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Athletics Head East To Meet Tampa Bay Rays

A sneak preview of the American League wild card game perhaps? Or will this weekend's 3-game series at Tropicana Field be the Waterloo for one club's hopes of reaching the postseason?

Either way, it makes for an intriguing matchup when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Oakland Athletics beginning Thursday (7:10 p.m. ET). The opening battle is even more intriguing after Bartolo Colon, Oakland's starter for Thursday, was suspended on Wednesday due to a failed drug test. Alex Cobb is still slated to pitch for the Rays, with word that the A's will call up Tyson Ross from the minors to replace Colon.

Odds for the game were still pending with the late pitching change for Oakland.

One of the first things that bears mentioning about the series in general, and Game 1 in particular, is the A's and Rays will get a very rare regular season Sunday off with the circus in town and having booked The Trop for its opening act. Well, not the real circus where there are signs of real intelligence when the elephants perform. I'm referring to the circus that is in the form of the Republican National Convention in Tampa for a few days. Those elephants are holding a meet-&-greet at Tropicana Field on Sunday, resulting in Oakland and Tampa Bay not being able to use the facilities that day.

This series would have normally started Friday with both the Athletics and Rays taking Thursday off, and Oakland wouldn't have needed to find a replacement for Colon. The A's will instead take a long flight in the southeasterly direction after they finish a homestand Wednesday as 170 chalk against the Twins. The Rays were also completing a series with a Wednesday matinee as $1.85 favorites vs. the Royals.

Each team was second in its respective division heading into those games, the Rays 4-games south of the Yankees in the AL East while the Athletics was five behind Texas out West. Tampa Bay had a grip on the top AL wild-card slot, a game in front of Baltimore and 1.5 ahead of Oakland.

Colon was enjoying a solid season for the A's who were 14-9 behind the beefy Dominican, including five wins the last six times he was on the mound. That record was good enough to put followers close to seven units in the black.

Oakland just recently plugged Brett Anderson back into the rotation following the lefty's absence due to Tommy John surgery, and AJ Griffin was set to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday as he recovers from a shoulder ailment. Either Griffin or Dan Straily could become the long-term replacement for Colon, but the task will go to Ross on Thursday.

The local kid and former Cal product made a dozen starts for the A's earlier this season, mostly with disastrous results. Oakland won just four of the 12 games while Ross pitched to a 6.35 ERA. He has since made 13 assignments at Sacramento with a 5-2 mark and 2.74 ERA.

Cobb was enjoying a fine stretch on the hill before he ran into the Angels in Anaheim his last time out. Halo hitters pounded the Beantown native for 12 hits, including a pair of jacks, and eight runs before Rays manager Joe Maddon had seen enough two outs into the third. That halted a stretch of four quality starts and three straight wins, with the winning streak started by a solid performance in Oakland on Aug. 1 (7 IP, 1 ER).

Oakland was Tampa Bay's daddy early on in this head-to-head series, as you might expect, but the Rays have turned things around and it has been fairly level the past few seasons (A's 21-20 since start of '08). That includes the teams splitting their first six meetings this year, the road team taking two of three in the two previous series. Two of three at The Trop back in early-May skipped 'over' the total, eight of the last 10 in the Sunshine State also going that direction.

Cards Look To Cut Into Reds NL Central Lead

Developments in the National League wild card race have put the St. Louis Cardinals in position to return to the postseason.

They’d rather try to defend their title as the NL Central champs, but to do so they had better begin making up some ground on division-leading Cincinnati Reds this weekend at Great American Ball Park. Entering this weekend set, Cincy has a commanding 8-game lead over the second-place Redbirds in the Central.

Maybe it’s going to have to be the wild card after all for Mike Matheny’s team.

These teams continue their chase for the postseason on Friday in the opener of the three-game set, with the Cardinals’ Lance Lynn and the Reds’ Mat Latos on the mound. The Don Best MLB odds screen notes that Cincinnati was priced as an early 140 favorite, with a +130 take-back price on the Cards at most Las Vegas sports books. Early prices on the total are eight and shaded to the ‘over’ at -115.

First pitch on the banks of the Ohio River will be at 7:10 p.m. (ET), with both Fox Sports Midwest and Ohio providing TV coverage. Both sides have also been trending positively since last week, as through Wednesday the Reds had won 7-of-10, and the Cards 6-of-10.

Interestingly, despite sitting eight games behind Cincy in the Central standings, St. Louis has a superior run differential (+115 vs. +75) to the Reds. But the Redbirds have been in chase mode for a while after Dusty Baker’s squad took control of the division race after the All-Star break.

And recent efforts of Friday’s starter Latos are one of the reasons that Cincinnati has been on the ascent. Over Latos’ last 12 starts, the ex-Padre has allowed more than two earned runs only once, while the Reds have won in nine of the 12. Over those 12 games, Latos’ ERA is a microscopic 1.92, with 70 Ks and only 23 walks.

In four August starts, Latos has been even better, with a 0.92 ERA and the same 0.92 WHIP, along with a .184 OBA. Cincy has also won all four of Latos’ starts this month.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that Latos has struggled in his career against the Cardinals, hit hard in an April 18 loss at Busch Stadium, and has won only one of five career starts vs. the Redbirds with a hefty ERA (9.75) in those outings as well. But Latos did record that one career win vs. St. Louis when he last faced the Cards on July 13, when allowing two runs and four hits in five innings of work in an eventual 5-3 Reds win.

The emergence of Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman as a better-than-serviceable closer has also been a positive for Dusty’s troops. Assuming the closer role after Ryan Madson went down with injury, Chapman now has 31 saves and continues to terrorize batters with his 100+ mph heat, resulting in nearly rwo Ks per inning (112 strikeouts in 62 IP).

That the Reds have been surging without injured 1B Joey Votto (out since mid-July after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee) is also testament to the depth on Dusty Baker’s roster. Stepping into the power breach has been OF Ryan Ludwick, who has a whopping 13 homers since the All-Star break (most in the NL) and 25 dingers on the season.

As for Votto, he’s expected back in the lineup by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Cards manager Matheny might be holding his breath with Friday’s starter Lynn, the ex-Ole Miss product who has wobbled a bit in recent outings. The Cardinals have lost three of Lynn’s last four starts, with Lynn sporting a hefty 6.49 ERA in his last five starts.

Lynn has only faced the Reds once before, in a relief role late last season.

The Cardinals are hanging in the playoff chase despite not getting much sock lately from a couple of key offensive components, outfielders Matt Holliday (just 2-for-30 before a pair of hits in his last two at-bats on Wednesday vs. the Astros) and Carlos Beltran (bothered recently by a sore hand and only 4-for-27 before doubling in his final at-bat on Wednesday against Houston). The Redbirds also remain minus 1B Lance Berkman, who went on the DL due to right knee inflammation on August 3 and likely to begin a brief rehab assignment this weekend with AAA-Memphis before being recalled at the end of August.

After winning four of six against the Reds in April, St. Louis was swept in a three-game series at Great American Ballpark just after the All-Star break, one of those Latos’ aforementioned first-ever win vs. St. Louis.

The teams are not slated to meet again until a season-ending series at Busch Stadium October 1-2-3.

Diamond Trends - Friday

August 24, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Mets are 0-11 since June 17, 2011 as a home favorite with a total over 7 after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1343 when playing against.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Blue Jays are 0-11-1 OU since May 03, 2011 when playing a night game as a road dog with a total over 7 after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Astros are 0-16 since June 05, 2011 when Jordan Lyles starts as a road dog for a net profit of $1600 when playing against.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Angels are 11-0 (3.1 ppg) in the regular season since August 2007 after a game with at least 45 at bats.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

-- The Rangers are 7-0 since April 09, 2011 when Matt Harrison starts after more strike outs than hits allowed and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $725.

-- The Giants are 0-11 OU since May 08, 2011 when Ryan Vogelsong starts at home within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

Cardinals-Reds begin 3-game set Friday

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (68-56)

at CINCINNATI REDS (76-50)


First pitch: Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Cincinnati -125, St. Louis +115, Total: 8

The surging Cardinals look to put a big dent in the Reds division lead when the two NL Central rivals begin a three-game set on Friday night.

St. Louis enters this series 7 games behind Cincinnati in the standings, but the Cards have been rolling, scoring 24 runs during a three-game sweep of Houston. They will send All-Star Lance Lynn to the hill on Friday to make his first career start against the Reds. Lynn did face his opponent three times in relief last year, holding them to one run in four innings, tallying eight strikeouts and zero walks. Cincinnati counters with Mat Latos, who has led his team to a 16-9 record this year, but he has been atrocious in five career starts versus St. Louis, going 1-3 with a 9.75 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. Considering the Cardinals are 51-30 (.630) in the past two seasons against starters that allow 5.5 hits or less per start, and currently lead the majors with a .275 BA, the pick here is underdog ST. LOUIS to prevail.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also supports the Cardinals:

Play On - Road underdogs with a money line of +100 to +150 (ST. LOUIS) - revenging 2 straight losses where team scored 2 or less runs, a good team (54% to 62%) playing a team with a winning record. (35-16 over the last 5 seasons.) (68.6%, +26.3 units. Rating = 3*).

Lynn (13-5, 3.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has led his team to a 16-8 record this year, including 9-5 on the road, where he is personally 7-2. Lynn has been a strikeout machine in his first season as a regular starter, mowing down 143 batters in 142.1 innings. However, Lynn has been shaky in his past five starts, going 1-1 with a 6.49 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. He labored only 4.1 innings in his last start versus Pittsburgh, allowing three runs, four hits and three walks, while striking out eight batters. If he fails to go deep in this contest, the Cardinals bullpen might not be able to pick him up, sporting a 4.05 ERA and converting just 64% of save chances this year.

Latos (10-3, 3.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) has been stronger at home this year, going 6-2 (team is 11-3) with a 3.14 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Latos has also been tremendous in his past five starts, going 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 0.91 WHIP, but he wasn’t great in his last start against the Cubs, allowing four runs (2 ER) in eight innings of work. He’s faced St. Louis twice this season with a combined pitching line of 10.2 IP, 13 H, 10 ER, 6 BB, 11 K. Although Latos has pitched at least seven innings in his past four starts, it’s not imperative for him to log a ton of innings considering the Reds bullpen leads the majors with a 2.78 ERA, which dips to 2.27 at home with a stellar 1.08 WHIP and 20 saves in 26 chances (77%). The Reds have beaten the Cardinals four straight times, but all three games of their sweep on July 13-July 15 were very close with results of 5-3, 3-2 and 4-2.

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- 410 pitches and 4:34 later, Angels outlasted Boston 14-13 in a pitching debacle of epic proportions. Pujols (calf) didn't even play.

-- A's are 67-57, but were shut out in 15 of the 57 losses.

-- Umpire Vic Carapazza, who was villified on TV by Jim Palmer Sunday for being awful, is the son-in-low of former umpire Richie Garcia.

-- Mike Sherman is offensive coordinator for the Dolphins; his assistant QB coach is former Nebraska QB Zac Taylor, Sherman's son-in-law.

-- Arizona Cardinals have some serious problems on the offensive line.

-- Buddy of mine took his son driving for the first time, took him to a spot with lot of turns and not much traffic. A cemetary; brilliant idea!!!


***********


Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here......

13) If you say you don’t like baseball’s Wild Card, think of this: in 1993, the Giants won 103 games but didn’t make the playoffs.

What could be more unfair? Wild Card makes September a really interesting month. It’s the best thing former used car salesman Alan R. Selig has done as Commissioner.

12) Since 1995, Miami Dolphins are 3-7 in playoff games, with none of the losses by less than 14 points- in 1999, they lost a playoff game 62-7 to Jacksonville.

11) He may do a great job with the Buccaneers, but it is still surprising to me that Greg Schiano is an NFL head coach. Did you ever once watch Rutgers play over the last decade and think, “This is a guy who will be highly sought after by the pros.”? Me either.

10) There was a rumor going around this week that the Sacramento Kings are looking into a move to Virginia. This is a franchise that has gone from Rochester-Cincinnati-Kansas City-Omaha-Sacramento. Whats one more out of the way place?

9) Ever hear of Anthony Calvillo? He’s one of the best QB’s in the Canadian Football League history, throwing for over 73,000 yards for one of the league’s better teams. He's won three Grey Cup titles, and is still going strong despite turning 40 on Thursday. Calvillo played college ball at Utah State and has been Montreal's QB since 1998.

8) Former Minnesota Gopher football coach Tim Brewster was supposed to work at CBS College Sports this season, but when Mississippi State’s WR coach got in trouble with the NCAA, he got sent packing and Brewster was hired.

7) Washington Nationals are pretty much stuck adhering to the Strasburg Shutdown Plan, since now, with doctors having advised a shutdown, if they were to ignore the advice and Strasburg got hurt, scumweasel agent Scott Boras has hinted there could be a lawsuit in the works.

6) Who in Boston is taking credit for the Aaron Cook signing, or will they use the “Aceves had to take the closer’s role when Bailey got hurt” excuse? There will be lot of happy/relieved people when this Red Sox season is over. Boston scored 13 runs Thursday night and still lost.

5) Cincinnati and the Giants have both used only six starting pitchers this season. San Diego has used 14.

4) Over last three seasons, Orioles are 74-49 in one-run games, 128-197 in all others.

3) This is hard to do; David Price didn’t allow a run in his last two home starts, but Tampa Bay lost both games, both 1-0 in 10 innings.

2) Rays are 14-3 since Evan Longoria came back (a little early maybe) from his hamstring issues. He has mostly DH’d since then, but he is an indispensable part of the lineup, just like Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes (A’s are 12-20 without him in lineup).

1) Wednesday afternoon’s attendance in St Pete: 11,892. Thursday night’s attendance: 11,613. When the Rays wind up playing in Nashville or San Antonio or Portland or Charlotte or New Jersey, Rays’ fans will have no one to blame but themselves and the economy.

Friday betting tips: Winds help hitters at Wrigley today

WEATHER TO WATCH

According to weather underground, the wind should be blowing straight out to left field at Wrigley in Chicago today. Oddsmakers have the Cubs favored at -155 but as per normal, they will hold off on posting a total for this game. Keep an eye out to get it early. It’s likely to go up after its release.

WHO'S HOT?

The B.C. Lions. They have won and covered their last three games and their defense hasn’t given up a touchdown in over 180 minutes. They’re 5.5-point favorites at Winnipeg tonight.

WHO'S NOT?

Red Sox pitching staff. Boston has given up 30 runs in its past four games, all of which it lost straight up and on the runline. The Sox are 13-21 in his absence with their designated hitters going 31 of 130 (.238) with seven RBIs and no home runs.

KEY STAT

11-23. That was the Blue Jays’ record without slugger Jose Bautista in the lineup due to a wrist injury. He returns tonight for Toronto.

GAME OF THE DAY

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns (-4, 37)

INJURY THAT SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED

It sounds like the Red Sox’ David Ortiz will be activated off the DL today after being out since July 17 with an Achilles heel injury.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

Indianapolis Colts owner Tweeted this last night:
SERIOUS TRADE WINDS Swirling! We're talking given up high driaft pick for serious Vet/Starter!.. these deals often crumble n don't reach completion

BETTING NEWS AND NOTES

According to the Detroit News: "Most Valuable Player candidate Miguel Cabrera left the Tigers game in the top of the second inning with a sore right ankle. The Tigers said his status is considered day to day."

Sportsbooks didn’t have a line out for the Angels-Tigers game as of Friday morning. We have the early overnight line though and it’s set with the Angels as slight -115 road dogs, courtesy of The Sports Club. The total was recommended at 9 with Greinke and Porcello on the mound.

Rookie quarterback Nick Foles will get the start tonight for the Philadelphia Eagles in Cleveland. Trent Edwards will likely come on in the second quarter, though. Michael Vick won't play again in the preseason due to a rib injury but should be ready for Week 1.

MLB
Dunkel

Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
The Pirates look to take advantage of a Milwaukee team that is 1-10 in its last 11 road games against a team with a winning record. Pittsburgh is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24

Game 951-952: Colorado at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Pomeranz) 15.641; Cubs (Samardzija) 13.530
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-150); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130); N/A

Game 953-954: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Jackson) 16.372; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.219
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-115); Under

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Fiers) 14.711; Pittsburgh (Rodriguez) 14.979
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105); Over

Game 957-958: Houston at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Lyles) 12.392; NY Mets (Niese) 14.208
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 2; 7
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-230); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-230); Under

Game 959-960: St. Louis at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 15.492; Cincinnati (Latos) 14.937
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+120); Under

Game 961-962: San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 15.772; Arizona (Corbin) 16.696
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-175); Over

Game 963-964: Miami at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Eovaldi) 14.904; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 15.667
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-220); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-220); Over

Game 965-966: Atlanta at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Sheets) 16.935; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 16.089
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+105); Under

Game 967-968: LA Angels at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Greinke) 15.029; Detroit (Porcello) 16.256
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-115); Under

Game 969-970: Toronto at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Villanueva) 15.125; Baltimore (Britton) 14.491
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-105); Over

Game 971-972: NY Yankees at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 14.965; Cleveland (Kluber) 13.067
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-220); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-220); Over

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 16.418; Boston (Lester) 13.979
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 2 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-180); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+160); Under

Game 975-976: Oakland at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Parker) 15.090; Tampa Bay (Moore) 17.591
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-170); Under

Game 977-978: Minnesota at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 13.907; Texas (Harrison) 16.650
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-210); 10
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-210); Under

Game 979-980: Seattle at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vargas) 16.976; White Sox (Peavy) 15.977
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+155); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, August 24

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COLORADO (50 - 73) at CHICAGO CUBS (47 - 76) - 2:20 PM
DREW POMERANZ (L) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 50-73 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 127-226 (-52.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 12-27 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
COLORADO is 50-73 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 87-118 (-32.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 51-69 (-24.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 99-109 (-32.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 13-9 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 47-76 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 146-123 (-51.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 664-620 (-141.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 4-17 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 133-165 (-52.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 670-687 (-133.1 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 47-76 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 9-22 (-11.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-37 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

DREW POMERANZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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WASHINGTON (77 - 47) at PHILADELPHIA (58 - 67) - 7:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. KYLE KENDRICK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSON is 16-25 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 76-42 (+26.3 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.
WASHINGTON is 77-47 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 25-12 (+11.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 41-23 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 31-21 (+16.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-6 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-10 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-19 (+11.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 74-47 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 52-30 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 53-31 (+18.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 58-67 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-35 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-29 (-18.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 58-64 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-24 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-44 (-10.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 42-37 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-43 (-22.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-4 (+0.7 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
JACKSON is 1-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.94 and a WHIP of 1.563.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

KYLE KENDRICK vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KENDRICK is 2-4 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 5.21 and a WHIP of 1.485.
His team's record is 6-7 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-6. (+0.7 units)

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MILWAUKEE (57 - 66) at PITTSBURGH (67 - 57) - 7:05 PM
MICHAEL FIERS (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 57-66 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-38 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-8 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in road games in August games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-16 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 57-66 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-25 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-30 (-8.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 66-57 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 37-23 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 91-75 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing with a day off since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 29-20 (+11.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 66-57 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 459-434 (+54.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 47-42 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-24 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 33-22 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 16-35 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 42-68 (-28.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
RODRIGUEZ is 1-9 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-3 (+0.9 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

MICHAEL FIERS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
FIERS is 0-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 8-8 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.399.
His team's record is 9-12 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-12. (-3.6 units)

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HOUSTON (39 - 86) at NY METS (57 - 68) - 7:10 PM
JORDAN LYLES (R) vs. JON NIESE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 39-85 (-35.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 7-33 (-20.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 12-51 (-33.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-34 (-19.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 39-85 (-35.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 28-59 (-23.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 24-60 (-29.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 17-37 (-17.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HOUSTON is 6-32 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LYLES is 2-15 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LYLES is 1-16 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LYLES is 2-15 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
LYLES is 3-19 (-15.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 28-34 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 2-8 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in home games in August games this season.
NY METS are 5-14 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
NY METS are 53-66 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 31-46 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 31-48 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 4-12 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-0 (+3.4 Units) against NY METS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JORDAN LYLES vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

JON NIESE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
NIESE is 1-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.52 and a WHIP of 1.435.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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ST LOUIS (68 - 56) at CINCINNATI (76 - 50) - 7:10 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. MAT LATOS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 7-13 (-10.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
ST LOUIS is 41-44 (-14.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 69-88 (-29.4 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 15-25 (-17.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CINCINNATI is 76-50 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 40-20 (+16.7 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 41-22 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CINCINNATI is 125-88 (+24.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 76-50 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 52-35 (+11.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 75-55 (+13.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 121-86 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 38-26 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 5-4 (+1.3 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.7 Units)

LANCE LYNN vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

MAT LATOS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LATOS is 1-3 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 9.75 and a WHIP of 1.958.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.7 units)

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SAN DIEGO (56 - 70) at ARIZONA (64 - 61) - 9:40 PM
ERIC STULTS (L) vs. PAT CORBIN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 14-31 (-17.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 76-115 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 35-58 (-20.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 161-133 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 67-47 (+16.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 161-133 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 92-68 (+20.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 94-64 (+18.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 42-46 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 5-4 (+2.6 Units) against ARIZONA this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.6 Units)

ERIC STULTS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
STULTS is 2-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.269.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

PAT CORBIN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

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MIAMI (57 - 69) at LA DODGERS (67 - 58) - 10:10 PM
NATHAN EOVALDI (R) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 57-69 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 56-67 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 35-47 (-15.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MIAMI is 66-90 (-24.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 26-43 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA DODGERS are 88-60 (+23.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 59-37 (+16.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 31-15 (+16.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 74-71 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off since 1997.
MIAMI is 52-48 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 41-35 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in road games after getting shut out since 1997.
MIAMI is 316-350 (+41.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 30-33 (-8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against MIAMI this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. MIAMI since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 4-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP of 1.026.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.1 units)

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ATLANTA (71 - 54) at SAN FRANCISCO (70 - 55) - 10:15 PM
BEN SHEETS (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 70-55 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 70-55 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 43-30 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
VOGELSONG is 10-2 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 71-54 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 35-25 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 16-2 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
ATLANTA is 69-53 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 27-16 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 49-28 (+17.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-17 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-1 (+2.7 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

BEN SHEETS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SHEETS is 4-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.34 and a WHIP of 0.973.
His team's record is 6-4 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-4. (+0.8 units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. ATLANTA since 1997
VOGELSONG is 0-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

LA ANGELS (65 - 60) at DETROIT (67 - 57) - 7:05 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-1 (+1.8 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. DETROIT since 1997
GREINKE is 10-6 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.177.
His team's record is 12-10 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-12. (-2.8 units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
PORCELLO is 3-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 6.29 and a WHIP of 1.456.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-0. (+6.0 units)

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TORONTO (56 - 68) at BALTIMORE (67 - 57) - 7:05 PM
CARLOS VILLANUEVA (R) vs. ZACH BRITTON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 56-68 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 31-45 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 25-42 (-17.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 34-50 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 67-57 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 42-36 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 24-20 (+12.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BALTIMORE is 62-50 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 43-45 (+5.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 49-43 (+13.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 44-26 (+22.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 24-15 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 291-366 (-98.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 113-110 (-37.9 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 5-4 (+2.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

CARLOS VILLANUEVA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
VILLANUEVA is 2-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.96 and a WHIP of 1.470.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.1 units)

ZACH BRITTON vs. TORONTO since 1997
BRITTON is 0-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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NY YANKEES (72 - 52) at CLEVELAND (54 - 70) - 7:05 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. COREY KLUBER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 156-100 (-51.7 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 103-91 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 101-94 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 16-4 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
NY YANKEES are 11-1 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
NY YANKEES are 69-44 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SABATHIA is 48-18 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SABATHIA is 60-24 (+25.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 54-70 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-17 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CLEVELAND is 51-66 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-26 (-11.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.

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

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SABATHIA is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.408.
His team's record is 2-3 (-6.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.8 units)

COREY KLUBER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (55 - 68) at BOSTON (59 - 66) - 7:10 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 12-5 (+14.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 13-8 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 41-42 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHEN is 8-2 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 59-66 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 22-27 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 21-23 (-16.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 0-6 (-11.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 this season.
BOSTON is 29-37 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 12-19 (-12.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 6-15 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
BOSTON is 2-8 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday this season.
BOSTON is 53-61 (-22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 40-47 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 30-36 (-15.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BOSTON is 63-55 (-22.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 3-8 (-9.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
LESTER is 10-15 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 0-7 (-13.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 3-11 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 4-9 (-10.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 10-14 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 6-11 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 0-7 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. BOSTON since 1997
CHEN is 3-5 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 6.30 and a WHIP of 1.700.
His team's record is 3-7 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.2 units)

JON LESTER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
LESTER is 5-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 0.994.
His team's record is 5-3 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-0. (+6.0 units)

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

OAKLAND (67 - 57) at TAMPA BAY (70 - 55) - 7:10 PM
JARROD PARKER (R) vs. MATT MOORE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 162-129 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 90-37 (+30.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 34-15 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 52-35 (+8.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 67-57 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 256-191 (+60.7 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 46-36 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 35-27 (+14.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-3 (-0.4 Units) against OAKLAND this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

JARROD PARKER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PARKER is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.833.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MATT MOORE vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MOORE is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 15.42 and a WHIP of 2.141.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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MINNESOTA (51 - 73) at TEXAS (73 - 51) - 8:05 PM
SAM DEDUNO (R) vs. MATT HARRISON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 114-173 (-34.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-35 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 111-166 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 63-109 (-30.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 131-83 (+20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HARRISON is 22-6 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HARRISON is 13-1 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 39-34 (-11.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 6-1 (+4.5 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.9 Units)

SAM DEDUNO vs. TEXAS since 1997
DEDUNO is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of 1.689.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

MATT HARRISON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HARRISON is 2-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.76 and a WHIP of 1.443.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.5 units)

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SEATTLE (61 - 64) at CHI WHITE SOX (68 - 55) - 8:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 68-55 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-28 (+8.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 61-64 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 58-57 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 43-43 (+6.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 41-42 (+6.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 11-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
VARGAS is 15-11 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 9-5 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 14-10 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 13-7 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-28 (-11.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 71-71 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 13-18 (-9.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 71-71 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 30-39 (-24.2 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
CHI WHITE SOX is 5-1 (+3.6 Units) against SEATTLE this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
VARGAS is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 7.13 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
PEAVY is 5-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.21 and a WHIP of 1.019.
His team's record is 7-1 (+7.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.3 units)

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, August 24

Hot pitchers
-- Samardzija has a 2.84 RA in his last three starts.
-- Kendrick is 2-0, 0.00 (15 IP) in his last two starts.
-- Niese is 3-1, 1.91 in his last four starts.
-- Latos is 3-0, 1.91 in his last six starts.
-- Stults is 2-0, 2.84 in his last three starts. Arizona won last four Corbin starts (3-0, 2.77).
-- Billingsley is 6-0, 1.30 in his last six starts. Former Dodger Eovaldi is 2-1, 2.16 in his last three starts.

-- Villanueva has a 2.79 RA in his last three starts, but no wins.
-- Lester is 2-0, 1.38 in his last couple starts.
-- Moore is 4-0, 1.16 in his last five starts.
-- Deduno is 4-1, 2.73 in his last six starts. Harrison is 2-1, 3.46 in his last four outings.
-- Vargas is 6-1, 2.01 in his last eight starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Pomeranz is 0-4, 7.36 in his last seven starts.
-- Jackson is 1-2, 4.56 in his last four starts.
-- WRodriguez is 0-3, 5.47 in four starts for the Pirates. Fiers lost his last two starts, allowing 12 runs in seven IP.
-- Lyles is 0-5, 8.63 in his last eight starts.
-- Lynn is 1-1, 6.49 in his last five starts.
-- Vogelsong lost his last two starts, allowing 11 runs in 5.2 IP. Sheets is 0-2, 8.25 in his last couple starts.

-- Greinke is 1-2, 6.19 in five starts for the Angels. Porcello is 2-3, 6.23 in his last five starts.
-- Britton is 0-1, 13.50 in his last three starts.
-- Kluber is 0-2, 9.16 in his four starts. Sabathia had a 5.34 RA in his last four starts before going on the DL.
-- BChen is 2-4, 6.97 in his last ten starts.
-- Parker is 1-3, 4.26 in his last four starts.
-- Peavy is 0-2, 4.50 in his last three starts.

Hot Teams
-- Colorado won nine of its last eleven games.
-- Nationals won five of their last seven games.
-- Brewers won five of their last seven games.
-- Cardinals won four of their last five games. Reds won ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Padres won their last four games, allowing nine runs. Arizona won six of its last eight games.
-- Giants won six of their last seven games.

-- Detroit won six of its last eight games. Angels won their last three games, scoring 26 runs.
-- Orioles won eight of their last eleven home games.
-- Royals won six of their last nine games.
-- Tampa Bay won 19 of its last 25 games. A's won six of their last eight.
-- Rangers won five of their last six games.
-- Seattle won its last eight games, allowing 13 runs. White Sox won five of their last six home games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost six of their last seven games.
-- Pirates lost ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Mets lost 13 of their last 17 games. Astros lost nine of their last ten.
-- Phillies are 4-5 in their last nine games.
-- Dodgers lost five of their last seven games. Miami is 6-9 in its last 15.
-- Braves lost five of their last six games.

-- Blue Jays lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Indians lost their last eight games; they scored five runs in last four games. Bronx Bombers lost four of their last five games.
-- Red Sox lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Twins lost 11 of their last 13 games.

Totals
-- Four of last five Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Washington games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Milwaukee games stayed under the total. 12 of last 16 Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Five of Mets' last six games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Five of last six San Diego road games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve San Francisco games went over the total.

-- 16 of last 21 Angel games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Kansas City games stayed under the total.
-- 23 of last 32 Tampa Bay games stayed under total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in Minnesota's last eight games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Seattle games.

MLB

Friday, August 24

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Trend Report
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2:20 PM
COLORADO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing Colorado
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Washington is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of NY Yankees's last 14 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Cleveland is 4-9 SU in their last 13 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

7:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
Milwaukee is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Pittsburgh's last 16 games
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. BOSTON
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 9 games
Cincinnati is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home

7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY METS
Houston is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Mets's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
NY Mets are 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Houston

7:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oakland's last 11 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games when playing Oakland

8:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Texas's last 23 games at home
Texas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Seattle's last 10 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home

9:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games at home

10:10 PM
MIAMI vs. LA DODGERS
Miami is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Miami's last 17 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 12 of LA Dodgers's last 17 games when playing at home against Miami

10:15 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 11 games
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Francisco's last 12 games

MLB

Friday, August 24

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Friday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays (10-7, 3.57)

Moore turned in another solid outing Sunday against the Angels, allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings pitched. The rookie is 4-0 over his last five starts and hasn’t surrendered more than two runs in a game since July 7. He tries to keep the momentum going against the A’s on Friday.

Kyle Kendrick, Philadelphia Phillies (6-9, 4.20)

Kendrick allowed three hits over eight scoreless innings against the Brewers on Sunday to pick up his sixth win of the season. The righty has posted back-to-back wins and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 15 innings pitched. He draws the Nationals next.


SLUMPING

Ben Sheets, Atlanta Braves (4-3, 3.07)

Sheets allowed six runs on four hits over six innings Saturday against the Dodgers to fall to 4-3 on the year after a red-hot start. The veteran righty has suffered back-to-back losses after blazing out of the gates with a 4-1 record. He takes the hill in San Francisco in his next start.

Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants (10-7, 2.85)

Vogelsong lasted just three innings in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Padres. The right-hander also got rocked for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings in his previous start against Washington. Vogelsong has just one quality start in his last three turns after running off 16 consecutive quality outings from May 3 to July 29. He gets the Braves at the friendly confines of AT&T Park on Friday.

MLB

Friday, August 24

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore -107 500
Baltimore - Under 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland +206 500
Cleveland - Over 9 500

Washington - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +110 500
Philadelphia - Over 8 500

LA Angels - 7:05 PM ET Detroit -105 500
Detroit - Under 9 500

Milwaukee - 7:05 PM ET Milwaukee -105 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

Kansas City - 7:10 PM ET Boston -174 500
Boston - Over 9 500

Oakland - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -175 500
Tampa Bay - Over 7 500

Houston - 7:10 PM ET Houston +200 500
NY Mets - Over 7.5 500

St. Louis - 7:10 PM ET St. Louis +111 500
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Minnesota - 8:05 PM ET Minnesota +206 500
Texas - Over 10 500

Seattle - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -179 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 8 500

San Diego - 9:40 PM ET San Diego +165 500
Arizona - Over 9.5 500

Miami - 10:10 PM ET Miami +196 500
LA Dodgers - Under 7 500

Atlanta - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -118 500
San Francisco - Under 7 500