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**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 08:30 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

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

-- Cal @ UCLA (-3)-- Bruins try to bounce back after Stanford debacle.

-- K-State @ Texas (-3.5)-- Bill Snyder wrote a letter to Kansas State students, apologizing for Oklahoma loss.

-- Texas A&M @ Ole Miss (-6)-- Both teams coming off of big losses.

-- Auburn @ Arkansas (-5.5)-- Fans of losing team in this one won't be happy.

-- Clemson (-7) @ Miami-- This game opened at Clemson, -2.5.

-- Washington State @ Arizona (-7)-- Mike Leach getting points on road.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.......

13) In the movie Draft Day, the QB everyone expects to be drafted first becomes a suspect because none of his teammates went to his 21st birthday party. During the Michigan State game Saturday, ABC's Chris Spielman suggested QB Connor Cook will have to explain to NFL teams why he wasn't voted a team captain by teammates.

It is unusual for a senior QB not to be a team captain.

12) Temple Owls are in the college football top 25 for first time since 1979.

11) Stanford's punter is an intern for Condoleeza Rice, who is a faculty member in Palo Alto. Ms Rice is also on the college football selection committee.

10) Sam Rosen called the Panther-Seahawk game on FOX Sunday in Seattle, then was back at his normal job Monday night, calling a Rangers game in Manhattan. Rosen is a pro's pro as an announcer, but hockey is his best sport.

9) Marcus Mariota sprained his MCL Sunday, Michael Vick has a slight tear in his hamstring. Vick's injury probably doesn't matter much, since Landry Jones is better than he is anyway, but if Vick can't play and Big Ben isn't ready, Steelers will have to sign another backup QB for Sunday in Kansas City.

8) 24-hour breakfast at McDonald's; tremendous!!!!

7) Idaho and Troy State are both in the Sun Belt Conference for football; what part of the sun belt is Idaho in? According to Mapquest, Moscow, ID is 2,541 miles away from Troy, AL. what nitwit put these schools in the same league?

6) Guy in Florida was arrested for impersonating a police officer; the genius was snagged after he pulled over a real police officer. Chaos ensued.

5) This is what the Colts' fake punt was supposed to look like; University of Maine pulled off this play to beat James Madison, 25-24.

It is a testament to how well-coached pro football is that when a team screws up as royally as the Colts did with the fake punt, that it becomes a national story.

4) Remember Louisville's basketball star Pervis Ellison? His son is a freshman at St John's and will play for new coach Chris Mullin this winter.

3) 76ers coach Brett Brown actually played college basketball for Rick Pitino at Boston U in the early 80's- that was Pitino's first head coaching job.

2) Blue Jays 11, Royals 8-- Cueto faced 17 batters; eight of them scored. Home side is now 5-0 in this round of the playoffs.

1) Eagles 27, Giants 7-- Giants went 80 yards on eight plays to open game, but for rest of the night, they gained 167 yards on 56 plays. Ugly game with seven turnovers. Primetime underdogs are now 12-6-1 vs spread this year.

**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 08:30 AM

Oddsmakers spill on what goes into the NFL Week 7 opening odds

Dez Bryant could return to action for the Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants, who could be between 4.5 and 6-point favorites Sunday.

In Week 1 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys rallied to edge the visiting New York Giants 27-26 on a touchdown in the waning seconds. But Dallas lost superstar wideout Dez Bryant to a broken foot during that game.

And in Week 2, Cowboys QB Tony Romo broke his collarbone in a 20-10 victory at Philadelphia. Dallas (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) hasn’t won since, dropping three in a row SU and ATS, including a 30-6 shellacking at home at the hands of the New England Patriots as an 8-point underdog on Oct. 11.

But the Cowboys had their bye last week to recover from the wipeout, and though it’ll still be a few weeks until Romo returns, they might have Bryant back for a key Week 7 road game against the Giants.

New York (3-2 SU and ATS) got out of the gate slow, blowing that opener at Dallas, followed by a home loss to Atlanta. But the Giants then won three in a row, and they’ll wrap up Week 7 in the NFL when they travel to Philadelphia for the Monday night game.

With that game still pending, so is the opening line. But John Lester, senior lines manager for Bookmaker.eu, said all things being equal, the Giants will be a 6-point favorite.

“There are plenty of new working pieces for the Cowboys coming off the bye, and it will be interesting to see if Dez Bryant is able to get back on the field,” Lester said. “The Giants are the best team in this subpar division right now, and if there aren’t any significant injuries Monday night, we will open them around 6-point chalk. This will be a massive handle for us, given the marquee teams and being one of only two late-afternoon games.”

Dallas will have Matt Cassel at quarterback in an effort to end its slide.

“The Cowboys will try someone new behind center this week,” said John Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas. Avello thinks the number may start a little lower. “I’ll try to take a stab at making a line on this one and start the bidding at Giants -4.5.”

New York Jets at New England Patriots (-10)

As midseason approaches, the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots look like a good bet to get back to the Super Bowl. In the Sunday night game, New England (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) held off Indianapolis 34-27, but fell short as an 8-point road fave.

The Jets (4-1 SU and ATS), under new head coach Todd Bowles, are off to a solid start as well. On Sunday, New York coasted past Washington 34-20 laying 7.5 points at home.

“Can anybody knock off the mighty Pats?” Avello said. “The Jets will give it a shot as they are off to their best start since 2010.”

Again, early-bird bettors had to wait for the line, but Lester expected the Pats to be a healthy favorite. And they are, opening as 10-point home favorites in Week 7.

“If the Patriots play the part and stay healthy Sunday night, then we’ll look to make them at least touchdown favorites,” he said. “This will really be the first defense the Pats have seen that is capable of limiting their offense. It could be a big statement game for Todd Bowles and the surprising Jets. I expect to see a lot of sharp money on New York.”

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (+4)

The two-time defending NFC champion Seahawks have been well off their game far this season, but they had similar struggles early last year, then made it all the way back to the Super Bowl before losing to New England. Seattle (2-4 SU, 1-4-1 ATS), laying seven points at home against Carolina Sunday, blew a sizable lead for the second straight week, letting a 20-7 advantage slip away in a 27-23 loss.

San Francisco (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) is also having its struggles, looking nothing like the team that reached three straight NFC Championship games from 2011 to 20113 and the Super Bowl in 2012. On Sunday, the Niners regained a little ground, topping Baltimore 25-20 as 2.5-point home underdogs.

“This is a division rivalry that’s lost a lot of luster in less than a year,” Lester said. “Seattle is certainly feeling the pressure, and it’s safe to call this a must-win situation for that squad. Of course, the Niners have showed some life the last couple of weeks, as the play from Colin Kaepernick has been much improved. I expect them to be very motivated as well. Early money came in on the road chalk, but I anticipate equal action for this matchup.

Said Avello, “Seattle finds itself tied with the 49ers in the NFC West cellar. They're 0-3 on the road and not playing much better at home. The 49ers are a mess, but have looked much better the past two weeks. But that's not saying much.”

Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals (-7)

Baltimore (1-5 SU, 0-5-1 ATS) is having a very un-Ravens type of season, and it won’t get any easier as the Ravens play in the Pacific time zone for the second straight week. On Sunday at San Francisco, Baltimore fell 25-20 as a 2.5-point road chalk.

Arizona (4-2 SU and ATS), which won by double digits while cashing in its first three games, is just 1-2 SU and ATS since then. The Cards couldn’t get their offense going Sunday as a 5.5-point road favorite against Pittsburgh, losing outright 25-13.

“Although all their games have been very close, the Ravens find themselves almost out of contention for any chance of a playoff spot, and we're only in October,” Avello said. “The Cardinals are back home, where they clearly play their best football.”

Lester pulled no punches in describing Baltimore.

“This is the worst Ravens team we’ve seen since John Harbaugh took over nearly a decade ago,” he said. “The offense is severely lacking playmakers, and the line is awful, which makes Joe Flacco look terrible. He’s the only reason they can keep games competitive. Arizona looked flat in a tough spot (at Pittsburgh), but I expect a very good effort here at home under the prime-time lights on Monday night.”

**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 08:30 AM

Don't miss your window to get the best of these NFL Week 7 odds

With the Seattle Seahawks facing three straight losses, expect their odds against the 49ers to move before kickoff Thursday.

Spread to bet now

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The Seahawks have now lost back-to-back games for the second time this season and at 2-4 they really have to start winning division games. They did get off to a similar (3-3) start last season, and had to go belly button to the wall in the late going to win the NFC West.

A division loss on the road this Thursday will make a second straight climb all the more difficult, even in the weak NFC West. Over the last two years, Seattle has seemed to win the vast majority of games that it has absolutely needed (last February’s Super Bowl notwithstanding), and the Seahawks are once again in the same spot. This line will only move in Seattle’s direction, so money now makes sense if you are on the defending NFC champs.

Spread to wait on

Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals (-7.5)

Early money is down in Arizona on this one as the Ravens’ 0-5-1 record ATS has given Baltimore backers plenty of reason to not put their hands back on that stove. The Ravens have fallen all the way to 25th in the league in overall defense, and the offense has still not completely recovered from that 19-13 loss to Denver in the opener.

Now the Ravens – who lost at San Francisco Sunday – face the prospect of another near-cross country fight to take on a Cardinals team that feels it can win the NFC West and make an elongated playoff run. Not likely the spread moves in this one, but there could be variation from the standard dime line over the course of the week.

Total to watch

Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans (47.5)

So, the Falcons offense comes completely unhinged at New Orleans, held to seven points over three and a half quarters by a Saints team that was dead last in the league in total defense. Were the Falcons overrated? Football bettors should find out for sure Sunday at Tennessee, where the Titans have an excellent defense but hardly anything (1-4 SU) to show for it.

This will be Tennessee’s fourth straight home game (with a bye week, five straight weeks without traveling), and it should be ready to make life hard for Atlanta for the second straight week. It’s hard to see a lot of points on the board in this one as Titans make adjustments following a poor effort against Miami.

**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 08:35 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 20

American League
Royals vs Blue Jays
Young is 1-0, 0.79 in his only two starts since Sept 1 (under 2-0).

Dickey is 1-0, 1.99 in his last four starts (over 3-0-1).

Royals won ten of their last thirteen games (over 5-2 last seven).

Blue Jays lost three of last five games with KC; home side won ten of last 12 series games. Toronto is 4-4 in playoffs (over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games).

National League
Mets vs Cubs
deGrom is 3-0, 1.17 in his last four starts (under 3-0 in last three).

Hendricks is 1-0, 1.62 in his last thee starts (under 3-1 last four).

New York won six of last eight games (under 8-2-1 in last eleven).

Chicago won nine of last 11 games against the Mets (under 7-2-2), but is down 2-0 in this series; Cubs won nine of last 12 games overall (over 3-1-1 last five).

MLB

Tuesday, October 20

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Trend Report
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4:07 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TORONTO
Kansas City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Kansas City is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City

8:07 PM
NY METS vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 17 of NY Mets's last 24 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Chi Cubs are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing NY Mets

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**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 08:38 AM

MLB

Tuesday, October 20

Cubs regroup for NLCS Game 3

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon congratulated the New York Mets on a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.

"We'll be ready to play," Maddon said Monday at the team's workout at Wrigley Field. "You can't dwell on things like that, and you can't process the moment in the wrong way. I mean it sincerely, one-game winning streaks. We've talked about it before. Let's play Tuesday and see what happens, and we'll move on from there."

Maddon's young team can climb out of a hole in the best-of-seven series with a win Tuesday, but a loss would be devastating. The Mets are well-armed, sending Jacob deGrom to the mound in Game 3 to follow up stellar starts by Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard.

From his office Sunday the theme from "Rocky" could be heard, another of the eccentric and measured Maddon's unique approaches to motivation. On the heels of a losing streak during the season he called of batting practice and told players to simply show up ready to play, as if they were little leaguers.

It was a blunt reminder that baseball is still a game, and they shouldn't approach any losing streak with dread that might block their focus on the task at hand.

Tuesday the task is a great one. Maddon believes his job is to make them see it another way.

"For me, seriously, here's the rub: Everybody believes that you need more batting practice. We need more ground balls. We need to look at video longer. I totally disagree with that," he said. "We've been doing this since February. They've been swinging the bat constantly since February. They've been taking ground balls constantly since February. If we could relax our minds and be in the present tense and go out there and play the game that we've been practicing all year, that's what I'm looking for.

"So the point is you don't want to stretch them out over this repetitive exercise that, honestly, it's not like other sports. We've been doing this for months, and in baseball you need to go out there and be able to process the moment, not overthink it, definitely not get uptight about it. It's a tension-free kind of a game. So anything I can do to promote that, that's what I attempt to do."

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks makes the start for the Cubs in Game 3. The 25-year-old was 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 2015. Depending on the outcome Tuesday, Maddon is leaning toward Jason Hammel for Game 4. He said he didn't want to ask Jon Lester to come back on short rest.

"Yeah, there's pressure. It's the playoffs," said Hendricks. "There's always going to be some pressure, but you've got to let the pleasure exceed that. We've heard Joe say it a lot. I'm just going to go out and try to have fun. This is why you play the game, this is why you want the ball. So pressure in a way is sometimes a good thing."

Mets' Harvey still scheduled to pitch Game 5

Matt Harvey is still scheduled to pitch Game 5 of the National League Championship Series despite a bruised right triceps, and Harvey seems to be trying to erase the concerns of his manager.

On Monday, manager Terry Collins said he was concerned about the swelling in Harvey's right triceps, which occurred when Harvey was hit by a ball off the bat of the Chicago Cubs' Dexter Fowler in Game 1.

Collins said Bartolo Colon or Jonathon Niese might start in place of Harvey in Thursday's Game 5.

Harvey completed 7 2/3 innings in the Mets' 4-2 win, but he described his arm as "dented" by Fowler's blast.

"He's pretty sore and pretty swelled up," Collins said Monday afternoon. "He, as we sit here today, is a go. But that could certainly change in next couple of days. ... I was pretty surprised at how swelled up it was yesterday. So we certainly are going to keep a really close eye on it the next couple of days."

Later Monday, Harvey had a light throwing session in the outfield of Wrigley Field.

When asked about his arm, Harvey told the New York Daily News, "It's good." He expressed no doubt that he would be ready to pitch Friday, if needed.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen also said there was no doubt that Harvey would start Game 5.

"I don't foresee any problem with Matt going out there and pitching," Warthen said, according to ESPN.com. "He just came out to throw. A lot of guys hate to have a day off, so a lot of players will come in on a day off and just play catch. Nothing more than that."

**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 09:56 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Tuesday, October 20

NY Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Game 961-962
October 20, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(deGrom) 17.159
Chicago Cubs
(Hendricks) 13.351
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 3 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-130
No Run Total
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-130); N/A

Kansas City @ Toronto

Game 963-964
October 20, 2015 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
15.156
Toronto
19.203
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 4
10 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-150
9
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-150); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 20

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NY METS (95 - 74) at CHICAGO CUBS (101 - 68) - 8:05 PM
JACOB DEGROM (R) vs. KYLE HENDRICKS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 101-68 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-18 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 101-68 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 61-38 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 80-54 (+12.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 81-74 (+8.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 47-33 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HENDRICKS is 31-15 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HENDRICKS is 31-14 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HENDRICKS is 16-7 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HENDRICKS is 11-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 95-74 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 22-9 (+11.5 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 82-83 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 94-70 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 58-36 (+15.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
DEGROM is 22-10 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
DEGROM is 7-0 (+7.0 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season. (Team's Record)
DEGROM is 10-2 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
DEGROM is 9-0 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 795-758 (-160.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 160-199 (-59.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 7-2 (+4.7 Units) against NY METS this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

JACOB DEGROM vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
DEGROM is 0-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 6.46 and a WHIP of 1.696.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.5 units)

KYLE HENDRICKS vs. NY METS since 1997
HENDRICKS is 2-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 0.692.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

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KANSAS CITY (100 - 70) at TORONTO (97 - 73) - 4:05 PM
CHRIS YOUNG (R) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 97-73 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 43-21 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 52-35 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 28-12 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
KANSAS CITY is 100-70 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 45-39 (+6.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 19-7 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 17-7 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday this season.
KANSAS CITY is 32-17 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 67-42 (+19.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 16-7 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 40-27 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 91-68 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 46-31 (+14.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
YOUNG is 29-18 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
YOUNG is 60-50 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
YOUNG is 17-9 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-5 (+0.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. TORONTO since 1997
YOUNG is 2-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

R.A. DICKEY vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
DICKEY is 4-3 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.28 and a WHIP of 1.366.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (-0.5 units)

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

**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 12:49 PM

MLB

Tuesday, October 20

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Championship Series doubleheader betting preview: Royals at Blue Jays, Mets at Cubs
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The Blue Jays are -152 favorites for Game 4 of the ALCS and the Mets are -125 for Game 3 of the NLCS.

Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays (-152, 9.0)

Royals lead series 2-1

The Toronto Blue Jays have snapped Kansas City's impressive streak and attempt to even the American League Championship Series at two wins apiece when they host the Royals in Game 4 on Tuesday. Toronto posted an 11-8 victory in Game 3 to halt the Royals' string of nine straight ALCS victories, one shy of the record set by the Baltimore Orioles from 1969-73.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer and Josh Donaldson launched a two-run blast during a six-run third inning as the Blue Jays ran out to a 9-2 lead en route to recording the crucial victory. "We desperately needed that breakout," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "You look at how the game finished up, those runs really came in handy. It wasn't an easy game, even though we had a big lead." Alcides Escobar has been a persistent force for the Royals as he went 4-for-5 and scored three times in Game 3 and is 7-for-12 with five runs in the series. Kansas City's Chris Young will be making the second postseason start of his career - he scattered four hits and struck out nine over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as San Diego defeated St. Louis in the 2006 National League Division Series.

TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, FS1, RSN (Toronto)

LINE HISTORY: The Blue Jays opened as -131 home favorites for Game 4, but have been bet up to -152. The total has remained at its opening number of 9.0.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Chris Young (0-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (0-0, 1.93)

The 36-year-old Young was tabbed to start over Kris Medlen because manager Ned Yost was impressed with his relief outing against Houston in the AL Division Series as he struck out seven while allowing one run and three hits in four innings. The 6-foot-10 Young has allowed just two runs and seven hits over his last 15 1/3 frames and marvels that he is even in position to start a postseason game after a lengthy pattern of injuries. "To have this opportunity, I just can't thank the organization enough for believing in me," Young said, "whether it was in the beginning of the season or here now in the postseason."

The 40-year-old Dickey never had pitched in the postseason until giving up one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings against Texas in the ALDS. He continues to baffle hitters with his trademark knuckleball, which also tests the abilities of catcher Russell Martin. "Have you ever tried to catch a butterfly as it's floating around in the air?" Martin asked reporters. "I wish I could put a camera on my mask or something for people to see exactly what the ball's doing. It's pretty impressive."

TRENDS:

* Royals are 1-6 in their last seven meetings in Toronto.
* Blue Jays are 6-1 in Dickey's last seven home starts.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Young's last five road starts.
* Over is 10-2-2 in Blue Jays' last 14 games overall.

New York Mets at Chicago Cubs (+115, OFF)

Mets lead series 2-0

Daniel Murphy was thought to be on his way out of New York with free agency looming and prospect Dilson Herrera knocking on the door from the minor leagues, but a week of hot hitting in the playoffs is making him indispensable to his team. Murphy will try to homer in his fifth straight game when the Mets visit the Chicago Cubs for Game 3 of the National League Championship series on Tuesday.

Murphy clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 on Sunday off Cubs ace Jake Arrieta and has taken Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jon Lester and Arrieta deep in the last four games to provide plenty of support for the New York staff. “I definitely am seeing the ball well right now, so that's nice,” Murphy told reporters after blasting a first-inning homer for the second time in as many NLCS games. Chicago managed a total of three runs in the first two games but won both of its home games in the NLDS against the Cardinals and is still confident going forward. “We're looking for several one-game winning streaks and that would be kind of nice,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters. “Listen, it's never going to be easy this time of the year. They are good; we know that. We're also very good.”

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Cubs opened as +115 home dogs, were quickly bet to +111, but have settled back to the opening number. The total for Game 3 is currently off the board.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.38 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 5.79)

DeGrom struck out 20 in 13 total innings over a pair of NLDS starts and won them both, including the Game 5 clincher. The former Rookie of the Year has allowed a total of three runs in his last four outings with 36 strikeouts in 23 innings during that span. DeGrom has never beaten Chicago, going 0-2 while allowing a total of 11 earned runs and 17 hits in 15 1/3 innings over three career starts.

Hendricks got the nod over Jason Hammel for Game 3 and will try to bounce back after surrendering three solo home runs among four hits in 4 2/3 innings at St. Louis during the NLDS. The Dartmouth product scattered three hits and no runs in 12 innings over his final two turns in the regular season and has issued a total of two walks in his five outings. Hendricks is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts against New York.

TRENDS:

* Mets are 10-1 in deGrom's last 11 road starts.
* Cubs are 6-1 in Hendricks' last seven starts.
* Over is 25-6-1 in Mets last 32 road games versus a right-handed starter.
* Over is 4-0 in Cubs last four home playoff games.

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**Udog** · 10-20-2015, 12:54 PM

MLB

Tuesday, October 20

Royals confident Young can keep ball in park

TORONTO -- Chris Young gives up fly balls.

The Rogers Centre is a park that gives up a lot of homers.

The Toronto Blue Jays hit a lot of home runs, including three in Game 3 in their 11-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Even so, Royals manager Ned Yost feels that the right-hander is a good choice to pitch Game 4 against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

"He's had good success against some of those hitters," Yost said. "His height and his deception in his delivery, his competitiveness. He had a great outing against Houston, and his last two starts (of the regular season) were really, really good. He's a good choice for us."

It will be Young's first postseason start in 2015, but he had a seven-strikeout effort over four innings in relief against the Houston Astros in the AL Division Series.

The fly-ball aspect does not concern Yost.

"If he's got the fastball and the slider going, he will be very, very tough," the manager said. "Again, every pitcher has to execute."

Young said, "You have to make good pitches, no matter where you are. I've bad games in pitchers' parks and good games in hitters' parks. The challenge is to make good pitches, execute pitches, choose the right pitches. If you do that, more often than not, you're going to have success no matter where you are."

It is nine years since Young started in the postseason and beat the St. Louis Cardinals when he was with the San Diego Padres.

He thought at that time there would be more postseason opportunities than there have been.

"Certainly, there's an appreciation for this," he said. "I'm cherishing it."

Indoor Game 4 suits Jays' Dickey

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays like hitting at Rogers Centre. R.A. Dickey likes pitching there.

The right-hander will take his knuckleball into Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. Dickey aims to even the series at two games apiece after Toronto won 11-8 in Game 3 on Monday.

The roof at the retractable stadium will be closed, and that suits Dickey fine.

"I like this stadium, I felt I can have good results here," he said. "(It is a positive) anytime that you can take out an exponent of the equation, which is the climate in my particular case, because I don't have to worry about rain or moisture or wind when they have the dome closed."

In Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers, Dickey had a six-run lead when he was removed in favor of left-hander David Price with two outs in the fifth.

The move deprived him of the win, which went to Price, who worked three innings after he was brought in to deal with the left-handed bats that Texas had coming up. Manager John Gibbons did not want to let the Rangers back into the game. The strategy worked.

Dickey had a good game against the Royals the only time he faced them this season. He allowed only two hits and two walks in seven shutout innings on Aug. 2 in Toronto.

In that outing, Dickey said he tried to attack the strike zone.

"I was fortunate because they're a swinging team, and they were hitting pieces of the ball because it was moving well," he said "Hopefully, I can repeat that."

He respects the Royals.

"One of their key qualities as a team ... they spoil a lot of pitcher counts and work the count back in their favor quite a bit," Dickey said. "This is going to sound paradoxical, but it's important for me to always be pitching to contact with my knuckleball. And that means I have to be relentless in throwing strikes with it. I think it's important to me to take a shot or two out of the strike zone.

"But the great thing about the knuckleball is that it can be in the strike zone and can be just as effective as out of the strike zone because it moves so chaotically, so late. If I'm inducing a lot of weak contact, it's great."

Mets are the World Series favorites heading into Tuesday

The New York Mets are the 3/2 favorites to win this season's Fall Classic heading into Tuesday's ALCS and NLCS games, according to the Westgate LV Superbook.

The Mets lead the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in the NLCS heading into tonight's Game 3 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are listed at 8/1.

Meanwhile the Royals, who lead the ALCS 2-1 with Game 4 this afternoon in Toronto are on the board at 2/1. The Blue Jays are 13/5.

Public backing Blue Jays in ALCS Game 4

The public is loving the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALCS, betting them from their opening number of -131 to their current -154.

The Jays got back into the series with an 11-8 win over the Royals Monday night and now trail two games to one.

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey gets the call for the Jays in Game four, while Kansas City will counter with Chris Young.

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