Sunday Trends and Indexes 07/22

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Trends and Indexes
Sunday, July 22

Good Luck on day #203 of 2007!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.

[pm530]

Major League Soccer

MLS

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MLS Preview

Sunday, July 22, 2007 (All times Eastern)

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Houston (10-5-3) at New England (7-3-5), 4 p.m.

Foxborough, MA - A pair of first place teams will take the field Sunday night at Gillette Stadium as the Houston Dynamo battle the New England Revolution.

The defending Major League Soccer champion Dynamo lead the Western Division by three points over FC Dallas, while the Revs hold a modest one-point edge over Kansas City for the top spot in the East.

Houston is hoping to extend its unbeaten streak to 11 games. The club has a league-high 33 points and has not walked off the pitch without any points since May 27, at D.C.

As for the Revolution, they are trying to stay undefeated in the month of July after shuting out the Red Bulls on the 14th, and splitting the points with Chivas on the 7th.

New England is trying to win the season series between the two teams after already getting by Houston, 1-0, back on May 19, in the only other scheduled meeting of 2007.

Shalrie Joseph who scored the sole goal for the Revs in the other encounter with Houston this season, is nursing a quad strain, but is expected to play.

Taylor Twellman will lead the New England offense on the field with his seven goals. However, finding the back of the net on Sunday will not be easy as Houston has surrendered a league-low 10 goals in 18 matches so far this season.

Pat Onstad, who is expected to be in the net for Houston, will be trying to post his eighth shutout of the season. As a team, the Dynamo have recorded seven straight shutouts, and have not yielded a goal since a 2-1 victory at Columbus on June 10.

New England will have home-field advantage though, only losing once in seven matches in Foxborough this season. In fact, New England has collected three or more goals in five of those seven home outings.

Matt Reis, who has started every game this season between the posts for the Revs, will be attempting to grab his seventh blanking of the season.

The Revs have never lost to Houston in three all-time, regular season matches.

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D.C. (7-5-3) at New York (7-6-3), 7:30 p.m.

East Rutherford, NJ - Red Bull New York enters the second game of a five-game homestand Sunday when it hosts D.C. United in a Major League Soccer fixture.

It will be the second meeting between the Eastern Conference rivals - who are tied with 24 points although D.C. has a game in hand - after United captured a 4-2 victory over New York on June 10 at RFK Stadium. Both teams are coming off disappointing efforts in their last league fixtures, with D.C. blowing a 3-0 lead to earn a draw with Dallas, while New York fell to New England 1-0.

"We're an experienced team; we shouldn't play like that," D.C. head coach Tom Soehn said after the Dallas fixture last Saturday. "We played like young kids. We put ourselves in too many situations where we were setting ourselves up to fail instead of getting organized and compacting. A few guys didn't have good performances."

"We just got comfortable I think with 3-0, and we've got to give them credit they never stopped working and never stopped believing," D.C. forward Jaime Moreno said. "They came at us and we just totally lacked concentration and that can happen."

Despite the outcome of his team's game, New York head coach Bruce Arena had a more positive take on New York's performance last Saturday.

"Best we played in a long time," he said. "We played against a very good team that has experienced players in every position and a little bit better than the team we put out on the field tonight. It's a game where both teams had good chances in the first half. In the end their experience made a difference on the day. For the most part, I think we gave a great effort for 90 minutes."

New York will get a boost offensively with the return of young striker Jozy Altidore, who missed the previous four contests with the U.S. U-20 National Team at the World Cup.

"We will have to see what he looks like once he gets back," Arena said. "It will be nice to get him back, but we will just have to wait and see."

"He has done a great job for the national team in the U-20 World Cup," New York striker Juan Pablo Angel said of Altidore. "I am sure he will come here with a lot of confidence off that performance. Hopefully he will be a good addition again."

On the down side, the Red Bulls will be without 2007 MLS All-Star MVP Angel after he received a red card for elbowing fellow all-star and New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph in the face during Saturday's loss while the two were going up for a ball in the midfield.

"One thing that I will say is that I didn't have the intention to hit him," Angel said. "I went for the ball and didn't move my elbow at all. I didn't have the intention to hit his face at all. I am disappointed at the sendoff today but I am looking forward to coming back stronger from this."

Angel is currently third in the league in goal scoring with nine goals in 11 games, behind Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson and D.C. forward Luciano Emilio, who both have 10.

Emilio's scoring along with the recent play of midfielders Fred, Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez and forward Moreno are a big reason why United has just two losses in its last 12 games.

For D.C. to be successful in New York, the backline is going to be key. Players like Greg Vanney, Devon McTavish, Josh Gros and Bobby Boswell are going to have to do a better job than they did in the second half against Dallas.

"It's very disappointing, obviously and when we have so many games on the road recently and coming up in the future we need to take advantage of being at home," D.C. midfielder Brian Carroll said. "A tie is not the end of the world but it's certainly disappointing being at home and going up and then giving it up. It's going be a tough pill to swallow and we're going to have to wash out the taste and figure out exactly what went wrong besides the lack of possession - and just letting it be too easy for some of their guys going forward."

After Sunday's fixture United's schedule doesn't get any easier with a game at New England Aug. 5, before hosting David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy Aug. 9. New York plays next against CD Chivas USA on Thursday before hosting Toronto on Aug. 11.

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Toronto FC (5-7-4) at Columbus (5-5-7), 5 p.m.

Columbus, OH - Toronto FC concludes its six-game road trip on Sunday with a visit to Crew Stadium to take on the Columbus Crew.

The Canadian side is 1-1-3 on its current trip, including a 0-0 draw last time out against the red-hot Houston Dynamo. The point was even more precious for the club considering that they were reduced to 10 men before halftime after Maurice Edu was sent off with a red card.

"I don't think he deserved it," Johnston told the league's website of Edu's red card. "I think the referee was showing him a yellow card, and I think he made the wrong decision. I don't mind paying the penalty for saying that. Edu's not a dirty player. He went for the ball, he looked up and [Brian] Mullan got a bloody nose. That's all he had. I'm sorry to see that, but Maurice is not a dirty player and he wasn't intentionally going for him."

While Toronto is unbeaten in its last four games, the club still has just one win in its last five, leaving the team in sixth place in the seven-team Eastern Conference. However, Toronto is just three points behind Columbus and five points back of fourth-place New York in a tight East race. A few more wins instead of draws will put Toronto right in the mix for a playoff berth, but Johnston does not feel as though his club is under pressure to win.

"There's no pressure on this group," Johnston said. "They know what's ahead of them - it's the playoffs, and we need to start making a push. We've got a bunch of games coming at home, we've been on the road for a long time now. Hopefully we can get back into the home stadium and get some points. These guys have done a hell of a job."

Things will get better for the road-weary club as they enjoy four of their next five games on home soil, where they have posted a 4-3 record this season.

Columbus turned its season around over the past month with a 4-0-2 mark before last week's 2-1 defeat at Chivas USA. An Eddie Gaven own-goal in the 69th minute proved to be the difference in the game, but head coach Sigi Schmid feels as though his team did enough to earn a draw and is not worried by the result.

"We should have been able to walk out of here with a tie," said Schmid. "We weren't horrible, we had some chances and we gave up a couple of goals that were a little bit soft. Chivas is a tough team at home and we took an early goal but we came back."

The winning run has also coincided with the emergence of keeper Will Hesmer, who took over at the start of the team's unbeaten run and suffered his first defeat of the season in seven games as the club's starting keeper.

Hesmer had posted three consecutive clean sheets before the Chivas contest, but has a good chance to get his fourth on Sunday against a Toronto team that struggles to score goals away from home.

Having reached the midpoint of the season with his team in good form, Schmid was upbeat about his team's chances in the second half of the season.

"We start again," he said. "We start another streak."

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Colorado (4-8-5) at Kansas City (7-5-4), 8 p.m.

Kansas City, MO - The Kansas City Wizards won for the first time in seven games last week, and will try to continue their winning ways on Sunday when the club hosts the struggling Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Wizards 1-0 win last time out coincided with the return to the lineup of the league's leading scorer, Eddie Johnson. The team posted a 0-3-2 mark while Johnson was away on international duty with the United States, but along with the return of defender Jimmy Conrad, K.C. is looking to turn things around and make a run at the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Even with that poor run of play, last week's win pulled the Wizards to within one point of conference leaders New England, which hosts Houston on Sunday. Kansas City may have a chance to take over the lead in the East by the time it steps onto the field on Sunday night, and with Johnson back in the lineup leading the way, that looks like a good possibility.

K.C. tallied just four goals with Johnson out of the lineup and the team lacked a confidence around the net when it came to finishing. They still created chances, but without Johnson to provide the finishing touch, they were held scoreless twice and scored just one goal in two other contests. They had plenty of opportunities to score and win games, but Johnson's return last week as well as the team's return to the win column has to be a relief to head coach Curt Onalfo.

"It was a great three points," Onalfo said of his club's 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake last week. "At times we were not as sharp as we wanted to be. Some things were a little out of whack in the midfield, but we got things worked out and ended up playing pretty well. At times we were not as sharp as we wanted to be, but it was the first time in a while we played with our full team."

The Rapids will have their full team as well for the game, but it has not done the club much good in recent weeks. Colorado is winless in its last eight games, including six losses. A large part of the team's struggles has been an inability to score goals. The Rapids have tallied just three goals in that eight-game stretch, and have been held scoreless in five of their last six matches.

The Rapids are still sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, but the L.A. Galaxy has played a number of games less than Colorado, and will likely pass the team in the next month if things don't turn around quickly.

Herculez Gomez leads the team with four goals this season, but has not found the net since June 2. The team's second leading scorer, Roberto Brown, was let go by the team this past week, leaving head coach Fernando Clavijo with little in the way of experienced scorers up top. Much of the scoring burden will fall to Jacob Peterson, who has replaced Brown in recent weeks in the starting lineup. Peterson has scored one goal in 13 appearances this season, but is one of only five players left on the roster to have scored for the squad this season.

Clavijo has quite a turnaround on his hands if Colorado is to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season.

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[pm530]

WNBA – Betting Trends

WNBA


Sunday, July 22

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Betting Trends
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Trends - Seattle at New York

ATS Trends

Seattle
Storm are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
Storm are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite.
Storm are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Storm are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games.
Storm are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

New York
Liberty are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Sunday games.
Liberty are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 home games.
Liberty are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
Liberty are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.

OU Trends

Seattle
Under is 4-0-1 in Storm last 5 Sunday games.
Under is 6-0-1 in Storm last 7 games following a S.U. loss.
Under is 4-0 in Storm last 4 overall.
Under is 6-0-1 in Storm last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 6-1-1 in Storm last 8 road games.
Under is 5-1 in Storm last 6 games as a favorite.
Under is 13-3-1 in Storm last 17 games as a road favorite of 0.5-4.5.
Under is 16-5-1 in Storm last 22 games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5.
Under is 19-7-1 in Storm last 27 games as a road favorite.

New York
Under is 5-0 in Liberty last 5 games as a home underdog of 0.5-4.5.
Under is 5-0 in Liberty last 5 games as a home underdog.
Over is 4-0 in Liberty last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
Under is 5-1-1 in Liberty last 7 games as an underdog of 0.5-4.5.
Under is 5-1 in Liberty last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Over is 4-1 in Liberty last 5 overall.
Over is 6-2 in Liberty last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-2 in Liberty last 7 home games.
Under is 10-4 in Liberty last 14 vs. Western Conference.

Head to Head
Storm are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

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Trends - Houston at Connecticut

ATS Trends

Houston
Comets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Comets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Comets are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Comets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
Comets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Comets are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as an underdog.
Comets are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Comets are 6-13-2 ATS in their last 21 games as a road underdog.

Connecticut
Sun are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Sun are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
Sun are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Sun are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Sun are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Sun are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games.
Sun are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite.
Sun are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite.
Sun are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.
Sun are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
Sun are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5.

OU Trends

Houston
Over is 4-1 in Comets last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 9-3 in Comets last 12 games as an underdog.
Under is 6-2 in Comets last 8 games as a road underdog.
Under is 6-2 in Comets last 8 road games.
Over is 5-2 in Comets last 7 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.

Connecticut
Over is 5-1 in Sun last 6 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.
Over is 4-1 in Sun last 5 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5.
Over is 4-1 in Sun last 5 games following a ATS win.
Under is 24-11 in Sun last 35 vs. Western Conference.

Head to Head
Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Connecticut.
Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Comets are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

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Trends - San Antonio at Chicago

ATS Trends

San Antonio
Silver Stars are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Silver Stars are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Silver Stars are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Silver Stars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Silver Stars are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Silver Stars are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Silver Stars are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a road favorite of 0.5-4.5.
Silver Stars are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a road favorite.

Chicago
Sky are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.
Sky are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Sunday games.
Sky are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Sky are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win.

OU Trends

San Antonio
Under is 4-0 in Silver Stars last 4 Sunday games.
Under is 8-1 in Silver Stars last 9 road games.
Under is 4-1 in Silver Stars last 5 games as a road favorite.
Under is 20-7 in Silver Stars last 27 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 5-2 in Silver Stars last 7 games following a ATS win.
Under is 7-3 in Silver Stars last 10 overall.
Over is 30-14 in Silver Stars last 44 games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5.

Chicago
Under is 5-0 in Sky last 5 games as a home underdog of 0.5-4.5.
Under is 9-1 in Sky last 10 games as a home underdog.
Over is 5-1 in Sky last 6 games as an underdog.
Under is 5-1 in Sky last 6 games following a S.U. win.
Under is 5-1 in Sky last 6 games as an underdog of 0.5-4.5.
Over is 5-1 in Sky last 6 Sunday games.
Under is 4-1-1 in Sky last 6 home games.
Under is 4-1 in Sky last 5 games following a ATS win.
Over is 5-2 in Sky last 7 games playing on 0 days rest.
Under is 5-2 in Sky last 7 vs. Western Conference.

Head to Head
No trends available.

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Trends - Minnesota at Phoenix

ATS Trends

Minnesota
Lynx are 12-30-2 ATS in their last 44 games as an underdog.
Lynx are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Lynx are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog.
Lynx are 9-25-2 ATS in their last 36 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Lynx are 7-23-2 ATS in their last 32 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Lynx are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Lynx are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. loss.
Lynx are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Lynx are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
Lynx are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Lynx are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.

Phoenix
Mercury are 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games following a ATS loss.
Mercury are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
Mercury are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite.
Mercury are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Mercury are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Mercury are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Sunday games.
Mercury are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite.
Mercury are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5.
Mercury are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.

OU Trends

Minnesota
Over is 4-0 in Lynx last 4 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Over is 4-0 in Lynx last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
Over is 4-0 in Lynx last 4 overall.
Over is 10-1-1 in Lynx last 12 games as a road underdog.
Over is 10-1-1 in Lynx last 12 road games.
Over is 7-1-1 in Lynx last 9 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Under is 5-1-1 in Lynx last 7 Sunday games.
Over is 5-1 in Lynx last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 13-3-1 in Lynx last 17 games as an underdog.
Over is 4-1-1 in Lynx last 6 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
Over is 6-2-1 in Lynx last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.

Phoenix
Over is 4-0 in Mercury last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Over is 4-1 in Mercury last 5 Sunday games.
Under is 4-1 in Mercury last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 10-4 in Mercury last 14 games following a S.U. loss.

Head to Head
Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Phoenix.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Sunday, July 22

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Tips and Trends
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Tampa Bay Devil Rays at New York Yankees (1:05 PM ET)

Tampa Bay’s James Shields is a disappointing 0-3 with a 6.12 ERA in four career starts against New York. He picked up a 7-3 home loss against the Yankees two starts back, allowing five earned runs and nine hits over six innings. EDGE: YANKEES
Shields bounced back nicely from that last start against the Yankees, with an 8-3 victory over the first-place Los Angeles Angels. He tossed seven strong innings and allowed just two earned runs on seven hits. SLIGHT EDGE: D-RAYS
Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte is an amazing 12-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 19 career outings against the Devil Rays. He hasn’t dominated Tampa Bay in 2007, allowing five earned runs and 12 hits over 9 2/3 innings. EDGE: YANKEES
Pettitte is 1-1 with a 8.84 ERA in four starts this month. He’s given up 19 earned runs and 32 hits in just over 19 innings of work. EDGE: OVER
The Devil Rays are 2-11 in Shields’ last 13 starts as a road underdog.


Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays (1:07 PM ET)

Seattle starter Horacio Ramirez is a miserable 0-2 with a 13.21 ERA in four road starts this season. The Mariners have lost all four of those outings, but by just five runs combined. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Ramirez is a perfect 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA in three daytime starts this season. He’s yet to allow a home run in 14 1/3 innings under the sun in 2007. EDGE: MARINERS & UNDER
Toronto’s Roy Halladay is just 3-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 11 career appearances against Seattle. He allowed six earned runs and 17 hits in just 13 innings of work versus the Mariners last season. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Halladay is a perfect 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA in four daytime starts in 2007. The Blue Jays ace is also an impressive 6-1 with a 3.73 ERA in nine home starts this season. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
The OVER is 7-1-1 in Halladay’s last nine starts overall.


San Francisco Giants at Milwaukee Brewers (2:05 PM ET)

Giants left-hander Barry Zito is an even 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Brewers. He lasted just four innings on June 20 at Miller Park versus Milwaukee, allowing six earned runs and five hits. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS
Zito is coming off his best start of July, picking up a 4-2 road victory over the Chicago Cubs. He allowed just one earned and five hits over seven innings – his best start since June 26 versus the Padres. SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
Milwaukee’s Claudio Vargas is 4-2 with an inflated 5.67 ERA in 12 career appearances against San Francisco. He picked up a 7-5 victory over the Giants on June 20, going the minimum five innings and allowing four runs on four hits. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS & OVER
After posting an impressive 3-0 record in June, Vargas has leveled off to a 1-1 record and 5.73 ERA in two starts this month. SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
The Brewers are 1-5 in their last six games versus a left-handed starter.


Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox (2:05 PM ET)

White Sox starter Jon Garland is an even 3-3 with a 4.76 ERA in 10 career appearances against the Red Sox. He faced Boston in two games in 2006, giving up two runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: OVER
Garland has been much more impressive on the road than at U.S. Cellular Field this season, posting a 4-1 record and 3.09 ERA in 10 starts. Chicago has won three of his last four road starts, losing his last by just a single run against Cleveland. EDGE: WHITE SOX
Boston’s Tim Wakefield is 6-4 during his 10 starts at Fenway Park this season, even though he carries a 5.46 ERA. He’s won five of his last six home starts. EDGE: RED SOX
Wakefield is a disappointing 5-10 with a 5.42 ERA in 25 career outings against the White Sox. He hasn’t started versus Chicago since 2005, going 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in two starts. EDGE: OVER
The White Sox are 1-4 in Garland’s last five starts versus the Red Sox.


New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers (4:10 PM ET)

New York right-hander Orlando Hernandez has had a tough time of it against Los Angeles in his career, going 1-2 with a 5.64 ERA in four starts. The Dodgers handed him a 5-3 loss back on June 11, as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. EDGE: DODGERS
Hernandez has pitched brilliantly in his two starts since the All-Star break, picking up victories over Cincinnati and San Diego. He’s allowed just two earned runs and five hits over his last 13 innings. EDGE: METS
Los Angeles starter Mark Hendrickson has just three career innings against New York, giving up a single run and two hits over three innings. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Hendrickson is an impressive 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 11 daytime appearances this season. He’s walked just nine batters while striking out 36 in 40 innings of work. EDGE: DODGERS
The Dodgers are 1-5 in Hendrickson’s last six starts.


St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves (ESPN | 8:05 PM ET)

St. Louis starter Brad Thompson will need to stay away from surrendering the long ball if he wants to be successful, as he’s allowed six home runs in his last 21 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: OVER
Thompson has posted an impressive 6-2 record during his 21 nighttime appearances this year, but he’s allowed an incredible 101 hits in 75 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: CARDINALS
Atlanta’s Jo-Jo Reyes has been relatively unimpressive in his first two career starts, allowing nine runs and 13 hits in picking up back-to-back losses. SLIGHT EDGE: CARDINALS
The OVER is 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings.


Cleveland Indians at Texas Rangers (8:35 PM ET)

Cleveland right-hander Paul Byrd has had all kinds of trouble against Texas in his career, going 2-5 with a 7.02 ERA in seven starts. He did pick up a victory in his last start versus the Rangers, allowing three runs and eight hits over six innings. SLIGHT EDGE: RANGERS
Byrd has posted a 3.33 ERA on the road in eight starts compared to a 5.67 ERA at Jacobs Field. He’s walked just two batters in 54 innings on the road this season. EDGE: INDIANS & UNDER
Texas starter Robinson Tejeda is 2-4 with a 6.33 ERA in nine home starts in 2007. The Rangers have lost three straight home games with him on the mound, EDGE: INDIANS
Tejeda has allowed seven runs and 10 hits over his 9 2/3 innings of work since the All-Star break. EDGE: OVER
The UNDER is 14-4-1 in the Rangers last 19 games overall.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Gameday

MLB


Sunday, July 22

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Gameday
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Sunday MLB Gameday

Former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay and 2007 Cy Young candidate Jake Peavy both are scheduled to take the mound on Sunday afternoon. Here is your MLB Gameday . . .

Tampa Bay Devil Rays at New York Yankees, 1:05pm ET
James Shields (8-5, 3.91 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (5-6, 4.10 ERA)

Shields is coming off a strong outing against the Angels, in which he allowed only two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. That victory bumped the righthander's record to 8-5 on the season, and squared his mark in the month of July at 2-2. Against the Yankees on July 12 Shields was knocked around for five earned runs in six innings.

Pettitte was roughed up for 15 earned runs over just 6 2-3 innings in his first two starts of July, but he's allowed just four earned runs over his past 12 2-3 innings. The lefthander held the Blue Jays to just one run on seven hits over seven innings last time out, and he gave up three earned runs in 5 2-3 innings versus the Devil Rays on July 12

Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07pm ET
Felix Hernandez (6-5, 3.71) vs. Roy Halladay (10-4, 4.46 ERA)

King Felix is coming off a loss versus the Orioles in which he surrendered three earned runs on eight hits over six innings. In his previous three starts (in which he went 2-0 with a no-decision) the righthander allowed just four earned runs on 17 hits over 24 1-3 innings. Hernandez has struck out 91 batters and walked 29 in his 97 innings pitched.

Halladay had his first great outing since late June last time out, holding the Yankees to a single earned run on five hits over seven innings of work. The righthander had allowed five earned runs in three of his previous four outings. On June 30, versus the Mariners, Halladay surrendered three earned runs on 10 hits over six innings in his third defeat.

Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox, 2:05pm ET
Jon Garland (7-6, 3.88 ERA) vs. Tim Wakefield (10-9, 4.69 ERA)

Garland was pounded for 11 earned runs on 11 hits in just 3 1-3 innings by the Twins on July 6, but he's bounced back with two straight solid outings. On July 12 against the Orioles the righthander allowed just two earned runs on eight hits over seven innings. On July 17 against the Tribe Garland gave up three earned runs in six innings pitched.

Wakefield had his three-game winning streak snapped by the Royals last time out. The knuckleballer was knocked around for six earned runs on nine hits over 6 1-3 innings by Kansas City in that defeat. During his streak Wakefield allowed nine earned runs over 19 innings, which allowed him to run his 2007 season win total up into the double digits.

Philadelphia Phillies at San Diego Padres, 4:05pm ET
J.D. Durbin (1-2, 9.00 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (9-4, 2.30 ERA)

Durbin picked up his first victory in the major leagues last time out, holding the Dodgers to a single earned run on six hits over six innings of work. However, to get his second win the righthander will have to outduel one of the top pitchers in baseball in Peavy. Durbin has a 9.00 ERA over his starts and relief appearances this season (16 innings).

Peavy might be one of the top pitchers in baseball, but he's also just 0-3 with a no-decision over his last four outings. The righthander hasn't picked up a win since he beat the Orioles on June 19, but he's allowed only 10 earned runs in 25 innings over his losing streak. Peavy has struck out 130 and walked 36 in 125 innings of work this year.

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

[pm530]

Baseball – Long Sheet

MLB
Long Sheet


Sunday, July 22

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CINCINNATI (41 - 56) at FLORIDA (46 - 51) - 1:05 PM
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. RICK VANDEN HURK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 41-56 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 23-36 (-13.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CINCINNATI is 38-55 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 41-56 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 18-29 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARROYO is 6-14 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 6-14 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 4-12 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 406-455 (+59.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 304-340 (+45.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 123-104 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
FLORIDA is 21-29 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
FLORIDA is 21-29 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-1 (+0.4 Units) against FLORIDA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. FLORIDA since 1997
ARROYO is 0-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 2.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

RICK VANDEN HURK vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (44 - 49) at ATLANTA (51 - 46) - 8:05 PM
BRAD THOMPSON (R) vs. JO-JO REYES (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 138-132 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 138-132 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 81-99 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 41-53 (-25.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 19-38 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 130-129 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 58-71 (-25.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 66-66 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-40 (-20.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 128-125 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 91-91 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

BRAD THOMPSON vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

JO-JO REYES vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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COLORADO (49 - 47) at WASHINGTON (40 - 56) - 1:35 PM
JOSH FOGG (R) vs. TIM REDDING (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 115-169 (-55.0 Units) against the money line in July games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 28-25 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-11 (+10.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-40 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 49-47 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 49-44 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 36-32 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
REDDING is 11-23 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JOSH FOGG vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
FOGG is 1-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.61 and a WHIP of 1.488.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.3 units)

TIM REDDING vs. COLORADO since 1997
REDDING is 0-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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HOUSTON (41 - 55) at PITTSBURGH (40 - 55) - 1:35 PM
WOODY WILLIAMS (R) vs. SHANE YOUMAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 41-55 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 272-266 (-57.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
HOUSTON is 15-26 (-14.1 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 17-33 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 16-27 (-13.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 9-20 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
HOUSTON is 41-55 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 92-116 (-37.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters since 1997.
HOUSTON is 20-28 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 43-30 (+14.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 49-41 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WILLIAMS is 148-115 (+34.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 30-58 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-1 (+7.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.0 Units)

WOODY WILLIAMS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WILLIAMS is 7-4 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.246.
His team's record is 9-6 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-7. (-0.7 units)

SHANE YOUMAN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (40 - 54) at MILWAUKEE (54 - 42) - 2:05 PM
BARRY ZITO (L) vs. CLAUDIO VARGAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-31 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 40-54 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 36-51 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 52-77 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 13-26 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 40-54 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-40 (-14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 35-16 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 32-13 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 35-16 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
VARGAS is 13-3 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 8-0 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 9-0 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 15-5 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 12-3 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 24-11 (+16.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 60-73 (-24.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 22-40 (-25.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 3-1 (+1.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

BARRY ZITO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ZITO is 1-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.25 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

CLAUDIO VARGAS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
VARGAS is 4-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.26 and a WHIP of 1.558.
His team's record is 5-4 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-0. (+8.0 units)

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ARIZONA (50 - 48) at CHICAGO CUBS (51 - 44) - 2:20 PM
YUSMEIRO PETIT (R) vs. SEAN MARSHALL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 2-11 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in road games in July games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 26-16 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 118-140 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 6-10 (-10.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 101-109 (-38.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 63-76 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 118-137 (-25.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 326-310 (-70.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against ARIZONA this season
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

YUSMEIRO PETIT vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

SEAN MARSHALL vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (48 - 48) at SAN DIEGO (53 - 42) - 4:05 PM
J.D. DURBIN (R) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 58-47 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 52-53 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

J.D. DURBIN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

JAKE PEAVY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
PEAVY is 2-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.120.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.5 units)

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NY METS (54 - 42) at LA DODGERS (54 - 43) - 4:10 PM
ORLANDO HERNANDEZ (R) vs. MARK HENDRICKSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HENDRICKSON is 16-7 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 157-111 (+20.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 34-17 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY METS are 77-58 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 19-8 (+10.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY METS are 155-110 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 70-50 (+15.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 3-2 (+0.9 Units) against NY METS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ORLANDO HERNANDEZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.64 and a WHIP of 1.477.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (54 - 39) at TORONTO (46 - 50) - 1:05 PM
FELIX HERNANDEZ (R) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 199-185 (-72.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
HALLADAY is 49-20 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 25-5 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 33-8 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 54-39 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 23-21 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SEATTLE is 36-32 (+6.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-0 (+4.4 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 1.071.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HALLADAY is 3-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.30 and a WHIP of 1.300.
His team's record is 4-5 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

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TAMPA BAY (38 - 57) at NY YANKEES (48 - 46) - 1:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. ANDY PETTITTE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 36-91 (-36.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 11-37 (-21.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 31-76 (-31.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PETTITTE is 28-6 (+16.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 48-46 (-22.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 19-21 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 14-20 (-18.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY YANKEES are 14-20 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY YANKEES are 42-40 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 106-81 (-22.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 5-4 (+5.1 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
8 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+8.0 Units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SHIELDS is 0-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.12 and a WHIP of 1.360.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

ANDY PETTITTE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PETTITTE is 12-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.36 and a WHIP of 1.355.
His team's record is 14-4 (+5.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-12. (-7.3 units)

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KANSAS CITY (42 - 53) at DETROIT (57 - 37) - 1:05 PM
BRIAN BANNISTER (R) vs. NATE ROBERTSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 57-37 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 36-15 (+18.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 75-57 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in home games in July games since 1997.
DETROIT is 12-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday this season.
DETROIT is 145-95 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 77-36 (+24.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 104-154 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 22-25 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 95-139 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 27-27 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 31-37 (+20.1 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.
DETROIT is 7-12 (-9.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
ROBERTSON is 22-29 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 5-13 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 29-42 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-3 (+1.6 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

BRIAN BANNISTER vs. DETROIT since 1997
BANNISTER is 0-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.85 and a WHIP of 2.141.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

NATE ROBERTSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
ROBERTSON is 4-3 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.60 and a WHIP of 1.298.
His team's record is 4-4 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (43 - 52) at BOSTON (57 - 39) - 2:05 PM
JON GARLAND (R) vs. TIM WAKEFIELD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 133-124 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-45 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 123-95 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 178-115 (+45.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 113-88 (+22.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 35-24 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GARLAND is 29-17 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARLAND is 10-2 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARLAND is 18-8 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 251-193 (-44.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-1 (+0.7 Units) against BOSTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JON GARLAND vs. BOSTON since 1997
GARLAND is 2-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.29 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.8 units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 3-8 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 6.03 and a WHIP of 1.513.
His team's record is 3-10 (-8.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-8. (-5.1 units)

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LA ANGELS (56 - 39) at MINNESOTA (50 - 46) - 2:10 PM
JOE SAUNDERS (L) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 146-115 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 58-52 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 30-21 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 117-99 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 75-62 (+24.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 44-32 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
SAUNDERS is 14-4 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-2 (+1.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.2 Units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT GARZA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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BALTIMORE (43 - 52) at OAKLAND (45 - 51) - 4:05 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. DALLAS BRADEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 23-43 (-22.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 12-31 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 23-10 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 60-40 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 29-37 (-13.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 25-28 (-10.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OAKLAND is 45-51 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 18-28 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 24-26 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 9-15 (-12.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 4-12 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
OAKLAND is 43-46 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. OAKLAND since 1997
GUTHRIE is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

DALLAS BRADEN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
BRADEN is 1-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 0.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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

CLEVELAND (57 - 39) at TEXAS (41 - 55) - 8:35 PM
PAUL BYRD (R) vs. ROBINSON TEJEDA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 89-90 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 20-25 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-7 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 79-61 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TEJEDA is 3-11 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEJEDA is 3-11 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-0 (+4.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

PAUL BYRD vs. TEXAS since 1997
BYRD is 2-5 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 7.80 and a WHIP of 1.622.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.6 units)

ROBINSON TEJEDA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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

[pm530]

Baseball Today - July 22

SCOREBOARD
Sunday, July 22

Seattle at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EDT). Hard-throwing 21-year-old Felix Hernandez (6-5) takes on Toronto ace and former AL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay (10-4).

STARS
Saturday

-Marlon Byrd, Rangers, matched a career high with five RBIs to lead Texas to an 8-5 victory over the Indians.

-Tim Lincecum, Giants, gave up four hits and struck out eight in eight innings to win his third straight decision, 8-0 over Milwaukee.

-Brandon Inge, Tigers, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give Detroit a 10-8 win over Kansas City.

DODGER DOZEN

Brad Penny became the first Dodgers starter to open a season 12-1 since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Penny won his seventh straight decision Saturday, allowing four runs - three earned - and six hits in 6 1-3 innings in the 8-6 victory over the Mets. The only other pitcher to start 12-1 for the club since it left Brooklyn was reliever Phil Regan, who won 14 of his 15 decisions in 1966.

FINISHING BLOW

Brandon Inge's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th gave Detroit a 10-8 win over Kansas City on Saturday night. Inge lined reliever Joakim Soria's first pitch over the left-field fence for his 12th homer of the season.

PEN PALS

Three Arizona relievers tossed five hitless innings to help Arizona edge the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Saturday. Juan Cruz (4-1) went three innings to earn the win, Tony Pena worked the eighth and Jose Valverde got the final three outs for his 29th save in 32 chances. ... Relievers Saul Rivera, Luis Ayala and Chad Cordero retired the final seven batters to preserve a three-hitter for starter Mike Bacsik and help Washington get past Colorado 3-0.

UNLIKELY HEROES

Andy Phillips hit a two-run single and Shelley Duncan followed with his first major league homer to cap a five-run sixth inning and help the New York Yankees beat Tampa Bay 7-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

SPEAKING

''It was a good game for seven innings. Once again the bullpen gave it up.'' - Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin, after Florida blew Saturday night's game open with an eight-run eighth inning. Cincinnati used four pitchers in the inning and lost 11-1.

SEASONS
July 22

1905 - Weldon Henley of the Philadelphia Athletics pitched a no-hitter, defeating the St. Louis Browns 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the highlight of Henley's 4-11 season.

1906 - Bob Ewing pitched the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies without a single assist registered by his teammates.

1926 - Cincinnati had four triples in an 11-run second inning as the Reds beat the Boston Braves, 13-1. Curt Walker hit two in the inning to tie an NL record for most triples in an inning.

1962 - Floyd Robinson of the Chicago White Sox had six singles in six at-bats in a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

1967 - The Atlanta Braves used a major league record five pitchers in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The pitchers were Ken Johnson, Ramon Hernandez, Claude Raymond, Dick Kelley and Cecil Upshaw.

2000 - Seattle's 13-5 win over Texas was interrupted for 54 minutes when a rainstorm drenched fans at Safeco Field and the $517.6 million stadium's roof wouldn't close because of a computer problem. The roof finally began closing about 20 minutes later.

2004 - Jason Schmidt's 12-game winning streak ended as San Francisco fell to San Diego 9-4. Schmidt (12-3) was off from the outset in his worst start of the season, allowing eight runs, nine hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings. It was his first loss in 17 starts since April 21.

2006 - Alfonso Soriano had three doubles, a triple and scored two runs to lead Washington to a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Today's birthdays: Scot Shields 32; Mike Sweeney 34.

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

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Seattle at Toronto
While Roy Halladay has been tough at home this season (6-1, 3.73), he has struggled recently with a 1-2 record and 5.32 ERA in his last four starts overall. The downturn started against the Mariners on June 30 when the former Cy Young winner allowed three runs and 10 hits over six innings in an 8-3 loss. In Felix Hernandez' last road start, he gave up just two hits in a 4-0 win over the A's on July 7. He's also had success in Toronto with a 1-0 record and 1.93 ERA in two career starts. The Mariners look like a good underdog (+140) today according to Dunkel, which has Seattle favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+140). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, JULY 22

Game 901-902: Cincinnati at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 16.083; Florida (Vanden Hurk) 16.321
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+120); Over

Game 903-904: St. Louis at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Thompson) 16.158; Atlanta (Reyes) 16.060
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+120); Over

Game 905-906: Colorado at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Fogg) 16.921; Washington (Redding) 15.390
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Colorado (-119); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-119); Under

Game 907-908: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Williams) 14.773; Pittsburgh (Youman) 15.299
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-115); Under

Game 909-910: San Francisco at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 15.338; Milwaukee (Vargas) 15.202
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+135); Over

Game 911-912: Arizona at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Petit) 15.156; Cubs (Marshall) 16.337
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-185); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-185); N/A

Game 913-914: Philadelphia at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Durbin) 16.485; San Diego (Peavy) 15.252
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-240); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+240); Over

Game 915-916: NY Mets at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Hernandez) 16.904; LA Dodgers (Stults) 15.992
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 11
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 917-918: Seattle at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 17.033; Toronto (Halladay) 15.914
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+140); Under

Game 919-920: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.333; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.804
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-205); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-205); Over

Game 921-922: Kansas City at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Bannister) 16.729; Detroit (Robertson) 18.284
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-180); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-180); Over

Game 923-924: Chicago White Sox at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Garland) 15.915; Boston (Wakefield) 16.991
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-165); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-165); Over

Game 925-926: LA Angels at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Saunders) 16.652; Minnesota (Garza) 17.020
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-120); Under

Game 927-928: Baltimore at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 17.319; Oakland (Braden) 14.373
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-115); Under

Game 929-930: Cleveland at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Byrd) 15.314; Texas (Tejeda) 15.533
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-152); 11
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+152); Under

[Udog]

MLB
Hot Lines


Sunday, July 22


Baltimore Orioles at Oakland Athletics (-109, 9)

The Orioles had their chances yesterday against Oakland ace Danny Haren but a controversial strikeout in the sixth inning helped the Athletics hold on for a 4-3 win.

Home plate umpire Mike Winters called Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts out on a 3-2 fastball. Roberts thought the pitch was low and told Winters more than once, “That’s not even close.”

The timely strikeout allowed Haren to escape the inning with only one run scored.

After the game Roberts was still steaming.

“I didn’t think it was a strike,” he told the Baltimore Sun. “I don’t really need to see the replay. I’ve seen enough pitches in my lifetime.”

The Orioles won’t lose two of three against a struggling Oakland squad.

Pick: Orioles +101



Cleveland Indians at Texas Rangers (+126, 11)

In a strange bit of poetic justice, Sammy Sosa got plunked on the same day he was honored for hitting his 600th career home run. Indians starter Cliff Lee accidentally hit Sosa in the head forcing the designated hitter to leave the game.

“It’s nothing serious. He’s day-to-day,” Rangers manager Ron Washington told the Dallas Morning News.

Sosa’s potential absence doesn’t help a batting order that’s hitting .239 and is averaging 3.88 runs per game in July.

Pick: Indians -134



New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers (+106, 9)

Dodgers closer Takashi Saito has not pitched in the last three games and while team trainers are describing the injury as minor, Saito fears it could be something serious.

“It’s similar to what I felt when I had herniated disks, so I’m thinking it could be related to that,” the 37-year-old told the Los Angeles Times.

Saito had a history of back problems when he pitched for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan. The All-Star reliever doesn’t want those issues to reoccur.

“I’m being careful to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Saito said. “If it does come back, I could be in serious trouble.”

The Dodgers bullpen has given up eight runs in the last three contests.

Pick: Mets -114

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Sunday, July 22


HOT

Nate Robertson (Detroit Tigers) – After a shaky, up-and-down first half of the season, Robertson seems to have settled down recently. He’s won his last two starts including his last outing in which he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five. He and the Tigers face the Kansas City Royals tonight with oddsmakers setting Detroit as a –169 favorite and the total at 9 ½.

Joe Saunders (Los Angeles Angels) – Saunders will look to remain unbeaten when takes to the mound against the Minnesota Twins tonight. The southpaw is 3-0 with a tidy 2.97 ERA on the season with the Angels going 4-1 in his five starts. Dating back to last year, Los Angeles has won seven of the last eight games that Saunders has started. Books have the Angels priced as +110 road underdogs tonight with the total set at 9 ½.

COLD

Jake Peavy (San Diego Padres) – One of the league’s most dominant pitchers finds himself in a slump. Although the Padres ace hasn’t been terrible in his last few starts he hasn’t been good enough to pick up any wins. He is 0-3 over his last four outings with all four games playing under the total. San Diego’s bats are responsible for some of the blame, as Peavy hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in any of his last seven trips to the hill. The Padres are –210 home faves against the Phillies tonight and the total is set at 7 ½.

Robinson Tejeda (Texas Rangers) – Since opening the season 3-1, Tejeda has recorded just two victories in his last 13 games, going 2-7 over that stretch and inflating his ERA to an ugly 6.68 on the season. He’s allowed four or more earned runs in nine starts this year, including three of his last four outings. Things would be a lot worse for Tejeda if it weren’t for the Rangers’ fourth ranked bullpen considering he’s only made it out of the fifth inning five times in 18 starts. Texas hosts the Cleveland Indians tonight with books setting the Rangers as +126 underdogs.

[Udog]

MLB
Write-up


Sunday, July 22


Hot Pitchers
-- Arroyo is 2-1, 2.28 in his last four starts. Florida won three of last four Vanden Hurk starts.
-- Cardinals won eight of eleven Thompson starts.
-- Colorado won six of last eight Fogg starts.
-- Brewers won six of last seven Vargas starts.
-- Cubs won six of last eight Marshall starts.
-- Mets won four of last five Hernandez starts.

-- Hernandez is 2-1, 2.22 in his last four starts.
-- Robertson is 2-0, 3.04 in his last four starts.
-- Bronx won last five Pettitte starts, scoring 24 runs.
-- Red Sox won five of last seven Wakefield starts.
-- Angels won last four Saunders starts (3-0, 2.55). Garza has a 0.69 RA in two starts this season.
-- Indians won four of last five Byrd starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Reyes is 0-1, 8.68 in two starts this season.
-- Redding is 1-2, 4.00 in three starts this season.
-- Astros lost eight of last eleven Williams starts. Youman has a 4.76 RA in three starts this season.
-- Giants lost six of last seven Zito starts.
-- Petit is 1-2, 4.84 in four starts this season.
-- Durbin is 1-1, 5.91 in two starts this season. Peavy is 0-3, 3.60 in his last four starts, with Padres scoring total of seven runs.
-- Stults is making first start of season for Dodgers.


-- Toronto lost three of last four Halladay starts.
-- Devil Rays are 10-10 in Shields starts, 2-5 in his last seven.
-- Bannister is 1-3, 5.55 in his last four starts.
-- Garland is 1-1, 9.37 in his last three starts.
-- Guthrie is 1-2, 5.70 in his last four starts. Braden is 0-4, 8.23 in his last four starts, since beating Orioles 4-2 back in April.
-- Tejeda is 0-2, 8.89 in his last six starts.

Totals
-- Over is 12-4 in last sixteen Cincinnati road games.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Atlanta home games.
-- Under is 11-2-3 in last sixteen Washington home games.
-- Under is 6-3 in last nine Williams road starts.
-- Over is 6-3 in Vargas' starts at Miller Park.
-- Under is 10-1-2 in last thirteen Arizona road games.
-- Under is 11-3-1 in last fifteen Peavy starts.
-- Eight of last eleven Dodger home games went over the total.


-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Hernandez starts.
-- Over is 10-2-2 in Tampa Bay's last fourteen games.
-- Under is 7-0-1 in last eight Bannister starts.
-- Over is 10-4-1 in Boston's last fifteen games.
-- Under is 8-1 in Minnesota games since All-Star break.
-- Under is 7-3 in last ten Guthrie starts.
-- Five of last six Byrd starts stayed under the total.


Hot Teams
-- Cubs won eleven of their last thirteen home games.
-- Reds outscored Florida 21-3 in winning last two games.
-- Cardinals are 11-3 in game following their last fourteen losses.
-- Nationals won five of their last seven home games. Rockies are
10-4 in their last fourteen games.
-- Phillies are 9-5 in final game of last fourteen road series.
-- Dodgers won seven of their last ten games. Mets are 6-0 in the game after their last six losses.

-- Royals are 13-8 in their last twenty-one games. Tigers won 11 of their last fourteen games.
-- Red Sox won last two games, scoring 21 runs.
-- Bronx won thirteen of its last eighteen games.
-- Mariners won eight of their last twelve games.
-- Twins are 6-3 since the All-Star break.
-- Orioles are 8-2 in game after their last ten losses.
-- Indians are 5-0 in game after their last five losses.

Cold Teams
-- Arizona lost twelve of its last fifteen road games.
-- Reds were outscored 21-3 in losing last two games.
-- Astros lost six of their last eight games. Pirates are 1-7 since the All-Star break, outscored 45-27.
-- Braves lost four of their last six games.
-- Giants lost seven of their last ten games. Brewers lost three in a row, outscored, 21-6.
-- Padres are 8-14 in their last twenty-two home games.

-- White Sox lost six of their last eight games.
-- Toronto lost four of its last six games, but is 6-2 in last eight home games.
-- Devil Rays lost eighteen of their last twenty-four games.
-- Angels lost eight of their last 11 road games.
-- Texas lost three of its last four games.
-- Oakland lost nine of its last eleven games.

Umpires
-- Cin-Fla-- Road team won six of last eight Dowdy games.
-- StL-Atl-- Underdog won four of last six BWelke games.
-- Col-Wsh-- Eight of last ten Joyce games went over the total.
-- Hst-Pitt-- Under is 6-2-2 in last ten Hickox games.
-- SF-Mil-- Underdog is 12-6 in last eighteen Darling games.
-- Az-Chi-- Six of last eight Carlson games went over the total.
-- Phil-SD-- Favorite won six of last seven Guccione games.
-- NY-LA-- Favorite won ten of last twelve Fletcher games.

-- Sea-Tor-- Underdog is 6-5 in last eleven Fairchild games.
-- TB-NY-- Favorite won seven of last nine Bell games.
-- KC-Det-- Home side is 16-5 in last twenty-one Iassogna tilts.
-- Chi-Bos-- Favorite won six of last seven Schrieber games.
-- LA-Minn-- Over is 10-6-1 in last seventeen Gibson games.
-- Balt-A's-- Underdog is 12-6 in last eighteen Runge games.
-- Clev-Tex-- Road team won eight of last ten Marsh games

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Sunday, July 22nd

National League

Cincinnati at Florida, 1:05 EST
Bronson Arroyo (R) vs. Rick Vanden Hurk (R)
Arroyo: 1-8 TSR with a line of +125 to -125
Vanden Hurk: Florida 15-6 Over at home off BB Overs

(TC) St. Louis at Atlanta, 8:05 EST ESPN
Brad Thompson (R) vs. Jo-Jo Reyes (L)
Thompson: St. Louis 12-6 SU off a loss by 6+ runs
Reyes: Atlanta 7-14 SU off a win by 4+ runs

Colorado at Washington, 1:35 EST
Josh Fogg (R) vs. Tim Redding (R)
Fogg: Colorado 11-3 SU off BB games scoring 3 runs or less
Redding: 11-23 TSR with a total of 9 to 9.5 runs

Houston at Pittsburgh, 1:35 EST
Woody Williams (R) vs. Shane Youman (L)
Williams: Houston 3-13 SU off 6+ road games
Youman: Pittsburgh 13-6 SU after losing 6 or 7 of their last 8 games

San Francisco at Milwaukee, 2:05 EST
Barry Zito (L) vs. Claudio Vargas (R)
Zito: San Francisco 16-29 SU after scoring 8+ runs
Vargas: 9-0 TSR in home games

Arizona at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 EST
Yusmeiro Petit (R) vs. Sean Marshall (L)
Petit: Arizona 19-10 SU away off a one-run win
Marshall: Cubs 6-11 SU as a home favorite of -150 to -175

Philadelphia at San Diego, 4:05 EST
JD Durbin (R) vs. Jake Peavy (R)
Durbin: Philadelphia 8-17 SU after scoring 8+ runs
Peavy: 14-3 Under at home in the second half of the season

NY Mets at LA Dodgers, 4:10 EST
Orlando Hernandez (R) vs. Eric Stults (R)
Hernandez: 9-2 TSR in July
Stults: Dodgers 25-9 Over off 3+ home games


American League

Seattle at Toronto, 1:05 EST
Felix Hernandez (R) vs. Roy Halladay (R)
Hernandez: Seattle 18-9 SU vs. AL East opponents
Halladay: Toronto 6-17 SU off a win by 2 runs or less

Tampa Bay at NY Yankees, 1:05 EST
James Shields (R) vs. Andy Pettitte (L)
Shields: Tampa Bay 5-0 SU away after allowing 17+ runs
Pettitte: 4-13 TSR after allowing 1 or 0 runs last start

Kansas City at Detroit, 1:05 EST
Brian Bannister (R) vs. Nate Robertson (L)
Bannister: Kansas City 9-3 SU off 7+ road games
Robertson: 5-13 TSR at home vs. division opponents

Chicago White Sox at Boston, 2:05 EST WGN
Jon Garland (R) vs. Tim Wakefield (R)
Garland: 10-2 TSR away in day games
Wakefield: Boston 28-12 Over off 6+ home games

LA Angels at Minnesota, 2:10 EST
Joe Saunders (L) vs. Matt Garza (R)
Saunders: 14-4 TSR last 18 starts
Garza: Minnesota 3-12 SU after blowing a save

Baltimore at Oakland, 4:05 EST
Jeremy Guthrie (R) vs. Dallas Braden (L)
Guthrie: Baltimore 5-16 SU away off 4+ road games
Braden: Oakland 33-15 SU off 3+ Unders

Cleveland at Texas, 8:35 EST
Paul Byrd (R) vs. Robinson Tejeda (R)
Byrd: Cleveland 35-19 SU off an Over
Tejeda: 3-11 TSR in home games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

WNBA
Long Sheet


Sunday, July 22


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


SEATTLE (11 - 11) at NEW YORK (10 - 11) - 7/22/2007, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-1 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 4-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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


HOUSTON (7 - 15) at CONNECTICUT (11 - 11) - 7/22/2007, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 44-26 ATS (+15.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 203-158 ATS (+29.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games in July games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 146-102 ATS (+33.8 Units) in May, June, or July games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 76-52 ATS (+18.8 Units) against Eastern conference opponents since 1997.
HOUSTON is 76-52 ATS (+18.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-1 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 5-0 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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


SAN ANTONIO (14 - 6) at CHICAGO (9 - 13) - 7/22/2007, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 2-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 2-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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


MINNESOTA (5 - 18) at PHOENIX (12 - 10) - 7/22/2007, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in July games this season.
MINNESOTA is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in road games on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
MINNESOTA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 104-69 ATS (+28.1 Units) in home games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 65-44 ATS (+16.6 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
PHOENIX is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 42-25 ATS (+14.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PHOENIX is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in July games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-3 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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

[Udog]

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Willie Harris of Braves went 6-6 Saturday, with four runs scored and two triples. Quite a day.

-- Jeff Weaver lost 1-0 in Toronto Saturday, but needed just 88 pitches to finish eight innings. He is getting better.

-- Mariners are looking like stronger team in their race with the Angels for AL West title.

-- Gambling is legal in England; Sergio Garcia was -$135 in his head-to-head matchup with Steve Stricker Sunday.

-- Isn't this the best Sunday morning of entire sports year, with the British Open coming on at 6am? In Hawai'i, where it is five hours earlier, the Open comes on before bars close.

-- Mets' switch to Howard Johnson as hitting coach hasn't helped Jose Reyes, who is having a poor July so far. When Reyes struggles, Mets aren't close to the same team.

[Udog]

Sunday's List of 13: Thoughts from first day of 16/Showcase


13) 72 teams tipped off the 16/under Showcase Saturday, with teams from everywhere from Bronx from Alaska competing in pool play. The Alaskan kids had a rough day, trailing both their games by 20+ at the half, losing both by 30+.

12) This can be a humbling event; there are some really, really good teams here, so if you don't have at least one good point guard, if you can't hold your own rebounding against players who will play D-I, then the scores could get ugly. We walked into one gym Saturday and saw a 97-40 score. Eeesshhh....

11) The reality is that kids are hoping for college scholarships lets say of the 326 D-I teams, maybe 315 give scholarships, an average of 3.25 a year (limits are 13/team at a time), so that is roughly 1,024 a year. Lot of competition for those spots, and an event like this, especially for these younger kids, exposes what they need to work on to get better, and maybe get one of those elusive free rides to college.

10) Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony both sponsor a team here; Amare's team has purple and orange uniforms, just like the Suns. They also have a lot of good players. Didn't see Anthony's team play, but they're historically strong, too.

9) There are also events going on in Vegas, so a really good player might have choice of either event. Some kids play for more than one team during spring/summer, so they have the option of going where they prefer.

8) Zone defenses are effective here, because teams don't see them a lot, and most teams don't practice much. Problem for the zone teams is thst college coaches want to see kids play defense man-to-man, so if you play nothing but zone, maybe you're hurting your kids chances of showing defensive skills.

7) The last game of the night was the best game of the day, as Georgia Blazers held off an inspired effort by Blue Devils of Philly, 56-54, late Saturday night, in a rare summer game that saw the team with far less athletic ability almost pull an upset.

6) Blazers are very athletic, deep team that runs really well, but the Blue Devils rallied from a double-digit deficit, actually grabbed the lead in final 3:00, despite playing whole second half without standout forward Al McClure, who suffered a severe ankle injury right before halftime.

5) There was another game earlier in day, where Rising Stars hit a 55-footer at buzzer that would have won game, but refs, after initial indecision, correctly ruled that the shot came just after the buzzer. Pretty impressive shot, though.

4) Kentucky Hoopstars' 15/under teams lists three assistant coaches, all of whom live in different states.

3) Refereeing here is strong, in part because each tourney is used as either a referees' clinic, or a tryout; games are taped; I sat near one of the guys supervising a court, and every once in a while, he'd yell down some advice for the refs, like when he yelled down, "Slow down your count, Billy" talking about the ref counting against a guarded dribbler. Interesting stuff.

2) In everyday life, you hear people complaining about "kids today", the same way our parents complained about us when we were kids, but if those people came here, they'd see lot of kids just playing ball, having fun, and thats a good thing.

1) We're back at it again today, with games starting at 10:30, and will have more commentary tomorrow. For Tuesday, we'll have our list of thirteen kids that stood out to us here, not the best players, necessarily, but kids who made an impression.