The Bum's Sports Page For Thursday September 17th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, September 17

National League
Cubs @ Pirates
Hendricks is 1-0, 3.09 in his last two starts (over 3-0 last three).

Morton is 1-1, 3.00 in his last two starts (under 4-1 last five).

Cubs are 7-4 in last 11 games with Pittsburgh; five of last seven series games stayed under total. Chicago games; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11. Pirates won six of their last nine games (over 7-2).

Marlins @ Nationals
Cosart is 0-0, 0.93 in two starts since coming off the DL (under 2-0).

Roark is 0-2, 5.68 in his last three starts (over 5-2 in last seven).

Washington is 5-3 in its last eight games with Miami (under 4-1 in last five). Marlins won six of their last eight games (under 8-3 in last 11). Nationals won last four games, scoring 29 runs (under 4-2 in last six).

Cardinals @ Brewers
Lackey is 1-1, 2.63 in his last four starts (over 5-2 last seven).

Nelson is 1-3, 6.64 in his last four starts (over 5-0 last five).

St Louis won six of last seven games with Milwaukee; under is 5-3 last eight series games. Cardinals won last three games (over 6-3-1 in last ten). Brewers lost eight of last nine games (over 11-2 in last thirteen).

American League
A's @ White Sox
Nolin is 1-1, 3.09 in his first two starts for Oakland (under 2-0).

Quintana is 2-0, 1.38 in his last two starts (over 8-1 in his last nine).

Oakland lost seven of its last eight games with Chicago; over is 9-4 in last 13 series games. A's lost five of last seven games (over 9-4 in last 13). White Sox are 8-5 in last thirteen games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Royals @ Indians
Ventura is 4-1, 3.00 in his last five starts; over is 2-0-1 in his last three.

Kluber is 0-1, 4.58 in his last three starts (over 5-2 last seven).

Indians are 7-6 in last 13 games with KC (under 5-3-1). Royals lost nine of last 12 games- four of their last six went over. Cleveland won seven of last ten games; six of last eight Indian games went over the total.

Orioles @ Rays
Tillamn is 0-4, 8.42 in his last five starts (over 3-0 last three).

Moore is 0-4, 10.07 in his last five starts.

Rays are 5-3 in last eight games with Baltimore; last three series games went over the total; Tampa Bay lost nine of last 13 games; under is 3-1 in last four. Orioles are 3-1 in last four games; five of their last six went over the total.

Astros @ Rangers
McCullers is 0-1, 2.88 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Lewis is 1-3, 6.57 in his last four starts (under 3-1-1).

Rangers won ten of last 12 games with Houston (over 5-2-1 last eight); Texas is 10-5 in last fifteen games overall-- under is 8-4-1 in their last 13 games. Astros lost seven of last nine games; over is 2-0-2 in their last four.

Angels @ Twins
Santiago is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two starts (under 3-1 last four).

Milone is 2-2, 5.48 in his last four starts (under 5-2-1 last eight).

Angels won nine of last ten games with Minnesota; over is 6-1-2 in last nine series games; Halos lost three of last four overall- under is 5-1-1 in their last seven. Twins are 2-3 in last five games; under is 4-2-2 in their last eight.

Interleague
Blue Jays @ Braves
Estrada is 1-1, 3.52 in his last four starts (under 6-3 in last nine).

Wisler is 0-5, 8.44 in his last five starts (over 6-2 in last eight).

Toronto lost four of last six games with Atlanta (over 7-3 in last ten). Blue Jays won four of last six games overall (over 7-3 in last ten). Braves lost five of last six games; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Chi-Pitt-- Hendricks 16-12; Morton 13-7
Mia-Wsh-- Cosart 4-6; Roark 4-4
StL-Mil-- Lackey 15-14; Nelson 14-15

A's-Chi-- Nolin 1-1; Quintana 14-15 (5-0 last 5)
KC-Clev-- Ventura 13-11 (8-2 last 10); Kluber 11-18
Balt-TB-- Tillman 12-15 (1-6 last 7); Moore 2-6
Hst-Tex-- McCullers 8-10; Lewis 14-15
LA-Minn-- Santiago 14-14; Milone 11-9

Tor-Atl-- Estrada 14-10; Wisler 6-9 (0-6 last 6)

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Chi-Pitt-- Hendricks 7-28; Morton 9-20
Mia-Wsh-- Cosart 2-10; Roark 2-8
StL-Mil-- Lackey 8-29; Nelson 9-29

A's-Chi-- Nolin 0-2; Quintana 16-29
KC-Clev-- Ventura 6-24; Kluber 11-29
Balt-TB-- Tillman 5-27; Moore 4-8
Hst-Tex-- McCullers 5-18; Lewis 6-29
LA-Minn-- Santiago 8-28; Milone 4-20

Tor-Atl-- Estrada 11-24; Wisler 8-15

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, September 17

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games
Pittsburgh is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Oakland is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Chi White Sox are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
Kansas City is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 11 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cleveland's last 18 games at home

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. ATLANTA
Toronto is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Toronto is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing Toronto

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TAMPA BAY
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Milwaukee's last 25 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. MINNESOTA
LA Angels are 6-19 SU in their last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, September 17


Pirates' Morton getting it done at PNC Park

Pittsburgh Pirates righty Charlie Morton has been formidable in his home starts of late and bettors will get another chance to capitalize as he's expected to take the bump in the finale of a four-game set versus the Chicago Cubs Thursday afternoon.

Morton is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 home starts this season and the Buccos have gone 8-2 in those starts.

Thursday's start will be his first versus the Cubbies this season.


Under bets trending in Reyburn's games

The Under has gone 5-0 in the last five ball games when umpire D.J. Reyburn is tasked with working home plate. That's exactly where he is slated to work in the Windy City when the Oakland A's visit the Chicago White Sox Thursday afternoon.

Over the course of those five games, there has been an average of 4.2 runs scored per game.

Reyburn has worked home plate in two of the White Sox' home games this season and the Under has cashed in both (May 10 versus Cincinnati, Aug. 16 versus the Chicago Cubs).

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 19

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CHICAGO CUBS (84 - 61) at PITTSBURGH (87 - 58) - 12:35 PM
KYLE HENDRICKS (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 776-815 (-153.2 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1081-1201 (-207.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 690-781 (-192.3 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 87-58 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 61-39 (+21.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 50-24 (+17.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 50-24 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-8 (+17.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 17-2 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 87-58 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 70-44 (+18.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 59-31 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 41-28 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-11 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 84-61 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 41-33 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 84-61 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 38-27 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HENDRICKS is 27-14 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HENDRICKS is 27-13 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 29-37 (-15.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MORTON is 3-11 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 9-6 (+2.9 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

KYLE HENDRICKS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HENDRICKS is 0-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 5.63 and a WHIP of 1.375.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.5 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
MORTON is 3-5 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.71 and a WHIP of 1.363.
His team's record is 6-7 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-7. (-2.7 units)

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MIAMI (63 - 83) at WASHINGTON (75 - 70) - 7:05 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. TANNER ROARK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 63-83 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 10-4 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
MIAMI is 373-428 (+45.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 75-70 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 74-69 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 47-50 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 55-53 (-7.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-7 (+3.8 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JARRED COSART vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
COSART is 0-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 1.657.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.3 units)

TANNER ROARK vs. MIAMI since 1997
ROARK is 2-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.61 and a WHIP of 1.065.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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ST LOUIS (92 - 53) at MILWAUKEE (62 - 83) - 8:10 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. JIMMY NELSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 10-21 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
LACKEY is 18-30 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 13-24 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 5-16 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 92-53 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 42-29 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 92-53 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 64-38 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 71-36 (+27.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 57-34 (+14.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MILWAUKEE is 62-83 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 33-41 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 62-83 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 43-65 (-21.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 32-50 (-18.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-19 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 10-4 (+4.6 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LACKEY is 4-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.95 and a WHIP of 1.171.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

JIMMY NELSON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
NELSON is 0-3 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 8.44 and a WHIP of 1.594.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-4. (-4.6 units)

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OAKLAND (62 - 84) at CHI WHITE SOX (69 - 75) - 2:10 PM
SEAN NOLIN (L) vs. JOSE QUINTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 62-84 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 69-84 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 14-27 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 54-58 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 60-79 (-26.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 14-27 (-15.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 35-48 (-15.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 23-37 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OAKLAND is 27-33 (-21.7 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.
CHI WHITE SOX are 44-65 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 28-39 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-26 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 5-1 (+4.7 Units) against OAKLAND this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

SEAN NOLIN vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

JOSE QUINTANA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
QUINTANA is 0-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.538.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (85 - 60) at CLEVELAND (72 - 72) - 7:10 PM
YORDANO VENTURA (R) vs. COREY KLUBER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 5-10 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 85-60 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 23-13 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
KANSAS CITY is 30-22 (+11.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 89-69 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 82-56 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 60-44 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 59-34 (+20.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 35-26 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 72-72 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-36 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 26-35 (-15.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 67-70 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-25 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-39 (-12.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KLUBER is 10-18 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 3-9 (-9.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 9-18 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 6-11 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 8-7 (+1.3 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.4 Units)

YORDANO VENTURA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
VENTURA is 3-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 1.160.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

COREY KLUBER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
KLUBER is 5-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.052.
His team's record is 7-6 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.8 units)

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BALTIMORE (71 - 74) at TAMPA BAY (70 - 75) - 7:10 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. MATT MOORE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 71-74 (-7.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 27-44 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 14-29 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 15-27 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
TAMPA BAY is 585-671 (+10.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 80-59 (+23.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 82-54 (+23.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TILLMAN is 38-26 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 27-17 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 45-25 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 70-75 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 34-37 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 35-38 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome this season.
TAMPA BAY is 34-37 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf this season.
TAMPA BAY is 44-57 (-15.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 73-84 (-21.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 35-42 (-10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 8-7 (+0.4 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.2 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
TILLMAN is 5-9 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.182.
His team's record is 9-10 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-11. (-4.7 units)

MATT MOORE vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MOORE is 4-4 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.639.
His team's record is 4-4 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, September 17


A's struggle when facing lefties on the road

The Oakland Athletics are one of the league's worst road teams this season, but it is even worse when they go up against left-handed starts away from home, going just 4-23 in their last 26 road games versus a southpaws.

Oakland backers are hoping they buck the trend Thursday afternoon when the A's visit the Chicago White Sox and scheduled starter, lefty Jose Quintana (3.53 ERA, 14-15 O/U).

The A's will counter with their own lefty, Sean Nolin (3.09 ERA, 0-2 O/U).Oakland already dropped the first game of the series to lefty John Danks on Monday. Today the the A's arre +153 road dogs.


Pitchers wind at U.S. Cellular Field Thursday

The pitchers in today's matchup between the Athletics and the White Sox in Chicago could be given a hand by mother nature with a strong pitchers wind in the forecast.

There will be a 14 mile per hour wind gusting in from right field all throughout the game. Otherwise it should be a clear day in Chicago.

The A's send lefty Sean Nolin (3.09 ERA, 0-2 O/U) to the mound to take on the Sox's lefty Jose Quintana (3.53 ERA, 14-15 O/U). The Pale Hose are currently -166 home favorites with a total at 8.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Team Pitcher Open Line Movements Current Runline Scores

12:35 PM EDT

901 CHICAGO CUBS (R) Hendricks, K 8u20 8o15 / 8o20 / 8o22 8.5u20 +1.5(-205)
902 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (R) Morton, C -135 -128 / -122 / -121 -113 -1.5(+175)

PIT-CF-Andrew McCutchen-Doubtful | TV: MLB, ROOT-Pittsburgh, WGN, DTV: 213, 307, 659

2:10 PM EDT

907 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (L) Nolin, S 8.5 8.5 / 8.5u15 8.5u20 +1.5(-150)
908 CHICAGO WHITE SOX (L) Quintana, J -160 -160 / -167 / -164 -154 -1.5(+130)

TV: CSN-Chicago, DTV: 665


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

MLB Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

2:10 PM Oakland +153 205 33.72% Chi. White Sox -166 403 66.28% View View

12:35 PM Chi. Cubs +108 232 34.42% Pittsburgh -117 442 65.58% View View


TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

12:35 PM Chi. Cubs 8 194 50.00% Pittsburgh 8 194 50.00% View View

2:10 PM Oakland 8.5 194 52.72% Chi. White Sox 8.5 174 47.28% View View

[StarDust Bum]

RECAPPING MONDAY'S ACTION:

MLB: 6 - 3 - 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......................219 - 236 - 4 ..............................- 28.76
triple play........................116 - 118 - 2 ............................. - 66.96
grand slam......................116 - 109 - 4...................,.,.........- 31.76
double grand slam.............29 - 27...................................... - 10.07
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

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Royals happy to see Cuiccione behind home plate

The Kansas City Royals have a tough matchup Thursday night against Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber, but can take solace in the fact umpire Chirs Guccione will be the man calling balls and strikes.

The Royals are 6-0 in the last six games that Guccione has been the man behind home plate. Road teams are also 16-13 in the games he has officiated this season.

The Royals, currently +118 road dogs, will counter by sending Yordano Ventura to the mound.

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Braves struggling when facing right-handers at home

The Atlanta Braves have lost six straight games when facing a right-handed starter at home and most of the games haven't been close.

The Braves have been outscored 56-18 in those six games, with the over going 4-2 in that stretch.

Atlanta has another tough task Thursday when they host the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Marco Estrada. The Braves will counter with Matt Wisler. To make matters worse for Braves backers, Atlanta is 0-6 in Wisler's last six starts.

The Braves are currently +190 home dogs wit a total of 8.0.

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When Nationals are at home, over is cashing at high rate

The Washington Nationals season didn't go the way many imagined, but the one bright side, at least for bettors, is the rate they have been cashing overs at home.

In the Nats last 26 home games the over 19-4-3, including the last five in a row.

In those 26 games teams are scoring combined 10.11 runs per game with the Nationals doing the most damage, scoring 5.73 runs per game over that stretch.

Over bettors hope the trend continues when the Nats open a home series with the lowly Miami Marlins Thursday. Tanner Roark (4.38 ERA, 5-3 O/U) gets the start for the Nats, while Jared Cosart (4.58 ERA, 4-5 O/U) goes for the Marlins. The total is currently 8.0.

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NFL teams off huge upset openers are dangerous wagers in Week 2

The first week of the NFL season is always an interesting one, as we get to see how rookies fare in their first professional game, what adjustments coaches have made, and how newly acquired players fit in with their teams.

For teams with a lot of roster turnover, it can be tempting to take too much out of their Week 1 performance: a dominant win can be a sign that a team is headed for the Superbowl, a demoralizing loss could contribute to a "Fail for Cardale" movement.

In particular, big wins when you're expected to lose can be very promising. All the doubt your team faced coming into the season, which contributed to making them underdogs in Week 1, has disappeared. At least until next Sunday. It can be tempting to think that that big Week 1 win is a sign that all the haters are wrong, and those teams will outperform all expectations for the season. And betting with that mentality can be expensive.

Looking at the same dataset we used for the last feature, we can see that since 1985 there have been 51 teams that have won in Week 1 by more than 10 points when they were expected to lose. The following week, Week 2, only 20 of those 51 teams won their second game. But, even more strikingly, only 17 of those 51 teams covered the spread (two pushed). That means of the teams that didn't push, just under 35 percent of them covered the spread in their Week 2 contests. That percentage, even with just 49 observations, has a p-value that is significant at the 0.05 level (0.0443).

We can see that when underdogs win their season opener, the larger their victory the less likely it is that they will cover the spread the following week. Below is a graph of how underdog stunners fare ATS in Week 2 based on their margin of victory.

The correct way to read this graph is for any margin of victory on the x-axis, the data point corresponding to it looks at teams who won by more than that many points, and more specifically looks at how many of those teams covered the spread (that didn't push) in Week 2. As evidenced, as you restrict your interest to underdogs that win by larger amounts in Week 1, the odds that they will cover the spread the next week decrease.

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Wide open WNBA playoffs set to begin

September 17, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) Washington coach Mike Thibault was shaking his head. The veteran coach couldn't remember a more wide-open playoff chase in the WNBA then the one that will begin Thursday night.

''It really is something,'' he said. ''Of the eight teams remaining, you really could say that most of them have a legitimate chance to win the title and it wouldn't be shocking.''

Thibault's team will begin its postseason Friday in New York. The Liberty earned the No. 1 overall seed while winning a franchise record 23 games. Still they struggled with the Mystics, dropping three of the four meetings in the regular season.

''It's just a different mentality when you reach the playoffs,'' New York center Tina Charles said. ''A lot more is at stake and you forget about what happened in the regular season.''

Chicago earned the two seed in the East and will play Indiana. The Sky reached the WNBA Finals last year as a No. 4 seed before losing to Phoenix. Led by league MVP Elena Delle Donne, the Sky are hungry to make the next step and bring home a title to Chicago.

''It's crazy how wide open it is,'' Delle Donne said. ''It's amazing how talented each and every team is. I've never seen something like this before.''

The last time there wasn't a clear-cut favorite to win the title was probably in 2008 when San Antonio had the best record, but Bill Laimbeer's Detroit Shock came away with the title.

Now, Laimbeer's team is the one with the best mark.

''The nice thing we know now is that if we win all our home games we'll win the championship,'' the Liberty coach said.

Here are a few storylines of the WNBA postseason:

RECORD TURNAROUND:

The Los Angeles Sparks lost their first seven games and were sitting at 2-12 before finally getting going. No team with that bad a record to start the season had ever made the playoffs before according to STATS. The biggest reason for the change was that Los Angeles got healthy. After sitting out the first half of the season Candace Parker returned to play in the final 16 games for the Sparks. She averaged 19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE:

The Phoenix Mercury finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference and are hoping to win back-to-back titles. Even missing Brittney Griner for the first seven games because of a suspension for her domestic violence arrest and Diana Taurasi for the season while she was resting couldn't slow down the Mercury. DeWanna Bonner stepped up her play this season and Phoenix will try and become the league's first repeat champions since the Los Angeles Sparks did it in 2001 and 2002.

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Minnesota was the odds-on favorite to win the title coming into this season. The Lynx had the best record in the West, but have been bitten by the injury bug lately. Stars Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus missed the final few weeks of the regular season because of a variety of injuries. Augustus hasn't played since Aug. 19 with a foot injury while Whalen didn't play in September because of discomfort in her Achilles tendon and bursitis in her right heel.

BACK AGAIN:

Indiana returns to the postseason for a record 11th straight season. The end is drawing near for Tamika Catchings, who announced she will retire after the 2016 season. The Fever roster is mostly intact from their previous runs with the exception of coach Stephanie White, who took over after Lin Dunn retired. The Fever would love nothing more than to give Catchings another chance at a title.

FINALLY ARRIVED:

The Shock will get their first chance to play in the postseason since moving to Tulsa in 2010. It will provide an opportunity for the fans to get a taste of the playoffs. Although it's bittersweet as the franchise will be moving to the Dallas area next season. Tulsa righted itself after a 10-game losing skid following the season-ending knee injury to Skylar Diggins.

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Elena Delle Donne wins WNBA MVP

September 16, 2015

Elena Delle Donne is the WNBA's most valuable player the league announced Wednesday.

The Chicago Sky star averaged 23.4 points per game to lead the league and help Chicago secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference. She also grabbed 8.4 rebounds - more than double her total from the previous year. The 2013 rookie of the year, who shot 95 percent from the free throw line, had a career-best 45 points earlier this season.

The Sky will host Indiana in the opening round of the playoffs on Thursday night.

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Shock overcome obstacles to make playoffs

September 16, 2015

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Name it, and the Tulsa Shock probably dealt with it this season.

Somehow, they still made the playoffs.

Tulsa has fought through the drama surrounding Glory Johnson's domestic violence incident with Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, a pregnancy that cost Johnson the entire season, a season-ending injury to star guard Skylar Diggins and an announcement that the team would be moving to the Dallas area next season. The Shock open the Western Conference semifinals in Phoenix on Thursday night.

''We've dealt with a lot of adversity, but it's all about how you handle it, and we've handled it very well and we're not letting anything stop us,'' guard Odyssey Sims said. ''The players we have that were healthy, we played them, no matter the battle. They had our backs, and now, we're going to the playoffs.''

The team remained focused on its training camp goal of making the playoffs, regardless of what was going on. The Shock responded with their first winning season and first playoff berth since moving to Tulsa from Detroit before the 2010 season.

''We stayed committed,'' guard Riquna Williams said. ''We all knew that not many on this team had been to the playoffs. So we wanted to know how it felt.''

Things fell apart around mid-season. The moving announcement came in the midst of a 10-game losing skid. But the Shock followed that with six straight victories.

''Sometimes when you have a (losing) streak like that, it builds character, and I thought it built a lot of character in this group,'' Shock coach Fred Williams said. ''I'm proud of them, and I'm proud of the fact that the team has played hard for the city of Tulsa.''

Several factors helped the team overcome the challenges.

Sims averaged 16 points per game and continued her development into one of the league's top players.

''I think she's done a great job recognizing schemes of defenses that's coming at her,'' Williams said. ''She's been really selective in her shot selection on the floor. Still a great defensive force on the floor, one of the best defensive guards in the league.''

Riquna Williams began the season as a reserve and by mid-season, she was an All Star. She finished sixth in the league with 15.6 points this season.

''It's just love for the game,'' she said. ''I just go out and play every night. Coach Fred got me comfortable starting or coming off the bench. At the end of the day, I'm a ballplayer, so it shouldn't matter.''

Plenette Pierson joined the team this season to bring the leadership that helped her win two WNBA titles with the Detroit Shock. She filled Johnson's spot in the lineup and became an All-Star for the first time in her 13-year career. She averaged 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds this season.

Karima Christmas, who won a WNBA title with the Indiana Fever in 2012, has been steady. She started all 32 games she played and averaged 10.6 points per contest.

Courtney Paris led the league with 9.3 rebounds per game.

Brianna Kiesel, a rookie from Pittsburgh, stepped in and helped when the guards went down. She averaged 5.1 points and 1.9 assists per game this season, including a career-high 28 points in the regular-season finale against Phoenix. She has started 15 of the Shock's 34 games.

''There's a lot of things that didn't go in our favor over the course of the season, but I thought the team really responded well, really bared down and rolled their sleeves up and went out and played hard,'' Fred Williams said.

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WNBA to hand out awards as playoffs set

September 16, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) With the playoffs set to begin later this week, the WNBA will start handing out its season awards.

Here's a look at the major awards and the top candidates to win them:

MVP:

Elena Delle Donne looks to add to her hardware collection. The league's rookie of the year in 2013 has put up stellar numbers this season, guiding Chicago to the two-seed in the East. She won the scoring title for the first time, averaging 23.4 points per game. She also grabbed 8.4 rebounds - more than double her total from the previous year - and blocked 2 shots a game. Maya Moore could pose the biggest challenge to Delle Donne winning the award. The reigning MVP had another really strong season averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists to help Minnesota get the No. 1 seed in the West.

Other contenders include Tina Charles of the New York Liberty, who was the best player on the league's best team. Candace Parker sat out the first half of the year to rest and Los Angeles' star came back refreshed. She helped the Sparks rebound from a 2-12 start to reach the playoffs. Parker averaged 19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists which are easily MVP worthy numbers. The only drawback against Parker is that she played in only 16 games.

AP Pick: Delle Donne.

COACH OF YEAR:

Fred Williams did a remarkable job getting the Tulsa Shock into the playoffs for the first time since the franchise moved to Oklahoma. Williams was able to help the team overcome the preseason soap opera surrounding Glory Johnson, losing Skylar Diggins to a torn ACL after just eight games and the franchise's impending move to Dallas next season. His main competition will come from Bill Laimbeer and Stephanie White. Laimbeer, who was out of a job after New York missed the postseason for the second straight year last year, returned to guide the Liberty to the top record in the WNBA and the best mark in franchise history.

White in her first year in charge of Indiana guided the Fever to a third place finish in the East while navigating a host of injuries that caused the team to use 10 different lineups.

AP Pick: Laimbeer.

ROOKIE OF YEAR:

Jewell Loyd left Notre Dame with a year of eligibility remaining to challenge herself in the WNBA. The first pick in the draft got off to a slow start, scoring in double figures only once in her first eight games. She turned it around reaching double figures for Seattle in eight of her final 10 contests. Kiah Stokes didn't come out with the same expectations as Loyd, but has been nearly as good. Stokes led all rookies in rebounds (6.4), field goal percentage (54.7) and blocks.

Indiana's Natalie Achonwa and Connecticut's Chelsea Grey were also rookies this year after missing last season due to injuries. Both deserve consideration for the award, but Achonwa missed a handful of games to help Canada qualify for the Olympics next year.

AP Pick: Loyd.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR:

Brittney Griner missed the first seven games of the season after getting suspended by the league for a domestic violence arrest. She's the most dominant player in the WNBA on the defensive end, changing or altering shots. She averaged more than 4 blocks a game this season, the most in league history. It's only a matter of time until the league name's the award after Tamika Catchings. The five-time winner continues to play at such a high level on the defensive end of the court even as her minutes drop.

Stokes has helped give the Liberty the best interior defense in the league, averaging 2 blocks a game. While she may not be as dominant as Griner, she definitely made her presence felt. The rookie had a franchise-record eight against Connecticut earlier in the season.

AP Pick: Griner.

Other awards:

SIXTH-MAN:

Stokes has been a consistent force for New York and while she probably won't win rookie of the year, should be the league's sixth-man. The UConn grad's main competition could come from the reigning winner Allie Quigley, who continued excelling in her role for the Chicago Sky.

MOST IMPROVED:

This might be the toughest category to choose with four really good candidates in Stefanie Dolson, Kelsey Bone, Courtney Vandersloot and Shenise Johnson. Can't go wrong with any of the four. So going with eeny meeny miney moe, we'll choose Dolson, who raised her scoring and rebounding this season.