Service Plays Friday 8/30/13

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GL!

[h=1]NCAA Football Game Picks[/h] [h=2]Texas Tech at SMU[/h] The Red Raiders look to take advantage of an SMU team that is 5-15-1 ATS in its last last 21 games against Big 12 opponents. Texas Tech is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Raiders favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Texas Tech (-5 1/2). Here are all of this week's games.

NCAAF

Week 1

Friday's games
Michigan State won its last four games (3-1 vs spread) with Western Michigan, with three of four wins by 24+ points; last meeting was in 2010. Spartans were 0-6 as home favorites LY, are 20-30-1 in that role over last decade- they do have senior QB (13 starts) and four starters back on OL. Broncos are 8-13-1 as road dogs since ’08, 9-13-1 out of conference since ’07; they lost four starters on OL and have senior QB who has only eight career starts.

This will be Florida Atlantic’s Super Bowl, getting to play Miami week before ‘canes play Florida; teams haven’t met. Owls were 8-2 as dogs LY, after being 13-28-2 as road dogs from ’05-’11. Its certainly a road game but not a road trip for FAU, which has a new QB and three new starters on OL. Miami has senior QB (17 starts) and all five starters back on OL, so they’re looking for big things this year. ‘canes 5-5 as home favorites under Golden, 20-34 if you go back to ’03- they’re 5-8 vs spread in last 13 non-league games.

Texas Tech won last seven games with SMU, with six wins by 14+ points, but teams haven’t met since ’07; first game as Tech coach for former NFL QB Kingsbury, whose Red Raiders are 11-3-1 as road favorites since ’07, 8-4 out of conference since ’10. Mustangs have senior (25 starts) QB but three new starters on OL; they’ve covered six of last seven tries as home dog, with home side covering 12 times in last 16 games where SMU was an underdog. SMU is 11-8 in last 19 non-league games. Tech has new coach, new QB, three new starters on OL; road opener has to be at least a little dicey.

[h=1]Today's CFL Picks[/h] [h=2]Hamilton at BC[/h] The Lions look to bounce back from their 39-38 loss to Montreal last week and build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following a SU defeat. BC is the pick (-6) according to Dunkel, which has the Lions favored by 12. Dunkel Pick: BC (-6). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

BookiesHunter

55-27 run

1* Texas Tech -4.5

Giants to overpower Wildcats

• By: Ian Millward
• Last Updated: August 29 2013, 18:31 BST

Ian Millward previews this weekend's action in Super League and NRL with Huddersfield fancied to beat Wakefield.


Huddersfield should overcome the start and win comfortably




Super League
Friday
Leeds v Catalans (+12) (2000)
Leeds are undefeated in Super League games at home against Catalans, who are yet to really look like registering a win at Headingley.
The return of some outstanding talent - Joel Moon, Danny McGuire and Ryan Bailey - certainly makes the home side a very attractive proposition to continue that history.
You have to like the way Catalans have fought back in their last couple of games, though, and Leeds were extremely disappointing in attack against Hull KR last time they played at home.
But with a weekend off and the return of key players, in what's an important game for them, Leeds can win and cover.

• 
  2pt double Bradford (-18) and Huddersfield (-20) at 2.65/1 - two sides who could demolish their opponents at home
• 
  2pt double Manly (-2) and Cronulla (-6) at 3/1 - home advantage could again prove key

St Helens (+2) v Warrington (2000)
Saints go into this in better form than Warrington, who had a shock loss to Widnes before the Challenge Cup weekend break.
Saints on the other hand have won six of their last seven games although Warrington have won the last two renewals of this particular fixture.
The significant return for the Wolves isn't so much the forwards but former Saints man Lee Briers at stand off. Without him they lack a kicking game and composure in attack so his return is huge.
The bookies have got this about right with the closeness in the start but I still favour Warrington to be in the Grand Final and I'd like to see them step up under the pressure of an away game by winning and covering.
Wigan (+6) v Hull (2000)
It's very hard to gauge this game because of the attitude of both teams after last week. Both have numerous players out, more so Wigan, but they do at least have home advantage with a content fan base after their Challenge Cup win.
Hull produced one of the worst Challenge Cup performances I've seen last week - their skill factor was poor while their key players also failed to show up. You would like to think that their egos and pride were dented and they'll come out with a different mentality in this game.
The bottom line is that too many key Wigan players are out here. When Sam Tomkins, Sean O'Loughlin and Matty Smith don't play, Wigan don't win so it's got to be Hull to win and cover.
Sunday
Bradford v London (+18) (1500)
Bradford have won their last three home games against London, whose form in the last three games has been their best of their season. They've certainly been more competitive and with younger players in have a more committed and enthusiastic attitude.
I think defence will be poor in this game for both teams but you have to go for Bradford because they can create tries and their form against the bottom-rated teams is good. Back them to win and cover.
Widnes (+4) v Hull KR (1500)
It's really hard to work out where Widnes are at the moment. They're hot and cold, but they are better at home at least.
Hull KR's form in the second half of the year has been reasonable and they will make the play-offs. The combination of Michael Dobson and Travis Burns makes them favourites but they may struggle without Greg Eden at full-back to score points.
I'll go for Rovers though because if their attitude is right and they stay intense they should win and cover.
Castleford v Salford (+8) (1530)
The big thing here is that it's Castelford's last home game of the season and highly rumoured to be Rangi Chase's last home game for the club. This could be the Chase show and he'll be keen to play well against a team rumoured to be signing him next year.
Chase has been nearly unstoppable in his last few games in attack and with a defence like Salford's, which leaks points, Castleford should score plenty.
The Tigers are the better team, they're at home and they've got Chase, so they really should win and cover.
Huddersfield v Wakefield (+20) (1815)
Wakefield won this game at the back-end of last year and won it convincingly.
Huddersfield have no injury problems going into the game with a fully fit squad, they're at home and have a lot more to play for.
If Wakefield play to their best you'd be confident with their start but unfortunately they're out of the playoffs, they have a couple key forwards out, and you just feel Huddersfield's desire will be greater. Expect them to win and cover
NRL
Saturday
Manly Sea Eagles v Melbourne Storm (+2) (1030)
When these two teams play, they have a history of producing physical, tight contests. Both are really professional outfits who lie third and fourth in the NRL.
Both are on form but home advantage for Manly and return of Brett Stewart could be key, so with the start they look a bet.
Cronulla Sharks v North Queensland Cowboys (+6) (0400)
Cronulla beat the leaders, Roosters, at home last week and are at home again here.
Cowboys have won four in a row and have to win their last two to make the play-offs, whereas Cronulla are assured of a spot.
I fancy Cronulla, who have gained a lot of confidence and have a good home record against Cowboys, especially as the latter could suffer under the pressure.
Cronulla can be a windy environment and that will suit the Sharks' kicking game so they look good here.

CKO

FLORIDA-ATLANTIC (+32) at Miami-Florida

”Huge” game for the Owls in their first meeting with the Hurricanes; Miami’s“huge” game is next week vs. the Gators.

The Gold Sheet

*MICHIGAN ST. 34 - Western Michigan 17
*MIAMI-FLORIDA 39
SMU 35 - Texas Tech 34

Power Sweep

2* Florida Atlantic (+) over MIAMI, FL
First meeting between these two schools whose campuses are only 47 miles apart. Miami is 24-3 SU/12-6-1 ATS in home openers while FAU is 3-6 ATS in road openers. The Canes were 5-1 ATS at home LY and have 18 ret st’rs and much better depth. FAU is in the 2nd year under Pelini and has 15 ret st’rs. They were 6-1 ATS as an AD LY including covers against #7 Georgia and #1 Alabama as a large dog. Miami does have a huge game on deck vs Florida and don’t draw very well at home in non-marquee matchups. This is UM’s best team in recent memory, however they have not been this large of a favorite over a FBS schl s/’07. Expect FAU to play w/a chip on their shoulders as many of their players were passed over by the bigger Fla schls while UM will be caught looking ahead to next week.

FORECAST: Florida Atlantic (+) MIAMI, FL by 21

2* SMU over Texas Tech -

SMU has dropped 14 straight in this series (6-8 ATS). This is the 6th time TT has been their ssn opener in the L11Y. In the last mtg (‘10) SMU trailed 34-14 then cut it to 8 (-13’) getting to the 50 on their final drive. TT has won their last 3 road openers by 43 ppg while SMU has won their L/5 home openers (2-3 ATS). Both tms have FCS teams on deck and TT returns 13 st’rs while SMU has just 11. Both teams run pass happy offenses and TT has a new HC Kingsbury who is the school’s #2 career pass leader. SMU is 6-1 ATS as a HD the L/4 yrs incl 3 outright upsets and we’ll call for them to get another here.

FORECAST: SMU by 1

Power Plays

2★ WESTERN MICHIGAN 12 (+) MICHIGAN ST 32

4★ FLORIDA ATLANTIC 15 (+) MIAMI, FL 44

Winning Points

SMU * over Texas Tech by 9
SMU 33-24

Michigan State* over Western Michigan by 31
MICHIGAN STATE 41-10.

Miami Florida* over Florida Atlantic by 29
MIAMI 42-13

Playbook

SMU over Texas Tech by 6

After coaching Heisman winner Johnny Manziel last year, Kliff
Kingsbury returns to his alma mater and makes his head coaching
debut with the Red Raiders, taking on the fi rst of nine bowl squads
this season, when his troops tackle SMU. But it’s a rather ominous
place to start considering the Raiders are a dismal 2-15 SU and 5-12
ATS in road openers when facing a foe that won 7 or more games
the previous season. In addition, they fi nished 2012 by going 0-6 ATS
the fi nal six games of the campaign, emptying enough wallets to send
Tommy Tuberville skeedaddling to Cincinnati. Meanwhile in Dallas,
a 4-2 turnaround down the stretch of the regular season followed a
lethargic 2-4 start and saved the season for June Jones, landing the
Mustangs in a bowl for the fourth straight year (they crushed Fresno
State 43-10 in the Hawaii Bowl, familiar surroundings for the former
Rainbow Warriors coach). Jones has been a reliable underdog at home
in his college head coaching career, going 22-11 ATS, and his Ponies
are 4-0 ATS in regular season weekday games. We also see the Red
Raiders stumbling out of the gate, thanks to this revealing stat from
our powerful PLAYBOOK database: 1st-year head coaches are just 53-
71-6 ATS away in their opening games since 1990 (FYI: 20 of them were
favored and only 6 managed to bring home the bacon). No Johnny
Football sightings – or autograph signings – here! The Clincher: Jones
is 14-2 ATS as a home underdog when getting a TD or less

Deutsche Bank Championship Golf Betting Preview & Picks
by Matt Fargo

The Deutsche Bank Championship takes center stage from TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts on this holiday weekend event that runs from Friday to Monday.

TPC Boston has been one of the easier stops in recent years and it won’t be any different this week. The 7,216-yard, Par-71 layout is fairly wide open but it’s the large greens that contribute to the low scores. Ideal weather conditions will only help. TPC Boston ranked 31st in difficulty with a scoring average of 70.647 last year and it was the fourth-easiest Par 71 on tour. Rory McIlroy, the 2012 winner, finished at 20-under and 50 of the 78 players making the cut were able to break par over the four days.

Since its inception in 2003, every winner here has carded a 14-under or lower with four of those resulting in 20-under or lower. Basically, this is a birdie paradise so it comes down to the best ball strikers and what putters are hot.

Round 1 of the FedEx Cup Playoffs is history as Adam Scott carded a final-round 66 to win by one shot over Tiger Woods, Graham DeLaet, Justin Rose and Gary Woodland to take the Barclays.

Scott moved to second in the FedEx Cup standings, trailing Tiger Woods by just 162 points. It was Scott's second win of the season and his third Top 5 in his last four starts. The field has been cut to the Top 100 for the second leg of the playoffs taking place this week.

The top 70 will advance to the third round of the playoffs which take place at the BMW Championship in two weeks. Current strong form is typically a big factor when looking for a winner, although past course success and good iron play also needs to be factored in. There are no tricks here, just a course ripe for the taking.

Tiger Woods (+650) is the favorite but his back has to be a concern. It was just a spasm that affected him last Sunday but it forced him to withdraw from the Notah Begay charity event Wednesday. While the Friday start will certainly help, there’s too much concern and not enough value to consider him this week.

Jason Day (+1,800) opened with a Thursday 66 at the Barclays but played the rest of the tournament at 3-over to never make a move. Still, it was his ninth Top 25 of the season and he has yet to miss a cut in 17 medal-play events, so he won't be leaving come Sunday. He seems to be in contention in the big events and that has been the case here with a T3 in 2011 and a T2 in 2010.

Webb Simpson (+2,500) made an early tournament run for us last week but a Saturday 74 took him out of contention and he had to settle for a T15. He’s been on a solid streak though, posting four straight Top 25s and he’s tied for 20th on tour in birdies made. He won this event in 2011 in a playoff over Chez Reavie and followed it up with a T18 last year.

Keegan Bradley (+3,000) will round out the three players on this week's card that we also took last week. A Friday 63 put him right in the mix at the Barclays but a 4-over weekend left him with a T33 finish. Now, he heads back home to New England where he will be a crowd favorite. He has not missed a cut in six straight stops with four resulting in Top 20s, including a T2. He finished T13 here last year.

Brandt Snedeker (+3,000) has fallen off the radar with two straight missed cuts following a T66 at the PGA Championship. This goes against the strong current form theory. However, if there’s a place where he can break his slump, TPC Boston is it. Last year, he finished solo sixth, 2011 finished T3 and 2010 finished T5. He’s considered one of the best putters on tour and if he gets hot, he will be right there.

With many big names playing, bettors get a ton of value with the other guys including Graeme DeLaet (+6,000). He’s coming off a T2 at the Barclays which came after two missed cuts, so he could be getting hot at the right time. That was his sixth Top 10 of the season and, while he missed the cut here last year, he’s a much better player this year. His rankings of first in total driving and first in ball striking proves that.

Recommended tournament win five pack at the Deutsche Bank Championship
(All for one unit)

Jason Day (+1,800)

Webb Simpson (+2,500)

Keegan Bradley (+3,000)

Brandt Snedeker (+3,000)

Graeme DeLaet (+6,000)

2012 Record to date after 36 events: +51.6 Units
2013 Record to date after 32 events: -45.4 Units

Steve Golf Picks

Deutsche Bank Championship

Luke Donald
Charley Hoffman
Jason Day
Jordan Speith
Brandt Snedker
Jim Furyk

Friday's NCAAF action: What bettors need to know

Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan State Spartans (-28, 44.5)

Michigan State’s offensive identity remains a mystery heading into its season opener on Friday against visiting Western Michigan, which was picked to finish fifth in the MAC’s West Division. Fortunately for the Spartans, their vaunted defense again should rank among the nation’s best this season. Even with an offense that’s a work in progress, Michigan State figures to be a difficult matchup for the Broncos and 32-year-old first-year head coach P.J. Fleck.

Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio held an open competition at quarterback before finally naming senior Andrew Maxwell as his starter on Tuesday, but sophomore Connor Cook also is expected to play in the season opener. Thanks to a forgiving early-season schedule, Michigan State has some time to figure out its offense before visiting Notre Dame on Sept. 21. The Spartans should be able to rely on their defense to get past Western Michigan, which faces three Big Ten teams in the first four weeks.

Key betting stat: Broncos are 1-8 ATS in their last nine vs. Big Ten.

Florida Atlantic Owls at Miami Hurricanes (-31.5, 53.5)

With expectations on the rise, Miami looks to begin its season in impressive fashion when Florida Atlantic visits on Friday night. Al Golden, starting his third season as the Hurricanes’ coach, admitted this week that he has “a lot of concerns” about his team, even though Miami is the preseason favorite to win the ACC Coastal Division. Those concerns do not include senior quarterback Stephen Morris, who is coming off a terrific 2012 season.

Morris passed for 3,345 yards last year – the fifth-highest single-season total in Hurricanes history. In his final four games, Morris completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,131 yards with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. In addition to Morris, Florida Atlantic will have its hands full with Duke Johnson, Miami’s electrifying running back who racked up 2,060 all-purpose yards as a freshman last season.

Key betting stat: Under is 42-19-1 in Hurricanes' last 62 home games.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at SMU Mustangs (+4, 59.5)

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury won’t be alone in making his debut in a high-profile role Friday at SMU. The Red Raiders are expected to rotate freshmen quarterbacks Davis Webb and Baker Mayfield as projected starter Michael Brewer is battling a back injury. Kingsbury, who guided Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M last season, turned 34 earlier this month but remains the second-youngest active head coach in college football.

SMU will have an experienced quarterback operating its pass-heavy offense. Garrett Gilbert spent parts of three seasons at Texas - starting every game in 2010 - and is pegged to lead the Mustangs for a second straight year. Cutting down on turnovers will be key as Gilbert helps transition SMU into the newly formed American Athletic Conference. He committed five turnovers after taking over for injured starter Colt McCoy in the loss to Alabama in the 2010 BCS title game, was intercepted 17 times as the starter the following year and picked off 15 times last season.

Key betting stat: Mustangs are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 vs. Big 12.

North Dakota State Bison at Kansas State Wildcats (-13)

Kansas State briefly flirted with an undefeated season and a spot in the BCS Championship Game last season behind quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Collin Klein before settling for the Big 12 title. Klein is gone, along with most of the defensive front seven, giving the Wildcats a new look when they begin the 2013 campaign by hosting North Dakota State on Friday. The Football Championship Series power is trying to knock off an FBS school for the fourth straight season.

The Bison have claimed back-to-back FCS Championships and won at Kansas in 2010, versus Minnesota in 2011 and at Colorado State in 2012. The experienced squad takes on a Kansas State team that is going into the season unranked despite a BCS Bowl appearance in January. The Wildcats still are trying to settle on a starting quarterback as Jake Waters and Daniel Sams battle for the position.

Key betting stat: Over is 9-1 in Wildcats' last 10 home games.

Southern Jaguars at Houston Cougars (-40)

The Houston Cougars begin what they hope will be a bounceback season in the new American Athletic Conference when they host Southern University in the opener for both teams Friday at Reliant Stadium. After a 13-1 record and a TicketCity Bowl win in 2011, Houston stumbled to a 5-7 mark last year in head coach Tony Levine's first full season. However, the Cougars return 10 starters from an offense that averaged 32.4 points.

Junior quarterback David Piland is back for a third year under center after producing 2,929 passing yards and 16 touchdowns last season, the program's last in Robertson Stadium. He will lead a squad that will play its home games at three different locations before moving into a new stadium in 2014. Southern, which has not had a winning campaign since 2009, is entering its first full season under head coach Dawson Odums, who served on an interim basis for the final nine games in 2012.

Key betting stat: Over is 6-2 in Cougars' last eight Friday games.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Arizona Wildcats (-34.5)

A pair of running backs will be in the spotlight when Arizona hosts Northern Arizona on Friday. Arizona junior Ka'Deem Carey led the nation in rushing yards (1,929) in 2012 and Northern Arizona senior Zach Bauman, a 2013 nominee on the Walter Payton Award watch list, is coming off his third consecutive 1,000-yard season. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks last met in 2011, with the Wildcats scoring an easy 41-10 victory in coach Rich Rodriguez's Arizona debut.

Both teams are replacing their starting quarterbacks. Cary Grossart, a two-year starter for Northern Arizona, leaves as the school's all-time leader in completion percentage (66.3). Arizona is in the process of finding a successor to Matt Scott, who ranked second in the Pac-12 in completions (301) and passing yards (3,620) last season.

Key betting stat: Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six Friday games.

Friday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet

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

Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees (-130, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Yanks starter CC Sabathia is 2-2 in five August starts and brings a 5.58 ERA in the month to the mound Friday.

Hot batting stat: Orioles OF Adam Jones is 15-for-50 (.300) with three homers and 11 RBIs in his career versus Sabathia.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with mostly clear skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 6-0 in Miguel Gonzalez's last six starts versus the Yankees.


Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays (-105, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Jays starter Mark Buehrle continues to pitch effectively for the club and is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA in five August starts.

Hot batting stat: Royals DH Billy Butler has hit well against Buerhle throughout his career. Butler is 30-for-57 with three homers and 15 RBIs versus the Jays starter.

Weather: Due to a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in Toronto, the roof could be closed at Rogers Centre.

Key betting note: The Royals are 9-22 in the last 31 meetings in Toronto.


Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers (-148, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers starter Rick Porcello is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts versus the Tribe this season.

Hot betting stat: Tigers 1B Prince Fielder is 4-for-10 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs in his career versus Cleveland starter Zach McAllister.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of rain in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with wind blowing in from right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 9-0 in Tigers last nine Friday games.


Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox (-180, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: White Sox starter Hector Santiago is just 1-1 in August, but has a solid 3.00 ERA in five August starts. The Pale Hose are 4-1 in his starts.

Cold batting stat: The Red Sox roster owns a collective batting average of .120 in 25 at-bats versus Santiago.

Weather: Skies will be sunny and temperatures will be in the low-70s. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The White Sox are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Boston.


Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers (-300, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Rangers ace Yu Darvish is 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA in five August starts. The righty has 53 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched this month.

Hot batting stat: Rangers OF Alex Rios is 3-for-6 with two homers in his career versus Twins starter Liam Hendriks.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 7-1-1 in Darvish's last nine home starts.


Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (+100, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Mariners prospect Taijuan Walker will be making his major league debut in Friday's start.

Hot batting stat: Mariners 3B Kyle Seager is 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in his career versus Astros starter Brad Peacock.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 4-0 in Peacock's last four home starts.


Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland A's (+110, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Rays ace David Price is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in five August starts.

Hot batting stat: A's 2B Alberto Callaspo is 6-for-15 (.400) with one double in his career versus Price.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-0 in Price's last five starts versus the Athletics.


* Odds courtesy of BetOnline.com

** Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 8:16 p.m. ET Thursday.

Friday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet

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

Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs (-115, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Roy Halladay gets the start for the Phils Friday. Doc had a decent outing on August 25 versus the Diamondbacks in his first start since May 5. He lasted six innings, allowing four hits and two runs in a 9-5 Phillies' victory.

Cold batting stat: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins is 1-for-7 lifetime versus Cubbies starter Jeff Samardzija.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s under sunny skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 10-2 in Samardzija's last 12 home starts.


New York Mets at Washington Nationals (-177, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Dillon Gee is 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in four starts versus the Nationals this season.

Cold batting stat: Nats 1B Adam LaRoche has struggled versus Gee. LaRoche has just three hits in 17 career at-bats versus the Mets righty.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with mostly clear skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Nationals are 9-2 in Jordan Zimmermann's last 11 Friday starts.


St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (-120, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Pirates' southpaw Francisco Liriano is coming off a rough start in San Francisco on August 24. Liriano lasted four innings and surrendered four runs on nine hits in a 6-3 loss to the Giants.

Cold batting stat: Bucs slugger Pedro Alvarez is just 1-for-8 with four K's in his career versus Cards starter Shelby Miller.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s under clear skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Cardinals are 1-5 in the last six meetings in Pittsburgh.


Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves (-137, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Marlins star-rookie Jose Fernandez seems to get better as the year progresses. The 21-year-old righty is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in five August starts.

Cold batting stat: Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is 0-for-5 in his career versus Braves starter Julio Teheran.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the low-80s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 5-1 in Fernandez's last six road starts.


Cincinnati Reds at Colorado Rockies (+130, 10)

Hot pitching stat: Reds starter Bronson Arroyo tossed eight innings of four-hit ball in a 3-0 Reds win over the Rockies on June 3 - his lone start versus Colorado this season.

Cold batting stat: Reds OF Shin-Soo Choo is 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his career versus Rockies starter Jeff Manship.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 9-2-3 in the Reds's last 14 versus the National League West.


San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks (-118, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Giants starter Tim Lincecum was shelled versus Arizona in his one and only start versus the DBacks this season. Lincecum gave up five runs on 10 hits in his five innings of work in the Giants' 9-6 win back on May 1.

Hot batting stat: Giants 1B Brandon Belt has been sizzling at the dish. Belt is batting .370 in August with five homers and 12 RBIs.

Weather: Due to a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast, the roof could be closed at Arizona's Chase Field.

Key betting note: The Giants are 1-7 in Lincecum's last eight road starts.


San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers (-200, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu is coming off back-to-back losses and has an ERA of 5.11 over those two starts.

Hot batting stat: The Dodgers roster is batting a collective .341 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 88 at-bats versus Padres starter Erick Stults.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70ss with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Los Angeles.


Interleague

Los Angeles Angels at Milwaukee Brewers (+115, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Angels hurler Jered Weaver had a spectacular outing in his last trip to the mound. Weaver tossed eight innings giving up one earned run on three hits in a 7-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on August 25.

Cold batting stat: Angels slugger Mark Trumbo will look to put a poor August behind him. Trumbo is hitting just .196 in 102 August at-bats seeing his average drop to .236 on the season. He has collected 21 RBIs for the month, however.

Weather: Due to a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast, the roof could be closed at Miller Park.

Key betting note: The under is 12-3 in the Brewers last 15 home games versus a team with a losing road record.


* Odds courtesy of BetOnline.com

** Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 8:11 p.m. ET Thursday.

MLB Top 4: Playoff outsiders that just won't quit

The dream of a playoff berth may be over for the majority of major-league teams, but that hasn’t prevented some from playing like they belong in the postseason.

Here are four teams that haven’t quit despite having their playoff hopes dashed (results as of Thursday morning):

Philadelphia Phillies (61-72, -15.62 units)

Despite being out of the playoff chase for several weeks, the resurgent Phillies have ripped off eight wins in their last 11 games. Philadelphia has fared especially well as a favorite, winning seven straight. Luck has played a major role in the Phillies’ recent success, as they’ve won six consecutive one-run games - including five in a six-game span earlier in the month. And with 16 of their final 29 games against teams with losing records, the Phillies have an outside shot at passing Washington for second place in the National League East.

Chicago White Sox (56-76, -17.94 units)

Chicago’s recent surge may be the unlikeliest of all, at least from an odds standpoint. The White Sox are a distant fifth in the NL Central but have caught fire with 10 wins in their last 12 games, including a mind-boggling seven straight as an underdog - five at +150 or higher. Pitching has been the catalyst, with Chicago ranked fifth in the majors in ERA this month. A rejuvenated Adam Dunn has helped, as well. The towering slugger is batting .283 in August, putting him on pace to record his third straight month above .270.

Washington Nationals (67-65, -11.06 units)

No team is catching Atlanta in the NL East, but the Nationals have been providing fans with plenty of hope for 2014. Washington comes into Thursday’s action having won seven of its last eight, with all seven victories coming as the favorite. After languishing in the bottom half of the NL in runs for most of the season, the Washington bats have come alive with 48 runs over the last eight games. And with 17 straight games against teams behind them in the East, a sustained run is quite possible.

Kansas City Royals (68-64, +1.49 units)

The Royals still have a slim chance of making the AL playoffs thanks to a four-game winning streak during which they’ve allowed just seven runs. Consecutive quality starts from Jeremy Guthrie, James Shields and Danny Duffy have helped erase the sour memory of a seven-game skid earlier in the month. Kansas City has a favorable immediate schedule with series against the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners on the horizon. At the very least, an above .500 finish looks promising.

Ti-Cats at Lions: What bettors need to know

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Lions (-5.5, 53.5)

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the hottest team in the CFL, riding a three-game winning streak into their home-and-home series against the BC Lions. Hamilton will try to win four in a row for the first time since 2010 when it visits BC on Friday. Tiger-Cats quarterback Henry Burris leads the league by 423 passing yards, driving an offense that has produced 104 points over the last three games now that its receiving corps is completely healthy.

The Lions stumbled on the road against the lowly Montreal Alouettes last week, losing 39-38 on a last-second field goal after a miracle pass completion by a backup quarterback. BC’s luck has been much better at BC Place, where it is 4-0 and no opponent has scored more than 22 points in a game. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay has not had a 300-yard passing game in 2013 and is on pace to set a career-high in interceptions with eight, making him the perfect representation of BC’s inefficiencies on offense.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (4-4): The Hamilton defense recorded its first four interceptions over the last two weeks in a home-and-home series against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Defensive backs Raymond Brown, Dee Webb and Rico Murray and linebacker Jamall Johnson all recorded picks. Johnson also leads the team in tackles with 25. C.J. Gable has taken the role of starting running back since recovering from injury, rushing for 193 yards as part of 344 yards from scrimmage during the winning streak.

ABOUT THE LIONS (5-3): BC is tied for the league lead in interceptions with nine. Linebacker Solomon Elimimian is one of three Lions defenders with two interceptions and also leads the team in tackles with 42. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux continues to make big catches, with a team-leading 501 yards on only 26 receptions. Running back Andrew Harris leads the team in yards from scrimmage with 816 - 534 of which are rushing yards.

TRENDS:

* Tiger-Cats are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in August.
* Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a S.U. loss.
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in BC.
* Tiger-Cats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Hamilton has not had much success against the West Division, going 1-3.

2. The Lions have won their last 10 regular-season home games.

3. Lions KR Tim Brown leads the league with 1,004 combined return yards.