Announcement

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 08:02 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Daytona is a 2.5-mile track; any idea how much it costs to pave it?

-- Robin Lopez signs with the Knicks for four years, $54M.

-- Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul hurt his hand in a fireworks-related accident over the weekend and could have nerve damage in one finger. We hope he recovers soon.

-- Giants were going to pay him $14.8M this coming season, but he hadn't signed the deal yet, so if he can't play, the Giants could still pull the deal.

-- Speaking of the Giants, they've lost seven of last eight home games with Philly, as we begin to look at NFL stuff for the coming season.

-- Overtime in the CFL; Toronto beats Saskatchewan 42-40 in Regina.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend......

13) Thanks to NASCAR for starting their Daytona race after 11:30 pm so I had live entertainment while typing this. I know nothing about cars but for some reason, I like watching/listening to the races. Am guessing it would be too loud in person.

12) David Ortiz played first base Sunday, the first time he played the field in an AL game since 2006 at Tampa Bay. Mike Napoli has been really struggling.

11) 24-year old Danny Lee won his first PGA tournament Sunday, winning a 4-man playoff at Greenbrier. He was so happy in the interview after, kind of cool to see. He has played 27 tournaments this year, most of anyone.

10) Robert Streb lost in the playoff; not even sure how he got in, after playing the last nine holes with no putter- he broke his on the ninth green and used a pitching wedge to putt on the last nine holes, somehow still making five birdies.

9) Which is the worst birthday: December 26, January 2 or July 5?

8) I'm not sure who added all this up, but the guy who won the hot dog contest on Saturday consumed this much in ten minutes during his win:

-- 17,360 calories, 1,116 grams of fat and 48,360 kilograms of sodium. Oy.

7) Unintended consequence: the Home Run Derby is better theater than the All-Star Game itself, especially in years like this one, in a small ballpark.

6) I remember watching the 2013 Home Run Derby in Las Vegas in the sportsbook at Planet Hollywood; I'm sitting at the bar playing video poker (bad idea, the machines just outside the coffee shop are lot more generous) and I just remember how annoying Chris Berman was.

"Back, back, back....." 50 or 60 times gets old.....Cespedes was in the running so I kept watching, but asked the bartender if they could mute the TVs and put music on, thats how annoying Berman gets with his self-promoting act.

5) Golfer Jason Bohn played his college golf at Alabama, until he won $1M making a hole-in-one at a charity event in 1992- then he became a pro. He also once shot a 58 on the Canadian Tour and has won two PGA Tour events, the BC Open in 2005 and the New Orleans tournament in 2010.

4) Hitters don't get out of the way of inside pitches anymore; they react as if it is illegal to throw the ball inside. Watch some film from the 60's/70's; batters would turn their bodies away from inside pitches, to avoid getting hit. Now guys expose their hands to being hit (and bones broken) by 95 mph fastballs. Not good.

George Springer broke a bone in his hand this weekend; Carlos Gomez got hit on the wrist yesterday and left the game. Players have to protect their hands.

3) Stupid baseball scheduling: Giants played in Washington this weekend, and play at home against the Mets tonight, which is fine, but they can't be the Sunday night game if they have a game 3,000 miles away the next night. It is terrible scheduling.

Giants are actually flying home Monday morning and playing same night, which almost never happens in pro sports. ESPN should've picked another game.

2) If baseball playoffs started today, they would look like this:
AL: Houston-Kansas City-Bronx. Wild cards: Balt or Minn @ Angels
NL: Washington-St Louis-Dodgers. Wild cards: Cubs @ Pirates

1) Every kid who wants to be a high school, college or pro basketball player should be watching these NBA Summer League games on NBA TV. It is so difficult to make it to the NBA or even the Division I college ranks; you have to practice and refine your skills to maximize your game. Shooting, passing, lower-body strength; that is how you become a better player, one that coaches will sign up to help them win games.

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 08:06 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, July 6

National League
Reds @ Nationals
DeSclafani is 0-2, 5.24 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Fister is 1-3, 7.08 in his last four starts; six of his last nine went over.

Cincinnati won four of last five games with Washington; five of last seven in series stayed under. Reds lost seven of last nine games overall; five of their last seven went over. Nationals won last four games, allowing six runs; five of their last six games stayed under.

Padres @ Pirates
Shields is 0-3, 5.90 in his last five starts; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine.

Burnett is 1-1, 1.24 in his last four home starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight starts overall.

San Diego won four of last six games with Pittsburgh; over is 4-0-1 in last five series games. Padres lost five of last seven games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six. Pirates won five of last six games (over 4-2).

Cardinals @ Cubs
Lackey is 2-1, 2.17 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Lester is 0-1, 2.22 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under- Chicago scored total of 11 runs in his last seven starts.

St Louis won six of last seven games with the Cubs; home side won eight of last ten series games- three of last four stayed under. Cardinals won five of last six on road; under is 5-2 in their last seven games overall. Chicago won five of last six games, allowing five runs; under is 5-2 in their last seven.

Braves @ Brewers
Wisler is 2-1, 3.64 in his three starts- they all stayed under.

Lohse is 2-5, 7.11 in his last eight starts, but won his last two (Brewers scored 10-9 runs); six of his last eight starts went over.

Braves won four of last five games (under 4-1). Atlanta won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee, which has won eight games in row, scoring 42 runs in its last five (over 5-1-1 in last seven).

Phillies @ Dodgers
O'Sullivan is 0-3, 7.41 in his last seven starts; four of his last six went over.

LA hasn't named a starting pitcher as I type this, but it could be Eric Stults, who was 1-4, 5.36 in seven starts for Atlanta earlier this year- five of those seven games went over.

Or it could be Surkamp, who was 2-3, 7.67 in seven starts for SF in 2012-13; he is 4-0, 2.89 in his last five AAA starts this year.

Philly lost six of last seven games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight. Phillies are 5-3 in last eight games with Dodgers; under is 7-2-1 in last 10 series games. LA is 3-5 in last eight home games; four of its last six home games went over. .

Mets @ Giants
Niese is winless in his last nine starts, but is 0-2, 2.70 in his last three, so he's gotten better-- his last three starts stayed under.

Heston is 3-1, 3.03 in his last five starts; eight of his last ten went over.

Mets are 5-20 in its last 25 road games; they've lost four of last six overall. Ten of their last 13 stayed under. Giants won eight of last ten games against Mets; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. SF flew cross-country Monday morning after playing in Washington last night- they're off an 0-6 road trip. Eight of last ten Giant games went over.

American League
Astros @ Indians
Keuchel is 4-2, 2.09 in his last seven starts, 2-0, 0.00 in his last two (17 IP); seven of his last nine starts stayed under.

Carrasco is 3-1, 2.79 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.

Houston lost seven of last nine games with Cleveland; last ten series games stayed under. Astros are 8-17 in last 25 road games; three of their last four overall went over. Indians won five of last seven games (over 5-2) but lost last two games, scoring three runs.

Orioles @ Twins
Chen is 3-0, 2.00 in his last four starts; his last nine all stayed under.

Hughes is 3-0, 2.38 in his last three starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Baltimore won three of last four games with Minnesota (over 3-1); Orioles lost five of last seven games- four of their last five stayed under. Twins are 3-5 in their last eight; under is 4-0-1 in their last five games. .

Rays @ Royals
Colome is 0-2, 5.73 in his last four starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Volquez is 4-0, 3.99 in his last five starts (over 4-0-1).

Tampa Bay lost six of last eight games with Kansas City; over is 5-3-2 in last ten series games. Rays lost seven of last eight games (over 6-1-1). Royals lost five of last seven games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six. .

Blue Jays @ White Sox
Former White Sox P Buehrle is 3-0, 1.88 in his last six starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine. Jays scored 23 runs in his last two starts.

Sale struck out 10+ batters his last eight starts, but is winless in his last four (0-2, 2.76). White Sox scoted five runs in his last four- under is 8-1-1 in his last ten starts.

Toronto lost five of last seven games; their last five went over total. Jays lost six of last nine games with Chicago; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. White Sox won four of last five games; over is 5-3 in their last eight.

Tigers @ Mariners
Simon is 0-1, 11.05 in his last three starts; his last five all went over.

Iwakuma is making first start since April 20 (back); he was 0-1, 7.16 in three starts before going on DL- all three went over total.

Detroit lost four of last five games with Seattle; Tigers lost four of their last six games- their last 15 games went over. Mariners won four of last six games; under is 7-1-1 in their last nine.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Cin-Wsh-- DeSclafani 8-8; Fister 4-6
SD-Pitt-- Shields 9-8; Burnett 9-7
StL-Cubs-- Lackey 9-7; Lester 9-7
Atl-Mil-- Wisler 2-1; Lohse 7-10
Phil-LA-- O'Sullivan 5-7; Stults 2-5 for Atlanta
NY-SF-- Niese 4-11; Heston 10-6

Hst-Clev-- Keuchel 12-5; Carrasco 10-6
Balt-Minn-- Chen 10-5; Hughes 8-8
TB-KC-- Colome 3-10; Volquez 11-5
Tor-Chi-- Buehrle 10-6; Sale 9-6
Det-Sea-- Simon 8-7; Iwakuma 0-3

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Cin-Wsh-- DeSclafani 3-16; Fister 3-10
SD-Pitt-- Shields 4-17; Burnett 4-16
StL-Cubs-- Lackey 3-16; Lester 6-16
Atl-Mil-- Wisler 1-3; Lohse 7-17
Phil-LA-- O'Sullivan 8-12; Stults 1-7
NY-SF-- Niese 6-15; Heston 1-16

Hst-Clev-- Keuchel 3-17; Carrasco 7-16
Balt-Minn-- Chen 3-15; Hughes 3-16
TB-KC-- Colome 2-13; Volquez 4-16
Tor-Chi-- Buehrle 9-16; Sale 5-15
Det-Sea-- Simon 3-15; Iwakuma 2-3

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 08:10 AM

MLB

Monday, July 6

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. WASHINGTON
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games
Washington is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
San Diego is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing San Diego
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego

7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. CLEVELAND
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Houston is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

8:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games

8:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta

8:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. KANSAS CITY
Tampa Bay is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 12 games on the road
Kansas City is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

8:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games
Minnesota is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore

8:10 PM
TORONTO vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 11 games at home
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

10:10 PM
DETROIT vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

10:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 11 games when playing LA Dodgers
Philadelphia is 11-5 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

10:15 PM
NY METS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Mets's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Mets's last 11 games on the road
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Francisco's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets

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**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 09:58 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Monday, July 6

Cincinnati @ Washington

Game 951-952
July 6, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(DeSclafani) 16.101
Washington
(Fister) 17.529
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-165
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-165); Over

San Diego @ Pittsburgh

Game 953-954
July 6, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Shields) 12.734
Pittsburgh
(Burnett) 17.713
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 5
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-165
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-165); Over

St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs

Game 955-956
July 6, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lackey) 16.586
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 15.032
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-130
No Run Total
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+110); N/A

Atlanta @ Milwaukee

Game 957-958
July 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Wisler) 15.449
Milwaukee
(Lohse) 12.068
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-135
8
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+115); Under

Philadelphia @ LA Dodgers

Game 959-960
July 6, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(O'Sullvan) 13.234
LA Dodgers
(Surkamp) 16.329
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 3
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
N/A

NY Mets @ San Francisco

Game 961-962
July 6, 2015 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Niese) 13.701
San Francisco
(Heston) 15.204
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-170
7
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-170); Under

Houston @ Cleveland

Game 963-964
July 6, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Keuchel) 15.521
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 14.039
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-120
7
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+100); Over

Baltimore @ Minnesota

Game 965-966
July 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Chen) 17.097
Minnesota
(Hughes) 13.466
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 3 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-110
8
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-110); Over

Tampa Bay @ Kansas City

Game 967-968
July 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Colome) 13.512
Kansas City
(Volquez) 16.235
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-150); Over

Toronto @ Chicago White Sox

Game 969-970
July 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Buehrle) 12.544
Chicago White Sox
(Sale) 18.006
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 5 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-160
7
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-160); Over

Detroit @ Seattle

Game 971-972
July 6, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Simon) 15.217
Seattle
(Iwakuma) 14.210
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-150
7
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+130); Under

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 11:59 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, July 6

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CINCINNATI (36 - 44) at WASHINGTON (46 - 36) - 7:05 PM
ANTHONY DESCLAFANI (R) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 8-26 (-15.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 47-75 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 47-75 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 69-90 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 31-61 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 511-578 (+30.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 3-0 (+3.3 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ANTHONY DESCLAFANI vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
DESCLAFANI is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
FISTER is 2-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.786.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.3 units)

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SAN DIEGO (39 - 45) at PITTSBURGH (47 - 34) - 7:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. A.J. BURNETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 53-92 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 232-180 (+34.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 129-78 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 230-179 (+32.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 94-67 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 63-36 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 78-45 (+21.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SHIELDS is 39-21 (+19.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 20-10 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 30-15 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 19-8 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 11-3 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 10-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 12-31 (-28.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 174-180 (-36.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 141-152 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 10-21 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 3-11 (-10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-2 (+0.1 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SHIELDS is 0-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
BURNETT is 4-7 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.551.
His team's record is 4-8 (-6.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.8 units)

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

ST LOUIS (53 - 28) at CHICAGO CUBS (44 - 36) - 8:05 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LACKEY is 10-21 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 117-123 (+2.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-20 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 66-68 (+4.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 53-28 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 22-8 (+12.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 53-28 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-17 (+14.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-11 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LACKEY is 20-8 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 1431-1589 (-276.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 766-742 (-163.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 362-346 (-87.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1053-1185 (-213.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 40-55 (-32.5 Units) against the money line in home games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 665-767 (-198.7 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 7-2 (+4.7 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LACKEY is 2-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.34 and a WHIP of 1.269.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.2 units)

JON LESTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LESTER is 3-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.85 and a WHIP of 1.147.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)

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

ATLANTA (40 - 42) at MILWAUKEE (36 - 48) - 8:10 PM
MATT WISLER (R) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 59-69 (-22.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 25-29 (-12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-27 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 22-19 (+8.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 118-128 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 21-26 (-14.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 15-26 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-26 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-41 (-15.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 55-60 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-23 (-19.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

MATT WISLER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

KYLE LOHSE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LOHSE is 6-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.262.
His team's record is 7-7 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-6. (+1.8 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (28 - 56) at LA DODGERS (46 - 37) - 10:10 PM
SEAN O'SULLIVAN (R) vs. ERIC SURKAMP (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

SEAN O'SULLIVAN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

ERIC SURKAMP vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY METS (42 - 41) at SAN FRANCISCO (42 - 41) - 10:15 PM
JON NIESE (L) vs. CHRIS HESTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 13-27 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
NY METS are 23-33 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 9-22 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 2-12 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
NIESE is 6-19 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 142-120 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 211-106 (+40.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 142-120 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1048-882 (+113.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 250-158 (+56.5 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 63-57 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-36 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-10 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 16-23 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-12 (-11.5 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against NY METS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JON NIESE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
NIESE is 1-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.102.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-1. (+5.0 units)

CHRIS HESTON vs. NY METS since 1997
HESTON is 1-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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HOUSTON (48 - 36) at CLEVELAND (38 - 43) - 7:10 PM
DALLAS KEUCHEL (L) vs. CARLOS CARRASCO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 48-36 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 14-8 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-9 (+12.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 48-33 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 80-88 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 31-18 (+14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KEUCHEL is 29-17 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 28-16 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 19-10 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 18-9 (+13.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 38-43 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-23 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 34-43 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-15 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-20 (-9.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 18-26 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CARRASCO is 7-13 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CARRASCO is 7-13 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CARRASCO is 6-17 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against HOUSTON this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
KEUCHEL is 2-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 0.78 and a WHIP of 0.913.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

CARLOS CARRASCO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
CARRASCO is 2-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 0.42 and a WHIP of 0.516.
His team's record is 2-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

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BALTIMORE (43 - 39) at MINNESOTA (43 - 39) - 8:10 PM
WEI-YIN CHEN (L) vs. PHIL HUGHES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 5-16 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 43-39 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-8 (+9.3 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
MINNESOTA is 25-15 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 43-39 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 22-19 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 18-11 (+10.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-15 (+13.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HUGHES is 28-20 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUGHES is 27-20 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUGHES is 51-29 (+24.9 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUGHES is 17-7 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 143-109 (+38.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 63-59 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 19-11 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 19-9 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 127-96 (+33.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 109-80 (+33.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 78-63 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 65-52 (+19.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 34-19 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 30-18 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 38-17 (+20.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 29-14 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 15-7 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 38-69 (-25.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
CHEN is 3-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.42 and a WHIP of 1.141.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

PHIL HUGHES vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HUGHES is 8-5 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.388.
His team's record is 11-9 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-7. (+3.7 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (43 - 41) at KANSAS CITY (46 - 33) - 8:10 PM
ALEX COLOME (R) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 120-126 (-26.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 85-93 (-22.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 46-33 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 46-33 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 105-75 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 33-19 (+12.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 83-64 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 70-56 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 23-16 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 11-3 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games in July games over the last 2 seasons.

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

ALEX COLOME vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 2-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.66 and a WHIP of 1.033.
His team's record is 2-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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TORONTO (43 - 41) at CHI WHITE SOX (36 - 43) - 8:10 PM
MARK BUEHRLE (L) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 10-1 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 31-17 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 22-10 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 18-7 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 18-5 (+13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
BUEHRLE is 1-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.20 and a WHIP of 1.322.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. TORONTO since 1997
SALE is 1-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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

DETROIT (41 - 40) at SEATTLE (38 - 44) - 10:10 PM
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. HISASHI IWAKUMA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 19-27 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 16-23 (-9.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DETROIT is 61-60 (-16.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SIMON is 28-20 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 28-20 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 10-3 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 38-44 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 4-10 (-9.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
SEATTLE is 17-23 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 10-15 (-8.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SEATTLE is 33-43 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 13-18 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 14-19 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 14-23 (-12.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 14-21 (-9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

ALFREDO SIMON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

HISASHI IWAKUMA vs. DETROIT since 1997
IWAKUMA is 1-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 2-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 12:04 PM

MLB

Monday, July 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Blue Jays at White Sox
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox (-142, 7)

Chris Sale has a chance to set a major-league record when he takes the mound for the Chicago White Sox on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Sale has struck out at least 10 batters in eight consecutive starts, tying the all-time mark set by Pedro Martinez with the Boston Red Sox in 1999.

During Sale's historic tear, he has fanned 97 batters while walking only nine over 60 innings, yet he remains winless over his last four turns. The White Sox, who provided a total of five runs of support during Sale's dry spell, had their four-game winning streak snapped when they dropped a 9-1 decision to Baltimore on Sunday. Toronto, which avoided a three-game series sweep with a 10-5 thumping of Detroit in the series finale, sends left-hander Mark Buehrle to the mound to face his former teammates. "It should be fun. It should be fast too," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said of the matchup between Buehrle and Sale.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SNET (Toronto), CSN Chicago

LINE HISTORY: The Sox opened -148 and are now -142. The total opened at 7.

INJURY REPORT: Blue Jays - RF Michael Saunders (Late July, knee). White Sox - N/A

WEATHER WATCH: There is a 37 percent chance of thunderstorms and wind will blow across the field (RF to LF) at around 14 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (9-4, 3.64 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Chris Sale (6-4, 2.87)

Buehrle has been putting up impressive numbers of his own, winning back-to-back outings and stretching his unbeaten streak to seven starts after holding Boston to one run over seven innings on Wednesday. He won his previous turn against Texas by giving up two runs over seven innings versus Texas - the sixth straight start he's allowed two runs or fewer. He has been tormented by Melky Cabrera, who is 17-for-30 against him.

Sale was saddled with a no-decision last time out despite a masterful performance in which he struck out 12 and limited major league-best St. Louis to one run and six hits over eight innings. It was the fifth time in seven starts that Sale allowed one run or less, a span in which he allowed four hits or fewer four times. The 6-6 Sale has made five appearances (two starts) against Toronto, posting a 1-2 record and 2.84 ERA.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Chicago.
* Blue Jays are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings in Chicago.
* White Sox are 6-1 in Sales last seven starts with five days of rest.
* Blue Jays are 11-1 in Buehrles last 12 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-two percent of users are backing the Jays.

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

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 12:06 PM

MLB

Monday, July 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB betting cheat sheet: Greinke stealing the show in L.A.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for the mid-week major-league schedule:

Sale Goes For Strikeout Record

White Sox ace Chris Sale is coming off eight consecutive starts with 10 or more strikeouts, tying him with Pedro Martinez. He can set a new standard for consecutive games with double-digit Ks on Monday at home versus the Blue Jays. The southpaw is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two career starts versus Toronto, but both of those came at Rogers Center. The Jays aren't an ideal opponent though, leading the major league in runs scored, and batting a major league best .307 versus left-handers.

Tigers Over Trend at 16 and Counting...

Detroit has now seen the total go over in 16 straight, and given the way they've been playing, there may be no end in sight. Their starting rotation is struggling, and the bullpen has been a complete disaster over the past few weeks. The defense has been brutal as well, evidence by two more errors in Sunday's loss to Toronto. On a positive note for the Tigers, their bats have been hot, scoring 28 runs in five games in July, and they led the majors batting .281 in June.

Greinke Working On 27 2/3 Scoreless Innings Streak

While Clayton Kershaw continues to struggle, Zack Greinke is stealing the show out west in LA. He's leading the major leagues with a 1.48 ERA, and he's now gone 27 2/3 innings without surrendering a run. He'll have an excellent chance to extend that run at home against the Phillies on Thursday.

Pitching Notes

*Hisashi Iwakuma will come off the DL on Monday to start in the series opener versus the Tigers. The 34 year old hasn't pitched for Seattle since April, but his performance at Triple-A was quite encouraging. He was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts, pitching a total of 13 1/3 innings. Iwakuma is 20-12 with a 2.82 ERA in 42 starts at Safeco since 2012.

*Yovani Gallardo has quietly been dominating out in Texas. The right-hander has not allowed a run over 26 1/3 innings in his last four starts, and the last three came on the road. His numbers at home aren't too shabby either, going 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in seven starts in Arlington. He should have an excellent chance to continue his success in his next start at home versus Arizona, he's 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts versus the Diamondbacks.

Hitting Notes

*Last year's AL batting champ Jose Altuve sat out seven games due to injury in mid June, but he's riding a 13 game hitting streak since returning. He could be gearing up for another strong second half, as he hit .349 after the All Star break in 2014.

*Cubs Rookie Kris Bryant was benched for the first time in his career on July 2nd, and he's responded well going 5-for-15 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs in three games since.

Weather Notes

* Forecasts are calling for wind to blow to left-centerfield at around 14 miles per hours at Wrigley Field Monday.

* More wind in the Windy City Tuesday as forecasts are predicting wind to blow in from leftfield at roughly 19 miles per hour.

Totals Streak

The Tigers as I already mentioned have been trending toward the over, and they head out on the road to face the Mariners in their pitcher's park on Monday. They've seen the total go over in nine straight road games, and 22-5-1 in their last 28 overall. The bookmakers are expecting this trend to cool off at Safeco, with a total of O/U 7 in Game 1 of the series.

Injury Notes

*The Nats have placed Stephen Strasburg on the 15 day DL with a strained oblique. The 26 year old has had a nightmare of a season posting a 5-5 record with a 5.16 ERA in 13 starts.

*For the first time in his career, Miguel Cabrera will go on the DL with a strained calf. He's expected to miss at least six weeks. It's a huge blow for the Tigers, as the 32 year old was batting a major league best .350.

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

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 12:10 PM

MLB

Monday, July 6

Padres' backers slumping in this pitcher's starts

The San Diego Padres have lost their last five ball games when righty James Shields takes the mound. Shields is expected to start the Friars' opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday.

Shields has lost three of those starts and took a no decision twice. The Friars have lost to the Atlanta Braves (-121), Los Angeles Dodgers (+100), Arizona Diamondbacks (-107), San Francisco Giants (+121) and Seattle Mariners (-108) over that stretch.

A.J. Burnett is expected to start for the Pirates, who are presently -139.

Bettors beware: thunderstorms possible in Washington

According to weather forecasts, there is a 69 percent chance of thunerstorms in the Nation's capital when the Washington Nationals host the Cincinnati Reds Monday evening.

Doug Fister is probable to get the ball for the Nats (-141) with Anthony Desclafani expected to start for the visitors (+130).

**StarDust Bum** · 07-06-2015, 12:22 PM

Monday's Tip Sheet

July 6, 2015

San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:05 p.m. EST

When James Shields (7-3, 4.14 ERA) faced the Pirates just over a month ago at Petco Park, he was riding high, carrying an undefeated record and a desirable 3.69 ERA. Flash forward into July now and Shields has suddenly lost three straight games after winning his first seven decisions. His ERA has also climbed over the 4.00-barrier, as the veteran ace has surrendered four runs or more in half of his six starts since that outing opposite Pittsburgh. One thing that hasn’t really changed, though, is Shields’ knack for winning ‘over’ bets in 2015, as he currently owns a 13-3-1 record for overs.

Starting out on a similar path, fellow veteran A.J. Burnett (7-3, 2.05 ERA) hasn’t let up, unlike his counterpart this evening, which is why Burnett is most likely to be tabbed for the upcoming All-Star Game when pitchers are announced, in what looks like his final Major League season. Burnett has been nothing short of fantastic for the Pirates this season, especially considering how woeful he was last year in Philadelphia losing an MLB-high 18 ballgames, as he’s been enjoying the definition of a renaissance year. Burnett has given up more than two runs in a start only three times in his 16 starts, and never more than four runs in an outing. In other words, he’s pretty much been as consistently stingy as anybody. He’ll be a -140 home favorite to kick off this series from PNC Park.

St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs | 8:05 p.m. EST (ESPN)

The only nationally-televised baseball game tonight is emanating from Wrigley Field, as two familiar foes square off in the first game of a four-game National League Central set. The MLB-best Cardinals have been cruising throughout the season, but now find themselves mired in their first rough patch, as they’ve been banged up and are currently starving for offense. In fact, St. Louis has scored three runs or less in six straight games, while losing four of them. If they can’t pick it up at the plate, they’ll hope John Lackey (6-5, 3.30 ERA) can churn out yet another quality start, something he’s done 11 times in his 16 starts this season. Having allowed two runs or less in each of his past four outings, the odds are in his favor of accomplishing that.

For the home side, Jon Lester (4-6, 3.74 ERA) will be getting things started for the Cubs, who currently sit in third in the NL Central, 8.5 games back of the Cardinals, but also own one of the league’s two Wild Card berths entering tonight. While he maybe hasn’t pitched like the dominant ace Chicago thought they were getting when they signed him this past offseason, Lester has still been solid, and comes into this assignment with three quality starts in his last four tries. He’s also been pretty good against St. Louis in his first go-around in the NL, being 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in two starts opposing the Red Birds. Also of note tonight, Lester will be without his personal catcher David Ross, who is on the seven-day disabled list with a mild concussion after sustaining it last Wednesday. That could be a huge variable so take that into consideration when evaluating Lester’s standing as a -125 home favorite.

Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox | 8:10 p.m. EST

When the Blue Jays and White Sox kick off their four-game series on this first Monday in July, there will be some history on the line as well. In his latest assignment for the White Sox, Cy Young candidate Chris Sale (6-4, 2.87 ERA) will try to set the Major League record for most consecutive double-digit strikeout games. With ten-or-more strikeouts in each of his last eight starts, Sale tied the record that Pedro Martinez set back in 1999. In the process, he nabbed the American League Pitcher of the Month award for June with a 2-2 record and 1.83 ERA, while striking out an incredible 75 batters (!) in 44.1 total innings of work. For the year, Sale owns a 141/22 K/BB ratio in 103.1 innings on the year, and appears to be on a clear path towards starting the All-Star Game for the AL. This will be his second-to-last start before the All-Star break so Sale will certainly want to further solidify his chances in accomplishing that.

Also in play for this affair is another interesting storyline, this one involving former longtime White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle (9-4, 3.64 ERA), who will be making his second start opposing his former organization at U.S. Cellular Field since departing as a free agent prior to the 2012 season. Additionally, Buehrle was also a former mentor to Sale when the two were teammates from 2010-11, and Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper, who coached both in that era, deemed it “the way it should be” as far as Sale going for the record against the veteran southpaw. Buehrle is having yet another nice season in ’15, and when he faced the White Sox for the first time last year, he held them to three runs in five-plus innings, en route to a win. He may fare better this time around, considering his former club current ranks last in the AL against left-handed pitching in team batting average (.221), on-base percentage (.268), and slugging percentage (.305). As a result, Sale and the White Sox are a -145 home favorite, and the over/under is 7.

Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners | 10:10 p.m. EST

With an unbelievable 16 straight ‘over’ bets cashed, the Detroit Tigers have registered the longest over/unders streak as a team in at least several years. Even having a streak of more than ten in a row is rare (although the last team to accomplish that was the Washington Nationals earlier this year with their own extensive run of overs), and there’s a solid chance it could continue through tonight, given the pitching matchup. The Tigers will have Alfredo Simon (7-5, 3.95 ERA) on the hill, and based on how he’s pitched as of late, this is a starting pitcher who would benefit a hopeful ‘over’ bet. Simon has yielded a whopping 18 runs over his past three starts, spanning just under 15 innings of work combined, and he’s been doing it consistently, with five-plus runs given up in each outing. In the process, his ERA has jumped up more than a full run, and he’s also seen the over hit in his last five starts.

This series opener from Safeco Field also marks the return of Hisashi Iwakuma (0-1, 6.61 ERA), who’s absence from the rotation was really hurting the Mariners earlier in the season. Iwakuma hasn’t pitched since April 20 due to a right lat strain, but was struggling before that, as he allowed four runs in each of his three starts this season, while uncharacteristically surrendering at least one home run as well. Additionally, the Mariners dropped all three contests. For those wanting to ride Detroit’s remarkable streak, you’ll have to hope Iwakuma’s success in his rehab outings is no indication how he’ll fare tonight; in three starts for Triple-A Tacoma throughout the upper portion of June, Iwakuma posted a shiny 1.35 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, as the opposing minor league lineups could only hit .216 off the Japanese right-hander. The total score tonight will have to surpass 7 for the streak to continue.

**Udog** · 07-06-2015, 01:14 PM

MLB

Monday, July 6

Orioles cashing bets when Chen gets the ball

The Baltimore Orioles head into their meeting with the Minnesota Twins with a five-game winning streak in games that Wei-Yin Chen starts.

Chen (4-4, 2.84 ERA) is slated to get the ball as a -115 favorite in Minnesota Monday. The Twins are expected to counter with Phil Hughes.

The is lefty is currently 18th in starting pitcher money standings ($467).

Surkamp to make first MLB start since 2013

Left-hander Eric Surkamp will get the start for the Los Angeles Dodgers after Carols Frias (back) was placed on the disabled list. It will be Surkamp's first start since 2013 for the San Francisco Giants.

The lefty has made seven career MLB starts and is 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA in those outings.

Surkamp and the Dodgers are presently -214 with the Philadelphia Phillies in town Monday evening. The Phils, expected to counter with Sean O'Sullivan, are +196.

This matchup has a history of going under

The Houston Astros and the Cleveland Indians begin a four-game series Monday, in a matchup that has seen the under go 22-5-2 in the last 29 meetings.

That includes going under in 10 consecutive meetings between the two teams.

Dallas Keuchel (2.03 ERA, 7-10 O/U) gets the call for the Astros, while the Indians counter with Carlos Carrasco (3.88 ERA, 10-6 O/U). The total is currently at 7.0 runs.

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Monday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 7/6

Monday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 7/6

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