Thursday Trends and Indexes 10/18

[pm530]

Baseball – Short Sheet

MLB
Short Sheet

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Thursday, October 18th
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AL Championship Series
Game Five
Cleveland Leads, 3-1
TV: FOX

Boston at Cleveland, 8:20 ET
Josh Beckett (R) vs. CC Sabathia (L)

Beckett:
15-6 Over as a road favorite of -150 or less
Boston 28-15 Over playing with a rest

Sabathia:
14-4 TSR as an underdog of +150 or less
Cleveland 20-3 SU at home after winning 4 of their last 5 games

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Thursday, October 18

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Tips and Trends
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Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Indians (FOX | 8:07 PM ET)

Boston ace Josh Beckett was the best road pitcher in baseball during the regular season with an 11-2 mark and 2.18 ERA. Beckett allowed two runs and four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in Game 1 of the ALCS. In his last start at Cleveland, he gave up one run and four hits in eight innings of a 1-0 loss. EDGE: RED SOX
Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia has yet to show he can be a big-game pitcher in these playoffs, surrendering 11 runs and 11 hits with 11 walks in 9 1/3 innings combined over two starts. However, Sabathia was 11-4 at home during the regular season with a 3.13 ERA, and the Indians had won his previous seven starts before losing Game 1 at Boston. EDGE: INDIANS
Boston is 9-5 in its last 14 meetings at Cleveland.
Cleveland is 19-4 in its last 23 home games, including 4-0 in the playoffs.
Cleveland is 10-3 in its last 13 games as an underdog.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Added Notes

MLB
Added Notes

Thursday, October 18

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What bettors need to know: Game 5 – Boston at Cleveland
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Beckett vs. Sabathia - Part II

The Boston Red Sox will turn to Josh Beckett with hopes that he can keep their series and season alive against the Cleveland Indians.

Beckett, who went 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA during the regular season, was masterful in the ALCS opener against the Indians. The right-hander turned in six solid innings en route to a 10-3 victory, his second of the postseason.

“There's no one better for us,” Mike Lowell told MLB.com Tuesday night. “That's the guy we want on the mound. It's kind of ironic. He took Game 5 in '03 and that spelled out good things for us. Hopefully, he does the same for us.”

The Indians hand the ball back to C.C. Sabathia, their Game 1 starter, on Thursday. The left-hander gave up eight runs, seven hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings the loss to the Red Sox.

Sabathia was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA and 209 strikeouts this season. Boston’s hitters, nevertheless, were able to get hits off Sabathia in the ALCS opener. Manny Ramirez went 2-for-2 with an RBI single and three walks, two of them with the bases loaded, and David Ortiz went 2-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch.

“A pitcher like C.C., when he gives you something to hit, you want to make sure you hit it, because otherwise you might never get to see that pitch again,” Ortiz told reporters.


Under pressure

The Red Sox are in a familiar position in the ALCS. Boston trails the Tribe 3-1 in the series and faces elimination Thursday night at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Varitek, Curt Schilling, Mike Timlin, Tim Wakefield, Doug Mirabelli and Kevin Youkilis are holdovers from the 2004 Red Sox, the team that came back from three games down to upset the Yankees in the ALCS.
Boston went on to win the World Series that season.

“There's a lot of guys in this clubhouse still that know in '04 we were down three games to nothing to New York,” Wakefield told MLB.com. “We've got our work cut out for us, and hopefully we can take this back to Boston and get in front of our home crowd.”

Two other players on the ‘07 Red Sox went through a similar experience as members of another team. Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett were with the 2003 Marlins when that team came back from three games down in the NLCS to oust the Chicago Cubs. Florida also went on to win the World Series that season.

“I think that's when you have to lean on past experience,” Mirabelli told reporters. “Some of these guys on this team have been in this situation before. There is still a lot of fight in this team. Guys really believe that they can win ballgames. We've always said that these are seven one-game series. We have to approach them like that.”


Cleveland rocks

No team has ousted both the Yankees and Red Sox in the same postseason. That could change Thursday night.
The Indians have three chances to topple the mighty Red Sox, starting with Thursday’s game.

“I'm excited that we've taken it this far,” manager Eric Wedge told MLB.com. “But we still have a lot of work to do.”

History is on the Indians side entering Game 5 of the ALCS. Since 1985, when the League Championship Series expanded to a best-of-seven format, 10 of the previous 13 teams to hold 3-1 leads in the ALCS have gone on to win the series.

“We're up, 3-1, and that doesn't mean anything,” Victor Martinez told reporters. “We've got to finish them off.”


Crunching the numbers

Both teams are riding some healthy betting trends going into Thursday’s game.

The Red Sox are 6-1 in their last seven games against left-handed starters and are 7-3 in their last 10 overall against southpaws.

The Indians are 4-1 in their last five games against right-handed starters and are 41-19 in their last 60 games against righties at Jacobs Field.

The Indians are also 4-0 in their last four playoff games at home. The Red Sox, on the other hand, are 1-4 in their last four playoff games outside Fenway Park.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Sports News - ALCS

MLB


Thursday, October 18

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Sports News - MLB ALCS
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Indians a win away from World Series

The Cleveland Indians can move one step closer tonight to winning their first World Series title since 1948, if they can knock off the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the NLCS. Cleveland takes a 3-1 series lead into the game and will advance to take on the Colorado Rockies in the World Series with a victory.

The Indians built up their 3-1 lead with a 7-3 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night. Cleveland scored all seven runs in a fifth-inning explosion, started by a solo home run from Casey Blake. Victor Martinez and Asdrubal Cabrera each delivered an RBI in the inning, while Jhonny Peralta connected on a three-run blast. Blake capped off the inning with another RBI on a single.

Cleveland starter Paul Byrd took care of the rest during his five innings, allowing only two runs on six hits. Boston starter Tim Wakefield had the knuckleball dancing until the fifth, when he surrendered five of the Indians' seven runs. All of Boston’s runs in the game came on the long ball, as Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back-to-back solo home runs.

The Game 5 pitching matchup is the same as the series opener as Cleveland lefty C.C. Sabathia will duel Boston ace Josh Beckett. In the opener the Red Sox got to Sabathia early and often and chased him after only 4 1-3 innings. In the short outing, Sabathia allowed eight runs on seven hits while also walking five batters. Beckett held the Indians to only two runs on four hits, with seven strikeouts in six innings.

In Game 1 the top of the order delivered all the runs the Red Sox would need. Ortiz and Ramirez both reached base every time they went to the plate, as both sluggers went 2-2 and walked in their other at-bats. Ramirez had three RBI and scored twice, while Ortiz also crossed home plate twice. Youkilis scored three runs in the win, while Mike Lowell had three RBI. Two of Cleveland’s runs came off the bat of Cabrera, while Travis Hafner cracked a solo home run off Beckett to score the first run of the series.
The Sox opened as a -120 favorite in this game, while the Indians are a +110 underdog to finish off the series. If Boston is able to win on Thursday night, Game 6 would be played on Saturday, with the scheduled starters being Fausto Carmona for Cleveland and Curt Schilling for Boston.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - October 18


SCOREBOARD

Thursday, Oct. 18
Boston at Cleveland (8:21 p.m. EDT). C.C. Sabathia tries to pitch the Indians into their first World Series since 1997, facing Game 1 winner Josh Beckett.


STARS
Tuesday

-- Jhonny Peralta, Indians, hit a three-run homer to help Cleveland defeat Boston 7-3 in Game 4 of the ALCS and move within one win of reaching the World Series.


STEALS RECORD

Kenny Lofton stole his 34th career base in the postseason in Cleveland's 7-3 win over Boston on Tuesday, breaking Rickey Henderson's mark. Lofton hit a two-out single to center in the fifth inning then stole second.


BOSTON'S BASHERS

Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit consecutive homers for Boston in a 7-3 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday night, only the second time that's happened in the postseason. The Indians have surrendered the three straight homers on both occasions in the playoffs. Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill connected for the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the divisional playoffs at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 30, 1997.


WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

NL Champion Colorado, which has won 21 of its last 22 games and 10 in a row, will have an eight-day wait before they play again. The Rockies' wait is the longest in postseason history.


SPEAKING

"We want to put them away here. That's a great team over there. They can easily come back and win three. We're taking absolutely nothing for granted. We'll enjoy the win for now, but we want to put them away at home in front of these great fans." -- Cleveland right-hander Paul Byrd, after he pitched five-plus innings and got the win in the Indians' 7-3 triumph in Game 4 of the ALCS.


SEASONS
Oct. 18

1910 -- The Philadelphia Athletics pounded the Chicago Cubs 9-3 for a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Eddie Collins had three hits, including two doubles, and two stolen bases.

1950 -- Connie Mack, at age 87, retired as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics after 50 years, and Jimmy Dykes was named to replace him. Mack, together with Ben Shibe, founded the Athletics in 1901.

1973 -- The Mets' Jerry Koosman and Tug McGraw combined to three-hit the Oakland A's and take a 3-2 lead in the World Series.

1977 -- Reggie Jackson hit three consecutive home runs to lead New York to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angles Dodgers and give the Yankees the World Series title in six games. Jackson drove in five runs, and all three shots came on the first pitch.

1999 -- Orlando Hernandez pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and Derek Jeter hit a two-run homer as the New York Yankees won their record 36th pennant, beating the Boston Red Sox 6-1 in Game 5 of the AL championship series.

Today's birthdays: Alex Cora 32; Doug Mirabelli 37.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Dunkel Index

MLB
Dunkel Index

Boston at Cleveland
The Indians hope to close out the series at home tonight where they have not lost in the postseason. They'll need to get a better performance out of C.C. Sabathia, who has had control problems in his first two playoff appearances (11 walks in just 9 1/3 innings) and has an ERA (10.61) as big as he is. Boston's future rests on the arm of Josh Beckett, who has continued to dominate in postseason play and is now 4-2 with a 1.87 ERA in eight playoff appearances. But while the pitching advantage lies with the Red Sox, the momentum is with the Tribe right now. Cleveland has six starters hitting .294 or higher and has been clutch in run-scoring situations with two outs. Boston has gotten good production out of Ortiz, Ramirez, Lowell and Youkilis, but the rest of the lineup is hitting just .207 (16-for-77) with just six runs and six RBI in the series. Pitching in front of an enthusiastic Jacobs Field crowd should help Sabathia look more like his old self (11-4, 3.13 at home this year) and makes the Indians a good underdog pick (+117) according to Dunkel, which has Cleveland favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+117).

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18

Game 969-970: Boston at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 15.332; Cleveland (Sabathia) 17.018
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+117); Over

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[pm530]

National Hockey League - Dunkel Index

NHL
Dunkel Index

Edmonton at Phoenix
Edmonton's struggles at the end of last season have carried over as the Oilers come into tonight's contest with a four-game losing streak. Making matters worse is the fact that Edmonton will be without its big free agent acquisition, Sheldon Souray, who is out with a separated shoulder. He joins Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani already on the injured list. The injuries have taken a toll on the offensive end as the Oilers have scored only five goals during the skid. While Phoenix has dropped three of its last four, the Coyotes have found the net eight times over their last two games, including a six-goal outburst in a win over Nashville on the 11th. The Coyotes look like a good pick (-120) to take advantage of the punchless Oilers at home according to Dunkel, which has Phoenix favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-120). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18

Game 51-52: Tampa Bay at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.516; Boston 10.683
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+110); Over

Game 53-54: NY Islanders at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.130; Washington 11.000
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+140); Under

Game 55-56: New Jersey at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 10.926; Philadelphia 12.046
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-165); Over

Game 57-58: NY Rangers at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.892; Atlanta 9.692
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-155); Under

Game 59-60: Florida at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.553; Toronto 10.695
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+120); Over

Game 61-62: Montreal at Ottawa
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.116; Ottawa 12.366
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-186); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-186); Under

Game 63-64: Los Angeles at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.098; Calgary 11.745
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-201); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-201); Over

Game 65-66: Edmonton at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 10.107; Phoenix 11.140
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-120); Under

Game 67-68: Detroit at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.716; San Jose 11.303
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+120); Under

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[Udog]

Hockey today - October 18


SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Oct. 18

New Jersey at Philadelphia (7 p.m. EDT).

The Devils play the seventh of their season-opening nine-game road trip at the 4-1 Flyers.

STARS
Wednesday

- Jussi Jokinen, Stars, scored in regulation and had the only shootout goal to give Dallas a 3-2 victory over Columbus.

- Zach Parise, Devils, had three assists as New Jersey outlasted Pittsburgh 5-4.

- Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Ducks, made 28 saves in his second start of an injury-delayed season as Anaheim defeated Nashville 3-1.

OUSTED

Bob Hartley was fired Wednesday as coach of the Thrashers, who have lost their first six games following a four-game sweep in the first round of last year's playoffs, and are the only NHL team without a victory. General manager Don Waddell will be the coach until a replacement is found. Hartley, who won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, was in his fifth season with Atlanta.

CONSISTENT

Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin has at least a point in all five games this season, including a goal and an assist in Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to New Jersey. Last season, he began his career with a goal in each of his first six games.

WINNING AGAIN

Keith Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, and Manny Legace stopped 28 shots to help St. Louis post its fourth straight win, 3-1 over Chicago on Wednesday night. Paul Kariya, who leads the Blues with seven points, got his first goal of the season.

SWINGS

After being held scoreless in the season opener, reigning NHL scoring champion Sidney Crosby has six points in four games for Pittsburgh. The Penguins' three power-play goals in Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to New Jersey matched their amount in eight games against the Devils last season.

DOMINANT

Nashville has lost 10 of 12 games at Anaheim, including Wednesday night's 3-1 defeat. The other two were overtime victories.

POWER SURGE

St. Louis, which entered the game 2-for-21 on the power play, converted two of three attempts in a 3-1 victory over Chicago on Wednesday night.

STAYING HOME

The crowd of 11,820 for Wednesday night's game against Dallas was the smallest announced attendance for a Columbus regular-season home game.

SPEAKING

''It was a shock. I don't think anybody saw this coming. It's only six games. Sometimes changes need to be made. At the same time, it tells all of us it's a big wake-up call and we need to fix this.'' - Atlanta defenseman Garnet Exelby after the firing of coach Bob Hartley on Wednesday.

[Udog]

NHL
Thursday's key NHL matchup notes


Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins (-111, 5 ½)

Vincent Lecavalier had seven assists in four games versus the Bruins last season, but just one of his league-leading 52 goals.


New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers (-181, 5 ½)

Zach Parise, who has seven goals and six assists in 15 contests versus the Flyers, looks to extend his consecutive points streak against them to six games Thursday. He has two goals and four assists during his run.


New York Rangers at Atlanta Thrashers (+108, 5 ½)

Including the playoffs, Henrik Lundqvist was 5-1-2 with a 2.11 GAA against the Thrashers last season.


New York Islanders at Washington Capitals (-142, 5 ½)

The Islanders are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games against the Capitals after winning only one of the previous 29 meetings.


Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs (-119, 6)

Andrew Raycroft is 4-5-2 with a 2.49 GAA in 11 career starts against Florida.


Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (-191, 5 ½)

The Senators went 5-3-0 against the Canadiens last season, including a 3-1-0 mark at home. Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley topped both teams with 10 points each in the season series.


Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (-187, 5 ½)

Calgary is 7-1-0 with one tie in its last nine home games against Los Angeles.


Edmonton Oilers at Phoenix Coyotes (-116, 5 ½)

Shane Doan, the Coyotes' leading scorer each of the last four seasons, has a team-high four points. Doan has failed to score a goal in his last six games against Edmonton, and has just three assists over that span.


Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-130, 5)

Evgeni Nabokov allowed five goals in two regular season starts against the Red Wings in 2006-07.

[Udog]

NHL
Ice picks: Thursday's best NHL bets


New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers (-177, 5 ½)

The New Jersey Devils don't look like the New Jersey squads that won Stanley Cups in the past. Unlike this year's club, those teams didn't play the high tempo with a focus on scoring goals. Then again they weren't coached by Brent Sutter. The Devils have scored 11 goals in their past two games and will try to keep lighting the lamp against the Flyers, a team they haven't lost to in 11 meetings. Although the Flyers are much-improved from last season, they will have a difficult time extending their winning streak to four games tonight.

Pick: Over 5 ½


New York Rangers at Atlanta Thrashers (115, 5 ½)

Atlanta is the NHL's only team still without a win this season and has scored a measly nine goals in six games. Perhaps a meeting with the Rangers is just what they need. Thrashers forward Marian Hossa had eight points in four games against the Rangers last season.

New York is also a team struggling to score. The Rangers have collected just five goals in the last four games.

Pick: Under 5 ½


Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (-197, 5 ½)

The Calgary Flames led the league in home wins with 30 last season. They've been particularly impressive when playing the Kings. Over their last nine games at home against the Kings, the Flames have won seven and tied one. Calgary sniper Jarome Iginla has 16 goals and 11 assists in the teams' last 20 meetings.

Pick: Flames -197


Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-130, 5)

The key to this game could be Dominik Hasek. Will he play like the the man who allowed eight goals in one regular season game against San Jose? Or will he be the man who had a 1.45 goals-against average when the Red Wings and Sharks met in last year's playoffs?

Of course, if the Wings keep scoring as they have been lately it may not matter. Henrik Zetterberg has five goals and is tied for the league lead with 13 points. Zetterberg will try to extend his goal-scoring streak to five games tonight. Kris Draper is also hot. He has five goals already this year after notching just 14 all of last season.

The Sharks can also find the net. Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo were a big part of the reason why San Jose scored 258 goals last season.

Pick: Red Wings +120

[Kaptain]

Points of Interest and Injuries

10/18/07
12:22 AM Injuries
CFB
Thursday: Rutgers OL Corey Hyman (shoulder) and S Ron Girault (ankle) are questionable.

10/18/07
12:20 AM Injuries
CFB
Thursday: Utah @ TCU game has no injured players in question overnight.

10/18/07
12:17 AM Injuries
MLB
Thursday: Red Sox @ Indians game has no overnight injuries reported.

10/18/07
12:13 AM News Alert
CFB
Suspended Penn State TB Austin Scott pleaded not guilty and will stand trial on felony rape and sexual-assault charges.

10/18/07
12:07 AM Coach's Call
CFB
Cal coach Jeff Tedford deemed QB Nate Longshore (ankle) questionable this week.

10/18/07
12:05 AM Injuries
CFB
UCLA RB Chris Markey (turf toe) may miss this week's game against Cal.

10/18/07
12:03 AM Lineups
CFB
Virginia RB Cedric Peerman (foot) will not play Saturday night against Maryland.

10/18/07
12:01 AM Injury Alert
CFB
Arizona State RB Ryan Torain will miss the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

10/17/07
07:20 PM News Alert
NHL
Thrashers coach Bob Hartley has been fired, after a six-game losing streak to start this season.

10/17/07
07:17 PM Info Alert
MLB
Orioles named Rick Kranitz pitching coach.

10/17/07
07:15 PM Coach's Call
NFL
Falcons coach Bobby Petrino says the switch to Byron Leftwich is permanent.

10/17/07
04:31 PM Lineup Alert
NFL
The Falcons will start QB Byron Leftwich this week at New Orleans.

10/17/07
02:03 PM Injury Alert
CFB
Pitt's coach Dave Wannstedt could miss Saturday's game after tearing his left Achilles tendon earlier this week.

10/17/07
02:01 PM News Alert
NFL
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reinstated Packers WR Koren Robinson after a one-year suspension.

10/17/07
01:59 PM Info Alert
NFL
Bengals RB Rudi Johnson is expected to see an increased workload in Week 7.

10/17/07
12:24 PM Info Alert
MLB
Yankees pitching coach Ron Guidry likely won't be invited back to the team's coaching staff.

10/17/07
11:53 AM Lineups
NFL
Falcons backup QB Byron Leftwich could be the starter for Week 7 against the Saints.

10/17/07
11:18 AM News Alert
NBA
Lakers star Kobe Bryant sat out practice for the third straight day Tuesday, and has denied a report that he had cleaned out his locker.

10/17/07
11:16 AM Lineup Alert
NFL
Steelers WR Hines Ward (knee), WR Santonio Holmes (hamstring), and S Troy Polamalu (ribs) are expected to play Sunday night.

10/17/07
11:13 AM Lineups
CFB
Akansas WR Marcus Monk (knee) will attempt to play this week against Ole Miss.

10/17/07
11:09 AM Coach's Call
NFL
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Vince Young (quadriceps) may not be able to practice.

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Thursday, October 18th


Tampa Bay at Boston, 7:05 EST
Tampa Bay: 1-15 SU at Boston
Boston: 22-10 Under off a road win

NY Islanders at Washington, 7:05 EST
NY Islanders: 7-13 SU off BB losses by 2+ goals
Washington: 15-4 SU at home vs. NY Islanders

New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7:05 EST
New Jersey: 11-2 SU away off a division game
Philadelphia: 6-27 SU vs. division opponents

NY Rangers at Atlanta, 7:05 EST
NY Rangers: 9-2 SU off 3+ games with 33+ shots on goal
Atlanta: 0-8 SU at home off a loss by 2+ goals

Florida at Toronto, 7:35 EST
Florida: 9-35 SU away in the first half of the season
Toronto: 13-6 SU after losing 3 of their last 4 games

Montreal at Ottawa, 7:35 EST
Montreal: 8-20 SU at Ottawa
Ottawa: 33-11 SU after winning 2 of their last 3 games

Los Angeles at Calgary, 9:05 EST
Los Angeles: 5-22 SU after scoring 4+ goals
Calgary: 26-6 SU a home playing their second game in five days

Edmonton at Phoenix, 10:05 EST
Edmonton: 8-1 SU away off a road division loss
Phoenix: 5-20 SU at home after losing 3 of their last 4 games

Detroit at San Jose, 10:35 EST
Detroit: 11-3 Under after allowing 5+ goals
San Jose: 21-8 SU off a road win scoring 4+ goals

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NCAAF
Write-Up


Thursday's games

South Florida risks unbeaten season in New Jersey; they've got wins vs West Virginia and at Auburn this season, now get test at Rutgers team that beat the Bulls 22-20 LY, outrushing South Florida 226-92, holding off late USF rally. Knights lost their last two home games, to Maryland-Cincinnati-- their best win was a 41-24 win vs Navy, but this is also first time they're an underdog this season. Bulls are 2-0 on road (Auburn, Florida Atlantic).

Home side won last two Utah-TCU games, with Utes losing last visit here, 23-20. TCU is 3-0 at home this season, winning by 27- 14-12 points, but against three lame teams. Utah won last three games after 1-3 start, winning at Louisville, their only road win in three tries (losses at Oregon State, UNLV)- they ran ball for 542 yards in last two games. Having Johnson back at QB makes them more diverse on offense. Interesting game.

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


League Championship Series

Cleveland had won Sabathia's last seven starts before 10-3 loss at Fenway in Game 1 of series (4.1 IP, 8 runs); Tribe won three in row since that game, can advance to first World Series since '97 with win tonight. Beckett allowed one run in his last 20 innings pitched, but he left Game 1 after six IP/80 pitches, presumably because he was going to throw in Game 4, but now rumors are he had stiff back, which makes him risky proposition here. In 13 innings against Tribe this season, he allowed just one run.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Thursday, October 18


Hot Teams
-- Lightning won three of their first four games. Bruins open at home after 3-2 road trip.
-- Flyers won last three games, outscoring foes 15-3. The Devils won last two games, 6-5/5-4 (5-14 on power play).
-- Panthers won their last three games, outscoring foes 11-5.
-- Senators won six of their first seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Islanders lost three of their last four games. Washington lost last two games, 3-1/7-3, allowing five power play goals.
-- Thrashers' 0-6 start is so bad they fired the coach this week. Rangers lost three of last four games, scoring five goals.
-- Toronto lost five of first seven games.
-- Canadiens lost three of last four games, scoring eight goals.
-- Flames lost their first two home games, 3-2/4-3OT. Kings lost five of their last six games.
-- Edmonton lost last four games, outscored 15-5. Coyotes lost three of their last four games.
-- Detroit lost two of last three games (1-16 on power play). an Jose is 0-2 this season, in game following a win.

Series Records
-- Bruins are 7-1 vs Tampa last two years, winning all four last season-- 3-2/6-5OT/4-3SO/6-2.
-- Caps beat Islanders 2-1 earlier this month, just third win in last nine series games for Washington.
-- Devils won nine of their last ten games against Flyers.
-- Rangers swept Atlanta 4-0 in playoffs LY; they're 4-2 in last six visits to Philips Arena.
-- Toronto won six of last eight games vs Florida.
-- Ottawa won four of last five games vs Montreal.
-- Calgary won its last three games vs Kings- 5-3/6-4/4-1.
-- Oilers, Coyotes split their last eight meetings.
-- Red Wings lost three in row at San Jose-- 5-1/5-1/9-4.

Totals
-- Four of Bruins' first five games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 3-1 in Islander road games this season.
-- Three of Devils' last four games went over the total.
-- Last four Ranger games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Toronto games went over total; four of last five for Florida stayed under.
-- Four of five Montreal games stayed under total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in Calgary's last five games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Phoenix games this season.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Detroit-San Jose games.