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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 04:58 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Saturday, September 13

Southern Cal is looking to hold onto its top ranking for another week, but to do so they'll have to beat visiting Ohio State on Saturday night. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup…

Event of the day . . .

The Trojans started the season with a bang, demolishing Virginia 52-7 and leaping to the top spot in the AP Poll. Southern Cal QB Mark Sanchez went 26-of-35 for 338 yards in that contest, with three touchdown strikes and one interception. C.J. Gable rushed for 73 yards and a TD, and the Trojans defense didn't allow a point after the first quarter.

The Buckeyes are undefeated so far as well (2-0), but their win over Ohio last week failed to impress. Ohio State actually trailed 7-3 at halftime and 14-12 after three quarters in that game, before putting up a pair of scores in the fourth to pull out a 26-14 win. Star running back Beanie Wells sat out against Ohio because of his foot injury.

Earlier this week Wells was fully expected to suit up against the Trojans, but by the end of the week the running back was again listed as doubtful. That uncertainty hasn't helped Ohio State at the books - they opened as 9-point road underdogs for this contest, and that line has since crept up to 11 points. The total is pegged at 44.5.

Non-event of the day . . .

Expecting to see the Cubs and Astros play in Houston this weekend? Well, you'll have to wait until Sunday, or maybe even Monday, thanks to Hurricane Ike. Friday and Saturday's games between Chicago and Houston were postponed, and the weather might get in the way of Sunday's meeting as well. Monday's off-day will come in handy to help with the schedule squeeze, with the Astros so far resisting using a neutral site.

Also on the schedule . . .

Friday's bad weather means there will be six doubleheaders played on Saturday: Atlanta at the Mets, Minnesota at Baltimore, Detroit at the White Sox, Tampa Bay at the Yankees, Toronto at Boston, and Kansas City at Cleveland (with those last two having been previously scheduled). Also on the MLB slate: Milwaukee at Philadelphia, St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Washington at Florida, the Dodgers at Colorado, Cincinnati at Arizona, San Francisco at San Diego, Texas at Oakland, and Seattle at the Angels.

Other top college teams in action on Saturday include No. 2 Georgia (-7) at South Carolina, No. 3 Oklahoma (-20.5) at Washington, Nevada at No. 6 Missouri (-26.5), North Texas at No. 7 LSU (-42), No. 9 Auburn (-10) at Mississippi State, and No. 10 Wisconsin (-2) at No. 21 Fresno State.

There are just two games on the WNBA schedule on the second-last day of the league's regular season: Washington at Connecticut, and Sacramento at San Antonio. As well, the Canadian Football League also has a couple of games on tap for Saturday, with big underdog Hamilton at Edmonton (-13), and Saskatchewan at B.C. (-6).

News from the wire . . .

Hurricane Ike is also affecting the National Football League this weekend, with the Ravens/Texans matchup moved from Sunday afternoon to Monday night . . . the Texas Longhorns are affected by the storm as well, as their scheduled Saturday matchup against Arkansas has been postponed until September 27 . . . White Sox third baseman Joe Crede has to see a back specialist next week, and is still listed as out indefinitely.

Peek at the future . . .

The Steelers and Browns will meet in Cleveland in the NFL's Sunday night game this week, with Pittsburgh pegged as a 6-point road favorite . . . the Red Sox and Rays will meet in another key AL East series starting Monday, this time down in Tampa Bay . . . the Ryder Cup tees off at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky next Thursday.

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:00 AM

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 12

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Saturday, September 13
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HAMILTON (2 - 8) at EDMONTON (6 - 4) - 9/13/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 4-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 3-2 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SASKATCHEWAN (7 - 2) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 5) - 9/13/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 52-31 ATS (+17.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 123-92 ATS (+21.8 Units) in all games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 123-92 ATS (+21.8 Units) in all lined games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 82-50 ATS (+27.0 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in games played on turf this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-4 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-4 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:01 AM

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up

Week 12 CFL games

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Saturday, September 13

Hamilton (2-8) @ Edmonton (6-4)-- TiCats lost last three games, by 13-3-23 points; they allowed 33.4 ppg in last five games and lost last three on road by 27-7-13 points. Eskimos won 19-13 in Week 5 at Hamilton (-2)- they scored 31+ points in seven of last nine games, are 6-0 this year when they allow less than 34 pts. Seven of the last nine Hamilton games went over the total.

Saskatchewan (8-2) @ BCLions (5-5)-- Roughriders (+6) came back from 17 down in 4th quarter last week, beat the Bombers 34-31 to avoid third loss in last four games; they won 26-16 in Vancouver back in Week 2 (+6). Lions won three of last four at home since the Week 2 loss- last week was first time in last six games they allowed less than 20 points.

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:01 AM

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Trends Sheet

Week 12

Saturday, September 13

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

10:00 PM SASKATCHEWAN vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Saskatchewan is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games when playing British Columbia
Saskatchewan is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing British Columbia
British Columbia is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games
British Columbia is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:02 AM

National Football League – Dunkel Index

NFL

Dunkel Index

Chicago at Carolina
The Bears look to carry the momentum of their Indianapolis win into Carolina where the Panthers are just 5-10 ATS over the last three seasons. Chicago is the underdog pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Bears favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3). Here are all of this week's picks.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Game 191-192: Oakland at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 124.639; Kansas City 124.999
Dunkel Line: Even; 40
Vegas Line: Kansas City by 3 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+3 1/2); Over

Game 193-194: Tennessee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 128.581; Cincinnati 132.546
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 4; 34
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 1; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-1); Under

Game 195-196: Indianapolis at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Indianapolis 133.394; Minnesota 136.452
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 3; 41
Vegas Line: Indianapolis by 2; 43 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2); Under

Game 197-198: New Orleans at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 132.538; Washington 129.452
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 3; 37
Vegas Line: Pick; 42
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans; Under

Game 199-200: Green Bay at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Green Bay 131.655; Detroit 132.439
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 50
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 3; 45
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+3); Over

Game 201-202: Chicago at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 131.865; Carolina 130.867
Dunkel Line: Chicago by 1; 44
Vegas Line: Carolina by 3; 37
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3); Over

Game 203-204: NY Giants at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 131.636; St. Louis 124.390
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 7; 38
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 9; 42
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+9); Under

Game 205-206: Buffalo at Jacksonville
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 132.349; Jacksonville 135.437
Dunkel Line: Jacksonville by 3; 33
Vegas Line: Jacksonville by 5 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+5 1/2); Under

Game 207-208: Atlanta at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 124.674; Tampa Bay 129.554
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 5; 43
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 8; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+8); Over

Game 209-210: San Francisco at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 120.347; Seattle 125.732
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 5 1/2; 40
Vegas Line: Seattle by 7; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+7); Over

Game 211-212: Miami at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 121.459; Arizona 126.336
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 5; 34
Vegas Line: Arizona by 6 1/2; 39
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+6 1/2); Under

Game 213-214: New England at NY Jets
Dunkel Ratings: New England 128.322; NY Jets 132.537
Dunkel Line: NY Jets by 4; 33
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 1 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (-1 1/2); Under

Game 217-218: San Diego at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 132.879; Denver 135.654
Dunkel Line: Denver by 3; 49
Vegas Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 45 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1 1/2); Over

Game 219-220: Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 138.007; Cleveland 128.601
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 9 1/2; 48
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 6; 44 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-6); Over

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Game 221-222: Philadelphia at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 131.742; Dallas 141.659
Dunkel Line: Dallas by 10; 42
Vegas Line: Dallas by 7; 47
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-7); Under

Game 215-216: Baltimore at Houston (Game moved to Monday)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 127.672; Houston 130.143
Dunkel Line: Houston by 2 1/2; 42
Vegas Line: Houston by 4 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+4 1/2); Over

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:10 AM

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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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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Due to Hurricane Ike, this game will now be played on Monday, Sept 15th.

BALTIMORE (5 - 11) at HOUSTON (8 - 8) - 9/14/2008, 8:35 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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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:13 AM

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

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

Baltimore at Houston, 8:35 ET (Game moved to Monday because of hurricane)
Baltimore: 0-8 ATS in road games
Houston: 5-1 Over off road loss by 14+ points

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:16 AM

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Write-up

2008 Week 2 NFL analysis

Sunday, September 14

Raiders (0-1) @ Chiefs (0-1)—Long road trip on short work week for Raiders, who allowed 12 yards/pass attempt by Denver, and were crushed 41-14.- they’ve lost 10 of last 11 games in rivalry, five of six at Arrowhead (only one of the five was by more than four points). Oakland also lost its last five road openers, with three of five losses by five or less points. Chiefs had ball on the Patriot 5-yard line in last minute Sunday, with chance to tie game behind backup QB Huard, who is now back to being the starter. KC was 8-16 on third down in Foxboro, but lost to QB who hasn’t started a game since high school (Matt Cassel).

Titans (1-0) @ Bengals (0-1)— Kerry Collins gets nod under center for Titans, which may help Tennessee since he seems to have better grasp of new offense than Young. Titans upset Jags last week, despite an 18-yard deficit in average field position. They outrushed Jags 137-33. Bengals had just 89 passing yards in loss at Baltimore, getting just eight first downs (outgained 358-154). Cincinnati was 14-18 on third down last year, racking up 30 first downs in 35-6 home win vs Titan squad that scored just six points on five trips inside Bengal 20. Bengals won last four home openers; Titans lost six of eight road openers.

Colts (0-1) @ Vikings (0-1)—Home team is 11-0-1 in last dozen games of seldom-played series, with Colts 0-5-1 in last six visits to city where they haven’t played in 11 years. Both teams lost last week, so loser behind 8-ball early. Colts gave up 183 rushing yards to Bears, will have hands full vs. Peterson (Vikes had 187 yards on ground at Lambeau Monday night). Extreme mismatch at QB favors Colts, who had first September loss since ’04 last week. Indy is 7-1 in last eight road openers, with five of last six decided by five or less points. Under is 13-5 in Colts’ last 18 road openers, 14-5-1 in Vikings’ last 20 home openers.

Giants (1-0) @ Rams (0-1)—Defending champs won last 11 road games (10-1 vs spread), are on letdown alert coming off divisional win, visiting lame St Louis squad that was pathetic at Philly last week, giving up 414 passing yards to team playing without its two best WRs. Rams are 13-3 in last sixteen home openers, with underdog 5-0-1 vs spread in last six. Male Sheep lost last five games vs Giants, but won five of last six series games played here. Not lot of enthusiasm for Rams in St Louis these days— game still wasn’t sellout early in week. Giants allowed 36.3 pg in losing three of last four road openers. Trap game for Big Blue.

Saints (1-0) @ Redskins (0-1)—Saints’ top WR Colston (thumb) is out, as vagabond Saints (worked out in Indy last week because of hurricane) on road again—they won six of their last eight road openers, covered eight of last ten. Road team won last five series games, with Saints winning last two visits here (last in ’03). Skins have three extra days to prepare since they played in Thursday opener (outgained 354-209 by Giants). New Orleans needed late pick to hold off Bucs at home, winning despite starting eight of their 12 drives 80+ yards from paydirt- they had two TD drives of 80+ yds. Redskins’ last five home openers stayed under.

Packers (1-0) @ Lions (0-1)— Much like St Louis and Rams, lot of negativity around Lions’ squad. Detroit was gashed for 318 rushing yards last week, allowed rookie QB Ryan to average 11.1 yards/attempt- but they have won four of last five home openers. Packers hit road on short work week after solid win over Vikings Monday; Rodgers was 18-22/178 passing in impressive showing, but life on road can be tough. GB is 2-6 vs spread in last eight Week 2 road openers, but they also scored 68 points in winning last two visits here; they’ve won five in row, 13 of last 15 vs. Detroit. Under is 13-5 in Packers’ last 18 road openers.

Bears (1-0) @ Panthers (1-0)— Underdog is now 22-2 vs spread when you combine Carolina home/road openers over last 11+ years; dog covered 11 of their last 12 home openers. Panthers lost last four home openers, three by 10+ points. Both sides had impressive road wins last week, with Bears running ball for 183 yards, converting 10-16 on 3rd down, in easy win at Indy. Only Panther offensive TD was scored on last play of game in dramatic win at Qualcomm—this is second game of Smith’s suspension, so Carolina’s offense still little shorthanded. Chicago held Colts to 4.7 yards/pass attempt last week.

Bills (1-0) @ Jaguars (0-1)—Jax offense very thin on OL after losing three guys last week; they lost at Tennessee despite 18-yard edge in field position, which doesn’t happen much. Buffalo used two special teams TDs to rout Seattle- they lost five of last seven road openers that weren’t in Week 1, scoring 10-3-3 points in losing last three. Jags won nine of last 12 home openers, covered six of last eight as fave in such role. Jax got outrushed 137-33 last week; hard to see that turning around with two OL starters out for extended time. Last four Buffalo road openers stayed under, as did nine of last 13 Jaguar home openers.

Falcons (1-0) @ Bucs (0-1)—Atlanta steamrolled Lions with 318 rushing yards in 34-21 win last week, now visit tough Tampa site for Ryan’s first road start—Falcons lost 11 of last 15 vs Bucs, dropping five of last seven visits here, with only one of losses by less than nine points. Atlanta covered just one of last six road openers that weren’t in Week 1. Tampa had tough loss to Saints in Superdome; they lost four of last six home openers. Last four Falcon road openers stayed under, as did 12 of last 16 Buc home openers. Ryan hit on 62-yard TD pass on first pro throw, was 9-13/156 in debut, but will have to do more than that here.

Patriots (1-0) @ Jets (1-0)—Belichick is 87-24 as head coach with Brady, 41-57 without, and now sees Favre on other sideline as Spygate Rivalry kicks into new gear. Patriots won 12 of last 14 in series, taking last seven series games here (four wins by 10+ points). Both teams held off late challenges in red zone to win last week; Favre averaged 7.2 ypa in Miami, Pats averaged 6.8 vs Chiefs, and had two TD drives of 80+ yards. Jets covered just two of last 16 home openers; Patriots won three of last four road openers. Over is 6-2-2 in last 10 NE road openers, 5-7 in Jets’ last seven Swamp openers. Must-win for the Jets.

49ers (0-1) @ Seahawks (0-1)—Seattle won last five home openers, with four wins by 11+ points, but their WRs are decimated by injury. Seahawks averaged just 3.6 ypa on drizzly day in Buffalo last week, but club from Seattle should be able to play in rain. 49ers lost eight of last ten in series, grtting outscored 47-3 in pair of losses to Hawks LY- they lost four of last five visits here, with three losses by 24+ points. Niners averaged 7.6 ypa last week, but had five turnovers, four in first half, when game was still tied. 49ers are 4-1-1 vs spread in last six road openers. Seattle’s last seven home openers stayed under total.

Dolphins (0-1) @ Cardinals (1-0)—Arizona did what playoff teams do, holding ball for 18 plays, 10:08 after 49ers had closed within 20-13 with 12:05 to play last week. Cards kicked clinching FG to end game and start season 1-0 behind the mistake-free QB Warner (19-30/176 passing), 100 rushing yards by James. Cards won last two home openers in their new dome (34-27/23-20) after losing 15 of previous 18 openers at home, but Arizona is 1-8 vs Miami, winning 24-23 in ’04, only series game in last nine years. Miami threw 43 passes, ran just 17 times last week; they’ll try to balance those numbers in this game.

Chargers (0-1) @ Broncos (1-0)—Merriman wisely decided to have his knee fixed, so he is now out for year for Bolts’ defense, which only gave up one TD last week, but it came on last play of game, giving Carolina an unlikely road win. This makes Week 2 huge for San Diego, since loss puts them two games behind the Broncos (Chargers started 1-3 LY but still won division). San Diego came to Invesco and beat Denver 35-27/41-3 the last two years, after being 1-10 in previous 11 visits here. Broncos won last eight home openers- they looked sharp Monday, but hard to tell if it was them or Raiders’ sheer incompetence.

Steelers (1-0) @ Browns (0-1)—Steelers are 16-3 in series, taking last nine; they’ve won last seven visits here, will face desperate Cleveland team whose season is in dumper if they start with two home losses. Browns gave up 487 yards to Dallas last week (Romo averaged 10 yards/pass attempt), yielding four TDs on just eight drives, including pair of 80+ yard TD drives. Steelers ran ball for 183 yards in easy home win vs Houston- they’ve lost six of last eight road openers, but Pitt’s offense was perfect (35 points/five trips) in red zone last week. Anderson was just 11-24 passing last week; Browns had just 11 first downs.

Monday, September 15

Eagles (1-0) @ Cowboys (1-0)— Both teams cruised last week, this is early showdown to keep up with Giants in NFC East. Eagles are 12-4 in last 16 series games, winning six of last eight here; they covered eight of last nine road openers that weren’t in Week 1- they’re 7-4 vs. spread as dog in their road opener. Home side lost four of last five series games. Dallas is 6-4 vs spread in last ten home openers- Romo was 24-32/320 passing last week, McNabb was 26-39/414. Both sides figure to get more resistance here. Philadelphia’s last five road openers went under the total.

The following game has been moved to Monday
Ravens (1-0) @ Texans (0-1)— First road start for rookie Flacco (15-29/129 passing last week, with 37-yard TD run); Baltimore held Bengals to ocho nuevo (89) passing yards last week, now go on road where they’ve lost six of last seven road openers (eight of last ten stayed under total). Favorite is 4-1 vs spread in Houston home openers, with Texans winning 20-3 LY; their red zone defense got torched for five TDs in five tries by Steelers last week, as Pitt ran ball for 183 yards and started three of ten drives in Texan territory. Ravens won both series meetings by combined total of just five points.

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:18 AM

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 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

8:35 PM BALTIMORE vs. HOUSTON (Moved to Monday)
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

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:19 AM

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** · 09-13-2008, 05:25 AM

Baseball Today

MLB

Saturday, September 13

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Sept. 13

Milwaukee at Philadelphia (3:55 p.m. EDT). Cole Hamels (12-9) and the Phillies try to gain ground on the NL wild-card leaders. Philadelphia trails the Brewers by three games in the wild-card race.

STARS

Friday

— Nate McLouth, Pirates, homered and had a career-high five RBIs in a 10-2 victory over St. Louis.

— Cliff Lee, Indians, allowed four earned runs in 8 1-3 innings of a 12-5 victory over Kansas City to win his eighth straight start and improve to 22-2.

— Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks, pitched eight shutout innings in a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati to become the NL’s first 20-game winner.

— Mike Napoli, Angels, hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Los Angeles to a 5-3 victory against Seattle.

— Hank Blalock and Matt Hairston, Rangers. Blalock hit a homer for the third straight game and Harrison pitched a five-hitter for his first career shutout and complete game in a 7-0 victory at Oakland.

— James Loney, Dodgers, had two hits and three RBIs in a 7-2 victory over Colorado.

— Tim Wakefield, Red Sox, allowed three hits and struck out four in eight innings of a 7-0 victory over Toronto.

SOGGY

Storm systems throughout the country wreaked havoc on the baseball schedule, postponing six games Friday night and creating a weekend full of doubleheaders. It was the most major league postponements in one day since six games were wiped out on April 15, 2007. Prior to that, there hadn’t been that many since April 12, 1997, when eight games were postponed, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The weather also set up an unusually full slate of games for Saturday. If the schedule holds, there will be 12 games in the American League for the first time since Aug. 8, 1985, and 20 games in the majors for the first time since Aug. 4, 1974, according to Elias.

INFIELD SLUGGERS

Jorge Cantu hit his 25th homer in Florida’s 2-1 victory over Washington on Friday night, making the Marlins the first team in Major League history to have four infielders hit at least 25. Mike Jacobs (32), Dan Uggla (30), Hanley Ramirez (29) and Cantu have accounted for 116 of the Marlins 188 homers this season.

UNBEATABLE

Cliff Lee won his 11th straight decision and moved a remarkable 20 games over .500 with his 22nd victory, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 12-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Unbeaten in 12 starts since July 11, Lee (22-2) allowed four earned runs in 8 1-3 innings to win his eighth straight start. He’s 5-0 in five outings against Kansas City. Lee’s 11-game winning streak is the longest by an Indians pitcher since Gaylord Perry won 15 in a row in 1974.

STUCK AT 57

Los Angeles closer Francisco Rodriguez remained tied with Bobby Thigpen for the single-season record of 57 saves one day after tying mark the former White Sox closer set in 1990. Rodriguez still has 15 games remaining to break and extend the record.

SETTLING UP

The Arizona Diamondbacks sent pitcher Micah Owings to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday to complete the August trade for slugger Adam Dunn. Owings did fine at the plate this season, hitting .288 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs in 22 games with the Diamondbacks. But the 25-year-old struggled on the mound, going 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA and was sent down to Triple-A Tucson on July 29.

SIDELINED

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips had two pins inserted into his broken right index finger on Friday and will be evaluated in four to six weeks. Phillips broke the finger on a bunt attempt in the 11th inning of Tuesday’s 5-4 win at Milwaukee. … Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter will miss the rest of the 2008 season because of continued weakness from a muscle strain in his pitching shoulder. Carpenter last pitched in relief at Arizona on Sept. 2. After missing almost all of 2007 following Tommy John surgery, Carpenter didn’t make his season debut until July 30. The 2005 Cy Young Award winner finished 0-1 with a 1.76 ERA in four appearances, making three starts. … Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny will miss the rest of the season because of an injury to his left middle finger. Gorzelanny, who went 6-9 with a 6.66 ERA in 21 starts, left his outing against Houston in the third inning Wednesday night with an irritation in his finger.

RARE

Jake Peavy allowed five runs and a season-high 11 hits in eight innings of San Diego’s 5-2 loss to San Francisco on Friday night. It was the first time in 14 home starts that Peavy (9-11) allowed more than three earned runs.

BOUNCING BACK

Tim Wakefield pitched eight innings of shutout ball to bounce back from his shortest start in 15 years to help the Boston Red Sox stop their AL East slide with a 7-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Four days after lasting just 1 2-3 innings against Texas, the 42-year-old knuckleballer allowed three hits and walked none while striking out four. Kevin Cash hit a three-run homer, David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie each drove in a pair of runs to help the Red Sox pull to two games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.

SPEAKING

“I got it done and it’s a great thing, too, that we won. When they look back a hundred years from now we’re the first team to do it.”—Florida’s Jorge Cantu, after hitting his 25th home run in a 2-1 victory over Washington on Friday night, making the Marlins the first team in baseball history to have four infielders hit at least 25 homers.

SEASONS

Sept. 13

1925—Brooklyn’s Dazzy Vance threw a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of a doubleheader to give the Dodgers a 10-1 win.

1932—The New York Yankees beat Cleveland 9-3 and clinched the American League pennant. Joe McCarthy became the first manager to win flags in both leagues.

1936—Bob Feller, 17, beat the Philadelphia A’s 5-2 on two hits. The Cleveland youngster fanned 17 batters for an American League record.

1965—Willie Mays hit his 500th career home run off Houston’s Don Nottebart in a 5-1 San Francisco victory.

1971—Frank Robinson hit his 500th career home run off Detroit’s Fred Scherman. The ninth-inning shot gave the Baltimore Orioles a split in a doubleheader against the Tigers.

1978—The New York Yankees beat the Tigers 7-3 at Detroit to move into sole possession of first place for the first time after being 14 games out on July 19.

1986—Texas hit a club record seven home runs, including two each by Darrell Porter and Ruben Sierra, as the Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins 14-1. The Rangers rocked starter Bert Blyleven for five home runs, raising his season total to 44 and breaking an American League record.

1995—Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, the middle infield of the Detroit Tigers, set an American League record when they played in their 1,915th game together.

2004—Eric Chavez singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning, leading Oakland to a wild 7-6 win over the Rangers in a game that was delayed in the ninth after Texas reliever Frank Francisco hurled a chair and hit two fans. Texas reliever Doug Brocail was screaming at a male fan and had to be restrained by his teammates and bullpen coach Mark Connor. Francisco then tossed a chair at a fan in a lower box to the left of the Rangers’ bullpen along the right-field line. The chair hit a man in the head and broke a woman’s nose.

2006—Gary Matthews Jr. hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats of Texas’ 11-3 victory at Detroit.

Today’s birthdays: Andy LaRoche 25; Rickie Weeks 26; Daisuke Matsuzaka 28.

LATE HEADLINES
MLB Lee moves to 22-2, Indians beat Royals
Storms wreak havoc on baseball schedule
Loney helps surging Dodgers beat Rockies
Cantu's record HR helps Marlins top Nats
Harrison's 5-hitter leads Rangers by A's
Webb wins 20th, Arizona ends 6-game skid
Red Sox roll, now 2 out in AL East race
Napoli's HR in 9th lifts Angels over M's
McLouth has 5 RBIs as Bucs rout Cards
Cards' Carpenter to miss rest of season

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:32 AM

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB

Saturday, September 13

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Trend Sheet
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12:35 PM TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Boston
Toronto is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
Boston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games

1:05 PM KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
Kansas City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City

1:05 PM TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
Tampa Bay is 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Tampa Bay is 0-4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games
NY Yankees are 2-4-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

3:55 PM ATLANTA vs. NY METS
Atlanta is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
Atlanta is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
NY Mets are 5-0-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
NY Mets are 7-2-1 SU in its last 10 games

3:55 PM DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 2-4-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games
Chi White Sox are 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games at home

3:55 PM MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Milwaukee is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 17-7-1 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Philadelphia is 18-6-1 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Philadelphia is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games

4:05 PM TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

7:05 PM CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

7:05 PM KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
Kansas City is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Cleveland
Kansas City is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 17-7-1 SU in its last 25 games
Cleveland is 4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

7:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. BALTIMORE
Minnesota is 10-2-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Baltimore
Minnesota is 6-0-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-10-1 SU in its last 13 games
Baltimore is 3-9-1 SU in its last 13 games at home

7:05 PM ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

7:05 PM TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Toronto is 11-2-1 SU in its last 14 games
Boston is 12-5-1 SU in its last 18 games
Boston is 13-5-1 SU in its last 19 games at home

7:10 PM WASHINGTON vs. FLORIDA
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
Washington is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

8:05 PM LA DODGERS vs. COLORADO
LA Dodgers are 4-9 SU in their last 13 games when playing on the road against Colorado
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:10 PM CINCINNATI vs. ARIZONA
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Cincinnati

9:05 PM SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 5-16 SU in their last 21 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games

10:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. SAN DIEGO
San Francisco is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Diego is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:33 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

We will update when projected scores are available.

Saturday, September 13

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Tips and Trends
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Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Brewers: After really struggling earlier in the year, Dave Bush has found his groove over the last month. In his last 10 starts, Bush has allowed two runs or less six times. However, Bush hasn’t had much success on the road, going 3-6 with a 5.32 ERA. He’s had even less success against the Phillies. In five career starts versus Philly, Bush has yet to factor into a decision but his ERA is a lofty 6.18. Bush’s last two road starts have come in UNDER the total.

Brewers are 5-1 in their last 6 during Game 3 of a series.
Brewers are 6-2 in Bush's last 8 Saturday starts. OF Gabe Key

Injuries - Kapler (shoulder) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Phillies (NA): Joe Blanton has an amazing eight no-decisions in his last 10 starts. One of the reasons for that is Blanton hasn’t pitched great, allowing four runs or more five times over that span. In his last two starts, Blanton has given up eight runs in just nine innings of work. Pitching for the A’s and Phillies, Blanton has gone just 3-9 at home with an ERA of 4.49. However, three of Blanton’s last four home starts have gone UNDER.

Phillies are 10-3 in their last 13 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
The OVER is 7-3 in Philly's last 10 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Braves: Jo-Jo Reyes has been a train wreck for the Braves. Atlanta has lost the last 10 games that Reyes has started and he hasn’t recorded a win since June 18. Ouch. Over his last 10 starts, Reyes has allowed four runs or more six times. He’s been awful at home, going 2-5 with a 6.41 ERA. Not surprisingly, there tends to be a lot of runs scored when Reyes pitches. The OVER is 5-1 in his last six starts.

Braves are 0-5 in Reyes' last 5 road starts.
The OVER is 4-0 in Reyes' last 4 starts vs. NL East.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Mets (NA): Pedro Martinez hasn’t fared well in his last four starts, allowing 17 runs in just 22 innings of work. Martinez has struggled at Shea Stadium, going just 1-3 with a 4.62 ERA. Pedro has faced the Braves 22 times in his career, compiling a record of 11-9 to go along with a solid 3.61 ERA. Martinez was hit pretty hard his last time out against Atlanta, allowing seven hits and four runs over seven innings.

Mets are 5-16 in Martinez's last 21 starts with 5 days of rest.
The UNDER is 5-1 in Martinez's last 6 starts in Game 2 of a series.

Key Injuries - C Ramon Castro (ankle) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Tigers: Kenny Rogers has lost three straight games and seven of his last eight overall. The Gambler has been particularly bad in his last three starts, giving up a whopping 24 hits and 19 runs in just 14 innings of work. Rogers has had a good career against the White Sox, going 16-10 with a 4.30 ERA. The OVER has been the play of late with Rogers on the mound. The OVER is 3-1 in his last four starts.

Tigers are 1-4 in Rogers' last 5 starts vs. AL Central.
The UNDER is 7-3 in Rogers' last 10 road starts.

Key Injuries - 1B Carlos Guillen (back) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

White Sox (NA): Javier Vazquez is 1-1 in his last two starts but he’s pitched pretty well over that span. In his last 12 innings pitched, Vazquez has allowed just four runs. He’s been pretty average at home this year, going 6-6 with a 4.12 ERA. However, teams are only hitting .235 against Vazquez at US Cellular Field. The OVER is 4-0 in Vazquez’s last four starts.

White Sox are 10-2 in their last 12 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
White Sox are 7-1 in Vazquez's last 8 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

Key Injuries - 1B Paul Konerko (knee) is OUT.
3B Joe Crede (back) is OUT.
OF Carlos Quentin (wrist) is OUT

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 09-13-2008, 05:34 AM

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Saturday, September 13

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Saturday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (9-3, 2.85)

Wainwright is 2-0 and has a solid 1.86 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in his last three starts and has relinquished more than two earned runs just three times in his last 10 overall.

Wainwright, who cracked the rotation last season, has just two setbacks in his last 10 outings. He also has 14 strikeouts against three walks in his last three and is 3-1 on the road in his last 10 overall.

The Cardinals are 9-3 in their last 12 road games against a club with a losing record and are 49-19 in their last 68 road games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Slumping

Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers (9-13, 5.49)

Rogers has lost three straight and is 1-4 in his last five road starts. He has also surrendered 18 earned runs and four homers in his last 14 IP.

Rogers has struggled on the road, posting a 6-7 record with a shaky 5.57 ERA. He is 0-2 in his last three starts against the division leading Chicago White Sox.

The Tigers are 4-10 in their last 14 on grass and are 1-4 in their last five visits to U.S. Cellular Field.

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Announcement

Saturday Trends and Indexes 9/13

Saturday Trends and Indexes 9/13

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