The Bum's Sports Page For Wednesday August 12th Best Bets-Trends-News !

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See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Lookahead spot

The New York Yankees were put on notice this weekend: the Blue Jays are coming for them. Toronto entered the weekend set 4.5 games back of the Bronx Bombers in the American League East and now N.Y. holds a slim advantage as it enters a three-game series in Cleveland. The Yankees are chomping at the bit for another shot at the Jays and get that chance on Friday, when the rivals collide in a weekend set at the Rogers Centre.

But before New York can have its revenge, it must finish up with the Indians. Having the Jays on deck Friday creates a massive lookahead spot for the Yankees in the finale with the Tribe. New York is expected to go with starter Nathan Eovaldi in that matchup while Cleveland counters with Trevor Bauer on Thursday.

Letdown spot

The Ottawa Redblacks have done an about face this season, starting the 2015 CFL campaign with a 4-2 mark and already doubling their season win total from last year when the Redblacks finished 2-16. The latest win was a statement game for the franchise, going into Montreal and spoiling a big day for the rival Alouettes, who were debuting Michael Sam, the first opening gay professional football player.

The buzz is building in Canada’s capital but that emotional win against Montreal sets up Ottawa for a fall in its trip to Calgary in Week 8. The Redblacks face the defending Grey Cup champs who are out to avenge a 29-26 overtime loss in Ottawa back in Week 5. The Stampeders are also coming off a bye week, so it’s no surprise oddsmakers have Calgary sitting with the half point hook as a 7.5-point fave on Saturday.

Schedule spot

The girls of summer are quickly wrapping up the 2015 WNBA season with about a month remaining on the schedule. The Connecticut Sun, who sit second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference, have plenty of work to do in that short span if they want to make the playoff cut and it starts with a tough stretch of schedule this week.

The Sun tip off their week with a home game versus Tulsa on Wednesday, then host the conference-leading New York Liberty on Friday before traveling to face the Atlanta Sky on Sunday. Connecticut has been playing better this month, after stumbling through a 2-6 SU July in which they covered in just three of those games. But could this three-game, five-night span set them back into that skid?

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MLB

Wednesday, August 12


Mets are incredibly popular play Wednesday

The New York Mets have been on fire in August and roughly 80 percent of Covers users are backing them to take the third game of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies, making them the most popular play on Wednesday's board.

The Mets (-199) send Jacob deGrom to the mound with the Rox (+182) set to counter with Jorge De La Rosa.


Diamondbacks heating up in home games

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won three consecutive home games and have gone 6-1 in their last seven in front of the home crowd heading into Wednesday's action.

The Dbacks have thumped the Philadelphia Phillies in the first two games of their three-game set, winning by a combined score of 26-4.

The two clubs will finish up their series Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field as Aaron Nola is the probable starter for the Phillies (+141) and Chase Anderson is expected to take the mound for the Diamondbacks (-153).


Astros don't like the road underdog role

The Houston Astros have been considered a bunch of scrappy underdogs, but when they are actually listed as underdogs on the road they have struggled, going 1-8 in their last nine games as a road dog between +110 and +150.

The Astros are currently on the board at +116 for Wednesday afternoon's game at the San Francisco Giants and send right-hander Scott Feldman to the mound, which doesn't make Houston's position any better.

The Astros are also 0-7 in Feldman's last seven starts as a road dog listed between +110 and +150. Feldman goes up against the Giants' righty Chris Heston.


Under wagers hot in Royals-Tigers meetings

The Under has cashed in back-to-back meetings and six of the previous seven games between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers heading into Wednesday's series finale.

In the current series, the under has cashed in both instances as the Royals have won 4-0 and 6-1 in games one and two respectively.

Newcomer Daniel Norris is probable to start for the Tigers (+167) while Edinson Volquez is set to counter for the Royals (-182). The total opened at 8 and has remained at that number through the time of writing.

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RECAPPING YESTERDAY'S ACTION:

MLB: 5 - 13 - 0

WNBA: 3- 5 - 0

CFL: 0 - 0

NFL: 0 - 0


WNBA JUNE/ JULY RECORD/ AUGUST :

*****...............................15 - 17 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................41 - 35
TRIPLE PLAY......................18 - 14
SLAM DUNK.......................22 - 18

MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST:

*****.............................93 - 113 - 1 .....................,........- 16.49
double play......................149 - 161 - 2 ............................- 27.38
triple play........................70 - 62 - 2 ................................ - 0.81
grand slam......................86 - 87 - 3.....................,............- 26.30
double grand slam.............7 - 7.........................................+ 1.28
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CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY.................................1 - 1
DOUBLE PLAY................................7 - 13
TRIPLE PLAY..................................6 - 2
BLOW OUT.....................................3 - 2

NFL PRESEASON RECORD:

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

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Wednesday's Tip Sheet

August 12, 2015


Colorado Rockies at New York Mets | 7:10 p.m. ET

With a 1.60 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 11 starts at Citi Field this season, Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.13 ERA) has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball when pitching from home. As one might expect with such dominant numbers, he’s also been one of the most consistent, yielding two runs or less in nine of those 11 home assignments. In the end, no matter where he’s pitching, deGrom has looked like a bonafide NL Cy Young candidate, and appears to be in a groove once again, entering this affair with five straight quality starts. The surging Mets have won all five of those contests, and due to deGrom’s prowess at home, the linesmakers have been gradually increasing his odds. At the moment, he’s a -200 home favorite in most shops.

The Rockies will counter with Jorge De La Rosa (7-4, 4.85 ERA) in effort of trying to pick up their first win in this four-game series. The veteran left-hander hasn’t necessarily been good this year for Colorado -- in fact, if he finishes out the slate with his current ERA, it would be his highest mark since his very first year with the Rockies back in 2008 (aside from his three-start cameo in 2012 after coming back from Tommy John surgery). At the same time, De La Rosa has actually been respectable when pitching away from Coors Field, as he’s 5-2 with a solid 3.19 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and .223 BAA. As a result, that might make him a fine dance partner along with deGrom for those thinking about the under; the linesmakers have set the over/under for this contest at 6.5.

New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians | 7:10 p.m. ET

It almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that after breaking away from the rest of the pack in the AL East, the Yankees had the division locked up. Then the trade deadline happened, in which the rival Blue Jays made a couple of significantly momentous deals, and now things have completely changed, as New York’s first-place lead has been reduced to a mere half-game entering play Wednesday. A reason for that also has to do with their current four-game losing streak, and the club will turn to C.C. Sabathia (4-8, 5.34 ERA) in trying to put a stop to it. Sabathia has struggled mightily again this season, posting the fourth-highest ERA in the American League, but if there’s one positive about this assignment, it’s that he does enjoy pitching in his old stomping grounds. Sabathia enjoyed great success in his eight years with the Indians, and has been tremendous over his past three starts facing them, being 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in those outings. Even so, the linesmakers have him as a +110 road ’dog.

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It won’t be an easy task for the Yankees, however, as they must contend with the electric Danny Salazar (9-6, 3.38 ERA), who has been enjoying a fine breakout campaign for the Tribe in 2015. In fact, he’s already recorded a career-high for wins (9), starts (20), and strikeouts (143), while his current WHIP (1.07) and BAA (.214) would also be career-best marks if he can sustain them. This is the Danny Salazar that Cleveland was hoping they could lean on regularly when he first emerged in 2013, and based on how this season has gone, it looks like he’s finally rounded out into that exact form. His high ceiling with any given start is perhaps why the linesmakers have set the over/under for this one at 7.5.

Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals | 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

There’s an enticing pitcher’s duel on tap tonight for this week’s edition of ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball, when the two hottest teams over the past couple of months, the Cardinals and Pirates, collide in the middle contest of their three-game series. Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.39 ERA) takes the ball for the Pirates, looking to grab the Major League-lead in wins with a victory here. Another win would also place him amongst selective company within recent team history, as Cole can join A.J. Burnett (2012) and Francisco Liriano (2013) as the only 15-game winners for the Pirates in the last 16 seasons. He’s registered five quality starts in his last six outings so he’ll be entering tonight in a nice groove.

Going for the Cardinals, meanwhile, will be fellow All-Star pitcher Michael Wacha (13-4, 2.92 ERA), who also comes into this affair mired in a hot streak. In fact, Wacha hasn’t allowed a run over his last 14 innings, spanning two starts, en route to a couple of victories. Like his counterpart tonight, Wacha really has been as reliable as anyone, going five innings or more in all 21 of his starts in 2015, and he’s been even stingier at home, where he holds a 2.51 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in his nine starts at Busch Stadium, while opponents have hit just .203 in those outings. In addition, he’s enjoyed success against the Pirates this year, being 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts opposite the Bucs. As a result, he’s a -120 favorite versus Cole.

Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers | 10:10 p.m. ET

Without question, one of the most dependable constants in all of baseball annually is Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.51 ERA) pitching at home, and that’s exactly what the Dodgers will have going for them in this rubber match when they close out a three-game series with the fellow-contending Nationals tonight. In his MVP and Cy Young campaign a year ago, Kershaw was 10-2 in 14 home starts with a 1.70 ERA and microscopic 0.76 WHIP, as opposing lineups managed just a .180 batting average off the elite left-hander in those outings. This year, it’s been more of the same as the dominant 27-year-old is 6-2 in 10 starts in front of Dodgers faithful at Chavez Ravine, while possessing a 1.66 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and .188 batting-average-against. Thus, he’s a heavy -220 favorite this evening, even against an upper echelon club who will be trotting out a very solid pitcher.

That hurler, of course, is Jordan Zimmermann (8-7, 3.44 ERA), who has actually been uncharacteristically bad when pitching away from home. In fact, he’s 4-4 in 10 road starts with an undesirable 4.95 ERA and 1.49 WHIP, while opposing offenses have registered a cool .320 batting average off the right-hander in those assignments. Zimmermann is coming off one of his best recent performances, however, after holding the Rockies to one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings last Friday. The over/under for this affair, as is typically the case for a Kershaw start at Chavez Ravine, has settled on 6.

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Home teams win all 15 games for 1st time in MLB history

August 12, 2015

Home sweep home.

When the Seattle Mariners beat Baltimore 6-5 in 10 innings Tuesday night, it marked the first time in baseball history all 15 home teams won on the same day.

Viewing every game as a 50-50 proposition independent of all others, STATS figured the odds of a home sweep on a night with a full major league schedule at 1 in 32,768.

Now that's home cookin'!

STATS said previously the best performance by hosts had been 11-0, accomplished six times - three in the 1800s. The most recent occasion was Sept. 16, 1989.

''Without saying, it's more difficult on the road,'' said manager Bruce Bochy of the World Series champion Giants. ''There's got to be a slight advantage to playing at home and I think your good teams play well at home, they win at home.''

Cleveland and Miami also needed extra innings to come out on top in their own ballparks. Other winners were: Toronto, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, St. Louis, Arizona, San Diego, San Francisco, the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Four visiting teams got shut out: Atlanta at Tampa Bay; Colorado by the Mets; the Angels against the White Sox; and the Nationals at Dodger Stadium.

The last time home clubs went undefeated on a day with more than one game was an 8-0 record on Aug. 28, 2008 - although road squads were 7-0 on April, 2, 2013, according to STATS.

Arizona and Tampa Bay joined the majors as expansion franchises in 1998, bringing the total to 30 teams.

In the last game to finish, Seattle squandered a three-run lead in the eighth inning against the Orioles before Austin Jackson's bases-loaded single down the right-field line won it for the Mariners at Safeco Field.

''I still didn't know if it was fair even when he called it,'' Jackson said. ''I guess it hit the chalk and the rest is history.''

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 3:40 PM ET Baltimore +116 500 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM
Seattle - Under 7 500

Philadelphia - 3:40 PM ET Arizona -168 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Arizona - Over 8.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Cincinnati - 3:40 PM ET San Diego -116 500 GRAND SLAM
San Diego - Over 7 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Houston - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -126 500 TRIPLE PLAY
San Francisco - Under 7 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Boston - 4:10 PM ET Boston -120 500 *****
Miami - Over 7.5 500 *****

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Diamond Trends - Wednesday

August 12, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Phillies are 0-13 since Jul 21, 2013 on the road when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is the last game of a series.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When James Shields starts the Padres are 0-10 SU against since Jun 09, 2015 agains a team that have struck out at least seven batters a game.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rangers are 0-12-1 ou since Jun 08, 2013 on the road after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Red Sox are 9-0 since Sep 02, 2014 on the road after a loss in which they scored first.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Rays are 0-8 since Jul 31, 2013 at home as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they never trailed and it is the last game of a series.

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Rays' games full of offense, over bettors rejoice

In the Tampa Bay Rays past 12 games they are carrying a 9-3 over/under record. Those 12 games have seen the Rays and their opponents combine for an average of 9.3 runs per game, compared to their season average of 7.3.

This trend has been bucking the year-long numbers that have the Rays as one of the best under plays in the MLB with a 49-55-9 O/U record on the season.

The Rays host the Atlanta Braves Wednesday with a total currently set at 7.

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Salazar's pitching has the Indians going under

In Danny Salazar's past five games he has posted a stellar 1.53 ERA, which has led the Cleveland Indians to a 1-4 over/under record. Salazar has only allowed six earned runs in those contests.

On the season as a whole, Salazar has been hard to predict with a 10-10 record on the totals.

Currently the total is 7.5 when the Tribe hosts the New York Yankees Wednesday.

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Volquez has been money at Kauffman Stadium

Edinson Volquez has been stellar at Kauffman Stadium this season, with the Kansas City Royals winning his past five home starts. Through those starts, Volquez has pitched 30.1 innings while only surrendering eight earned runs.

On the season as a whole, Volquez is 7-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 12 home starts.

The Royals are currently -178 when they host the Detroit Tigers Wednesday.

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Rangers' Martinez has been struggling on the road

Nick Martinez has been faltering on the road recently, with the Texas Rangers dropping the right-handers past five starts away from home.

In those five games, Martinez has pitched 27.2 innings but has given up 35 hits and 24 earned runs. That's an average of 4.8 runs surrendered in just under six innings.

The Rangers are currently +104 when they visit the Minnesota Twins Wednesday.

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Red-hot deGrom faces Rockies Wednesday night

New York Mets All-Star pitcher Jacob deGrom will try to make the Colorado Rockies his latest victim, as he tries to lead the Mets to their sixth straight win when he takes the mound.

deGrom is 2-0 in those five starts, pitching to a crazy good 1.59 ERA to go along with 40 strikeouts to just four walks.

The Mets are currently big -193 favorites going up against the Rockies Jorge De La Rosa.

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Mariners' Cruz sits out after neck spasms

Aug 12, 2015

Designated hitter Nelson Cruz was out of the Seattle Mariners' lineup Wednesday, a day after he left a game against the Baltimore Ravens with neck spasms.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said Cruz was feeling better, but the manager wanted to give Cruz two days off -- the Mariners are off Thursday before starting a series in Boston on Friday.

McClendon said Cruz would be available as a pinch hitter, if needed, in the series finale against Baltimore on Wednesday.

A sudden neck spasm surprised Cruz as he sat in the dugout in the sixth inning Tuesday night.

His neck seemed to loosen up in the clubhouse after the game, and he was moving his neck without any noticeable strain just before leaving for the night.

"I'll do a massage and everything, take some medicine, and hopefully I'll play tomorrow," he had said.

Cruz hit his 34th home run Tuesday night and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 21 games -- matching Troy Tulowitzki for the longest in baseball this season.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tulsa - 7:00 PM ET Connecticut -3.5 500 *****
Connecticut - Over 152.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Seattle - 10:00 PM ET Seattle +13.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Phoenix - Under 149 500 *****

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MLB EVENING ACTION:

Oakland - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -180 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Toronto - Under 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland -115 500
Cleveland - Over 7.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Atlanta - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -212 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Tampa Bay - Under 7 500

Colorado - 7:10 PM ET Colorado +182 500 DOUBLE PLAY
NY Mets - Under 6.5 500

Milwaukee - 8:05 PM ET Milwaukee +156 500 *****
Chi. Cubs - Under 7.5 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +109 500 GRAND SLAM
Chi. White Sox - Under 8 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City -170 500 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM
Kansas City - Under 7.5 500

Texas - 8:10 PM ET Texas +105 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Minnesota - Over 9 500

Pittsburgh - 8:15 PM ET Pittsburgh +111 500 TRIPLE PLAY
St. Louis - Over 6.5 500

Washington - 10:10 PM ET Washington +183 500 DOUBLE PLAY
LA Dodgers - Under 6 500