Monday Trends and Indexes 09/03

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Monday, September 3

Good Luck on day #246 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]

National Football League –- Review - Super Bowl odds

NFL
Super Bowl odds
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Super Bowl XLII Odds Review

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With no Monday Night Football to talk about this week we'll instead fill the big gridiron void with the odds to capture Super Bowl XLII on the eve of the NFL's 2007 campaign.

At the top of the Vegas oddsmakers' list of Super Bowl contenders right now are the New England Patriots, who sit at 5/1. The Pats head into the season confident that they'll be able to get past their conference rivals and return to their familiar place in the title game. It remains to be seen how effective Randy Moss will be this year (there was even speculation that he would be cut), but the Pats have no glaring weaknesses now.

Second and third on the current Super Bowl odds list are the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers. The defending champs are just behind the rival Patriots at 11/2 odds, and they aren't too concerned about the 1-3 record they put up during the preseason. The Chargers, who have 6/1 Super Bowl odds in Vegas, were 3-1 over the exhibition schedule, but they start their season with a tough game against the Bears.

That Chicago team follows San Diego at 8/1 title odds, and despite going 3-1 during the preseason the Bears were actually outscored 90-87 in those four games. The Baltimore Ravens (10/1), New Orleans Saints (12/1), Cincinnati Bengals (15/1), and Seattle Seahawks (15/1) round out the top tier of contenders to win the Super Bowl this season.

Next on the list are the Dallas Cowboys, who the Vegas oddsmakers have pegged at 20/1 title odds. Tony Romo and company will be looking to forget about last year's embarrassing finish to the season and hold off their NFC East opponents. Those other NFC East teams are around the 'Boys in the odds list - the Philadelphia Eagles are at 25/1, and the New York Giants are at 30/1. The Washington Redskins are back at 50/1.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ditched starting quarterback Byron Leftwich on the weekend, and they'll go with David Garrard as their top guy this season. How Garrard performs at the start of the regular season will determine where the Jags' Super Bowl odds go - they're currently at 25/1 after outscoring the opposition 100-64 in four exhibition games.

Also listed with 25/1 Super Bowl odds are each of the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Carolina Panthers are just back of them at 30/1 odds. The Panthers brought in David Carr in the offseason to put some pressure on starting quarterback Jake Delhomme, and a slow start could result in a change at that position.

The St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers have 40/1 and 45/1 Super Bowl odds, respectively, and both of those teams will be trying to knock off the Seahawks in the NFC West division this season. Also looking to move up a few spots in that division are the Arizona Cardinals, who went winless in the preseason and sit at just 75/1 title odds.

The Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions all finished well back of the Bears in the NFC North last season, but can one of those teams step up and challenge Chicago in 2007? Vegas oddsmakers don't like their chances of making a miracle run to a title - the Packers and Vikings are at 50/1, and the Lions are at 100/1.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (60/1), Tennessee Titans (70/1), Buffalo Bills (75/1), Kansas City Chiefs (75/1), and Miami Dolphins (75/1) are all pegged as moderate longshots this season. The Bucs, Bills, and Dolphins are all coming off sub.-500 campaigns, but the Titans were led by Vince Young to a respectable 8-8 mark in 2006. The Chiefs are now in a rebuilding mode, and are unlikely to duplicate their 9-7 record.

Michael Vick's legal woes have played havoc with the Atlanta Falcons' Super Bowl chances, and they're now at 100/1 on the title odds list. That's the same line given to both the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans, who won four and six games, respectively, last season. And at the very bottom? The Oakland Raiders, at 150/1 odds.

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[pm530]

College Football - Dunkel Index

NCAAF
Dunkel Index

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Game 223-224: Texas Tech at SMU
Dunkel Ratings: Texas Tech 93.696; SMU 86.838
Dunkel Line: Texas Tech by 7; 64
Vegas Line: Texas Tech by 10; 59
Dunkel Pick: SMU (+10); Over

Game 225-226: Florida State at Clemson
Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 94.670; Clemson 96.431
Dunkel Line: Clemson by 2; 41
Vegas Line: Florida State by 3 1/2; 45 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Clemson (+3 1/2); Under

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[pm530]

College Football – Long Sheet

NCAAF
Long Sheet


Monday, September 3

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TEXAS TECH (8 - 5) at SMU (6 - 6) - 9/3/2007, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points over the last 3 seasons.

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


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FLORIDA ST (7 - 6) at CLEMSON (8 - 5) - 9/3/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEMSON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEMSON is 2-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
CLEMSON is 2-0 straight up against FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

College Football – Short Sheet

NCAAF
Short Sheet

Monday, September 3rd

Texas Tech at SMU, 4:00 ET ESPN
Texas Tech: 0-7 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points
SMU: 8-3 ATS as a home underdog of 7.5 to 14 points

Florida State at Clemson, 8:00 ET ESPN
Florida State: 5-1 Over as a road favorite
Clemson: 6-0 ATS as an underdog

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[pm530]

College Football - Tips & Trends

NCAAF

Monday, September 3

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Tips and Trends
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Texas Tech at SMU (ESPN | 4 PM ET)

This will be the 44th meeting between Texas Tech and SMU on the gridiron. The Red Raiders hold a 28-15 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last 11 meetings, dating back to 1989. Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach has a 4-0 record against the Mustangs, including a 1-0 mark in Dallas. EDGE: TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech has a pretty good run going in the month of September in the Mike Leach era. Over the past seven the season, the Red Raiders are 20-6 during the initial month of the season. They’ve outscored the opposition 978-570 and are averaging 34.9 points per game over that span. EDGE: TEXAS TECH
SMU returns a load of offensive talent with 90 percent of its 2006 total offense back on the roster. The Mustangs also return 88 percent of its rushing output and 75 percent of its scoring totals. EDGE: SMU
The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.


#19 Florida State at Clemson (ESPN | 8 PM ET)

Florida State enters tonight’s game with Clemson having won 16 of its last 17 season-openers. Head coach Bobby Bowden is a dominant 27-4 all-time at FSU in season-openers. BIG EDGE: FSU
Clemson has won two straight games versus the Seminoles for the first time in the series history. The Seminoles have lost two straight games in Clemson and have lost three of the last four overall versus the Tigers. EDGE: CLEMSON
After scoring 20 or more points just five times in the first 14 series meetings, Clemson has posted at least 20 points in each of the last six meetings. EDGE: OVER
This is the ninth Bowden Bowl and Bobby Bowden has a 5-3 advantage over his son Tommy Bowden in the previous eight. SLIGHT EDGE: FSU
The Seminoles are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games as a road favorite.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Monday, September 3

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TORONTO (2 - 6) at HAMILTON (1 - 7) - 9/3/2007, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) off a loss against a division rival since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-2 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-1 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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EDMONTON (3 - 4 - 1) at CALGARY (3 - 4 - 1) - 9/3/2007, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 7-2 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 5-4 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Monday, September 3

Toronto (2-6) @ Hamilton (1-7) -- Argos on fourth QB of season they've lost last five games, and have three losses this season by 1 or 2 points, but here they face TiCat squad they beat 30-5 on this field in Week 2, forcing three turnovers, holding Cats to 190 total yards. Hamilton scored 43 points in its only win, but hasn't scored more than 20 points in any other 2007 game.

Edmonton (3-4-1) @ Calgary (3-4-1) -- Stampeders won 34-32 at Edmonton in Week 6 (+1); they ran ball for 140 yards, passed for 323 more, and sacked Ray four times. Eskimos lost three of last four games; they're 1-3 on road, winning only at Winnipeg; they're 3-0 if they allow 20 or less points, 0-4-1 otherwise, and Calgary scored more than 20 in four of last five games. Problem is, they scored 45 in last game, and tie was best they could do.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Hot Lines

CFL
Hot Lines


Monday, September 3


Makin’ Canadian Bacon: Labour Day Classics


Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger Cats (-2, 40)
Monday, Sept. 3, 1 p.m. ET

Things looked sunny in Hamilton for all of a couple of weeks. Then the Tiger Cats embarrass themselves in Montreal with a plethora of penalties while the “face of the franchise”, running back Jesse Lumsden, injures himself in the process.

Lumsden is questionable for Monday’s early game, but that’s not the only reason for a delayed line from oddsmakers. Charlie Taaffe delayed his decision on the starting quarterback until late in the week, finally making it official on Thursday: Timmy Chang is taking over from Jason Maas, for better or for worse.

Adding further confusion for the sportsbooks is the news that would-be Toronto savior Michael Bishop will dress for Monday’s game. No word yet on if he’ll do anything more than hold a clipboard, mind you, but hey - he’ll be wearing the double blue! That counts for something, right?

Toronto had better bloody hope so. The Grey Cup is in Hogtown this season but the Argos have played themselves right out of a playoff berth since Bishop broke his wrist. That’s hard to do in a league where three-quarters of the teams advance to the postseason.

Don’t bother checking the weather channel: Monday’s forecast calls for plenty of punts to rain down at Ivor Wynne, with a 100 percent chance of sloppy play from both teams.

Pick: Under 40


Edmonton Eskimos at Calgary Stampeders (-6 ½, 54 ½)
Monday, Sept. 3, 4 p.m. ET

Yee-haw! The battle of Alberta has a little hate going on! When these teams last met, Calgary’s Sandro DeAngelis kicked a game-winning field goal as time ran out, then ran down the field and dove headlong into a puddle to celebrate. It was the final irritating touch in a game where tempers flared, helmets were hurled, and private parts may or may not have been grabbed.

Calgary is usually stronger at McMahon Stadium than on the road and the offensive unit should be happier now that Marc Boerigter’s been released. Not that Boerigter is a bad guy, but it did the Stamps no good to sit a healthy (and unhappy) import receiver each week.

Quarterback Henry Burris put up one of the league’s best performances of the year in his last game. Knowing Burris, that likely means he’ll have a dud this week. But I can’t shake the image of him diving into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game against BC (on top of three passing majors). It was a bit of single-handed brilliance that Ricky Ray won’t be able to match if asked to do so Monday.

Coming into the season, Edmonton was a last-place club with a ton of new faces and the Stamps were a fashionable pick to win the Grey Cup. The upcoming home-and-home should be the point at which the Stampeders live up to their potential.

Pick: Stampeders -6 ½

Last week: 0-2

Year to date: 15-17

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women) - Preview

WNBA
Preview: Fever at Shock

Monday, September 3

Three times already this postseason, the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock have avoided elimination.

They'll try to do it for a fourth time Monday night when they host the Indiana Fever in the decisive third game of the Eastern Conference finals.

Detroit finished a league-best 24-10 this year to earn home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Shock took full advantage of the edge in the first round, rallying after losing the opener by 22 points at New York to defeat the Liberty twice at home.

It's a pattern Detroit hopes repeats itself in this round. The Fever won 75-65 on Friday at home in the first game before the Shock evened the series with a 77-63 win Sunday.

"We played all year to make sure that we'd get to play (Monday's) game at home," Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. "This team has heart and a strong will, and they're also a pretty good basketball team. We've done what we've supposed to do - win our home games."

Deanna Nolan finished with 24 points and Katie Smith added 14 for Detroit, which scored 52 points over the second and third quarters to take control Sunday. Swin Cash grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Detroit held a 42-22 edge on the glass.

The Shock also went 3-0 when facing elimination en route to capturing its second title last year.

"We love playing with our backs against the wall," Nolan said. "That's when our energy gets going."

Indiana continues to struggled from the field against Detroit's zone defense. The Fever shot just under 37 percent in Game 2 after overcoming their 32-percent effort to win the opener.

"We have to play better against the zone in Game 3," Indiana coach Brian Winters said. "When we miss shots against that zone, it lets them get out and run, and when Nolan gets space, she's so fast that she's going to hurt you."

The Shock took a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter Sunday, allowing them to rest Cheryl Ford. The All-Star forward, who has been bothered by knee problems, played just 22 minutes.

"That was big," Laimbeer said. "I wanted to buy her as much time for (Game 3) as possible."

Indiana, which has never advanced to the WNBA finals, needs star forward Tamika Catchings to revert to her Game 1 form. Catchings had seven points and four rebounds in Game 2 after recording 22 points and 11 boards in the opener.

The Shock also eliminated the Fever from last year's playoffs with a two-game sweep in the first round.

Home teams are 8-0 in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. The winner advances to play Western Conference champion Phoenix beginning Wednesday.

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women) - Trends

WNBA
Betting Trends

Monday, September 3

Trends - Indiana at Detroit

ATS Trends

Indiana[/B]
Fever are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
Fever are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
Fever are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
Fever are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Fever are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Monday games.


Detroit
Shock are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Monday games.
Shock are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Shock are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
Shock are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 home games.
Shock are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
Shock are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Shock are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Shock are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 0 days rest.


OU Trends
Indiana
Under is 20-7-1 in Fever last 28 games playing on 0 days rest.
Under is 36-16-1 in Fever last 53 road games.
Under is 35-16 in Fever last 51 games following a S.U. loss.
Under is 35-17-1 in Fever last 53 games following a ATS loss.


Detroit
Under is 4-1-1 in Shock last 6 overall.
Under is 4-1-1 in Shock last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 6-2 in Shock last 8 games playing on 0 days rest.
Under is 9-3-2 in Shock last 14 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Over is 12-5-1 in Shock last 18 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 12-5 in Shock last 17 games following a ATS win.
Over is 9-4 in Shock last 13 home games.


Head to Head
Under is 10-3-2 in the last 15 meetings.
Under is 8-3-2 in the last 13 meetings in Detroit.
Fever are 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Monday, September 3

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Tips and Trends
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Seattle Mariners at New York Yankees (1:05 PM ET)

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez is 5-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 10 road starts this season. He’s picked up victories in his last two outings away from Safeco Field, allowing six runs and 13 hits in 12 2/3 innings. EDGE: MARINERS
Hernandez is searching for his first career victory against the Yankees, going 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in his first two starts against them. The young right-hander has surrendered nine runs and 13 hits over just 11 2/3 innings. EDGE: YANKEES
New York’s Roger Clemens is a solid 21-12 with a 3.01 ERA in 39 career starts versus Seattle. The veteran has given up just 23 home runs in 290 1/3 career innings against them. EDGE: YANKEES
Clemens is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in six daytime appearances this season. He’s been knocked around for 37 hits in just 27 innings of work under the sun. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
The Mariners are 6-1 in Hernandez’s last seven starts.


Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (1:05 PM ET)

Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer is 3-6 with a 4.97 ERA in 10 career outings versus the Braves. He’s a perfect 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against them in 2007, allowing five earned runs and 12 hits over 13 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: PHILLIES
Moyer is 6-7 with a 5.64 ERA in 15 starts away from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have lost four of his last five road starts, as the veteran has allowed 30 earned runs and 44 hits in 26 2/3 innings. EDGE: BRAVES
Atlanta starter Lance Cormier is 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in three home appearances this season. Atlanta has lost all three of those outings, being outscored 22-3 in the process. EDGE: PHILLIES
Cormier has pitched relatively well in eight career outings versus Philadelphia. The right-hander has limited the Phillies to six runs and 14 hits in 19 1/3 innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: BRAVES
The Braves are 4-1 in Cormier’s last five starts versus National League East.


New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (1:15 PM ET)

New York veteran Pedro Martinez makes his first start of the season tonight, after enduring a disappointing 2006 season that saw him make two trips to the disabled list and post a 15.43 ERA in losing his final four starts. SLIGHT EDGE: REDS
Martinez has won his last five decisions versus the Reds since a 9-7 loss for Montreal on September 28, 1995, and is 6-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 17 career games against them. EDGE: METS
Cincinnati went 2-5 on their road trip but play their next nine games at Great American Ball Park, where they have won a season-high six straight. They haven’t won seven in a row since May 19-25, 2004. SLIGHT EDGE: REDS
Reds ace Aaron Harang has a 1.85 ERA in his last five home starts and is 7-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 14 starts at Great American Ball Park this season. EDGE: REDS
The Mets are 4-1 in the last five meetings.


Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (2:10 PM ET)

Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia is 10-8 with a 3.44 ERA in 25 career starts against Minnesota. The left-hander has posted a 3-1 record and impressive 1.95 ERA in four starts against them in 2007, allowing just six earned runs and not a single home run over 27 2/3 innings. EDGE: INDIANS
Sabathia is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts indoors this season. He’s 7-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 15 career starts at the Metrodome. SLIGHT EDGE: INDIANS
Minnesota ace Johan Santana is just one game over .500 against Cleveland in his career, going 7-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 games. Incredibly enough, the left-hander is 0-4 with a 4.09 ERA versus the Indians this season. SLIGHT EDGE: INDIANS
Santana is a dominant 46-19 with a 3.08 ERA in 128 home games, allowing opponents to hit just .218 against him. He’s a disappointing 5-6 with a 3.18 ERA at the Metrodome in 12 starts this season. EDGE: TWINS
The Indians are 1-4 in Sabathia’s last five starts.


Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (4:05 PM ET)

Los Angeles starter Brad Penny is a dominant 7-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 11 road starts this season. He’s allowed just three home runs in 72 1/3 innings away from Dodger Stadium. EDGE: DODGERS
Penny’s performance has slowed a bit over the last four starts, allowing 13 runs and 26 hits over his last 22 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander finished the 2006 season with a 6-7 record and 6.25 ERA. EDGE: CUBS
Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano is 2-1 with a spectacular 1.86 ERA in nine career outings versus Los Angeles. The right-hander has limited the Dodgers to just one home run and 27 hits over 38 2/3 innings. EDGE: CUBS
The Cubs have lost five straight games with Zambrano on the hill, including three at Wrigley Field. He’s received very little run support over this current span, with the Chicago offense supplying him just 11 runs of support. EDGE: DODGERS
The Dodgers are 7-1 in their last eight Monday games.


San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (4:40 PM ET)

San Diego starter Greg Maddux is a miserable 1-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 17 career starts versus Arizona. The right-hander did produce a quality start against the Diamondbacks last time out, allowing just one run and eight hits over seven innings in a 3-1 home victory. EDGE: D-BACKS
Maddux is coming off a very impressive August, posting a 3-1 record and 2.37 ERA in six starts. He allowed just one home run and didn’t issue a single walk over 38 innings. EDGE: PADRES
Arizona rookie right-hander Micah Owings is 3-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 13 home outings this season. The Diamondbacks have lost his last three starts at Chase Field, being outscored 21-11 over that span. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
Owings has pitched really well against the Padres in two career starts, allowing two runs and seven hits over 13 innings of work. The right-hander gave up just a single run and three hits to San Diego last time out at Petco Park. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
The Padres are 4-1 in the last five meetings.


Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox (7:05 PM ET)

Toronto is coming off a three-game sweep of Seattle, capped by a 6-4 win on Sunday. The Blue Jays have won seven of their last 10 to move a season-high four games over .500 and within 5 ½ games of the Yankees for the Wild Card. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Blue Jays starter Jesse Litsch looks to help the team win their fourth straight games for the first time since winning five in a row July 21-25. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.60 ERA in his last six road starts. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka has allowed 13 runs in 18 1/3 innings during his current three-game losing streak and the Red Sox have lost the last four times he’s taken the mound. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Matsuzaka gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings of a 9-4 win over the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on July 14 and is 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts against them. EDGE: RED SOX
The Blue Jays are 2-5 in the last seven meetings.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - September 3

SCOREBOARD
Monday, Sept. 3
Toronto at Boston (7:05 p.m. EDT). Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka looks for his 14th win.

STARS
Sunday

-- Cody Ross, Marlins, homered twice to help Florida match a team record with five homers and beat Philadelphia 7-6.

-- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals, hit a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning to push Washington past San Francisco 2-1.

-- Jack Hannahan, Athletics, hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning to propel Oakland over Detroit 8-7.

-- David Wright, Mets, hit a two-run homer to lift New York over Atlanta 3-2.

-- Alex Gordon, Royals, hit two home runs to help Kansas City defeat Minnesota 8-1.

AL EAST ALLIES

Tampa Bay helped Boston increase its lead in the AL East to six games over New York by winning a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2005. The Devil Rays beat Andy Pettitte for only the second time in 20 career starts and recorded their fourth series win in 27 trips to the Bronx with an 8-2 victory. The Red Sox beat Baltimore 3-2.

DEAR JOHN

Tom Glavine won for the first time in four tries against his longtime teammate, beating John Smoltz and Atlanta 3-2 Sunday. Glavine (12-6) gave up five hits and one run in six innings, with three walks and two strikeouts. The left-hander was 0-2 despite a 2.96 ERA in four career matchups with Smoltz, including three this season.

COOKING FISH

Florida tied a team record with five home runs, including two by Cody Ross and a go-ahead homer by Hanley Ramirez, and overcame a five-run deficit to beat Philadelphia 7-6. The Marlins' other five-homer game was Sept. 11, 2006, against the Mets. Florida began Sunday tied for last place in the NL East, but it needs only eight more homers to break the team record of 182 set last year.

BAFFLING BANNISTER

Brian Bannister allowed one run in eight innings to pick up his fourth straight victory in Kansas City's 8-1 win over Minnesota on Sunday. His 12 victories are second among AL rookies and are the most by a Kansas City rookie since Kevin Appier won 12 games in 1990. He is 7-1 with a 2.17 ERA in his past nine starts and leads American League rookies with a 3.16 ERA.

WILD CARD WOES

Toronto beat slumping Seattle 6-4, sending the Mariners to their season-high ninth consecutive loss. The Mariners, who begin a three-game series at New York on Monday, have not won since Aug. 24 at Texas, a victory that put them a season-high 20 games over .500. They entered Sunday two games behind the Yankees in the wild-card race.

FROM THE ASHES

St. Louis completed a three-game sweep of Cincinnati and moved above .500 for the first time since April with a 3-2 win Sunday. The Cardinals are 15-4 in their last 19 games at home and swept the Reds in St. Louis for the first time since 2005, when they closed the final regular season at old Busch Stadium with three straight from Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

SLUMPING

Toronto defeated Seattle 6-4 on Sunday, sending the Mariners to their season-high ninth consecutive loss. The Mariners, who begin a three-game series with considerable playoff implications at the New York Yankees on Monday, has not won since Aug. 24 at Texas. The nine-game losing streak is Seattle's longest since an 11-game skid from Aug. 10-20, 2006.

STREAKING

Matt Holliday singled, homered and drove in two runs to help Colorado beat Arizona 4-3 on Sunday. Holliday, who has reached base in a franchise-best 38 straight games, finished 2-for-4 and edged ahead of Atlanta's Edgar Renteria and Chase Utley of Philadelphia for the NL battling lead at .337.

SNAPPED

The White Sox snapped their longest road losing streak since 1962, beating Cleveland 8-0 Sunday for their first win in 12 road games.

SEASONS
Sept. 3

1917 -- Philadelphia's Grover Cleveland Alexander went the distance in both games of the Phillies' 5-0 and 9-3 sweep of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1947 -- Bill McCahan pitched a no-hitter to give the Philadelphia Athletics a 3-0 win over Washington.

1947 -- The New York Yankees had 18 hits, all singles, in an 11-2 victory over Boston at Fenway Park. Tommy Henrich and Joe DiMaggio each had four hits.

1957 -- Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves recorded his 41st career shutout with an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Spahn's shutout set a major league record for left-handed pitchers.

1970 -- Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs asked to be kept out of the lineup, snapping his National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played. His record was broken in 1983 by Steve Garvey.

1981 -- The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners played the longest game in Fenway Park's history, 19 innings, before the game was suspended with the score tied 7-7. The Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings when the game resumed the next day.

1986 -- Billy Hatcher's homer in the top of the 18th inning gave the Houston Astros an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The two teams played 14 innings the day before and used a major league record 53 players in the game.

1990 -- Bobby Thigpen set a major league record with his 47th save in a 4-2 Chicago White Sox victory over Kansas City. Thigpen broke the record set by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1986.

2000 -- Kenny Lofton tied a major league record by scoring in his 18th straight game in the first inning of Cleveland's 12-11, 13-inning victory over Baltimore. Red Rolfe set the record in 1939 for the New York Yankees.

2001 -- Bud Smith became the 16th rookie in modern history to throw a no-hitter and the second to do it to San Diego this season in St. Louis' 4-0 win. Smith was making his 11th career start.

2006 -- Ryan Howard homered in his first three at-bats, leading Philadelphia to an 8-7 victory over Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader. Howard raised his major league-leading total to 52 and set a record for second-year players.

2006 -- Albert Pujols homered in his first three at-bats, helping St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 6-3. Pujols, with 42 homers, reached 40 or more for the fourth straight season.

Today's birthdays: Matt Capps 24; Bobby Livingston 25; Nate Robertson 30; Luis Gonzalez 40.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB


Monday, September 3

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Streaking Pitchers
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Monday's streaking starting pitchers

HOT

Greg Maddux (San Diego Padres) – Maddux has been very impressive lately. He is 2-0 in his last three games posting a 2.25 ERA and striking out nine. He has gone 42 consecutive innings without allowing a walk and leads the National League with 1.1 walks per nine innings of work. Maddux hasn't allowed more than three runs in his last nine starts. The Padres (-119) are favored on the road tonight at Arizona (+111).

Matt Cain (San Francisco Giants) – Cain is riding a three-game win streak during which he compiled a 2.14 ERA and 19 strikeouts. Last outing he threw six shutout innings before giving up his only run in the seventh. He has allowed just one run in each of his last two games. The 22-year-old right-hander was 4-1 in August with a 2.18 ERA in six starts. He has faced Colorado four times this year going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, but is matched up against another hot pitcher today in Jeff Francis. Francis is coming off a complete-game shutout win. With this afternoon’s total set at nine, and two of the stingiest pitchers in baseball on the mound, the under is looking pretty tempting.

Roy Oswalt (Houston Astros) – Oswalt is looking for his seventh straight victory today as he battles the Brewers. He is 2-0 in his last three starts with a 1.37 ERA and 16 strikeouts. Oswalt hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his last eight outings and has a measly 1.01 ERA in seven starts since suffering a loss to the Cubs in mid-July. The Astros are 4-0 in Oswalt’s last four road starts and are +113 underdogs today against Milwaukee (-121).


COLD

Daisuke Matsuzaka (Boston Red Sox) – Matsuzaka’s strong rookie campaign is heading downhill. The youngster is 0-3 in his last three games with a 6.38 ERA. Boston has lost each of the last four games that Matsuzaka has started. He hasn’t fared well at home since the All-Star break, going 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA and allowing 13 runs in his last 18 1/3 innings. The Red Sox (-180) are big favorites at home tonight against the Blue Jays (+172).

Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs) – Zambrano has cooled off considerably after a red-hot July. The hard-throwing right-hander was 0-4 in August and posted an unacceptable 7.06 ERA. He gave up 17 walks in those five games and made it out of the sixth inning only once. The Cubs are –158 favorites against the visiting Dodgers (+150).

Kip Wells (St. Louis Cardinals) – Wells is 1-2 in his last three starts with a 7.31 ERA. He is struggling with his control lately, allowing 17 hits and seven walks in his last 10 innings. Wells went 13 straight appearances without giving up a home run, but has surrendered four in his last three games. The Cardinals are –135 favorites today against the Pirates (+127).

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[Kaptain]

09/03/07
12:20 AM Lineups
CFB
Monday: Florida State's G Dumaka Atkins (knee) is expected to miss the game.

09/03/07
12:19 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: D-Backs 1B Conor Jackson (.281; wrist) is questionable; Padres OF Milton Bradley (.292; abdominal) is questionable.

09/03/07
12:18 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: Twins C Joe Mauer (.294; hamstring) is questionable; Seattle 1B Richie Sexson (.207; hamstring) is doubtful