Friday Trends and Indexes 09/28

[pm530]

National Football League - Tips & Trends

NFL


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Tips and Trends
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Sunday, September 30


Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons (CBS | 1 PM ET)

Houston team insiders are becoming increasingly concerned with the mounting injuries to what they classify as a “very fragile” offensive unit. During the game against the Colts last Sunday, RB Ahman Green had to leave the game with a knee injury, and backup Ron Dayne was inactive because of bruised ribs. Top WR Andre Johnson also didn't play due to a knee injury. Taking his place was Jacoby Jones, who left in the third quarter with a separated shoulder while center Steve McKinney left with a knee sprain in the fourth quarter. EDGE: FALCONS
League insiders remain impressed with the play of the young Texans defensive front seven, which held KC RB Larry Johnson to 43 yards on 10 carries in the season opener and then held Carolina to just 66 rushing yards. EDGE: TEXANS
Atlanta’s rushing defense has been nothing short of horrendous this season, allowing 139 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry) to Minnesota, 113 to Jacksonville and 175 to Carolina. That’s terrible news against a Texans team that is 15-6 in games in which they have kept possession for 32 minutes or more. EDGE: TEXANS


New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (CBS | 1 PM ET)

One NFL insider was amazed that the Jets beat Miami last weekend. Despite the final score, the Dolphins thoroughly dominated the game, putting up 424 yards of total offense while the Jets had only 256. EDGE: BILLS
Team insiders are reporting that Buffalo will be without the services of starting QB J.P. Losman this week due to a knee injury. Backup QB Trent Edwards will take his place and make his first NFL start. EDGE: JETS
Buffalo can’t seem to stop anybody on the ground again this season. Last season, the run stopping unit ranked 28th in the league, allowing a whopping 4.7 yards per carry. This season, it actually has been worse, allowing 171 rushing yards (5.3 yards per carry) to Denver, 184 to Pittsburgh and 177 to New England. EDGE: JETS
Buffalo is 8-5 ATS in its last 13 as an underdog.
The Jets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games under head coach Eric Mangini.


Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (CBS | 1 PM ET)

Team insiders expect fragile Baltimore QB Steve McNair to start after he said his injured groin was "fine." However, McNair's injury history certainly doesn't guarantee he will finish the game, so backup Kyle Boller could very well play at some point. SLIGHT EDGE: BROWNS
Cleveland comes into this contest with the distinction of having the league's worst overall defense, allowing an incredible 430 yards per game. Even worse, the team's rushing defense is allowing an average of 176 yards per game, which is not good news going against Baltimore RB Willis McGahee. BIG EDGE: RAVENS
The Browns are 21-31-1 ATS in their last 53 as an underdog.
The Ravens are 6-14 SU & ATS in their last 20 road games.


St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys (FOX | 1 PM ET)

This is the second straight road game for the Rams, and they run into a terrible matchup with an offensive line that has been decimated with injuries. They will be going against a Dallas defense that attacks and has lots of blitzing packages. St. Louis QB Marc Bulger was sacked six times in Week 2 and will be playing with two broken ribs. BIG EDGE: COWBOYS
The St. Louis offense received another blow last weekend when they lost the services of star RB Steven Jackson, who will miss at least one week with a partial tear of his left groin. Even with Jackson, the Rams have just two touchdowns in three games this season. Rookie Brian Leonard will make his first NFL start in Jackson's place. EDGE: COWBOYS
Team insiders are very concerned about the St. Louis run defense, which has been torched this season. The Rams gave up 186 rushing yards ( 4.9 yards a carry) in the season opener, 89 yards against the 49ers and then 182 rush yards last week against the Bucs. EDGE: COWBOYS
League insiders have been impressed with the Dallas defense overall but noted that the Cowboys are vulnerable in the secondary. The Rams will likely lean on their passing attack without Jackson in the lineup and could score a lot against this defensive backfield. EDGE: RAMS
The Rams are just 11-17 ATS in their last 28 road games.


Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (FOX | 1 PM ET)

Chicago insiders are breathing a sign of relief now that the Rex Grossman era is officially over. Grossman's backup Brian Griese will start, and this should help the Bears defense as much as the offense since he is a 63 percent career passer and a veteran who should minimize turnovers. EDGE: BEARS
One team insider is becoming very concerned with Chicago's defensive injuries, which are beginning to pile up. As reported two weeks ago in this report, safety Mike Brown and DT Dusty Dvoracek were both knocked out for the season with knee injuries. Add to that list LB Lance Briggs and CB Nathan Vasher who both went down with groin injuries while All-Pro DT Tommie Harris also left the game with a sprained knee. All of them are out this week. EDGE: LIONS
The Lions should struggle to run the football against a Chicago front seven that is one of the best in the league against the run and one that is eager to avenge last week's poor performance against Dallas. If the Lions fail to establish any semblance of a rushing attack, that could prevent them from taking advantage of a depleted Chicago secondary with both starting cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Vashar out with injuries. SLIGHT EDGE: BEARS
Detroit team insiders are concerned about the play of their offensive line, which saw QB Jon Kitna sacked nine times against the Eagles. EDGE: BEARS


Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins (CBS | 1 PM ET)

Team insiders are reporting former Miami QB Daunte Culpepper will be making his first start of the season for the Raiders in place of the injured Josh McCown. Culpepper failed miserably last year with the Dolphins and will be playing with some revenge for getting released by them before training camp. SLIGHT EDGE: RAIDERS
Team insiders are becoming concerned over the highly-touted Miami Dolphins defense under offensive-minded head coach Cam Cameron. In the first three games this season, opponents have scored 16, 37 and 31 points against them in their three losses. They gave up 400 yards to Washington (191 rushing), 166 yards rushing to Dallas, and 141 yards on the ground to the Jets last Sunday. Miami is still without LB Zach Thomas due to a concussion. BIG EDGE: RAIDERS
Oakland is 21-43 ATS in its last 64 games overall, including 2-15 SU & 7-10 ATS in the last 17 away from home.
Miami is just 9-24 ATS in its last 33 games at home.


Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (FOX | 1 PM ET)

Tough situational spot for the visiting Packers, who play a Vikings team that will give an all-out effort with their bye week on deck while Green Bay hosts archrival Chicago next Sunday night. EDGE: VIKINGS
League insiders remain impressed with a Green Bay defense that has been nothing short of brilliant so far this season. Don’t forget this was a team that ranked 10th in the league against the run last season, allowing just 3.3 yards per rush. That bodes well against a very one-dimensional Minnesota offense led by rookie RB Adrian Peterson. EDGE: PACKERS
Some Green Bay insiders are concerned about a Packers offense that has been unable to rush the football with their running-back-by-committee approach. However, that should not be as much of a concern this week, as Minnesota owns a dominant run defense but can be attacked through the air. That being said, look for Green Bay QB Brett Favre to break Dan Marino's all-time touchdown pass record before halftime. EDGE: PACKERS
The Packers are 6-3 SU & 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (FOX | 4:05 PM ET)

Panthers QB Jake Delhomme (elbow) missed practice on Thursday, making it more likely backup David Carr will start Sunday. Carr was 3-for-4 with 56 yards last week. Delhomme owns a 7-1 career mark vs. Tampa Bay. SLIGHT EDGE: BUCS
Tampa Bay's offense has gotten on track the last two games, averaging 27.5 points in two wins at home. Starting QB Jeff Garcia has completed 66 percent of his passes (43-of-65) and could be the difference. EDGE: BUCS
Carolina is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 home games.
Tampa Bay is 3-9 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
The underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
The OVER is 6-2 in Carolina's last 8 games.


Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (FOX | 4:05 PM ET)

The 49ers were finally exposed last Sunday as they were one of the worst/luckiest 2-0 SU/ATS in NFL history. San Francisco topped Arizona 20-17 on a last-second comeback in the season opener, even though the offense was terrible with just 194 total yards. Two weeks ago, they got outgained 392-186 in a 17-16 win at St. Louis. That poor play surfaced again last week in a 37-16 loss at Pittsburgh, as the team went 5-for-15 on third down while giving up 205 rushing yards. EDGE: SEAHAWKS
Team insiders are reporting that San Francisco LB Manny Lawson is out for the season with a torn ACL. Lawson was missed last week and will continue to be missed throughout the season as one of the defense's top playmakers. EDGE: SEAHAWKS
The UNDER is 7-1 in Seattle's last 8 games.
Seattle is 9-10 SU & 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 road games.
The 49ers are 11-6 ATS in their last 17 as underdogs.


Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals (CBS | 4:15 PM ET)

Pittsburgh is making an early statement as one of the best AFC teams this season, outscoring opponents by an average score of 32-8. EDGE: STEELERS
The Steelers defense ranks No. 2 in the NFL, allowing 244 yards per game while their pass defense is 6th (144 yards per game). EDGE: STEELERS
Team insiders are reporting that Pittsburgh WR Hines Ward has a sprained right knee and will not play this week. Ward is QB Ben Roethlisberger's most consistent target in the passing game and will be sorely missed. EDGE: CARDINALS
Arizona team insiders are unsure about who will play QB this week for Arizona. New Arizona coach Ken Wisenhunt benched second-year pro Matt Leinart in favor of veteran Kurt Warner last weekend after Leinart looked tentative under the attacking Baltimore defense. Neither is a good choice against a blitzing Pittsburgh defense. EDGE: STEELERS
The Steelers are 9-2 SU & 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games.


Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts (CBS | 4:15 PM ET)

Team insiders are concerned with a Denver run defense that ranks 28th in the league, allowing opponents 166 yards per game on the ground. That's great news for Indy RB Joseph Addai, who could have a field day running against the Broncos. EDGE: COLTS
If you discount the 2004 regular-season finale in Denver - in which Indy rested its starters - the Colts have gone 5-1 SU & ATS in the other six meetings, averaging 32.2 points per game. BIG EDGE: COLTS
This game starts a brutal scheduling spot for the Broncos, who begin a five-game stretch that includes three 3-0 opponents, plus San Diego and a visit to Detroit. EDGE: COLTS
Indianapolis is 11-0 SU & 8-3 ATS in its last 11 home games.


Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers (CBS | 4:15 ET)

San Diego team insiders are worried about the Chargers offense, which was forecasted to put up a lot of points this season. Their average of 17.3 points over their last two games this season has many inside the organization believing that they need to go back to their old ways. Even more concerning has been the play of their defense, which allowed New England to out-gain the Chargers by a whopping 407 to 201 edge in yardage, and then the one-dimensional Green Bay offensive attack put up 31 points on them last week. EDGE: CHIEFS
What’s was wrong with 2006 NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson? LT averaged 113 rushing yards last season, but he has just 130 in three games (43.3 average) combined this year and is only gaining 2.2 yards per carry. EDGE: CHIEFS
One league insider believes that Kansas City may be one of the worst offensive teams in recent history, managing just 26 points combined over their first three games and only 8 points in their 4 preseason games. The offense had 219 total yards in the opener (3 points and 4 turnovers), only 281 against Chicago (10 points and 2 turnovers) and just 251 against Minnesota (13 points and 2 turnovers). BIG EDGE: CHARGERS
The home team has won the last five games of the head-to-head series - both SU & ATS - but only by a winning margin of 8.4 points per game, which is important considering the Chargers are favored by a double-digit spread. SLIGHT EDGE: CHIEFS


Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (NBC | 8:15 ET)

Eagles starting free safety Brian Dawkins (neck) is expected to return to action Sunday night. This is great news for an Eagles secondary that has been giving up an average of 256 passing yards per game so far this season. EDGE: EAGLES
Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb silenced most of his critics with an outstanding performance in the team's 56-21 win over Detroit last Sunday. McNabb completed 21-of-26 passes for 381 yards with four touchdowns after making remarks about unfair criticism due to his race. He may have to do a lot more against the Giants if RB Brian Westbrook (221 yards rushing and receiving with three touchdowns) can't play due to an abdominal strain. SLIGHT EDGE: EAGLES
The Giants are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games against NFC East opponents.
The Eagles are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a losing record.
The UNDER is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings at New York.
The OVER is 6-2-1 in Philly's last 9 road games.


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[pm530]

National Football League – Points of Interest

NFL

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Points of Interest
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09/25/07
10:48 AM Lineup Alert
NFL
QB Brian Griese is expected to replace Rex Grossman as the Bears starter according to the Chicago Tribune.

09/25/07
10:46 AM Injury Alert
NFL
Bears Tommie Harris (knee), Lance Briggs (groin) and Nathan Vasher (groin) are all doubtful for Sunday according to the Chicago Tribune.

09/25/07
10:44 AM Lineups
NFL
Seahawks RB Maurice Morris (hip) is expected to play Sunday.

09/25/07
10:43 AM Injury Alert
NFL
Rams RB Steven Jackson is expected to miss at least 2-3 weeks with a partially torn groin according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

09/25/07
02:23 AM Injury Alert
NFL
49ers TE Vernon Davis is expected to miss two games after partially tearing the MCL in his right knee.

09/25/07
02:22 AM Lineups
NFL
Texans WR Andre Johnson (knee sprain) is not expected to play on Sunday.

09/25/07
02:21 AM Coach's Call
NFL
Rams coach Scott Linehan revealed Monday that QB Marc Bulger is playing through two broken ribs.

09/25/07
02:16 AM Lineups
NFL
Chiefs WR Eddie Kennison (torn hamstring) is expected to miss Sunday's game.

09/25/07
02:15 AM Injury Alert
NFL
Saints RB Deuce McAllister suffered a torn ACL Monday night and will miss the remainder of the season.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Friday, September 28

Hot Pitchers
-- Cardinals won eight of ten Wellemeyer starts this season.
-- Zambrano is 2-1, 2.60 in his last three starts. Arroyo has 2.84 RA in his last six starts.
-- Mets won six of last eight Perez starts.
-- Phillies won seven of last ten Hamels starts.
-- Arizona is 9-3 in last dozen Webb starts. Colorado is 20-7 in last 27 Francis starts.
-- San Francisco won last six Correia starts (3-0, 2.02).

-- Slowey is 1-0, 2.00 in his last three starts.
-- Mussina is 3-0, 1.37 in his last three starts.
-- Indians won last five Sabathia starts (4-0, 2.19).
-- Devil Rays won five of last six Sonnanstine starts. McGowan has 2.45 RA in hislast three home starts.
-- Vazquez is 4-0, 4.13 in his last five starts.
-- Lackey is 2-1, 2.17 in his last four starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Pirates lost nine of last twelve Duke starts.
-- Redding has a 6.14 RA in his last five starts.
-- JJReyes is 1-2, 7.97 in nine starts this season. Albers is 0-3 in his last three starts, with an RA of 10.22.
-- Kim has an 8.77 RA in five starts since rejoining Marlins.
-- Brewers lost last 17 Capuano starts; amazingly, they will send him out there again, with their season on the line. Maddux has 10.50 RA in his last three starts.
-- Wells has a 6.32 RA in his last three starts.

-- Red Sox lost six of last eight Matsuzaka starts.
-- Leicester is 0-2, 6.75 in his last two starts; Orioles didn't score a run in either game.
-- Detroit lost last four Rogers starts (0-3, 7.04).
-- Oakland lost five of last six Haren starts.
-- Weaver is 1-3, 10.38 in his last six starts. Rangers lost the last three Volquez starts (0-1, 6.11).


Totals
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Duke starts.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Phillies' last eight home games.
-- Under is 5-1 in last six Zambrano starts.
-- Over is 10-2 in Mets' last twelve games.
-- Over is 11-3 in last fourteen Colorado games.
-- Over is 6-3 in JJReyes starts this season.
-- Over is 18-4 in Padres' last twenty-two road games.
-- Under is 5-1 in last six Correia starts.

-- Under is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Minnesota games.
-- Over is 10-2 in last twelve Mussina starts.
-- Over is 9-1 in last ten Sonnanstine starts.
-- Under is 7-1 in last eight Sabathia starts.
-- Over is 5-1 in last six Vazquez starts.
-- Under is 7-4 in last eleven Lackey starts.
-- Last eight Weaver starts went over the total.


Hot Teams
-- Pirates won twelve of last eighteen home games.
-- Phillies won eleven of their last fourteen games. Nationals are 4-0 in last four games, scoring 36 runs.
-- Marlins won their last three games, scoring 17 runs.
-- Braves are 8-3 in their last eleven games. Astros won six of their last eight games.
-- San Diego won its last three games, scoring 26 runs.
-- Rockies won last 11 games, are still game out of Wild Card.

-- Red Sox won four of their last six games.
-- Toronto won three of its last four games.
-- Bronx won seven of its last nine games. .
-- Indians are 12-5 in last seventeen games; they have shot at best record in AL, so they figure to keep trying, for most part.
-- White Sox won five of their last seven home games. Detroit won three of its last four games.
-- Mariners won seven of their last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Cardinals lost eleven of their last thirteen road games, but won the last two nights, vs contenders.
-- Mets lost ten of their last fourteen games, four in row.
-- Cubs lost their last three games, allowing 17 runs. Reds lost their last five games, allowing 26 runs.
-- Brewers lost six of their last nine games.
-- Arizona lost three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers lost their last three games, allowing 21 runs. Giants lost nine of their last eleven road games.

-- Twins are 5-8 in their last thirteen road games.
-- Orioles are 4-16 in their last twenty home games.
-- Devil Rays lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Royals got shut out in each of their last two games.
-- Angels lost their last three games, allowing 29 runs. A's lost their last four home games.
-- Rangers lost eight of their last nine road games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Friday, September 28

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Tips and Trends
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Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies (7:05 PM ET)

Washington starter Tim Redding is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in five career starts versus Philadelphia. He picked up a 4-2 home victory over the Phillies on August 15, allowing two runs and three hits over six innings. EDGE: NATIONALS
Redding has posted a solid 3.44 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break, but has gone 2-4 over that span. The right-hander has given up 10 home runs in just 68 second half innings, after failing to give up a home run in his first 11 innings of the season. SLIGHT EDGE: PHILLIES
Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels is a dominant 7-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 11 home starts this season. The Phillies have won his last three starts at Citizens Bank Park, with the offense supplying 22 runs of support over that span. EDGE: PHILLIES
Hamels has tallied a 3-2 winning record and 3.12 ERA in eight career starts versus Washington. He picked up a 4-2 road victory over the Nationals on August 16, tossing 6 2/3 shutout innings and scattering four hits. EDGE: PHILLIES
The Nationals are 4-0 in their last four games versus the NL East.


Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds (7:10 PM ET)

Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano is an even 9-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 26 career games versus Cincinnati. The right-hander has posted a disappointing 1-4 record and 6.59 ERA in five starts against the Reds in 2007, issuing 17 walks and fanning just 11 over 28 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: REDS
Zambrano has been an absolute monster at times away from Wrigley Field this season, going 11-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 16 starts. The hard-throwing starter has allowed batters to hit just .210 on the road compared to .258 at home. EDGE: CUBS
Cincinnati has picked up three straight home victories with starter Bronson Arroyo on the mound, with the offense scoring 19 runs in the process. The right-hander is 6-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 15 home starts this season. EDGE: REDS
Arroyo has a losing 4-5 record and 3.02 ERA in 14 career outings versus Chicago. He’s 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts against the Cubs, giving up 10 earned runs and 29 hits over 26 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
The Reds are 6-1 in Arroyo’s last seven home starts.


Florida Marlins at New York Mets (7:10 PM ET)

Marlins right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim has a dismal 1-5 record and 5.61 ERA in 15 career outings versus the Mets. He picked up a 7-2 home loss against the Mets in his last start, giving up four earned runs and three hits over five innings. EDGE: METS
Kim is lucky to have an even 2-2 record in the month of September, as he’s allowed 24 earned runs and 36 hits over 25 2/3 innings. The right-hander struggled even more in August, giving up 13 earned runs in just 11 1/3 innings. EDGE: METS
New York’s Oliver Perez has a 3-2 record and 4.50 ERA in nine career starts versus Florida. He picked up a victory over Kim just five days ago, giving up one earned run and six hits over eight innings. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Perez is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA in four starts this month. He’s bounced back nicely from a dismal August, when he allowed 20 earned runs over 34 2/3 innings. EDGE: METS
The OVER is 10-1 in the Mets last 11 games overall.


Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies (8:05 PM ET)

Arizona starter Brandon Webb is an even 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 20 career starts versus Colorado. The right-hander has a losing 3-5 record and 4.40 ERA in 12 starts at Coors Field. SLIGHT EDGE: ROCKIES
Webb has been dominant at times away from Chase Field, going 9-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 17 starts. Opposing batters are managing just a .215 average against him on the road compared to .256 at home. EDGE: D-BACKS
Colorado’s Jeff Francis is a fantastic 7-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 13 career starts versus Arizona. He’s picked up a 1-0 record and 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks this season, giving up just two runs over 13 innings. EDGE: ROCKIES
Francis has gone 9-8 with a 4.88 ERA in 24 nighttime starts this season, which is a far cry from his perfect 8-0 record and 2.48 daytime ERA. He’s allowing batters to hit for a .291 average under the lights, while limiting them to a .245 average during the day. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
The Rockies are 22-5 in their last 27 home games versus a team with a winning record.


San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers (ESPN | 8:05 PM ET)

San Diego’s Greg Maddux has a tremendous 14-6 record and 2.73 ERA in 25 career starts versus Milwaukee. The veteran right-hander has allowed just 13 home runs in 171 2/3 innings against them. BIG EDGE: PADRES
Maddux has tallied a losing 5-6 record and 4.61 ERA in 17 road starts this season. He’s given up 112 hits in just 97 2/3 innings away from Petco Park, including 10 hits in his last road start against Los Angeles. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS
Life has been truly miserable for Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano, as the Brewers have lost 21 straight games with him on the hill. He’s thrown the ball well in September, giving up just two earned runs over 11 innings of work. EDGE: PADRES
Capuano is 3-2 with a 3.34 ERA in five career starts versus San Diego. The left-hander has allowed just two home runs and walked nine batters in 29 2/3 innings against them. EDGE: BREWERS
The Brewers are 9-4 in Capuano’s last 13 home starts versus a team with a winning record.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Friday, September 28

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MLB Betting Notes
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Friday’s MLB betting news and notes

Mets stumbling toward postseason

For the past few weeks it looked like it might be the Boston Red Sox who would buckle under the pressure of leading a division the whole season. Now it seems it’s the New York Mets who are most in danger.

They have led the NL East since May 16, but a run of nine losses in 13 games saw a seven-game lead shrink down to just one. The Philadelphia Phillies are looming large and, with three games remaining, the Mets are getting frustrated.

"We're not comfortable where we are or [with] how we're playing," manager Billy Wagner told MLB.com on Wednesday. "How can we be? It does make you sick when you see the same thing over and over. It's driving us crazy."

And it’s not just the NL East title that’s on the line for the Mets now. If they can’t return to winning ways soon they will be out of the playoffs. The San Diego Padres, who now lead the wild card race, have the exact same record as the Mets. If the Mets lose the NL East they run the risk of missing out on the October fun entirely.

The Mets enter a do-or-die three-game series against the Florida Marlins on Friday.


Reconstructing Matsui’s swing

Hideki Matsui has only had 12 RBIs and 2 home runs in his past 26 games, and with the Yankees now guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, don’t expect to see much of him over the weekend.

The Yankees are hoping to rest Matsui for most, if not all, of their remaining three games so that he can work on his swing before the postseason.

"The bottom half of his body is going one way, and the top half is going the other," manager Joe Torre told MLB.com when asked what he thought was wrong with Matsui. "He just needs to get that feel back."

Matsui is unlikely to be the only player resting as the Yankees prepare for October. Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon will also see limited action as they look to recover from injury-ravaged campaigns.

The Yankees close out their season with three games against the Baltimore Orioles, the first of which is Friday.


Pujols sets new record

For weeks Albert Pujols claimed his only focus was getting the Cardinals into the playoffs. But only days after that hope faded, he's achieved another objective.

The first baseman hit a solo home run against the Brewers on Wednesday that gave him 100 RBIs for the season, making him the only player to hit 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of his first seven major league seasons.

"It's always awesome," Pujols told MLB.com. "It's an honor to get 100 RBIs. That's tough to do every year. But I wish I could trade that and be in the postseason, playing next month. But that's the way it goes.

"Obviously I need to thank my teammates because I couldn't do it by myself. They're getting on base, being aggressive running the bases. It's a big accomplishment that hopefully I can continue to do."

Pujols, who is batting .325 with 32 home runs for the season, will be hoping to add to his total on Friday when the Cards open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.


Pitching staff leads Braves charge

A rejuvenated pitching staff has helped the Atlanta Braves win nine of their last 12 games to close to within four games of the NL East lead. Braves hurlers have posted an NL-best 3.67 ERA so far in September, a big reason behind all the wins.

"Our pitching has been just outstanding," said Braves boss Bobby Cox when asked by MLB.com what he though of the performance.

Despite early struggles, Atlanta's staff has compiled a 4.13 ERA this season – the fifth best in the NL. While winning 14 of their past 23 games, Braves pitchers posted a 3.67 ERA. During the 20-game stretch that preceded that run, they went 7-13 with a 4.53 ERA.

Atlanta closes out the season with a three-game set against the Houston Astros.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Friday

Impressions of the National League playoff race

-- Colorado has won 11 games in row, and is still on outside looking in. It would be sad if they missed out on playoffs.

-- Arizona moved Brandon Webb back a day to face them Friday night, and Owings shut out the Pirates, so excellent move by Bob Melvin and the Snakes.

-- Florida swept the Cubs, giving Milwaukee excellent shot to get back in NL Central race, but Brewers lost last couple of nights, are in rough shape now, still two games out.

-- You flip back and forth between game in Philly and game at Shea, and there is 180-degree difference in enthusiasm; if my team was tied for first with three days' left, I'd be happy. Met fans are pouting, like they shouldn't have to work hard to make the playoffs. Philly fans are fired up!!!!!!

-- Seth Smith of the Rockies got another pinch-hit; he never played a down as Eli Manning's backup at Ole Miss, but he is in line to be on a playoff team this fall.

-- There is pretty good chance that there will be some kind of a playoff Monday; if things break right, it could be wild, with three or more teams tied for one or two spots.

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[pm530]

Friday's List of 13: Things I'll remember about '07 season

When the baseball regular season ends Sunday, here are 13 things I'll take with me.

13) Scumweasel agent Scott Boras suckering the Red Sox into paying JD Drew $14M a season. Great $$$$. Average player.

12) Ozzie Guillen got contract extension thru 2012, despite his White Sox being a dismal failure this season. Jerry Reindorf is a loyal, patient man. Must be good to work for him.

11) Vin Scully, the greatest baseball announcer ever.

10) Jose Reyes' mysterious second half slump. He seemed to lose some of his enthusiasm. Not sure why.

9) Sitting in third row behind dugout at Tropicana Field July 31, the closest I've ever been to a big league game. Terrific. But then the Devil Rays got shut out by a kid who used to be one of their batboys. Seriously, Jesse Litsch of Toronto.

8) Mark Teixeira pounding the ball for the Braves.

7) Rangers playing better ball when Teixeira was on DL, and after they traded him away. No idea why that was.

6) The pile in the bleachers, as fans fought for Barry Bonds' 756th home run. The ball got sold for around $750,000. Thank God Bonds didn't hit the ball into McCovey Cove.

5) Carl Crawford having an awesome second half; he started to take more pitches, made less defensive swings, and was a superior player, especially in August.

4) Fickle Bronx fans calling for Joe Torre's head in May, then the smug silence of September, as Bronx made playoffs, with no one calling for Torre's head anymore.

3) Brandon Webb's 40-inning scoreless streak.

2) Phillies players helping ground crew at Coors Field earlier this summer, when a thunderstorm made it difficult to get the tarp down. With the players help, the tarp finally got down.

1) The mysterious disappearance of Rocco Baldelli, who was last seen playing ball on May 15, then tweaked a hamstring, and hasn't been seen since. The Lester kid on the Red Sox is a cancer survivor who came back faster than Baldelli.

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[pm530]

Friday, September 28

Weekend Sports Preview

Baseball finishes up the regular season this weekend, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg for sports bettors as there’s also NFL, college and CFL football, NASCAR, Formula 1 and the debut of the new NHL season.

Baseball enters the final weekend of the regular season with everything already decided in the American League, and everything still up in the air in the National League.

With only three games remaining none of the current NL division leaders is assured a trip to the postseason. In the NL East the first-place Mets take on Florida at home this weekend, while the second-place Phillies get Washington in Philadelphia. The NL Central is down to the Cubs and the Brewers, with Chicago traveling to Cincinnati this weekend and Milwaukee hosting San Diego. The Padres are one of three teams in the hunt in the NL West with Arizona and Colorado also fighting for top spot. The Diamondbacks and Rockies square off in an important three-game series this weekend. The rest of the NL weekend schedule includes St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Atlanta at Houston and San Francisco at the Dodgers.

In the AL the four playoffs teams have already been determined, with the Yankees, Boston, Cleveland and the Angels all headed to the postseason. The Yankees close out the season on the road at Baltimore this weekend, while Boston hosts Minnesota, Cleveland visits Kansas City and the Angels head to Oakland. Also on tap in the AL is Tampa Bay at Toronto, Detroit at the White Sox and Texas at Seattle.

The NFL enters Week 4 on Sunday with 15 games on the schedule. This Sunday’s early games include Houston at Atlanta (+2.5), the Jets at Buffalo (+3.5), Baltimore at Cleveland (+4.5), St. Louis at Dallas (-12.5), Chicago at Detroit (+3), Oakland at Miami (-4.5) and Green Bay at Minnesota (+2). The later games have Tampa Bay at Carolina (-3), Seattle at San Francisco (+2), Pittsburgh at Arizona (+6), Denver at Indianapolis (-9.5), Kansas City at San Diego (-11.5), and Philadelphia takes on the Giants (+3) in the Sunday night game.

In college football this weekend the first Top 10 school takes to the field on Friday night when No. 4 West Virginia take on No. 18 South Florida (+7). The nine other Top 10 schools will all be in action on Saturday including No. 2 LSU at Tulane (+40.5), No. 3 Oklahoma at Colorado (+23), Michigan State at No. 9 Wisconsin (-7.5), Maryland at No. 10 Rutgers (-16.5), Kansas St. at No. 7 Texas (-14.5), No. 6 California at No. 11 Oregon (-6), No. 1 USC at Washington (+21), No. 8 Ohio State at Minnesota (+23.5) and Auburn at No. 4 Florida (-18).

The new NHL season begins this weekend with a pair of games between Anaheim and Los Angeles in London, England. The time-zone change across the Atlantic could mean these two games could have odd starting times in certain areas.

Week 14 in the CFL includes a tripleheader on Saturday. The week gets started on Friday night when Toronto visits Edmonton (-4). The Saturday three-pack starts with Montreal at Saskatchewan (-6.5) and is followed by Hamilton at Winnipeg (-10.5) and Calgary at BC (-11).

On the track this weekend the Chase for the Nextel Cup resumes at Kansas Speedway with the LifeLock 400. Carl Edwards won last week at Dover, but Jimmie Johnson is favored this weekend at 4/1. Tony Stewart took the checkered flag at Dover last year and he’s also high up on the odds list at 5/1.

After a short one-week break, F1 returns to the track with the first race of the season in Asia at Fuji Speedway in Japan. Lewis Hamilton has a slim two-point lead over McLaren-Mercedes teammate Fernando Alonso in the driver standings. Alonso could have the advantage this weekend considering he won in Japan at Suzuka last season.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - September 28

SCOREBOARD
Friday, Sept. 28
Cleveland at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EDT). C.C. Sabathia is looking for win No. 19 as the Indians try to clinch the best record in the American League.

STARS
Thursday

-Micah Owings, Diamondbacks, was 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs while pitching 6 1-3 innings to boost Arizona over Pittsburgh 8-0.

-Carlos Lee, Astros, hit an RBI single in the ninth inning to break a tie and Houston beat Cincinnati 4-3.

-Lance Broadway, White Sox, allowed two hits over six innings in his first career start and Chicago defeated Kansas City 10-0.

FADING FAST

The spiraling New York Mets managed just three hits off Joel Pineiro and Jason Isringhausen in a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night that dropped them into a first-place tie with Philadelphia in the division. The Mets (87-72) were ahead by seven games with 17 remaining but have lost 10 of 14 overall and seven straight at home. No major league team has failed to finish first after having at least a seven-game lead with 17 to play.

STREAKING

The Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 on Thursday night to sweep the three-game series and extend their franchise-record winning streak to 11 games. Seven of Colorado's wins in the streak have come over the Dodgers, who have lost 10 of 11 to fall out of contention. The Rockies (87-72), a franchise-record 15 games over .500, won nine straight from Aug. 26-Sept. 5, 1997.

WHIFFS MARK

Ryan Howard struck out for the 196th time Thursday to set the single-season major league record. In the third inning of Philadelphia's 6-4 victory over Atlanta, Howard swung at and missed a down-and-away splitter from John Smoltz for strike three. The Phillies' first baseman broke the mark established in 2004 by Adam Dunn of the Cincinnati Reds.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

The Brewers made five errors, their most in eight years, and Scott Hairston drove in three runs to lead the Padres over Milwaukee 9-5 Thursday night. While San Diego (88-71) maintained its one-game lead in the NL wild-card race and stayed one game back of Arizona in the NL West, the Brewers (81-78) failed for the second straight day to take advantage of a Chicago loss. The Cubs (83-76) lead the NL Central by two games with just three games remaining.

ON THE BRINK

Michael Cuddyer and Garrett Jones homered off 20-game winner Josh Beckett in his last start before the playoffs, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 victory over Boston on Thursday night and preventing the Red Sox from closing in on an AL East title. Boston has already clinched a playoff berth, but it needs two more wins - or Yankees losses - to clinch its first division title since 1995.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Boston's David Ortiz was 4-for-4, including his 34th homer and 51st double, but the Red Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins 5-4 on Thursday night. Ortiz's 51 doubles are fourth-most in Red Sox history. It was his 50th as a DH, tying the major-league record Edgar Martinez set in 1995.

SUSPENSIONS

Brewers reliever Seth McClung was suspended for three games and Milwaukee manager Ned Yost for one after the commissioner's office concluded Thursday the pitcher intentionally hit the Cardinals' Albert Pujols with a pitch a night earlier after warning had been issued. ... The union for baseball umpires will not contest the season-ending suspension given to Mike Winters for using a profanity aimed at San Diego's Milton Bradley last weekend.

SPEAKING

''There's two choices: Roll over and start making vacation plans for the offseason, or battle like hell and win this thing. We still feel like this is our division.'' - New York third baseman David Wright after the Mets dropped into a first-place tie with Philadelphia after a 3-0 loss to St. Louis on Thursday night.

SEASONS
Sept. 28

1919 - In the shortest nine-inning game in major league history, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 in 51 minutes.

1920 - A grand jury indicted eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the Black Sox Scandal.

1938 - Gabby Hartnett hit his famous ''Homer in the Gloamin''' in the ninth inning against Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight, at Wrigley Field. It was a key triumph en route to the Cubs' NL pennant.

1941 - Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's to finish the season with a .406 average. No player has batted .400 since.

1951 - Allie Reynolds pitched his second no-hitter of the season as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. The Yankees clinched the AL pennant with an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.

1974 - Nolan Ryan pitched his third of seven career no-hitters, striking out 15 batters and beating the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, at Anaheim Stadium.

1975 - Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers of the Oakland A's combined to no-hit the California Angels, 5-0, on the final day of the season.

1995 - Greg Harris of the Montreal Expos became the first pitcher in major league history to pitch with both hands. Harris faced four batters, two from his usual right side and two from the left, in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss to Cincinnati.

1997 - San Diego's Tony Gwynn tied Honus Wagner's record by winning his eighth NL batting title. Gwynn finished at .372, becoming the first player to win four consecutive NL batting titles since Rogers Hornsby won six straight from 1920-25.

2001 - Alex Rodriguez of Texas hit his 50th homer in an 11-2 victory over Anaheim and became the 20th player to hit 50 homers in a season.

2006 - James Loney tied a franchise record with nine RBIs, including a grand slam and a two-run homer, to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 19-11 victory at Colorado.

Today's birthdays: Ryan Zimmerman 23; Hector Gimenez 25.

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[Kaptain]

Points of Interest

09/28/07
02:03 AM Injuries
CFB
Friday: West Virginia WR Nate Sowers (hamstring) is questionable.

09/28/07
02:00 AM Injuries
MLB
Friday: Red Sox CF Coco Crisp (.287; illness) is questionable; Astros RF Lance Berkman (.280; knee) is questionable.

09/28/07
01:53 AM Lineups
CFB
Miami (FL) wide receivers Sam Shields and Ryan Hill might be held out of Saturday's game according to reports.

09/28/07
01:51 AM Lineups
CFB
Hawaii's QB Colt Brennan (ankle) said there's "no doubt, I'm starting" this Saturday.

09/28/07
01:50 AM Lineups
CFB
Cal kicker Tom Schneider (quadriceps) will likely miss Saturday's game.

09/28/07
01:44 AM Injury Alert
MLB
Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury left Thursday's game after four inning with a cramp in his right calf.

09/28/07
01:43 AM Injuries
MLB
Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal will sit out the rest of the week due to his sore back.

09/28/07
01:42 AM Injuries
MLB
Dodgers 2B Jeff Kent is expected to sit out the final four games with a bruised left leg.

09/27/07
06:50 PM Injury Alert
NFL
Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux suffered a stretched knee ligament in practice and could be out up to three weeks.

09/27/07
05:51 PM Lineup Alert
MLB
Brewers SP Ben Sheets (hamstring) won't return Friday against the Padres, and Chris Capuano is now the starter.

09/27/07
05:50 PM Lineups
NFL
Rams RG Richie Incognito (ankle) is not expected to play Sunday.

09/27/07
05:49 PM Injuries
NFL
Chiefs RB Larry Johnson (hamstring) missed practice for the second straight day today.

09/27/07
05:48 PM Injuries
NFL
Dolphins LB Zach Thomas (concussion) has not been medically cleared for game contact.

09/27/07
05:47 PM Injuries
NFL
Ravens QB Steve McNair (groin) practiced without limitations today, and looks to be in line to start Sunday.

09/27/07
05:46 PM Injuries
NFL
Lions WR Calvin Johnson (back) did not partake in any phases of practice today.

09/27/07
05:44 PM Lineups
NFL
VIkings backup QB Kelly Holcomb is expected to make his second consecutive start Sunday.

09/27/07
05:43 PM Injuries
NFL
Giants WR Plaxico Burress (sprained ankle) will be a gametime decision on Sunday night.

09/27/07
04:29 PM Lineup Alert
NFL
Bengals RB Rudi Johnson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Monday night's game.

09/27/07
04:28 PM Injuries
NFL
Pats RB Laurence Maroney (groin) was again listed as having been limited in practice today.

09/27/07
04:26 PM News Alert
CFB
Louisville LB Willie Williams has been dismissed from the team after being arrested earlier on felony charges.

09/27/07
04:25 PM News Alert
CFB
Former Notre Dame QB Demetrius Jones has reportedly told Cincinnati's football coach Brian Kelly he wants to enroll at the university.

09/27/07
04:03 PM Lineups
NFL
Eagles FS Brian Dawkins (neck) is expected to return to action Sunday night.

09/27/07
02:14 PM Lineups
NFL
Ravens CB Samari Rolle (illness) will miss Sunday's game.

09/27/07
02:12 PM Injuries
NFL
Panthers QB Jake Delhomme (elbow) missed today's practice, making it more likely backup David Carr will start Sunday.

09/27/07
02:08 PM Lineups
MLB
Cardinals Jim Edmonds is expected to be used only as a pinch-hitter the remainder of the season.

09/27/07
11:31 AM Lineups
NFL
Chargers RT Shane Olivea (back) has practiced and will start this Sunday.

09/27/07
11:20 AM Lineups
CFB
Auburn QB Brandon Cox will return to start against Florida.

09/27/07
11:18 AM Info Alert
CFB
Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux will both see action at QB this weekend against Tulane.

09/27/07
11:17 AM Injuries
CFB
Cinncinnati QB Ben Mauk says his shoulder feels fine, but will be a gametime decision against SD State.

09/27/07
11:14 AM Info Alert
MLB
Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez, who can opt out of his deal after the season, hinted he wants to stay in New York.

09/27/07
11:12 AM Injuries
NFL
Broncos RB Mike Bell (concussion) and DB John Lynch (groin) were held out of practice.

09/27/07
11:10 AM Injury Alert
NFL
Eagles DB Lito Sheppard (knee) is likely out until mid October.

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Friday, September 28


HOT

Mike Mussina (New York Yankees) – The 38-year-old right-hander has found his way back into Torre’s good books lately. Mussina has been exceptional since returning to the rotation in September after a brief stint in the minors and bullpen. He is 3-0 in his last three starts, posting a 1.37 ERA and striking out 12 over 19 2/3 innings. The Yanks are –155 favorites on the road tonight against the Orioles with the total set at 10 ½.

Javier Vazquez (Chicago White Sox) – Vazquez struck out 11 batters to surpass 200 K’s on the year in his last start. He is coming off a strong performance where he gave up five hits and two earned runs over seven complete innings. The right-hander is going for a fourth straight win tonight against a Detroit (+112) team that he has beaten twice this season. Chicago is favored at -120 to win the game with the total set at nine.

Oliver Perez (New York Mets) – Perez hasn’t lost yet in the month of September. He is 2-0 in his last three starts, with 21 strikeouts and a 2.29 ERA. The left-hander has dominated the Marlins (+185) this season and faces them again tonight as a -201 favorite. In Perez’s last start, which came against Florida, he lasted eight strong innings. He walked no batters and gave up six hits, one earned run, and eight strikeouts in a 7-2 victory.


COLD

Dustin McGowan (Toronto Blue Jays) – The young right-hander is looking to bounce back from one of his worst starts of the season. He was chased from the game after only 4 1/3 innings and struggled with his command all night in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees. McGowan issued a career-high six walks and left with a 12.46 ERA. He has lost two of his last three starts, giving up 11 earned runs and walking nine. The Jays (-152) are favored tonight against the Devil Rays (+144) with the run total set at 10.

Greg Maddux (San Diego Padres) – Maddux is coming off a shaky outing against the Rockies. He threw 81 pitches in only 3 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits and five earned runs in a 7-3 loss. The four-time Cy Young Award winner is 1-2 in his last three starts with an uncharacteristically high 10.50 ERA. Manager Bud Black hinted that Maddux might be battling a sore back and fatigue could also be a factor. The Padres are +110 underdogs tonight against the Brewers (-118) today. The total for the game is 8 ½.

Byung-Hyun Kim (Florida Marlins) – Kim is 0-2 in his last three starts, surrendering 19 hits, 17 earned runs, seven walks, and three homers in just 14 2/3 innings. He is looking for redemption tonight against Perez and the New York Mets (-201) after giving up five earned runs in five innings against them last Saturday. The Marlins are +185 underdogs tonight with the total set at 10.

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Tampa Bay at Toronto
The Devil Rays appear headed to the worst record in baseball once again and come into their final series having lost 11 of their last 15. A win tonight against Dustin McGowan will be tough especially at Rogers Centre where McGowan is 5-2 with a 2.04 ERA in his last five starts. McGowan has also pitched well against the D-Rays with a 1-0 record and 3.66 ERA in three starts this season. Overall the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 11 to push their record over .500 (81-78). Toronto looks like a good pick (-155) to secure a winning record with a victory tonight according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Jays favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-155). Here are all of today's games.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Game 901-902: St. Louis at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 15.541; Pittsburgh (Duke) 13.514
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2; 10
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-105); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-105); Over

Game 903-904: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Redding) 15.403; Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.050
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-240); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+232); Over

Game 905-906: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 14.444; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.305
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-125); Over

Game 907-908: Florida at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Kim) 14.824; NY Mets (Perez) 15.073
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 12
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-210); 10
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (210); Over

Game 909-910: Arizona at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Webb) 15.191; Colorado (Francis) 16.699
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-123); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-123); Over

Game 911-912: Atlanta at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Reyes) 15.552; Houston (Albers) 16.071
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-106); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-102); Under

Game 913-914: San Diego at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Maddux) 16.529; Milwaukee (Capuano) 14.965
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 12
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 915-916: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Correia) 15.902; LA Dodgers (Wells) 14.636
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-118); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+110); Over

Game 917-918: Minnesota at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Slowey) 15.140; Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.744
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 919-920: NY Yankees at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Mussina) 16.002; Baltimore (Leicester) 15.491
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-155); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-155); Over

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 14.398; Toronto (McGowan) 17.168
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-155); 10
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-155); Under

Game 923-924: Cleveland at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Sabathia) 17.000; Kansas City (Davies) 14.629
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-191); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-215); Over

Game 925-926: Detroit at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Rogers) 16.485; White Sox (Vazquez) 15.165
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+112); Over

Game 927-928: LA Angels at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Lackey) 14.259; Oakland (Haren) 14.663
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-118); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+110); Over

Game 929-930: Texas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Volquez) 16.552; Seattle (Weaver) 15.003
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-125); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+117); Under

[Udog]

MLB
Hot Lines


Friday, September 28


St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (-107, 9 ½)

A disappointing season comes to a close this weekend for last year’s World Series champions. The St. Louis Cardinals play the first of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates today, as they look to close out the campaign in the best possible fashion.

The Cardinals never really got going this year. They spent most of the season under .500, before a good spell in early September put them within one game of the division lead. But then they collapsed and lost 14 of their last 20 to fall eight games back in the division and nine games under .500.

Today, with the focus and the pressure well and truly off the club, St Louis faces the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates and their pitcher, Zach Duke (3-8, 5.83). Duke, who has been hampered by injuries this season, has not posted a win since June 12 and could struggle against a Cardinals team that has beaten Pittsburgh nine times already this season.

Pick: Cardinals -101


Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox (-117, 9)

One reason for Detroit’s disappointing season is its inability to beat AL Central teams. Last year the Tigers went 45-30 against their division rivals, but this time around they could only manage a 35-34 record. That includes a 6-9 record against today’s opposition, the White Sox.

Chicago has more to play for than Detroit today as it looks to avoid its first last-place finish in the AL Central since 1989. Just two seasons ago the White Sox had the division wrapped up and were on their way to a World Series title.

Today they send Javier Vazquez (14-8, 3.79) to the mound to chase his fourth straight decision. He is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two outings against the Tigers this season.

Pick: White Sox -117


Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics (+101, 8)

The Angels have already secured a playoff spot and have little chance of finishing with the AL’s best record, so this week has been all about getting players fit and rested for the postseason. Not surprisingly, they have dropped five of their last six games entering today’s series opener against Oakland.

The Halos are dealing with injuries to two of their biggest bats, Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Matthews Jr. Guerrero has been on designated hitter duties for the last 15 games due to a triceps injury and might not feature today, while Matthews has an inflamed knee and will miss the entire series.

That will make today’s start a lot easier for Oakland’s Dan Haren (15-8, 3.12), who is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts this season against the AL West champs. Overall, the A’s are 9-7 against the Angels this season and have won four of six home meetings.

Pick: Athletics +101

[Chado1]

CFL
Hot Lines


Friday, September 28

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Makin’ Canadian bacon: Week 14 CFL picks
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Toronto Argonauts at Edmonton Eskimos (-4, 51 ½)
Friday, Sept. 28, 9 p.m. ET

Key Eskimos such as A.J. Gass, Kamau Peterson and Tyler Ebell would consider taking a game off if a playoff spot had already been locked up. But Edmonton's barely clinging to its postseason hopes so the dinged-up trio will suit up.

For its part, Toronto hasn't acted like a playoff team this week. Head coach Michael Clemons admitted that he would've considered quitting with a couple of losses earlier this month. Injured quarterback Damon Allen and GM Adam Rita had a mini-war of words in the local papers. And the team signed Troy Davis despite the apparent health of current running back Robert Edwards.

Edmonton is 4-0-1 straight-up (SU) against East Division teams while Toronto is only 1-4 SU against the West. The Eskies won their last home game 47-28 while the Argos were swamped in their last road effort 40-7.

But Edmonton has won only one of its five home games by more than a field goal, so it's tough to lay four points with them. Especially against Toronto, with its ball-hawking defenders, game-breaking special teams, and desperation down the stretch with the Grey Cup at the Rogers Centre.

Pick: Argonauts +4


Montreal Alouettes at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-6 ½, 52 ½)
Saturday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m. ET

The Marcus Brady era is over as Anthony Calvillo hopes to return to the quarterback slot for the Alouettes. Montreal needs Calvillo to immediately recapture his form of five years ago, but top target Ben Cahoon is just returning to the field himself and Kerry Watkins is out. If Calvillo can't go, Jason Maas gets the call.

There was a minor brouhaha in Montreal this week after head coach Jim Popp publicly lambasted his offensive coordinator's play-calling, but Popp gets no sympathy from the Riders. Saskatchewan is in a three-game losing streak and has had its own share of dirty laundry aired during the skid.

The Riders, owners of the league's top defense for most of the summer, have allowed 34.6 points per game over their last five overall but just put out their best effort in weeks against the Lions. Kerry Joseph also spread the ball well against a good BC defense.

The Als have conceded 47 and 46 points in each of their last two road games and their pass blocking is back to its old tricks, making an unspectacular Edmonton pass rush look nearly unstoppable last week.

Pick: Roughriders -6 ½


Hamilton Tiger Cats at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-10 ½, 50 ½)
Saturday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m. ET

Winnipeg welcomes back receiver Milt Stegall and cornerback Juran Bolden this weekend after its Week 13 loss in Toronto, but still has questions, the chief of which is "Who'll be the placekicker?" Troy Westwood's continued struggles dug a deeper hole for the Bombers last week and a kicker with a 56 percent success rate on field goal attempts isn't encouraging for bettors laying double-digit points on the home team this week.

Of course, taking the points with the visitors might not look too encouraging either with the potential absence of Printers and his strained hamstring. But Richie Williams has looked comfortable at the reins of the Tabbies' offense if he's, in fact, called upon to start at quarterback on Saturday.

The key to this game, however, is the Hamilton defense. When stirred, the Ticats defenders can go sideline-to-sideline with the best of them. If Winnipeg grabs a lead as expected, Charles Roberts will get a ton of carries and the Hamilton defense can keep the game reasonably close.

The Bombers smoked the Ticats 34-4 at Ivor Wynne two weeks ago, but that final result was injury- and turnover-fuelled. Hamilton, despite being winless on the road, should put forth a much better effort on Saturday.

Pick: Tiger Cats +10 ½


Calgary Stampeders at BC Lions (-11, 54 ½)
Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 p.m. ET

The 2007 season changed on one harmless-looking play last week when Hamilton's Zeke Moreno landed on top of Henry Burris as the quarterback fell out of bounds. One separated shoulder later, Calgary's leaning on Akili Smith to resurrect the Stampeders' momentum.

The team's beat writers have written about how comfortable Smith looked running the offense in practice this week, but they can't deny how godawful he's looked in his limited game action this year. Yes, he's a former No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, but he's also been hawking real estate in the U.S. more recently than tossing touchdowns down there.

Smith has tossed five intercetions in just 26 passes this year, a horrible ratio with the league's top turnover team on tap. BC leads the CFL with 18 interceptions and has picked off opposing QBs at will to win its last two home games by lopsided margins.

Jarious Jackson makes his fifth straight start at quarterback for the Lions and while his passing numbers won't recall Dave Dickenson at his prime, Jackson's rally in Regina last week displayed his increased comfort at the helm of the Lions offense.

Pick: Lions -11

Last week: 1-3

Year to date: 20-28

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I agree with Toronto, Saskacthewan, and the Lions....3 of 4 of his picks this week!!! Thanks for posting these guys!!!

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Friday, September 28th


National League

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7:05 EST
Todd Wellemeyer (R) vs. Zach Duke (L)
Wellemeyer: 8-2 TSR in all games
Duke: 0-3 TSR, 7.45 ERA L3 starts

Washington at Philadelphia, 7:05 EST
Tim Redding (R) vs. Cole Hamels (L)
Redding: 10-1 Under as an underdog
Hamels: 8-3 TSR, 3.58 ERA L3 starts

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati, 7:10 EST
Carlos Zambrano (R) vs. Bronson Arroyo (R)
Zambrano: 10-0 TSR as a road favorite of -125 to -150
Arroyo: Cincinnati 28-14 Over off 4+ losses

Florida at NY Mets, 7:10 EST
Byung-Hyun Kim (R) vs. Oliver Perez (L)
Kim: 0-4 TSR, 9.15 ERA vs. Mets
Perez: Mets 28-15 Under as a home favorite of -150 or more

Arizona at Colorado, 8:05 EST
Micah Owings (R) vs. Jeff Francis (L)
Owings: Arizona 36-8 Under Away when the total is 8.5 to 10
Francis: Colorado 8-0 SU off 4+ division wins

Atlanta at Houston, 8:05 EST
Jo-Jo Reyes (L) vs. Matt Albers (R)
Reyes: Atlanta 102-54 SU Away off BB losses
Albers: Houston 9-0 Under at home when the total is 10 or higher

San Diego at Milwaukee, 8:05 EST ESPN
Greg Maddux (R) vs. Ben Sheets (R)
Maddux: San Diego 4-0 SU vs. Milwaukee
Sheets: 11-2 Over when the money line is +125 to -125

San Francisco at LA Dodgers, 10:40 EST
Kevin Correia (R) vs. David Wells (L)
Correia: 7-0 TSR vs. division opponents
Wells: Dodgers 46-30 Over at home


American League

Minnesota at Boston, 7:05 EST
Kevin Slowey (R) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (R)
Slowey: 3-0 TSR after giving up 1 or less ER last outing
Matsuzaka: Boston 18-7 Over on Fridays

NY Yankees at Baltimore, 7:05 EST
Mike Mussina (R) vs. Jon Leicester (R)
Mussina: 3-0 TSR, 1.37 ERA L3 starts
Leicester: Baltimore 5-26 SU as a home underdog of +125 to +175

Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:05 EST
Andy Sonnanstine (R) vs. Dustin McGowan (R)
Sonnanstine: TB 18-52 SU as a road underdog of +125 to +175
McGowan: 7-0 Under as a favorite

Cleveland at Kansas City, 8:10 EST
CC Sabathia (L) vs. Kyle Davies (R)
Sabathia: 3-0 TSR, 2.74 ERA L3 starts
Davies: 16-7 Over vs. division opponents

Detroit at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 EST
Kenny Rogers (L) vs. Javier Vazquez (R)
Rogers: Detroit 13-4 Under playing with day off
Vazquez: 3-0 TSR, 2.11 ERA L3 starts

LA Angels at Oakland, 10:05 EST
John Lackey (R) vs. Dan Haren (R)
Lackey: 22-8 TSR off an Angels loss
Haren: 6-13 TSR vs. division opponents

Texas at Seattle, 10:05 EST
Edinson Volquez (R) vs. Jeff Weaver (R)
Volquez: Texas 21-8 Under after scoring 10+ runs
Weaver: 11-2 Over in night games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change