Thursday Trends and Indexes 7/24

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday July 24

Good Luck on day #206 of 2008!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, July 24

Ben Sheets will be looking to get back on track on Thursday night when he takes to the mound for the Brewers in the finale of their big four-games series against the Cardinals.

Sheets represented the Brewers at the All-Star Game last week, but he's still just 1-2 with a no-decision over his past four starts. The righthander gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits in only five innings of work in his start against the Giants July 19, and he struck out just three batters in that contest. Milwaukee went on to get the victory.

Overall Sheets is 10-3 with a solid 2.88 ERA, and he's fanned 111 (while walking just 29) in his 128 innings of work. The Brewers' ace has faced the Cardinals once already this season, back on May 10. In that contest Sheets settled for a no-decision after giving up three earned runs on nine hits over seven innings. Milwaukee fell in that contest 5-3.

The Cardinals will send Todd Wellemeyer to the mound on Thursday night, and he's coming off a shaky win over the Padres in his last outing. The righthander surrendered five earned runs on five hits over 6 1-3 innings on that day, but St. Louis gave him just enough run support to earn him the victory. Wellemeyer improved to 8-4 on the season.

Wellemeyer had a start against the Brewers back on May 9, giving up two runs (both unearned) on six hits in six innings of work in a no-decision (the Cardinals ended up losing the game 4-3). That outing dropped Wellemeyer's ERA down to 3.56 on the year, but since then it's crept up to 4.22; the righthander has fanned 77 over his 111 innings.

There are four other games on a light National League schedule on Thursday, most notably Philadelphia at the New York Mets, and Florida at the Chicago Cubs. Carlos Zambrano (10-4, 2.98 ERA) will get the start for Chicago; he's coming off a loss to the Astros in his last game. Scott Olsen (6-4, 3.84 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Marlins.

The other two NL matchups are San Diego at Pittsburgh, and Washington at San Francisco. The struggling Nationals and Giants have both started to dismantle their rosters; Washington traded away closer Jon Rauch (to the Diamondbacks), and San Francisco dealt second baseman Ray Durham (to the Brewers). The Nationals will start Tim Redding (7-4, 4.17 ERA) and the Giants will counter with Matt Cain (5-8, 4.08 ERA).

There are just two American League games on Thursday, with Toronto at Baltimore at 12:35pm ET, and Tampa Bay at Kansas City at 8:10pm ET. The Blue Jays will use ace Roy Halladay (11-7, 2.89 ERA) against the O's; the righthander has thrown complete games in two of his past four starts. Daniel Cabrera (6-5, 4.57 ERA) goes for Baltimore.

A busy Thursday in the WNBA features five games, including Minnesota at Indiana, Los Angeles at Connecticut, Detroit at Houston, Chicago at San Antonio, and Phoenix at Sacramento. The Sparks and Shock will be both be looking to be on their best behavior in their respective games, as those teams got into a skirmish in their Tuesday contest.

Finally, there's one Canadian Football League game on Thursday, with the Stampeders travelling to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers at 8:00pm ET. Winnipeg has been the worst team in the league so far this season - they're 0-4 both straight-up and against-the-spread. Calgary is 3-1 both SU and ATS, and they're 1-1 ATS on the road.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

-- Soriano got activated, Cubs scored ten runs. Sometimes, life is simple.

-- Cubs added Harden, Brewers added Sabathia; St Louis is lagging behind, and needs to make a move to help the club.

-- Last four guys in Angels' lineup went 10-17 with nine runs scored and 11 RBI in Halos' 14-11 win Wednesday.

-- Storm cloud for Angels; they led 14-7 in 8th, yet still had to bring K-Rod in to get last out for his 42nd save. Bullpen has to take some of the stress away from Rodriguez.

-- Adam Dunn has 18 hits in July; nine went over the fence.

-- Around 1,000 fans showed up at local bar tonight to have their picture taken with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, with the Giants arriving in Albany for training camp.

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[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Basketball scrimmages for the Olympic team out in Vegas must be lot of fun to watch. Lot of great players competing.

12) That said, must be lot of people in Cleveland holding their breath with Lebron James spraining his ankle. When it comes to Lebron, there are no minor injuries. Olympics start August 8 in China; not sure when the basketball games start.

11) Speaking of which, will Americans root for our basketball team? I have a friend who is an avid North Carolina fan; he is physically incapable of rooting for Mike Krzyzewski. Others have said they really don't want to root for Kobe Bryant.

10) The main reason the Redskins could take on Jason Taylor and his $8M contract is fact that they cut $29M off the payroll since the end of last season.

9) How would you like to be doing two-a-day workouts down in Jackson, MS (Saints) or Spartanburg, SC (Panthers)? Weird thing about the NFL is that it starts in the heat of summer and ends in freezing cold in some places.

8) There are eight division games in Week 1 of NFL; wish they would keep division games out of Weeks 1-2-- those games are events anyway, almost too important to be played so early.

7) The NFL's records list all the Browns stats together, but on this website, the "new" Browns are treated like an expansion team, and the "old" Browns' stats go with the Ravens, since it is that team that really accumulated those numbers.

6) The new Batman movie took in $67M the first night it was in theater, an all-time record for one night for a movie.

5) Portland rookie Jerryd Bayless, from Arizona, averaged 27.7 ppg in the Vegas Summer League, then sat the last game out with a slightly injured hand. He looks like the real deal.

4) Oriole pitcher Adam Loewen, 24, hurt his arm and has given up trying to be a major league pitcher. He's now in minors, and will try to emulate Rick Ankiel and become an outfielder.

3) Research has shown that no matter who is pitching, about 30% of all balls put in play result in hits. Number guys use the information to project what pitchers are likely to regress in the second half of season due to unusually low percentage of hit balls falling in safely. Interesting stuff.

2) Francisco Liriano, in his last five starts for AAA Rochester, has allowed one run with five walks, 42 strikeouts in 35 IP. As the Twins were getting their asses kicked in the Bronx all this week, Liriano, arguably their best pitcher, was a minor leaguer. Go freakin' figure.

1) CC Sabathia's four starts for Milwaukee: 4-0 record, 33 IPs, six runs allowed. Its a good month to be his agent. If he was a Minnesota Twin, they'd be probably send him to Rochester.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 5

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Thursday, July 24
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CALGARY (3 - 1) at WINNIPEG (0 - 4) - 7/24/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Friday, July 25
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EDMONTON (2 - 2) at HAMILTON (1 - 3) - 7/25/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MONTREAL (2 - 2) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (2 - 2) - 7/25/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in road games when playing on a Friday since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 42-25 ATS (+14.5 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 36-16 ATS (+18.4 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-1 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, July 27
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TORONTO (2 - 2) at SASKATCHEWAN (4 - 0) - 7/27/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 120-90 ATS (+21.0 Units) in all games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 120-90 ATS (+21.0 Units) in all lined games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 41-23 ATS (+15.7 Units) when playing on a Sunday since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 109-81 ATS (+19.9 Units) in games played on turf since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 35-16 ATS (+17.4 Units) in July games since 1996.
TORONTO is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Week 5 CFL games

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Thursday, July 24

Calgary (3-1) @ Winnipeg (0-4)-- Bombers still looking for first win after blowing 18-11 fourth-quarter lead to Lions last week in Vancouver. Winnipeg has already tossed 10 picks (-4 TO ratio) Stampeders are +7 in turnovers this season; they allowed 10 or less points in their three wins, 34 in the loss. Stamps grind out first downs (28-30-29) in their wins (only 18 in the loss).


Friday, July 25

Edmonton (2-2) @ Hamilton (1-3)-- Totals in last three Eskimo games are 65-75-66, with Edmonton winning twice despite a -7 turnover ratio in the three games. TiCats ran ball for 311 yards in their only win, keeping their hideous defense off field- they allowed 472-449-487 total yds in their losses. Last three games for both Eskimos, TiCats all went over the total.

Montreal (2-2) @ British Columbia (2-2)-- Lions beat Bombers twice after an 0-2 start; they picked off nine passes in last three games and gained 947 combined yards in last two games, after only 528 in first two. Alouettes scored 33+ pts in three of four games this year, but ran ball just 11 times in last two games- in first two games, they ran ball 52 times for 347 yards. Three of four Lion games stayed under the total.


Sunday, July 27

Toronto (2-2) @ Saskatchewan (4-0)-- Argos allowed 32-47-31 points in last three games, are 2-2 despite a +7 turnover ratio in just four games- they ran ball for 201 yards last week in win vs Eskimos. Riders scored 33.5 ppg in winning first four games, by 21-10-5-8 points- they have 675 passing yards last two games, after having just 404 passing yards in their first two contests.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Week 5


Trend Sheet

Thursday, July 24

8:00 PM CALGARY vs. WINNIPEG
Calgary is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Calgary is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Calgary
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Calgary



Friday, July 25

7:00 PM EDMONTON vs. HAMILTON
Edmonton is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Edmonton is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Hamilton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Hamilton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton


10:00 PM MONTREAL vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Montreal is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
British Columbia is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home



Sunday, July 27

10:00 PM TORONTO vs. SASKATCHEWAN
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Saskatchewan is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Preview and Predictions

CFL
Preview and Predictions


CFL games – Week 5


Thursday, July 24

Calgary (-6) vs. Winnipeg (54.5)

Stampeders at Blue Bombers History: When Calgary travels to Winnipeg, they are 6-6-1 ATS, 7-6 SU and the O/U is 7-6-0 since 1996.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to shuffle the deck this week vs. the Calgary Stampeders and start ex-Boise State QB Ryan Dinwiddie. Kevin Glenn seems to be in a funk to start the 2008 campaign and one has to wonder if it's the arm injury he suffered in the Eastern Final last year vs. Toronto setting him back, or the fact his favorite receiver Milt Stegall has been out of the line up the first four weeks of the season. The Stampeders are coming off a 43-16 blow out win over Hamilton and are currently riding a 2 game winning streak SU & ATS. The Stamps have seen their last 2 games go over the posted total and they've been averaging 32.3 Point For and 23 Points Against in their last 3 games. Winnipeg are looking for their first win of the season and when a CFL team starts the year 0-4 on the season, they are 3-3 SU and 4-2-0 ATS in their 5th game of the year. The UNDER is 4-2-0 in this situation as well. As for the Blue Bombers, they need to establish a running game and if Charles Roberts can't get going, then it's time for Doug Berry to bring in a new running back to kick start this offense. The Calgary Stampeders aren't use to being a Road Favorite the last few years and it will be interesting to see how they respond in this situation, they are 0-5 SU and ATS as a Road Favorite the last 2 years and average 18.33 Points For and 22.67 Points Against in this role. The Bombers gave the Lions a feisty test last weekend at BC Place and if they can play hard like they did last Friday, they should have a better outcome. However, starting an inexperience QB in this role might be too much of an experiment for the veterans on offense who might get impatient and look for Calgary to win a nail bitter.

Forecast: Calgary 24 Winnipeg 21

Stat of the Game: When WINNIPEG team played as a Home team - Coming off a Score 18 - 20 POINTS FOR in last game; The Blue Bombers are 9-1 SU and 8-2-0 ATS in this spot since '96.



Friday, July 25

Edmonton (-2.5) vs. Hamilton (52)

Eskimos at Tiger Cats History: When Edmonton travels to Hamilton, they are 4-8-0 ATS, 5-7 SU and the O/U is 7-5-0 since 1996.

If the Hamilton Tiger Cats are going to be successful this season, they will need Jesse Lumsden to stay healthy and in the line up every week or else this season will be just another right off. The time has come where the Hamilton Tiger Cats need to fish or cut bait with Lumsden, because dressing him 40% of the time will not do the Tabbies any good in their rebuilding process. Hamilton fans are starting to have a "Love/Hate" relationship with their football team and how do you expect Charlie Taaffe to be successful if he can't get any consistency with his starting players. However, the good news for Taaffe this weekend, Lumsden will be in the line up and what's even better from a betting perspective, the Ticats are in their normal home underdog role. In fact, I didn't like Hamilton as a -3.5 point home favorite in week 3 vs. Saskatchewan, but I can stomach them much easier this week as a +2.5 point home dog vs. the Eskimos. Edmonton is coming off a 35-31 lost to Toronto this past Sunday and they have one of the softest defenses in the league, so I expect Casey Printers in company to have some success marching down the field. The key to this game for the Tiger Cats is to make sure Ricky Ray stays on the sideline, as he's looking more and more like the gunslinger from previous season. The Eskimos are averaging 37.3 Points For on offense, but their defense is one of the worst in the league giving up 31.3 Points Against. The OVER is 3-0 for both teams in their last 3 contest and the Eskimos are 0-3 SU and ATS as a Road Favorite the last 2 years. Even though it looks like the sky is falling right now for Hamilton fans, with Lumsden in the line up this weekend, expect the offense to burn the Eskimos defense on numerous occasions and look for allot of 20+ yard plays against Maciocia's defense.

Forecast: Hamilton 29 Edmonton 23

Stat of the Game: When ANY CFL team played as Home team as a Underdog - After a non division game - Coming off a 4-7 point Road loss; the Home Dog (Hamilton) is 12-3-0 ATS in this role since '96.


Montreal (53) vs. BC Lions (-6.5)

Alouettes at Lions History: When Montreal travels to BC, they are 5-9-0 ATS, 4-10 SU and the O/U is 8-6-0 since 1996.

The last time the Montreal Alouettes won in BC was Week #9; the year was August 31st 2000. In fact, it was the same year the St.Louis Rams won the Super Bowl vs. Tennessee in what many described as the greatest finish of a Champion ship game, when the Rams defensive player (Mike Jones) tackled the Titans receiver (Kevin Dyson) at the 1 yard line to seal the deal. The Alouettes are 0-9 SU vs. the BC Lions at BC Place in their last 9 encounters and that includes regular and playoff games. Actually, the last time Montreal won in BC was Aug 31st 2000 and the Als won 35-25 and the line was a Pick?em and the total was 54.5. If the Alouettes should falter the rest of the season, I would say looking back a few weeks ago vs. Winnipeg, where they let a 31-7 lead slip to a 31-24 comeback from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, teams must of picked up something on that game and for some reason, they haven't been the same since. However, it's only Week 5 and they have a big task at hand this weekend vs. Wally Buono and the Lions. Montreal is coming off a heartbreaking lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, a game they seem to be in control until Anthony Calvillo threw that interception deep in their offensive zone and never recovered after this point. In fact, on the next kick off, Jason Armstead fumbled the football and this sealed the win for the Green Riders. On a side note, Armstead was released the next day from the Alouettes for his 2 costly fumbles in the game, but one has to wonder had Calvillo not thrown that interception late in the game, would Armstead still have a job today? The Lions are coming off a tough and emotional 27-18 win over the Winnipeg Lions, as the Lions celebrated Bob Ackles life after the game. The Lions are enjoying a 2 game winning streak and are averaging 28.3 Points For a game, while giving up 22.67 Points Against in their last 3 contest. It's just a matter of time before the Lions start averaging over 33 PF a game, but until they do, their defense will carry them in those close games.

Forecast: BC Lions 26 Montreal 21

Stat of the Game: When ANY CFL Team played as Road team as a Underdog -Total is between 51.5 to 54 -Vs Non Division Opponent -Playing on Friday - Coming off a game scored 34 points or less; The UNDER is 17-4-1 for the Road Dog in this role since ?96.



Sunday, July 27

Toronto (54) vs. Saskatchewan (-4.5)

Argonauts at Roughriders History: When Toronto travels to Saskatchewan, they are 6-6-0 ATS, 6-6 SU and the O/U is 8-4-0 since 1996.

Kerry Joseph returns to his old stomping grounds this Sunday and the Boatmen are a +4.5 point Road Underdog vs. the 4-0 Saskatchewan Roughriders. However, if Joseph is looking for his old #4 in the Green and White dressing room, seems there's a new sheriff in town and his name is not Reggie Hammond, but Darian Durant! Durant has shown great poise and maturity as the new signal caller for the Roughriders and it's going to force head coach Ken Miller to make a wise and educated decision when Marcus Crandell is ready to come back. The Riders are coming off a exciting 41-33 win over the Montreal Alouettes this past Sunday and they are averaging 33.3 Points For a game. The Argos are 2-2 SU on the season and their second win of the year came from a 109 yard drive last week vs. the hapless Eskimos defense. The Argonauts looked old on defense last week, as veterans like O'Shea, Wheaton and Fletcher were starting to look a bit slow and when was the last time the Argos were involved in 3 straight games that went OVER the posted total? You would have to go back to Week #9, August 17th 2003 to find the answer and that 4th game went under the total vs. Edmonton in an 18-15 lost. Plus, Toronto will be without their middle linebacker, as Kevin Eiben will be out a few weeks with a MCL tear.
The Argos are allowing 31.5 Points Against a game and having your old defensive coordinator as your new head coach is one major reason why the Argos are allowing so many Points Against.

Every team has an identity, right now I'm still trying to figure out what makes the Argos tick and what will be their bread and butter the remaining games of the season. If Kerry Joseph can get a reliable go to receiver he can trust and the Argos defense can get their Points Against Average down to 27 or lower a game; they could be the team to beat in the Eastern Division, as nobody really wants to win this division!

forecast: Saskatchewan 33 Toronto 17

Stat of the Game: When TORONTO team played as a 3.5 to 6.5 Underdog - Coming off a Home win as a Favorite; The Argos are 3-7 SU and ATS in this spot since '96.

Good luck and remember, this is the CFL, anything can happen during the 3 minute warning! Trust me; I've got the scars to prove it!

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet


Arena Bowl XXII

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Sunday, July 27
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SAN JOSE SABERCATS (13 - 5) vs. PHILADELPHIA SOUL (15 - 3) - 7/27/2008, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 this season.
SAN JOSE is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) after playing a game on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Trend Sheet

AFL


Trend Sheet

Sunday, July 27

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3:00 PM SAN JOSE vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
San Jose is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home

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[pm530]

WNBA – Trends Sheet

WNBA


Thursday, July 24

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Trend Sheet
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12:30 PM CHICAGO vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
San Antonio is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games


2:30 PM PHOENIX vs. SACRAMENTO
Phoenix is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Sacramento is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Phoenix


7:00 PM LOS ANGELES vs. CONNECTICUT
Los Angeles is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Connecticut is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Connecticut's last 13 games when playing Los Angeles


7:00 PM MINNESOTA vs. INDIANA
Minnesota is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


9:00 PM DETROIT vs. HOUSTON
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, July 24

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Hot Pitchers
-- Perez has 1.73 RA in his last four starts. Moyer is 2-0, 2.75 in his last three starts.
-- Zambrano is 2-1, 2.21 in his last three starts.
-- Brewers are 9-3 when Sheets starts on the road.

-- Halladay is 3-1, 2.03 in his last four starts.
-- Royals won last three Meche home starts (1-0, 3.26).

Cold Pitchers
-- Giants are 1-5 in Cain's last six home starts. Redding has 5.43 RA in his last eleven starts.
-- Hensley is 15-16, 3.85 in 39 career starts, most of which were back in 2006. Herrera allowed 13 runs in six IP in his first two '08 starts.
-- Olsen has 6.82 RA in his last six road starts.
-- Wellemeyer is 1-2, 7.15 in his last four starts.

-- Cabrera is 0-1, 7.57 in his last three starts.
-- Rays lost five of Garza's last six road starts.

Hot Teams
-- Mets won twelve of last fifteen games.
-- Pirates won last three games, scoring 25 runs.
-- Marlins won six of their last eight road games.
-- Brewers won eight of last nine road games.

Cold Teams
-- Phillies lost three of their last four games.
-- Padres lost eleven of their last fourteen games.
-- Giants lost nine of their last twelve games. Nationals are 2-8 in their last ten road games.
-- Cubs lost five of last seven games, but are 20-4 in last 24 tilts at Wrigley Field.
-- Cardinals lost first three games of Brewer series: 6-3/4-3/3-0.

-- Toronto lost seven of its last ten road games. Orioles lost ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Royals lost last four home games, outscored 37-9. Rays lost their last six games away from home.

Totals
-- Under is 8-2 in Mets' last ten home games.
-- Over is 8-1 in Giants' last nine home games.
-- Last six San Diego games went over the total.
-- Last five Zambrano starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven St Louis games.

-- Over is 10-3 in last thirteen games at Camden Yards.
-- Five of last seven Royal games went over the total.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB


Thursday, July 24

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Trend Sheet
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12:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Mets's last 11 games at home


12:35 PM TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Baltimore
Toronto is 5-14-1 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-10-1 SU in its last 15 games
Baltimore is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games at home


3:45 PM WASHINGTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games at home


7:05 PM SAN DIEGO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
San Diego is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 15 games when playing at home against San Diego


8:05 PM FLORIDA vs. CHI CUBS
Florida is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Florida's last 20 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 19-4 SU in their last 23 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games at home


8:10 PM TAMPA BAY vs. KANSAS CITY
Tampa Bay is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games at home


8:15 PM MILWAUKEE vs. ST. LOUIS
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


We will update when projected scores are available.

Thursday, July 24

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Tips and Trends
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Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs [8:05 ET]

Marlins: Scott Olsen has won each of his last two starts but he's been the beneficiary of strong run support. Olsen has allowed 14 runs in his last 18 innings of work but he's 2-0 with one no-decision over that span. He's been solid at home this year, going 4-3 with a strong 3.12 ERA. The OVER has been a solid play in games where Olsen pitches. The OVER is 6-3-1 in his last 10 starts.

Marlins are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
The OVER is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cubs (-185): Carlos Zambrano is coming off a loss to the Astros and that's bad news for Florida tonight. In the previous six games the Cubs lost with Zambrano on the mound, they bounced back with a win the next time out. Before his average performance against Houston, Zambrano had only allowed one run in victories over the Cardinals and Reds. Big Z is 5-0 at Wrigley Field this year with an imposing 2.25 ERA. In Zambrano's last five starts, the UNDER is 4-1.

Cubs are 19-4 in their last 23 home games.
The UNDER is 7-1 in Chicago's last 8 games vs. NL East.

Key Injuries - OF Alfonso Soriano (.281; hand) has returned.
Closer Kerry Wood (24 saves; finger) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals [8:10 PM ET]

Rays (-120, O/U 8.5): Matt Garza is coming off one of his best performances of the year, pitching 7.2 innings of shutout ball in a win over the Blue Jays. Garza has been much more effective at Tropicana Field than on the road, where he's just 2-4 with an ERA of 5.91 this season. Garza is 0-3 in four career starts against the Royals, although his ERA in those games is a solid 3.42. The OVER has cashed in Garza's last three starts.

Rays are 0-6 in their last 6 road games.
Rays are 15-6 in the last 21 meetings.

Key Injuries - SS Jason Bartlett (.256; knee) is expected to return.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Royals: Gil Meche is coming off a strong outing against the White Sox, getting the win after holding the high-powered Chicago offense to just one run over 6.1 innings. The victory was Meche's first since June 27. His winning streak could be short lived, however. Meche is just 1-4 against the Rays in his career with an ERA of 5.40. Tampa batters have hit a robust .281 against Meche in nine games. The OVER has cashed in three straight with Meche on the mound.

The OVER is 7-2 in Kansas City's last 9 games as an underdog.
The OVER is 8-1 in the last 9 series openers for Kansas City.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals [8:15 PM ET]

Brewers (-140, O/U 8.5): Ben Sheets hasn't been awful in his last two starts but he hasn't been at his best either. In 11 innings of work, Sheets has allowed 14 hits and nine runs, receiving a loss and no-decision in those games. Things may not get any better tonight as Sheets faces his kryptonite in the Cardinals. Sheets is a miserable 5-14 versus St. Louis in his career to go along with a 4.28 ERA. On the bright side, he's 6-1 in 12 road starts this year. Sheets' last three starts have all gone OVER the total.

Brewers are 7-0 in their last 7 games overall.
Brewers are 1-8 in Sheets' last 9 starts vs. St. Louis.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cardinals: Even though Todd Wellemeyer won his most recent start, he isn't pitching nearly as well as he was earlier in the year. In his last 22.2 innings pitched, Wellemeyer has allowed 18 runs without getting past the sixth inning in any of those four starts. Wellemeyer is 6-4 at home this season, although his ERA is a lofty 5.08. Games tend to be high scoring when Wellemeyer takes the hill. The OVER is 4-2 in his last six starts.

Cardinals are 1-7 in the last 8 meetings.
The UNDER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

Key Injuries - OF Brian Barton (.246; hand) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Chris Duncan (.248; neck) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Thursday, July 24

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Thursday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Gil Meche, K.C. (7-9, 4.48)

Gil Meche is proving to be the ace the Royals were looking for when they broke the bank to sign him. Even though Kansas City is struggling at 11 games under .500, the club has won six of his last seven outings, including a 9-1 shellacking of the White Sox in his last trip to the hill. Meche allowed just two hits over 6 1/3 innings.

It's a welcomed change for everybody in the locker room. Kansas City lost 10 of Meche's first 14 starts of the season.



Slumping

Yoslan Herrera, Pittsburgh (0-1, 19.50)

The Bucs are in a tough spot with a depleted starting rotation. Herrera was called up from Double-A ball before the All-Star break to help out and the Cardinals greeted him with 11 hits and six earned runs in just over four innings of work. Herrera's first start following the break was worse when the Rockies put seven runs on him over less than two innings.

When Herrera's on his game, his heater tops out around 92 mph and he has solid curveball to keep hitters off balance.

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