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Detroit Tigers Host Yankees At Comerica Park

The road to the American League playoffs continues Monday night in Detroit where the Tigers begin a critical 4-game series against the New York Yankees.

ESPN will broadcast the series opener with the first pitch from Comerica Park scheduled for a little past 7:00 p.m. (ET). The starting pitching matchup is a marquee clash as the Yankees send Ivan Nova to the mound opposite Tigers ace Justin Verlander.

The Don Best Pro Odds shows Detroit as -175 chalk for Monday's contest, and the 8-run total slightly favors the 'over.'

Detroit continues to chase the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, and the final 10-11 starts by Verlander this season will be crucial to the Tigers' chances of either winning the division or at least climbing into one of the two wild card slots. The Tigers are 13-9 behind their ace this season after dropping each of his last two assignments.

The most recent loss was in Boston this past Tuesday when rain cut his outing to just five innings, halting a string of 63 regular season starts in which Verlander worked at least six frames. The Tigers are 6-3 at home with Verlander on the mound, one of the losses coming in early June to the Yankees who scored five runs (3 earned) in his 6-1/3 innings.

Nova just experienced his worst start of the season when the Orioles scored nine times in his five innings of work this past Tuesday on their way to an 11-5 victory. The defeat was the third in Nova's four assignments since the all-star break. New York won just two of his six July starts while Nova's ERA jumped exactly half a run to 4.53.

Nova and Verlander met at Yankee Stadium in late April with the Tigers closing as $1.20 favorites. Neither pitcher was around for the decision which ultimately went to New York, 7-6. Verlander pitched six innings and allowed five runs (4 earned) while Nova last 5-1/3 innings and was charged with all six Detroit runs.

Detroit lost utility player Ryan Raburn to the disabled list this past week due to a sprained right thumb. New York isn't reporting any new injuries leading into this series.

The Yankees and Tigers have met six times previously this season, three in each park, with New York taking two of three games in each series. Two of the three games played in Detroit in early June stayed 'under' the total.

Pirates Open 11-Game Homestand Vs. Arizona

Denied a fourth consecutive road series win this past weekend in Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Pirates return home this week to begin a long 11-game homestand against a trio of NL West foes.

The homestand begins with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday when rookie Wade Miley and the Bucs' Erik Bedard collide in a battle of southpaws. Arizona is a $1.20 road favorite in the opener with a total in the 7½-8 run range.

Our focus is on the second of the 4-game set Tuesday (7:05 p.m. ET) as Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens shoots for his fifth straight winning decision opposite a second D-Backs rookie left-hander, Patrick Corbin. Game 2 finds the odds reversed with the Pirates beginning as $1.20 favorites on the overnight numbers while the first totals going up were at the 8-run mark.

Pittsburgh is coming off a 6-3 road trip that would normally be termed a success. But in this case, the Pirates lost two games in the NL Central standings to the Reds who have been on a tear since just after the all-star break. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks were going 6-4 during the same span the Bucs were 6-3, and Arizona gained two games on the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants.

Though third in the NL West, Arizona actually opened this series closer to its division lead than the Pirates are in second of the NL Central. Pittsburgh does have a 6-game advantage on the Diamondbacks in the National League wild card race, however.

The D-Backs had an opportunity to pick up more ground in their division, but dropped the final two games in Philadelphia last weekend in the middle part of their three city tour that concludes in Iron City this week. As Arizona was losing a pair in Philly, both the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers were pulling off sweeps of the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs respectively.

Corbin has bounced back and forth from the D-Backs to the minors this season, and was called up just as this road trip was beginning to take the rotation slot that previously belonged to Josh Collmenter. The lefty tossed six shutout innings last Wednesday against the Dodgers, helping the Snakes complete a sweep in LA as even-money underdogs.

That was Corbin's sixth start for Arizona to go with five relief outings. The Diamondbacks have split his six assignments, as well as the four starts Corbin has made on the road. Tuesday will mark his career cherry vs. the Pirates.

Karstens' last appearance against the Diamondbacks ended with him going on the disabled list for a little more than two months. He took the mound in Arizona on April 17 and was pulled after just an inning during which the D-Backs scored twice. His first start back from the DL in Philly on June 25 was a rough one (5 IP, 6 ER), but Karstens has since settled in to help the Bucs to five wins in his last six assignments.

Just three of his 10 starts this season have come on the home diamond, and Karstens has been brilliant at PNC Park by allowing just one run over 21 innings. That lone score came in the first frame of his initial home outing on April 7, giving Karstens a 20-2/3 scoreless inning string at home when he climbs the mound on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh took two of three from the D-Backs in Arizona back in April, the 'under' also winning twice. The Pirates have won five of the last six played at PNC Park ('under' 4-2).

Diamond Trends - Monday

August 6, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Tigers are 12-0 since May 07, 2011 when Justin Verlander starts when the bullpen allowed at least three runs yesterday for a net profit of $1200.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Tigers are 12-0-4 OU since August 9, 2010 at home when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start after playing in a day game, if its not a one-game series for a net profit of $1200 when playing the over.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Brewers are 15-0 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 $1500.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Indians are 1-10 (-2.5 rpg) following a game where they used seven pitchers.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

-- The Brewers are 0-5 OU since May 13, 2011 when Yovani Gallardo starts at home after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $500 when playing the under.

-- The Orioles are 5-0 OU since April 07, 2011 when Chris Tillman starts after facing 25 or fewer hitters and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $500 when playing the over.

Around the Horn - Monday

August 5, 2012

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta at Philadelphia - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Sheets (3-1, 1.46 ERA) 62-46 1-12 on Mondays
Worley (6-6, 3.63 ERA) 49-59 2-10 L12 home vs division


-- Braves beat Astros, 6-1 on Sunday
-- Phillies beat Diamondbacks, 5-4 on Sunday

Arizona at Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Miley (12-6, 2.98 ERA) 55-53 5-2 L7 away Game 1's
Bedard (5-12, 4.83 ERA) 61-46 10-4 home vs LHP


-- Diamondbacks lost to Phillies, 5-4 on Sunday
-- Pirates beat Reds, 6-2 on Sunday

Washington at Houston - 8:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Jackson (6-7, 3.57 ERA) 65-43 9-3 L12 away Game 1's
Keuchel (1-4, 5.77 ERA) 36-73 2-7 L9 home off loss


-- Nationals beat Marlins, 4-1 on Sunday
-- Astros lost to Braves, 6-1 on Sunday

Cincinnati at Milwaukee - 8:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Arroyo (7-6, 3.87 ERA) 66-42 UNDER 8-1 L9 away off loss
Gallardo (9-8, 3.92 ERA) 48-59 OVER 11-2 L13 home Game 1's


-- Reds lost to Pirates, 6-2 on Sunday
-- Brewers lost to Cardinals, 3-0 on Sunday

San Francisco at St. Louis - 8:15 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Cain (10-4, 2.82 ERA) 59-49 OVER 19-5 away off win
Lynn (13-4, 3.40 ERA) 59-49 8-3 on Mondays


-- Giants beat Rockies, 8-3 on Sunday
-- Cardinals beat Brewers, 3-0 on Sunday

Chicago at San Diego - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Wood (4-7, 4.90 ERA) 43-63 4-12 away vs LHP
Stults (1-2, 3.19 ERA) 46-64 8-3 L11 home on Game 1's


-- Cubs lost to Dodgers, 7-6 on Sunday
-- Padres beat Mets, 7-3 on Sunday

Colorado at Los Angeles - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Pomeranz (1-6, 5.13 ERA) 38-68 5-15 away during day
Capuano (10-7, 3.33 ERA) 59-50 UNDER 5-2 L7 home Game 3's


-- Rockies lost to Giants, 8-3 on Sunday
-- Dodgers beat Cubs, 7-6 on Sunday


AMERICAN LEAGUE

N.Y. Yankees at Detroit - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Nova (10-5, 4.53 ERA) 63-44 18-8 away off win
Verlander (11-7, 2.63 ERA) 58-50 5-1 L6 home Game 1's


-- Yankees beat Mariners, 6-2 on Sunday
-- Tigers beat Indians, 10-8 on Sunday

Seattle at Baltimore - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Vargas (12-7, 3.71 ERA) 51-59 11-2 L13 away off loss
Tillman (4-1, 2.70 ERA) 57-51 2-10 on Mondays


-- Mariners lost to Yankees, 6-2 on Sunday
-- Orioles beat Rays, 1-0 on Sunday

Minnesota at Cleveland - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Diamond (9-5, 2.93 ERA) 47-61 12-5 away Game 1's
McAllister (4-3, 3.42 ERA) 51-57 7-2 home Game 1's off loss


-- Twins lost to Red Sox, 6-4 on Sunday
-- Indians lost to Tigers, 10-8 on Sunday

Texas at Boston - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Darvish (11-7, 4.38 ERA) 63-44 UNDER 6-1 L7 away Game 1's
Cook (2-5, 5.24 ERA) 54-55 3-7 L10 home Game 1's


-- Rangers lost to Royals, 7-6 on Sunday
-- Red Sox beat Twins, 6-4 on Sunday

Kansas City at Chicago - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Mendoza (5-7, 4.32 ERA) 45-62 1-5 L6 away vs LHP
Sale (12-3, 2.61 ERA) 59-48 7-1 L8 home vs RHP


-- Royals beat Rangers, 7-6 on Sunday
-- White Sox beat Angels, 4-2 on Sunday

Los Angeles at Oakland - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know
Weaver (14-1, 2.29 ERA) 58-51 OVER 14-3-1 L18 away vs RHP
Parker (7-5, 3.44 ERA) 58-50 8-3 L11 home off loss


-- Angels lost to White Sox, 4-2 on Sunday
-- Athletics lost to Blue Jays, 6-5 on Sunday

Hot and Not

August 6, 2012

The trade deadline has now come and gone, and teams making runs at a postseason berth certainly helped themselves out while others with nothing but 2013 left to play for have already raised the white flag.

Here’s a look at what some of the best and worst teams did to their backer’s bankrolls over the course of the last week of diamond action.
Money-Makers

Baltimore Orioles (4-2, $463): The Orioles could not have asked for better results over the course of the last week, as they went into both Yankee Stadium and Tropicana Field – venues the Yankees and Rays stand a collective 63-49 in – and won a pair of series. Buck Showalter’s troops have been road warriors all season long, and with the impressive showing in their division rivals’ ballparks, the O’s now possess the best money mark as visitors ($1,851) in MLB. The lucrative result now finds Baltimore 6 1/2-games out in the division and just one game out in the Wild Card race.

On The Docket: Unfortunately, Baltimore must now return home for a pair of series this week where they check in just 25-26 (-$144) for the season. Thankfully, they’ll be matched up against sub-.500 teams in Seattle and Kansas City who are a combined 50-60 as visitors.

St. Louis Cardinals (5-1, $350): The Redbirds put the finishing touches on an exceptional week of play on ESPN Sunday night when Kyle Lohse and his bullpen combined for a six-hit 3-0 shutout of the Milwaukee Brewers. Now 10 games over the breakeven point heading into Monday’s series opener versus San Francisco, manager Mike Matheny’s squad still has a long uphill climb ahead of it if it’s to get a chance at defending its World Series title in the second season. For that to occur, Matt Holliday and his mates must drastically improve upon their 11-21 (-$1,540) record versus +.500 opposition with the Giants, Diamondbacks, and Pirates to be played in three of their next four series.

On The Docket: St. Louis will play 13 of its next 16 overall games in front of a home based Busch Stadium crowd, but it’s only been recently that the Cards made the most of their home field advantage winning nine of 10 since the All-Star break; the Cardinals are 32-21 overall as hosts ($79).

Minnesota Twins (4-3, $340): No, the Twinkies have no shot in qualifying for the postseason sitting 12 1/2-games out in the AL Central and 11 games out of one of the wild card slots, but manager Ron Gardenhire’s squad has been a solid moneymaker of late. Since getting swept at home by Oakland out of the break, Minny’s gone on to win 11 of its 20 played games since to earn their betting backers a cool $368 in profit; they cashed as 135+ underdogs five times during that stretch!

On The Docket: The Twins will look to build off their first series win at Fenway Park since 1994 at struggling Cleveland before returning home to battle the wild card hopeful Rays. Minnesota has won 20 of 41 ($410) within its division but just 10 of 25 vs. the AL East.

Honorable Mentions: Cincinnati Reds (5-2, $246), Seattle Mariners (4-2, $242), Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2, $214), Chicago White Sox (4-2, $205), Detroit Tigers (4-2, $169), Atlanta Braves (5-2, $110)

Money-Burners

Cleveland Indians (0-6, -$612): After fighting tooth and nail with both the White Sox and Tigers the first couple months of the season, it is now safe to say that the Tribe pretty much has no shot of heading back to the postseason for the first time since 2007. Jason Kipnis and company have now dropped 17 of their 23 games played since the break (-$1,141), and will return home for Monday’s battle with the Twins having just dropped every game on their nine-game road trip.

On The Docket: The Tribe will look to rebound at home over the course of the next week with three set to go with the Twins before welcoming in the Red Sox for four; Cleveland’s 19-25 (-$690) versus the AL Central and 11-18 against the AL East on the year.

Chicago Cubs (1-5, -$396): In shipping out a plethora of mainstays on the Cubs dreadful and underachieving roster before and after the trade deadline, the changing of the guard has now come full circle at the “Friendly Confines.” Manager Dale Sveum’s roster has gotten exceptionally younger over the last 10 days, and with that will come a bevy of more losses. Chicago’s starting rotation is now comprised of staff ace Jeff Samardzija, an injured Matt Garza, Travis Wood, Justin Germano, and Chris Volstad – hardly a five-some capable of striking fear in any opponent. Look to continue fading this club more times than not the rest of the way!

On The Docket: Chicago will continue its six-game West Coast road trip against the Padres at Petco Park for three before returning home to play the role of sacrificial lambs for the NL best Cincinnati Reds to close out the week. The Cubs are 10-11 since the Midsummer Classic.

Colorado Rockies (1-5, -$359): This season simply can’t come to a conclusion faster for manager Jim Tracy and the Rockies. Injuries aside, the Rox have been the absolute worst team in the league when it’s come to pitching, and you’re not going to win many games when you can’t prevent the other team from scoring regardless of how potent your own offense is. As it is, Colorado ranks last in the league in team ERA (5.51), WHIP (1.57), and Quality Starts (24). On top of those gaudy marks, the bullpen ranks in the bottom third of the league with a hefty 4.42 unit ERA!

On The Docket: Hopefully this week’s visits to pitcher friendly Dodgers Stadium and AT&T Park will help improve those numbers just a bit, but don’t count on it! Colorado has cost its wagering supporters upwards of $850 within the division having won just 16 of 40 games played to date.

Dishonorable Mentions: Boston Red Sox (3-4, -$338), Houston Astros (1-5, -$308), Miami Marlins (2-6, -$295), Toronto Blue Jays (2-5, -$198)

Weekly Betting Notes

August 6, 2012

August Chalk


August was a tough baseball month for the Las Vegas sports books in 2011 as the good teams became great and the bad teams got worse making it common for more three, four and five-team parlays to regularly hit than the previous four months. In 2012, history is starting to repeat itself.

It's hard enough for the sports books to try and win straight bets with a 10-cent line where the house loses its edge on each ensuing line move, but losing a month in true-odds parlay payouts is the absolute back-breaker. Parlays are supposed to be gravy for the books; a way to overcome some of the disadvantages they have against sharp groups getting the best/bad number on large limit straight bets when first posted, or when it circles around to the desired number they want closer to game time.

The baseball clubs that are becoming big public teams due to consistent play are the Reds, Cardinals, Braves and Diamondbacks, You can also add the Yankees and Rangers on the list of popular sides just because of their recent past history of faring well during August and September between the two juggernauts.

The teams we can expect to continue as reliable bet-against are the Indians, Padres, Astros and Rockies, teams that sports book directors have been cussing out quietly in their minds over the last month. It doesn't matter how high the plus-money is to make these teams attractive, the public still isn't biting, which leads to unwanted one-sided action.

An example showing the degree of how good some of these teams are is just looking at the series prices offered by William Hill last week where 12 of the 15 favored teams won their weekend series.

The collective bang-boom sound sports book customers heard around the valley happened on two occasions Sunday, when bookmakers collectively dented their file cabinets with fists, staplers, clipboards, or anything else they could sling as two pivotal games for the house went against them in dramatic fashion. The difference between a winning day and losing day in baseball for the book usually rests with two, sometimes three games.

On Sunday, the first wave of posted events all came down to the Indians against the Tigers. If the Indians win, which would have been their first victory in nine games, the books would likely win for the day. If the Tigers won, all the live parlays would turn into either winners or carry over into the afternoon games creating a massive tidal wave of liability.

Things looked good for the house when the Indians put three runs on the board in the top of 10th to take an 8-5 lead, but sometimes getting those last three outs can seem like an eternity. Not only did the Tigers tie the game 8-8 with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but Miguel Cabrera hit a walk-off home-run with a man on base giving the sports books a double whammy, losing on the money line (-215) as well as the run-line (-1.5 -110).

The majority of the public lays the run-and-a-half because they get higher payouts on their parlays. For whatever its worth, in all my years behind the counter, I never saw any baseball bettor I both feared and respected ever lay runs for the limit. It's too hard to win by win one, let alone two. But when teams start to roll, it makes any bettor looks smart laying runs.

So all that Tigers money that was still alive carried over into Las Vegas' favorite team, the Dodgers, on the money-line and run-line. Wouldn't you know it, another bad team the sports books had to root for, this time the Cubs, to avoid a sweep.

This was to be the last of the afternoon games posted and despite the books needing the Cubs, the win-loss projections still showed many books a four-way loss (sides and totals) -- no matter who won -- just because of so much risk from the early games funneling into the Dodgers-Cubs game. Obviously, the worst decision was the Dodgers and it gets compounded even further if they won by two or more runs.

In a game where the lead went back-and-forth several times, the Dodgers eventually won 7-6 in walk-off fashion in the bottom on the ninth. The silver lining in it all for the books was that it was a one-run outcome. They can also be grateful that large favorites like the Rays and Rangers lost earlier in the day.

The sports books safe zone of September football is right around the corner, but August is still a long way from over. For those of you that have been cashing in three-teamers, keep banging away on the same teams with the same strategy.

Verlander tries to extend Tigers win streak Monday

NEW YORK YANKEES (63-44)

at DETROIT TIGERS (58-50)


First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Detroit -170, New York +160, Total: 8

The red-hot Tigers try to stay perfect in August when they open a four-game set with the Yankees on Monday night.

Detroit has scored 33 runs during its four-game win streak to begin the month, capped off with a 10-8 win in 10 innings over Cleveland on Sunday. New York has been scuffling a bit lately, losing five of eight, but no other AL club has a better record than the Yankees at 63-44. Ivan Nova will take the mound for New York, eager to improve upon his shellacking against Baltimore to end July, when he allowed a career-high nine earned runs in five innings. But that was in Yankee Stadium, and Nova has been nearly unbeatable on the road this season, winning seven of eight decisions and leading the Yanks to a 10-2 record in his 12 away starts. He doesn’t figure to get a ton of run support though, going up against reigning AL Cy Young Award/MVP winner Justin Verlander. But although the Tigers right-hander has a 1.68 ERA at home this season, he has not enjoyed great success against New York, as the Tigers have lost five straight regular-season meetings with Verlander on the mound. Considering Detroit is a paltry 3-6 in the ace’s past nine starts versus American League clubs, this money line is way too skewed towards the Tigers. The pick here is heavy underdog NEW YORK to win on Monday.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also supports the Yankees:

Play Against - Home favorites with a money line of -125 to -175 (DETROIT) - average hitting team (AVG = .265 to .279) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 4.70) -AL, with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better on the season (AL). (27-14 since 1997.) (65.9%, +24.6 units. Rating = 3*).

Nova (10-5, 4.53 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) has led the Yankees to an impressive 33-16 record (.673) in the past two seasons, which includes an 11-2 mark in road games against winning teams. He has a 3.32 ERA and 1.34 WHIP on the road this season, but he has never pitched at Comerica Park. Nova didn’t fare too well in his lone regular-season start against Detroit, allowing six runs on 11 hits in just 5.1 innings. He also faced the Tigers last postseason, but was pulled after giving up two solo home runs in the first two innings of that 3-2 loss. Nova has thrown just 11 quality starts in 21 tries this season, but New York is still a tremendous 14-7 with the 25-year-old on the mound. Much of this success can be contributed to a bullpen that has been excellent this season (3.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 33 saves in 41 chances), especially on the road where it has a 2.64 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 152 K’s in 139.2 IP and 18 saves in 23 chances.

Verlander (11-7, 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) has led the Tigers to a phenomenal 42-10 record (.808) as a favorite of -150 or more in the past three years. But the vast majority of those opponents did not come close to matching the offensive prowess of the Yankees. New York has batted .283 with six homers in the past five regular-season starts versus Verlander, scoring at least five runs in each of those contests and saddling Verlander with a 4.91 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Although he has allowed nine runs (7 ER) in his past two starts, both on the road, Verlander has been money at Comerica Park, holding opponents to a .163 batting average and leading his team to a 6-3 record in these nine starts. He’s averaged 7.7 innings pitched per home game, but if the bullpen needs to gets the final few outs, it is certainly capable with a 3.14 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in Detroit this season. The Tigers enter this series on an eight-game home win streak, going 14-1 at Comerica since July 4.

MLB
Dunkel

Cincinnati at Milwaukee
The Reds look to build on their 9-0 record in their last 9 road games. Cincinnati is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 6

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Sheets) 16.842; Philadelphia (Worley) 15.649
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-115); Over

Game 953-954: Arizona at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Miley) 16.706; Pittsburgh (Bedard) 15.273
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Arizona (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-115); Under

Game 955-956: Washington at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Jackson) 15.383; Houston (Keuchel) 13.463
Dunkel Line: Washington by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-175); Under

Game 957-958: Cincinnati at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.760; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 14.579
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+115); Over

Game 959-960: San Francisco at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.245; St. Louis (Westbrook) 16.894
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wood) 14.181; San Diego (Stults) 15.206
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7
Vegas Line: San Diego (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-125); Under

Game 963-964: Colorado at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Pomeranz) 12.746; LA Dodgers (Capuano) 15.387
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-175); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-175); Under

Game 965-966: Seattle at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vargas) 16.513; Baltimore (Tillman) 15.096
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+115); Under

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nova) 16.224; Detroit (Verlander) 15.812
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+150); Over

Game 969-970: Minnesota at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Diamond) 15.420; Cleveland (McAllister) 12.671
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 3; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+105); Over

Game 971-972: Texas at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Darvish) 16.092; Boston (Cook) 15.052
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Texas (-135); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-135); Over

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Mendoza) 14.474; White Sox (Sale) 15.624
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-210); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-210); Under

Game 975-976: LA Angels at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 15.983; Oakland (Parker) 15.186
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-150); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-150); Over

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, August 6

Hot pitchers
-- Sheets is 3-1, 1.82 in his four starts this season.
-- Miley is 3-1, 2.77 in his last four starts.
-- Arroyo is 3-0, 2.89 in his last three starts. Gallardo is 3-2, 3.38 in his last six starts.
-- Westbrook is 3-0, 4.05 in his last three starts.

-- Vargas is 5-0, 1.95 in his last seven starts.
-- Diamond has a 2.82 RA in his last three starts.
-- Sale is 4-1, 3.53 in his last five starts.
-- Weaver is 3-0, 2.45 in his last three starts; Angels won his last 11 starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Worley is 1-2, 6.94 in his last four home starts.
-- Bedard is 1-5, 7.24 in his last six starts.
-- Jackson has a 1.83 RA in his last three starts. Keuchel is 0-4, 10.89 in his last four starts.
-- Cain is 0-1, 4.50 in his last three starts.
-- Wood is 0-4, 10.89 in his last four starts. Stults is 1-2, 4.81 in four starts for the Padres.
-- Pomeranz is 0-3, 10.13 in his last three starts. Capuano is 1-4, 7.14 in his last five outings.

-- Tillman has a 7.36 RA in his last four starts.
-- Verlander is 0-2, 6.75 in his last couple starts. Nova is 0-2, 7.54 in his last four starts.
-- McAllister is 0-2, 4.95 in his last three starts.
-- Darvish is 1-3, 7.11 in his last five starts. Cook is 0-3, 10.20 in his last three outings.
-- Mendoza is 2-3, 3.94 in his last five starts.
-- Parker is 2-2, 6.07 in his last five starts.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won ten of their last twelve games. Phillies won six of their last seven home games.
-- Arizona won six of its last nine games. Pirates won six of their last eight home games.
-- Washington won 12 of its last 16 games.
-- Reds won 15 of their last 17 games.
-- Giants won five of last six road games. St Louis won 12 of its last 16 games.
-- Dodgers won their last three games, scoring 16 runs.

-- Baltimore won five of its last seven games. Mariners won eight of their last ten games.
-- Tigers won 14 of their last 15 home games.
-- Minnesota won seven of its last ten games.
-- Rangers won four of their last five games.
-- White Sox won nine of their last twelve games.

Cold Teams
-- Astros lost 24 of their last 26 road games.
-- Brewers lost their last three games, outscored 18-4.
-- Cubs are 3-8 in their last eleven road games. Padres lost six of their last nine games.
-- Rockies lost 12 of their last 14 games.

-- Bronx lost 10 of its last 16 games.
-- Indians lost their last nine games, outscored 74-28.
-- Red Sox lost seven of their last ten home games.
-- Kansas City lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Oakland is 3-5 in its last eight games. Angels are 5-11 in their last 16 road games.

Totals
-- Six of Philly's last nine games stayed under total.
-- Under is 13-5-1 in Pittsburgh's last nineteen games.
-- 12 of Astros' last 18 games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-2 in last nine Cincinnati games.
-- Over is 16-5-1 in Giants' last twenty-two road games.
-- 15 of last 21 San Diego games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Colorado games went over the total.

-- Under is 6-0-1 in last seven Seattle road games.
-- Six of last seven Bronx road games stayed under.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Minnesota games.
-- 21 of last 30 Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven White Sox home games went over the total.
-- Under is 13-6 in Oakland's last nineteen home games.

MLB

Monday, August 6

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. PITTSBURGH
Arizona is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Arizona's last 15 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona
Pittsburgh is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Arizona

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. DETROIT
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Cleveland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. BALTIMORE
Seattle is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Baltimore
Seattle is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Seattle
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

7:10 PM
TEXAS vs. BOSTON
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Texas's last 25 games
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

8:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Houston
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Houston is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games at home

8:15 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ST. LOUIS
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of St. Louis's last 21 games
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN DIEGO
Chi Cubs are 8-15 SU in their last 23 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games at home

10:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels

10:10 PM
COLORADO vs. LA DODGERS
Colorado is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

MLB

Monday, August 6

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners (12-7, 3.71 ERA)

Vargas allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four over seven innings as he notched his 12th win in Seattle's 7-2 victory over Toronto on Tuesday. His name was prominent in trade deadline rumors, but that hasn’t stopped the lefty from enjoying a career-best season thus far. Vargas has won five consecutive starts and hasn’t allowed three or more runs in each of his last seven outings. He takes the hill in Baltimore next time out.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels (14-1, 2.29 ERA)

Weaver gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings to earn the win Tuesday at Texas. The righty has now won eight straight starts, including six victories in July. Weaver has to be considered the frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award as this point. The Angels’ ace is on pace for career lows in ERA (2.26) and WHIP (0.95). Weaver hurls against the A’s in his next outing.

SLUMPING

Chris Capuano, Los Angeles Dodgers (10-7, 3.33 ERA)

Capuano struggled Tuesday, yielding five runs on six hits in six innings, as the Dodgers were crushed by the Diamondbacks. Capuano served up two long balls, which accounted for all five of his earned runs. He’s 1-4 in his past five starts with a 5.90 ERA in 29 frames. He takes the mound against the lowly Rockies in his next start.

Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers (11-7, 4.38 ERA)

Darvish surrendered seven earned runs on four hits over five innings during Wednesday's 11-10 win over the Angels. The Japanese import has been touched up for 14 earned runs over his last three starts. He takes the mound against Boston for the first time this season on Monday.

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, August 6

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ATLANTA (62 - 46) at PHILADELPHIA (49 - 59) - 7:05 PM
BEN SHEETS (R) vs. VANCE WORLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 1-12 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 71-37 (+27.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 62-46 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 30-20 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 60-45 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 22-11 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 44-24 (+17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 39-23 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ATLANTA is 14-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-59 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-30 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-26 (-18.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-56 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-19 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-37 (-9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-38 (-21.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-2 (+5.2 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.8 Units)

BEN SHEETS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
SHEETS is 3-4 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.315.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+1.0 units)

VANCE WORLEY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
WORLEY is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.412.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

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ARIZONA (55 - 53) at PITTSBURGH (61 - 46) - 7:05 PM
WADE MILEY (L) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 60-46 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-11 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 33-16 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 62-48 (+21.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 20-12 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 60-46 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 21-10 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 40-33 (+11.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 32-27 (+7.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 308-324 (+43.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ARIZONA is 152-125 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 152-125 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 111-88 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 18-45 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
BEDARD is 12-28 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-1 (+2.2 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

WADE MILEY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
MILEY is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. ARIZONA since 1997
BEDARD is 0-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.083.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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WASHINGTON (65 - 43) at HOUSTON (36 - 73) - 8:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSON is 6-13 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
JACKSON is 15-24 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 65-43 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 60-43 (+22.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-21 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 62-43 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 42-27 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 39-25 (+9.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 36-72 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 38-76 (-31.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 36-72 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 25-50 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 24-56 (-25.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 22-49 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 43-89 (-29.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-1 (+1.5 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
JACKSON is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.71 and a WHIP of 1.151.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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CINCINNATI (66 - 42) at MILWAUKEE (48 - 59) - 8:10 PM
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. YOVANI GALLARDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 92-52 (+26.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 41-19 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 66-42 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 596-673 (+55.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 119-83 (+24.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 66-42 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 393-434 (+42.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 46-30 (+11.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 71-51 (+14.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 139-89 (+25.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 17-4 (+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.
ARROYO is 17-7 (+9.8 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)
MILWAUKEE is 48-59 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-26 (-14.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 48-59 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 34-45 (-17.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 20-33 (-16.1 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.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 7-2 (+5.0 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.8 Units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ARROYO is 13-7 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.196.
His team's record is 16-8 (+8.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-11. (-3.0 units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
GALLARDO is 4-5 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.05 and a WHIP of 1.608.
His team's record is 4-10 (-8.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-8. (-5.0 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (59 - 49) at ST LOUIS (59 - 49) - 8:15 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. JAKE WESTBROOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-20 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 97-97 (-19.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 115-81 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 34-22 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 164-99 (+62.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 167-125 (+25.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 37-38 (-11.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 11-21 (-15.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
CAIN is 2-2 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.54 and a WHIP of 1.368.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.3 units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
WESTBROOK is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.845.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.5 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (43 - 63) at SAN DIEGO (46 - 64) - 10:05 PM
TRAVIS WOOD (L) vs. ERIC STULTS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1230-1329 (-245.4 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 2-13 (-10.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-39 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 188-244 (-73.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-39 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 5-18 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 22-12 (+14.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 59-76 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 59-76 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 69-110 (-35.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 32-55 (-20.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 19-37 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

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

TRAVIS WOOD vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WOOD is 0-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.339.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

ERIC STULTS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
STULTS is 0-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 7.25 and a WHIP of 1.903.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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COLORADO (38 - 68) at LA DODGERS (59 - 50) - 10:10 PM
DREW POMERANZ (L) vs. CHRIS CAPUANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 38-68 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 83-129 (-41.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 44-69 (-32.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-68 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 131-161 (-45.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 9-21 (-12.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 25-43 (-12.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
COLORADO is 80-152 (-46.2 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
COLORADO is 46-78 (-27.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 14-39 (-22.7 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 35-23 (+13.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 33-16 (+15.4 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.
CAPUANO is 15-7 (+9.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 5-4 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

DREW POMERANZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
POMERANZ is 0-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.199.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. COLORADO since 1997
CAPUANO is 5-6 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 5-7 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.3 units)

SEATTLE (51 - 59) at BALTIMORE (57 - 51) - 7:05 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. CHRIS TILLMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 180-255 (-58.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 57-51 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 52-44 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 16-12 (+8.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 32-24 (+14.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 23-23 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 16-13 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
VARGAS is 15-10 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 14-10 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 12-6 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 11-3 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 128-127 (-46.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 106-107 (-40.7 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.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
VARGAS is 1-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.156.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-0. (+5.0 units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
TILLMAN is 2-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 0.63 and a WHIP of 0.698.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (63 - 44) at DETROIT (58 - 50) - 7:05 PM
IVAN NOVA (R) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 96-86 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 36-19 (+16.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 10-0 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 40-20 (+19.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 62-37 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 19-9 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
NOVA is 33-16 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 10-2 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 10-1 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 11-2 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 12-17 (-12.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
DETROIT is 28-33 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 27-30 (-12.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-2 (+2.4 Units) against DETROIT this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

IVAN NOVA vs. DETROIT since 1997
NOVA is 0-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 9.82 and a WHIP of 2.319.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
VERLANDER is 5-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.524.
His team's record is 7-8 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-9. (-5.4 units)

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MINNESOTA (47 - 61) at CLEVELAND (50 - 58) - 7:05 PM
SCOTT DIAMOND (L) vs. ZACH MCALLISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 110-161 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 44-77 (-26.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 73-119 (-30.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 63-48 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 19-10 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 98-85 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 15-11 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-23 (-13.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 0-7 (-7.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-3 (+2.6 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

SCOTT DIAMOND vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DIAMOND is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.28 and a WHIP of 0.976.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

ZACH MCALLISTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (63 - 44) at BOSTON (54 - 55) - 7:10 PM
YU DARVISH (R) vs. AARON COOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 123-77 (+19.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 73-40 (+23.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 54-55 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 28-32 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 15-20 (-16.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 48-50 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 19-22 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
BOSTON is 32-41 (-19.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 17-22 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COOK is 19-34 (-25.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against BOSTON this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

YU DARVISH vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

AARON COOK vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (45 - 62) at CHI WHITE SOX (59 - 48) - 8:10 PM
LUIS MENDOZA (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 14-40 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 59-48 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 56-48 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 43-33 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 34-24 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 13-7 (+9.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 15-12 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 15-22 (-9.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 65-68 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 9-16 (-10.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 89-99 (-25.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-37 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 3-3 (+0.7 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

LUIS MENDOZA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MENDOZA is 2-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SALE is 1-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.462.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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LA ANGELS (58 - 51) at OAKLAND (58 - 50) - 10:05 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. JARROD PARKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 58-50 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 31-24 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 247-184 (+58.9 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 54-48 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 40-30 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 38-29 (+15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 32-23 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA ANGELS are 650-641 (+61.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 539-528 (+63.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 645-550 (+72.9 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997.
WEAVER is 16-3 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 28-10 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 16-3 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 29-11 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 5-4 (+3.9 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.9 Units)

JERED WEAVER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
WEAVER is 7-7 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.62 and a WHIP of 1.111.
His team's record is 11-11 (-5.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 16-4. (+11.2 units)

JARROD PARKER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
PARKER is 0-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, August 6

National League

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Sheets: Atlanta 18-7 SU off a win by 4+ runs
Worley: Philadelphia 2-14 SU at home with a line of -125 to +125

Arizona at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Miley: Arizona 10-2 Under away playing with double-revenge
Bedard: Pittsburgh 21-8 SU at home with a line of -125 to +125

Washington at Houston, 8:05 ET
Jackson: Washington 13-4 SU with a total of 8.5 to 10 runs
Keuchel: Houston 4-26 SU in the second half of the season

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Arroyo: Cincinnati 9-18 SU away after winning 3 of their last 4 games
Gallardo: Milwaukee 24-7 SU at home after scoring 2 runs or less

San Francisco at St. Louis, 8:15 ET
Cain: San Francisco 22-10 Over away with a line of -125 to +125
Westbrook: 36-13 SU at home after allowing 1 or 0 runs

Chicago Cubs at San Diego, 10:05 ET
Wood: Cubs 22-12 SU on Mondays
Stults: San Diego 6-18 SU at home off a win by 4+ runs

Colorado at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Pomeranz: Colorado 7-21 SU after allowing 8+ runs
Capuano: 16-7 TSR pitching on 5 or 6 days rest


American League

Seattle at Baltimore, 7:05 ET
Vargas: Seattle 8-28 SU away vs. AL East opponents
Tillman: Baltimore 18-8 SU off 4+ games scoring 4 runs or less

NY Yankees at Detroit, 7:05 ET ESPN
Nova: 10-2 TSR in road games
Verlander: Detroit 10-19 SU off a win by 2 runs or less

Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Diamond: Minnesota 11-26 SU away with a line of -125 to +125
McAllister: Cleveland 19-10 SU on Mondays

Texas at Boston, 7:10 ET
Darvish: Texas 31-15 SU away after winning 3 of their last 4 games
Cook: 19-34 TSR at home pitching off a team win

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Mendoza: Kansas City 14-40 SU away vs. left-handed starters
Sale: White Sox 21-11 Over off 3+ home games

LA Angels at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Weaver: 18-4 TSR in the second half of the season
Parker: Oakland 24-9 Under vs. division opponents

MLB

Monday, August 6

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Rounding the bases: The best bets in the big leagues
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Every week we take a look at the hottest and coldest teams as well as the best over and under bets in Major League Baseball.

Hot team: St. Louis Cardinals

Last week: 5-1
Season record: 59-49
Upcoming schedule: vs. Giants, at Phillies

Skinny: The Cardinals took two of three from the Rockies and completed a three-game sweep of the Brewers last week to quietly move up in the Wild Card standings. St. Louis has won six in a row at home heading into Monday’s tilt with San Francisco.

Cold team: Cleveland Indians

Last week: 0-6
Season record: 50-58
Upcoming schedule: vs. Twins, vs. Red Sox

Skinny: Cleveland, which has lost nine straight after dropping a heartbreaker against Detroit on Sunday afternoon, heads into the week 9 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox. The Indians will play their next seven games at Progressive Field, where the club is 27-25 and has won 10 of its past 17 games.

Over team: San Diego Padres

Last week: 6-1-0
Season O/U record: 59-48-3
Upcoming schedule: vs. Cubs, at Pirates

Skinny: The Padres have made a habit of losing big this season. The end of the season can’t come soon enough for the Friars, but bettors have enjoyed cashing in on their misery this campaign.

Under team: Atlanta Braves

Last week: 6-1-0
Season O/U record: 50-53-5
Upcoming schedule: at Phillies, at Mets

Skinny: The Braves are always a good pick for the under thanks to their formidable pitching staff. Atlanta pitchers only surrendered 13 runs in seven games last week, much to the delight of under bettors on those contests.

Monday's betting tips:

Weather to watch

Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics: Sunny skies but temperatures could drop to 55 F by game’s end. Winds will be blowing out to right field at 10 mph.

Who’s hot?

Red-hot Angels’ first baseman Albert Pujols is riding a seven-game hitting streak during which he has belted six homers and driven in 13 runs.

Who’s not?

The Cleveland Indians have dropped nine straight games, their longest losing skid since Sept. 13-24, 2009. Indians starters have an 11.69 ERA during the losing streak.

Key stat

The Chicago White Sox have won 12 of their last 14 home games, while the Kansas City Royals have dropped 14 of their last 17 on the road.

Game of the day

New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers (-163, 8)

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz said the pain from his right Achilles strain has not gone away and he might receive an injection Monday to help reduce the inflammation in his heel. Ortiz was placed on the disabled list July 16 with the injury and was eligible to be activated Aug. 1.

Notable quotable

“He works harder than me, but I knew what I needed to do and I have great talent, he will do better next time because he was a little bit stressed this time.”-Usain Bolt on fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake.

Betting news and notes

-The Seattle Seahawks are having Terrell Owens in for a tryout Monday. The 38-year-old wide receiver didn't get any NFL offers to play last season after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

-Ichiro Suzuki has collected exactly one hit in all 12 games with the Yankees, tying Don Slaught (1988) for the longest such streak to begin a career with the Yankees. Suzuki is 17-for-51 (.333) in his career versus Verlander.

-Atlanta starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Jurrjens is on the disabled list with a strained right groin.

-The Pirates, who are 23-11 since June 27, have won each of their last four series against National League West teams dating back to mid-April. They host the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Statistical leaders in major league baseball........

OPS-- Votto 1.069, McCutchen 1.056, Ortiz 1.024, Trout 1.004.

Runs-- Trout 86, Kinsler 78, MeCabrera 77, Granderson 75.

RBI-- MiCabrera 91, Hamilton 90, Willingham 81, Fielder 79.

HRs-- Dunn 31; Hamilton-Encanarcion-Granderson-Braun, all 29.

ERA-- Weaver 2.29, Vogelsong 2.38, Zimmerman 2.45, Price 2.49.

K's-- Scherzer/Strasburg 160, Hernandez 159, Dickey 156.


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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend..........

13) Monday is August 6; Andrew McCutchen is hitting .368, the Pirates are 16-1 in AJ Burnett's last 17 starts, and have a 3-game lead for the last playoff spot in the National League. Exciting times in Steel City.

12) How does NBC not show the 100-meter dash final live? Its by far the most prestigious footrace in the Olympics; it would be one of those terrific moments where people stopped what they were doing to watch.

Instead, everyone knows Usain Bolt won and the drama is gone. NBC is entitled to run its business as they please, and we're entitled not to watch their programming if they won't show it live.

11) I'm watching the Cardinal-Saint Hall of Fame Game from Canton, and they're using replacement referees. Saw a call I've never seen before; they called intentional grounding and roughing the passer on the same play.

Not a bad call; just never saw it called before, I don't think.

10) Arizona's Trevor Cahill has a 7.29 ERA in first inning, 2.25 from there on in. Young man has to warm up better.

9) Bigtime college football teams are allowed to have 85 scholarship players in their program; 6th-ranked Georgia will have less than 70, not a lot for a team that hasn't been on probation recently.

8) Shane Victorino is wearing #8 with the Dodgers, taking the number his manager had before LA traded for the Flyin' Hawaiian. Don Mattingly is now wearing number 88.

7) Jose Reyes' 24-game hitting streak is longest in major leagues this year, and longest by shortstop since Jimmy Rollins' 36-game streak in '05.

6) Bronx Bombers have oldest team in baseball, with players averaging just under 31 years of age. Thats why they use their DH as a rest position for their older stars.

5) Ichiro Suzuki has played 12 games for Bronx Bombers; he is 12-46 (.261) with one hit in all 12 games. No walks, no strikeouts, no power.

4) Jim Furyk led for 71 holes in Akron this week, then double-bogeyed 18 and lost by a stroke to Keegan Bradley, who won his first tournament since last August's PGA. Tough way to lose a tournament.

3) Cleveland Indians scored three runs in 10th inning Sunday, were poised to end their 8-game losing streak; then they allowed five runs in the bottom of the 10th and leave Detroit a complete mess, having allowed 74 runs in losing their last nine games.

2) Team USA is a 24-point favorite over Argentina Monday at 5:15; lets hope they can hold Argentina under 58% from the floor, which is what the Lithuanians shot from the floor against Team USA Saturday.

Argentina beat Lithuania by 23 when they met, by the way.

1) Three young men in the public eye, all under age 30, passed away this weekend, a pro soccer player, a former USC offensive lineman, and the son of Eagles' coach Andy Reid. Doesn't matter how or why, just very sad.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all three families.

We've said this before and it still holds; life is precious. Enjoy as much of it as you can. None of us are guaranteed anything.

Monday, August 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Seattle - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore -135 500
Baltimore - Under 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:05 PM ET NY Yankees +164 500 Detroit - Under 8 500

Atlanta - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +106 500
Philadelphia - Over 8.5 500

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Minnesota +113 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

Arizona - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +108 500
Pittsburgh - Over 8 500

Texas - 7:10 PM ET Texas -133 500
Boston - Over 10 500

Washington - 8:05 PM ET Washington -180 500
Houston - Under 8.5 500

Kansas City - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City +201 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 8.5 500

Cincinnati - 8:10 PM ET Cincinnati +126 500
Milwaukee - Under 8.5 500

San Francisco - 8:15 PM ET St. Louis -110 500
St. Louis - Over 8 500

Chi. Cubs - 10:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs +118 500
San Diego - Under 7.5 500

LA Angels - 10:05 PM ET Oakland +136 500
Oakland - Under 6.5 500

Colorado - 10:10 PM ET Colorado +167 500
LA Dodgers - Over 7.5 500