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**Udog** · 10-06-2017, 11:04 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

NFL trends to ponder with Week 5 upon us……..

— Cardinals are 3-12 vs spread in their last 15 games.

— Oakland is 11-25 in its last 36 games as a home favorite.

— Kansas City covered eight of its last nine games.

— Packers are 4-11 in last 15 games as an underdog.

— Carolina is 16-6 in its last 22 games as a road underdog.

— Giants covered 7 of last 9 games against AFC opponents.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Things I’m looking for this weekend…….

13) Green Bay won six of last seven games vs Dallas, beating Cowboys in playoffs two of last three years; they won 37-36/34-31 in last two visits to Big D. 4:25 game on FOX will be a big one, mainly because Dallas is 2-2 after going 13-3 last season.

12) Miami-Florida State was rescheduled to here after the hurricanes last month; now there is the threat of more rain. Miami scored 83 points in winning its first two I-A games, but they’ve lost their last seven games with Florida State.

11) Bengals got their first win last week; they led by 2 TD’s at halftime in Green Bay the week before, but lost in overtime. Cincy needs to beat the 3-1 Bills here; they’re 6-2-1 in their last nine pre-bye games. Bills have allowed only 13.5 ppg in their 3-1 start.

10) LSU had some players-only meetings this week after their loss to Troy State; players-only meetings are not a good sign. Neither is the AD meeting with the coaches during the week. Florida lost one of its QB’s for the year LW; Gators won their first three SEC games despite nine their players still under suspensions. This should be a very interesting game.

9) Something has to give in Swamp Stadium, with 0-4 Chargers visiting 0-4 Giants. 14 years ago, the Chargers drafted Eli Manning, but Manning’s family didn’t want Eli playing for San Diego, so the Chargers traded him to New Jersey. Otherwise, Ben Roethlisberger would’ve likely become a Giant instead of a Steeler.

8) Utah is 4-0, but three of their next four games are against Stanford, USC, Oregon, so we’ll know everything we need to know about the Utes after that stretch.

7) Jets will be a surprising 3-2 if they can beat the winless Browns in Cleveland this week. Jets ran ball for 256 yards last week. Browns are -6 in turnovers already; they allowed 9.0/8.0 ypa in their last two games.

6) Michigan State is 7-2 in its last nine games with Michigan (9-0 vs spread); Wolverines’ defense has allowed 13.5 ppg, and they’ve played a decent schedule so far. This is first road game for the Spartans, who are 3-1— both teams are really young.

5) Seahawks-Rams is suddenly a big game with playoff implications in the NFC West. If the good guy— I mean, if the Rams win, they’ll be two games ahead of Seattle.

4) It’ll likely be a somber crowd in Las Vegas for the San Diego State-UNLV game, the first big outdoor event in Vegas since the shootings Sunday night. Aztecs are 5-0 and on a serious roll. UNLV is 2-2; this will be a great test for them.

3) Arizona won five of last six games with Philly, winning 40-17 in last visit here two years ago, but Cardinals are only 2-2 this year, with FG wins over Colts/49ers- shaky. Eagles won their last two games by a total of five points- this should be a good game.

2) Washington State won its last two games with Oregon, 52-33/45-38; they’ve covered their last seven games against the Ducks. This is Wazzu’s first true road game, coming off their emotional win over USC last week.

1) Chiefs are the only unbeaten team left in the NFL; short week for them here. KC won/covered their first four games, scoring 14 TD’s on 42 drives- they haven’t turned ball over in their last 3 games. Houston found itself a QB with rookie Watson- they scored 90 points in last two games.

**Udog** · 10-06-2017, 11:26 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Friday, October 6

Chicago Cubs @ Washington

Game 981-982
October 6, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Hendrcks) 14.546
Washington
(Strsburg) 16.316
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-165
7
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-165); Over

Arizona @ LA Dodgers

Game 983-984
October 6, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Walker) 17.403
LA Dodgers
(Kershaw) 15.950
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-270
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+230); Over

Boston @ Houston

Game 985-986
October 6, 2017 @ 2:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Pmeranz) 18.388
Houston
(Keuchel) 16.431
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-170
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+150); Under

NY Yankees @ Cleveland

Game 987-988
October 6, 2017 @ 5:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Sabathia) 16.107
Cleveland
(Kluber) 18.074
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
N/A

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, October 6

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CHICAGO CUBS (92 - 70) at WASHINGTON (97 - 65) - 7:30 PM
KYLE HENDRICKS (R) vs. STEPHEN STRASBURG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 92-70 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 71-56 (-14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-32 (-10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 70-36 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
STRASBURG is 22-6 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
STRASBURG is 24-4 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STRASBURG is 16-3 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 185-110 (+37.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 183-162 (-54.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-3 (+1.8 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

KYLE HENDRICKS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HENDRICKS is 2-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.088.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
STRASBURG is 1-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 0.981.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.8 units)

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ARIZONA (94 - 69) at LA DODGERS (104 - 58) - 10:35 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 34-110 (-44.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 72-32 (+22.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KERSHAW is 43-9 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KERSHAW is 25-4 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 94-69 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 46-31 (+12.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 66-48 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 57-36 (+16.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 36-29 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA DODGERS are 41-35 (-18.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 141-104 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 14-15 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 11-8 (+6.2 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
10 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
WALKER is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.451.
His team's record is 3-1 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. ARIZONA since 1997
KERSHAW is 14-8 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.119.
His team's record is 15-11 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-10. (+3.8 units)

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BOSTON (93 - 70) at HOUSTON (102 - 61) - 2:05 PM
DREW POMERANZ (L) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 0-11 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 102-61 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
POMERANZ is 22-10 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
POMERANZ is 9-1 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
POMERANZ is 13-3 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 22-24 (-12.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 49-43 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 33-39 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 16-23 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-3 (+1.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

DREW POMERANZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
POMERANZ is 1-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.383.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. BOSTON since 1997
KEUCHEL is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 7.62 and a WHIP of 1.692.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (92 - 72) at CLEVELAND (103 - 60) - 5:05 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. COREY KLUBER (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-2 (+4.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SABATHIA is 4-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.406.
His team's record is 5-6 (-5.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.5 units)

COREY KLUBER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
KLUBER is 5-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.98 and a WHIP of 0.800.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

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

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, October 6

Boston @ Houston
Astros are 5-3 vs Boston this season; road team won five of the eight games.

Pomeranz is 3-1, 2.08 in his last five starts; over is 12-8-2 in his last 22 starts. Boston is 7-5 in his road starts. He is 1-0, 1.46 in two starts vs Houston this season.

Keuchel is 2-1, 2.50 in his last three starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven. Astros are 5-4 in his home starts; he didn’t pitch against Boston this season.

Red Sox are in playoffs for 3rd time in last five years; they got swept 3-0 by Cleveland in this round last year. Houston is in playoffs for second time in three years; they’ve never won the World Series, losing 4-0 to the White Sox in 2005.

New York @ Cleveland
New York is 2-6 vs Cleveland this season; road teams won five of the eight games. Losing team scored 1 or 2 runs in seven of the eight games.

Sabathia is 3-0, 2.55 in his last three starts under is 9-4 in his last 13 starts. New York is 8-5 in his road starts; he didn’t pitch against Cleveland this year.

Kluber is 6-0, 1.41 in his last seven starts; his last four starts stayed under. Cleveland is 9-5 in his home starts; he is 2-0, 1.59 against New York this year.

New York is in the playoffs for second time in the last five years; they last made the ALCS in 2012- they beat Twins 7-4 in Wild Card game Tuesday, with bullpen getting 26 of the 27 outs.

Indians lost Game 7 of the World Series last year; they haven’t won a World Series since 1948. They’re in playoffs for 3rd time in last five years.

Chicago @ Washington
Washington was 4-3 against the Cubs this season (over 5-2).

Hendricks is 3-1, 2.20 in his last seven starts; his last six starts stayed under. He is 0-1, 3.86 vs Washington this year. Cubs are 5-6 in his road starts.

Strasburg is 5-0, 0.86 in his last six starts; under is 8-1-1 in his last ten starts. Washington is 9-4 in his home starts. He allowed three runs in seven IP in his only ’17 start against the Cubs.

Cubs won the World Series LY, their first title since 1908; this is their 3rd year in a row in the playoffs. Washington is in the playoffs for 4th time in six years- they lost in this round the previous three times. Nationals have never been in the World Series.

Arizona @ Los Angeles
Arizona won its last six games with the Dodgers; they’re 11-8 vs LA this season, 4-5 in Chavez Ravine. Over is 10-9 in those games this season.

Walker is 0-2, 6.41 in his last four starts; over is 6-4 in his last ten starts. Arizona is 3-6 in his last nine road starts. Walker is 2-0, 3.24 in three starts against the Dodgers this year.

Kershaw is 2-2, 4.55 in his last five starts; he is 4-7, 3.64 in 14 career playoff starts. Dodgers are 10-2 in his road starts. His last four starts stayed under the total. Kershaw is 2-0, 0.59 against Arizona this season.

Dodgers haven’t been to the World Series since 1988; this is their 5th year in a row in playoffs. Arizona won the Wild Card game 11-8 Wednesday; this is the first time they’re in the playoffs since 2011.

AL Wild Card
NYY 8-4 Minn -$255, O7.5

NL Wild Card
Ariz 11-8 Colo -$148, O8.5

Divisional series
Hous 8-2 Bos, -$120, O7

Clev 4-0 NYY $130, U8.5

MLB

Friday, October 6

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Trend Report
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2:05 PM
BOSTON vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 16 games on the road
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games at home
Houston is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home

5:08 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees

7:31 PM
CHI CUBS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chi Cubs's last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 8 games on the road
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games

10:31 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 6-12 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games

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**Udog** · 10-06-2017, 11:45 AM

Friday's MLB Division Series Betting Preview and Odds

Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros (-160, 8.5)

Astros lead series 1-0

Jose Altuve looks for another memorable performance as his Houston Astros vie for a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series on Friday afternoon against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Altuve, the AL batting champion three of the last four years, including 2017, launched three solo homers in the series opener on Thursday as the Astros posted an 8-2 victory after taking three of four at Boston to end the regular season.

Altuve went 10-for-24 with one blast against the Red Sox in the regular season on the way to a career-high .346 overall batting average, a .410 on-base percentage, 24 homers and 81 RBIs. Altuve is 7-for-17 with a double and a walk versus Boston’s scheduled starter Drew Pomeranz, who finished the regular season strong and will face 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel on Friday. Slugger Hanley Ramirez recorded a pair of hits in the opener after coming on when Eduardo Nunez suffered a knee injury, while Mookie Betts and Sandy Leon also notched two hits apiece as the Red Sox lost their fourth consecutive postseason contest after being swept by Cleveland in the last year's ALDS. Boston will need more from Dustin Pedroia, who went 0-for-3 with a walk on Thursday and was 3-for-36 to end the regular season while hampered by a lingering knee injury.

TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Drew Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90)

Pomeranz won three of his last four decisions during the regular season and gave up fewer than two runs in three of his final four appearances. The 28-year-old went 7-3 with a 3.19 ERA on the road this year and 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts against the Astros. Carlos Correa (3-for-5) and Jake Marisnick (4-for-12, two homers) have caused plenty of trouble for Pomeranz, who is 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 12 career games (seven starts) versus Houston.

Keuchel finished the regular season strong, limiting his final three opponents and seven of the last nine to fewer than three earned runs. The 29-year-old Tulsa native is 36-20 all-time at Minute Maid Park, including 6-2 with a 1.64 ERA this year, and went 2-0 there in the 2015 postseason. Ramirez is 2-for-2 while Betts and Xander Bogaerts each have homered versus Keuchel, who is 0-1 with a 9.88 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against Boston.

TRENDS:

* Red Sox are 17-4 in Pomeranz's last 21 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
* Astros are 12-2 in their last 14 home games.
* Over is 11-2 in Astros' last 132 Divisional Playoff games.
* Under is 13-3 in Hernandez's last 16 games behind home plate.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the home favorite Astros with 65 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing 56 percent of the totals wagers.

New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians (-220, 7)

Indians lead series 1-0

The current ace of the Cleveland Indians faces a former one in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday as Corey Kluber gets the start opposite CC Sabathia and the visiting New York Yankees. Kluber, a prime candidate to pick up his second career AL Cy Young Award after leading the majors in ERA, will be eager to attack a Yankees lineup that was limited to three hits in Cleveland's series-opening 4-0 victory on Thursday.

Slugger Aaron Judge was 0-for-4 with four of New York's 14 strikeouts, while fellow right fielder Jay Bruce homered and drove in three of the Indians' four runs. Cleveland managed only five hits of its own but wore out Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray, who walked four and gave up three runs over 3 1/3 innings in the second straight poor start by a New York pitcher this postseason. Kluber was dominant in the playoffs a year ago, going 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts - including seven scoreless innings against Boston in his lone ALDS outing. Sabathia, who is 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 10 starts following a loss this year, registered 106 wins and claimed a Cy Young Award during his eight years with the Indians.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.69 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25)

Sabathia posted his best win total since 2013 and his lowest ERA since 2012 in a solid campaign that ended with victories in each of his final three starts. The 37-year-old will be making his first postseason appearance since giving up six runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of Game 4 of the 2012 AL Championship Series. Carlos Santana (10-for-19), Francisco Lindor (5-for-9) and Jose Ramirez (4-for-8) have enjoyed their encounters with Sabathia, who last faced the Indians on Aug. 6, 2016.

Kluber also led or tied for the lead in the AL in wins, complete games (five) and shutouts (three) while finishing the regular season by going 6-0 in his final seven starts. That run began with eight dominant innings at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 28, a performance that came less than four weeks after he registered 11 strikeouts in a complete-game home victory over New York. Several Yankees have dismal numbers against Kluber, including Todd Frazier (3-for-26, 10 strikeouts), Aaron Hicks (3-for-23, eight), Chase Headley (1-for-14), Didi Gregorius (2-for-13) and Starlin Castro (2-for-12).

TRENDS:

* Yankees are 0-4 in their last 4 playoff road games.
* Indians are 5-0 in Klubers last 5 starts vs. Yankees.
* Under is 5-0 in Yankees last 5 Divisional Playoff games.
* Under is 5-1 in Indians last 6 overall.

Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals (-160, 7)

Series tied 0-0

The man who took the ball to start the Chicago Cubs’ World Series clincher gets it again Friday. The Cubs send Kyle Hendricks to the mound opposite fellow right-hander Stephen Strasburg when visiting Chicago begins its quest for another crown in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals.

The Cubs are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000, and only one team since then - the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies - have returned to the World Series the year after winning. "There was maybe a little more pressure last year because you feel the weight of 108 years on your shoulders,” Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant told reporters. “This year, it's not like it's different, we're here for one reason - we want to win the whole thing. Regardless if we won it last year or 108 years ago, it doesn't matter to us." Now it’s the Nationals who are trying to get over the hump after being knocked out in the NLDS three times in the past five seasons. The franchise has not won a postseason series since it was in Montreal in 1981.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52)

Hendricks struggled early in the season, but he has posted an NL-best 2.19 ERA since returning from a hand injury July 24. The 27-year-old has allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 13 starts over that stretch, but he gave up three runs over seven innings in a loss to Washington on Aug. 4. Hendricks is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in seven postseason starts.

Strasburg was dominant in 10 starts after the All-Star break, going 6-1 with a 0.86 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 62 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old allowed more than one run only twice over that span, and he hasn’t lost since Aug. 19. Strasburg has made only one postseason start - in the 2014 NLDS against San Francisco - and allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings in a tough-luck loss.

TRENDS:

* Cubs are 23-5 in their last 28 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
* Nationals are 45-11 in Strasburg's last 56 starts.
* Under is 9-1 in Hendricks' last 10 road starts.
* Under is 20-3-4 in Nationals' last 27 during game 1 of a series.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the home favorite Nationals with 57 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing a 71 percent of the totals wagers.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (-250, 7.5)

Series tied 0-0

Clayton Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers of his era but postseason success has often eluded the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace left-hander. Kershaw looks to improve on his spotty playoff resume when he opens the National League Division Series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner stands just 4-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 18 career appearances (14 starts) in the postseason and is looking to help propel the team with the best record (104-58) in the majors to its first World Series berth since 1988. "I'm sure every year I feel like we're going to win the World Series. This year is no different," Kershaw told reporters. "We've had a better regular season than I've ever been a part of." Arizona, which defeated the Colorado Rockies 11-8 in Wednesday's NL wild-card game, isn't about to back down from the Dodgers after winning the regular-season series 11-8. "Look, the Dodgers got on a tremendous run there, and I think they were steamrolling teams and intimidating teams, and I don't think we have that mentality," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We love that battle mindset. We love that challenge."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Taijuan Walker (9-9, 3.49 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31)

Walker was named the starter early Thursday evening, an assignment that opened up after All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray was needed to pitch in relief in the wild-card game. The 25-year-old was 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season and said he will be aware of his nerves in what is his first career postseason appearance. "I think the biggest thing is controlling your emotions and taking it one pitch at a time," Walker said at a press conference. "I think you can't go out there and let the adrenaline really get to you. You have to take a deep breath every pitch and really focus on each pitch."

Kershaw dominated the Diamondbacks in two starts this season by going 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA and holding batters to a .118 average. The 29-year-old has a long standard of success against Arizona with a solid 2.55 career ERA in 26 career starts while going 14-8 with a 1.12 WHIP. The postseason issues are a concern to the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts said during Thursday's press conference that it is "set in stone" that Kershaw won't be used on short rest and his next start would be in Game 5, if necessary.

TRENDS:

* Diamondbacks are 8-1 in their last 9 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
* Dodgers are 44-9 in Kershaw's last 53 starts.
* Over is 4-0 in Diamondbacks' last 4 games vs. a left-handed starter.
* Diamondbacks are 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the home favorite Dodgers with 72 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing a 64 percent of the totals wagers.

Announcement

Friday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 10/6

Friday's MLB Trends and Indexes - 10/6

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