Service Plays Wednesday 9/25/13

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GL!

MLB betting: Keep these factors in mind for final week

Major League Baseball is into its final week of the regular season and that can have major implications on betting. We take a look at a few betting angles to keep in the back of your head when your capping MLB during this final week.

Playoff bound clubs resting players

Obviously, it's a common practice for teams that have clinched a spot in the postseason to rest players for their playoff run.

Four ball clubs have clinched division crowns (Red Sox, A's, Braves, Dodgers) and could have their foot off the pedal down the stretch and coast into the playoffs with healthy lineups and rested rotations.

The St. Louis Cardinals have clinched a wild card spot at the very least, but will definitely look to cement that NL Central crown down the stretch.

Teams in Wild Card hunt

The National League wild cards will probably come out of the central as the Pirates and Reds are tied with 89-67 records. The Washington Nationals have saved their best baseball for September, but it would be monumental for them to grab one of the wild card spots.

Things in the American League are a little more interesting as several teams are involved.

Tampa Bay and Cleveland head into Monday with claims to the two wild cards.

Texas, despite an epic free fall, is 1.5 games behind. The Kansas City Royals are 3.5 games back and the Yankees are still mathematically alive and sit four games behind.

While these teams are still in the hunt, they'll be playing all-out until eliminated.

Scrappy teams that haven't given up

Some teams that under-achieved during the regular season seem to pick it up and either try to play the spoiler role or just attempt to close the season on a high note.

Three such teams picking it up even though they have nothing to play for are the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels.

The Mets are Angels are both 7-3 in their last 10 overall and the Brewers are 6-4 in their previous 10 ball games.

The Angels are approaching the .500 mark and would be a minor victory for a ball club that had high expectation heading into the season. The Halos could play spoiler to the Texas Rangers as they close the regular season with a four-game set in Arlington. If the Rangers are alive, the Angels will look to squash any playoff aspirations in Texas.

Wednesday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet

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

Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels (-137, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Angels right-hander Jered Weaver is 10-7 with a 2.27 ERA in 166 2/3 career innings versus the Athletics.

Cold batting stat: Athletics OF Coco Crisp is a career .146 hitter with zero home runs or RBIs and 10 strikeouts in 48 at-bats against Weaver.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Los Angeles is 8-0 in Weaver's last eight starts on 10 or more days of rest.

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles (-152, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Bud Norris is 4-4 with a 5.06 ERA in 10 starts and two relief appearances since the All-Star break.

Hot batting stat: Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes has five hits in 13 all-time at-bats against Norris.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: The over is 7-0 in umpire Chris Guccione's last seven games behind home plate involving Baltimore.

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians (-265, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: White Sox righty Dylan Axelrod has been dreadful on the road, going 1-8 with a 7.36 ERA in 11 starts and four relief outings.

Cold batting stat: Indians OF Nick Swisher is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Axelrod, though he has walked twice.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 6-0 in Axelrod's last six starts as a road underdog.

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (OFF, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Rays left-hander David Price is 5-3 with a 2.98 ERA and just six home runs allowed in 13 second-half starts.

Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay OF Matt Joyce and DH Luke Scott are a combined 14-for-33 against Yankees starter Phil Hughes.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: New York is 2-11 in Hughes' last 13 Wednesday starts.

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (-280, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Rangers left-hander Martin Perez is 0-2 in three starts since reeling off a six-game winning streak.

Cold batting stat: Astros OF Chris Carter is batting .225 with 63 strikeouts in 142 at-bats against lefties so far this season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: Houston is 1-11 in starter Dallas Keuchel's last 12 appearances on five days' rest.

Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (OFF, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer is 8-2 with a 2.44 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings away from Detroit.

Hot batting stat: Detroit 3B Miguel Cabrera is batting a sizzling .440 with a homer and eight RBIs in 25 at-bats against Twins starter Kevin Correia.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Twins are 3-13 in Correia's last 16 starts.

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners (-109, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma has held opponents scoreless in three of his last four starts.

Hot batting stat: Seattle 2B Kyle Seager is hitting .277 with 14 homers in 310 at-bats against right-handers in 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 9-1 in Seattle's last 10 Wednesday games.

** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 7:55 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Wednesday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Wednesday's National League games:

New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (-190, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Reds right-hander Mat Latos is 9-1 with a 2.89 ERA and .228 opposition batting average in 13 home starts.

Hot batting stat: Cincinnati OF Shin-Soo Choo is a .286 career hitter with two home runs in 14 at-bats against Mets righty Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The Reds are 10-1 in their last 11 Wednesday games.

Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals (-133, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has struggled against St. Louis in his career, going 0-2 with a 9.12 ERA and six home runs allowed over 25 2/3 innings.

Hot batting stat: Cardinals C Yadier Molina is a career .455 hitter in 11 at-bats versus Zimmermann.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: St. Louis is 5-0 in rookie starter Shelby Miller's last five outings on four days' rest.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs (+160, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 34 strkeouts in five career starts against the Cubs.

Cold batting stat: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is batting just .184 in 185 at-bats against lefties this season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right-center field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-1 in Liriano's previous six starts as a road favorite.

Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves (-154, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse is just 3-6 with a 4.15 ERA and 13 home runs against in 15 starts away from Milwaukee.

Hot batting stat: Milwaukee OF Carlos Gomez is 8-for-19 with a home run lifetime against Braves starter Paul Maholm.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with a 65 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 14-3 in Lohse's last 17 starts against teams with winning records.

Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins (+126, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels was sensational in his previous start against the Marlins, limiting them to a run on four hits while racking up 11 strikeouts in a 6-1 win.

Hot batting stat: Miami OF Chris Coghlan is a career .346 hitter with two home runs in 26 at-bats against Hamels.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s, but with a 55 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms, the roof at Marlins Park may be closed. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: Philadelphia is 19-7 in Hamels' previous 26 Wednesday starts.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (-125, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy struggled in his only career start against his former team, surrendering six runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings of a 10-9 loss.

Cold batting stat: San Diego hitters are batting just 3-for-30 against Arizona starter Randall Delgado.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 6-1 in Delgado's last seven starts on four days' rest.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-130, 6.5)

Cold pitching stat: Dodgers righty Ricky Nolasco has surrendered 13 runs on 16 hits over his last two starts, spanning 6 1/3 innings.

Cold batting stat: Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez has struggled mightily against Gianst starter Madison Bumgarner, managing just two hits in 20 career at-bats.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: The Dodgers have won seven of Nolasco's last eight road starts.

Interleague

Boston Red Sox at Colorado Rockies (+160, 10)

Hot pitching stat: Rockies right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is 9-4 with a 3.77 ERA in 17 home starts this season.

Hot/Cold batting stat: Colorado 1B Todd Helton is a career .348 hitter with three homers in 46 at-bats versus Red Sox starter Jake Peavy.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 4-1-2 in Colorado's last seven Wednesday games.

** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 8:55 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Beyond the BCS: Capping college football's small conferences
By DOC'S SPORTS

Some of the best betting value in college football is hiding beyond the BCS, in the small conferences. Each week, Covers Experts’ Doc’s Sports will look at the little programs that could help you make big cash this college season.

Team to watch: Bowling Green Falcons (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS)

This week: -14.5 vs. Akron

Bowling Green has won four in a row against Akron, including a 24-10 road victory last season. The Falcons are also 5-0 ATS in their last five against the Zips. Akron may be hard-pressed to contain Bowling Green’s offense and turn the tide of the head-to-head series.

The Falcons are averaging 510.2 total yards through four games and they went off for 576 in its first Mid-American Conference contest (a 41-22 thrashing of Kent State). Matt Johnson is throwing for 250 yards per game and Travis Greene is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

The Falcons are 7-1 ATS in their last eight conference showdowns and 5-0 ATS in their last five against teams with losing records (Akron is 1-3). They are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 overall and 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games.

Team to beware: Central Michigan Chippewas (1-3 SU, 0-4 ATS)

This week: +23.5 at North Carolina State

Central Michigan travels to N.C. State Saturday and its first foray into BCS competition this season did not end well. The Chippewas paid a visit to the Big House and trailed Michigan 56-6 after three quarters before losing 59-9. They are allowing 193.5 rushing yards per game (Michigan went for 242), which is bad news because the N.C. State offense is racking up 196.7 ground yards per contest.

Recent trends also do not favor Central Michigan. The team is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 road games, 2-9 ATS in its last 11 out of conference, 0-4 ATS in its last four against the ACC, and 2-10 ATS in its last 12 against opponents with winning records (the Wolfpack are 2-1 following a 26-14 loss to Clemson).

Total team: Utah State Aggies (2-2 SU, 3-1 O/U)

This week: 61 at San Jose State

Utah State’s defense has been stingy this season, especially since an opening loss to Utah. The Aggies held Air Force to 20 points in a blowout win, crushed Weber State 70-6, and they just barely lost 17-14 on the road at Southern Cal last week.

Weber State passed for a mere 34 yards on 20 attempts and USC managed just 164 through the air. Friday opponent San Jose State may have to try its hand on the ground, but the team is averaging only 74.7 rushing yards per game.

The under is 4-0 in Utah State’s last four Friday dates and 6-0 in its last six against teams with losing records (San Jose State is 1-2). It is a solid 13-6 in the team’s last 19 overall.

Football lines that make you go hmmm...
By JASON LOGAN

I only caught about 30 seconds of the Chicago Bears’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night.

As I settled into bed, I flicked the game on with Pittsburgh down 34-23 in the fourth quarter, just in time to see Bears DE Julius Pepper scoop up a fumble and run it back for a 42-yard score.

“OK, I’ve seen enough”. CLICK!

Chicago is among the handful of 3-0 teams but isn’t getting the love that Denver, Seattle, and New Orleans are receiving. Hell, they’re even getting overshadowed by perfect starts from Kansas City, New England and Miami.

That disrespect continues in Week 4, with oddsmakers setting the Bears as high as 3-point road underdogs in Detroit Sunday. Only one other undefeated team is an underdog in Week 4: The 3-0 Dolphins visiting the 3-0 Saints as 6.5-point pups (Patriots are a pick'em at Atlanta after opening -1).

The Lions have started 2-1, taking some of the pressure off head coach Jim Schwartz, but haven’t been overly impressive in those contests. Detroit’s pass defense has been sub-par, allowing 262 yards through the air per game, against the likes of Christian Ponder, veteran Carson Palmer and one-legged Robert Griffin III.

Chicago has won three straight over the Lions and boasts a 9-1 SU record in its last 10 versus its NFC North rivals. Detroit has been a favorite in only one of those games. Until this week.

NCAAF

South Carolina Gamecocks at Central Florida Knights (+7)

Central Florida is making the most of its new stage in the AAC and will take to the national stage this Saturday.

Central Florida hosts SEC power South Carolina in front of a sold-out crowd at Bright House Networks Stadium, a game which will be broadcast on ABC – the first time UCF will play on national network television in the school’s history.

The Knights have jumped out to a 3-0 start and are coming off a bye after stunning Penn State in Happy Valley two weeks ago. Central Florida is doing it on both sides of the ball, averaging 36.7 points will giving up just 12.7 per game.

Books are giving UCF a TD cushion versus the Gamecocks, who aren’t going to look past the Knights. Central Florida nearly spoiled Steve Spurrier’s debut with South Carolina eight years ago, losing 24-15 to the Gamecocks but covered as 21-point road underdogs.

Early money has sided with the Knights, taking the home side down from +7.5 to +7. Is it faith in UCF or a sharp move to discount South Carolina?

Oklahoma State Cowboys at West Virginia Mountaineers (+18.5)

The last time these Big 12 programs clashed, the total topped out at 80 points last November. Oklahoma State won that shootout, 55-34.

This year, the number is much slimmer, with books setting the total at 57 points. The Cowboys offense is still the same, putting up 45.3 points per game so far, but WVU doesn’t have the same explosiveness, which was painfully evident in a 37-0 pantsing by Maryland last weekend.

Oklahoma State shows no mercy on the road, going 16-5 SU away from Stillwater since 2010. If the Mountaineers and former OSU offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen put on another showing like last weekend, Okie State could top the total – and the 18.5-point spread – all by itself.

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Rays on Tuesday and likes the Cardinals on Wednesday.

The deficit is 1373 sirignanos.

MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Miller is 2-0, 3.06 in his last three starts. Zimmerman is 4-0, 2.25 in his last four outings.
-- Liriano is 1-0, 2.25 in his last three starts. Arrieta is 2-1, 3.80 in his last four.
-- Hamels is 3-0, 2.86 in his last three road starts.

-- Straily is 4-0, 2.45 in his last five starts. Weaver is 3-1, 2.45 in his last five.
-- Rogers is 2-1, 2.02 in his last four starts.
-- Salazar has a 2.48 RA in his last six starts, but no wins.
-- Price is 0-1, 2.79 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer is 1-0, 2.77 in his last couple starts.
-- Perez is 6-2, 3.19 in his last nine starts.
-- Iwakuma is 3-0, 1.89 in his last seven starts. Santana is 1-0, 0.64 in his last two starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Latos is 1-2, 4.67 in his last five starts. Matsuzaka is 1-4, 6.60 in six starts for the Mets.
-- Maholm is 1-1, 6.46 in his last six starts. Lohse is 1-2, 5.04 in his last five.
-- Hand allowed four runs in 5.2 IP in his first '13 start.
-- Delgado is 1-1, 5.23 in his last four starts. Kennedy is 0-1, 6.75 in his last three outings.
-- Zito is 0-4, 10.27 in his last six starts, last of which was August 26. Nolasco allowed 13 runs in 6.1 IP in his last two starts.

-- Chacin is 1-2, 4.88 in his last four starts. Peavy is 0-0, 4.74 in his last three.

-- Norris is 1-1, 5.49 in his last four starts.
-- Axelrod is 0-3, 17.10 in his last three starts.
-- Hughes is 0-6, 6.15 in his last twelve starts.
-- Keuchel is 1-2, 5.87 in his last four starts.
-- Correia is 0-2, 5.29 in his last three starts.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Matsuzaka 2-6; Latos 12-31 (4 of last 5)
-- Zimmerman 5-31 (0 of last 6); Miller 8-29 (3 of last 6)
-- Liriano 6-25 (1 of last 5); Arrieta 2-13 (0 of 8 with Chi)
-- Lohse 9-31; Maholm 7-25 (1 of last 6)
-- Hamels 7-32 (3 of last 4); Hand 0-1
-- Delgado 6-18; Kennedy 10-30 (1 of 9 with SD)
-- Nolasco 7-31 (1 of last 9); Zito 8-23

-- Peavy 2-22 (0 of 9 with Bos); Chacin 4-30 (2 of last 2)

-- Straily 6-26 (1 of last 6); Weaver 3-23 (0 of last 6)
-- Rogers 7-20; Norris 10-29
-- Axelrod 7-19 (4 of last 7); Salazar 3-9
-- Price 6-25 (0 of last 7); Hughes 8-28 (0 of last 4)
-- Keuchel 4-21; Perez 8-18
-- Scherzer 7-31 (3 of last 5); Correia 7-34 (1 of last 16)
-- Santana 12-32 (0 of last 4); Iwakuma 6-26 (1 of last 16)

Totals
-- Under is 10-4 in last fourteen Hamels starts.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Latos starts.
-- Ten of last twelve Atlanta games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last eleven Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last 12 Zimmerman starts went over the total.
-- Under is 10-1-1 in last twelve San Diego games.
-- Last five San Francisco games stayed under total.

-- Five of last seven Boston games stayed under the total.

-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Tampa Bay games. Under is 6-0-1 in Bronx' last seven games.
-- Seven of last nine White Sox games went over the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Baltimore games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Detroit games went over the total.
-- Ten of last fourteen Oakland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Kansas City games stayed under.

Hot teams
-- Reds won seven of their last ten games; Mets won four of last five.
-- Washington won 13 of its last 17 games. Cardinals won six of last eight.
-- Pirates won three of their last four games.
-- Atlanta won four of its last six games.
-- Diamondbacks won three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers won four of their last five games. San Francisco is 9-6 in its last 15 games, 6-4 in last ten at home.

-- Tampa Bay won 10 of its last 13 games.
-- Indians won six of their last seven games; they've won 13 in a row against the White Sox. .
-- Tigers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Royals are 5-3 in their last eight games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- AL West champ A's won 11 of their last 14 games. Angels won ten of their last fourteen games.

Cold teams
-- Phillies lost four of their last five games. Marlins lost eight of last eleven.
-- Cubs lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Milwaukee lost four of its last six games.
-- Padres lost three of their last four games.

-- Rockies lost seven of their last ten games. Boston is 3-4 in its last seven.

-- Orioles are 5-11 in their last sixteen games. Blue Jays lost nine of their last fourteen games.
-- Bronx scored one run in last two games; they're 3-7 in their last ten.
-- White Sox lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Astros lost their last 11 games, outscored 62-16.
-- Twins lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Mariners lost 12 of their last 16 games.

Umpires
-- Phil-Mia-- Home side won seven of last eight Baker games.
-- Mil-Atl-- 10 of last 12 Nauert games stayed under total.
-- NY-Cin-- Favorites won 11 of last 14 Gibson games.
-- Pitt-Chi-- Five of last seven Marquez games went over.
-- Wsh-StL-- Underdogs are 8-7 in last fifteen Kellogg games.
-- Az-SD-- Visiting team won last four Ripperger games.
-- LA-SF-- Favorites won eight of last nine Bell games.

-- Bos-Col-- Six of last seven Fletcher games stayed under.

-- Chi-Cle-- Seven of last ten Everitt games stayed under.
-- TB-NY-- Seven of last ten Winters games stayed under.
-- Tor-Blt-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Guccione games.
-- Hst-Tex-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Conroy games.
-- Det-Minn-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Culbreth games.
-- A's-LA-- Six of last eight Hirschbeck games stayed under.
-- KC-Sea-- Underdogs won four of last six Cederstrom games.

Rays at Yankees: What bettors need to know

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (N/A)

The New York Yankees have absolutely no margin for error left. The Yankees are one loss - or one win by the Cleveland Indians - away from mathematical elimination and will try to stay alive when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The Rays are winners of five straight games and are leading the wild-card race, a game ahead of Cleveland and two clear of third-place Texas.

Tampa Bay’s pitching staff is allowing an average of two runs during its five-game winning streak and shut out New York 7-0 in the series opener on Tuesday. The Rays are closing out the season on the road and will finish up at last-place Toronto after wrapping up with the Yankees. New York pushed itself out of contention by dropping seven of its last 10 games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)

WEATHER: Temperatures in the high 60s, partly cloudy skies and winds blowing north at 5 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (8-8, 3.43 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Phil Hughes (4-13, 5.07)

Price is winless in his last five starts and failed to get through seven innings in the last two. The reigning Cy Young Award winner scattered two runs and nine hits over five innings in a no decision against Baltimore on Friday. Price’s last win came against New York on Aug. 24, when he surrendered two runs on five hits over six innings.

Hughes was pushed back into the rotation when CC Sabathia was shut down with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old has been working on a time-share in the fifth spot of the rotation with David Huff and will be looking to complete five innings for the first time since Aug. 20. Hughes was knocked around by Tampa Bay on July 28, allowing five runs on nine hits in four innings.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-1 in Prices last seven road starts vs. Yankees.
* Yankees are 4-1 in Hughes' last five starts vs. Rays.
* Over is 3-1-1 in Hughes' last five starts vs. Rays.
* Rays are 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 5-2-1 in Prices last eight starts vs. Yankees.

UMP TRENDS - Mike Winters:

* Under is 7-3 in Winters' last 10 games behind home plate.
* Under is 13-6-1 in Winters' last 20 games behind home plate vs. New York.
* Road team is 4-0 in Winters' last four games behind home plate vs. Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Rays CF Desmond Jennings (hamstring) missed the last two games and remains day-to-day.

2. New York has missed the playoffs once in the last 18 seasons (2008).

3. Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar (left ankle) and C Jose Lobaton (bruised right elbow) both left Tuesday’s series opener and are day-to-day.

Today's MLB Picks

Kansas City at Seattle

The Mariners look to build on their 7-3 record in Hisashi Iwakuma's last 10 starts against AL Central opponents. Seattle is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Mariners favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Bonus Plays are 1101-829 (57% +)over the last 5 1/2 years !

Free winner WED: D'Backs + 115

Gamblers Data

Bonus Plays Wednesday

Giants -140

Indians -1.5 -120

Cappers Access

Reds(RL) -1.5(-105)
Royals +120

Betting Line Moves

Army -1

Umpire UNDER streakers

Nauert 10-1-1 L12 (ATL/MIL)
Guccione 7-1-1 L9 (TOR/BAL)
Culbreth 7-0-1 L8 (MIN/DET)


= 105-47 (69%)

PAUL LEINER

100* Angels -130

50* Over 8.5 - Reds/Mets