The Bum's Major League Baseball Best Bets for August/Sept. - Picks, News, Trends !

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Baseball Trend Report

WASHINGTON (88 - 61) at MIAMI (74 - 75) - 7:10 PM
A.J. COLE (R) vs. WEI-YIN CHEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 171-140 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 170-139 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 111-92 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 12-19 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 91-65 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 388-452 (+39.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
CHEN is 50-33 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 32-13 (+15.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 47-29 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 16-3 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 15-7 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 48-22 (+17.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 4-12 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 27-36 (-14.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 52-63 (-17.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 6-7 (+0.1 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.8 Units)

A.J. COLE vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
CHEN is 1-4 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.433.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

ATLANTA (58 - 91) at NY METS (80 - 69) - 7:10 PM
AARON BLAIR (R) vs. NOAH SYNDERGAARD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 25-8 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 60-30 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 32-42 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 32-43 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 24-27 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 24-26 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 118-137 (-55.5 Units) against the money line in home games in September games since 1997.
NY METS are 340-350 (-100.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 34-30 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-9 (+2.5 Units) against NY METS this season
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.2 Units)

AARON BLAIR vs. NY METS since 1997
BLAIR is 0-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 8.05 and a WHIP of 1.533.
His team's record is 1-2 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

NOAH SYNDERGAARD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SYNDERGAARD is 0-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

CINCINNATI (63 - 86) at CHICAGO CUBS (94 - 55) - 8:05 PM
TIM ADLEMAN (R) vs. JASON HAMMEL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 126-185 (-39.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 126-185 (-39.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 15-38 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 60-106 (-27.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1582-1678 (-265.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 847-783 (-158.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 396-365 (-87.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1525-1591 (-240.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1162-1246 (-201.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 770-739 (-160.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 233-194 (-49.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
HAMMEL is 12-16 (-12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 10-3 (+3.6 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
10 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+9.0 Units)

TIM ADLEMAN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JASON HAMMEL vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HAMMEL is 3-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.61 and a WHIP of 1.238.
His team's record is 7-3 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-2. (+5.2 units)

ST LOUIS (78 - 71) at COLORADO (72 - 77) - 8:40 PM
CARLOS MARTINEZ (R) vs. TYLER ANDERSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 78-71 (-7.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 78-71 (-7.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 53-50 (-6.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 18-23 (-10.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 37-39 (-12.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
COLORADO is 54-52 (+3.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 39-40 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 20-15 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 45-30 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MARTINEZ is 20-7 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARTINEZ is 20-7 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 83-123 (-32.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.2 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

CARLOS MARTINEZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
MARTINEZ is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.56 and a WHIP of 1.677.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

TYLER ANDERSON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

ARIZONA (63 - 86) at SAN DIEGO (62 - 87) - 10:10 PM
BRADEN SHIPLEY (R) vs. CLAYTON RICHARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 63-86 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 14-30 (-17.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 62-85 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 44-58 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 61-82 (+2.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 48-53 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 41-46 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN DIEGO is 15-11 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
ARIZONA is 29-20 (+13.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 73-79 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 36-34 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 21-14 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 7-6 (+2.2 Units) against ARIZONA this season
11 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+8.9 Units)

BRADEN SHIPLEY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
SHIPLEY is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 11.82 and a WHIP of 1.501.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

CLAYTON RICHARD vs. ARIZONA since 1997
RICHARD is 7-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.340.
His team's record is 8-3 (+5.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-4. (+3.0 units)

SAN FRANCISCO (79 - 70) at LA DODGERS (84 - 65) - 10:10 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 79-70 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 19-30 (-19.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 76-70 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-49 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-42 (-19.5 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.
SAN FRANCISCO is 57-32 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in road games after getting shut out since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 401-404 (+38.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 84-65 (-3.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 81-63 (-5.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 57-51 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 18-21 (-8.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 7-6 (+0.8 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
BUMGARNER is 13-9 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.79 and a WHIP of 1.080.
His team's record is 14-10 (+5.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-14. (-5.1 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KERSHAW is 18-7 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.62 and a WHIP of 0.794.
His team's record is 21-12 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 23-8. (+14.0 units)

CHI WHITE SOX (72 - 77) at KANSAS CITY (76 - 73) - 2:15 PM
CARLOS RODON (L) vs. YORDANO VENTURA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-33 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-40 (-13.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 48-65 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 76-73 (+4.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 36-15 (+18.9 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 44-30 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 18-7 (+10.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 41-22 (+21.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
KANSAS CITY is 53-35 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 74-68 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 41-35 (+7.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
VENTURA is 57-39 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-21 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 18-26 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 13-5 (+9.6 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
9 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.2 Units)

CARLOS RODON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
RODON is 2-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.28 and a WHIP of 1.479.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.6 units
)
YORDANO VENTURA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
VENTURA is 3-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.43 and a WHIP of 1.246.
His team's record is 6-4 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+4.2 units)

BOSTON (85 - 64) at BALTIMORE (82 - 67) - 7:05 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. DYLAN BUNDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 234-240 (-33.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 653-586 (-80.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
BOSTON is 144-132 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 112-122 (-25.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 82-67 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 47-27 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BALTIMORE is 36-30 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BALTIMORE is 75-58 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 57-50 (+5.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 61-46 (+13.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 46-35 (+10.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 42-37 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 75-62 (+21.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 30-16 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
PORCELLO is 22-8 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 19-6 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 8-7 (+3.9 Units) against BOSTON this season
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-1.2 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PORCELLO is 3-8 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.365.
His team's record is 5-9 (-6.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-6. (+1.0 units)

DYLAN BUNDY vs. BOSTON since 1997
BUNDY is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 7.45 and a WHIP of 2.174.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

LA ANGELS (65 - 84) at TEXAS (88 - 62) - 8:05 PM
JHOULYS CHACIN (R) vs. MARTIN PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 65-84 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 26-37 (-13.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA ANGELS are 60-82 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 45-62 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 88-62 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 48-24 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TEXAS is 40-30 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 43-27 (+18.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TEXAS is 86-57 (+31.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 65-41 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 66-43 (+25.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 34-27 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TEXAS is 43-33 (+7.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PEREZ is 17-11 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PEREZ is 8-0 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 816-817 (+54.8 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 118-78 (+35.0 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 8-8 (+0.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.1 Units)

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. TEXAS since 1997
CHACIN is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MARTIN PEREZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
PEREZ is 2-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.40 and a WHIP of 1.334.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-1. (+5.0 units)

HOUSTON (78 - 71) at OAKLAND (66 - 83) - 10:05 PM
BRAD PEACOCK (R) vs. JHAREL COTTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 78-71 (-6.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 72-88 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 18-25 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 34-31 (+7.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 134-177 (-37.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 67-89 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 6-17 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in home games in September games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 28-42 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 129-169 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 44-58 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-6 (+2.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.4 Units)

BRAD PEACOCK vs. OAKLAND since 1997
PEACOCK is 1-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.22 and a WHIP of 1.664.
His team's record is 1-7 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (+0.0 units)

JHAREL COTTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

TORONTO (81 - 68) at SEATTLE (79 - 70) - 10:10 PM
MARCO ESTRADA (R) vs. TAIJUAN WALKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 81-68 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 27-30 (-9.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 5-11 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
TORONTO is 49-43 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 56-38 (+11.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 155-156 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-33 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 19-29 (-14.7 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 77-78 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 15-19 (-9.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 147-152 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 85-87 (-31.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 69-84 (-28.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against TORONTO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

MARCO ESTRADA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
ESTRADA is 0-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 5.82 and a WHIP of 1.647.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. TORONTO since 1997
WALKER is 0-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.220.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

[StarDust Bum]

09/18- Sunday's Results: 6 - 9 - 0 - - 0.25

July's Totals: 176- 174 + 37.42 50.28%
August Totals: 208 - 232 + 5.28 47.27%
September Totals: 122 - 140 +6.54 46.56%

Season's Overall Record : 676 - 704 + 78.70 48.98%

Big Winners Yesterday............Atlanta + 134, Milwaukee + 228, Oakland + 174, Arizona
+ 115, Cincy + 124

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHW at KC 02:15 PM

CHW +117

U 8.5

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 2
September 19, 2016


Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 2 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 10-5
Against the Spread 9-6
Wager Home-Away

Straight Up 10-5
Against the Spread 9-6

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 8-7

The largest underdogs to win straight up

Titans (+6, ML +220) at Lions, 16-15
Rams (+5.5, ML +200) vs. Seahawks, 9-3
Falcons (+4, ML +170) at Raiders, 35-28

The largest favorite to cover

Panthers (-12.5) vs. 49ers, 46-27

Ram Tough

-- The Los Angeles Rams laid an egg in Week 1, getting blanked in San Francisco on Monday night. However, they rebounded rather nicely with a 9-3 win over the rival Seattle Seahawks. While Todd Gurley and company are still searching for their first touchdown of the season, they used outstanding defense to clamp down on the Seahawks and confuse them all day. The 'under' is 2-0 for each of these sides. We'll find out how tough the Rams are in Week 3 when they traverse the country for a road date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, with the Bucs opening as a four-point favorite.
Steel Resolve

-- The Pittsburgh Steelers staved off the AFC North Division rival Cincinnati Bengals by 24-16 score. The Steelers improved to 13-5 SU and 12-5-1 ATS in their past 18 against the Bengals, and they're now 13-1 SU and 10-4 ATS in its past 14 home openers dating back to the start of the 2003 regular season. The Steelers have won and covered in the first two games of RB Le'Veon Bell, who will return in Week 4. That's bad news for the rest of the NFL.

Total Recall

-- The 'over' edged the 'under' 8-7 in 15 games heading into Monday night's battle along the shores of Lake Michigan between the Philadelphia Eagles-Chicago Bears. In games featuring two AFC teams, the 'over' went 5-2, and is 7-3 through the first two weekends. In games featuring two NFC teams, the 'under' is 5-3 through the first eight games, while AFC vs. NFC games ended up 1-1 in Week 2, and 6-5 in favor of the 'over' through two weeks.

-- The two games with the highest totals each cashed 'under' this week after hitting the 'over' in both games in Week 1. The New Orleans Saints-New York Giants (54.5) game was expected to be a track meet, but instead it was an unexpected defensive slog, 16-13. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Arizona Cardinals (49.5) game wasn't as sure of a thing, with the home team Cards coming up with a 40-7 victory. That's two games and two 'unders' for the Cards.

-- The two games with the lowest totals on the board split 1-1 in Week 2. The Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams contest (38) had the lowest total and the 'over' was never challenged. The 'under' is now 2-0 in two games for both sides, and the Seahawks have averaged 7.5 points per game (PPG) on offense, and they're allowing just 9.5 PPG. For the Rams, they've averaged just 4.5 PPG while allowing 15.5 PPG. The Thursday night contest between the New York Jets-Buffalo Bills had a line of 40.5, but both teams scored into the 30's.

-- The 'over/under' went 1-1 in the first two primetime games in Week 2. Officially, the 'over/under' is 3-3 (50.0%) through 6 games under the lights. In 2015, the over finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games. In 2014, the over went 33-17 (66%) in primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- Buccaneers RB Doug Martin (hamstring) suffered what he said was a minor tweak of his hamstring, and he might have simply been lifted from the game at Arizona due to the lopsided score.

-- Chargers RB Danny Woodhead (knee) checked out of the win against the Jaguars. He was carted off after being unable to put weight on his right leg. He is scheduled for an MRI Monday.

-- Dolphins RB Arian Foster (groin) was knocked out of the Week 2 loss at New England due to a groin injury, and he might be forced to miss time.

-- Lions RB Ameer Abdullah (foot) was in a walking boot after leaving the Week 2 game against Tennessee.

-- Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) is nursing an injury and cannot be counted on in Week 3 against Minnesota.

-- Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder) sustained a sprained AC joint to his shoulder, and he is expected to miss the Week 3 game against Houston Thursday. Rookie QB Jacoby Brissett is expected to make his first NFL start.

-- Seahawks RB Doug Baldwin (back, knee) suffered a back and knee injury at Los Angeles. He will go for an MRI on his injured knee, and he is also dealing with back spasms.

-- Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee) left the Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers due to an injury to his right knee, and he was assisted from the field by the training staff and he could not put any weight on the leg. According to a source, Peterson might have some ligament damage in his knee. He will have an MRI Monday.

Looking Ahead

-- The Packers and Lions will each be looking to rebound after Week 2 losses. These sides are 3-3 SU/ATS over the past six meetings, splitting in each of the past three NFL season.

-- The Giants will host the Redskins, who just cannot seem to find a way to get it done against Big Blue. Washington is 1-5 SU/ATS in the past six meetings in this series.

-- The Seahawks host the 49ers in a key NFC North battle, as Seattle looks to shake out the cob webs and get untracked. Seattle has won seven of the past eight from San Francisco straight up, and the 'under' is 6-1 in the past seven meetings, and 8-2 over the past 10.

[StarDust Bum]

SuperContest Picks - Week 2
September 19, 2016

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest is the biggest, most prestigious, challenging pro football handicapping contest in the country. The fees are $1,500 per entry.

Contestants must pick 5 pro football games against the spread each week for the entire 17-week season. The individual that has the best record after the season will be deemed the winner.

The LVH Casino at Westgate Las Vegas Resort is a hotel, casino, and convention center, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. LVH SuperBook vice-president Jay Kornegay is in charge of the SuperContest.

This year's contest has 1,854 entries, which is an all-time record.

Each week throughout the season, we'll post the Top 5 Consensus Picks in the SuperContest on Saturday afternoon and list all of the selections for each matchup.


Week 2

1) Seattle -4.5 (541) LOSS
2) Green Bay -2.5 (507) LOSS
3) Jacksonville +3 (426) LOSS
4) Kansas City +3 (419) LOSS
5) Cincinnati +3.5 (401) LOSS


SUPERCONTEST WEEK 2 MATCHUPS & ODDS

Away Team Selections Home Team Selections

N.Y. Jets (-1) 141 Buffalo (+1) 94
Tennessee (+6) 395 Detroit (-6) 191
Kansas City (+3) 419 Houston (-3) 304
Miami (+6.5) 329 New England (-6.5) 242
Baltimore (-6.5) 208 Cleveland (+6.5) 350
Cincinnati (+3.5) 401 Pittsburgh (-3.5) 222
Dallas (+2.5) 207 Washington (-2.5) 329
New Orleans (+4.5) 224 N.Y. Giants (-4.5) 277
San Francisco (+13.5) 144 Carolina (-13.5) 397
Tampa Bay (+7) 332 Arizona (-7) 229
Seattle (-4.5) 541 Los Angeles (+4.5) 133
Indianapolis (+6) 303 Denver (-6) 277
Atlanta (+5) 258 Oakland (-5) 284
Jacksonville (+3) 426 San Diego (-3) 239
Green Bay (-2.5) 507 Minnesota (+2.5) 319
Philadelphia (+3.5) 252 Chicago (-3.5) 296

[StarDust Bum]

ON FOOTBALL: From top to bottom, teams already feeling pain
September 19, 2016

From the top of the NFL to the bottom of the heap, teams are already feeling the pain.

From injuries.

Key performers are dropping like they've been through two months of the season, not two weeks. The latest: Adrian Peterson , Jimmy Garoppolo, DeMarcus Ware, Josh McCown, Danny Woodhead, Jonathan Stewart and Arian Foster.

The Patriots, perhaps the league's best team, appear to be down to their third QB. The Browns, possibly the NFL's worst team, also is might be working on No. 3.

Most worrisome, though, is Peterson, the 2012 league MVP and Minnesota's cornerstone on offense. He has remarkable recovery skills - Peterson tore the ACL in his left knee in the second-to-last game of the 2011 season, then played all of 2012 and rushed for more than 2,000 yards. But this is four years later, it's the other knee, and he was unable to put pressure on his leg as he hobbled off the field. Then Peterson needed helped getting to the locker room.

He was on crutches after the game, wearing a brace on his right leg. Coach Mike Zimmer said he was told the injury had ''calmed down.''

''He might miss a week. I don't know if he will or not,'' Zimmer said.

Garoppolo hardly is a star with two pro starts in his resume. But he sure was doing a nice imitation of Tom Brady while the four-time Super Bowl champion is serving his four-game ''Deflategate'' suspension.

Now Jimmy G's immediate future is in doubt after taking a monstrous hit from Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso on a second-quarter pass play. Garoppolo barely was able to move his shoulder as he walked off the field.

As usual, Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't supplying much info on his third-year quarterback, saying only the team will take a day-to-day approach. Rookie Jacoby Brissett finished off the win.

''This game is a 100 percent injury rate,'' Patriots receiver Julian Edelman said. ''It's football and everyone's just gotta do their job a little bit better.''

Cleveland lost starting quarterback Robert Griffin III last week with a shoulder problem. Now McCown is plagued by the same kind of hurt, though he finished Sunday's 25-20 loss to Baltimore.

Unable to lift his left arm after the game, McCown said he plans to play next week at Miami. With only rookie Cody Kessler on the roster for the position, maybe a one-armed McCown, 37, is a better choice for the woeful Browns.

''We will see,'' he said. ''My mindset is that everything will be all right and we will move ahead business as usual.''

Denver's superb defense isn't anchored by the 34-year-old Ware, but he's an important component. The linebacker/pass rush specialist broke his right forearm against Indianapolis.

No one in Denver was sure if Ware would require surgery, could heal without it, or might even be able to play with the injury.

Losing Ware isn't a deal breaker for the Broncos, but the defending champions recognize their defense must stay strong and deep for them to contend again.

Of the three significant injuries to running backs, Woodhead's seems to be the worst. The versatile Chargers sparkplug was taken off the sideline on a cart with an apparent right knee issue.

In their opener, the Chargers lost top wideout Keenan Allen for the year. Philip Rivers could be without two of his most dependable sidekicks, although it's helped San Diego that 2015 first-round pick Melvin Gordon has emerged at running back.

Miami's Foster went down with a groin injury. He already was struggling with a hamstring issue and is coming off surgery to repair his Achilles tendon.

Stewart, Carolina's workhorse back, was hurt in the Super Bowl and it damaged the Panthers' attack in February. Although coach Ron Rivera claims his team is deep at the position, Stewart is a mainstay. If his hamstring injury is a major one, it's a blow to the NFC champs.

As Edelman said, injuries are unavoidable in pro football. Often, the healthiest team when winter hits winds up playing for and probably walking off with the Lombardi Trophy.

Most troubling, though, is when the injury bug hits so soon. Many a team's talented roster has been torn asunder by a lack of health, including Baltimore and Dallas a year ago. It's important, yet difficult, to avoid thinking that if September is so hurtful, what will the rest of the schedule be like?

But the approach has to be a positive one, even when untested quarterbacks are calling signals and Hall of Fame caliber running backs are hobbled.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Evening Best Bets:

BOS at BAL 07:05 PM

BOS -126

O 9.0

WAS at MIA 07:10 PM

MIA -120

ATL at NYM 07:10 PM

ATL +226

CIN at CHC 08:05 PM

CIN +236

LAA at TEX 08:05 PM

TEX -126

STL at COL 08:40 PM

COL +107

HOU at OAK 10:05 PM

OAK +111

ARI at SD 10:10 PM

SD -122

SF at LAD 10:10 PM

SF +150

TOR at SEA 10:10 PM

SEA -104

[StarDust Bum]

seattle is not a best bet...................@ - 104

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
September 20, 2016

BALTIMORE (AP) Rick Porcello pitched a four-hitter for his major league-high 21st victory, David Ortiz and Mookie Betts hit two-run homers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Monday night to pad their lead in the AL East.

Coming off a four-game sweep of the Yankees, Boston sustained its late-season surge in the opener of an important four-game series for both clubs. The Red Sox stand atop the division by a season-high four games.

Adam Jones homered and Mark Trumbo picked up his 102nd RBI, but the Orioles dropped into a tie with Toronto for the first AL wild card.

Porcello (21-4) struck out seven and walked none in his third complete game of the year. Five days earlier against Baltimore, the right-hander gave up one run in eight innings but took the loss.

Playing his final regular season series in Baltimore, the 40-year-old Ortiz connected against rookie Dylan Bundy (9-6) with a man on in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Adrian Gonzalez hit a game-ending double in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles rallied for a testy 2-1 victory over San Francisco that increased its NL West lead to six games.

Two innings after a shoving match broke out when tempers flared between Madison Bumgarner and Yasiel Puig again, the Dodgers' comeback in the ninth began with pinch-hitter Andrew Toles' leadoff single.

Corey Seager singled past diving second baseman Joe Panik on a two-strike pitch from Javier Lopez (1-3), allowing the speedy Toles to reach third.

Justin Turner's single tied the game, and Gonzalez followed with a drive to deep right field that eluded Hunter Pence.

Joe Blanton (6-2) got the win in relief.

RANGERS 3, ANGELS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Ian Desmond had an RBI single with no outs in the ninth inning and Texas moved closer to the AL West title.

Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a sharp single to left off Jose Alvarez (1-3) before Carlos Gomez turned an attempted sacrifice into a bunt single. Desmond, an All-Star center fielder, followed with his hit to right that scored Andrus.

Andrus also homered for the Rangers, who cut their magic number to three in pursuit of their second consecutive division title.

Alvarez, the sixth Angels pitcher, had gotten out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth following a 38-minute rain delay.

Closer Sam Dyson (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory.

BLUE JAYS 3, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) - Marco Estrada took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Edwin Encarnacion hit his 41st home run and Toronto beat Seattle in the opener of a critical three-game series.

Estrada (9-9) had allowed only two walks before Robinson Cano led off the seventh with a line drive up the middle on a 2-1 pitch. Cano and Nelson Cruz walked in the fourth inning, but Estrada otherwise kept the Mariners off the bases.

The Blue Jays pulled even with Baltimore for the first wild-card spot. Both teams are 2 + games clear of Detroit and three ahead of Seattle and Houston.

Taijuan Walker (6-11) allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Roberto Osuna got his 34th save.

CUBS 5, REDS 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning, and Chicago beat Cincinnati.

Fowler's line drive into center field capped a three-run rally for the Cubs after they were shut down by Tim Adleman most of the night. It also made a winner of Jason Hammel (15-9), who pitched seven solid innings.

Jason Heyward added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Cubs moved seven games ahead of Washington for the best record in the National League, lowering their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to five. That's the only major goal still out there during the regular season for major league-leading Chicago after it secured the NL Central title last week.

Blake Wood (6-4) allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings.

BRAVES 7, METS 3

NEW YORK (AP) - Aaron Blair won for the first time in 13 major league starts, Freddie Freeman drove in three runs off a misfiring Noah Syndergaard and Atlanta slowed New York's wild-card chase.

Freeman had four hits for the Braves, who have the worst record in the National League, and rookie Dansby Swanson had three hits and three RBIs.

New York had won 11 of its previous 14 games. The Mets have a one-game lead over San Francisco and St. Louis for the first NL wild card.

Pitching on five days' rest rather than four, Syndergaard (13-9) allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Blair (1-6) gave up six hits in six innings and lowered his ERA to 7.71.

CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 3

DENVER (AP) - Carlos Martinez threw five effective innings and added a two-run double, helping St. Louis gain ground in the NL playoff race.

The Cardinals moved into a tie for the second wild card with the Giants.

Martinez, who turns 25 on Wednesday, gave himself an early birthday present by holding Colorado to two runs while striking out six. The right-hander is 9-1 on the road this season.

Martinez (15-8) helped his own cause with a two-out double as part of a three-run fourth. He also was hit just below the left leg by a fastball from Tyler Anderson (5-6) in the third - two pitches after Randal Grichuk lined a two-run homer.

ASTROS 4, ATHLETICS 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Marwin Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking, two-run single off Ryan Madson in the ninth inning and Houston came from behind to beat Oakland.

The Astros trailed 2-1 going into the eighth but tied it on pinch-hitter Tyler White's RBI double then scored twice in the ninth to bolster their slim playoff hopes.

Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa opened the inning with singles. After Evan Gattis was intentionally walked, Gonzalez lined the first pitch from Madson (5-7) into center field to drive in Altuve and Correa.

Former Oakland reliever Luke Gregerson (4-1) retired three batters for the win. Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

MARLINS 4, NATIONALS 3

MIAMI (AP) - Giancarlo Stanton homered and Miami beat Washington.

Christian Yelich, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Dietrich also drove in a run for the Marlins and A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 41 chances.

Brian Ellington (3-2) picked up the win with an inning of relief while Mat Latos (7-3) took the loss.

ROYALS 8, WHITE SOX 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Yordano Ventura picked up his first complete-game victory, Kendrys Morales hit a three-run homer and Kansas City defeated Chicago.

The Royals have won three straight, keeping their faint playoff hopes flickering with 12 games remaining. The Royals went 14-5 against the White Sox this year.

Ventura (11-11) gave up nine hits, struck out five and walked one. His only other complete game in the majors was a loss July 28 at Texas.

Morales homered off Carlos Rodon (7-10) in a four-run fifth. Morales homered in back-to-back games, bringing his total to 29. The last Royal to hit 30 home runs in a season was Jermaine Dye, with 33 in 2000.

PADRES 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Clayton Richard was sharp for six-plus innings and Wil Myers homered as San Diego defeated Arizona.

Richard (3-3) won his third straight decision, charged with two runs and six hits. He struck out two and walked two. Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.

Braden Shipley (4-4) was gone after four innings.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

Six of the more interesting college football games on this week’s card:

— Clemson @ Georgia Tech– Game opened at -13, bet down to -9.5

— USC @ Utah– Trojans are trying to avoid a 1-3 start.

— Oklahoma State @ Baylor– Big X opener for Bears’ interim coach Grobe. Total is 73.

— Wisconsin @ Michigan State– Spartans can’t have a letdown here.

— Florida @ Tennessee- Backup QB Appleby starts for the Gators.

— Stanford @ UCLA– Game opened Bruins -1; now they’re +3


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……….

13) OK, it happened again twice Saturday night, both in very important spots in the game. Twice, guy scoring an easy TD dropped the ball, before he crossed the goal line. What is wrong with people?

Oklahoma player ran a kick back 95 yards for a TD after Ohio State had taken a 14-0 lead- he had to act like a cool guy and dropped the ball, only he dropped it before he crossed the goal line, as replays clearly showed.

Luckily for him, the replays were shown after the ensuing kickoff.

Last game of the night, Texas at Cal. Cal leads 50-43 with 1:30 left; Texas is out of timeouts. Cal runner breaks away for an easy TD, or he could just slide down and end the game, since Texas had no timeouts.

Not only does the runner not take a knee, he does the cool guy thing and drops the ball, before he crosses the goal line. Number 14 on Texas picks the ball up– Longhorns should have the ball with 1:20 or so left on their own 20, down 7, with a real chance to force overtime.

Somehow, the officials rule the ball wasn’t picked up in time to make it an official recovery, so Cal got the ball on the 1-yard line and the game ended after 2 or 3 snaps. When are players going to learn?

12) Baylor fired football coach Art Briles last spring because of all the off-field hijinx that had been going on under Briles’ watch in Waco; they brought in Jim Grobe as an interim coach, but Briles’ son Kendall is still the Bears’ offensive coordinator– that musn’t be awkward at all.

11) Random fact: Roger Maris’ 61st home run in 1961 was the only run scored that night in a 1-0 game.

10) George Washington fired basketball coach Mike Lonergan over the weekend, a few months after charges about him verbally abusing players surfaced. I read about this in June or July, but nothing happened until now; curious timing.

If they had fired Lonergan during the summer, players could’ve left; not sure why they would’ve, since many of them wanted him fired, but now that school has started it would be lot harder for a player to leave and not lose a year of eligibility besides the year he has to sit out after a transfer.

9) Duke’s non-conference basketball schedule: two games in NYC, two more at a casino in Connecticut, one in Greensboro, five home games and a game at (totally rebuilding) UNLV at T-Mobile Arena, not the Thomas & Mack Arena. Not one game on another team’s home court.

8) 2001 Atlanta Braves are only team to make the baseball playoffs with a losing record at home. If the Cardinals make it, they would probably be the second- they’re 33-41 at Busch Stadium this year.

7) Indianapolis Colts haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in a game since 2012.

6) Before they blew a 9th-inning lead Friday night, San Diego Padres had won 143 games in a row when they led after 8 innings. That’s two years in between blowing a game in the 9th inning.

5) One other Padre note: Last winter they fired their trainer, a guy who had been with the organization 18 years, the last 10 with the big league club. The new trainer was then told to take two sets of notes on players’ injuries, the second (less extensive) set to be sent to opposing teams.

Other teams (Red Sox, Marlins) aren’t happy that GM AJ Preller wasn’t penalized more heavily than he was (month without pay). Will be interesting to see if San Diego makes any trades at all this winter.

What San Diego should do is fire Preller and bring the old trainer back.

4) Eli Manning hasn’t missed a start since he took over the Giants’ #1 QB job; during that time, 174 other QBs have made their NFL debuts.

3) Last year, 372 high school players from Texas got I-A football scholarships; Florida kids got 364, kids from California 286.

2) Ole Miss led Florida State 28-6 in 2nd quarter, lost 45-34.

Rebels led Alabama 24-3 Saturday, lost 48-43.

Two people that should be nervous about their job security: the defensive coordinator and the conditioning coach. People like to look for scapegoats if a season falls apart.

1– John Wall plays for the NBA’s Washington Wizards; I’m assuming he wants people to come out and root for the Wizards, but Sunday he showed up at the Redskins-Cowboys game wearing a blue Dallas jersey- growing up in Raleigh, apparently Mr Wall is a Cowboys fan.

Nothing like alienating the home folks.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s games

National League

Nationals @ Marlins

Roark is 2-1, 1.08 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1). Washington is 7-2 in his last nine starts. Fernandez is 3-1, 3.03 in his last five starts; under is 8-3 in his last 11 home starts. Miami is 11-4 in his home starts.

Washington lost five of last six road games; under is 9-2 in their last 11 road games. Marlins won four of last five home games; under is 12-1 in Miami’s last 13 home games.

Braves @ Mets

Teheran is 2-1, 3.33 in his last four starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Atlanta is 5-5 in his road starts. Gsellman is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts (under 3-1).

Atlanta is 5-8 in its last 13 games; seven of Braves’ last eight road games went over. Mets won five of last six home games; six of last seven games at Citi Field stayed under the total.

Reds @ Cubs

Smith is making his first ’16 start; he was 0-4, 6.89 in seven MLB starts LY, was 4-4, 3.80 in nine AAA starts this year. He’s made 29 relief appearances (50 IP) for the Reds this year. Lester is 5-0, 0.63 in his last six starts; his last seven stayed under. Cubs won his last seven home starts.

Reds lost five of last six games; four of last five Cincinnati games went over. Chicago lost four of last seven games; three of last four Cub home games stayed under the total. Cubs have already clinched their division.

Pirates @ Brewers

Brault is 0-3, 5.20 in six starts this year (under 4-2). Garza is 1-2, 4.63 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Brewers won six of his seven home starts.

Pirates won four of last five games, are 15-10 in road series openers. Last five Pittsburgh games went over. Milwaukee won four of last five games, is 10-14 in home series openers. Under is 7-4 in last eleven games at Miller Park.

Cardinals @ Rockies

Wainwright is 2-1, 3.51 in his last four starts; over is 8-3 in his last 11. Cardianls are 11-5 in hios road starts. De la Rosa is 0-1, 8.85 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over the total. Colorado is 4-5 in his home starts.

Cardinals won their last three games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Colorado won five of last seven home games; six of last seven games at Coors Field stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Padres

Bradley is 3-1, 5.14 in his last four starts; eight of his last nine went over. Arizona is 6-5 in his road starts. Clemens is 1-3, 6.23 in his last four starts; five of his last seven starts went over. San Diego is 2-3 in his home starts.

Arizona lost three of last four games; three of their last four games stayed under. Padres lost three of last four games; six of their last eight games stayed under.

Giants @ Dodgers

Cueto is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts; Giants are 12-4 in his road starts. Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts. Hill is 3-1, 1.48 in four starts for the Dodgers (under 3-1).
Giants lost six of last eight games; under is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Dodgers won their last six home games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games.


American League

Red Sox @ Orioles

Rodriguez is 0-2, 4.98 in his last four starts; under is 9-2 in his last 11. Boston is 5-4 in his road starts. Gausman is 5-0, 1.82 in his last six starts; his last five stayed under. Orioles won his last six home starts.

Boston won its last five games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Orioles won six of last ten games; under is 13-1-1 in last 15 games at Camden Yards.

New York @ Rays

Pineda is 0-1, 4.11 in his last seven starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. NY is 5-8 in his road starts. Smyly is 1-0, 6.64 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went over. Rays won his last four home starts.

New York lost seven of last eight games, is 10-14 in road series openers. Three of last four NY games stayed under. Tampa Bay won four of last six games, is 9-15 in home series openers. Rays’ last six home games went over total.

Royals @ Indians

Volquez is 0-1, 10.31 in his last four starts; over is 8-1-1 in his last ten. Royals won his last three road starts. Tomlin is 1-5, 10.23 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Indians are 8-4 in his home starts.

Royals won their last three games, are 6-1 in last seven road series openers. Over is 19-3-1 in KC’s last 23 games. Cleveland won four of last five home games, is 17-8 in home series openers. Four of Indians’ last five home games went over.

Angels @ Rangers

Wright is 0-1, 6.30 in two starts for the Angels (over 2-0). Griffin is 2-3, 5.66 in his last six starts; over is 6-2 in his home starts. Texas is 6-2 in his home starts.

Angels lost 10 of last 13 games; under is 7-0-2 in their last nine games. Rangers lost three of last five games; over is 8-2 in their last ten home games. Texas is 35-10 in one-run games.

Tigers @ Twins

Boyd is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Detroit is 3-5 in his road starts. Santiago is 2-0, 1.80 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Detroit is 4-8 in its last 12 games, 10-14 in road series openers. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Twins lost six of last eight games, are 9-15 in home series openers. Under is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Astros @ A’s

Musgrove is 2-3, 5.19 in his last five starts (under 4-3-1). Manaea is 2-1, 1.76 in his last three starts; under is 6-3 in his last nine home starts. Oakland won six of his last seven home starts.

Astros won four of last five games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Oakland won six of last eight games; over is 6-3-1 in A’s last ten games.

Blue Jays @ Mariners

Happ is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Toronto is 7-1 in his last eight road starts. Iwakuma is 2-0, 2.07 in his last two starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Seattle is 8-5 in his home starts, but lost last two.

Blue Jays are 6-11 in last 17 games; under is 5-0-1 in their last six road games. Seattle won nine of last 12 games; three of their last four games stayed under.

Interleague

White Sox @ Phillies

Shields is 0-3, 6.39 in his last six starts (under 4-2). Chicago is 1-6 in his road starts. Thompson is 1-2, 2.49 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1).

White Sox lost their last three games, are 4-13 in last 17 road series openers. Over is 7-1 in Chicago’s last eight road games. Phillies are 4-3 in last seven games, 7-17 in home series openers. Under is 9-4-3 in their last 16 home games.

Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 19-11; Fernandez 17-11
Atl-NY– Teheran 7-20; Gsellman 2-2
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 22-7
Pitt-Mil– Brault 1-5; Garza 8-9
StL-Col– Wainwright 19-11; De la Rosa 11-12
Az-SD– Bradley 11-12; Clemens 4-5/1-1
SF-LA– Cueto 21-9; Hill 3-1/9-5

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 6-11; Gausman 13-14
NY-TB– Pineda 14-15; Smyly 13-15
KC-Clev– Volquez 16-15; Tomlin 18-8
LA-Tex– Wright 0-2; Griffin 14-7
Det-Min– Boyd 9-7; Santiago 3-5/16-6
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 3-5; Manaea 10-11
Tor-Sea– Happ 22-7; Iwakuma 17-13

CWS-Phil– Shields 6-13/2-9; Thompson 2-6

%age of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 5-30; Fernandez 7-28
Atl-NY– Teheran 6-27; Gsellman 1-4
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 7-29
Pitt-Mil– Brault 2-6; Garza 5-17
StL-Col– Wainwright 11-30; De la Rosa 10-23
Az-SD– Bradley 10-23; Clemens 3-11
SF-LA– Cueto 6-30; Hill 4-17

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 4-17; Gausman 8-27
NY-TB– Pineda 10-29; Smyly 9-28
KC-Clev– Volquez 8-31; Tomlin 12-26
LA-Tex– Wright 1-2; Griffin 5-21
Det-Min– Boyd 3-16; Santiago 14-30
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 2-8; Manaea 1-21
Tor-Sea– Happ 6-29; Iwakuma 7-30

CWS-Phil– Shields 12-30; Thompson 3-8

Umpires

Wsh-Mia– Over is 7-3 in last ten Cuzzi games.
Atl-NY– Under is 7-3-1 in last 11 Randazzo games.
Cin-Chi– Underdogs are 7-5 in last 12 Hickox games.
StL-Col– Three of last four Joyce games went over.
Az-SD– Five of last six Rackley games stayed under.
SF-LA– Favorites won five of last six Culbreth games.
Bos-Balt– Under is 14-2 in last sixteen Everitt games.
LA-Tex– Under is 13-7 in last 20 Hoberg games.
Hst-A’s– Under is 7-2 in last nine Foster games.
Tor-Sea– Seven of last eight Nauert games went over.

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/19

Arizona 24-37-11…..33-39-6…….57-75
Atlanta 28-36-11…..26-35-13……54-71
Cubs 39-25-10……44-23-10…….83-48
Reds 21-42-9……35-38-5…….56-80
Colo 27-34-13…..35-35-4……..62-69
LA 31-33-11……46-22-8…….76-55
Miami 32-34-10…..32-25-16…….64-59
Milw 25-42-10……40-24-10…..65-66
Mets 32-44-10……35-28-11……67-62
Philly 24-32-18…..28-34-14……52-64
Pitt 23-40-13…..42-26-6……65-65
St. Louis 35-34-7……28-33-13…….63-67
SD 24-49-5…..33-34-6……..57-83
SF 34-35-7…….38-22-14……72-57
Wash 38-24-14….30-22-22……68-46
Orioles 30-37-9…….37-31-8…….67-68
Boston 31-30-11……45-23-9…….76-53
White Sox 31-34-10…….39-31-6……..70-65
Cleveland 38-27-10……36-30-7……..74-57
Detroit 31-33-10…….31-36-5……..62-69
Astros 30-35-12…..34-29-8……..64-64
KC 28-37-11……32-28-14……60-65
Angels 30-38-7…….27-35-13…….57-73
Twins 29-37-13…….25-38-13…..54-75
NYY 26-39-8……34-31-13……..60-70
A’s 27-40-8……27-35-14……54-74
Seattle 35-29-11……34-27-13……69-56
Tampa Bay 28-32-13……32-33-12……60-65
Texas 28-39-11…….37-26-9……65-65
Toronto 45-26-5……..40-30-5……85-56

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total)

Arizona 26-69……30-78…….56
Atlanta 24-75……18-74……..42
Cubs 27-76……25-76…….52
Reds 25-72……27-78……..52
Colo 15-73…….28-73……..43
LA 22-74…….28-76……50
Miami 25-75……20-69……45
Milw 15-73……29-75……44
Mets 21-73……27-73…….48
Philly 11-75……21-72…….32
Pitt 19-70…….26-75……45
StL 18-73…….18-73……36
SD 18-78…….26-71……44
SF 14-72……..19-75……33
Wash 33-74………28-73……61
Orioles 17-78…….20-72…….37
Boston 20-69……34-78……..54
White Sox 24-73…..26-78…….50
Cleveland 15-75……27-73……..42
Detroit 15-74……25-74………40
Astros 26-74…….24-70……..50
KC 24-76…… 21-75………45
Angels 28-74…….25-75……..53
Twins 20-76……29-76…….49
NYY 10-74…….28-76……..38
A’s 20-74…….16-74……..36
Seattle 20-77…….26-73…….46
Tampa Bay 24-72…..27-74…….51
Texas 23-78……20-72……43
Toronto 25-74……30-78…….55

Interleague play
NL @ AL– 76-66 AL, favorites -$1,784
AL @ NL– 81-73 AL, favorites -$768
Total: 157-139 AL, favorites -$2,552

Totals in interleague games
NL @ AL– Over 77-57-3
AL @ NL– Over 73-71-5
Total– Over 150-138-8

[StarDust Bum]

MLB BETTING TRENDS

Our free MLB betting trends is a tool that uses a comprehensive statistical database to analyze MLB trends and make recommendations based on historical team data for the moneyline, teaser, and run lines bets as well.

Money Line

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(927) TORONTO @(928) SEATTLE
Play ON SEATTLE using the money line in All games as a home underdog of +100 to +125.
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses this season (+10.75 units)
BET NOW

10:05 pm 9/20/2016
(925) HOUSTON @(926) OAKLAND
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in Home games when playing with a day off.
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.45 units)
BET NOW

10:05 pm 9/20/2016
(925) HOUSTON @(926) OAKLAND
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in Home games in September games.
The record is 11 Wins and 27 Losses for the last three seasons (-25.9 units)
BET NOW

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(923) DETROIT @(924) MINNESOTA
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using the money line in All games after a loss.
The record is 30 Wins and 64 Losses this season (-28.8 units)
BET NOW

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(907) PITTSBURGH @(908) MILWAUKEE
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the money line in All games against left-handed starters.
The record is 29 Wins and 16 Losses this season (+20.5 units)
BET NOW

8:05 pm 9/20/2016
(921) LA ANGELS @(922) TEXAS
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in night games.
The record is 65 Wins and 41 Losses this season (+27.65 units)
BET NOW

8:05 pm 9/20/2016
(921) LA ANGELS @(922) TEXAS
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 86 Wins and 57 Losses this season (+31.7 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(901) ATLANTA @(902) NY METS
Play ON ATLANTA using the money line in All games when the total is 8 to 8.5.
The record is 32 Wins and 25 Losses this season (+20.27 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(919) KANSAS CITY @(920) CLEVELAND
Play AGAINST CLEVELAND using the money line in All games when the total is 9 to 9.5.
The record is 11 Wins and 23 Losses this season (-18.45 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(919) KANSAS CITY @(920) CLEVELAND
Play AGAINST CLEVELAND using the money line in All games when the total is 9 to 9.5.
The record is 16 Wins and 36 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.8 units)
BET NOW

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

MLB RUNLINE

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(911) ARIZONA @(912) SAN DIEGO
Play AGAINST ARIZONA using the run line in All games when the total is 8 to 8.5.
The record is 13 Wins and 31 Losses this season (-23.05 units)
BET NOW

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(911) ARIZONA @(912) SAN DIEGO
Play AGAINST ARIZONA using the run line in All games vs. right-handed starters.
The record is 39 Wins and 69 Losses this season (-41.1 units)
BET NOW

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(927) TORONTO @(928) SEATTLE
Play ON SEATTLE using the run line in All games as a home underdog when the run line price is -155 to -130.
The record is 12 Wins and 0 Losses this season (+12 units)
BET NOW

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(907) PITTSBURGH @(908) MILWAUKEE
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the run line in All games vs. left-handed starters.
The record is 32 Wins and 13 Losses this season (+19.45 units)
BET NOW

8:05 pm 9/20/2016
(921) LA ANGELS @(922) TEXAS
Play AGAINST TEXAS using the run line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season.
The record is 7 Wins and 25 Losses this season (-21.9 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(917) NY YANKEES @(918) TAMPA BAY
Play AGAINST NY YANKEES using the run line in Road games in games played on artificial turf.
The record is 2 Wins and 10 Losses this season (-12.9 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(917) NY YANKEES @(918) TAMPA BAY
Play AGAINST NY YANKEES using the run line in All games in games played on artificial turf.
The record is 2 Wins and 10 Losses this season (-12.9 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(901) ATLANTA @(902) NY METS
Play ON ATLANTA using the run line in All games when the total is 8 to 8.5.
The record is 38 Wins and 19 Losses this season (+17.9 units)
BET NOW

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

MLB OVERS

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(927) TORONTO @(928) SEATTLE
Play OVER SEATTLE on the total in All games when playing on Tuesday.
The record is 33 Overs and 13 Unders for the last two seasons (+20.2 units)
BET NOW

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(911) ARIZONA @(912) SAN DIEGO
Play OVER ARIZONA on the total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record.
The record is 45 Overs and 20 Unders this season (+24.75 units)
BET NOW

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(911) ARIZONA @(912) SAN DIEGO
Play OVER ARIZONA on the total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season.
The record is 22 Overs and 7 Unders this season (+15 units)
BET NOW

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(923) DETROIT @(924) MINNESOTA
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the total in Home games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 50 Overs and 23 Unders this season (+25.8 units)
BET NOW

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(923) DETROIT @(924) MINNESOTA
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the total in All games in night games.
The record is 60 Overs and 29 Unders this season (+30.2 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(919) KANSAS CITY @(920) CLEVELAND
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the total in Home games against division opponents.
The record is 47 Overs and 21 Unders for the last two seasons (+25.05 units)


BET NOW

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(919) KANSAS CITY @(920) CLEVELAND
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the total in Home games against right-handed starters.
The record is 67 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+32.95 units)
BET NOW

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

MLB UNDERS

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(927) TORONTO @(928) SEATTLE
Play UNDER TORONTO on the total in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 9 Overs and 24 Unders this season (+13.75 units)
BET NOW

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(913) SAN FRANCISCO @(914) LA DODGERS
Play UNDER LA DODGERS on the total in Home games against division opponents.
The record is 7 Overs and 24 Unders this season (+16.4 units)
BET NOW

10:05 pm 9/20/2016
(925) HOUSTON @(926) OAKLAND
Play UNDER OAKLAND on the total in Home games against right-handed starters.
The record is 15 Overs and 32 Unders this season (+15.35 units)
BET NOW

7:05 pm 9/20/2016
(915) BOSTON @(916) BALTIMORE
Play UNDER BALTIMORE on the total in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season.
The record is 4 Overs and 16 Unders this season (+11.5 units)
BET NOW

[StarDust Bum]

MLB POWER LINES

Power Line ratings are calculated using both teams' ratings and home field advantage. The Top Power Lines tool offers a way to view and compare current Power Lines in one simple report, as well as the Power Line Edge, where the Power Line differs significantly from the current line.

7:05 pm 9/20/2016
(915) BOSTON @(916) BALTIMORE
Play Line: BOSTON 120
BTB PowerLine: BOSTON +102
Edge On: BOSTON 18

7:05 pm 9/20/2016
(929) CHI WHITE SOX @(930) PHILADELPHIA
Play Line: CHI WHITE SOX 110
BTB PowerLine: CHI WHITE SOX -123
Edge On: CHI WHITE SOX 33

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(903) WASHINGTON @(904) MIAMI
Play Line: WASHINGTON 140
BTB PowerLine: WASHINGTON +102
Edge On: WASHINGTON 38

7:10 pm 9/20/2016
(919) KANSAS CITY @(920) CLEVELAND
Play Line: KANSAS CITY 150
BTB PowerLine: KANSAS CITY +136
Edge On: KANSAS CITY 14

8:05 pm 9/20/2016
(921) LA ANGELS @(922) TEXAS
Play Line: LA ANGELS 154
BTB PowerLine: LA ANGELS +134
Edge On: LA ANGELS 20

8:10 pm 9/20/2016
(923) DETROIT @(924) MINNESOTA
Play Line: MINNESOTA 106
BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA -128
Edge On: MINNESOTA 34

8:40 pm 9/20/2016
(909) ST LOUIS @(910) COLORADO
Play Line: COLORADO 119
BTB PowerLine: COLORADO -115
Edge On: COLORADO 34

10:05 pm 9/20/2016
(925) HOUSTON @(926) OAKLAND
Play Line: OAKLAND 112
BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND -105
Edge On: OAKLAND 17

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(913) SAN FRANCISCO @(914) LA DODGERS
Play Line: LA DODGERS -160
BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS -179
Edge On: LA DODGERS 19

10:10 pm 9/20/2016
(911) ARIZONA @(912) SAN DIEGO
Play Line: SAN DIEGO 104
BTB PowerLine: SAN DIEGO -109
Edge On: SAN DIEGO 13

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Happ goes for 20th win, Giants visit Dodgers
September 19, 2016

A look at what's happening all around the majors Tuesday:

THE BIG 2-0

Toronto lefty J.A. Happ goes for his 20th win when he starts at Seattle in a game between teams competing for the two AL wild cards. Before this season, Happ's career high for wins was 12 with Philadelphia in 2009. The 33-year-old Happ (19-4, 3.27 ERA) starts against 35-year-old Mariners righty Hisashi Iwakuma (16-11, 3.87).

CALIFORNIA RIVALRY

Rich Hill and the Dodgers try to move closer to an NL West crown when they host Johnny Cueto and the second-place Giants. Cueto (16-5, 2.86 ERA) pitched a five-hitter and retired his final 17 batters last Thursday in a clutch performance against St. Louis. Hill is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts for Los Angeles since arriving in a trade with Oakland.

ZEROS FOR THE O'S

Kevin Gausman (8-10, 3.43 ERA) looks for another dominant outing against the Red Sox while the Orioles try to gain ground in the AL East. The 25-year-old outpitched Cy Young Award contender Rick Porcello over eight innings in a 1-0 win last Wednesday and has held opponents scoreless in four of his past five starts. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.98) has a 3.25 ERA in 11 starts since a returning from a midseason demotion to Triple-A.

A LIFT FROM LESTER

Cubs lefty Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40 ERA) has thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings, a streak he'll try to stretch against the Reds. Last time out, Lester pitched eight innings in a 7-0 win over the Cardinals. The 32-year-old All-Star has forced his way into the NL Cy Young Award conversation by going 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA over his past nine starts for playoff-bound Chicago.

TOUGHER THAN THEY LOOK

Though it might seem the wild card-contending Mets have an easy opponent in last-place Atlanta, they've actually got their hands full. Pitching for the Braves is All-Star righty Julio Teheran, who threw a one-hit shutout at Citi Field on Father's Day. He ran his scoreless streak against New York to 29 2/3 innings before giving up Curtis Granderson's home run Sept. 9.

The Mets also must deal with longtime nemesis Freddie Freeman, who went 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs during Atlanta's victory over Noah Syndergaard in the series opener Monday night. Freeman has a 23-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 39 straight.

TRY AGAIN

James Shields is 0-5 with a 9.37 ERA in his past nine starts for the White Sox. He is a combined 5-17 for San Diego and Chicago going into this outing at Philadelphia.

[StarDust Bum]

Vin Scully heads into final week
September 19, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) As an 8-year-old in the Bronx, Vin Scully would grab a pillow, put it under his family's four-legged radio and lay his head directly under the speaker to hear whatever college football game was on the air in 1936.

With a snack of saltine crackers and a glass of milk nearby, the red-haired boy was transfixed by crowd's roar that raised goosebumps. He thought about how much he'd like to be at the game. As time went on, he thought he'd like to call the action himself.

His youthful aspirations came true at 22 when he was hired by a CBS radio affiliate in Washington, D.C. The following year, he joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond in the Brooklyn Dodgers' radio and television booths. In 1953, at age 25, Scully became the youngest person to broadcast a World Series game, a mark that still stands.

Now 88, Scully is heading into his final week behind the mic at Dodger Stadium before concluding his career on Oct. 2 in San Francisco, where the Dodgers end the regular season against the rival Giants. His 67 years with the Dodgers make Scully the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in professional sports.

''I will miss it,'' he said Monday. ''I know that dramatically.''

Scully discovered his lifelong love of baseball walking home from grade school. He passed a Chinese laundromat and saw the score from Game 2 of the 1936 World Series: Yankees 18, Giants 4.

''My first reaction was, `Poor Giants,''' he recalled, noting he lived near the team's home at the Polo Grounds and attended many games for free after school. ''That's when I fell in love with baseball and became a true fan.''

Fittingly, his last game will be 80 years to the day he saw that score in the window.

''It seems like the plan was laid out for me and all I had to do was follow the instructions,'' Scully said.

Has he ever.

Though the years, Scully has entranced generations of baseball fans with his dulcet tones as he spins stories about the game and its players while working alone on the air. He still relishes the crowd's cheers, a sound he says is ''like water out of a showerhead.''

Scully credits the birth of the transistor radio as ''the greatest single break'' of his career. In 1958, he accompanied the Dodgers when the franchise relocated to Los Angeles. Fans had trouble recognizing the lesser players during the team's first four years in the vast Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

''They were 70 or so odd rows away from the action,'' he said. ''They brought the radio to find out about all the other players and to see what they were trying to see down on the field.''

That habit carried over when the team moved to Dodger Stadium. Fans at the games held radios to their ears and those not present listened from home or the car, allowing Scully to connect generations of families with his words.

''God has been so good to me to allow me to do what I'm doing,'' said Scully, a devout Catholic who attends Mass on Sundays before heading to the ballpark. ''A childhood dream that came to pass and then giving me 67 years to enjoy every minute of it. That's a pretty large thanksgiving day for me.''

The Dodgers plan to honor their second-longest tenured employee (behind former manager Tom Lasorda) starting Tuesday night with a Scully bobblehead giveaway.

Friday is an appreciation day for Scully with a pregame ceremony featuring speakers from his career and a postgame fireworks show set to the top calls of his career.

The first 50,000 fans at Saturday's game against Colorado will receive a limited edition solid bronze coin. On the front is an image of Scully with his signature greeting of ''It's time for Dodger baseball.''

In San Francisco, the Giants will honor Scully at his final game. Two Bay Area TV stations will carry an inning of his broadcast as stations in other cities have done this season.

All the hoopla is ''a little embarrassing'' to Scully, who reluctantly allowed the Dodgers to rename the street leading to the stadium's main gate in his honor in April.

''I've never wanted to get out in front of the game,'' he said.

Scully was adamant about not having an extended farewell. To his surprise and delight, players and managers have come to him. Throughout the season, they've made the long trek from the visiting clubhouse in right field to his fifth-floor broadcast booth in the press box named for him, bringing gifts.

''He is just a different human being,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon recently said. ''That's like the window to the world up there, just sitting in his booth. He is really kind and gracious. You have to be all of that to survive that many years and you have to be good.''

At the start of each series, the umpires turn to face Scully's booth and tip their caps to him.

''I'm deeply touched and overwhelmed with gratitude,'' he said.

For the last time at home on Sunday, Scully will open his broadcast with the same reassuring greeting: ''Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you wherever you may be.''

''I don't think I'm going to stress anything about me,'' he said. ''I will concentrate on Denver as if they're challenging the Dodgers for first place. I think I'll be OK.''

When he walks away next month, Scully will go home to his wife, Sandi, and delight in the company of his 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He'll still watch some baseball because a couple of his grandsons play.

''I'll try very hard to just stay back and be the very normal guy that I am,'' he said. ''I just want to be remembered as a good man, an honest man, and one who lived up to his own beliefs.''