-game series at the aging Oakland Coliseum sent a clear message across the American League: Wins aren't coming cheap against the A's anymore.

``It definitely feels good to battle and be victorious against the best teams, on paper, in the game,'' said center fielder Coco Crisp, whose two-out RBI single in the 12th inning Sunday capped Oakland's major-league leading 11th walk-off win. ``You can look up and down a lot of lineups like Detroit, or the Angels, the teams with high payrolls. Obviously, they have high payrolls for a reason, because the players on the team deserve it. When we battle against those guys and come out with wins, it's definitely a great feeling.''

When the season began, nobody figured Oakland could contend. Most thought the A's would lose around 90 games. Some guessed 100.

Instead, a new class of youngsters emerged: outfielder Josh Reddick, catcher Derek Norris and pitchers Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker and Travis Blackley. The arms have carried the club more than anything, even while Oakland's three best remaining starters in the rotation - Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden - are rehabbing from injuries.

The A's lead the American League with a 3.37 ERA, almost a third of a run better than Tampa Bay and New York, who are bunched in the pack trailing Oakland. Oakland also is on pace to shatter last year's mark of 114 home runs, already having smacked 101 long balls in what is becoming a sudden surge of power at the plate, offsetting a majors-worst .228 batting average.

``It's the same formula when I was here and we were winning,'' said Yankees third baseman Eric Chavez, who played for the A's from 1998-2010.

The comparison to those A's of old might still be premature.

Beane bucked the trend of relying on the common trio of statistics - batting average, home runs and RBIs for hitters; wins, losses and ERA for pitchers - and instead turned to hard numbers over subjective scouting to fuel his team's successful runs in the early 2000s. Every team now uses some level of ``sabermetrics,'' and all with more money than Oakland.

The A's also have only won five straight and 14 of the last 16 games heading into Tuesday's series at Toronto. Those 2002 Athletics chronicled in Michael Lewis' best-selling book won an AL-record 20 consecutive games, with the last coming in September, not late July.

There have still been some thrilling moments, with 10 different players accounting for Oakland's major-league leading 11 wins on a game-ending RBI. And after every one, players toss whipped-cream pies and a sports-drink bath at the hitter in a celebration that has become so routine concession workers behind the dugout already have them prepared in the late innings.

``Those games are hard to win,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said. ``It means you're scrappy and you won't take defeat and you'll battle till the last out.''

The surprising run hasn't washed away Oakland's biggest problem: an aging ballpark the team says drains money and forces the franchise to shed stars for salary relief each offseason.

The latest rebuilding project came as a result of Beane and owner Lew Wolff's insistence that they expected to hear from Commissioner Bud Selig about whether the franchise would be allowed to build a new ballpark some 40 miles south in San Jose, even though the San Francisco Giants own the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. More than three years since Selig formed a committee to study the issue, no resolution seems to be coming soon.

No big contracts or proven players, either.

Oakland's only All-Star representative was rookie closer Ryan Cook, who has a 1.70 ERA and 10 saves. Reddick leads the team with 21 home runs and 46 RBIs. The highest-paid player is outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who signed a $36 million, four-year contract after coming over from Cuba.

Cespedes is batting .299 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs this season, even after he was sidelined for about a month with a strained muscle in his left hand. While his back-loaded contract makes many wonder how long Oakland will be able to afford him, it's clear how much Cespedes has helped the A's latest ``Moneyball'' movement.

Oakland is 39-24 with Cespedes in the lineup and 12-20 without him.

``If the playoffs started tomorrow,'' Cespedes said in Spanish over the weekend, ``you better be careful against the Oakland A's.''

Slumping Red Sox begin road trip in Texas

BOSTON RED SOX (48-48)

at TEXAS RANGERS (56-38)


First pitch: Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Texas -145, Boston +125, Total: 10½

After getting swept at home by the Blue Jays, the Red Sox begin a six-game road trip against the two best teams in baseball starting Monday night with the first of three at Texas, which begins a 10-game homestand.

Boston knows it will have to pitch much more effectively to combat the powerful offenses of the Rangers and then Yankees, who they’ll play this coming weekend. The Red Sox gave up 28 runs in their three losses to the Blue Jays, capped off by a 15-7 shellacking on Sunday. Texas returns home for the first time since July 8, having gone 4-4 on its West Coast road trip to begin the second half of the season. Boston will hand the ball to left-hander Felix Doubront, who has been the team’s most successful pitcher this season, leading Boston to a 13-5 record in 18 starts, including a 7-1 mark on the road. The Rangers were going to counter with veteran Roy Oswalt, but he is unable to go because of back spasms. Texas now turns to spot starter Scott Feldman who carries a 6.46 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 10 starts this year, a span in which the Rangers are 3-7. Despite a sub-.500 home record, the Red Sox have a strong 23-20 road mark, and the Rangers bats have been quiet in July, scoring just 3.1 runs per game with a .239 batting average. With such a lopsided money line favoring a terrible pitcher, the pick here is underdog BOSTON to win the series opener.

This four-star FoxSheets trend also backs the Red Sox:

Play Against - Home teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (TEXAS) - after a game where they had at least 10 less hits than their opponent, with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 3.00 the last 10 games. (33-9 since 1997.) (78.6%, +24.9 units. Rating = 4*).

Doubront (10-4, 4.24 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) has had a strong July, going 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in three starts. He held the White Sox to just one run on four hits in six innings his last time out, making the Red Sox 5-1 in his past six starts. Doubront has been much more effective on the road this year, going 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. This includes a 3-1 mark and a 2.45 ERA in his past five starts outside of Fenway Park. He’s started only once against Texas in his career back on July 16, 2010 when he allowed four runs (2 ER) on seven hits in 4.2 innings of an 8-4 loss. He’ll expect even more run support on Monday with the league’s highest-scoring offense (479 runs) facing a subpar starter.

Feldman (3-6, 5.89 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) may never forget his lone career start against Boston on Aug. 12, 2008, when he was the biggest reason his team lost a 19-17 slugfest. Feldman lasted just 2.2 innings that day, giving up 12 runs (6 ER), 10 hits (2 HR) and three walks, which equates to a 20.22 ERA and 4.87 WHIP. After losing six consecutive starts from May 14 to June 14, Feldman has actually won two of his past three starts, despite a 5.29 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in this span. He hasn’t pitched since July 8, when he threw two scoreless innings in relief of a 4-3 win in 13 innings against Minnesota. The one positive for Feldman is that his control has been impeccable since June 1, posting seven times more strikeouts (28) than walks (4) in 31 innings. He has also been extremely hittable in this span, carting a 6.97 ERA and .309 opponents’ BA. But if and when Feldman struggles on Monday, Texas is confident in turning it over to its bullpen. Rangers relievers have a 3.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP this season, converting 22 of 27 save chances (82%). Texas also has the best home record in baseball at 29-16 (.644), including 14 wins in the past 19 games in Arlington (.737).

Monday's betting tips: Bucs on first 5-game streak of season

Weather to watch

Washington Nationals at New York Mets: There’s a 60 percent chance of rain and a possibility of scattered thunderstorms. Wind will also be blowing out at 9 mph.

Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians: The wind should be blowing out from to right field at 17 mph if the forecast from Sunday is correct.

Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers: Wind blowing in on Monday at Rangers Ballpark for Game 1 between the Red Sox and Rangers.

Who’s hot?

Detroit Tigers – Les Tigres are 5-0 in their last five games and 12-2 since Independence Day.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Riding their first 5-game win streak of the season.

Who’s not?

Tiger Woods – TW is now 0-13 in the last 13 major tournaments he’s played. The U.S. Open in 2008 was the last major he won, although he’s been the favorite (or at least among the top faves) in those 13 events and he’ll likely be the odds-on favorite to win the PGA Championship when the odds come out on Monday.

Key stat

12-20 – Oakland Athletics record without rookie slugger Yoenis Cespedes in the lineup according to ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney. The A’s are 38-24 with Cespedes on the field.

Game of the day

Dodgers at Cardinals

Injury not to be overlooked

Hanley Ramirez, Miami Marlins: Ramirez hasn’t played since Friday and manager Ozzie Guillen isn’t sure the slugger will be back by next week. Guillen told reporters his third baseman still can’t hold a bat properly because of his banged up wrist. Ramirez isn’t having an amazing season but he takes away a lot of smash to a lineup that’s already missing Giancarlo Stanton.

Notable quotable

"I had it in my hands with four to go. I managed to hit a poor shot on each of the closing four holes. Look, I played so beautifully for most of the week. I shouldn't let this bring me down." – Adam Scott told reporters after squandering a four-shot lead with four holes to play at the Open Championship.

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Some knowledge on early season trends in the NFL.......

NFC South

Falcons
Home: Won/covered four in row, seven of last eight HOs, with six of seven wins by 11+ points. Four of last five HOs went over total.

Road: Lost last five AOs, scoring average of 8.6 ppg; since ’88, they’re 0-4 as favorite in AOs. Seven of last eight AOs stayed under the total.

Panthers
Home: 4-13 in HOs, 1-7 in last eight, 4-3 as underdogs in HOs. Over is 3-1-1 in last five, after under was 10-2 in their first 12. 0-9-1 vs spread as favorite in HOs (dogs 13-3-1 vs spread in HOs).

Road: Lost last three AOs, allowing 28-31-28 points; failed to cover last three as dog in AOs, after covering nine of first 10 (9-4 as dog overall in AOs). Last four AOs went over the total.

Saints
Home: Won four in row and 11 of last 14 HOs, scoring 28.3 ppg in last four; 6-2-1 vs spread in last nine as favorite in HO. 11 of last 15 HOs stayed under total. Won last five Sunday openers.

Road: 9-5 vs spread in last 14 AOs (2/5 losses Thursday games). Last four AOs went over (average total in last five, 59.4). Since ’88, 2-4 vs spread as road favorite in AOs.

Buccaneers
Home: Lost five of last six season openers. Since ’88, 4-6 vs spread a dog in HOs, 7-6-1 as favorite. 4-6 in last ten HOs; over is 3-1-1 in last five, after 12 of previous 15 stayed under.

Road: Won last two AOs, but 3-5 vs spread in last eight, all as underdog. 14 of last 19 AOs stayed under total, but only one of last four.


**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Random stuff as I head home from vacation.....

13) Pittsburgh Pirates are 34-16 in last 50 games; Andrew McCutchen has hit .399 with 42 RBI in those games. He's a legit MVP candidate.

12) Josh Beckett/Jon Lester have a combined first inning ERA of 8.00. This is bad. Red Sox go to Texas/Bronx this week. They need improvement; they've allowed 78 first-inning runs, most in the majors.

11) Reds went 5-2 this week with Joey Votto on the shelf; their bullpen has allowed only one earned run in their last 23 innings.

10) Ian Desmond is out for a month-plus with a torn oblique; Nationals are playing good ball, but they'll need a healthy Desmond in October.

9) Handicapping quandry Sunday night; over was 18-1 when ump Paul Emmel was behind the plate, but it was an 5:00 local time first pitch, so it makes it harder for hitters, with hadows all over the field. But game ended 7-4 Angels, so over is now 19-1 when Emmel is behind the plate.

8) Nine teams were going for series sweeps Sunday; only the Giants lost.

7) Hanley Ramirez is out because he punched an electric fan and cut his hand, then didn't take the medication and so the hand got infected. What a horrendous season this has been in Miami. The new stadium and the Heat winning the NBA title have deflected some of it, but 2013 figures to be a year where there will be immense pressure on Ozzie Guillen.

6) If the baseball playoffs started Monday morning, the teams would be:
AL: Bronx-Detroit-Texas/Angels and Orioles or A's.
NL: Washington-Cincinnati-San Francisco/Pirates and Braves.

5) Without knowing, I'm suggesting a factor in Penn State's not getting the death penalty in football is that if their program goes down, the Big Dozen will be down to 11 teams, and you can't have a conference championship game if your league only has 11 teams. Thats a cash cow they'd be killing.

Now, they could get the death penalty while I'm flying home today, but everything you read suggests there will be crippling sanctions instead.

4) Players are likely going to be eligible to transfer and be eligible right away, which could set off a frenzy of vultures swooping in to sign up the many talented players the Nittany Lions still have.

3) 18 years between Ernie Els' first win in a major and his win in British Open Sunday; this season has been the year of golfers winning tourneys as they stand on the putting green practicing, having already finished play. It seems like having a late tee time on Sunday has meant disasters for leaders.

2) Last 16 golf majors, 16 different winners.

1) There is no fear factor with regards to the US Olympic basketball team this time around; Argentina actually started playing better once Sunday's game got more physical. Brazil was within six late in their game with the Olympic team last week. Hmmm.

MLB
Dunkel

Atlanta at Miami
The Braves look to build on their 9-3 record in their last 12 games as an underdog of +110 to +150. Atlanta is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+110). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, JULY 23

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Samardzija) 14.810; Pittsburgh (Bedard) 16.130
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-150); Over

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.964; Philadelphia (Halladay) 14.611
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-210); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+180); Under

Game 955-956: Atlanta at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 15.391; Miami (Johnson) 13.799
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Miami (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+110); Under

Game 957-958: Washington at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 14.672; NY Mets (Young) 15.061
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Over

Game 959-960: Cincinnati at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Latos) 14.056; Houston (Rodriguez) 14.452
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+140); Under

Game 961-962: LA Dodgers at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.383; St. Louis (Kelly) 15.844
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+120); Over

Game 963-964: Colorado at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Sanchez) 14.009; Arizona (Kennedy) 16.348
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Arizona (-200); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-200); Under

Game 965-966: San Diego at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Richard) 14.887; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 15.729
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-170); Over

Game 967-968: Baltimore at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hunter) 14.904; Cleveland (Masterson) 13.881
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+140); Under

Game 969-970: Boston at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Doubront) 14.431; Texas (Feldman) 15.577
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Texas (-145); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-145); Over

Game 971-972: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 14.939; White Sox (Floyd) 13.513
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+110); Under

Game 973-974: Kansas City at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 13.786; LA Angels (Wilson) 15.899
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-200); Over

Game 975-976: NY Yankees at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Kuroda) 16.223; Seattle (Millwood) 15.616
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-160); Over

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, July 23

Hot pitchers
-- Samardzija is 2-1, 2.37 in his last three starts.
-- Zimmerman is 4-2, 1.38 in his last six starts.
-- Minor is 1-1, 2.91 in his last couple starts.
-- Latos is 3-2, 2.34 in his last five starts.
-- Vogelsong is 7-2, 2.15 in his last nine starts.

-- Doubront is 3-0, 3.24 in his last three starts.
-- Liriano is 4-2, 3.18 in his last six starts. Floyd was 3-1, 1.37 in his last four starts before going on the DL.
-- Kuroda is 5-0, 3.44 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Halladay is 2-7, 5.14 in his last nine starts. Wolf is 1-4, 7.56 in his last five.
-- Bedard is 1-5, 7.12 in his last six starts.
-- Young is 1-5, 4.58 in his last six starts.
-- JJohnson is 1-2, 7.56 in three starts this month.
-- WRodriguez is 1-5, 5.25 in his last six starts.
-- Billingsley was 0-5, 6.52 in his last five starts before skipping his last start due to an injury. Kelly is 2-3, 3.60 in his last five starts.
-- JSanchez was 0-5, 10.57 in his last five starts for Kansas City. Kennedy has a 5.46 RA in his last five starts.
-- Richard is 1-2, 4.98 in his last three starts.

-- Hunter has a 6.11 RA in his last six starts. Masterson has a 6.89 RA in his last three outings.
-- Feldman is 2-7, 8.02 in his last nine starts.
-- BChen is 1-3, 10.42 in his last four starts. Wilson is 0-3, 5.40 in his last three outings.
-- Millwood is 0-5, 6.49 in his last five starts.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Pirates won 12 of their last 14 home games.
-- Nationals are 6-4 in their last ten road games.
-- Reds won 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Cardinals won last three games by combined score of 23-1. Dodgers won their last four games, scoring 28 runs.
-- Arizona won its last six home games, scoring 50 runs.
-- Padres won seven of their last nine games. San Francisco won seven of its last nine games.

-- Baltimore won its last five games, allowing ten runs.
-- Mariners won six of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Phillies lost three of their last four games. Brewers lost eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Cubs lost their last three games, scoring one run.
-- Mets lost nine of their last ten games.
-- Marlins lost their last five games, scoring seven runs.
-- Astros lost 19 of their last 21 games.
-- Colorado lost six of its last eight games.

-- Indians lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Red Sox are 5-11 in their last 16 games. Texas lost three of last four.
-- White Sox lost six of their last seven games. Minnesota is 5-9 in its last 14.
-- Royals lost ten of their last twelve games. Angels are 4-6 in their last 10.
-- Bronx Bombers lost last four games, scoring 10 runs.

Totals
-- Four of Phillies' last six games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Pirate games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Washington games.
-- Under is 11-1-2 in Miami's last fourteen games.
-- Five of last six Houston games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight St Louis games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Arizona games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine San Diego games went over the total.

-- Under is 8-3-2 in Baltimore's last thirteen games.
-- 13 of last 17 Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 18-8-2 in last 28 White Sox games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Angels' last eight games.
-- Under is 18-7 in last twenty-five Seattle games.

MLB

Monday, July 23

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chi Cubs's last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games

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

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games
Milwaukee is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Philadelphia is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
NY Mets are 1-9 SU in its last 10 games

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. MIAMI
Atlanta is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Atlanta's last 25 games when playing Miami
Miami is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:05 PM
BOSTON vs. TEXAS
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Boston is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Boston
Texas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cincinnati's last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home

8:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 8 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

9:40 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
Colorado is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games

10:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. LA ANGELS
Kansas City is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of LA Angels's last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Angels's last 24 games when playing at home against Kansas City

10:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Seattle
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Seattle's last 14 games at home
Seattle is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing NY Yankees

10:15 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Diego is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 9 games at home

MLB

Monday, July 23

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

Felix Doubront, Boston Red Sox (10-4, 4.24 ERA)

Hands up for those of you who thought Doubront would be the Red Sox best starting pitcher this season. No one, no one? Yeah, that’s what we thought.

The Sox are 13-22 in games started by Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, the guys thought of as No. 1 and No. 2 in the rotation, and 13-4 in games started by Doubront.

“[Doubront]’s throwing 93, 95, he’s got a really good change-up,” White Sox 1B Paul Konerko told the Eagle Tribune. “He’s a handful. He pitches in well to righties, which I think is obviously key for a left-handed pitcher. I’ve only seen him twice but he’s no picnic.”

Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants (7-4, 2.31 ERA)

Turns out 2011 wasn’t a fluke campaign for Vogelsong. The 35-year-old hurler was never anything more than a fringe fifth starter/spot reliever until last season when he went 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA for the Giants.

So did Vogelsong just figure it out or does he just love pitching in a pitcher’s ballpark? Vogelsong does pitch better at AT&T Park (1.43 ERA) than on the road (3.35 ERA) but the Giants are still 5-3 in his eight away starts.

All baseball bettors need to know is the guy is having a great season, he’s money at home and he’s never priced unreasonably.


SLUMPING

Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins (5-7, 4.35 ERA)

Have injuries robbed this big righty of his prime years of his MLB career. He was among the best hurlers in baseball between 2008 and 2010 but things took a turn for the worse at the end of the ’10 season when stiff back derailed an otherwise marvelous campaign. A shoulder problem kept him off the field for most of 2011.

Johnson isn’t hurt but he isn’t the same pitcher we saw a year and a half ago making hitters look foolish at the dish. He’s allowed 14 earned runs in his last 16 and 2/3 innings pitched and the Marlins are just 2-4 in his last six outings.

C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels (9-6, 2.82 ERA)

Wilson hasn’t been on a lengthy cold streak, but bettors should be aware when one of the hurlers with the lowest ERAs in the AL who happens to pitch for one of the best teams in the bigs isn’t on the mark.

The lefty starter gave up seven runs on eight hits and five walks over six innings last week against the Tigers. It was the third straight loss for the Halos on a Wilson start.

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, July 23

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CHICAGO CUBS (38 - 56) at PITTSBURGH (54 - 40) - 7:05 PM
JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1225-1322 (-244.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-35 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-41 (-21.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 46-70 (-22.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-35 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-40 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-8 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-14 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 12-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 20-10 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 21-13 (+11.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-40 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 33-28 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 39-30 (+16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 29-24 (+8.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 27-13 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-12 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

ERIK BEDARD vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BEDARD is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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MILWAUKEE (44 - 50) at PHILADELPHIA (42 - 54) - 7:05 PM
RANDY WOLF (L) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 18-27 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-29 (-15.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 44-50 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 32-38 (-12.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 9-17 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 44-50 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 43-13 (+25.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 42-51 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-18 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-20 (-13.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 37-33 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 156-129 (-42.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 42-54 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 1-8 (-13.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-29 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

RANDY WOLF vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
WOLF is 3-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.324.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.7 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
HALLADAY is 2-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.88 and a WHIP of 1.265.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.6 units)

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ATLANTA (52 - 43) at MIAMI (44 - 51) - 7:10 PM
MIKE MINOR (L) vs. JOSH JOHNSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 82-83 (-25.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 0-11 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
MIAMI is 73-52 (+20.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 310-338 (+45.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ATLANTA is 21-10 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 37-22 (+13.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 28-19 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 26-18 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 44-51 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 11-19 (-10.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MIAMI is 55-71 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 43-49 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 28-33 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 21-29 (-10.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MIAMI is 15-34 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 20-31 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-1 (+3.8 Units) against MIAMI this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

MIKE MINOR vs. MIAMI since 1997
MINOR is 1-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 6.48 and a WHIP of 1.719.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.4 units)

JOSH JOHNSON vs. ATLANTA since 1997
JOHNSON is 5-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.39 and a WHIP of 1.296.
His team's record is 8-8 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.7 units)

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WASHINGTON (55 - 39) at NY METS (47 - 48) - 7:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. CHRIS YOUNG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 34-26 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 58-50 (+18.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 132-121 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 36-23 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 100-92 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 73-61 (+13.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 55-39 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 55-41 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 30-58 (-23.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 4-12 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
NY METS are 262-261 (-66.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 (+2.6 Units) against NY METS this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. NY METS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 3-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.225.
His team's record is 6-3 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.7 units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
YOUNG is 3-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.048.
His team's record is 4-4 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.2 units)

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CINCINNATI (55 - 40) at HOUSTON (34 - 62) - 8:05 PM
MAT LATOS (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 63-72 (-19.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 55-40 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 590-673 (+49.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 55-40 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 388-434 (+37.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 316-287 (+51.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 177-151 (+36.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
HOUSTON is 34-62 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 2-16 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
HOUSTON is 34-62 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 23-47 (-18.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 58-110 (-34.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 41-82 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 4-2 (+1.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

MAT LATOS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
LATOS is 3-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.027.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 8-9 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.388.
His team's record is 13-12 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 14-11. (+1.6 units)

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LA DODGERS (52 - 44) at ST LOUIS (50 - 45) - 8:15 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. JOE KELLY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 31-21 (+13.2 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.
LA DODGERS are 30-21 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 8-20 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 1-3 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.84 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

JOE KELLY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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COLORADO (36 - 58) at ARIZONA (47 - 48) - 9:40 PM
JONATHAN SANCHEZ (L) vs. IAN KENNEDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 59-70 (-21.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 36-58 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 9-20 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
COLORADO is 82-127 (-40.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 13-33 (-20.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 65-142 (-62.4 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 43-64 (-29.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 36-58 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 129-153 (-41.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 75-107 (-39.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 144-120 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 62-46 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 144-120 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 83-61 (+20.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 19-5 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 84-57 (+18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 39-19 (+16.2 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.
KENNEDY is 18-3 (+15.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 40-24 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 30-35 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 4-4 (-0.2 Units) against COLORADO this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

JONATHAN SANCHEZ vs. ARIZONA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 7-6 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.544.
His team's record is 10-6 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.9 units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. COLORADO since 1997
KENNEDY is 2-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.346.
His team's record is 7-2 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

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SAN DIEGO (41 - 56) at SAN FRANCISCO (53 - 42) - 10:15 PM
CLAYTON RICHARD (L) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 71-103 (-28.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 16-37 (-15.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 66-104 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 35-64 (-20.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
RICHARD is 6-20 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 44-26 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-2 (+7.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-42 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 162-121 (+26.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-9 (+12.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 26-16 (+11.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-42 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 207-147 (+49.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 178-87 (+38.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
VOGELSONG is 12-5 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
VOGELSONG is 8-2 (+7.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
VOGELSONG is 11-3 (+8.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOGELSONG is 12-5 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
VOGELSONG is 7-1 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
VOGELSONG is 16-7 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 12-6 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 41-42 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-2 (+1.9 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

CLAYTON RICHARD vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
RICHARD is 5-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.64 and a WHIP of 1.298.
His team's record is 6-4 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
VOGELSONG is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 20.26 and a WHIP of 2.814.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

BALTIMORE (51 - 44) at CLEVELAND (47 - 48) - 7:05 PM
TOMMY HUNTER (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 130-130 (+3.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 32-24 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 37-28 (+8.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 69-63 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 48-38 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 37-34 (+8.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 29-21 (+12.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 51-44 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 28-22 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 24-21 (+11.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HUNTER is 15-10 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 24-12 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 8-1 (+9.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 14-8 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 27-13 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 10-1 (+13.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 8-1 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 5-11 (-12.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 106-115 (-38.0 Units) against the money line in home games in July games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 4-3 (+1.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

TOMMY HUNTER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
HUNTER is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.46 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MASTERSON is 4-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.57 and a WHIP of 1.428.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+2.9 units)

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BOSTON (48 - 48) at TEXAS (56 - 38) - 8:05 PM
FELIX DOUBRONT (L) vs. SCOTT FELDMAN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against BOSTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

FELIX DOUBRONT vs. TEXAS since 1997
DOUBRONT is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.85 and a WHIP of 1.927.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
FELDMAN is 0-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 20.22 and a WHIP of 4.869.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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

MINNESOTA (40 - 55) at CHI WHITE SOX (50 - 45) - 8:10 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. GAVIN FLOYD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 100-148 (-27.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 69-116 (-32.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 103-155 (-31.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLOYD is 28-11 (+14.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 60-67 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 84-98 (-29.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 60-67 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 38-45 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 9-14 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 7-13 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 4-2 (+1.5 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
LIRIANO is 5-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.57 and a WHIP of 1.393.
His team's record is 7-3 (+4.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.4 units)

GAVIN FLOYD vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
FLOYD is 5-11 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.86 and a WHIP of 1.562.
His team's record is 5-12 (-8.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-10. (-4.4 units)

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KANSAS CITY (40 - 54) at LA ANGELS (52 - 44) - 10:05 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. C.J. WILSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WILSON is 58-31 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 14-10 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 13-6 (+10.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 66-70 (-19.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-1 (+2.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
CHEN is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.023.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

C.J. WILSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WILSON is 3-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 1.90 and a WHIP of 0.929.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (57 - 38) at SEATTLE (42 - 55) - 10:10 PM
HIROKI KURODA (R) vs. KEVIN MILLWOOD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 93-83 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 56-31 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 109-151 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 17-27 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 20-50 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 17-27 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 21-35 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-2 (-0.1 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
KURODA is 1-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.275.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

KEVIN MILLWOOD vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
MILLWOOD is 3-7 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.11 and a WHIP of 1.668.
His team's record is 6-9 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-8. (-4.8 units)

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

07/22/12 16-*13-*1 55.17% +*1430 Detail
07/21/12 16-*13-*1 55.17% +*1225 Detail
07/20/12 17-*13-*0 56.67% +*2030 Detail
07/19/12 12-*8-*0 60.00% +*1690 Detail
07/18/12 7-*7-*3 50.00% +*5 Detail
07/17/12 10-*14-*1 41.67% -*2455 Detail
07/16/12 8-*15-*1 34.78% -*4135 Detail
07/15/12 14-*14-*0 50.00% -*135 Detail
07/14/12 17-*13-*0 56.67% +*1590 Detail
07/13/12 15-*13-*2 53.57% +*455 Detail
07/08/12 18-*11-*1 62.07% +*3810 Detail
07/07/12 16-*13-*1 55.17% +*1155 Detail
07/06/12 17-*13-*0 56.67% +*1390 Detail
07/05/12 5-*15-*0 25.00% -*6175 Detail
07/04/12 16-*12-*0 57.14% +*2300 Detail
07/03/12 12-*18-*0 40.00% -*3155 Detail
07/02/12 13-*11-*0 54.17% +*305 Detail
07/01/12 13-*15-*1 46.43% -*860 Detail

Totals 242-*231-*12 51.16% +470

MLB

Monday, July 23

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore +136 500
Cleveland - Under 9 500

Milwaukee - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia -192 500
Philadelphia - Over 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs +130 500
Pittsburgh - Under 8 500

Atlanta - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta +116 500
Miami - Under 8 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +123 500
NY Mets - Under 8 500

Boston - 8:05 PM ET Boston +114 500
Texas - Over 10 500

Cincinnati - 8:05 PM ET Cincinnati -153 500
Houston - Under 7.5 500

Minnesota - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -133 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 9 500

LA Dodgers - 8:15 PM ET St. Louis -127 500
St. Louis - Over 9 500

Colorado - 9:40 PM ET Colorado +206 500
Arizona - Over 9 500

Kansas City - 10:05 PM ET Kansas City +185 500
LA Angels - Over 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 10:10 PM ET Seattle +146 500
Seattle - Under 7.5 500

San Diego - 10:15 PM ET (San Diego +143 500 DOG OF THE DAY )
San Francisco - Under 6.5 500