The Bum's Sports Page For Wednesday September 23rd Best Bets-Trends-News !

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MLB

Wednesday, September 23


Verlander strugging to get wins at home

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander has struggled at home, posting a 1-6 mark despite registering a 1.15 WHIP in 10 starts at Comerica Park this season.

Verlander is probable to get the start for the Tigers when they host the Chicago White Sox Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers are currently being offered around -145 while the Pale Hose, who are projected to counter with Francellis Montas, are +134.

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2015 MLB STANDINGS

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Toronto 86 65 .570 - 829 616 213 49-28 37-37 35-30 20-14 19-13 5-5 L 1

N.Y. Yankees (10) 83 67 .553 2½ 728 638 90 41-32 42-35 37-31 18-11 17-16 6-4 W 1

Baltimore (1) 74 76 .493 11½ 663 636 27 44-30 30-46 34-32 15-18 15-18 6-4 W 1

Tampa Bay (E) 73 78 .483 13 585 597 -12 36-39 37-39 32-36 13-19 17-17 4-6 W 1

Boston (E) 72 78 .480 13½ 699 716 -17 40-36 32-42 29-38 15-15 15-18 6-4 L 1


AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Kansas City 87 63 .580 - 675 604 71 48-28 39-35 18-16 38-29 18-12 4-6 L 1

Minnesota (3) 77 73 .513 10 652 654 -2 45-31 32-42 19-14 34-30 16-17 4-6 W 2

Cleveland (1) 74 75 .497 12½ 618 605 13 35-38 39-37 15-15 28-38 19-14 5-5 L 1

Chi. White Sox (E) 72 79 .477 15½ 592 658 -66 37-38 35-41 13-16 29-40 21-12 5-5 L 1

Detroit (E) 70 81 .464 17½ 648 759 -111 36-41 34-40 12-20 38-30 11-20 6-4 W 1


AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Texas 81 69 .540 - 676 681 -5 39-35 42-34 23-11 16-13 31-36 7-3 W 1

Houston (10) 80 72 .526 2 665 571 94 51-26 29-46 18-16 14-18 34-35 4-6 L 1

L.A. Angels (8) 77 74 .510 4½ 603 624 -21 44-31 33-43 16-16 17-17 36-29 5-5 W 1

Seattle (5) 74 77 .490 7½ 617 671 -54 34-41 40-36 15-17 14-18 37-30 6-4 W 2

Oakland (E) 64 87 .424 17½ 645 658 -13 33-43 31-44 10-23 14-19 30-38 4-6 L 3


NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

N.Y. Mets 85 66 .563 - 634 576 58 48-29 37-37 46-23 9-20 21-12 5-5 L 1

Washington (6) 78 72 .520 6½ 673 598 75 44-31 34-41 40-27 13-19 17-16 7-3 L 1

Miami (E) 64 87 .424 21 560 628 -68 36-40 28-47 28-40 13-19 16-18 4-6 L 4

Atlanta (E) 61 91 .401 24½ 533 726 -193 37-38 24-53 31-38 12-18 12-21 5-5 W 1

Philadelphia (E) 57 94 .377 28 573 773 -200 33-42 24-52 24-41 11-23 14-18 3-7 W 1


NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

St. Louis 95 56 .629 - 602 486 116 52-24 43-32 20-9 41-27 23-11 7-3 W 3

Pittsburgh (8) 91 60 .603 4 652 556 96 50-25 41-35 24-9 29-38 25-6 6-4 W 4

Chi. Cubs (6) 89 62 .589 6 652 588 64 47-29 42-33 22-12 39-27 19-13 7-3 W 2

Cincinnati (E) 63 87 .420 31½ 611 673 -62 34-40 29-47 16-12 32-37 8-25 4-6 L 3

Milwaukee (E) 63 88 .417 32 623 701 -78 34-44 29-44 17-16 28-40 10-20 1-9 L 2


NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

L.A. Dodgers 85 65 .567 - 615 548 67 50-26 35-39 19-13 17-17 39-25 5-5 L 4

San Francisco (7) 79 71 .527 6 646 567 79 44-30 35-41 18-15 15-18 35-32 7-3 W 2

Arizona (E) 73 78 .483 12½ 679 655 24 35-40 38-38 15-18 14-19 34-34 5-5 W 2

San Diego (E) 70 81 .464 15½ 620 689 -69 35-38 35-43 17-16 14-16 32-36 3-7 L 1

Colorado (E) 63 88 .417 22½ 671 787 -116 33-43 30-45 16-18 15-15 27-40 4-6 L 3

() - A team's Elimination Number is determined by adding the leading team's number of wins to the trailing team's number of losses. Subtract that total from 163. The first-place team's Magic Number is the same as the second-place team's Elimination Number.
(E) - A team has been eliminated from the division race. Note that a team eliminated from the division race may still be a contender in the Wild-card race.
x - Clinched division title
y - Clinched wild-card
z - Clinched playoff berth

-Tiebreaker games will be played to determine Division Championships, even if the two tied Clubs are assured of participating in the Postseason. If a Division Championship tiebreaker game is necessary, the head-to-head record between the tied Clubs will determine home-field advantage. If the head-to-head record is tied, then division record will be the next tiebreaker.

-In the event of a tie for the division championship or a Wild Card spot, a one-game playoff will break the tie. If three or four clubs are tied for first place in a division at the end of the regular season, and the two non-division winners would NOT be Wild Card clubs, a playoff will be played among the teams in question.

-If two Clubs are tied for both Wild Card berths, home-field advantage will be determined by the head-to-head record between the tied Clubs. If the head-to-head record is tied, then division record will be the next tiebreaker.

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WILD-CARD RACE

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TEAM W L PCT GB

N.Y. Yankees 83 67 .553 -

Houston 80 72 .526 -

Minnesota (10) 77 73 .513 2

L.A. Angels (9) 77 74 .510 2½

Cleveland (8) 74 75 .497 4½

Baltimore (7) 74 76 .493 5

Seattle (6) 74 77 .490 5½

Tampa Bay (5) 73 78 .483 6½

Boston (5) 72 78 .480 7

Chi. White Sox (4) 72 79 .477 7½

Detroit (2) 70 81 .464 9½

Oakland (E) 64 87 .424 15½


NATIONAL LEAGUE

TEAM W L PCT GB

Pittsburgh 91 60 .603 -

Chi. Cubs 89 62 .589 -

San Francisco (3) 79 71 .527 9½

Washington (2) 78 72 .520 10½

Arizona (E) 73 78 .483 16

San Diego (E) 70 81 .464 19

Miami (E) 64 87 .424 25

Cincinnati (E) 63 87 .420 25½

Colorado (E) 63 88 .417 26

Milwaukee (E) 63 88 .417 26

Atlanta (E) 61 91 .401 28½

Philadelphia (E) 57 94 .377 32

(E) - A team has been eliminated from the wild-card race. Complete division standings can be found here.
y - Clinched wild-card title
z - Clinched playoff berth
() - A team's Elimination Number; first-place team's Magic Number is same as second-place team's Elimination Number

-For the 2012 playoff, clubs from the same division will now be allowed to play one another in either the Wild Card Game or the Division Series.

-Tiebreaker games will be played to determine Division Championships, even if the two tied Clubs are assured of participating in the Postseason. If a Division Championship tiebreaker game is necessary, the head-to-head record between the tied Clubs will determine home-field advantage. If the head-to-head record is tied, then division record will be the next tiebreaker.

-In the event of a tie for the division championship or a Wild Card spot, a one-game playoff will break the tie. If three or four clubs are tied for first place in a division at the end of the regular season, and the two non-division winners would NOT be Wild Card clubs, a playoff will be played among the teams in question.

-If two Clubs are tied for both Wild Card berths, home-field advantage will be determined by the head-to-head record between the tied Clubs. If the head-to-head record is tied, then division record will be the next tiebreaker.

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Team Pitcher Open Line Movements Current Runline Scores

1:05 PM EDT

915 CHICAGO WHITE SOX (R) Montas, F 8.5u15 7.5u15 / 7.5u17 / 7.5u18 7.5o15 +1.5(-165)
916 DETROIT TIGERS (R) Verlander, J -160 -145 / -144 / -143 -142 -1.5(+145)

DET-1B-Miguel Cabrera-Doubtful | TV: FS-Detroit, DTV: 663 | MOSTLY SUNNY, WIND IN FROM LEFT 4-9. GAME TEMP 72, RH 51% HEAT INDEX 72

2:10 PM EDT

917 LOS ANGELES ANGELS (R) Tropeano, N 8.5o15 9u16 / 9u20 / 8.5o20 8.5o15 +1.5(-135)
918 HOUSTON ASTROS (R) Fiers, M -172 -175 / -170 / -171 -172 -1.5(+115)

TV: FS-West, ROOT-Southwest, DTV: 674, 692 | MOSTLY SUNNY, WIND RIGHT TO LEFT 5-10. GAME TEMP 90, RH 35% HEAT INDEX 90

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MLB Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

1:08 PM Chi. White Sox +132 84 37.33% Detroit -143 141 62.67% View View

2:10 PM LA Angels +157 254 38.08% Houston -171 413 61.92% View View

TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

1:08 PM Chi. White Sox 8 69 41.82% Detroit 8 96 58.18% View View

2:10 PM LA Angels 8.5 167 43.83% Houston 8.5 214 56.17% View View

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Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores

7:00 PM EDT

651 INDIANA FEVER 148o07 148o07 / 148.5o07 149.5 +135
652 NEW YORK LIBERTY -3.5 -05 -3.5 -05 -3 -155

TV: ESPN2, DTV: 209

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WNBA Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

Time Away Line Picks Pct Home Line Picks Pct Detail Odds

7:00 PM Indiana +3 61 42.07% New York -3 84 57.93% View View


TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

Time Away Total Over Pct Home Total Under Pct Detail Odds

7:00 PM Indiana 149.5 71 56.35% New York 149.5 55 43.65% View View

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I'll update on lines and Consensus a hour before tipoff....

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Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- World-wide this year, 12 people have died while taking selfies. Seriously.

-- Andrew Luck is 26th in fantasy points amongst NFL quarterbacks.

-- Utah State's oft-injured QB Charlie Keeton is out 4-6 weeks again (knee).

-- Boise State QB Finley is also hurt and will be out for eight weeks.

-- Jon Lester picked off a runner in each of his last two starts; he went over a year without even trying a pickoff throw to first base.

-- Since 1990, 24 NFL teams have made the playoffs after an 0-2 start.
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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Hump Day Happenings........

13) Dallas traded for Buffalo backup QB Matt Cassel, who has a 34-38 record as an NFL QB, despite never starting a game in college, at USC, where he backed up both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. He lost his only playoff start, for the '10 Chiefs.

12) Since 2006, seven Dallas QBs other than Tony Romo have started 21 Cowboy games and went 9-12 in those games.

11) Green Bay Packers sold out their last 310 home games; thats roughly 37 years.

10) Alabama ran 101 plays in its loss to Ole Miss Saturday; thats a lot. By way of comparison, Seattle-Green Bay game Sunday night had a total of 121 plays, Atlanta-Giant game had 115 plays, Saints-Buccaneers 128. More action in college football.

9) UNLV cashed a $1M check for going to Michigan and playing the Wolverines last week; Mountain West teams have now lost 21 non-league games in a row to I-A teams but they do make a lot of money playing big-name schools on the road.

8) Saints lost their last six home games, which is a disaster; very hard to make any hay in the NFL just by winning road games.

7) Random story: I saw teachers in Seattle were on strike last week, which reminded me of when I was a junior in high school 40 years ago. Teachers at three high schools in our area went on strike at the same time, one of which was mine, so we had a different substitute teacher in class every day for 2-3 weeks.

Some kids who didn't like school bolted classes and held "protest marches" to the district offices to support the teachers. It was a couple miles from our high school to the district offices; if anyone thought I was walking four miles to support anyone they had another thing coming. All we had to do was go to class, do nothing, since we had all different teachers every day and we couldn't get in trouble. Not a tough decision.

Funny thing was that a lot of the teachers on strike were just going to one of the other districts and subbing, so they could earn money. The strike ended after a couple weeks with no one winning-- we were behind on our classes and that was the year I had the toughest classes. Hopefully the same thing won't happen in Seattle.

6) On July 2, 2013, the Orioles traded Jake Arrieta/Pedro Strop to the Cubs and got Steve Clevenger/Scott Feldman in return. Whoops.

Arrieta was 20-25 in his 63 starts over 3.5 years with Baltimore; he is 34-13 in his 2+ years with the Cubs. Brutal move by the Orioles.

5) Jets had 13 takeaways all of last year; they have ten in their first two games this year, the first team since the '92 Steelers (Bill Cowher's first year) to do that.

4) I'm not a fan of college football's targeting rule; too harsh. If you're calling plays, it would be smart to throw long passes on the first series- you get a targeting call on an opposing DB, he is eliminated from the game, which could be a big deal.

3) Mike Trout hit his 40th homer last night, joining Troy Glaus as the only Angels to hit 40+ homers in a season.

2) Week 2 was the first time ever that the Raiders, Jaguars, Browns, Buccaneers and Redskins all won on the same day; that covers 17+ years of games, since Jacksonville came into the league in 1995, but the Browns were out of it from 1996-98.

1) September baseball is great fun if your favorite team is contending; if not, then this is just glorified spring training, with the next "real games" 7-8 months away.

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

The Georgia Bulldogs are 54-point favorites versus FCS Southern a week before facing Alabama. Feel like laying that massive pile of chalk in this lookahead spot?

Letdown spot

The New York Yankees are chasing down the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, currently visiting the Rogers Centre for three games this week. New York took a loss in the first game of that series Monday and, heading into Tuesday, sits 3.5 games behind Toronto. Whether the Bronx Bombers can gain some ground on the Jays may not matter when it comes to this potential letdown spot.

Following Wednesday’s finale in Toronto, New York is back home hosting the Chicago White Sox Thursday night. The Yankees will be coming down from an intense Game 3 against the Blue Jays, facing a ChiSox team that has won three of its last four on the road, and will have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Toronto.

Lookahead spot

We have a double lookahead spot this week with Alabama and Georgia on a collision course in the SEC next weekend. The Crimson Tide, who were knocked off by Ole Miss last Saturday, are monstrous 38-point favorites hosting UL Monroe. Nick Saban will be tightening the bolts on his program in preparation for UGA, which means trying some different things against the Warhawks which may keep Bama short of that big pile of chalk.

For the Bulldogs, they host FCS Southern Saturday and most books don’t have this “extra” on the board. Offshore spots braving the big spread have tagged Georgia as a huge 54-point favorite. The Dawgs smashed UL Monroe 51-14 as 35-point favorites in Week 1 but with Alabama up next, UGA will be trimming the starters’ minutes and holding back a good chunk of the playbook, not tipping their hand to Saban and the Tide.

Schedule spot

The Baltimore Ravens are in panic mode in Week 3 after losing their first two games of the NFL season. Baltimore, which opened with back-to-back road games at Denver and Oakland, comes home to face the rival Cincinnati Bengals as 3-point favorites in Week 3 for what will be one of only two games inside M&T Bank Stadium in the first month and a half of the schedule.

Following the game with Cincinnati, the Ravens play in Pittsburgh on Thursday night in Week 4, then head back home for a meeting with Cleveland the following week. After that, Baltimore has another tough schedule with games at San Francisco and Arizona in Weeks 6 and 7. The team was planning on staying out west again, but after last week’s fiasco in the Bay Area they’re rethinking the travel strategy. All that worry about upcoming trips puts an extra emphasis on winning at home this week.

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RECAPPING TUESDAY'S ACTION:


MLB: 4 - 5 - 0


WNBA: 1 - 1 - 0


CFL: 0 - 0


CFB: 0 - 0 - 0


NFL: 0 - 0 - 0


WNBA RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :

*****...............................35 - 28 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................67 - 55 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................38 - 31
SLAM DUNK.......................39 - 36


MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :


*****.............................141 - 161 - 1 .....................,........- 17.11
double play......................228 - 243 - 4 ..............................- 26.12
triple play........................120 - 125 - 2 ............................. - 78.30
grand slam......................118 - 114 - 4...................,.,.........- 46.16
double grand slam.............33 - 27...................................... + 10.41
underdog of the year.........0 - 1...........................................+ 9.36




CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RECORD:


SINGLE PLAY.................................35 - 26
DOUBLE PLAY................................13 - 18
TRIPLE PLAY..................................19 - 8
BLOW OUT.....................................4 - 3

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Fever-Liberty Preview


The New York Liberty are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in five years. That's the last time the Indiana Fever failed to get that far.

New York now has its sights set on making its first appearance in the WNBA Finals in 13 years, but the top-seeded Liberty enter Game 1 against visiting Indiana on Wednesday night at a disadvantage after playing 24 hours earlier.

The Liberty lost the opener of the semifinals in double overtime at home to Washington before winning 86-68 in the nation's capital and pulling out a 79-74 victory at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

This game is being played the following night because the Pope is coming to New York and will be at MSG on Friday.

Tina Charles had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Sugar Rodgers scored 20 off the bench for the Liberty, who advanced to the WNBA Finals in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002 but never won the championship.

''It means a lot to take that first step,'' Charles said. ''When I came home to New York this was my goal to win a championship, and now we've made it out of the first round.''

Indiana won the WNBA title in 2012, part of a five-year stretch in which it's advanced to the conference finals each season. That's tied for the league record set by Los Angeles from 1999-03.

The Fever got here this season by eliminating No. 2 seed Chicago in three games after losing the opener, winning 100-89 on the road Monday behind 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists from Tamika Catchings.

''We just talked about having fun,'' Catchings said. ''Nobody expects us to win, might as well have fun and go out with a bang.''

Catchings became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in the playoffs (1,019), but she got plenty of help. Shenise Johnson scored 22, Erlana Larkins added 18 and Marissa Coleman had 17.

''We've done a very good job of sharing the ball,'' said coach Stephanie White, who was able to watch the Liberty play Tuesday after flying to New York earlier in the day. ''We have a once-in-a-lifetime player in Tamika Catchings, but she's also 36. We have to do it by committee. Our team has stepped up all season long. We're unselfish.''

New York won the first meeting this season before Indiana took the last four - the Liberty lost only seven other times. They've split four playoff matchups, the last coming in a 2011 semifinal series won in three games by the Fever.

Game 2 will be Sunday in Indiana.

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Liberty Move On To Eastern Conference Finals Behind Raucous Crowd In Madison Square Garden

September 23, 2015

NEW YORK — Playoff basketball in Madison Square Garden is back.

The New York faithful showed up on Tuesday night as the Liberty clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Washington Mystics, 79-74, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The euphoric feeling inside the arena, however, wasn’t present the entire game. The anxiety inside The Garden was palpable from the opening tip as the Liberty hosted a Game 3 elimination game on their home court for the first time since 2010. During the game’s first moments, it was actually the visiting Washington Mystics that seemed ready to capitalize.

The energy inside the building early on seemed much different than the levels it reached during the series opener. Perhaps it was the acute awareness that the game could be the final game of the season for the Liberty. More likely, it was the Liberty’s slow start. Head coach Bill Laimbeer’s team struggled to hit shots and finished the first quarter with a mere 13 points.


But then the East’s top seed found its groove. Laimbeer and the coaching staff toyed with lineups as a result of center Carolyn Swords’ absence (Avery Warley-Talbert started in her place), and finally New York found something that clicked. Candice Wiggins (4-for-4, 12 points) and Sugar Rodgers (20 points) provided a lift off the bench that helped the Liberty surge back and take a lead into halftime after a sluggish start.

During that run, the home team was supported by a Madison Square Garden crowd that was filled to the brim with Liberty fans. That’s right. Gone was the tension that felt present at the beginning of the game. The Liberty were hitting shots, playing loose and the fans responded.

“That’s the second crowd in a row that’s been phenomenal,” Laimbeer said. “You all witnessed it. They were loud. They were into it. It’s great to be in The Garden for our players.”

“The fans definitely got behind us tonight and willed us to that win,” added Liberty veteran Essence Carson. “Of course, we wanted to win that game, but it makes it a lot easier when you have your crowd behind you and making some noise, intimidating the other team. You’ve got to love that, and that’s exactly how New York fans are.”

The second half tightened up as the Mystics displayed the same confidence that made a pivotal third game possible. It was clear that Washington was not overwhelmed by the stage, by the understanding of what was at stake. Simply put, they didn’t back down.

All the while, the anxiety returned, but this time it was understandable. With a close game and a season on the line, the nerves made sense. In fact, Washington’s Ivory Latta sank two free throws with 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point game.

Laimbeer called a timeout to try and set up a play to give New York a larger cushion than just one point. After what seemed like a botched play, Epiphanny Prince, who had struggled all night and was just 1-11 until that moment, hit a tough fadeaway jumper to give New York a 77-74 edge.

Once and for all, The Garden erupted. When the clock hit 0:00, the Liberty celebrated along with the fans inside the arena as an announcement regarding the Eastern Conference Finals was made over the public address system.

New York is set to take on Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. If the two games at The Garden this postseason serve as an indicator, the Liberty faithful will be out in full force, enjoying playoff basketball once again.

“It means a lot. That’s the one thing that’s good about homecourt advantage,” said Liberty rookie Kiah Stokes. “You get the crowd that wants you to win. So, when you do something great they’re all for you, and when you’re having a lull they’re still all for you, so I think that helped us a lot. They’re getting us as fired up just as much as we’re firing them up.”

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Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty

September 23, 2015

The path to the Eastern Conference Finals has been vastly different for the two teams involved. The New York Liberty were the best team in the WNBA during the regular season, while the Indiana Fever waded through a tough Eastern Conference on their way to securing the No. 3 seed. Now, they face each other in a best-of-three series with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line.

Let’s take a quick look at what to expect in this series.

How Did They Get Here?

Both Indiana and New York needed three games to earn a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, but each series was had its own tone. Indiana earned its spot in the Eastern Conference Finals with a win over WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky. New York knocked off a feisty Washington Mystics squad that took New York down to the wire in two games at Madison Square Garden.


If there’s one similarity between the two teams, it’s that they’re battle tested. Each has been pitted with tough scenarios and emerged victorious. Indiana had to win a series-clinching game on the road in a hostile environment. New York was involved in a defensive chess match with Washington and endured a key injury to starting center Carolyn Swords (who remains day-to-day).

But now the slate is clean and the Fever and Liberty are set to clash for a spot in the WNBA Finals.

Players to Watch

New York: Tina Charles. Charles is playing some of the best basketball of her career, and head coach Bill Laimbeer says she’s playing the best defense of her career. That’s of utmost importance to a New York team that prides itself on its defense. She’s a part of a frontcourt that uses its length to its advantage, no matter who is on the floor, whether it be rookie Kiah Stokes, Swords, Charles or Avery Warley-Talbert.



On the flip side, Charles is the focal point of New York’s attack on offense, and her play against the Indiana frontcourt will be crucial. If the Liberty continue to play without Swords, look for Charles to do a lot more dirty work down low on the offensive and defensive glass.

Indiana: Tamika Catchings. She willed the Fever to a Conference Semifinals win over the Chicago Sky, and her experience and “warrior mentality” will play a major part in determining how far the Fever go this postseason. Catchings is a seasoned veteran, and no matter what situation Indiana finds itself in against New York, there’s a good chance she’s been there before. Her experience and ability to impact the game in a variety of ways will be extremely beneficial to a Fever team that’s trying to get back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since they won it all in 2012.



Keys To The Series

For New York, the keys to advancing to the next round can be simplified. As Laimbeer has told his squad, if they win all of their home games they will win a championship. So, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Liberty must defend their home court. Madison Square Garden has given its full support to the Liberty thus far, and New York must continue to use that to its advantage if it wants to earn a chance to play for the WNBA Championship. But they’ll also need continued production from its bench. Laimbeer has repeatedly told his players to “stay ready” to step up, and Sugar Rodgers and Candice Wiggins answered the call in Game 3 of the semis. They’ll need those types of contributions if they’re going to claw their way into the Finals.

For Indiana, they need to continue doing what has gotten them to this point. Head coach Stephanie White’s squad is the best three-point shooting team in the league and boasted the third-best Offensive Rating (102.4) during the regular season. And as has been the theme with Indiana for years, they weren’t too shabby defensively, either. Indiana finished with the fifth-best Defensive Rating (99.9) in the league. They’ve stayed true to themselves so far this postseason, but they’re now pitted against a team that prides itself on defense. Now they’ve got to follow the lead of Catchings, endure the sure-to-be buzzing Madison Square Garden crowd and take care of the little things in order to move past the No. 1 seed.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. White Sox - 1:08 PM ET Chi. White Sox +132 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Detroit - Over 8 500 *****


LA Angels - 2:10 PM ET Houston -171 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Houston - Under 8.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY