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[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 2

September 16, 2015



THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
DENVER at KANSAS CITY (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Manning 6-0 SU and 4-2 vs. line against Chiefs since 2012. Broncos 14-8 vs. spread last 22 as regular season visitor. Eight of last nine also "under" in this series despite Denver's "over" trends in recent years.

Tech Trend: Broncos and "under," based on series trends.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
HOUSTON at CAROLINA (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Houston 5-2 vs. spread mark LY for O'Brien after loss. Carolina has not covered second game on schedule in past four years. Panthers "under" 13-4 last 17 at home.
Tech Trend: "Under" and Texans, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
TAMPA BAY at NEW ORLEANS (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Saints lost SU and failed to cover last five at home in 2014, a departure from previous Superdome spread form under Sean Payton. Saints have won last four SU at home vs. Bucs and 3-1 vs. line in those. Payton 4-10 as chalk in 2014 and failed to cover both vs. Lovie.
Tech Trend: Slight to Bucs, based on recent Saints woes.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
SAN FRANCISCO at PITTSBURGH (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

After departing from an extended "over" trend at home during 2012-13, the "over" at Heinz Field roared back to a 6-2 mark LY. Niners, however, "under" 5-11 in 2014. Off SU loss, Tomlin 4-1 vs. line LY.
Tech Trend: Slight to "over," based on Steelers' extended home "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
DETROIT at MINNESOTA (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Zimmer 10-6 vs. line LY and Vikes on 15-7 spread run last 22 since late 2013 (prior to SF). Vikes also "under" 11-6 last 17 since late 2013. Lions only 2-7 vs. line away in reg. season for Caldwell, now 8-20-1 last 28 away reg season.
Tech Trend: Vikings and "under," based on team and "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
NEW ENGLAND at BUFFALO (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Bills have only beaten Pats SU three times in last 23 games, but did win regular season finale LY and have covered 3 of last 5 in series. "Overs" 7-3 last 10 meetings. Pats "over" 28-12 on road in reg. season since 2010. But Rex Ryan has covered last four and five of last six vs. Belichick. Bill just 2-7 vs. spread last nine as visiting chalk.
Tech Trend: Bills and "over," based on team and "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ARIZONA at CHICAGO (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Arians is 11-5 vs. line on road in reg season with Big Red, counting interim with Colts in 2012 he's 15-6 vs. spread last 21 away in reg season. Fox had a 16-8 reg season spread mark as host with Denver past three years, though Bears only 5-16-2 vs. spread last 23 at Soldier Field.
Tech Trend: Cards, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
TENNESSEE at CLEVELAND (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Browns 3-6 as chalk past two seasons and now on 1-7 spread skid. Also "under" 40-24-1 since 2011.
Tech Trend: "Under" and slight to Titans, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
SAN DIEGO at CINCINNATI (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

With exception of 6-0 mark in role in 2013, Cincy has been subpar as home chalk for most of the Marvin Lewis era. Bolts 12-6-1 as road dog since 2012.
Tech Trend: Chargers, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ST. LOUIS at WASHINGTON (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Rams just 5-11 vs. line away past two seasons after Fisher was 7-1 in mark in role in 2012. But Rams did win 24-0 at FedEx LY. Skins on 7-18 spread run, 10-24 last 34 on board since late 2012.
Tech Trend: Rams, based on Redskins woes.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ATLANTA at N.Y. GIANTS (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Eli 7-4 as home chalk the past two years. Falcs entered 2015 on 4-10 spread skid last 14 as true visitor.
Tech Trend: Slight to Giants, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

BALTIMORE at OAKLAND (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Raiders "over" 7-2 at home since LY, Ravens "over" 8-4 last 12 away.
Tech Trend: "Over," based on recent "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

MIAMI at JACKSONVILLE (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Philbin just 8-13 as chalk the past three seasons, also "under" 8-4 last 12 away. Gus Bradley 3-12-1 as home dog since 2013, Jags 8-24-1 as home dog since 2010. Also "under" 22-12 last 34 at home since late 2010.
Tech Trend: "Under" and slight to Dolphins, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

DALLAS at PHILADELPHIA (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Cowboys have won and covered last three at Philly. Jerry Jones 11-4 as road dog past three seasons (4-0 LY) and covered 8 of 9 away from Arlington LY. Cowboys also "over" 11-2 last 13 as reg season visitor. Chip "over" 6-2 at home LY.

Tech Trend: "Over" and Cowboys, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

SEATTLE at GREEN BAY (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Pete Carroll 9-2-1 as dog since 2012 (7-1-1 of that coming in 2012). Pack however 6-2-1 as home chalk LY. Last three meetings at Seattle all won SU by Seahawks including 2012 controversy and 2014 NFC title. Pack "over" 8-1 last nine reg. season at Lambeau Field.
Tech Trend: "Over" and slight to Seahawks, based on "totals" and team trends.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

N.Y. JETS at INDIANAPOLIS (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Colts 29-18-2 vs. spread in reg. season since Luck (and Pagano) arrived in 2012. Also 8-2-1 last 11 as Lucas Oil Stadium chalk and 8-1-1 vs. line since 2013 off SU loss. Jets slumped as road dog in Rexy's final years, just 9-15-1 last 25 reg. season in role.
Tech Trend: Colts, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

CL Best Bets - Wednesday

September 14, 2015

Tuesday's Best Bets

Wednesday sees 2014-15 champions Barcelona make their first defence of their trophy, which they won in Berlin thanks to a 3-1 win over Juventus. It is also a night full of heavy favourites: in all but two matches a team is odds on, with Chelsea being the shortest price at 1/7.

However arguably the most interesting matches see Dynamo Kiev meet FC Porto and Valencia play Zenit St. Petersburg. Both games could be crucial in deciding who qualifies from their group.

Odds per Sportsbook.ag

The Banker: Barcelona to win at Roma at 13/20

It doesn’t really matter whether Barcelona are at home or away. They play the same way and their results are usually pretty similar. They picked up 45 points from 19 league games on the road last season, and in the Champions League they won four of their six away games. Their price of 13/20 gives too much weight to Roma’s home advantage.

And in any case, Roma’s home form in the Champions League is poor. Last season Bayern Munich demolished them 7-1, and they put in a feeble performance to exit the group in losing 2-0 to Manchester City. This current Roma side is a very good one, and they demonstrated their quality by beating Juventus 2-1 in Serie A, but when they come across the best in Europe they tend to be underwhelming. Barcelona are still streets ahead of most in Europe, and opportunities to back them even at a price like 13/20 do not come around that often.

The Solid Bet: Maccabi Tel Aviv +2 away to Chelsea at 21/20

Chelsea have, quite simply, been awful so far this season. And their worst performance came just last weekend in dismal 3-1 defeat away to Everton. Hardly anyone is playing well for the Blues at the moment: Eden Hazard is quiet, Diego Costa is hardly shooting, let alone scoring. Cesc Fabregas has been poor for six months now and Nemanja Matic is giving far less protection to the back four, where John Terry and particularly Branislav Ivanovic look way below their standards last season.

And yet they remain 1/7 to beat Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge. Yes, the Israelis are one of the true minnows in this year’s Champions League, but defeating group stage regulars Basel in qualifying is no mean feat, and Chelsea must be wary of taking their opponents too lightly.

Chelsea should, of course, be heavy favourites, and it would take a brave man to take Maccabi at 25/1. But a punt on the handicap market looks a good idea, with Maccabi +2 looks well worth a bet. While it is likely they will win, it is very hard to see where the next convincing Chelsea performance is going to come from.

The Outsider: Dynamo Kiev at 21/10 against FC Porto

Partly thanks to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Dynamo Kiev, the powerhouse of Ukrainian football, have managed finally to move back ahead of upstarts Shakhtar Donetsk to become the country’s best team again. They have won six and drawn one of their seven league games so far, most recently seeing off Oleksandria 3-0. Their team is stacked with talent, with Andriy Yarmolenko dangerous on the wings with Younes Belhanda inside. Miguel Veloso shields the defence excellently and Júnior Moraes is a handful up front.

Their opponents, FC Porto, top the Portuguese league, but this is not one of their best sides of recent years. Their best player this year has been Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar and they remain a competitive outfit. But the gap between the two sides is smaller than it has been for years, and it may pay to take Dynamo at 21/10 on home soil on Wednesday.

The First Goalscorer: Alexandre Lacazette for Lyon away to Gent at 4/1

Gent won their first Belgian league title last year and on Wednesday they make their Champions League group stage debut as Lyon make the relatively short trip north. Gent have not made a great start to their defence of their title: they are unbeaten but have drawn five of their seven games.

And there are no players in the Jupiler League anywhere near the quality of Alexandre Lacazette, who scored an incredible 27 goals for Lyon last season. He is comfortably the biggest goal-threat on either side and looks like the pick of this week’s first goalscorer bets.

[StarDust Bum]

BMW Championship Preview

September 16, 2015


Tournament: BMW Championship
Date: Sept. 17 - Sept. 20
Venue: Conway Farms GC
Location: Lake Forest, Illinois

The PGA Tour is heading to Conway Farms Golf Club, which will be hosting the BMW Championship beginning on Thursday. This event was introduced in 2007 and will be played on a course that is 7,149 yards in total. Only the top 70 PGA Tour golfers will be in attendance and that field includes Billy Horschel, who beat Bubba Watson by two strokes just a year ago.

Tiger Woods, who will not be playing in this year’s tournament, has won the BMW Championship twice and his score of -22 in 2007 is the best anybody has ever shot at this event. Rory McIlroy is the only other player to shoot -20 or better and he did so when he won in 2012.

Conway Farms Golf Club has hosted this tournament just once since it was introduced and that was back in 2013, when Zach Johnson was victorious with a score of -16. The group of other players that have won this event and will be playing on Thursday includes Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson.

Let’s now take a look at some guys that could be coming away with a victory when all is settled on Sunday:

Golfers to Watch:

Henrik Stenson (11/1) - Stenson enters this tournament in ridiculous form, finishing in second place at each of the past two tournaments. He is a combined -27 in his past 146 holes and will be looking to break through for a victory at the BMW Championship. Stenson’s strength is in his ability to hit the irons and that should really help him on this course. His 74.25% greens in regulation percentage is the best on tour and he’s not too shabby when he gets there either, as his .445 strokes gained putting average is 21st on the tour. At 11/1, Stenson is a very good pick to win his first tournament of the year this weekend.

Rickie Fowler (14/1) - The knock on Fowler is that he has never won a major, but he’s done pretty well at other big tournaments in his career. Fowler won the Players Championship this season and is the guy that beat Stenson at the Deutsche Bank Championship just over a week ago. He has not been very consistent this season, but two tournament victories and two other top-five finishes show that Fowler is a force when he’s on. At 27/2, it’s a good time to back Fowler with the way he looked in the most recent playoff event.

Zach Johnson (19/1) - As mentioned earlier, Johnson won this tournament the last time it was played at Conway Farms. He is going to be quite comfortable when he tees off on Thursday and has been playing very well as of late too. Johnson won the Open Championship on Jul. 16 and has another three top-10 finishes in his past 10 tournaments played. To be getting 19/1 odds on somebody who has had the success that Johnson has had recently is rare. Putting a unit or two on him is definitely something that should be considered.

Nick Watney (150/1) - Watney has had a very underwhelming year and has struggled mightily as of late. He has finished outside of the top-30 in 10 straight tournaments, but he does have one thing going for him. Watney was right there with Zach Johnson in 2013, shooting a -14 and finishing two strokes behind in his quest to come up with a victory in this tournament. This hasn’t been a completely lost year for the golfer either, finishing second at Pebble Beach in February and tying for 10th at the Byron Nelson tournament on May 28. At 150/1, it may be worth placing a unit on somebody who has played well at this course in the past.

Brian Harman (210/1) - Harman has put together a nice run recently, finishing tied for 30th at The Barclays and tied for 12th at the Deutsche Bank Championship last tournament. Harman isn’t great at any one thing, but he’s solid off the tee and on the green. He has a driving accuracy percentage of 64.04%, which ranks 62nd on the Tour. He also gains .301 strokes putting, which is good for 44th on the Tour. Harman also has a knack for coming up with big shots, as evidenced by his eight eagles on the year. At 210/1, he’s worth throwing a unit on.

Odds to win BMW Championship - per Sportsbook.ag

Jason Day 7/1
Rory McIlroy 8/1
Henrik Stenson 11/1
Jordan Spieth 19/2
Rickie Fowler 14/1
Jim Furyk 16/1
Zach Johnson 18/1
Bubba Watson 20/1
Justin Rose 20/1
Dustin Johnson 21/1
Matt Kuchar 28/1
Hideki Matsuyama 30/1
Patrick Reed 35/1
Kevin Kisner 45/1
Louis Oosthuizen 45/1
Sergio Garcia 45/1
Hunter Mahan 50/1
Brandt Snedeker 55/1
Brooks Koepka 55/1
Danny Lee 55/1
Matt Jones 60/1
Robert Streb 70/1
Paul Casey 75/1
Justin Thomas 85/1
Phil Mickelson 85/1
Charley Hoffman 95/1
Bill Haas 100/1
Jason Bohn 100/1
Chris Kirk 110/1
Daniel Summerhays 110/1
Russell Knox 110/1
Harris English 120/1
Keegan Bradley 120/1
Tony Finau 120/1
Webb Simpson 120/1
Billy Horschel 130/1
Kevin Chappell 130/1
Kevin Na 140/1
Ryan Palmer 140/1
Jimmy Walker 150/1
David Lingmerth 160/1
Russell Henley 160/1
Ryan Moore 160/1
Sean OHair 160/1
J.B. Holmes 170/1
Ian Poulter 180/1
Nick Watney 180/1
Sangmoon Bae 180/1
Brian Harman 210/1
Rory Sabbatini 210/1
Gary Woodland 220/1
Brendon de Jonge 230/1
Ben Martin 240/1
Jerry Kelly 240/1
Brendan Steele 250/1
Brendon Todd 250/1
Cameron Tringale 250/1
Daniel Berger 250/1
Pat Perez 250/1
Steven Bowditch 250/1
David Hearn 300/1
Troy Merritt 300/1
Zac Blair 300/1
Scott Piercy 350/1
Shawn Stefani 350/1
William Mcgirt 350/1
Bryce Molder 450/1
Fabian Gomez 500/1
George Mcneill 500/1
James Hahn 500/1

[StarDust Bum]

FEDEXCUP STANDINGS

Y-T-D-statistics through: Through Week Ending: 09/14/2015, Sep 13, 2015
2015

RANK THIS WEEK/ RANK LAST WEEK/ PLAYER NAME/ EVENTS/ POINTS/ # OF
WINS/ # OF TOP 10'S / POINTS BEHIND LEAD RESET POINTS

1 1 Jason Day 18 4,680 4 9

2 2 Jordan Spieth 23 4,169 4 14 511

3 3 Rickie Fowler 19 3,498 2 6 1,182

4 4 Henrik Stenson 14 3,352 6 1,328

5 5 Bubba Watson 17 3,329 2 8 1,351

6 6 Charley Hoffman 26 2,302 1 7 2,378

7 7 Zach Johnson 23 2,241 1 9 2,439

8 8 Dustin Johnson 19 2,114 1 9 2,566

9 9 Jim Furyk 18 2,087 1 7 2,593

10 10 Patrick Reed 25 2,039 1 4 2,641

11 11 Jimmy Walker 22 2,020 2 6 2,660

12 12 Robert Streb 28 1,958 1 9 2,722

13 13 Justin Rose 18 1,956 1 7 2,724

14 14 Danny Lee 34 1,851 1 7 2,829

15 15 Kevin Kisner 28 1,836 6 2,844

16 16 Hideki Matsuyama 23 1,783 8 2,897

17 17 Rory McIlroy 10 1,729 2 6 2,951

18 18 Brandt Snedeker 25 1,623 1 8 3,057

19 19 J.B. Holmes 23 1,616 1 5 3,064

20 20 Matt Kuchar 23 1,582 6 3,098

[StarDust Bum]

Feherty to join NBC golf coverage

September 15, 2015

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) David Feherty has signed a contract with NBC Sports that will put him on the broadcast team with Johnny Miller, allow him to extend his popular ''Feherty'' series on Golf Channel and possibly lead to new ventures for golf's funnyman.

''It's a thrill, just the thought of it, and a new step in my career,'' Feherty said Tuesday. ''And I can't wait to get started.''

Feherty had been with CBS Sports for nearly two decades and developed into one of golf's most famous on-course reporters with his mix of irreverence and Irish humor. He didn't renew his contract after CBS' final golf broadcast at The Barclays three weeks ago.

NBCUniversal will be his exclusive network home, meaning Feherty likely will be working all four days of tournaments that are broadcast by Golf Channel on the weekdays and NBC Sports on the weekend. He will split time between analysis from the tower and on the ground.

Feherty gives up the Masters, the biggest of CBS telecasts, in exchange for the Ryder Cup, the Olympics next year in Rio and the British Open starting in 2017. The Open will go to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland in 2019.

Tommy Roy, the executive producer for golf at NBC Sports, said the hiring comes at a time when Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch are cutting back on the number of tournaments they work each year.

Feherty starts his new role in January.

The 57-year-old Feherty won 10 times on the European Tour and played in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island. He first did TV work at the old Johnnie Walker Championship in Jamaica. Among his first big roles for CBS was the 1997 Masters, when Tiger Woods shattered records with a 12-shot victory at age 21. Feherty once recalled his assignment that Sunday - getting Woods to say a few words when he arrived at the club.

''My whole career hinged on getting Tiger Woods to say a few words into the camera,'' Feherty said 10 years later. ''He got out of the car and ... I had seen him before, but I've never seen that look. He looked radioactive. I thought, `Who needs this career?'''

It worked out for him, and he gained more notoriety with ''Feherty,'' in which he has interviewed golf and sports celebrities, including Donald Trump in 2012.

''It goes without saying how much his wit spices up a telecast, but his ability to analyze in my opinion, like he has at the Masters, is off-the-charts good,'' Roy said. ''And I think under our system, David will have the ability to provide even more depth to his analysis, and I think our events fit right in his wheelhouse.

''I'm so looking forward to hearing the repartee between David and Johnny Miller,'' he said. ''It's going to be some pretty damned good television.''

Miller was among those on Feherty's show in the early days.

''Johnny has got a great heart, very kind, but brutally honest,'' Feherty said. ''I really admire that in a person, that honesty. You just say what you feel sometimes, the first thing that comes into your head. It can get you in trouble, and I'm familiar with that, but it's always refreshing.''

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, September 16


Mets Colon on fire in last four starts

The ageless wonder Bartolo Colon just keeps doing things that make us shake our head and his last four starts for the New York Mets is the latest.

Colon has been absolutely on fire in his last four starts, going 4-0 while pitching to a 0.58 ERA with 21 strikeouts to go along with just four walks.

The Mets hope Colon stays hot when he goes up against the Miami Marlins and scheduled starter Adam Conley. The Mets are currently heavy -210 favorites.


Over has cashed in four straight Archer starts

Tampa Bay Rays ace Chris Archer has been as dominant of late and it has resulted in the over cashing in his last four starts.

Archer has struggled a bit pitching to a 4.29 ERA over those four starts, much higher than his season ERA of 2.95. A big jump considering the average total he has faced in those four games is 7.5.

Archer faces off against Luis Severino and the visiting New York Yankees Wednesday night. The total for the game is currently at 7.0.

[StarDust Bum]

RECAPPING MONDAY'S ACTION:

MLB: 5 - 6 - 0

WNBA: 0 - 0 - 0

CFL: - 0

CFB: 0 - 0 - 0

NFL: 0 - 0 - 0


WNBA JUNE/ JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER :

*****...............................35 - 27 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................64 - 52 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................34 - 26
SLAM DUNK.......................38 - 32

MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :

*****.............................134 - 155 - 1 .....................,........- 11.72
double play......................216 - 234 - 4 ..............................- 31.00
triple play........................114 - 118 - 2 ............................. - 73.23
grand slam......................116 - 108 - 4...................,.,..........- 24.01
double grand slam.............28 - 27...................................... - 18.07
underdog of the year.........0 - 1...........................................- 8.00


CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY.................................35 - 26
DOUBLE PLAY................................12 - 15
TRIPLE PLAY..................................17 - 8
BLOW OUT.....................................4 - 3

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Six of the more intriguing college football games this weekend.......

-- Clemson @ Louisville-- Cardinals lost as 13-point favorites Saturday, will be 0-3 if they lose this game.

-- Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame-- First start for ND's backup quarterback.

-- Ole Miss @ Alabama-- Rebels ended 10-game skid vs Alabama last year.

-- Auburn @ LSU-- Auburn crushed LSU 41-7 LY, running for 298 yards.

-- California @ Texas-- Bears haven't been to a bowl since 2011, is favored by six at Texas- their first spot as road favorite since 2012.

-- Stanford @ USC-- Cardinal is 5-3 in last eight series games, taking three of last four here; underdogs covered nine of last 12 in series

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Hump Day Happenings.......

13) James Harden signed a 13-year, $200M deal with adidas to wear their sneakers, but adidas was not happy when TMZ showed Harden out in public recently wearing a pair of Air Jordans. Apparently that is not allowed in his contract.

12) By the way, if another Watergate-type political scandal ever erupts, likely it won't be a newspaper that breaks it the way the Washington Post broke Watergate, it'll be freakin' TMZ, unless they're too busy stalking the Kardashians.

Don't laugh: James Harden is dating gold-digging Khloe Kardashian, who used to be married to Lamar Odom. Thats how the Harden/Air Jordan thing was uncovered.

11) Rangers 6, Astros 5-- Texas is now in first place; they're 10-4 against Houston so far this season, but 17-30 against the rest of the AL West.

10) If I owned the Dodgers, I call manager Don Mattingly or the GM and tell them to get of reliever Jim Johnson, who was good 3-4 years ago but is awful now. Over last two years, in over 110 innings, Johnson has a 5.22 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP, numbers that should get him sent to AAA.

9) Texas Longhorns fired AD Steve Patterson, who no one seems to like, but the guy gets $1.4M (a year's salary) as a parting gift. I've said this before, but damn, I wish someone disliked me enough to give me $1.4M, just to go away.

8) Umpire Ted Barrett was an amateur boxer before he turned to umpiring.

7) Pro wrestler John Cena does more for charity than any athlete; he has answered over 500 Make-a-Wish requests, is a great ambassador for his profession. Here is another one of the great things he has done, this past Monday night.

6) Are the rats jumping off the ship in Seattle? Now Marshawn Lynch's mom wants offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell fired. Gotta love social media.

5) Dee Gordon had four hits last night for the Marlins, the 22nd time this season he has had 3+ hits in a game. He's become one of baseball's best leadoff hitters.

4) Security at Charlotte Arena wouldn't let Jeremy Lin into the arena last week; guess they're not big NBA fans and didn't recognize Lin as one of the newest Hornets.

3) Rockies 6, Dodgers 5 (16)-- Colorado used 13 pitchers on mound, a 14th in right field after Carlos Gonzalez got hurt fouling ball off his leg. Rockies used 30 players at all in this game, which ended around 3:30am in the east.

2) Cubs-Pirates split a doubleheader Tuesday, looks like they'll be playing in the NL Wild Card game October 6. Jon Lester pitched a complete game in the nightrcap so the Cubs could salvage the split. Pirates have 4-game lead for home field edge.

1) NFL running back Jeremy Hill starts Matt Ryan over Andy Dalton on his fantasy football team, which is fine, except for one minor detail.

Jeremy Hill plays for the Bengals. Whoops.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet

September 16, 2015


Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:05 p.m. ET (ESPN)

In this week's ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball affair, the division rival Pirates and Cubs meet for the third time in two days to continue their heated pennant chase. After splitting a doubleheader yesterday, the two NL Central residents will play game three of their critical four-game set, and it features one of the pitchers that figures to pitch in the NL Wild Card Game should these two same clubs meet. That, of course, would be Cubs ace Jake Arrieta (19-6, 1.99 ERA), who, despite comically being left off the NL All-Star team, is one of the top candidates in the NL Cy Young award race. There’s certainly been no one hotter over the past few months, as Arrieta enters this one having won eight consecutive starts. Overall, since June 21, Arrieta is a remarkable 13-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 117 innings pitched, a run that also includes his no-hitter on Sunday Night Baseball a couple of weeks ago. Arrieta is also seeking to become the Cubs’ first 20-game winner in 14 years, and carries -145 odds to do it in this one.

On the other side of this pitching matchup is A.J. Burnett (8-5, 3.14 ERA), who, at one point, probably was a candidate to start for the Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game if they got to that point. However, Burnett hasn’t been as effective as he was prior to the All-Star break, at which point he owned a terrific 2.11 ERA. Since then, however, Burnett is 1-2 in four starts with a 9.00 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and .385 opposing batting average, while battling injury along the way. In fact, he just made his return from a stint on the disabled list that lasted over a month. Due to the veteran’s apparent regression that has seen his ERA balloon by more than a full run, he’s a +135 home ’dog while the over/under is predictably 7.

Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves | 7:10 p.m. ET

The price has been right for the Toronto Blue Jays since the trade deadline, as their acquired prized ace, David Price (15-5, 2.46 ERA), has been simply outstanding for his new club in helping lift them into first-place in the AL East. In the process, he’s also put himself front and center in the conversation for this year’s AL Cy Young award. After all, Price is now second in the American League in ERA and innings (201.1), while also being in the top five in wins and strikeouts (203). In eight starts with Toronto, he’s been even better than his overall season numbers, compiling a 6-1 record to go with a 2.28 ERA. Interestingly, while the over/under for this contest is 7 in most places, it can still be found for 7.5 in a few other shops. By comparison, to illustrate how much the landscape of over/unders has changed in 2015, there was a much inferior Jon Niese vs. Eric Stults matchup in Atlanta earlier in the year that was 7.

Opposing the leader of the Blue Jays pitching staff on this Wednesday night will be All-Star Shelby Miller (5-14, 2.86 ERA), who only wishes he got the type of run support Price gets from the potent Blue Jays lineup. Or any other pitcher in baseball for that matter, considering he gets the lowest run support of any starter in the league with just 1.66 runs-per-game. Yikes. It’s the main reason why Miller’s woeful record doesn’t come close to properly reflecting his shiny ERA, and his luck has only been worse lately. In fact, Miller has lost 13 consecutive decisions entering tonight’s assignment, and he hasn’t recorded a win in 21 starts. Over that stretch, the Braves are comically 3-18. That being known, betting on Price at -150 odds might very well be -- ahem, pardon the pun -- worth the price.

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers | 8:05 p.m. ET

Who would’ve thunk it? With only a few weeks remaining in the 2015 Major League Baseball campaign, the Texas Rangers -- the team that had the worst record in the American League a year ago, although that was mostly due to injuries -- find themselves in first-place in the AL West after last night’s walk-off victory over the in-state rival Astros, who have shockingly had a stronghold on the division throughout much of the year. Who even imagined that happening?

Yes, it’s been, by far, the most unpredictable division in all of baseball this year, if not many years. And with a win tonight, the Rangers could extend their newfound lead at the top, but it will be far from easy, as they must deal with AL Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel (17-7, 2.22 ERA) in the third game of this four-game set. While Houston has struggled against the Rangers in ’15, it’s been no fault of Keuchel’s, as the Astros ace has been very good against them. In fact, in three starts opposite Texas, Keuchel is 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and .169 opposing batting average. He also has put together a 24/5 K/BB ratio over 22 total innings in those assignments. As a result, the AL All-Star starting pitcher is a -150 favorite tonight despite being on the road.

Meanwhile, looking to keep the Rangers in first-place is left-hander Martin Perez (2-5, 5.43 ERA), who has had mixed results since returning to the club after his lengthy time away due to Tommy John surgery. Making his season debut on July 17, Perez has now logged ten starts, and while his numbers on the year aren’t exactly desirable, he’s performed better than the stats indicate, as he’s yielded three runs or less in eight of his ten starts, while going five innings or more in all but one of them. Perez is coming off one of his uncharacteristic shaky outings, but has settled in after the Yankees lit him up at the end of July. In August, Perez was 2-1 in five starts with a more-than-respectable 3.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. The over/under for this contest sits at 8.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

September 16, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Brewers are 0-21 since Aug 20, 2006 at home as a dog when they won the last two games their starter started.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Dallas Keuchel starts the Astros are 9-0 SU on since Apr 10, 2014 vs a team that has won at least their last two games.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Reds are 0-13-1 OU since Sep 13, 2009 as a dog after a win in which they used 5+ pitchers and it is the last game of a series.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Rays are 0-11 since May 06, 2014 at home after a win in which their opponent left 18+ men on base individually.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Angels are 12-0 since May 12, 2015 after a win in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base.

[StarDust Bum]

Team Pitcher Open Line Movements Current Runline Scores


7:05 PM EDT

951 WASHINGTON NATIONALS (L) Gonzalez, G -185 -200 / -210 / -213 -220 -1.5(-130)
952 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (R) Asher, A 8.5u20 8.5u20 8.5u15 +1.5(+110)

Overnight Pitching Change: Philadelphia - A. Asher for A. Morgan (L) | TV: MASN2, DTV: 641 | FAIR, WIND OUT TO RIGHT CENTER 5-10. GAME TEMP 81, RH 40%

7:05 PM EDT

953 CHICAGO CUBS (R) Arrieta, J -135 -143 / -144 / -143 -144 -1.5(+115)
954 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (R) Burnett, A 7 7 / 7u11 / 7u15 7 +1.5(-135)

TV: ESPN, ROOT-Pittsburgh, DTV: 206, 659 | FAIR, WIND IN FROM RIGHT 2-7. GAME TEMP 78, RH 40%

7:10 PM EDT

955 MIAMI MARLINS (L) Conley, A 8u20 8u25 / 7.5o15 / 7.5o16 7.5o20 +1.5(-120)
956 NEW YORK METS (R) Colon, B -225 -210 / -215 / -214 -205 -1.5(+100)

MIA-RF-Giancarlo Stanton-OUT | TV: FS-Florida, SNY, DTV: 639, 654 | FAIR, WIND OUT TO LEFT 6-11. GAME TEMP 80, RH 45%

8:10 PM EDT

957 ST LOUIS CARDINALS (L) Garcia, J -152 -164 / -172 / -167 -172 -1.5(-115)
958 MILWAUKEE BREWERS (R) Peralta, W 7.5o20 8o16 / 8o15 / 8 8u20 +1.5(-105)

MIL-LF-Ryan Braun-Doubtful | TV: FS-Midwest, DTV: 671 | MOSTLY FAIR, WIND IN FROM CENTER 8-13. GAME TEMP 74, RH 57%

9:40 PM EDT

959 SAN DIEGO PADRES (R) Cashner, A 9u15 9 / 9u15 / 9u20 8.5o20 +1.5(-185)
960 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (L) Ray, R -120 -125 / -124 / -123 -127 -1.5(+165)

TV: FS-Arizona, FS-San Diego, DTV: 686, 694 | MOSTLY FAIR, WIND LEFT TO RIGHT 7-12. GAME TEMP 91, RH 29%(CHASE FIELD ROOF MAY CLOSE IN HOT WEATHER)

10:10 PM EDT

961 COLORADO ROCKIES (L) De La Rosa, J 7.5u20 7.5u20 +1.5(-130)
962 LOS ANGELES DODGERS (L) Wood, A -185 -205 / -195 / -190 -195 -1.5(+110)

COL-LF-Carlos Gonzalez-? | TV: ROOT-Rocky Mountain, DTV: 683 | MOSTLY FAIR, WIND OUT TO LEFT CENTER 4-9. GAME TEMP 72, RH 57%

10:15 PM EDT

963 CINCINNATI REDS (R) Lorenzen, M 7o25 7.5 / 7.5o15 / 7.5o16 7.5o20 +1.5(-145)
964 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (R) Peavy, J -165 -170 / -164 / -170 -175 -1.5(+125)

TV: CSN-Bay, FS-Ohio, DTV: 660, 696 | MOSTLY CLOUDY, WIND OUT TO LEFT 7-12. GAME TEMP 63, RH 78%

7:05 PM EDT

965 BOSTON RED SOX (L) Owens, H 9u15 8.5o15 / 8.5o20 / 8.5 8.5o15 +1.5(-180)
966 BALTIMORE ORIOLES (R) Wright, M -125 -119 / -120 / -127 -122 -1.5(+160)

TV: MASN, NESN, DTV: 628, 640 | FAIR, WIND OUT TO LEFT 2-7. GAME TEMP 79, RH 41%

7:10 PM EDT

967 NEW YORK YANKEES (R) Severino, L 7 7u15 / 7u20 / 7u15 7u20 +1.5(-185)
968 TAMPA BAY RAYS (R) Archer, C -130 -132 / -124 / -125 -124 -1.5(+165)

NYY-1B-Mark Teixeira-OUT | TV: SunSports, DTV: 653 | TROPICANA FIELD (DOME)

7:10 PM EDT

969 KANSAS CITY ROYALS (L) Duffy, D 7.5o15 7.5 / 7.5u15 / 7.5 7.5o15 +1.5(-202)
970 CLEVELAND INDIANS (R) Salazar, D -145 -126 / -127 / -124 -121 -1.5(+170)

TV: FS-Kansas City, SportsTime Ohio, DTV: 662, 672 | FAIR, WIND IN FROM RIGHT 3-8. GAME TEMP 75, RH 51%

8:05 PM EDT

971 HOUSTON ASTROS (L) Keuchel, D -145 -156 / -158 / -161 -170 -1.5(-110)
972 TEXAS RANGERS (L) Perez, M 8.5o15 8.5o20 / 8.5o25 / 8.5o20 8.5u19 +1.5(-110)

HOU-CF-Carlos Gomez-OUT | TV: FS-Southwest, ROOT-Southwest, DTV: 674, 676 | PARTLY CLOUDY, WIND IN FROM RIGHT CENTER 9-14. GAME TEMP 88,RH 49% HEAT INDEX 92

8:10 PM EDT

973 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (R) Martin, C 8.5 8.5 / 9o20 9o15 +1.5(-160)
974 CHICAGO WHITE SOX (R) Johnson, E -120 -160 / -152 / -143 -147 -1.5(+140)

Overnight Pitching Change: Oakland - C. Martin for Undecided OAK | TV: CSN-California, DTV: 698 | MOSTLY FAIR, WIND RIGHT TO LEFT 7-12. GAME TEMP 78, RH 44%

8:10 PM EDT

975 DETROIT TIGERS (L) Norris, D 8.5o15 8.5o25 / 9u15 / 9u20 9 +1.5(-156)
976 MINNESOTA TWINS (R) Santana, E -160 -160 / -161 / -159 -161 -1.5(+135)

DET-1B-Miguel Cabrera-Doubtful | TV: FS-Detroit, FS-North, DTV: 663, 668 | PARTLY CLOUDY, 30% CHANCE SHOWER/STORMS. WIND RIGHT TO LEFT 10-20.GAME TEMP 79, RH 66%

10:10 PM EDT

977 LOS ANGELES ANGELS (R) Weaver, J 7o25 7o20 / 7o30 / 7.5u15 7.5o20 +1.5(-165)
978 SEATTLE MARINERS (R) Iwakuma, H -135 -147 / -148 / -155 -150 -1.5(+145)

TV: FS-West, ROOT-Northwest, DTV: 687, 692 | CLOUDY, 60% CHANCE LIGHT SHOWERS. WIND OUT TO LEFT 3-8. GAME TEMP 60,RH 67% (SAFECO FIELD ROOF CLOSES IN WET WEATHER)

7:10 PM EDT

979 TORONTO BLUE JAYS (L) Price, D -260 -259 / -250 / -242 -245 -1.5(-140)
980 ATLANTA BRAVES (R) Miller, S 7.5u15 7u25 / 7u31 / 7u25 6.5o20 +1.5(+120)

TOR-2B-Troy Tulowitzki-OUT | TV: SportSouth, DTV: 649 | PARTLY CLOUDY, WIND IN FROM RIGHT 6-11. GAME TEMP 75, RH 51%

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

Time Away Line Picks Pct Home Line Picks Pct Detail Odds

10:15 PM Cincinnati +153 217 24.11% San Francisco -166 683 75.89% View View

7:10 PM Miami +178 226 24.35% NY Mets -194 702 75.65% View View

10:10 PM Colorado +174 243 28.19% LA Dodgers -190 619 71.81% View View

8:10 PM Detroit +143 259 30.26% Minnesota -155 597 69.74% View View

8:10 PM Oakland +133 268 31.75% Chi. White Sox -144 576 68.25% View View

9:40 PM San Diego +110 289 34.57% Arizona -119 547 65.43% View View

7:05 PM Boston +109 325 37.44% Baltimore -118 543 62.56% View View

10:10 PM LA Angels +138 369 42.76% Seattle -150 494 57.24% View View

7:10 PM Kansas City +109 394 43.78% Cleveland -118 506 56.22% View View

7:10 PM NY Yankees +115 401 44.26% Tampa Bay -125 505 55.74% View View

8:05 PM Houston -160 552 60.53% Texas +147 360 39.47% View View

7:05 PM Chi. Cubs -135 624 63.48% Pittsburgh +125 359 36.52% View View

7:05 PM Washington -205 654 72.43% Philadelphia +188 249 27.57% View View

8:10 PM St. Louis -169 662 72.99% Milwaukee +156 245 27.01% View View

7:10 PM Toronto -230 716 76.58% Atlanta +210 219 23.42% View View



TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

Time Away Total Over Pct Home Total Under Pct Detail Odds

7:05 PM Chi. Cubs 7 287 48.07% Pittsburgh 7 310 51.93% View View

8:05 PM Houston 8.5 276 49.82% Texas 8.5 278 50.18% View View

9:40 PM San Diego 9 267 49.91% Arizona 9 268 50.09% View View

7:10 PM NY Yankees 7 282 51.46% Tampa Bay 7 266 48.54% View View

8:10 PM Oakland 9 179 54.41% Chi. White Sox 9 150 45.59% View View

7:10 PM Toronto 7 330 56.22% Atlanta 7 257 43.78% View View

8:10 PM St. Louis 8 310 57.20% Milwaukee 8 232 42.80% View View

10:10 PM Colorado 7.5 303 57.28% LA Dodgers 7.5 226 42.72% View View

7:10 PM Miami 7.5 309 57.54% NY Mets 7.5 228 42.46% View View

7:05 PM Washington 8.5 316 58.09% Philadelphia 8.5 228 41.91% View View

7:10 PM Kansas City 7.5 330 61.22% Cleveland 7.5 209 38.78% View View

10:10 PM LA Angels 7.5 336 62.34% Seattle 7.5 203 37.66% View View

8:10 PM Detroit 9 346 63.60% Minnesota 9 198 36.40% View View

7:05 PM Boston 9 447 67.22% Baltimore 9 218 32.78% View View

10:15 PM Cincinnati 7.5 391 68.24% San Francisco 7.5 182 31.76% View View

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Boston +109 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Baltimore - Over 9 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs -135 500 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM
Pittsburgh - Over 7 500

Washington - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +188 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Philadelphia - Under 8.5 500

Kansas City - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland -118 500
Cleveland - Over 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET NY Yankees +115 500
Tampa Bay - Over 7 500

Toronto - 7:10 PM ET Toronto -225 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Atlanta - Under 7 500

Miami - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets -194 500 GRAND SLAM
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

Houston - 8:05 PM ET Houston -165 500
Texas - Over 8.5 500

Oakland - 8:10 PM ET Oakland +135 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 9 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Minnesota -155 500
Minnesota - Under 9 500

St. Louis - 8:10 PM ET St. Louis -169 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

San Diego - 9:40 PM ET San Diego +112 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Arizona - Under 9 500

LA Angels - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -150 500
Seattle - Under 7.5 500

Colorado - 10:10 PM ET Colorado +174 500 DOUBLE PLAY
LA Dodgers - Over 7.5 500

Cincinnati - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -166 500 DOUBLE PLAY
San Francisco - Under 7.5 500