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**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 09:39 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Lions fired their OC and offensive line coaches, just before they headed over the pond to play the Chiefs in London Sunday. The head coach should be next.

-- Baylor QB Seth Russell (neck) will have surgery, is out for the year.

-- 5-time All-Star Torii Hunter retired; he was an excellent defensive outfielder.

-- Texans coach Bill O'Brien wanted to cut Ryan Mallett after he missed the team charter to Miami, but GM Rick Smith overruled him. Where is Hard Knocks when we really need it?

-- Purdue's best basketball recruit hasn't been cleared yet by the NCAA; he was adopted by a guy in 8th grade who is a Purdue alum. Make a decision, people; the season starts in 2.5 weeks.

-- UNLV's Chris Wood made the 76ers roster, the 10th Findlay Prep alum to make the NBA in the last five years.

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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Wrapping up Week 7 in NFL......

13) Jaguars 34, Bills 31-- Jax led 27-3 with 3:00 left in half, but blew lead, throwing awful pick-6 with 5:21 left to fall behind 31-27. Bortles then drove them 84 yards in 3:07 for the win, hitting Allen Hurns for the winning TD. Hurns now has a TD in his last five games-- Jacksonville is slowly getting better- they scored defensive TDs 0:07 apart in the second quarter. Buffalo screwed up trading Matt Cassel to Dallas.

12) Rams 24, Browns 6-- Cleveland had scored 26.2 ppg in its previous five games, but St Louis forced/recovered four fumbles and rode rookie RB Gurley to a win that evens their record at 3-3. Rams scored defensive TD on Browns' third play of game.

11) Chiefs 23, Steelers 13-- KC snapped five-game skid against QB making his first NFL start. Chiefs still had only two TDs on five red zone drives. Home favorites are 25-20-1 vs spread in non-divisional games this season.

10) Dolphins 44, Texans 26-- Houston backup QB Mallett "missed the plane" to game; this is same guy who didn't show up for practice the day after Hoyer was named starting QB. Tough spot; QBs are hard to come by; if they cut him, he'll get scooped up in five minutes, but he seems like a jerk who should be cut.

This game was 41-nil at half; in Week 4 at Atlanta, Texans trailed 28-0 at half. O'Brien almost has to get fired, just a matter of when. Would be second year in a row the coach on Hard Knocks gets the boot. Not good for HBO or NFL Films.

As if things couldn't get worse for Houston, Arian Foster has a torn achilles.

9) Patriots 30, Jets 23-- Nine rushes, 16 yards; that was it for the Patriots' run game; they trailed 20-16 with 12:50 left, but on their last two drives, Brady drove them on TD drives of 80-68 yards for the win. NE has now won eight of last nine series games; five of last seven were decided by 3 or less points; Jets lost last five visits here by 9-3-3-2-7 points. Jets are much-improved, but Brady is still Brady.

8) Vikings 28, Lions 19-- There were rumors all Saturday night that Adrian Peterson was sick and wouldn't play; he ran ball 19 times for 98 yards and caught three passes. If playoffs started today, Minnesota would be #6 seed in NFC. Detroit is 1-6 as they head to London for a game with Kansas City.

7) Falcons 10, Titans 7-- Tennessee lost its ninth home game in a row; three of their home losses this year are by 3 or less points. Atlanta is an unimpressive 6-1; they've trailed in 4th quarter in four of six wins and this game wasn't much better, but they are still 6-1, albeit still behind Carolina in NFC South.

6) Redskins 31, Buccaneers 30-- Greatest comeback in Washington history; trailing 24-0 in first half, Cousins led Redskins back- they scored winning TD with 0:24 left, driving 80 yards on 11 plays. Bucs' WR Evans caught eight balls for 164 yards. Skins are 3-4 and only a game out of first place in NFC East.

5) Saints 27, Colts 21-- Indy is 3-4 but still atop a horrible AFC South; their teams are 6-1 vs spread outside the division. Colt owner Irsay had harsh words with GM Grigson after this loss-- Saints led 20-nil at half. New Orleans won three of last ffour games, scoring 58 points in last two games.

4) Raiders 37, Chargers 29-- Oakland led 37-6 early in the third quarter in a stadium where it was hard to tell who the home team was. NFL needs to clear up this stadium thing; who is going to LA, who isn't. Raiders started six drives in Charger territory; all 12 San Diego drives started 80+ yards from goal line.

3) Giants 27, Cowboys 20-- Dallas was -4 in turnovers, gave up a kick return TD and still almost won; they ran ball for 233 yards, but lost to Giants for first time in last six meetings. Divisional home favorites are now 5-16-1 vs spread this season.

Not a lot of fun having only two 4:25 games; NFL is leaning on Cowboys to produce TV ratings, but they stink without Romo and he is still a month away from playing.

2) Panthers 27, Eagles 16-- Carolina is unbeaten, Eagles are 3-4 and Rams need Sam Bradford to start two more games so they can bank a 4th-round draft pick for dealing the oft-injured QB last spring. If Dick Butkus were playing today, he'd be Thomas Lewis of the Panthers; hard hitter, very, very good player.

1) Cardinals 26, Ravens 18-- If the 2016 NFL Draft were this morning, it would be weird, since it isn't 2016 yet, but Baltimore would have the first pick- all six of their losses are by 8 or less points. Carson Palmer is now 75-75 as an NFL starting QB.

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 09:39 AM

Books struggle to show Denver respect with NFL Week 8 odds

“It's very rare when Denver is an underdog at home, but this is one of those rare times." - John Avello, Wynn Las Vegas

For many observers, the Denver Broncos’ unbeaten record is a lot of smoke and mirrors. A stout defense has bailed out an embarrassingly-ineffective offense led by a surprisingly pedestrian Peyton Manning.

In Week 8, that smoke could clear and the mirrors could break, with Denver (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) hosting a team that looks much more worthy of its perfect mark – the Green Bay Packers (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS).

Both teams are coming off their bye week. In Week 6, Green Bay held off San Diego 27-20 as a healthy 10.5-point home favorite – the first time this season the Packers haven’t covered the spread. Denver, meanwhile, is arguably coming off the ugliest of several ugly wins, edging Cleveland 26-23 in overtime as 3.5-point road chalk.

John Lester, senior lines manager for Bookmaker.eu, said the line opened as a pick ‘em for the Sunday night game in the Mile High City, but it moved toward the Packers in a hurry.

“The pros were ready to pounce when we opened this, and in a matter of minutes the number had moved to -2.5 in favor of Green Bay,” Lester tells Covers. “Both teams had a week to prepare, and sit and think about their perfect records. It’s no secret the public is down on Denver due to the negativity surrounding Manning, but it’s not as if Green Bay has destroyed any of its opponents this year.

“I can see this getting to -3 at some point, but there will be some sharps who enter the underdog mix then. The smartest play is probably the Under.”

John Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas, said Denver has played its way into being a home pup.

“It's very rare when Denver is an underdog at home, but this is one of those rare times. In their two home games, the Broncos just squeaked by the Ravens and Vikings,” Avello tells Covers. “I will say both defenses have played extremely well.”

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (N/A)

Cincinnati (6-0 SU, 5-0-1 ATS) has been a great on the field and at the betting window, and now has a chance to put a stranglehold on the AFC North. The Bengals are coming off their bye week, after beating Buffalo 34-21, laying three points on the road in Week 6.

Since losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (knee) in Week 3, Pittsburgh has just hoped to tread water, and has ostensibly done that, going 2-2 SU. The Steelers had a two-game SU and ATS uptick halted at Kansas City, losing 23-13 as 3.5-point underdogs Sunday, and they’ll hope to have Roethlisberger back in the fold this week.

But with that unknown, the line on this game will have to wait.

“The Steelers need Big Ben back, and I believe he will show up for this one,” Avello says. “If that's the case, expect to see the Bengals getting points, and with their ATS record, that's frightening.”

Lester is also prepping for Roethlisberger’s return.

“Big Ben is closer and closer to being ready, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s back for this division showdown,” Lester says. “The guy is tough as nails, and him on one leg is better than a healthy Landry Jones or Mike Vick. We’ll hold off on releasing a line until his status becomes clearer. Roethlisberger is worth a full touchdown to a line, so if he’s ready, the Steelers will be favored.”

Seattle Seahawks (-5) at Dallas Cowboys

It’s a battle of two teams that made the playoffs last year, but as November dawns, both are in positions where they can’t afford another loss. Two-time defending NFC champion Seattle (3-4 SU, 2-4-1 ATS) opened Week 7 in the Thursday night game, shutting down San Francisco 20-3 giving 6.5 points on the road.

Dallas (2-4 SU, 1-5 ATS) has lost its way without quarterback Tony Romo and wideout Dez Bryant. The Cowboys dropped their fourth in a row SU and ATS Sunday, losing to the New York Giants 27-20 as a 3-point road underdog. Bryant could be back this week, but Romo is out until at least Week 11, meaning Matt Cassel (3 INTs Sunday, including a pick-six) will again be the starter.

“Money came in on the road chalk Sunday night, and we quickly moved to -6,” Lester says. “The public may pile on and get this to the key number at some point, but I don’t expect it will finish there. Matt Cassel was absolutely an upgrade over Brandon Weeden at the pivot for Dallas, and the offensive line had an excellent game at New York. The Cowboys could steal a win here, especially if Dez Bryant is back in the lineup.”

Avello wasn’t quite as sold on Cassel.

“The Cowboys tried a new QB this week and that didn't work, and now they are really desperate for a win,” he says. “The Seahawks aren't that far from desperation either, knowing that Arizona is probably not fading this year, so they must keep pace in the wild-card hunt.”

Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers (N/A)

Carolina reached the playoffs last season by winning a dismal NFC South Division with a 7-9 SU record. This year, the Panthers (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) are already on the brink of that same number of wins, after dispatching Philadelphia 27-16 laying three points at home in the Sunday night game. They’ll be in the spotlight again for Week 8, on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis – which reached the AFC Championship Game last season – has to be grateful that the AFC South is the top contender for this season’s dismal division award. The Colts (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS), 5.5-point home favorites Sunday against New Orleans, trailed 27-0 at one point and lost 27-21.

“The Colts have looked flat-out bad, and if not for playing in the weakest division in the NFL, they would have no shot at the playoffs,” Avello says. “Carolina keeps rolling at 6-0, and this pointspread may end up higher than I initially thought, due to the direction each team is going.”

Says Lester, “We’ll look to make Carolina around 6-point chalk if everything goes accordingly Sunday night against Philadelphia. The internal turmoil in Indy appears to be affecting performance on the field. Well, that, a bad offensive line and a Swiss-cheese defense.

“It’s two straight prime-time games for a Panthers team that seems to be finally growing accustomed to winning on the big stage.”

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 09:45 AM

MLB
Dunkel

World Series

NY Mets @ Kansas City

Game 901-902
October 27, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Harvey) 13.564
Kansas City
(Volquez) 15.044
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
8 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-105); Over

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 27

Harvey is 3-1, 2.37 in his last five starts (over 7-1-1 last nine).

Volquez is 1-2, 4.32 in his last three starts (under 4-1 last five).

Royals won four of last six games with New York, teams haven't met since a 3-game set in 2013; four of last five series games stayed under. KC last won World Series in 1985; Mets last won World Series the next year.

Mets won their last five games (under 4-1-1 last six).

Royals won six of their last eight games (over 5-3).

MLB

Tuesday, October 27

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Trend Report
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8:07 PM
NY METS vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 13 of NY Mets's last 19 games on the road
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
Kansas City is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

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**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 09:48 AM

MLB

Tuesday, October 27

Volquez to start Game 1 of the World Series for Royals

The Royals have named Edinson Volquez as their starter for Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday in Kansas City against the New York Mets.

Volquez is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in three playoff starts for the Royals this postseason.

Meanwhile, Harvey is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in two playoff starts for the Mets.

The Royals opened at the -102 with the Mets on the board at -106. The total opened at 7.0.

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 12:54 PM

MLB

Tuesday, October 27

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World Series Game 1 betting preview: Mets at Royals
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The Mets and Royals begin the 2015 Fall Classic Tuesday night, with the Mets slight faves to take Game 1.

New York Mets at Kansas City Royals (-101, 7.0)

The Kansas City Royals made it to the seventh game of the World Series last season and enter the 2015 edition planning to come out on top. The Royals will get some stiff competition when Daniel Murphy, Matt Harvey and the New York Mets visit for Game 1 on Tuesday.

The New York pitching staff used its power stuff to dominate the Chicago Cubs in a four-game sweep of the National League Championship Series, surrendering a total of eight runs in the four games, while Murphy ran his record streak to six straight postseason games with a home run in the clincher. The Mets will have to hope that momentum carries over after having five full days off between rounds. The Royals needed six games to dispatch the Toronto Blue Jays and have a lineup ready for New York’s staff after posting the fewest strikeouts in the majors during the regular season. “We play in a big park, which is not conducive to power,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost told reporters. “We don't swing for the fences. We have power, we can hit homers, but for the most part we just try to stay short and quick and drive the gaps, and our guys do a good job with that.”

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

LINE HISTORY: The Royals opened Game 1 as very slight -102 home dogs and have moved just barely to -101. The total has held steady at its opening number of 7.0.

INJURY REPORT:

Mets - RF C. Granderson (probable Tuesday, thumb), SP M. Harvey (probable Tuesday, tricep), LF Y. Cespedes (probable Tuesday, shoulder).

Royals - N/A.

WEATHER REPORT: There is a chance the start of Game 1 gets delayed due to rain. There is a 71 percent of rain expected at the 8:07 p.m. ET start time, but the system is expected to pass as the night moves on. Temperatures will be in the low 50's with a very slight three mile per hour wind blowing in from left center field.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The Mets have the starting pitching edge, but Kansas City has the deeper bullpen. The Royals have also been a deeper offensive team this postseason as the Mets have relied heavily on Daniel Murphy." - Covers Expert Steve Merril

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (2-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. Royals RH Edinson Volquez (1-2, 4.32)

Harvey will take the ball on nine days’ rest after striking out nine and allowing two runs on four hits and a pair of walks over 7 2/3 innings to win Game 1 of the NLCS. The 26-year-old endured plenty of questions about his workload down the stretch but has so far only been needed for 12 2/3 innings in the postseason. Harvey is making his first career start against Kansas City and is 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA in eight career interleague outings.

Volquez picked up his first career postseason win in five starts when he held the Blue Jays scoreless over six innings in Game 1 of the ALCS. The Dominican Republic native was ripped for five runs in as many innings in Game 5 but has seen his velocity tick up in the postseason and will be on regular rest for Game 1. Volquez is 2-5 with a 5.70 ERA in nine career starts against New York and has issued 12 walks in 16 2/3 innings during the postseason.

TRENDS:

* Mets are 5-0 in their last five games overall.
* Royals are 5-0 in their last five home playoff games.
* Over is 5-0 in Mets last five interleague road games.
* Under is 5-0-1 in Royals last six interleague games.

CONSENSUS: The public is split down the middle for Game 1, with 50.70 percent of wagers giving the Mets the slightest of edges.

SERIES PRICE: The Mets are the slight -108 favorites to win this edition of the Fall Classic. The Royals are on the board at -102.

MVP ODDS: Mets 2B Daniel Murphy is the early favorite to win the World Series MVP at +450. He is followed by teammate Yoenis Cespedes at +700 and then the Royals Ben Zobrist, Edinson Volquez and Eric Hosmer are all on the board at +1,000.

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**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 12:58 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Tuesday, October 27

NY Mets at Kansas City, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 51-76 SU after 3 straight games without giving up a stolen base
Kansas City: 18-8 SU in playoff games

Announcement

Tuesday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 10/27

Tuesday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 10/27

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