Service Plays Sunday 7/28/13

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GL!

United States opens as fave vs. Panama in Gold Cup final

The United States and Panama will square off in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final Sunday and the Stars and Stripes have opened as -200 faves.

The Americans steamrolled their way through the tournament and had little trouble disposing Honduras by a score of 3-1 in the semifinal. Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan paced the U.S. with a pair of goals after Eddie Johnson opened the scoring in the 11th minute.

The American side could be at a disadvantage in the final as head coach Jurgen Klinsmann could miss the match after being dismissed from the semifinal. Match referee Walter Quesada ordered Klinsmann ejected Klinsmann after complaining and slamming the ball down in a show of frustration following several non-calls.

CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North American, Central America and the Caribbean, will reportedly make its decision by Friday.

The U.S. is a perfect 5-0 heading into the final and has outscored opponents 19-4 as it tries to win its fifth Gold Cup.

Panama upset Mexico 2-1 in the other semifinal Wednesday. It was the second time they have beaten Mexico by that scoreline in the tournament.

Apart from a 6-1 thrashing of Cuba, Panama has not looked as convincing throughout the tournament. They defeated Martinique by an unimpressive 1-0 scoreline and drew 0-0 with lowly Canada.

Sunday's final kicks off at 4 p.m. ET at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Head coach Klinsmann banned for Gold Cup final

The United States will be without their head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on the touchline for the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama Sunday.

CONCACAF's disciplinary committee decided to hand Klinsmann a one-match ban following his ejection from the semifinal match versus Honduras Wednesday.

Per ESPN.com:

Martin Vasquez, the top assistant in Klinsmann's staff, will manage the team in Sunday's final.

The Americans are currently priced at -250 (Bet365) to defeat Panama in the final

Cards, Braves Complete 3-Game Series Sunday Night
by Brian Graham

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: TBD

A pair of division leaders wrap up a three-game set on Sunday night when Shelby Miller tries to pitch his Cardinals past Kris Medlen and the Braves.

The 22-year-old Miller (10-6, 2.77 ERA) will try finish July unbeaten, having gone 2-0 (St. Louis is 3-0) with a 2.65 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 17 K's in 17 IP during the month. Medlen (6-10, 3.78 ERA) has had a dismal follow-up to his brilliant 2012 season (10-1, 1.57 ERA), and was in danger of losing his spot in the rotation before Atlanta lost both Tim Hudson (ankle) and Paul Maholm (wrist) to long-term injuries this week. Medlen has pitched horribly during a three-start losing skid, allowing 15 runs (14 ER) and 24 hits in 14.2 innings, which equates to an 8.59 ERA and .364 opponents' BA. These number may not improve much against the surging Cardinals who enter the series with a four-game win streak and rank among the top-3 teams in the majors in runs (495, 3rd), hitting (.278 BA, 2nd) and getting on base (.339 OBP, 3rd). The Braves, who are coming off a 3-4 road trip, have a subpar .249 BA this season (19th in MLB), but rank among the top-12 teams in the majors in runs (443), OBP (.322) and slugging percentage (.409). St. Louis enters this series with the best road record in the league at 30-20 (.667), but Atlanta has the best home mark in all of baseball at 31-15 (.674). Both clubs have also thrived against right-handed starters this season, with the Cards sporting an MLB-best 51-25 mark (.671) in this situation and the Braves going 42-33 (.560, 8th in majors) versus righty starters.

While Miller (1.28 WHIP) has been nearly unhittable at home (1.74 ERA, .193 opponents' BA), he has been mediocre on the road, going 4-4 with a 4.07 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and .255 opponents' BA. However, he's been dialing up the K's in all venues (10.3 K/9 at home, 8.7 K/9 on road) and St. Louis is a hefty 13-6 (.684) when the youngster takes the hill. He's never faced the Braves in his brief career, but has preferred pitching at night (8-5, 2.68 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 10.0 K/9) rather than dealing with daylight (2-1, 3.09 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 8.1 K/9). The Cardinals don't like to have their youngster throw a ton of pitches with 5.83 innings per start, but they have a slightly above-average bullpen that carries a 3.57 ERA (14th in MLB) and 1.24 WHIP (12th in majors) this season. During the four-game win streak, St. Louis relievers have a combined pitching line of 8 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 6 K's.

The Braves are just 9-11 in the 20 starts Medlen (1.38 WHIP) has made, but he's been much better at home this season with a 3.26 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He's never started against the Cardinals in his career in the regular season, but he has logged 9.2 innings in relief against them, sporting a mediocre 3.72 ERA, but stellar 0.93 WHIP as the result of just one walk and eight strikeouts. Medlen did pitch against St. Louis in the one-game Wild Card playoff last season and was done in by poor fielding, allowing five runs in 6.1 innings, but just two of those runs being earned. He allowed just three hits and zero walks while striking out four in that 6-3 defeat, which knocked Atlanta from the postseason. Medlen hasn't pitched more than seven innings all season and averages only 5.95 innings per start, but he knows he has an elite bullpen to hold a lead for him. Braves relievers carry a majors-best 2.68 ERA this season and their 1.18 WHIP ranks second behind only Pittsburgh. All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel has saved 28-of-31 chances this season, sporting a 1.45 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and an insane 59 K's in 37.1 innings (14.2 K/9).

NASCAR Resumes Season at The Brickyard Sunday
by Brian Graham

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Crown Royal presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard

Sunday, July 28 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Speedway, IN

After a week off, the NASCAR circuit gets back to action at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Crown Royal presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com. This 2.5-mile track is oval-shaped with 9° turns and perfectly flat straightaways that each measure 3,330 feet (0.63 miles). Jimmie Johnson is the heavy 3-to-1 favorite on Sunday having won four of the previous seven starts at Indy, which includes last year's victory.

Odds to Win Race

Driver Odds
Jimmie Johnson 3-to-1
Kyle Busch 7-to-1
Matt Kenseth 7-to-1
Kasey Kahne 7-to-1
Jeff Gordon 10-to-1
Tony Stewart 12-to-1
Denny Hamlin 12-to-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15-to-1
Kurt Busch 15-to-1
Kevin Harvick 15-to-1
Brad Keselowski 15-to-1
Greg Biffle 18-to-1
Martin Truex Jr. 18-to-1
Carl Edwards 18-to-1
Clint Bowyer 20-to-1
Juan Montoya 20-to-1
Joey Logano 25-to-1
Jamie McMurray 40-to-1
Mark Martin 40-to-1
Ryan Newman 50-to-1
Trevor Bayne 100-to-1
Danica Patrick 100-to-1
A.J. Allmendinger 100-to-1
Marcos Ambrose 100-to-1
Aric Almirola 100-to-1
Austin Dillon 100-to-1
Paul Menard 100-to-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 100-to-1
Jeff Burton 100-to-1
FIELD (Any other driver) 100-to-1

Drivers to Watch

Tony Stewart (12/1) - Since 2004, Stewart has been a major factor at the Brickyard with a pair of wins and top-10 finishes in six of the other seven Indy starts. History has shown that drivers coming off big performances at Pocono -- also a 2.5-mile track -- usually keep that going at the Brickyard. Stewart finished 4th at Pocono this season, and in his previous two Indy-winning campaigns (2005 and 2007), "Smoke" scored top-10's at Pocono. Stewart is our pick to win his third Brickyard race on Sunday.

Kevin Harvick (15/1) - Harvick has been on roll with top-10 finishes in 10 of his past 11 races, the lone exception being a crash at Talladega. During this run, he placed third at Daytona, was runner-up at Michigan and won at both Richmond and Charlotte. And considering Harvick's success at the Brickyard (10.2 average finish in 12 career starts), the odds are quite favorable for the No. 29 car. He's led at least 18 laps in four of his starts in Indy, including his pole-to-Victory Lane accomplishment in 2003. At 15-to-1 odds, Harvick represents the best value on the board.

Kyle Busch (7/1) - If you feel the need to wager on one of the four single-digit favorites Sunday, let that driver be Busch. His average start this season has been an impressive 5.9, which he's parlayed into two wins and an impressive nine top-5 finishes. This includes his runner-up two weeks ago in New Hampshire, but does not account for a strong 6th-place showing at Pocono, a track similar to the Brickyard. At Indy, Busch has finished better than he's started in seven of eight races, beginning at an average spot of 21.1 and ending at 11.8. He's finished 8th, 10th and 2nd in his past three attempts to kiss the bricks. Also consider that Joe Gibbs Racing used one of their official tests for this race, which also gives Busch another advantage.

Greg Biffle (18/1) - His Sunday odds are extremely favorable considering what Biffle has done at the Brickyard recently. In his past five starts at Indy, Biffle has placed 8th, 4th, 3rd, 7th and 3rd. He was also runner-up at Brickyard-similar Pocono this season, which preceded his victory at Michigan that put him eighth in the Sprint Cup Standings, the same place he currently resides. This darkhorse is certainly worth at least a one-unit wager on Sunday.

Ryan Newman (50/1) - The best longshot on the board goes to Newman getting 50-to-1 odds from Vegas. He has been in the hunt at both Indianapolis and Pocono in each of the past four years, averaging finishes of 12.5 and 10.0, respectively, at these two tracks over this span. He's also been racing better this season, but has been hurt by three crashes in his past 10 starts. However, in the past seven races Newman has actually finished, he's recorded four top-10 finishes, including a 5th-place showing at Pocono.

NASCAR betting: Crown Royal 400 at The Brickyard preview

NASCAR salutes its fan with this weekend’s Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard, named for Gunnery Sergeant Samuel Deeds, who won Crown Royal’s “Your Hero’s Name Here” contest.

We take a look at the NASCAR odds and where bettors can find value at the Brickyard.

Favorite: Jimmie Johnson (+350)

The Sprint Cup points leader is running away with the 2013 season, 56 points ahead of his closest competition. Johnson has four career wins at Indy, including last year’s Crown Royal 400, and an average finish of 16.8. He’s best first in three of his last five visits to the Brickyard, placing 19th and 22nd in 2011 and 2010.

Live dog: Tony Stewart (+1,500)

Stewart has plenty of experience on the bricks, having run both stock and IndyCar at the 2.5-mile oval. “Smoke” owns the best average finish at Indianapolis at 8.2 over his 14 starts in his home state, posting two wins and six Top-5 finishes in that span. This season, Stewart sits 13th in the points standings and followed a runner-up showing at Daytona with a 26th-place run at New Hampshire two weeks ago.

Long shot: Jamie McMurray (+3,300)

McMurray is picking up steam with a second-place run at Kentucky and a seventh-place showing at Daytona. He salvaged a 12th-place finish at New Hampshire despite crashing his car in practice. The No. 1 car has had success at Indianapolis, with an average finish of 14.0 and five Top-10 runs in 10 career starts, including a win in 2010.

Key stat: The Indianapolis winner has started from the pole position just twice: Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.

Notable quotable:

“I just feel like I’ve had a lot of different experiences here that can help me and, again, it’s just a special place where I feel like from the beginning I’ve always really believed that you have to show this track respect, and it will hopefully show you the respect back.” – Danica Patrick told NBC Sports about her experience racing IndyCar at the Brickyard.

Odds to win Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard

Jimmie Johnson 7-2
Kyle Busch 35-4
Kasey Kahne 10-1
Matt Kenseth 11-1
Carl Edwards 13-1
Greg Biffle 13-1
Denny Hamlin 13-1
Jeff Gordon 13-1
Brad Keselowski 15-1
Tony Stewart 15-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 35-2
Clint Bowyer 18-1
Juan Montoya 20-1
Kurt Busch 20-1
Kevin Harvick 20-1
Martin Truex Jr. 45-2
Mark Martin 28-1
Joey Logano 28-1
Jamie McMurray 33-1

Gold Cup betting: US look to continue dominance of Panama

The USA and Panama square off in the final of the Gold Cup at Soldier Field in Chicago Sunday. The United States national squad will gun for its fifth Gold Cup since the inception of the CONCACAF tournament in 1991 and its first since 2007.

Following a fairly dominant five games in the tourney, the United States are the -250 favorite for the match, but will be without head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on the touchline. The boss was handed a one-game suspension after arguing the officiating in the USA's 3-1 victory over Honduras in the semifinal. Assistant coach Martin Vasquez will serve as head coach for Sunday's final.

USA v Panama (-250, +350, +700)

Over 2.5 goals: -125
Under 2.5 goals: +100

Site: Soldier Field, Chicago
Game time: 4 p.m. ET

The United States have steamrolled its way to the Gold Cup final scoring in bunches and establishing itself as the dominant force in the biennial CONCACAF tournament. The Americans have outscored its foes by a combined score of 19-4 in five Gold Cup matches. The strike partnership of Landon Donovan and Chris Wondolowski has been dynamite for the US tallying five goals apiece thus far.

Panama has played quite well in the tournament in its own right and defeated Mexico 2-1 in the semifinal. Panama's lone blemish is a 0-0 draw with Canada, but that featured a mostly second-string squad because they had already clinched a spot in the next round prior to kickoff. Los Canaleros are paced by striker Gabriel Torres who, along with the aforementioned Donovan and Wondolowski, is joint top scorer in the tournament with five goals.

* The two nations last played on June 11 in a World Cup Qualifier. The USA defeated Panama by a score of 2-0. Eddie Johnson, who is in the
Gold Cup squad, scored the second goal in that match.
* The USA last tasted defeat to Panama in the Gold Cup in 2011. Panama won 2-1 in the Group C match.
* The USA has played over the 2.5 goal total in four of its five matches.
* Panama has played over the 2.5 goal total in three of its five matches.
* The Americans have won nine, lost one and drawn twice in the last 12 matches against Panama.

Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Braves
By STEVE MERRIL

Two of the best teams in the National League will battle on Sunday Night Baseball as the Cardinals take on the Braves in Atlanta.

St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves

MILLER MAKES A CASE

Shelby Miller is 10-6 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.09 WHIP this season for the Cardinals. The righty is making his first career start against the Braves. He has had some problems on the road giving up 2 runs or more in five straight starts away from St. Louis. Miller has exhibited awesome control for the most part outside of a 5-walk game back on July 10th against the Astros. The Cardinals’ starter has won five of his last eight starts.

WHERE IS LAST YEAR'S KRIS MEDLEN

Kris Medlen is 6-10 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for the Braves. The righty lost only one game in 12 starts last season, but he just hasn’t had the same success this season. He has allowed 12 home runs in 119 innings of work after giving up only 6 home runs all of last year. The righty has allowed 3 runs or more in seven straight starts, including 15 runs in his last three outings. Medlen has not been able to go too deep for the Braves; he has pitched into the 6th inning just four times in his last ten outings overall. The Cardinals beat Medlen last October when he allowed 5 runs and three hits in just over six innings of work.

INJURY REPORT

The Cardinals’ injury list is short, but they have a few important names on there. Matt Holliday is returned to play on Saturday which reduces the list by one. Jason Motte, Rafael Furcal, Jaime Garcia and Chris Carpenter are all out with shoulder or elbow ailments. Motte and Furcal underwent Tommy John surgery.

The Braves are dealing with the gruesome season-ending injury to Tim Hudson who recently broke his ankle against the Mets. Atlanta is hoping to get Brandon Beachy back soon. The Braves are also expecting the return of BJ Upton who is out with a groin injury. Atlanta is also without Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters because of Tommy John surgery.

TRENDS

Cardinals are 10-4 in Miller’s last 14 starts
Cardinals are 6-2 Under in Miller’s last 8 road starts

Braves are 18-6 in Medlen’s last 24 home starts
Braves are 3-1-1 Over in their last 5 Sunday games

HITTERS TO WATCH

No Braves have faced Shelby Miller

Carlos Beltran 0-for-6 vs. Medlen
Yadier Molina 1-for-4 vs. Medlen

Sunday's National League betting cheat sheet and tips

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Sunday's National League games:

Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins (-105, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Marlins starter Jose Fernandez is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in four July starts.

Hot batting stat: Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton snapped his recent July funk by going a combined 4-for-6 with one homer and two doubles over Thursday's win against the Rockies and Friday's win versus the Pirates.

Weather: The roof could be closed in Miami due to a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Temperatures will be in the mid-90s and wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Marlins are 5-0 in Fernandez's last five home starts.


New York Mets at Washington Nationals (-130, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Carlos Torres will be making his third straight start since coming out of the bullpen to join the rotation. He is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA through his first two starts.

Cold batting stat: Mets star 3B David Wright is 2-for-10 through the first three games of the series with the Nats.

Weather: There is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s and wind will blow out to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 4-1 in Nats SP Taylor Jordan's last five starts overall.


Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants (-149, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Giants starter Tim Lincecum was shelled in his first start following his July 13 no-hitter. The Reds touched him up for eight ER on nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work in an 11-0 loss on July 22.

Hot batting stat: Cubs SS Starlin Castro is 7-for-16 (.438), including one homer and five RBIs, in his career versus Lincecum.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 1-6 in SP Travis Wood's last seven starts versus the National League West.


San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (-192, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: DBacks starter Patrick Corbin is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts versus the Padres this season.

Hot batting stat: Padres OF Chris Denorfia is 7-for-13 with two doubles and three solo homers in his career against Corbin.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-100s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The Padres are 1-10 in their last 11 during Game 3 of a series.


Milwaukee Brewers at Colorado Rockies (-168, 9.5)

Hot pitching stat: Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin is 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA over his last eight starts.

Hot batting stat: Two of Brewers OF Norichika Aoki 15 career home runs have come against Chacin. He is 3-for-5 with a BB in his career against the righty.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the low-70s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Brewers are 6-20 in their last 26 during Game 3 of a series.


Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers (-102, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano has surrendered exactly five earned runs in three of his previous four outings.

Hot batting stat: Prior to Saturday's game, Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez is batting .386 with five homers and 15 RBIs in July.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-70s and sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-1-1 in Reds SP Tony Cingrani's last seven road starts.


St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves (-102, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Braves starter Kris Medlen is 1-3 with an ERA of 7.40 in four July starts.

Cold batting stat: The Cards are hitting a dismal .102 (6-for-59) after the first two games of the series.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The home team is 6-0 in umpire Paul Emmel's last six games behind home plate.

Click here to read Steve Merril's Sunday Night Baseball preview of the Cards at Braves.


* Odds courtesy of BetOnline.com

**Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 8:29 p.m. ET Saturday.

Sunday's American League betting cheat sheet and tips

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Sunday's American League games:

Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians (-106, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez has a 6.09 ERA and 3-3 record in nine home starts this season.

Cold batting stat: The Indians roster owns a collective .143 batting average (6-for-42) against Rangers starter Alexi Ogando.

Weather: Sunny skies and temperatures in the high-60s. Wind will blow out to right field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 13-3 in Ogando's last 16 road starts.


Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (+138, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Rays starter Matt Moore is 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA in three starts versus the Yankees this season. He is 1-0 at Yankee Stadium in 2013.

Hot batting stat: Rays OF Matt Joyce is 5-for-13 (.385) with two homers, one double and one triple in his career versus Yankees starter Phil Hughes.

Weather: There is a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime Sunday afternoon. Temperatures will be in the high-70s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Rays are 10-1 in Moore's last 11 road starts.


Houston Astros at Toronto Blue Jays (-171, 9.5)

Hot pitching stat: Astros rookie starter Jarred Cosart is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings of work in his first two career starts. Houston has won both games.

Hot batting stat: Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion was 4-for-4 in Saturday's 8-6 loss. He is 8-for-10 through the first three games of the series.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 14 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 4-1 in umpire Will Little's last 5 games behind home plate.


Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (-106, 9.5)

Cold pitching stat: O's starter Jason Hammel is 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA in his four July starts.

Cold batting stat: Baltimore slugger Chris Davis is just 2-for-16 (.125) in his career versus Sox starter Jon Lester.

Weather: There is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the high-80s and wind will blow out to left field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The Red Sox are 2-7 in Lester's last nine Sunday starts.


Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox (-111, 8)

Cold pitching stat: The Sox belted two homers while chasing Royals starter Bruce Chen from the game after 4 2/3 innings in a 9-1 win on June 21.

Cold batting stat: The Royals roster bats a collective .115 (6-for-52) against Sox starter Hector Santiago.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 16 mph. There is also a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Key betting note: The White Sox are 7-0 in their last 7 home games vs. a left-handed starter.


Los Angeles Angels at Oakland A's (-142, 8)

Cold pitching stat: The A's have lost SP Jarrod Parker's previous five outings despite a great 2.32 ERA in those starts. Parker gets just 3.35 runs of support per start.

Hot batting stat: Angels slugger Mike Trout is 6-for-17 (.353) with five RBI in his young career versus Parker.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 7-0-1 in Angels SP Tommy Hanson's last eight starts overall.


Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (-142, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Twins starter Kyle Gibson is coming off his best start this season going six strong innings, surrendering five hits and two earned runs in a 10-3 victory over the Angels on July 23.

Cold batting stat: At .243, the Twins own the second-worst batting average in the American League, only ahead of Houston's .235.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The home team is 12-2 in umpire Chris Guccione's last 14 Sunday games behind home plate.


Interleague

Philadelphia Phillies at Detroit Tigers (-190, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers starter Rick Porcello is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three July starts.

Hot batting stat: Phillies OF Delmon Young is 8-for-22 (.364) with one homer, two doubles and four RBIs in his career versus Porcello.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 15 mph.

Key betting note: The Phillies are 1-4 in SP Jonathan Pettibone's last five road starts.


* Odds courtesy of BetOnline.com

**Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 8:37 p.m. ET Saturday.

Ultra Sports MLB

New York Mets +125 list Torres vs Jordan
Chicago Cubs +138 list Wood vs Lincecum

[h=1]Today's MLB Picks[/h] [h=2]Kansas City at Chicago White Sox[/h] The Royals look to follow up yesterday's 1-0 win and take advantage of a White Sox team that is 4-11 in its last 15 games after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Kansas City is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Royals favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Bonus Plays are 1070-801 (58 + %) over the last 5 1/2 years !

Free winner Sun Blue Jays -170

Gamblers Data

Bonus Play Sunday

Reds -115

Power Play Wins

Reds

Mighty Quinn taking Sunday off?

QUESTION ?...Who's been the hottest capper since the All-Star break ?...Please don't say Danny B...^