The Bum's Sports Page For Wednesday July 1st Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (44-35) at Diamondbacks (37-40)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 01, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

Brett Anderson feels he's executing certain pitches as well as he has over his first few months in Los Angeles, resulting in his most promising stretch with the club.

The ultimate test of that progress might be coming Wednesday night in Arizona in the form of Paul Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks slugger who has accounted for a third of the home runs the Dodgers left-hander has given up this season.

Anderson (4-4, 3.13 ERA) has consecutive wins and a 1.71 ERA in his last three, giving the injury-prone pitcher a shot at winning five games for the first time since going 7-6 in 2010 with Oakland. He gave up a run and five hits with a career high-matching 10 strikeouts in seven innings of Friday's 7-1 win in Miami.

"My stuff was probably the best overall that it's been with the sinker," Anderson told MLB's official website. "Then I got some strikeouts with the slider, which hasn't really quite been there."

Anderson's four career starts against Arizona have all come since the start of last season, and he's gone 0-1 with a 3.91 ERA. Goldschmidt is 6 for 8 with two homers against Anderson this year and 7 for 11 lifetime. Yasmany Tomas is 2 for 5 with a home run.

Anderson will be opposed by Robbie Ray, whose transformation has been far more drastic and is one the Diamondbacks would like to see continue in order to start reversing a 6.39 ERA out of their rotation during a 3-5 span.

In his six starts last season, Ray (2-3, 1.98) gave up 22 earned runs. Through his first six this year, he's trimmed that by 275 percent to eight.

That upswing, however, has yet to bring him any wins in bunches. Ray has lost consecutive starts, but he's still yet to allow more than three earned runs this season.

In Friday's 4-2 loss in San Diego, two of the three runs the left-hander gave up were earned as he surrendered five hits in six innings.

"His stuff was very good," manager Chip Hale said. "He threw his offspeed pitch more, threw his breaking ball and changeup, which was impressive, his fastball was electric again."

The 23-year-old pitched in a 3-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on June 9, yielding two runs and four hits with four walks in 6 2-3 innings. Howie Kendrick homered in that game just as he did in the 10th inning of Tuesday's 6-4 win that sent the Dodgers (44-35) to their 30th victory in the last 40 against Arizona (37-40).

Los Angeles is seeking its 11th series win in the 14 covering that span.

Kendrick was 4 for 5 with two RBIs and the second baseman is 12 for 21 in five games as well as hitting .370 in 14 career contests against Arizona.

Joc Pederson homered for a second straight game to extend his MLB rookie-leading total to 20. That moves him past Yasiel Puig's mark of 19 from 2013 and into a tie for fifth in Dodgers' history with Greg Brock (1983) and Eric Karros ('92).

He's on pace to top Mike Piazza's club record of 35 from 1993, as well as the NL record of 38 set by Wally Berger in '30 and matched by Frank Robinson in '56.

Yasmani Grandal has also homered in both games in the series and three straight against Arizona. The catcher is batting .400 with five homers in 10 games in the season series.

Goldschmidt was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, giving him a .432 average in 11 games against the Dodgers this season. He's batting .385 against left-handed pitching since the start of 2014.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Mon, Jun 29 Final 6 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Tue, Jun 30 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jul 1 - 9:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet

July 1, 2015


New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 7:05 p.m. EST (ESPN)

On ESPN tonight, the Yankees and Angels wrap up a three-game set at Angel Stadium, with the Halos seeking a series sweep. They’ve won four in a row overall, and as a result, have vaulted over the Texas Rangers in the AL West for second place, while also being just four games back of first-place Houston. They’ll hand the ball to right-hander Matt Shoemaker (4-6, 5.03 ERA) tonight, and while the second-year starter has not had an enjoyable 2015 thus far, he has been better since mid-May, yielding three runs or less in all but one of his six starts from that point. Plus, it would be easy to forget that Shoemaker actually finished as the runner-up to Jose Abreu for last year’s AL Rookie of the Year award, so perhaps he has turned it around. He’s a -125 home favorite.

Tasked with preventing the sweep will be the mercurial Nathan Eovaldi (7-2, 4.81 ERA), who has been inconsistent in his first year with the Yankees. He’s exhibited plenty of flashes of the dominant pitcher he is capable of being with his high-90’s fastball, as he’s allowed two runs or less in more than half of his 15 starts. His ERA is probably higher than it should be, as Eovaldi also endured arguably the worst outing by a starter all year, when he surrendered eight runs in two-thirds of an inning in his return to Miami. In any event, while his win-loss record looks sparkling, so does his record for ‘over’ bets, being 10-5 in that department. The over/under for this one sits at 8.

Chicago Cubs at New York Mets | 7:10 p.m. EST

Two of the National League’s brightest surprises continue their three-game series in Flushing tonight, as the Cubs look to make it two in a row. They’ll send out their Opening Day starter Jon Lester (4-6, 4.03 ERA) for this assignment, in what will be his second start of the year opposing the Mets. In the first instance at Wrigley Field, he was solid in recording a quality start, giving up three runs in six innings while striking out six, and picking up the win. Now, he gets a Mets lineup that has remarkably scored two runs or less in 10 of their last 12, seeing the ‘under’ go 10-2 over that span as well. Lester has pitched in four straight unders himself entering this middle affair in the series, and the over/under currently sits at 7.

The Mets, meanwhile, will counter with the ageless treasure Bartolo Colon (9-6, 4.89 ERA), who will be looking to get New York back into the win-column after their crucial four-game winning streak was snapped last night. Colon has been far from his best this season, but if nothing else, he’s been a consistent innings-eater, as he’s gobbled up six innings or more in 12 of his 15 starts. In the process, he’s also maintained an excellent 71/10 K/BB ratio in his 92 innings of work. The linesmakers have understandably listed him as a +105 home ‘dog, despite losing three of his past four.

Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros | 8:10 p.m. EST

Despite having two of the more impactful offenses in baseball, the Royals and Astros have produced some low-scoring affairs thus far in the first two games of their three-game set at Minute Maid Park. The Royals will be trying to avoid the sweep here, and have Edinson Volquez (8-4, 3.18 ERA) leading the effort in trying to do just that. They couldn’t really pick a better option, considering they’ve won nine of the last ten games started by Volquez, who has also probably been their most consistent starter. In fact, he’s allowed no more than four runs in any of his 15 starts this season, and he’s given up exactly four runs only three times. He’s also been really good on the road this year, being 3-2 in seven road starts with a 3.14 ERA and stingy .230 BAA.

Two interesting notes concerning Astros rookie right-hander Vincent Velasquez (0-0, 3.72 ERA): he’s one of ten pitchers in Major League history to receive a no-decision in his first four career starts, and he’s the first player in baseball with the initials V.V. since former Pirates starter Virgil Vasquez. Okay, that latter note is meaningless, as I just wanted to include Vasquez, who was horrendous during his time in the big leagues, in an article in 2015. But the second note is intriguing, as Velasquez has deserved some better luck in his starts, such as his last time out when he held the mighty Yankees to two runs in six-plus innings. Velasquez has shown an ability to rack up strikeouts, having 19 punch-outs in 19 innings, but is also prone to free passes, issuing out 11 so far. He’s sitting as a -115 favorite to lead Houston to the sweep.

Chicago White Sox at St. Louis Cardinals | 8:15 p.m. EST

It’s scary to think where the White Sox would be right now without ace Chris Sale, who once again carried them to a victory last night, albeit in extra innings. Even so, it’s a huge series-opening win for Chicago against the best team in baseball, as they look to finally make their push up the standings. They’ll trot out Jose Quintana (3-7, 3.95 ERA) in game two, and while the 26-year-old doesn’t necessarily have the most desirable stats this season, he’s actually been pretty dependable. In fact, Quintana has logged six innings or more in nine straight starts, which is a testament of the steady pitching that he usually brings. However, the White Sox are just 6-9 in his outings, and currently are listed as +140 road ’dogs at Busch Stadium tonight.

Veteran John Lackey (6-4, 3.35 ERA) takes the ball for St. Louis, who, despite the loss last night, are still sitting comfortably atop all of Major League Baseball with an outstanding 51-25 record. Lackey has had a little something to do with that, continuing his nice pitching from a year ago when the Cardinals first acquired him around the trade deadline. He’s impressively gone five innings or more in all but one of his 15 starts, and is currently in his best groove of the season, having registered five quality starts in his last six tries. Additionally, Lackey has been a constant for ‘under’ bettors, having a 10-5 record for ‘under’ bets. He’ll have to help keep this game under 7 if he wants to add another tally in the win column.

[StarDust Bum]

July Pitchers Report

July 1, 2015

Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game signal the month of July. It also signifies the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. The key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff. Can they sustain or will they unravel like a cheap suit? Stay tuned. What we do know is certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4th of July.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of April. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in April, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s April list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Chen, Wei-Yin - 10-3 (5-1 H)

The Orioles Chen is having another solid season as his 2.90 ERA indicates he's just not gotten a lot run support which is explains his 3-4 record. Very good life on a low to mid 90's fastball and if the Baltimore bats stay hot, the wins will come for Chen.

Colon, Bartolo - 11-5 (5-0 A)

Hard to believe the rolly-polly 42-year old right-hander is still around in the big leagues and still throwing 80 percent fastballs at his age. Though he still has a winning record, Colon 's ERA is almost five and opposing teams are hitting .282 against him. Let's see if he has a typical July for him as his numbers are beginning to slip.

Fister, Doug - 12-3 (5-1 H)

Started the season poorly, got injured and is working his way back. You know Fister is on his game when there are a lot of ground ball outs or lazy fly balls. Has to keep top of hand on top of the ball to get the sinking action he needs.

Hellickson, Jeremy - 8-4 (4-1 A)

Really nothing more than a back of the rotation pitcher with ordinary stuff. Hellickson can put together two or three quality starts than get hit like a stalled car on the tracks with a train coming. Not sure he will have same success this month going from Tampa Bay to Arizona.

Hernandez, Felix - 11-5 (5-2 A)

After a sensational first two months, King Felix saw his ERA jump from 1.91 in late May to 3.24 on June 22. He only had 21 strikeouts in that five starts stretch and allowed nine or more fly balls on three different occasions, very unusual for Hernandez. Still opposing hitters are only batting .204 against and chances are he will return to being the King.

*Hudson, Tim - 11-4 (7-1 A)

Another elder statesman who turns 39 this month, Hudson enjoyed a long and great career. No question he's at the end of the line with opposing hitters batting .291 against vs. .251 lifetime but still capable of quality starts and keeping San Francisco in games when he takes the ball.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 13-4 (7-2 A)

As July commences, Kershaw will be working a three-game losing for the first time in his career. Nothing physically wrong with the three-time Cy Young winner, just pitching into bad luck and making a mistake or two a game which we are not used to seeing. However, there is no doubt he could be unbeatable this month like in the past.

Liriano Francisco - 10-5 (5-2 H)

Despite a below .500 record, the Pirates lefty has held opposing hitters to .189 and his WHIP is 1.01. All Liriano needs is a few more runs from his Pittsburgh teammates and his three-pitch arsenal will start adding up to more victories.

Lohse, Kyle - 12-5 (8-1 H)

The Milwaukee right-hander season has mirrored that of his Brewers teammates with a 4-9 record and 6.28 ERA. Besides allowing well over a hit an inning, Lohse has given up almost as many home runs as walks permitted (19 vs.20) this campaign. No sure Lohse will duplicate past success.

*Porcello, Rick - 9-4 (6-1 H)

Almost every off-season signing has backfired for Boston including bringing in Porcello. His sorry 4-8 record is well-deserved as his 5.54 ERA indicates. Enemy hitters are getting great cuts and knocking him around for a .286 batting average. Like Lohse, Porcello has one of the worst ERA's among hurlers with 10 or more starts. Can he turn it around?

Price, David - 12-4 (7-1 A)

Though he does not win every time, it has to make any manager very comfortable to be handing the ball to Price every five games. Expertly commands two and four-seam fastballs and can strikeout anybody with his a couple of hard-breaking curves or changeups. Has almost a 5-to-1 K/W ratio and fun to watch as a maestro.

Samardzija, Jeff - 10-5 (5-2 H)

After a strong season a year ago, has returned to prior form of most of his career on the other side of Chicago. He's not fooling anybody with a .286 BA allowed and he's on pace to surrender 27 homers. Needs big July to help the White Sox.

Scherzer, Max - 11-4 (6-2 H)

The best pitcher in baseball in 2015 thus far with a minuscule 1.79 ERA and WHIP you need reading glasses to find at 0.79. In 110 1/3 innings he fanned 130 and walked 14 (not a misprint), with one hit batter that prevented perfect game. Walks around the mound like he's king of the jungle... and he is.

*Tillman, Chris - 10-5 (5-1 H)

It has not been an easy campaign for the Baltimore hurler with a losing record, with an ERA over 5.50 the first three months of the season and a wayward WHIP of 1.51. The top four hitters on the opposing teams lineup card have .375 OBP against Tillman. He will have to regain confidence to match past numbers this month.

Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-2 A)

Having a good year with the defending AL champion Royals at 8-4 with a 3.18 ERA and doing splendid work controlling lefty batters who are at just .210 against Volquez. Should continue with another stellar July.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Hammel, Jason - 2-11 (0-4 H)

Not many pitchers actively want to pitch in Wrigley Field and for the Chicago Cubs, but Hammel is a rare exception. The Greenville, SC native might have stunk it up for other teams with a below .500 record and 4.46 ERA, but Hammel is 5-3 with 2.92 ERA on the north side of Chi-Town this season. Will his turnaround continue?

Haren, Dan - 3-8 (0-6 A)

Having a much stronger year than anticipated with a 3.38 ERA and WHIP of 1.01. Haren was about ready to retire but decided to give one more shot, but has not won in four starts with poor run support and not being as effective as he was the first two months. On a lousy team without Giancarlo Stanton, Haren might be in line for another miserable month.

Keuchel, Dallas - 4-10 (1-4 H)

Be all appearances, the Astros ace might be doing a 180-degree turn based on previous July's. Now extremely confident in his abilities, the Houston lefty has a .194 BA conceded and a WHIP under one (0.96). Why opposing managers even have a left-handed bat in the lineup is a mystery since they are hitting a feeble .136 against Keuchel.

*Norris, Bud - 2-11 (1-6 A)

Though Baltimore has blossomed to take over first place in the AL East, Norris has not been a part of their turnaround. The right-hander's ERA is 'down' to around 7.00 and his WHIP of 1.61 explains how hittable he's been, plus walking other batters. Looks like ‘Play Against’ material until further notice.

Strasburg, Stephen - 5-12 (2-8 H)

Strasburg was a wreck, but maybe the time on the DL has straightened out his arm, body and head. In his last two starts of June, Strasburg had 15 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed in 12 innings. Do not imagine baseball bettors are willing to compare him to teammate Scherzer yet, and will take a wait and see attitude on the 26-year old.

[StarDust Bum]

Win Total Update - June

June 30, 2015

The All-Star break is near in Major League Baseball as several teams closed out June on fire. The Blue Jays, Orioles, Pirates, and Cardinals all put together tremendous records in June, while the Twins took a step backwards following a great month of May. Not many teams went in the tank this month, as half the league finished within two games of .500 in June, including the Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Astros, Tigers, and Angels, all clubs that are in the thick of the playoff race.

Toronto began the month of June at 23-29, but the Blue Jays put together an 11-game winning streak to remain above the .500 mark heading into July. The Jays lost consecutive games only twice, while winning road series against a pair of first-place squads, at Tampa Bay and Washington. Toronto’s offense lifted the team to an 11-4 record at Rogers Center, as the Jays plated at least six runs in nine home contests.

The NL Central division continues to be owned by the Cardinals, who put up another solid month at 18-7 to become the first team to reach the 50-win plateau. The Pirates aren’t letting St. Louis run away with the division, as Pittsburgh went 16-9 in June to own the fourth-best record in baseball heading into July. The Bucs started the month winning 13 of their first 16 games before stumbling to a 3-6 mark to close June, but the highlight of June came when the pitching staff tossed five shutouts in a six-game span.

The Twins dominated in May to lead the AL Central race heading into June, but Minnesota took a nosedive to fall out of first place in the division. Minnesota struggled by putting together a 10-17 record in June, which includes losses in seven of their past nine games away from Target Field. Even playing at home wasn’t beneficial for the Twins, who lost series to the Brewers, Royals, and Cubs in June, with the lone highlight coming in a sweep of a two-game home set with the Cardinals.

Below are each team’s records for April, May, and June along with their current pace to cash their season ‘over’ or ‘under’ win totals.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WIN TOTALS

Team Win Total - 2015 April Record May Record June Record Projection

Arizona 72 ½ 10-11 13-15 14-14

Atlanta 73 ½ 10-12 15-13 11-16

Chicago Cubs 81 ½ 12-8 14-14 14-13

Cincinnati 79 11-11 11-16 13-14

Colorado 70 ½ 11-10 11-16 12-17

L.A. Dodgers 91 13-8 16-12 15-15

Miami 81 ½ 10-12 10-19 12-15

Milwaukee 80 5-17 12-17 14-14

N.Y. Mets 81 15-8 13-15 12-15

Philadelphia 67 8-15 11-18 8-19

Pittsburgh 85 ½ 12-10 14-13 17-9

San Diego 84 11-12 13-15 12-15

San Francisco 85 9-13 21-9 12-14

St. Louis 87 ½ 15-6 18-11 18-8

Washington 93 10-13 18-9 15-12



AMERICAN LEAGUE WIN TOTALS

Team Win Total - 2015 April Record May Record June Record
Projection

Baltimore 84 ½ 10-10 13-16 18-10

Boston 86 12-10 10-19 14-14

Chicago White Sox 82 8-11 15-15 10-16

Cleveland 81 7-14 17-12 11-15

Detroit 81 15-8 13-15 11-13

Houston 73 ½ 15-7 16-13 15-14

Kansas City 83 15-7 14-12 15-11

L.A. Angels 87 ½ 11-11 15-13 14-13

Minnesota 68 ½ 10-12 20-7 11-17

N.Y. Yankees 80 13-9 13-16 15-12

Oakland 82 ½ 9-14 11-19 15-12

Seattle 85 10-12 14-14 11-16

Tampa Bay 77 ½ 12-10 14-15 16-12

Texas 76 ½ 7-14 19-11 14-13

Toronto 83 ½ 11-12 12-17 18-9

[StarDust Bum]

Midseason Report

June 30, 2015


First Half Roundup

162 games is a long season. Every year teams sprint out of the gate in April and May with October dreams, only to come back to the pack by July. It's not a sprint, of course, but a marathon, where a strong balance of pitching, defense and offense carries the best teams into the postseason. Injuries, too, are key, as well as trades made before the July deadline. Teams have figured out their strengths and weaknesses now and are beginning to look for pieces to add before the deadline, while others are figuring out whom to dump. Here's a look at some recent baseball surging and slumping teams.

Royals: Didn’t everyone bail on last year’s AL champs? “Lost too many players, plus they were a fluke…” Well the 2015 Royals are pretty good, too, giving Detroit and surprising Minnesota a run for their money in the AL Central. The offense has not taken a step back, still running around the base paths ranked in the Top 10 in on base percentage.

The Royals are 19-7 as a dog and 35-18 away against righties. The one concern is quality starting pitching, with Edinson Volquez walking too many and Danny Duffy and Jeremy Guthrie regressing. The Royals still rely on a lights out pen, but will they wear down as the summer gets hotter and the workload longer?

Mets: The NY Mets have gotten Matt Harvey back and he’s anchored a strong staff behind Jonathon Niese, Jacob deGrom and the amazing Bartolo Colon, who adds hundreds of pounds and years but never seems to break down. The Mets are 38-13 as home chalk.

However, this offense is not great, bottom 10 in runs scored and on base percentage. They can struggle against good pitchers and note that the Mets are 13-30 against a pitcher with a WHIP less than 1.15. They probably will be in the market for a productive bat in July.

Astros: Wow! A bold pick to win the 2018 World Series a few years ago by some, Houston is way ahead of schedule. Diminutive 25-year old 2B Jose Altuve is having a monster season with the bat and stealing bases with his legs. The balanced lineup is hitting almost twice as many homers as opponents. Astros centerfielder Jake Marisnick turned an unassisted double play in a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Houston pitching staff has a pair of young aces in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh helping the team rip off an impressive 7 game road win streak. Sports bettors take note: the Astros are 16-5 when Keuchel is an underdog and 20-6 under the total following a defeat.

Mariners:Seattle was the talk of the offseason, a young team ready to roll out West. Any team with an ace like Felix Hernandez won’t have long losing skids. However, the Mariners have fallen short, without much in the rotation beyond King Felix and J.A. Happ. And with Fernando Rodney as a closer, their manager needs a trunk full of blindfolds and antacid.

The offense, too, has been a huge problem, bottom 10 in runs and OBP. Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz are doing their part but getting little help. Seattle is 37-15-2 under the total at home in spacious Safeco Field.

Pirates: What is going on with Pittsburgh? This young team was supposed to take off in 2015. They have an impressive rotation of A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano, anchoring a pitching staff averaging close of 9 strikeouts per 9 innings. And the Pirates are 38-18 at home against a righty starter, so why aren’t they running away with the division?

Ah yes, offense, the other half of the game. The Pirates haven’t hit, bottom 14 in runs scored, slugging and on-base percentage. Might be a good time to go shopping for a bat -- and a team to look at under the total in the second half?

Red Sox: Boston spent a lot in the offseason bug management hasn’t gotten its money’s worth. Like last year they are good at drawing walks and little else. They started April 7-3 with the owner pointing out that “Clay Buchholz is an ace.” It’s been all downhill since, with a lack of clutch hitting they experienced in 2014, an injury to Hanley Ramirez and a dreadful pitching staff. The poor performance of Buchholz and the other starters have already cost the pitching coach his job. More pink slips will follow if they don’t turn it around and a July fire sale wouldn’t surprise.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, July 1


National League
Brewers @ Phillies
Lohse is 1-5, 7.34 in his last seven starts; five of the seven went over.

Harang is 0-7, 6.48 in his last seven starts; four of his last five went over.

Milwaukee lost four of last six games with the Phillies; road team won eight of last nine in series. Over is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Brewers won six of last eight games overall- over is 6-1-1 in those eight. Phillies lost five of last six games; over is 9-1-1 in their last eleven.

Giants @ Marlins
Heston is 3-1, 2.70 in his last four starts; eight of his last ten went over.

Haren is 0-3, 4.42 in his last three starts; his last four stayed under.

Giants are 5-4 in last nine games with Miami; they've won four of last six games overall, with last five going over. Marlins lost seven of their last nine games (under 5-3-1).

Nationals @ Braves
Fister is 1-2, 6.43 in his last four starts; six of his last eight went over.

Wisler is 1-1, 5.25 in his first two MLB starts (under 2-0).

Washington won its last nine games with Atlanta; three of last four stayed under the total. Nationals won nine of last ten games (under 6-4). Braves lost six of their last seven games; six of their last eight stayed under.

Cubs @ Mets
Lester is 0-4, 4.54 in his last six starts, five of which stayed under.

Colon is 1-3, 5.79 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Cubs won their last seven games with the Mets (under 5-1-1). Chicago lost five of last six games overall, scoring seven runs; under is 8-1-1 in their last ten games. NY won fourof last five, allowing five runs; nine of its last eleven games stayed under.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks
Anderson is 2-0, 1.71 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Ray is 1-3, 3.20 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Dodgers won eight of last nine games with Arizona (over 6-2-1). LA won four of last six games; five of their last eight stayed under. D'backs lost four of last five games; seven of their last nine games went over.

American League
Red Sox @ Blue Jays
Porcello is 0-6, 7.07 in his last seven starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Buehrle is 2-0, 2.00 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Boston lost five of last eight games with Toronto but won last two; Red Sox are 8-4 in last 12 games overall- four of their last five stayed under. Blue Jays lost three of last four games (under 5-1 in last six).

Rangers @ Orioles
Martinez is 0-2, 7.11 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.

Chen is 2-0, 2.13 in his last four starts; his last eight all stayed under.

Texas lost nine of last 12 games with Baltimore; over is 6-2-1 in last nine games in series. Rangers lost seven of last ten games; over is 4-2-2 in their last eight games. Orioles won seven of last ten games; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven.

Indians @ Rays
Carrasco is 2-1, 3.54 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over.

Colome is 0-1, 3.76 in his last five starts; Tampa Bay scored total of 13 runs in his last six outings.

Cleveland is 6-3 in last nine games with Tampa Bay; five of last eight series games stayed under total. Indians lost seven of last 11 games; six of their last eight went over the total. Tampa Bay lost seven of last nine games; under is 6-4-1 in their last 11.

Royals @ Astros
Volquez is 4-0, 2.96 in his last four starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Velasquez is 0-0, 3.72 in his four starts (over 2-2).

Royals lost last five games with Houston; road team won six of last eight in series. KC lost last two games, scoring one run. Astros won last three games, allowing two runs; six of their last seven stayed under the total.

Bronx @ Angels
Eovaldi is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; seven of his last eight went over.

Shoemaker is 0-2, 6.32 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Bronx won seven of last ten games with the Angels; four of last six series games went over. Bronx is 3-7 in its last ten games overall; ten of their last 13 went under the total. Angels won seven of last nine home games; eight of their last ten overall stayed under the total.

Interleague
Twins @ Reds
May is 0-3, 5.71 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Cueto is 0-1, 4.42 in his last three starts; under is 2-1-1 in his last four home starts.

Minnesota won six of last eight games with Cincinnati; eight of last twelve series games stayed under. Twins lost six of their last ten games. Reds lost four of last five games; six of their last eight games went over.

Pirates @ Tigers
Burnett is 0-2, 2.20 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under. Pirates scored total of six runs in the four games.

Simon is 0-1, 12.00 in his last two starts; his last four all went over.

Pirates lost four of last six games with Detroit; they won three of last four games overall; six of their last eight went over. Tigers won five of last eight games- their last 11 games all went over.

White Sox @ Cardinals
Quintana is 0-1, 3.79 in his last three starts; five of his last six went under.

Lackey is 2-0, 2.05 in his last three starts; seven of his last ten stayed under.

White Sox won five of last seven against St Louis, last five of which stayed under total. Chicago lost three of last five games overall, with three of last four going over total. Cardinals won six of last seven, allowing eleven runs; four of their last five games stayed under.

Rockies @ A's
Bettis is 2-0, 2.92 in his last two starts; six of his last nine went over.

Hahn is 3-1, 3.48 in his last five starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Colorado lost four of last five games with Oakland; visiting team won eight of last nine games in series. Rockies are 6-4 in last ten games; over is 6-2-1 in their last nine. A's lost four of last five games;under is 4-0-3 in their last seven home games.

Mariners @ Padres
Walker is 4-0, 2.05 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Shields is 0-2, 6.85 in his last four starts; six of his last eight went over.

Seattle lost three of last five games with San Diego; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Mariners lost five of last eight games; under is 5-1-1 in their last seven. Padres are 5-9 since changing managers; over is 3-2 in their last five.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mil-Phil-- Lohse 6-10; Harang 5-11
SF-Mia-- Heston 10-5; Haren 8-7
Wsh-Atl-- Fister 4-5; Wisler 1-1
Chi-NY-- Lester 8-7; Colon 9-6
LA-Ariz-- Anderson 8-7; Ray 2-4

Bos-Tor-- Porcello 7-8; Buehrle 9-6
Tex-Balt-- Martinez 9-6; Chen 9-5
Clev-TB-- Carrasco 9-6; Colome 3-9
KC-Hst-- Volquez 11-4; Velasquez 2-2
NY-LA-- Eovaldi 9-6; Shoemaker 7-7

Pitt-Det-- Burnett 8-7; Simon 8-6
Min-Cin-- May 6-8; Cueto 8-6
Chi-StL-- Quintana 6-9; Lackey 9-6
Colo-A's-- Bettis 7-2; Hahn 6-9
Sea-SD-- Walker 7-8; Shields 9-7

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mil-Phil-- Lohse 7-16; Harang 5-16
SF-Mia-- Heston 1-15; Haren 1-15
Wsh-Atl-- Fister 3-9; Wisler 1-2
Chi-NY-- Lester 6-15; Colon 4-15
LA-Ariz-- Anderson 4-15; Ray 1-6

Bos-Tor-- Porcello 2-15; Buehrle 9-15
Tex-Balt-- Martinez 3-15; Chen 3-14
Clev-TB-- Carrasco 7-15; Colome 2-12
KC-Hst-- Volquez 4-15; Velasquez 1-4
NY-LA-- Eovaldi 6-15; Shoemaker 4-14

Pitt-Det-- Burnett 4-15; Simon 3-14
Min-Cin-- May 5-14; Cueto 5-14
Chi-StL-- Quintana 7-15; Lackey 3-15
Colo-A's-- Bettis 2-9; Hahn 4-15
Sea-SD-- Walker 4-15; Shields 4-16

Umpires
Mil-Phil-- Last four Hamari games stayed under.
SF-Mia-- Home side won nine of last 12 Hernandez games.
Wsh-Atl-- Five of last six Bucknor games stayed under.
Chi-NY-- Three of last four Fagan games went over.
LA-Ariz-- Five of last seven Muchlinski games stayed under.

Bos-Tor-- Last five Cuzzi games stayed under total.
Tex-Balt-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Tumpane games.
Clev-TB-- Favorites won eight of last nine Johnson games.
KC-Hst-- Six of last eight Emmel games went over total.
NY-LA-- Five of last six Culbreth games stayed under.

Min-Cin-- Five of last seven Wendelstedt games stayed under.
Colo-A's-- Last six Hallion games went over the total.
Sea-SD-- Underdogs won eight of last ten Everitt games.
Pitt-Det-- Six of last seven Hudson games stayed under.
Chi-StL-- Home side won six of nine Wolcott games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, July 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:35 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

1:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games at home

3:35 PM
COLORADO vs. OAKLAND
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

3:40 PM
SEATTLE vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Seattle is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Diego's last 16 games at home
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. LA ANGELS
NY Yankees are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
NY Yankees are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games on the road
LA Angels are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
TEXAS vs. BALTIMORE
Texas is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Texas's last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 9 games when playing Texas
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Texas

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:08 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Pittsburgh's last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 11 of San Francisco's last 16 games when playing Miami
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Miami's last 18 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. HOUSTON
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City

8:15 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. ST. LOUIS
Chi White Sox are 5-12 SU in their last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

9:40 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Dodgers's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games at home
Arizona is 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, July 1


Mariners winning as this pitcher has been dealing

The Seattle Mariners have won their past four starts when Taijuan Walker takes the bump. Walker has been on-fore in those starts, posting a 4-0 record while only allowing six earned runs over 26.1 innings pitched.

The M's have been giving Walker some much needed run support, as they have scored 5.8 runs per contest in the youngsters four starts.

Seattle faces the San Diego Padres at Petco Park Wednesday.


Orioles had a perfect month with Chen on the mound

Wei-Yin Chen was nothing but good to the Baltimore Orioles in June, with the team going 4-0 in the lefties four starts.

Chen went 2-0 in those games with a 2.13 ERA. The pitcher tossed 25.1 innings while only surrendering six runs and 23 hits during June.

The O's will send Chen to the mound against the Rangers Wednesday.


Porcello is winless in over a month

Rick Porcello has been struggling, with the Red Sox only winning one of the right-handers past seven starts. To be specific, the last time Porcello got the win was May 16 against the Seattle Mariners.

Since that 'W,' Porcello has given up 4.7 runs per outing while averaging 6 innings pitched.

The Red Sox visit the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, July 1


Milwaukee @ Philadelphia

Game 901-902
July 1, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Lohse) 15.733
Philadelphia
(Harang) 13.150
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-125); Over

San Francisco @ Miami

Game 903-904
July 1, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Heston) 16.289
Miami
(Haren) 14.837
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-135); Over

Washington @ Atlanta

Game 905-906
July 1, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
(Fister) 14.577
Atlanta
(Wisler) 15.433
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-135
7
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+115); Under

Chicago Cubs @ NY Mets

Game 907-908
July 1, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 14.962
NY Mets
(Colon) 16.436
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-125
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(+105); Under

LA Dodgers @ Arizona

Game 909-910
July 1, 2015 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Anderson) 14.444
Arizona
(Ray) 15.537
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+115); Over

Boston @ Toronto

Game 911-912
July 1, 2015 @ 1:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Porcello) 17.536
Toronto
(Buehrle) 16.717
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-155
9
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+135); Over

NY Yankees @ LA Angels

Game 913-914
July 1, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Eovaldi) 13.273
LA Angels
(Shoemaker) 16.949
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-125); Under

Texas @ Baltimore

Game 915-916
July 1, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Martinez) 14.825
Baltimore
(Chen) 16.491
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-190
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-190); Under

Cleveland @ Tampa Bay

Game 917-918
July 1, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 13.640
Tampa Bay
(Colome) 16.364
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-130
7
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+110); Over

Kansas City @ Houston

Game 919-920
July 1, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Volquez) 17.135
Houston
(Velasquez) 15.842
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-115
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-105); Over

Minnesota @ Cincinnati

Game 921-922
July 1, 2015 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(May) 13.236
Cincinnati
(Cueto) 15.797
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-190
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-190); Under

Colorado @ Oakland

Game 923-924
July 1, 2015 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Bettis) 14.502
Oakland
(Hahn) 16.489
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-180
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-180); Under

Seattle @ San Diego

Game 925-926
July 1, 2015 @ 3:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Walker) 16.773
San Diego
(Shields) 15.444
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-120
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+100); Over

Pittsburgh @ Detroit

Game 927-928
July 1, 2015 @ 7:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Burnett) 16.010
Detroit
(Simon) 13.033
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+105); Over

Chicago White Sox @ St. Louis

Game 929-930
July 1, 2015 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Quintana) 13.010
St. Louis
(Lackey) 16.592
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-165
7
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-165); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, July 1

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

MILWAUKEE (31 - 48) at PHILADELPHIA (27 - 52) - 7:05 PM
KYLE LOHSE (R) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 31-48 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 31-48 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 21-41 (-20.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 6-18 (-13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HARANG is 34-20 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 27-52 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-41 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 27-52 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-43 (-15.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-103 (-36.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
HARANG is 57-73 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)



KYLE LOHSE vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LOHSE is 5-6 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 6-10 (-3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-8. (-1.2 units)



AARON HARANG vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
HARANG is 7-6 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.389.
His team's record is 16-10 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-14. (-2.9 units)




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


SAN FRANCISCO (42 - 36) at MIAMI (32 - 46) - 7:10 PM
CHRIS HESTON (R) vs. DAN HAREN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 142-115 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 70-57 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-14 (+14.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 142-115 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1048-879 (+116.4 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 99-79 (+11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 376-371 (+47.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
MIAMI is 32-46 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 23-37 (-15.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HAREN is 184-181 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 171-174 (-45.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 122-126 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 3-2 (+1.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)



CHRIS HESTON vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.



DAN HAREN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HAREN is 7-6 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.121.
His team's record is 7-11 (-6.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-8. (-0.2 units)




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


WASHINGTON (43 - 34) at ATLANTA (36 - 41) - 7:10 PM
DOUG FISTER (R) vs. MATT WISLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 23-19 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ATLANTA is 47-26 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-10 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 113-123 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 91-101 (-17.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 9-1 (+7.7 Units) against ATLANTA this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.8 Units)



DOUG FISTER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
FISTER is 4-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.18 and a WHIP of 0.968.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)



MATT WISLER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WISLER is 0-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.250.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)




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


CHICAGO CUBS (40 - 35) at NY METS (40 - 38) - 7:10 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. BARTOLO COLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1427-1588 (-278.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1370-1501 (-253.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1049-1184 (-215.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 662-766 (-199.9 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
NY METS are 29-12 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 29-12 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
COLON is 47-30 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLON is 47-29 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 12-27 (-13.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 22-32 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 5-0 (+5.0 Units) against NY METS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)



JON LESTER vs. NY METS since 1997
LESTER is 2-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.636.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)



BARTOLO COLON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
COLON is 0-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.547.
His team's record is 1-4 (-4.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)




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


LA DODGERS (44 - 35) at ARIZONA (37 - 40) - 9:40 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. ROBBIE RAY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 17-22 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA DODGERS are 227-237 (-60.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 17-22 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 11-16 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 7-14 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 21-9 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games in July games over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 101-138 (-30.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 763-673 (-87.2 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 101-138 (-30.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 42-73 (-24.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 8-3 (+3.5 Units) against ARIZONA this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)



BRETT ANDERSON vs. ARIZONA since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.91 and a WHIP of 1.435.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)



ROBBIE RAY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
RAY is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.199.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)




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


BOSTON (36 - 43) at TORONTO (41 - 38) - 1:05 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 36-43 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 17-23 (-11.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
BOSTON is 15-24 (-11.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 13-22 (-12.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 54-74 (-23.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 30-17 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 50-24 (+17.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 164-85 (+52.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 66-33 (+28.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 31-15 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 82-43 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 17-5 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 115-124 (+29.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-5 (+0.7 Units) against BOSTON this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)



RICK PORCELLO vs. TORONTO since 1997
PORCELLO is 3-4 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.122.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-3. (+0.5 units)



MARK BUEHRLE vs. BOSTON since 1997
BUEHRLE is 11-10 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.429.
His team's record is 13-14 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-18. (-12.0 units)




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


NY YANKEES (41 - 37) at LA ANGELS (41 - 37) - 7:05 PM
NATHAN EOVALDI (R) vs. MATT SHOEMAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 139-104 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 48-19 (+19.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 34-22 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 3-2 (+1.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)



NATHAN EOVALDI vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
EOVALDI is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.910.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)



MATT SHOEMAKER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.




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


TEXAS (40 - 38) at BALTIMORE (41 - 36) - 7:05 PM
NICK MARTINEZ (R) vs. WEI-YIN CHEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 6-20 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 141-106 (+39.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 73-57 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 79-49 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 51-31 (+14.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 17-8 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 125-93 (+34.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 96-64 (+35.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 108-78 (+34.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 61-44 (+20.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 64-51 (+19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 29-18 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 37-17 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 28-14 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 23-11 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 40-38 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 17-13 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 10-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 this season.
TEXAS is 25-19 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 11-6 (+10.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 37-34 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 30-24 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 41-30 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 22-9 (+22.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 2-0 (+2.5 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)



NICK MARTINEZ vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MARTINEZ is 0-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 8.71 and a WHIP of 1.936.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)



WEI-YIN CHEN vs. TEXAS since 1997
CHEN is 4-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.67 and a WHIP of 1.148.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)




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


CLEVELAND (35 - 41) at TAMPA BAY (42 - 37) - 7:10 PM
CARLOS CARRASCO (R) vs. ALEX COLOME (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 35-41 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-23 (-18.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-24 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 38-11 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 119-122 (-23.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 40-48 (-18.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 56-68 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 6-16 (-13.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
TAMPA BAY is 6-13 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 57-69 (-33.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 64-75 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 84-89 (-19.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 28-37 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 8-16 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-3 (+0.0 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)



CARLOS CARRASCO vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
CARRASCO is 1-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of 1.302.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.6 units)



ALEX COLOME vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
COLOME is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.600.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)




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


KANSAS CITY (44 - 30) at HOUSTON (46 - 34) - 8:10 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. VINCENT VELASQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 46-34 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 46-31 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 29-17 (+12.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 45-48 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 44-30 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 24-16 (+10.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 74-53 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 44-30 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 31-20 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 32-16 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 18-10 (+8.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 68-53 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VOLQUEZ is 29-18 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 54-34 (+24.3 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)



EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 6-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.09 and a WHIP of 1.065.
His team's record is 7-1 (+6.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.6 units)



VINCENT VELASQUEZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.




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


MINNESOTA (41 - 36) at CINCINNATI (35 - 41) - 12:35 PM
TREVOR MAY (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CUETO is 19-5 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 17-5 (+10.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 12-2 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 19-5 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 11-0 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 41-36 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 53-53 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 41-36 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 30-16 (+20.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)



TREVOR MAY vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.



JOHNNY CUETO vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
CUETO is 1-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.571.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)




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


COLORADO (34 - 43) at OAKLAND (35 - 45) - 3:35 PM
CHAD BETTIS (R) vs. JESSE HAHN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 100-139 (-33.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 2-19 (-15.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-81 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 202-272 (-77.7 Units) against the money line in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 13-35 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 100-139 (-33.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 26-61 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 80-100 (-29.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 110-56 (+41.0 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997.
OAKLAND is 35-45 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 15-24 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 13-19 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 12-19 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 33-43 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 12-17 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 9-14 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 12-22 (-13.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)



CHAD BETTIS vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.



JESSE HAHN vs. COLORADO since 1997
HAHN is 0-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)




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


SEATTLE (35 - 42) at SAN DIEGO (37 - 42) - 3:40 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 35-42 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 30-41 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 13-21 (-11.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 721-649 (-100.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
SHIELDS is 21-11 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 64-54 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 46-35 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 0-6 (-7.2 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)



TAIJUAN WALKER vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WALKER is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 0.833.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)



JAMES SHIELDS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SHIELDS is 5-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.87 and a WHIP of 1.202.
His team's record is 9-6 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-5. (+4.4 units)




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


PITTSBURGH (43 - 33) at DETROIT (39 - 37) - 7:05 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. ALFREDO SIMON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 253-490 (-107.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
BURNETT is 213-213 (-38.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 91-130 (-44.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 173-180 (-37.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 140-152 (-35.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 44-65 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 28-19 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 28-19 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 228-179 (+31.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 226-178 (+29.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 93-66 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 62-63 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 65-57 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 65-57 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 18-26 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 42-46 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 52-58 (-20.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-2 (+0.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)



A.J. BURNETT vs. DETROIT since 1997
BURNETT is 7-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.56 and a WHIP of 1.438.
His team's record is 9-4 (+5.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.7 units)



ALFREDO SIMON vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SIMON is 3-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 0.970.
His team's record is 4-1 (+4.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)




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


CHI WHITE SOX (33 - 42) at ST LOUIS (51 - 25) - 8:15 PM
JOSE QUINTANA (L) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
QUINTANA is 16-29 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 51-25 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 25-13 (+11.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 29-8 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 55-25 (+21.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 51-25 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 33-17 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 63-38 (+18.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 30-11 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 19-3 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 30-11 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 191-147 (+40.0 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 369-374 (+29.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)



JOSE QUINTANA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
QUINTANA is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.876.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)



JOHN LACKEY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
LACKEY is 3-7 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.247.
His team's record is 4-12 (-10.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-6. (+1.2 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, July 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Royals at Astros
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros (-111, 7.5)

Edinson Volquez looks to maintain his perfect record against Houston when he starts Wednesday's series finale between the Kansas City Royals and the host Astros. Volquez is 6-0 with a 2.09 ERA in eight career outings against Houston and enters this start as one of the hottest pitchers in the American League.

Volquez has won four consecutive starts and is 6-1 over his last 10 while being surprisingly good for the Central-leading Royals. The West-leading Astros are trying to sweep the three-game series after holding Kansas City to just one run over the first two contests. Houston right fielder George Springer hit a two-run homer during Tuesday's 4-0 victory after going 2-for-28 over the previous eight games. The Royals are 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the series.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, ROOT (Houston)

LINE HISTORY: The line has held steady with the Astros as -111 favorites, as of Wednesday morning. The total has stayed at its opening number of 8.0.

INJURY REPORT:

Royals - 1B E. Hosmer (doubtful Wednesday, finger), SP Y. Ventura (15-day DL, hand), SP J. Vargas (15-day DL, hip), SP B. Flynn (60-day DL, back), SP K. Medlen (Mid July, elbow).

Astros - CF C. Rasmus (questionable Wednesday, infection), RP C. Qualls (15-day DL, neck), CF J. Marisnick (15-day DL, hamstring), RP S. Deduno (15-day DL, back), SP B. Peacock (15-day DL, abdominal), SP S. Feldman (Mid July, knee), SS J. Lowrie (60-day DL, thumb).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (8-4, 3.18 ERA) vs. Astros RH Vincent Velasquez (0-0, 3.72)

Volquez defeated Oakland in his last turn when he allowed one run and three hits over seven innings. He is limiting opposing batters to a .220 average and has served up just five homers in 90 2/3 innings. Volquez is two wins shy of recording double-digit victories for the fourth time in his career.

Velasquez has failed to get a decision in any of his four starts and has pitched more than five innings just once. That occurred in his last outing when he pitched well against the New York Yankees and gave up two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Velasquez has a 5.73 ERA in two home starts while issuing eight walks in 8 1/3 innings.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings in Houston.
* Royals are 0-5 in the last five meetings.
* Astros are 5-0 in their last five games versus a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 5-1-1 in the Astros last seven games overall.

CONSENSUS: The action for Wednesday's contest is fairly split, with 56.95 percent of wagers on the underdog Royals.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Odds on Week 1 NFL games........

Pittsburgh
New England 3, 49

New Orleans
Arizona 2.5, 47

Green Bay 5, 50.5
Chicago

Detroit
San Diego 2.5, 45.5

Kansas City
Houston 1.5, 42.5

Tennessee
Tampa Bay 3, 42

Cleveland
NJ Jets 3, 41

Cincinnati 3.5, 44
Oakland

Indianapolis 2.5, 47
Buffalo

Baltimore
Denver 4, 52

Carolina 4, 42.5
Jacksonville

NJ Giants
Dallas 5.5, 49.5

Miami 2.5, 44.5
Washington

Philadelphia 1, 53.5
Atlanta

Seattle 3.5, 43
Rams

Minnesota
San Francisco 3, 41

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Happy Canada Day, everyone.......

13) Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to the last two Super Bowls, winning one; yet eight backup QBs have a bigger base salary than Wilson does this season.

Or in other words, Charlie Whitehurst makes more $$$ than Wilson. Oy.

12) So does Bobby Bonilla......still. Every July 1, the Mets send Bonilla a deferred compensation check for $1,193,248.20, and will every year thru 2035. Bonilla last played a major league game in 2001.

11) According to CBSSports.com, the Mets could've paid Bonilla $5.9M in 2000 and been done with him. But no; they decided paying him $1,193,248.20 a year for 25 years was a better deal than paying him $5.9M once.

The owner of the Mets is now the head of MLB's finance committee. Yikes.

10) 17 of Joc Pederson's 20 home runs this year came with the bases empty.

9) Texas Rangers sent Joey Gallo to AAA this week, the day after he had three RBI , four strikeouts and a triple in the same game. He is only the second player EVER to do that in the same game; the first was in 1939 and it was an obscure pitcher.

8) Anthony Davis got $145M for five years from the Pelicans; Kawhi Leonard got $90M for five years from the Spurs as NBA free agency started. Al-Farouq Aminu got $30M from Portland for four years.

7) Was annoyed when I read a report than DeAndre Jordan doesn't want to be the #3 option on a team anymore, so he might leave the Clippers. If you want people to run plays for you, thats fine, but how about making half your bleeping foul shots????

Jordan made 39.7% of his foul shots this year-- 39.7%

6) Jordan made $11,440,124 this past season but he worked so little on his shooting that he made 39.7% of his foul shots, and he wants to be the focal point of an offense. That takes some serious balls.

Put it this way: I am 55 years old and as I type this at 4:06am on July 1, I could drive to a playground right now, takes a couple warmups and make half my foul shots, even if it was in the damn dark. How about working on your game?!?!?!?

5) Chris Webber told a great story on TV during a game this past winter.

In his first six years in the NBA, Webber made 54.1% of his foul shots, that is 799 out of 1,477. Not good. He told a story of hiring a shooting coach after his sixth year, his first with Sacramento, and the shooting coach went everywhere Webber went that summer. Everywhere.

The gym, the weight room, parties, clubs, vacations. Webber practiced shooting all that summer and fall-- the next year, he was 311-414 from the line, 75.1%.

4) Shooting is the one aspect of basketball you can improve with hard work, practice and concentration. Doc Rivers says he will enlist actor Jamie Foxx when he tries to recruit Jordan to stay with the Clippers. Maybe he should bring Webber's shooting coach along with him, too.

3) 76-year old Phil Knight is stepping down as head of Nike; tough act to follow. He is one of the greatest American success stories. Nike made $3.2B last year.

2) Random football stat: Ohio State won 10 of its last 11 games with Michigan.

1) Two of the last three Super Bowls were won by QBs (Flacco/Wilson) who were transfers during their college careers. Troy Aikman was a transfer, so was Vince Ferragamo. Aaron Rodgers had to play JC ball because no one offered hm a scholarship out of high school.

Phil Simms went to Morehead State, Tony Romo Eastern Illinois, Terry Bradshaw Louisiana Tech, Kurt Warner Northern Iowa, Doug Williams Grambling.

One of the cool things about sports is that great players come from all over

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA JUNE/ JULY RECORD:


*****...............................2 - 5 - 1
DOUBLE PLAY....................13 - 15
TRIPLE PLAY......................4 - 1
SLAM DUNK.......................9 - 4


MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY:


*****.............................44 - 47 - 1 ..............................- 2.20
double play......................68 - 75 - 1 ..............................- 23.59
triple play........................24 - 21 - 1 .............................+ 13.11
grand slam......................42 - 47....................................- 28.15


CFL JUNE/JULY RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY.................................0 - 0
DOUBLE PLAY................................3 - 0
TRIPLE PLAY..................................1 - 0
BLOW OUT....................................0 - 0


WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 12:35 PM ET Cincinnati -191 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Cincinnati - Under 7 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Boston - 1:07 PM ET Toronto -139 500 *****

Toronto - Over 8.5 500 *****


Colorado - 3:35 PM ET Oakland -165 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Oakland - Over 7.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Seattle - 3:40 PM ET San Diego -105 500 GRAND SLAM

San Diego - Under 7 500 GRAND SLAM

[StarDust Bum]

Analyzing Golden Nugget Openers

July 1, 2015


The Golden Nugget released its spreads for 166 college football Games of the Year this past Friday. The Nugget is annually the first betting shop in Las Vegas to posts these lines, limiting gamblers to six plays with a maximum bet of 'a dime' ($1,000 in gambling vernacular) before requiring them to go to the back of the line.

I found it interesting that Alabama clearly isn't getting the respect it has been given by oddsmakers over the last few years. My personal numbers for the Crimson Tide are much richer than those sent out by The Nugget for several games. For instance, I made Nick Saban's team a 13-point home favorite vs. Ole Miss, but TGN opened the Tide as a 9.5-point home 'chalk' to the Rebels.

I also feel like Auburn isn't getting the respect it deserves coming into 2015. Nick Marshall is gone, but Jeremy Johnson might end up being an upgrade. Johnson, a true junior who has a 9/2 career touchdown-to-interception ratio, will undoubtedly bring improvement to the Tigers' aerial attack. Although he doesn't possess the running skills of Marshall, he has incredible size and will be tough for would-be sackers to bring down.

I'll even go a step further with Johnson. This is certainly a strong statement and perhaps a bit of a reach, but I believe he's capable of having a 2010 Cam Newton type of season. Johnson has one of the country's best play-callers in Gus Malzahn and perhaps the SEC's premier down-the-field threat in wide receiver Duke Williams.

I feel like Arkansas and Mississippi St. are being given too much respect, especially the Bulldogs. Dan Mullen's team returns only seven total starters. Granted, one of those is Heisman Trophy candidate Dak Prescott, but he won't have the benefit of a veteran offensive line or the services of dynamic running back Josh Robinson, who bolted for the NFL a year early after enjoying a monster 2014 campaign.

If Dan Mullen can keep Mississippi St. out of the SEC West cellar (not exactly the most shameful place to reside, by the way), he will have done an excellent coaching job in 2015. Of the 166 games posted, my top play is Auburn as an eight-point home favorite to the Bulldogs. This is a huge revenge game for AU after getting blasted in Starkville last year. I made the Tigers 15-point favorites in that spot and will be completely stunned if they aren't double-digit 'chalk' vs. MSU.

Let's go back to Arkansas, which had one of the best 7-6 campaigns you'll ever witness in 2014. Bret Beliema's squad improved by four games after Year 1 netted an abysmal 3-9 mark. However, those seven wins don't do justice to how much the Razorbacks improved. They easily could've won 10 games, losing once in overtime (vs. Texas A&M) and by one (to Alabama due to a missed PAT). Beliema's bunch also allowed second-half leads to get away at Mississippi St. and at Missouri.

Arkansas somehow opened as a 6.5-point home favorite vs. Auburn. This turned out to be one of three games TGN ended up moving by five points. Before Friday's betting action was completed, the Razorbacks were favored by just 1.5 points.

Arkansas will have two weeks to prepare for Auburn, but I feel like that advantage is negated to some extent because AU plays at Kentucky the previous Thursday. Although the Tigers won't have two full weeks to prep for the Hogs, they will have two extra days of rest themselves. My line for AU-Arky is pick 'em.

Arkansas was also involved in another game moved five points by TGN, which opened the Razorbacks as 6.5-point favorites for their annual showdown against Texas A&M at Jerry World in Arlington. The Aggies rallied from a 28-14 second-half deficit to force overtime and beat the Hogs last year. I made Arkansas a 3.5-point fave in this matchup and after lots of action on Kevin Sumlin's squad, TGN eventually moved the number down to 1.5.

The other game featuring a five-point move was for Boise St. at BYU. The Broncos opened as six-point road favorites, but they are now one-point 'chalk.'

Sticking with BSU, the enormous -270 favorite to win the Mountain West Conference at 5Dimes, it opened as a 13-point home favorite for its opener against Washington and former coach Chris Petersen. But the action came fast on the Huskies, who are down to 8.5-point road underdogs for their trip to the smurf turf.

In its first year under Bryan Harsin, Boise St. compiled a 12-2 straight-up record and an 8-6 against-the-spread ledger. The Broncos beat BYU by a 55-30 count at home and ended the season on a nine-game winning streak, including a 38-30 triumph over Arizona as three-point underdogs in the Fiesta Bowl.

BSU now has three Fiesta Bowl wins on its school history's resume. Don't be shocked if it is in another New Year's Day Bowl in 2015, assuming it doesn't work its way into the College Football Playoff. Harsin's team returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense, and that doesn't count senior DE Tyler Horn, who was a returning starter in 2014 but tore his ACL in a season-opening loss to Ole Miss.

In Week 4, BSU ventures to the East Coast for a Friday Night showdown at Virginia. TGN opened the Broncos as nine-point favorites against the Cavaliers. They are also favored at Colorado St. (opened -12, now -10.5), at Utah St. (opened -9.5, now -6) and at UNLV (-28.5). If form holds for the Week 2 showdown in Provo against the Cougars, BSU will almost certainly be favored in every game this year.

Ohio St. and TCU join Boise St. as the only teams (beyond those that have just one lined game) that are favored in every contest. The Buckeyes are actually double-digit 'chalk' in each game, favored by 12.5 or more every time. They are -16 at Va. Tech, -19 vs. Penn St., -12.5 vs. Michigan St. and -13 at Michigan. The number for the game against the Spartans is too rich. In fact, 5Dimes has Urban Meyer's squad favored by only seven.

TCU returns 15 total starters (10 offense, 5 defense) from a 12-1 team that suffered its lone loss by a 61-58 score at Baylor. The Horned Frogs blew a 21-point four-quarter lead in Waco, but they responded by winning their last eight games, including three blowouts of ranked teams like the 42-3 shellacking of Ole Miss administered at the Ga. Dome.

TGN opened Gary Patterson's squad as a double-digit favorite in six of its eight games. TCU is favored by five at Oklahoma and by six vs. Baylor.

Let's go back to Alabama, which has been favored in 68 consecutive games. That streak is in jeopardy for an Oct. 3 game at Georgia where TGN has it as a pick 'em. The Tide was a single-digit fave in six games last season, limping to a 2-4 spread record with a pair of outright defeats. In its nine listed games this year, 'Bama opened a double-digit favorite only twice. The Tide started -10 for both its opener vs. Wisconsin and its home game against Tennessee. The seven other opening numbers were single digits.

That's a huge adjustment from previous Alabama teams. I get the uncertainty with so many key offensive parts like Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon gone, but I will give Saban the benefit of the doubt until I see reasons to think the Tide is doomed for a significant drop-off in 2015.

Only three starters on offense and seven on defense are back. The quarterback position is a question mark, as is the offensive line for the first time in a long time. Alabama might go with redshirt freshman David Cornwell over Jacob Coker in the QB competition. These are all legit concerns

But hasn't Saban proven time and again that he'll have his team ready to perform at an elite level? Derrick Henry is going to have a monster season. The defense will be nasty yet again. Saban will get things figured out on the o-line. The only way I can see Alabama winning nine games or fewer is if the QB situation becomes an unmitigated disaster. Otherwise, this will again be a team that goes into the Iron Bowl with a shot at getting to the CFP.

Speaking of the Auburn-Alabama battle, that number opened at -3.5 in favor of the Tide. However, the line is now -2.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Prescott leads SEC QB race

SEC QB Rankings

At this time last year, the discussion of SEC quarterbacks centered around the lack of experience for so many teams. Only four QBs who started eight games or more in 2013 were returning, including Mississippi St.'s Dak Prescott, Arkansas's Brandon Allen, Ole Miss's Bo Wallace and Auburn's Nick Marshall.

There were other teams that felt decent about their QB situations because of prior experience, including Florida (Jeff Driskel), South Carolina (Dylan Thompson), Georgia (Hutson Mason) and Missouri (Maty Mauk). However, the Gamecocks, Bulldogs and Tigers had arguably lost their best QBs ever in Connor Shaw, Aaron Murray and James Franklin, while Driskel was coming off a broken leg.

Due to those circumstances, I felt 2014 was the most difficult year to predict the SEC in a long time. In fact, I only had one gambling play that I was confident in and that was 'over' 7.5 wins for Mississippi St. I did call for Alabama to win the SEC, but only because it drew Auburn at home and had a decidedly easier schedule compared to that of AU and LSU.

As it turned out, Mississippi St. won its first nine games and had one of its best teams in school history. Alabama shook off a loss in Oxford and a double-digit second-half deficit to Auburn and won the SEC by clubbing Missouri, 42-13. Prescott, Allen, Wallace and Marshall had banner seasons, while Thompson was brilliant for Steve Spurrier and Mauk was very solid with the exception of an odd October slump.

On the flip side, Driskel was horrible while former UF signal callers Tyler Murphy and Jacoby Brissett had monster seasons at Boston College and N.C. St., respectively. Driskel's woes led to Will Muschamp's dismissal and he has transferred and will start at La. Tech this year. Mason had good numbers (21/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio), but UGA had disappointing setbacks to South Carolina and Florida that prevented it from winning the East.

Looking to 2015, there's a lot of turnover at the QB position. Once again, there are only four full-time starters returning in Prescott, Mauk, Allen (Arkansas) and Kentucky's Patrick Towles.

There are other part-time starters coming back, including Vandy's Johnny McCrary (five starts), UF's Treon Harris (six), Texas A&M's Kyle Allen (five) and Tennessee's Josh Dobbs (five). But Harris was seemingly beaten out by Will Grier in the spring, although new UF coach Jim McElwain has insisted that no decision will be made until late August. McCrary isn't a given to be Vandy's starter, either.

Let's break down my SEC quarterback rankings...

1) Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) - I feel comfortable ranking Prescott here, but I do want to be clear on a few things. First of all, the biggest sucker bet out there this summer is for him to win the Heisman. That's just not going to happen, mainly because the Bulldogs will be fortunate if they can win seven regular-season games. Prescott isn't going to produce the numbers he had in a sensational 2014 campaign. A veteran offensive line with 114 career starts and consisting of four-year starting center Dillon Day and first-team All-SEC OG Ben Beckwith, is mostly gone. Dynamic RB Josh Robinson decided to turn pro early, while veteran WRs Jameon Lewis and Malcolm Johnson have also departed. Prescott's elusiveness will mask some of the o-line issues, as will Dan Mullen's play-calling, and he'll have another stellar season. But the 2014 campaign was a dream year in Starkville, one that won't be duplicated in 2015. It won't be Prescott's fault, but his team's lack of success will eliminate him from Heisman contention.

2) Jeremy Johnson (Auburn) - Who, you ask? Jeremy Johnson, that's who! This guy is going to be great. If you haven't watched Auburn games at garbage time, you may not have laid eyes on Johnson yet. Well, here's a comparison for you: Cam Newton. That's right, there's a possibility that Johnson could produce a one-and-done type season that Newton enjoyed in 2010. He's built like a tank (6'5", 240) and can shake off sack attempts from the league's best defensive linemen. Johnson doesn't have Newton's speed, but his arm is probably stronger. He's accurate, too, as evidenced by completion percentages of 71% and 76%, albeit in limited playing time, in his first two seasons. Johnson has a 9/2 career TD-INT ratio. He has one of the nation's best WRs in Duke Johnson, and that tandem is poised for a breakout season. I'm not opposed to a very small wager on Johnson to win the Heisman (most odds I've seen are in the 23/1 neighborhood).

3) Josh Dobbs (Tennessee) - What took Butch Jones so long to turn to Dobbs? Granted, UT's strength of schedule is always weaker in November when it annually draws Vandy and Kentucky. Therefore, you can make a valid argument that Dobbs hasn't yet produced against the league's best defenses. But when he finally got his chance in 2014 after the Vols fell behind big to Alabama, he responded in a big way. Dobbs would start the last five games, leading UT to a 4-1 record and three offensive outburst of 45 points or more. Like Prescott, Dobbs has elite scrambling skills, rushing for 587 yards and eight TDs last year. He is surrounded by outstanding talent, including veteran wideouts Pig Howard, Von Pearson and Marquez North. Also, Dobbs has an excellent 1-2 punch of RBs in Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. I'm confident Dobbs is poised to have a breakout year.

4) Brandon Allen (Arkansas) - Allen is what he is, which is to say very solid. As a sophomore in 2013, he injured his shoulder in late September. Allen demonstrated his toughness by playing through the injury, but he had to rest the shoulder during the week and his lack of practice reps clearly impacted his play on Saturdays for the worse. Finally healthy in 2015, Allen took care of the football and had his team in position to win 11 of its 13 games at crunch time. He posted a 20/5 TD-INT ratio and the Hogs improved by four wins. Allen lacks a big-time receiver to stretch the field, but the hope in Fayetteville is that juco transfer Dominique Reed can become a big-play threat. Allen has the benefit of a massive offensive line and two workhorse RBs in Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, both of whom eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2014. With the SEC's best TE (Hunter Henry), Allen is poised for another excellent season to close out his collegiate career.

5) Maty Mauk (Missouri) - If not for a brutal October slump that had gamblers perplexed, Mauk would probably rank higher on this list. He did an amazing job in 2013 when Franklin went down with an injury, guiding the Tigers to a 3-1 record in four starts while posting an 11/2 TD-INT ratio. Mauk picked up where he left off from 2013 last September, leading Missouri to a 3-0 start and a pair of easy spread covers. However, he slumped badly in a five-game stretch, especially in a 34-0 home loss to Georgia, only to snap out of it in road wins at Texas A&M and at Tennessee. Mauk's accuracy needs to improve, but the bottom line is that he has been instrumental in helping his team win the East in back-to-back season. His career record as a starter is 14-4 and his TD-INT ratio is 36/14. Finally, we should also mention that he's the third-best scrambler among SEC QBs behind only Prescott and Dobbs.

Discussing the rest...

UK's Patrick Towles is the only other established QB in the league. He helped the Wildcats improve from 2-10 to 5-7, narrowly missing a bowl when the defense couldn't hold a late fourth-quarter lead at Louisville in a 44-40 loss. Towles threw for 2,718 yards with a 14/9 TD-INT ratio. He also rushed for 559 yards and six TDs. He'll have to hold off redshirt freshman Drew Barker, who was the most highly-ranked QB signed by UK since Tim Couch.

Florida QBs Will Grier and Treon Harris will continue to compete for the starting job in August, but all indications coming out of spring were that Grier was the front-runner. He redshirted in 2014 but was ranked higher than Harris by recruitniks coming out of high school. Grier appears to be more in the pro-style mold that fits McElwain's offense. With that said, Harris earned valuable experience as a true freshman, throwing nine TD passes compared to just four picks. He also ran for three TDs and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. The Gators went 4-2 in Harris's six starts and were two plays away from being unbeaten. A 93-yard pick-six (that was more to blame on TE Tevin Westbrook than Harris) on a first-and-goal play at FSU was the difference in a 24-19 loss. If one of three plays goes UF's way against South Carolina, it would've won what turned out to be a 23-20 loss in overtime. The Gamecocks blocked a short field goal a few plays after a Harris TD run was nullified by a holding penalty. Then with less than 30 seconds remaining, South Carolina blocked a punt that set it up for a last-second score to force OT.

Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama have loaded teams, but their seasons are tough to predict with all the uncertainty under center. UGA lost Mason, Alabama no longer has Blake Sims and Ole Miss will have a starter not named Bo Wallace for the first time since 2011.

Sims was an underdog to be the Tide's starter in 2014, especially after struggling in the spring game. If you listened to Jimbo Fisher tell it, FSU transfer Jacob Coker was the second coming of Joe Montana. But after arriving in Tuscaloosa last May, he couldn't beat out Sims. Coker returns and will compete with redshirt freshman David Cornwell. There's an outside chance true freshman Blake Barnett, a five-star recruit, could be in the mix. Whoever gets the nod in Week 1 will face a daunting task in a neutral-field game against Wisconsin in Arlington, TX. The Badgers have held opponents to 20.5 points per game or fewer in five consecutive seasons. They bring back six starters from last year.

The Georgia QB competition has a new potential contender in Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert, who had a 10/1 TD-INT ratio for the Cavs last season. Lambert will battle with third-year sophomore Brice Ramsey.

Ole Miss has three players vying for the starting job, including Clemson transfer Chad Kelly and a pair of sophomores in DeVante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan. Kelly is considered to be more talented and will likely win the job if he can stay out of trouble in Oxford this summer.

Texas A&M's Kyle Allen, a true sophomore, could be pushed by true freshman Kyler Murray in August. Allen had a 16/7 TD-INT ratio as a freshman last year, helping the Aggies win 41-38 at Auburn as 23-point underdogs. Murray was a five-star prospect but wasn't in College Station for spring ball.

LSU's competition was between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris in the spring, but Jennings was one of four LSU players suspended indefinitely last week after being arrested on theft charges. Harris, a true sophomore, played well at garbage time but his only start was a disaster at Auburn.

The favorite to start for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina is Connor Mitch, a third-year sophomore who has played in only two games. His competition is junior Perry Orth and incoming freshman Lorenzo Nunez, a dual-threat QB who will likely have a package of plays for each game. All-American WR Pharoh Cooper may also play some QB in Wildcat formations in short-yardage situations. Cooper completed 5-of-8 passes for 78 yards and two TDs without an interception last year.