Wednesday Trends and Indexes 9/10

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Wednesday September 10

Good Luck on day #254 of 2008!


FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL, SEE SEPARATE THREAD: “NCAAF - Week 3 Trends and Indexes 9/11 through 9/13”

NFL info will be posted in this thread.



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.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, September 10

The Chicago White Sox will continue their playoff push at home on Wednesday night, but they'll get a tough game against Roy Halladay. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup …

Event of the day . . .

The White Sox and the Twins have both been playing sluggish baseball over the past couple of weeks, but that has at least allowed Chicago to hold onto top spot in the AL Central division. After hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in a doubleheader on Tuesday the White Sox will sent Mark Buehrle to the mound to face Halladay on Wednesday night.

Buehrle (12-11, 3.98 ERA) is coming off a big win over the Angels on September 5 in which he allowed just three hits and fanned seven over six shutout innings of work. That was a big improvement on the lefthander's previous outing, in which he was rocked for seven earned runs in 4 2-3 innings pitched against the Red Sox. Buehrle faced the Blue Jays way back on May 2, giving up just two unearned runs over eight strong innings.

Halladay (18-9, 2.64 ERA) has picked up the win in each of his last five starts, and he hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a contest since July 19. The righthander also has eight complete games and a pair of shutouts on the season. Halladay had a start against Chicago on May 4, allowing one earned run over 7 1-3 innings in a win.

Non-event of the day . . .

The Indians/Orioles game on Wednesday night features a pitching matchup of Scott Lewis (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Chris Waters (2-2, 5.40 ERA). The Rockies/Braves contest will showcase pitchers Livan Hernandez (11-11, 6.16 ERA) and James Parr (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Only die-hard fans will be tuning in to see any of those also-rans take the field.

Also on the schedule . . .

The Twins will send Kevin Slowey (11-9, 3.75 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday to face the Royals and Kyle Davies (6-6, 4.59 ERA). Rounding out the day's American League schedule: Oakland at Detroit, the Yankees at the Angels, Texas at Seattle, and Tampa Bay at Boston in the finale of their three-game series at Fenway Park.

Brett Myers (9-10, 4.19 ERA) and the Phillies will host Ricky Nolasco (13-7, 3.56 ERA) and the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon, while C.C. Sabathia (9-0, 1.42 ERA in the NL) will try to pitch the Brewers past the Reds and Bronson Arroyo (14-10, 4.84 ERA). The rest of the NL slate: Arizona at San Francisco, Colorado at Atlanta, Washington at the Mets, Pittsburgh at Houston, the Cubs at St. Louis, and the Dodgers at San Diego.

News from the wire . . .

The Dodgers hope to get starting pitcher Brad Penny (shoulder) back from the disabled list this weekend, but he might be headed for the bullpen . . . Diamondbacks starting pitcher Max Scherzer might join the team's rotation permanently down the stretch . . . Raiders WR Javon Walker missed the team's blowout loss on Monday night due to his hamstring injury . . . Seahawks WR Nate Burleson (knee) is now out for the season.

Peek at the future . . .

Ben Sheets (13-7, 2.82 ERA) is expected to start for the Brewers in the opener of their weekend road series against the Phillies on Thursday night . . . Friday night features a clash between a pair of ranked college football teams - No. 13 Kansas vs. No. 19 South Florida . . . the Patriots will try to get by without Tom Brady behind center on Sunday afternoon when they play on the road against Brett Favre and the new-look Jets.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Dan Johnson, who spent whole season in AAA, homered off Papelbon to tie game, then Navarro won game with a shot off the wall, giving Rays 5-4 win, keeping them in first place.

-- Brandon Phillips' 11th inning single handed Milwaukee its sixth loss in eight home games vs Reds this season. Losses by both Cubs and Phillies keep Brewers where they were.......

-- ........but streaking Astros, now 11 games over .500, are just four games behind the Brewers, and charging.

-- Cindy McCain owns a small piece of the Diamondbacks.

-- 10 different Giant rookies hit their first big league HR in '08.

-- Huge night for Twins, who beat Royals while White Sox dropped a pair to Toronto; Twins are within a game of Sox in AL Central standings.

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[pm530]

Wednesday's List of 13: Our college football List of 13.......

This isn't a ranking of our top 13 teams; it is the 13 teams that impressed us last week......

13) Wake Forest-- Sam Swank is one of best kickers/punters in country; he drilled a 41-yarder to give Wake 30-28 win over Ole Miss, in what was one of best games in '08's first two weeks.

12) California-- Bears were up 42-3 at half in Pullman, routed a struggling Washington State team, the week after solid win vs Michigan State. Interesting rosd trip to Maryland this week.

11) Georgia Tech-- Jackets won at Boston College; Johnson's offense has little more balance here than it did at Navy, when a forward pass was rare. Interesting game vs Va Tech looms.

10) Utah-- Followed up win at Michigan with conference win in revenge role vs UNLV; you project the season a little, and the rivalry game vs BYU in November could be for a BCS slot.

9) Texas Tech-- Had guts to go to Nevada for game, and won 35-19; now they're also playing two I-AA teams, so they aren't overscheduled, but they're a contender in a difficult league.

8) Arkansas-- Beat Western Illinois 28-24, UL-Monroe 28-27, trailing both patsies in 4th quarter, so they're not exactly one of nation's elite. Reality check this week: they visit Texas.

7) Florida Atlantic-- Bounced back well from spanking by the Longhorns to win/cover as 13-point home favorites vs UAB, a good sign for Schnellenberger's team. Sun Belt favorites.

6) Washington-- If you put Huskies' QB Locker on Florida, and in exchange put Tim Tebow on Washington, there wouldn't be much difference in the teams. Locker is an exceptional player.

5) Oregon-- Scored 110 points in first two games, despite the #'s 2-3 QBs playing. They have a running back who decided to play for the Ducks because he likes their uniforms-- the kid is from Mississippi, thats the power of television.

4) Rice-- Owls scored 15 points in last 80 seconds to stun the Memphis Tigers last week; winner of their game vs Vanderbilt this week will be an unlikely 3-0 club. Rice coach Bailiff is 66th highest-paid coach in country, which could change in 2009. Rice was down 14-3 at half, scored 39 points in second half.

3) Oklahoma State-- Scored 42 second half points to rout the Houston Cougars, after trailing 16-14 at half. Have a return TD in both games so far. Coach Gundy has a lot of weapons.

2) Northwestern-- Beating Duke on road isn't exactly greatest accomplishment on earth, but Blue Devils appear to be a little better, and winning close game on road is always good thing.

1) Vanderbilt-- Won at Miami, OH, then beat South Carolina for second year in row; a win vs Rice this week, and Vandy is halfway to six wins and their first bowl appearance since 1982.

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[pm530]

Looking ahead to the NFL, week 2 - -

Trends will be added as they become available.

[pm530]

National Football League – Long Sheet

NFL

Long Sheet


Week 2

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Sunday, September 14
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OAKLAND (4 - 12) at KANSAS CITY (4 - 12) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-2 against the spread versus OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS CITY is 3-1 straight up against OAKLAND 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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TENNESSEE (10 - 7) at CINCINNATI (7 - 9) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-0 against the spread versus TENNESSEE over the last 3 seasons
CINCINNATI is 1-0 straight up against TENNESSEE 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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INDIANAPOLIS (13 - 4) at MINNESOTA (8 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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NEW ORLEANS (7 - 9) at WASHINGTON (9 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 43-67 ATS (-30.7 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
WASHINGTON is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points since 1992.
WASHINGTON is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in home games in September games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 1-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS 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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GREEN BAY (14 - 4) at DETROIT (7 - 9) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GREEN BAY is 4-0 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
GREEN BAY is 4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (7 - 9) at CAROLINA (7 - 9) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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NY GIANTS (14 - 6) at ST LOUIS (3 - 13) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY GIANTS are 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY GIANTS are 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NY GIANTS are 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY GIANTS are 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NY GIANTS are 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 36-55 ATS (-24.5 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
ST LOUIS is 67-94 ATS (-36.4 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
ST LOUIS is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) against NFC East division opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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BUFFALO (7 - 9) at JACKSONVILLE (12 - 6) - 9/14/2008, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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ATLANTA (4 - 12) at TAMPA BAY (9 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 4:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 2-2 straight up against ATLANTA 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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SAN FRANCISCO (5 - 11) at SEATTLE (11 - 7) - 9/14/2008, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) in a road game where the total is between 38.5 and 42 points since 1992.
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-2 against the spread versus SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 2-2 straight up against SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (1 - 15) at ARIZONA (8 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 4:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in September games over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games against AFC East division opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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NEW ENGLAND (18 - 1) at NY JETS (4 - 12) - 9/14/2008, 4:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 70-43 ATS (+22.7 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) in road games versus division opponents since 1992.
NY JETS are 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) in home games in September games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ENGLAND is 3-2 against the spread versus NY JETS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ENGLAND is 4-1 straight up against NY JETS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BALTIMORE (5 - 11) at HOUSTON (8 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 4:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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SAN DIEGO (13 - 6) at DENVER (7 - 9) - 9/14/2008, 4:15 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 4-0 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO is 4-0 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PITTSBURGH (10 - 7) at CLEVELAND (10 - 6) - 9/14/2008, 8:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 74-45 ATS (+24.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 2-2 against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 4-0 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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Monday, September 15
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PHILADELPHIA (8 - 8) at DALLAS (13 - 4) - 9/15/2008, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 119-84 ATS (+26.6 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 straight up against DALLAS 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]

National Football League – Short Sheet

NFL
Short Sheet


Week 2

Sunday, September 14th

Oakland at Kansas City, 1:00 ET
Oakland: 5-14 ATS off DD home loss
Kansas City: 23-8 Under 1st two weeks of season

Tennessee at Cincinnati, 1:00 ET
Tennessee: 12-2 ATS Away off home division win
Cincinnati: 5-15 ATS after allowing 200+ rushing yards

Indianapolis at Minnesota, 1:00 ET
Indianapolis: 21-5 Over Away off SU loss as favorite
Minnesota: 6-0 Over at home off road loss

New Orleans at Washington, 1:00 ET
New Orleans: 17-5 ATS off home division win
Washington: 7-21 ATS at home in September

Green Bay at Detroit, 1:00 ET
Green Bay: 10-1 ATS Away off home game
Detroit: 7-2 Over 1st month of season

Chicago at Carolina, 1:00 ET
Chicago: 19-6 Over vs. NFC
Carolina: 0-6 ATS at home 1st half of season

NY Giants at St. Louis, 1:00 ET
NY Giants: 9-1 ATS in road games
St. Louis: 8-0 Under in September

Buffalo at Jacksonville, 1:00 ET
Buffalo: 5-1 ATS as a road underdog of 7 points or less
Jacksonville: 13-3 Over off road game

Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1:00 ET
Atlanta: 8-1 Under on grass field
Tampa Bay: 26-6 Under 1st 2 Weeks of season

San Francisco at Seattle, 4:05 ET
San Francisco: 12-26 ATS Away if the total is between 38.5 and 42
Seattle: 16-4 Over at home after loss by 14+ points

Miami at Arizona, 4:15 ET
Miami: 0-6 ATS in September
Arizona: 13-3 Over off SU win

New England at NY Jets, 4:15 ET
New England: 70-43 ATS as an underdog
NY Jets: 6-19 ATS at home in September

Baltimore at Houston, 4:15 ET
Baltimore: 0-8 ATS in road games
Houston: 5-1 Over off road loss by 14+ points

San Diego at Denver, 4:15 ET
San Diego: 12-3 ATS vs. conference
Denver: 7-17 ATS playing with 6 or less days rest

Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 8:15 ET NBC
Pittsburgh: 0-7 ATS after scoring 35+ points
Cleveland: 6-0 ATS off SU loss


Monday, September 15th

Philadelphia at Dallas, 8:30 ET ESPN
Philadelphia: 8-1 ATS as a road underdog
Dallas: 8-1 Over off ATS win

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[pm530]

National Football League – Added Trends

NFL
Additional Trends

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Trends Sheet
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Sunday, September 14

1:00 PM BUFFALO vs. JACKSONVILLE
Buffalo is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Jacksonville is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo
Jacksonville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo


1:00 PM CHICAGO vs. CAROLINA
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


1:00 PM GREEN BAY vs. DETROIT
Green Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Detroit is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games


1:00 PM INDIANAPOLIS vs. MINNESOTA
Indianapolis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Indianapolis is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home


1:00 PM NEW ORLEANS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 5 games
New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing New Orleans


1:00 PM NY GIANTS vs. ST. LOUIS
NY Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing St. Louis
NY Giants are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games at home


1:00 PM OAKLAND vs. KANSAS CITY
Oakland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Oakland is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games


1:00 PM TENNESSEE vs. CINCINNATI
Tennessee is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 5-10-1 ATS in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 7 games


4:05 PM ATLANTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Atlanta
Tampa Bay is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Atlanta


4:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. SEATTLE
San Francisco is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Seattle
San Francisco is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing at home against San Francisco


4:15 PM BALTIMORE vs. HOUSTON
Baltimore is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games
Baltimore is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


4:15 PM MIAMI vs. ARIZONA
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games


4:15 PM NEW ENGLAND vs. NY JETS
New England is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
New England is 19-1 SU in its last 20 games
NY Jets are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against New England
NY Jets are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against New England


4:15 PM SAN DIEGO vs. DENVER
San Diego is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games at home


8:15 PM PITTSBURGH vs. CLEVELAND
Pittsburgh is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Cleveland is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
Cleveland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games


Monday, September 15

8:30 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. DALLAS
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games

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[pm530]

National Football League - Tips & Trends

NFL


Sunday, September 14

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Tips and Trends
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Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers [FOX | 1 PM ET]

Bears: The Bears are coming off an impressive opening week thrashing of AFC powerhouse Indianapolis. As usual, defense was the name of the game for Chicago. The Bears aggressive defense harassed Peyton Manning all night long, limiting the high-powered Colts offense to just 293 yards. The Chicago’s offense was led by rookie running back Matt Forte, who ran over Indy for 123 yards, including a big 50-yard touchdown. Overall, the Bears ran the ball 39 times for 183 yards. The bottom line is the Bears defense is healthy - something it wasn’t last season – and if it stays that way, Chicago has a chance to be serious contenders in the NFC North.

Bears are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Bears are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following a SU win.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 17

Panthers (-3, O/U 37): No team got a bigger emotional boost in Week 1 than Carolina, who upset the Chargers on the final play of the game when Jake Delhomme hit tight end Dante Rosario in the back of the end zone for the winning score. Overall, Delhomme showed no ill effects from last season’s shoulder injury by throwing for 247 yards. Helping Delhomme was a Panthers ground game that rolled over a tough Chargers defense for 142 yards on 29 carries. Carolina’s combination of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart will be a handful for the Bears defense. Matt Forte had an impressive debut last week but could find things tougher today against a Panthers rush defense that held LaDainian Tomlinson to under 100 yards.

Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NFC.
The UNDER is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 home games.

Key Injuries - WR Steve Smith (suspension) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 20



New England Patriots at New York Jets [CBS | 4:15 PM ET]

Patriots: It’s the day that New England fans have dreaded. For the first time since 2001, someone other than Tom Brady will be taking snaps for the New England Patriots. With Brady out for the season with a knee injury, untested Matt Cassel will be handed the keys to the Patriots record-setting offense. Cassel looked good filling in for Brady last week, going 13-of-18 for 152 yards and a touchdown. However, Cassel hasn’t started a game since 1999 when he was a senior in high school, so you can expect Jets head coach Eric Mangini to show the inexperienced Cassel a lot of different looks on defense. Look for the Patriots to play more ball control and rely on their defense to win games now that they are without Brady.

Patriots are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games.
Patriots are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 meetings vs. the Jets.

Key Injuries - QB Tom Brady (knee) is OUT for the season.
TE Ben Watson (leg) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 14

Jets (-2.5, O/U 36.5): So far so good for Brett Favre in the Big Apple. Favre threw two touchdown passes and looked comfortable leading the Jets offense. The new-look Jets offensive line played well in the opener, giving Favre time in the pocket and creating holes for Thomas Jones, who ran for 101 yards on 22 carries. Young corners Darrelle Revis and Dwight Lowery played well against the Dolphins but they’ll be stepping up in class this week when they take on Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Co. One area of concern for the Jets is at kicker, where Mike Nugent was injured last week. The Jets signed veteran Jay Feely, and he’s expected to handle the placekicking duties today against the Patriots.

Jets are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games in Week 2.
The UNDER is 4-0 in New York's last 4 games following a SU win.

Key Injuries - K Mike Nugent (thigh) is day-to-day.
CB Justin Miller (toe) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 24 (Side Play of the Day)



Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns [NBC | 8:15 PM ET]

Steelers (-6, O/U 44): The Steelers erased any concerns people had about them in the preseason by dismantling the Texans on opening day, 38-17. The Steelers offense was a well-oiled machine against Houston. Ben Roethlisberger connected on 13-of-14 pass attempts, while Willie Parker rambled for 138 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, the Steelers linebackers caused all kinds of havoc for Matt Schaub and the Texans offense. That’s not good news for a Browns offensive line that had trouble blocking Dallas’ edge rushers at times last week. Pittsburgh sacked Schaub five times and picked him off twice.

Steelers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings vs. the Browns.
The OVER is 10-4-1 in Steelers last 15 vs. AFC North.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 28 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

Browns: If the Browns don’t play better defensively this week than they did against the Cowboys, they might as well not even get off the bus. Dallas did whatever they wanted to against the Browns punchless defense, racking up close to 500 yards of total offense. The biggest problem was the Browns pass rush. The problem being it was non-existent. If Cleveland lets Ben Roethlisberger just sit in the pocket all day, he’ll carve them up like Tony Romo did. Offensively, Cleveland looked out of sync against Dallas. Pro Bowl receiver Braylon Edwards had three big drops, while the running game was never a factor.

Browns are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games.
Browns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. AFC.

Key Injuries - T Ryan Tucker (hip) is day-to-day.
C Rex Hadnot (knee) is day-to-day.
KR Joshua Cribbs (ankle) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 21

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Wednesday, September 10

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Hot Pitchers
-- Arroyo is 4-0, 1.53 in his last four starts. Milwaukee won last seven Sabathia starts (5-0, 1.30).
-- Florida is 11-3 in Nolasco's last fourteen road starts. Myers is 6-1, 1.38 in his last eight starts.
-- Pelfrey is 3-1, 2.09 in his last five starts.
-- Parr blanked Washington for six innings in his first start.
-- Astros are 8-2 in Moehler's last ten home starts.
-- Lowe is 3-1, 1.02 in his last five starts. Estes is 1-1, 3.09 in his last four starts.

-- Tigers are 8-3 at home when Galarraga starts.
-- Slowey is 4-1, 2.70 in his last six starts.
-- Millwood is 2-0, 1.72 in his last two road starts.
-- White Sox won Buehrle's last seven home starts. Blue Jays won nine of Hallaay's last eleven road starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Haren is 0-2, 6.35 in his last three starts. Hennesseey makes his first '08 start; he has made 40 big league starts, but allowed 40 hits, 24 runs in 17 IP in relief this season.
-- Perez is 1-2, 5.46 in his last five starts.
-- Hernandez is 1-3, 10.13 in five starts for Colorado.
-- Pirates are 2-8 on road when Gorzelanny starts.
-- Lilly is 1-3, 5.16 in his last four starts. Cardinals are 4-10 in the last fourteen Looper home starts.

-- Gallagher is 0-2, 9.22 in his last six starts.
-- Moseley is 1-3, 7.47 in seven starts this season. Pettitte is 1-5, 6.57 in his last eight starts.
-- Jimenez is making first start for Seattle.
-- Red Sox lost five of last six Beckett home starts. Sonnanstine is 0-1, 8.04 in his last three starts.
-- Waters is 0-2, 6.48 in his last three starts. Lewis was 2-2, 2.62 in his four starts at AAA level.
-- Davies is 1-4, 6.65 in his last five starts.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won ten of their last thirteen home games.
-- Mets won six of their last eight games.
-- Astros won twelve of their last thirteen games.
-- Cincinnati won four of last five games.
-- Cardinals won seven of last ten home games.
-- Giants won five of their last six games.
-- Dodgers won nine of their last ten games. Padres won six of their last eight home games.

-- Red Sox won six of their last eight home games.
-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
-- Indians won twelve of their last fourteen road games.
-- Blue Jays won their last ten games, scoring 59 runs.
-- Angels are 7-4 in their last eleven home games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost four of their last six games.
-- Washington is 4-11 in its last fifteen road games.
-- Braves are 8-16 in their last 24 home games. Rockies are 1-4 in their last five games.
-- Pirates lost fifteen of their last eighteen games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Cubs lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Diamondbacks lost their last nine road games.

-- Rays lost five of their last seven games.
-- Orioles lost nine of their last ten games.
-- A's are 10-25 in last 35 road games.
-- Royals lost eight of last ten road games. Twins lost five of their last seven games.
-- White Sox lost their last three games.
-- Bronx lost four of its last six games.
-- Rangers are 6-9 in their last fifteen road games. Mariners lost four of their last six games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Arroyo starts.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Haren starts.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Florida road games.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Pelfrey starts.
-- Over is 4-1 in Hernandez' starts for Colorado.
-- Under is 10-2 in Houston's last twelve games.
-- Last five Lilly road starts went over the total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Lowe's last five starts.

-- Last three Galarraga home starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 9-3 in last twelve Bronx road games.
-- Last five Millwood starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-3 in Beckett's last nine home starts.
-- Three of last four Indian games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Slowey starts went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3 in Buehrle's last ten starts.

Umpires
-- Cin-Mil-- Last four Miller games stayed under the total.
-- Az-SF-- four of last five Vanover games went over the total.
-- Fla-Phil-- Road team won four of last five Culbreth games.
-- Wsh-NY-- Favorite is 10-3 in last thirteen Eddings games.
-- Col-Atl-- Over is 8-3 in last eleven Schrieber games.
-- Pitt-Hst-- Rookie ump Reyburn worked one game, a 7-6 win for the Nationals in Seattle.
-- Chi-StL-- Over is 10-1-1 in last dozen Marquez games.
-- LA-SD-- Favorite is 10-4 in last fourteen Cousins games.

-- A's-Det-- Under is 10-3 in last thirteen Barry games.
-- NY-LA-- Under is 7-3 in last ten Hickox games.
-- Tex-Sea-- Under is 7-1-2 in last ten Knight games.
-- TB-Bos-- Favorite won last twelve Iassogna games.
-- Cle-Balt-- Five of seven Causey games went over the total.
-- KC-Min-- Last seven Reliford games went over the total.
-- Tor-Chi-- Under is 5-2 in Cuzzi's last seven games.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB



Wednesday, September 10

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Tips and Trends
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Florida Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies [4:05 PM ET]

Marlins: The Marlins have won four consecutive games with Ricky Nolasco on the mound. Over that stretch, Nolasco has only allowed six runs in 29.1 innings of work. Nolasco has pitched much better on the road this year where he’s an impressive 8-3 with a 3.30 ERA. In five career starts against the Phillies, Nolasco is 3-3 with a 4.41 ERA. The OVER has cashed in each of Nolasco’s last four starts.

Marlins are 7-1 in Nolasco’s last 8 road starts.
The UNDER is 9-3-1 in Florida’s last 13 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Phillies (-155, O/U 8.5): Brett Myers has won four starts in a row and five of his last six. Myers has been unbelievable over his last four starts, allowing no runs three times. Myers has been tough at home this season, going 6-3 with a minuscule 2.77 ERA. Myers has only allowed one run in his last three home starts. He has struggled against the Marlins, however, going 6-8 with an ERA of 5.05 ERA. The UNDER is 6-0 in Myers’ last six starts.

Phillies are 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Phillies are 4-0 in Myers' last 4 starts.

Key Injuries - OF Geoff Jenkins (.246; hip) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side Play of the Day)



Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox [ESPN | 7:05 PM ET]

Rays: Andy Sonnanstine picked a bad time to go in a slump. He’s winless in his last three starts, allowing a whopping 14 runs over 15.2 innings pitched. The Red Sox aren’t the team Sonnanstine is likely to break his slump against. In four career starts versus Boston, he’s 1-1 with a ridiculous 8.85 ERA. The OVER has cashed four straight times with Sonnanstine on the hill.

Rays are 10-46 in the last 56 meetings at Boston.
The OVER is 9-2 in the Rays last 11 games vs. AL East.

Key Injuries - OF B.J. Upton (.274; quad) is NOT expected to play until the weekend.
OF Carl Crawford (.273; hand) is OUT indefinitely.
3B Evan Longoria (.278; wrist) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

Red Sox (-210, O/U 9.5): Josh Beckett won his first game back from the DL, not allowing a run over five innings against Texas. Beckett will try and make it two in a row against a Rays team that he’s 5-3 against with a 3.59 ERA in his career. Beckett has struggled at Fenway Park this season, going just 5-4 with a 6.02 ERA. In his last game versus the Rays, Beckett only allowed one run over six innings. Beckett’s last two starts at home easily went OVER the total.

Red Sox are 4-1 in Beckett’s last 5 Wednesday starts.
The UNDER is 8-3-1 in Boston's last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 7



Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals [8:15 PM ET]

Cubs (-110, O/U 9): Ted Lilly has lost his last two starts, allowing 10 hits and eight runs in just 8.2 innings of work. Lilly had been pitching well but he’s cooled off of late, losing three of his last four. Lilly has been decent on the road this season, going 7-4 with a 4.42 ERA. He’s also had success against the Cardinals, sporting a 4-2 record to go along with an impressive 2.98 ERA. Lilly’s last five road starts have all gone OVER the total.

Cubs are 7-2 in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
Cubs are 4-1 in Lilly’s last 5 starts with 4 days of rest.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Cardinals: Braden Looper pitched a gem his last time out against Florida, allowing no runs over 7.1 innings. Looper is only 5-7 at home this year, although he does posses a solid 3.86 ERA. Again, Looper has a losing record in his career against the Cubs (3-4) but his ERA is a strong 2.40. The UNDER has been a solid play when Looper pitches at home. The UNDER is 4-1 in his last five home starts.

Cardinals are 3-0 in their last 3 games overall.
Cardinals are 1-4 in Looper’s last 5 home starts.

Key Injuries - 3B Troy Glaus (.269; shoulder) is day-to-day.
OF Brian Barton (oblique) is day-to-day.
OF Joe Mather (finger) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Wednesday, September 10

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Wednesday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies (9-10, 4.15 ERA)

Myers is turning it on for the Phillies down the final stretch of the season. He is 4-0 in his last four starts and he held the opposition scoreless in three of those games. He gave up only two runs in the other outing during that span.

With pitching like that, it's not surprising Myers hasn't seen the 'over' in any of his past nine starts. Philly is 8-1 during those games, bringing in some serious cash for those who have been backing the righty.

Myers struck out at least eight batters in his past five starts and he's hoping he can keep that trend going against the Marlins.

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays (18-9, 2.64 ERA)

The Jays will be coming off a double-header against the White Sox on Tuesday, so they'll be happy to see their ace take the mound on Wednesday.

Halladay has won all of his last five starts and they didn't exactly come against shark bait opponents. The big righty beat the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees and held them to a combined nine earned runs.

The Doc hasn't walked a batter in any of his last three starts, though he struck out an impressive 17 in those games.


Slumping

Sean Gallagher, Oakland A's (4-6, 5.23 ERA)

Gallagher is scheduled to make his first start on Wednesday following a stint on the DL due to tired arm symptoms.

The fatigue was evident recently when Gallagher was unable to make it past the fifth inning in any of his last six starts. He went a miserable 0-2 during that span and was finally shut down after giving up 10 earned runs to the Twins on Aug. 19.

Gallagher says he has the feeling back in his arm and expects to be back to full strength against the Tigers, but you might want to tread cautiously until he can prove it.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB


Wednesday, September 10

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Trend Sheet
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1:05 PM OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
Oakland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Oakland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oakland


2:05 PM CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games


3:35 PM NY YANKEES vs. LA ANGELS
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home


3:45 PM ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Arizona
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


4:05 PM FLORIDA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Florida
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida


4:40 PM TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Texas
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


7:05 PM CLEVELAND vs. BALTIMORE
Cleveland is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games
Cleveland is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Baltimore is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games at home
Baltimore is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games


7:05 PM TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Boston
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games


7:10 PM COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games at home


7:10 PM WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games


8:05 PM PITTSBURGH vs. HOUSTON
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games


8:10 PM KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games


8:11 PM TORONTO vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Toronto
Chi White Sox are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games


8:15 PM CHI CUBS vs. ST. LOUIS
Chi Cubs are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games
Chi Cubs are 14-4 SU in their last 18 games on the road
St. Louis is 8-15 SU in their last 23 games when playing Chi Cubs
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


10:05 PM LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 16-8 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers

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[pm530]

Baseball Today

MLB


Wednesday, September 10

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, Sept. 10

Toronto at Chicago White Sox (8:11 p.m. EDT). The streaking Blue Jays try to match a franchise record with their 11th straight victory when they send ace Roy Halladay (18-9, 2.64 ERA) to the mound against Chicago lefty Mark Buehrle (12-11, 3.98). The White Sox lead the AL Central by one game over Minnesota.


STARS

Tuesday

-Lance Berkman, Astros, hit a three-run homer, an RBI double and scored three times in a 9-3 victory over Pittsburgh. Houston has won four straight and 12 of 13.

-A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays, allowed one hit and an unearned run in seven innings, striking out seven to help Toronto beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in the opener of a doubleheader sweep.

-Carlos Delgado, Mets, hit two mammoth homers for the second straight game, leading New York to a 10-8 win over Washington that increased its NL East lead to 2 1/2 games.

-Johnny Damon, Yankees, homered twice and drove in three runs in a 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

-Andre Ethier, Dodgers, drove in four runs to lead Los Angeles to a 6-2 victory at San Diego that extended its NL West lead to 2 1/2 games.


CHAMPAGNE ON ICE

The Los Angeles Angels' celebration will have to wait at least another night. Johnny Damon hit two homers and Alex Rodriguez added a three-run shot to help the Yankees beat the Angels 7-1. The loss, combined with Texas' 7-3 victory at Seattle, kept the Angels' magic number at two for clinching their fourth AL West crown in five years. Los Angeles could have wrapped up the title with a win and a Rangers loss. Alfredo Aceves kept Angels hitters' off-balance, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings in his third major league appearance and first career start.


STELLAR DEBUT

Dan Johnson, who woke up in Pennsylvania in Triple-A and was scratched from Tampa Bay's starting lineup because he didn't get into town until just before the first pitch, was a star. Johnson hit a game-tying, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning to help the Rays beat Boston 5-4 and extend their AL East lead to 1 1/2 games.


IMPRESSIVE COMPANY

Manny Ramirez hit his 522nd homer in the Dodgers' 6-2 win at San Diego, passing Willie McCovey, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams for sole possession of 17th place on the career list. ... Mets slugger Carlos Delgado homered twice in a 10-8 victory over Washington. His 466 home runs are one more than Hall of Famer Dave Winfield for 30th place.


MILESTONE

Derek Jeter singled in the first inning of a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, passing Babe Ruth for second place on the New York Yankees' career hits list. Jeter sent an 0-2 pitch from right-hander Ervin Santana into left field for his 2,519th hit. Only Lou Gehrig (2,721) has more hits in a Yankees uniform. Jeter added another single in the seventh. He has 1,260 hits at Yankee Stadium, nine shy of Gehrig's record, with 10 games remaining there.


DRAMATIC DEPARTURE

On his final swing of the season, Brandon Phillips hit a go-ahead single with two outs in the 11th inning to lift Cincinnati over Milwaukee 5-4. Earlier in the at-bat, Phillips broke his right index finger attempting to bunt for a hit. The Reds later said the second baseman is out for the year.


TWIN BILLED

The White Sox began the day with a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central over the Twins, but watched it drop to a game when they were swept in a doubleheader by the Blue Jays, 3-1 and 8-2. Meanwhile, the Twins beat the Royals 7-2.


STREAKING

The Blue Jays have won 10 in a row after sweeping the White Sox 3-1 and 8-2 in a doubleheader. Toronto is on its longest winning streak since taking a franchise-record 11 in a row in from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, 1998, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Albert Pujols homered for the third straight game, a three-run shot in the sixth inning that erased a three-run deficit and helped St. Louis beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3.


ANOTHER LOOK

Hunter Pence hit a ball that caromed off the top of the right-field wall for an RBI double in the sixth inning of Houston's 9-3 win over Pittsburgh. That prompted the second use of instant replay since its inception. Umpires looked at the replay and ruled that it was not a home run, upholding the original call.


SLUMPING

Arizona has lost five straight and nine in a row on the road, falling 2 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. ... The Chicago Cubs have lost eight of nine while scoring three runs or fewer six times. They lead the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over Milwaukee, which has dropped three straight and seven of nine.


SCARY MOMENT

Paul Konerko went from writhing in pain to sighing in relief. The White Sox first baseman was helped off the field with what the team called a mildly sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the second game of a day-night doubleheader against the Blue Jays. He's scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday after X-rays were negative, and he expects the tests to confirm what the doctor told him.


AILING

Rangers designated hitter Milton Bradley left the game against the Mariners in the first inning after taking just one swing. The Rangers said Bradley strained a muscle in his lower back and is day-to-day. Bradley fouled off the first pitch he saw from Seattle starter Felix Hernandez. Bradley instantly grimaced, grabbed at his back and walked into the dugout. He was replaced by Brandon Boggs.


WELCOME BACK

Travis Hafner had two singles in his long-awaited return from the disabled list to lead the Indians over the Orioles 6-1. Hafner went 2-for-4 with a walk in his first game since May 25, when he was placed on the DL with a strained right shoulder. A career .290 hitter, Hafner was batting .217 at the time of the injury. Batting fifth, he had a role in three different innings in which the Indians scored.


SNAPPED

Braves closer Mike Gonzalez gave up a tying homer in the ninth inning to Colorado's Garrett Atkins. Gonzalez's first blown save since June 25, 2004, ended the longest active streak in the majors at 39. Atlanta won 5-4 in 10 innings.


RELEASED

Mike Sweeney knows his major league career might be over. The Athletics released the 35-year-old first baseman-designated hitter after he struggled to return from operations on each knee. Sweeney, a 14-year veteran who spent all but this season with the Kansas City Royals, was limited to 42 games this year because of knee injuries. Doctors have told the five-time All-Star he needs surgery on both knees and the recovery time is six to nine months. Sweeney had procedures in early June to repair loose cartilage in the knees. He had hoped to recover by the All-Star break.


SPEAKING

"We're playing like we're waiting to get beat. You don't have a big enough lead in September to play ball like that.'' - Cubs manager Lou Piniella after a 4-3 loss at St. Louis. Chicago, which leads the NL Central by 4 1/2 games, has lost eight of nine while scoring three runs or fewer six times.


SEASONS

Sept. 10

1919 - Cleveland's Ray Caldwell pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees as the Indians took a 3-0 decision in the opening game of a doubleheader.

1950 - Joe DiMaggio became the first player to hit three home runs in one game at Griffith Stadium as the New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators 8-1.

1967 - Joe Horlen of the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers with a 6-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader.

1969 - The New York Mets swept Montreal in a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, 3-2 in 12 innings and 7-1. The victories moved the Mets into first place in the NL East for their first time on top.

1974 - Lou Brock tied Maury Wills' single-season stolen base record with a steal in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke the record with steal No. 105 in the seventh inning.

1977 - Roy Howell hit two home runs, two doubles and a single and drove in nine runs as Toronto beat the New York Yankees 19-3.

1980 - Bill Gullickson struck out 18 - the most by a rookie - as the Montreal Expos beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2.

1997 - Mark McGwire joined Babe Ruth as the only players in major league history with consecutive 50-homer seasons by hitting a 446-foot shot off Shawn Estes in the third inning of St. Louis' game against at San Francisco. McGwire, who hit a major league-leading 52 homers for Oakland last season, became the first player with back-to-back 50-homer seasons since Ruth did it in 1927 and 1928.

2000 - Arizona's Randy Johnson became the 12th player to reach the 3,000-strikeout plateau, fanning a season-high 14 in seven innings as the Diamondbacks lost to Florida 4-3 in 12 innings. Johnson also recorded his 300th strikeout for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.

2003 - St. Louis' Tony La Russa became the eighth manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins as the Cardinals beat Colorado 10-2. The 58-year-old La Russa is 2,000-1,782 in 25 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis.

2006 - Francisco Rodriguez became the youngest pitcher in major league history to reach 100 saves in the Los Angeles Angels' 4-3 win over Toronto. The 24-year-old right-hander, with 41 saves this season, broke the previous mark held by Gregg Olson.

2007 - Kurt Suzuki and Dan Johnson both hit grand slams to power Oakland past Seattle 9-3.

Today's birthdays: Joey Votto 25; Kameron Loe 27; Danys Baez 31; Randy Johnson 45.

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[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, September 10

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Hot Lines: Wednesday's best MLB bets
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Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox (+110, 8)

While the Toronto Blue Jays' longest winning streak in 10 years has them thinking about a possible playoff run, the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox are feeling the pressure.

The White Sox and Blue Jays continue a four-game series on Wednesday, as Chicago faces the daunting task of facing Toronto ace Roy Halladay after a difficult day. The White Sox (80-64) were swept by Toronto (78-66) in a day-night doubleheader at home on Tuesday, 3-1 and 8-2. Their lead in the AL Central was cut to one game over Minnesota.

The Blue Jays are 6-0 against the White Sox this season, outscoring them 23-8, and they send their ace to the mound on Wednesday when Halladay (18-9, 2.64 ERA) looks to win his sixth consecutive start.

The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA in his last five starts. He pitched seven innings on Friday against Tampa Bay, allowing three runs - one earned - while striking out seven in a 6-4 victory.

Pick: Jays


Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (+140, 8 1/2)

A five-game losing streak in September leading to a sub-.500 record could very easily end a team's playoff chances. The struggling Arizona Diamondbacks should be thankful they reside in the lackluster NL West.

The Diamondbacks hope to avoid a season-high sixth straight loss and a 10th straight road defeat Wednesday afternoon when they close a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants.

During this five-game skid - also done May 26-30 - the Diamondbacks are batting .199. They have scored 19 runs during the nine-game road losing streak, their first since Aug. 29-Sept. 18, 2004.The Giants (64-80) have won four straight, one shy of their season high set Aug. 20-24.

Having Dan Haren (14-8, 3.41 ERA) on the mound normally would give Arizona an excellent chance at ending a losing streak. The right-hander, however, has pitched poorly in three of his last four starts, leading to speculation he may be injured.

"A lot of times when guys struggle, (observers) search for answers healthwise," Haren told the Diamondbacks' official Web site. "It is humanly possible for pitchers to get hit around and not be hurting."Haren gave up five runs for the second consecutive start, allowing six hits and a season-worst four walks Friday in a 7-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Pick: Giants