Announcement

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:20 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, October 10

More NHL teams get their seasons underway on Friday night, while all four teams remaining in the baseball postseason are in action. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

Memphis dropped their first three games of the season, but have since bounced back with consecutive wins over Nicholls State, Arkansas State, and UAB. The Tigers beat the Blazers 33-30 last time out, pushing the 3-point road spread in an OVER result. Louisville was beaten by Connecticut 26-21 last time out, getting tagged with the against-the-spread loss as well. The Cardinals are pegged as 6.5-point road favorites for Friday's contest against the Tigers, with the total for the game sitting at 55.5 points.
Other Notable Events

The Red Sox/Rays ALCS gets started on Friday night, with Game 1 in Tampa Bay. James Shields will start for the Rays; he beat the White Sox in his ALDS appearance, surrendering three earned runs on six hits over 6 1-3 innings of work. Daisuke Matsuzaka will take the mound for the Red Sox in the opener. Dice-K took a no-decision in his ALDS start against the Angels, allowing three earned runs over his five innings.

As well, it's Game 2 of the Dodgers/Phillies series on Friday, with first pitch set for just after 4:30pm ET. Philadelphia will go with Brett Myers in this contest, and he's coming off an NLDS win over the Brewers in which he gave up just two earned runs on two hits over seven innings of work. Chad Billingsley will get the start for the Dodgers, and he beat the Cubs in the NLDS by giving up just one earned run over 6 2-3 innings pitched.

The Rest of the Schedule

The Chicago Blackhawks are still in a rebuild phase, but they're hoping their young core led by forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is good enough to get them back into playoff contention this season. The Hawks will begin their 2008/09 campaign on Friday night, when they play on the road against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

There are six other games on the NHL's schedule for Friday, including the Islanders at New Jersey, Florida at Carolina, Washington at Atlanta, Nashville at St. Louis, and Columbus at Dallas. As well, the Montreal Canadiens will start the defense of their Northeast Division title on the road on Friday night when they play the Buffalo Sabres.

Also, there are two Canadian Football League games on Friday - Winnipeg is a 6-point home favorite against Toronto, and B.C. is favored by 5 at home against Edmonton.

News from the Wire

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady finally had his knee surgery this week . . . Panthers wide receiver D.J. Hackett will sit out this weekend with a knee injury . . . Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov could be out for another month as he re**** from his hip injury . . . Blue Jackets goaltenders Pascal Leclaire is recovered enough from his sprained ankle to start Friday . . . Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is back with the team.

A Peek at the Future

Saturday's schedule is highlighted by the college football clash between No. 5 Texas and No. 1 Oklahoma. The Sooners are pegged as 7-point favorites in that game, with the total listed at 57.5 points . . .the Sprint Cup Series returns to the track on Saturday night, with the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards is listed as the 5/1 Vegas favorite to win that race, with standings leader Jimmie Johnson at 7/1.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:20 AM

Six-pack for Friday

Six states with the biggest budget shortfalls this year..........thanks to Business Week for this knowledge.

1) California-- $22.2B (22%)-- May have to borrow $7B from the federal government to cover its operating costs.

2) Arizona-- $2B (19.9%)-- Hit especially hard by subprime crash.

3) Florida-- $5.1B (19.9%)-- Housing slump is worst in country.

4) Nevada-- $1.2B (16%)-- Worst foreclosure rate in the country.

5) Rhode Island-- $430M (13.1%)-- Economy weakened by the weakening housing market.

6) New York-- $5.5B (9.8%)-- Cut health insurance programs for low-income families, have frozen hiring.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:21 AM

Friday's List of 13: Random thoughts, stats for a football Friday

13) How is Clemson 1-3 vs D-I opponents; aren't they a lot better than this? Wake Forest's Jim Grobe is once again out-foxing his ACC rivals, beating the more talented Tigers 12-7 Thursday night.

12) Jacksonville Jaguars are 15-5-1 vs spread in their last 21 games as a road underdog. Jags are in Denver this Sunday.

11) Thirty years ago, Larry Bowa was a beloved Philly shortstop, Davey Lopes was the Dodgers' leadoff hitter. Now, Bowa coaches third for the Dodgers, after having managed the Phillies, while Lopes coaches first for Philly, Go figure.

10) Ravens covered just one of their last nine road games; they're at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Sunday.

9) Back in 1980, BYU's Danny Ainge (now the Celtics' GM) hit a short runner in the lane as time ran out, giving BYU a buzzer-beating win over Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament. I won $80 in NCAA pool in college the year of Ainge's shot, and the BYU win was a big reason why. The player he hit the shot over was Orlando Woolridge, whose son is now a freshman hoop recruit at Tennessee, and also an accomplished rap singer. Now I feel really, really old.

8) Jets covered their last six post-bye games, and Favre wasn't the quarterback for any of those games.

7) The Original Six NHL teams (Bruins-Rangers-Canadiens-Maple Leafs-Red Wings-Blackhawks) haven't all made the playoffs in same season since the spring of 1996. The last Stanley Cup finals with two Original Six teams was back in 1979 (Rangers-Canadiens).

6) Speaking of Chicago, they're televising all 82 regular season games for the first time ever. Hopes are running high for a team that made it to playoffs just once in last decade.

5) Lions covered four of their last 18 games as a road underdog.

4) One of my two friends named Scott asked me to point out that on the last day of the season, Derek Jeter sat out a twinbill in Boston, to preserve his .300 batting average for the season. Scott didn't think this was the right thing to do, considering that Ted Williams once hit .400 for a season, after playing both games of a twinbill on last day of the season, going 6-9. Thats coming from a Bronx fan, not me.

3) Packers covered nine of their last twelve road games, but keep in mind Favre was the quarterback for most of those games.

2) Saints covered just five of last 17 tries as a home favorite.

1) Is there any way the government can put together a panel of five or six of the smartest financial people in the country, and figure out the best way to snap out of this financial slump? Is this possible, or is it something that simply has to run its course?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:24 AM

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 16

Note: If the CFL long sheet is updated, we will re-post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, October 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (4 - 10) at WINNIPEG (5 - 9) - 10/10/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-5 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-5 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDMONTON (8 - 6) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (9 - 5) - 10/10/2008, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 5-3 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-2 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, October 13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAMILTON (3 - 11) at MONTREAL (9 - 5) - 10/13/2008, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games when playing with 8 days rest since 1996.
MONTREAL is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games in October games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 5-4 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 8-1 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SASKATCHEWAN (9 - 5) at CALGARY (9 - 5) - 10/13/2008, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 53-32 ATS (+17.8 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 125-94 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 125-94 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all lined games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 84-51 ATS (+27.9 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 41-24 ATS (+14.6 Units) in road games versus division opponents since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-5 against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 7-4 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:25 AM

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up

Week 16 CFL games

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 10

Toronto (4-10) @ Winnipeg (5-9)-- Argos lost five in row by an average score of 39-12; they're 1-7 since beating Bombers 18-11 back in Week 6, and also lost 39-9 at home to Winnipeg four weeks ago. Bombers had a three-game win streak snapped in Edmonton 36-22 last week. Argos are 1-7 vs spread in last eight games as underdog. Six of last nine Winnipeg games and last four Argonaut games stayed under total.

Edmonton (8-6) @ BCLions (9-5)-- Home team won both games in this series, with Eskimos winning 35-24 in Week 6, then losing 40-34 a week later. Edmonton is 2-5 on road, 1-5 as road dog, losing by 21-4-6-36-7 points. Lions won last five games (4-1 vs spread), winning last couple games by combined score of 73-20- they're 3-4 as home favorite, with home wins by 9-2-6-5-30 points. Last six BC games stayed under total.

Monday, October 13

Hamilton (3-11) @ Montreal (9-5)-- TiCats stunned Alouettes 44-38 in Hamilton last week, snapping six-game losing skid- both teams had 400+ passing yards in game. Montreal won its last five home games, winning by 7-5-26-36-25 points, covering last three. Als won season opener at Hamilton 33-10, so this is TiCats' first visit to Montreal this year. Over is 9-4 in Hamilton's last thirteen games.

Saskatchewan (9-5) @ Calgary (9-5)-- Winner here stays tied for first in West, loser could be in last; road team won first two series meetings, as Roughriders won 22-21 in Calgary in Week 6, and Stampeders won next week 30-25 at Taylor Field- last week, Roughriders won 37-34 at home, snapping Calgary's four-game win streak. Over is 6-2 in Stampeders' last eight games, 3-7 in last ten Saskatchewan contests. Riders are 3-5 in last eight games after a 6-0 start.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:28 AM

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Trends Sheet

Week 16

Friday, October 10

7:30 PM TORONTO vs. WINNIPEG
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Toronto is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games
Winnipeg is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games

10:30 PM EDMONTON vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
British Columbia is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
British Columbia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Edmonton

Monday, October 13

1:00 PM HAMILTON vs. MONTREAL
Hamilton is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Hamilton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Montreal is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Montreal is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Hamilton

4:30 PM SASKATCHEWAN vs. CALGARY
Saskatchewan is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Saskatchewan is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Calgary's last 7 games when playing Saskatchewan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:29 AM

Canadian Football League – Previews and Picks

CFL
Previews and Picks

CFL games – Week 16

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previews and Picks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 10

Toronto Argonauts (4-10) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-9) (Winnipeg -6)

Both teams are in must-win situations since both can still nourish playoff hopes despite losing records.

The winner will take a serious option on second place and if the Argos win this one, they will get the advantage for the tie-breaker should they finish the season even with the Blue Bombers.

These teams already met twice this season with Winnipeg winning 39-9 in Toronto a month ago and the Argos picking up a 19-11 win in August. Toronto, who lost five in a row, is still winless since Don Matthews took over. Last week, the Argos lost 24-20 to the B.C. Lions while the Blue Bombers were beaten 36-20 by the Edmonton Eskimos.

Pick: Winnipeg

Edmonton Eskimos (8-6) at B.C. Lions (9-5) (B.C. -5)

The absence of a solid rushing game could become a serious handicap for the Edmonton Eskimos in this game at B.C. Place, although quarterback Ricky Ray keeps being impressive.

Last week he completed 28 of 38 pass attempts for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Fourth-round pick Calvin McCarthy has some success last week in his CFL debut with a 4.6 yards average per carry but it remains to be seen how efficient the young running back will be in the long term.

So it comes as no surprise to read that the Eskimos are in the hunt for running back Jesse Lumsden of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This is the third showdown this season between these two team, each having won a game: B.C. won at home two months ago 40-34 but lost 35-24 to the Eskimos in Edmonton a week earlier. The Lions will hold onto first place.

Pick: B.C.

Monday, October 13

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-11) at Montreal Alouettes (9-5) (Montreal -12.5)

The Tiger-Cats stunned the Montreal Alouettes last week at Ivor Wynne Stadium but it would be surprising to see them create another upset on Canadian Thanksgiving.

That said, the Als should not - and most likely won’t - take the Ti-Cats lightly. Offensive player of the week Quinton Porter did go 27 for 32 for 429 yards with five touchdowns to lead them to victory on Sunday. Incredibly, Anthony Calvillo, completed 44 of the 53 passes he attempted for 472 yards and four touchdowns in that loss.

Montreal coach Marc Trestman warned everyone last week, this Hamilton team has a stout defense that, despite a losing record, now stands third in interceptions with 16, the best in that category in the East Division.

Seven of these interceptions are credited to Chris Thompson, a native of New Orleans. Only B.C.’s Barron Miles, with eight, has more interceptions in the CFL.

The Tiger-Cats are coming into Montreal with playoff hopes but we wouldn’t bet on them sweeping this home-and-away series.

Pick: Montreal

Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) at Calgary Stampeders (9-5) (Calgary -6.5)

Calgary and the Riders are meeting for the third time this season. The Stampeders won the first contest last July in Regina but lost 37-34 last weekend.

Michael Bishop completed 20 of the 27 passes he attempted for 242 yards with a touchdown while Neal Hughes ran for two more scores. Henry Burris led the Stampeders offense with 29 passes completed out of 45 attempts and 311 yards gained through the air with a pair of touchdowns.

The struggling Roughriders will welcome running back Wes Cates back to the lineup and he will definitely be a factor. We doubt it will be enough against the powerful Stampeders, though.

Pick: Calgary

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:31 AM

Major League Baseball – Long Sheet

MLB
Long Sheet

American League Championship Series

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 10

BOSTON (98 - 68) at TAMPA BAY (100 - 66) - 8:35 PM
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 2-11 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome this season.
BOSTON is 6-16 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
BOSTON is 46-47 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 100-66 (+29.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 59-24 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 20-6 (+15.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
TAMPA BAY is 43-29 (+16.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TAMPA BAY is 59-25 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome this season.
TAMPA BAY is 64-44 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 63-30 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
TAMPA BAY is 74-41 (+30.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 60-39 (+15.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TAMPA BAY is 54-36 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SHIELDS is 15-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 15-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played in a dome this season. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 15-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf this season. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 15-4 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 15-3 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 98-68 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 70-47 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 152-100 (+21.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MATSUZAKA is 24-6 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MATSUZAKA is 11-2 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 10-8 (+3.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
9 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-1.4 Units)

DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 2-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 3-5 (-5.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+2.0 units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. BOSTON since 1997
SHIELDS is 2-4 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 5.23 and a WHIP of 1.234.
His team's record is 2-6 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (-0.8 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:31 AM

Major League Baseball - Short Sheet

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, October 10th

American League Championship Series
Best of Seven
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: TBS
Boston at Tampa Bay, 8:35 ET
Daisuke Matsuzaka (R) vs. James Shields (R)

Matsuzaka:
Boston 6-16 on turf
Boston 1-8 at Tampa Bay

Shields:
15-3 TSR at home
15-4 TSR off a win

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:32 AM

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up

Friday, October 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phillies won four of first five playoff games. Myers is 1-2, 10.57 in his last three starts; he is 1-1, 1.93 in two starts against Dodgers this year. Billingsley is 5-0, 3.19 in his last six starts- he lost 5-0 at Philly Aug. 25, giving up three runs in six IP. Over is 5-0-1 in his last six starts.

Tampa Bay was 10-8 vs Boston this year, 8-1 in this building. Shields is 2-0, 3.97 in his last three starts; Rays won 11 of his last 13 home starts. Matsuzaka is 2-1, 3.15 in his last four starts, 1-0, 3.00 in three starts against Rays this season- Boston won his last seven road starts. Under is 9-4-1 in his last 14 starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:33 AM

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB

Friday, October 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:35 PM LA DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers

8:37 PM BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:33 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Friday, October 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies [ FOX | 4:35 PM ET]

Dodgers: Chad Billingsley closed the year out strong and that continued in the Divisional Series against the Cubs. Billingsley only allowed five hits and one run in 6.2 innings of work against Chicago while striking out eight. In three career starts against the Phillies Billingsley is 1-1 with an ERA of 4.00. He was 6-6 on the road this season with a solid 3.33 ERA.

Dodgers are 0-8 in their last 8 vs. NL East.
Dodgers are 5-1 in Billingsley’s last 6 starts.

Key Injuries - OF Andruw Jones (knee) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Phillies (-110, O/U 8.5): Brett Myers got hammered in his last two starts of the regular season but he looked good in his outing against the Brewers in the Divisional Series, allowing just two hits and two runs over seven innings. Myers was tough at home this year, going 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA. He’s 4-2 in his career against LA and totally shut down the Dodgers the last time he faced them, pitching seven scoreless innings.

Phillies are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. NL West.
Phillies are 2-8 in Myers' last 10 starts with 7 or more days of rest.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays [TBS | 8:37 PM ET]

Red Sox: Daisuke Matsuzaka didn’t have his best outing in the Divisional Series against Anaheim but he did enough to get the win, allowing eight hits and three runs over five innings. Matsuzaka is the epitome of a road warrior, going 9-0 away from home this season with a stellar 2.37 ERA. In his career against the Rays, Dice-K is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.75.

Red Sox are 5-0 in their last 5 playoff road games.
Red Sox are 1-9 in the last 10 meetings in Tampa Bay.

Key Injuries - 3B Mike Lowell (back) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

Rays (-115, O/U 8): James Shields closed the regular season winning two straight, and he carried that over to the postseason, earning a win over the White Sox in the Divisional Series. In that game Shields went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs and striking out four. Shields was a strong 9-2 at home this season but he’s just 2-4 in his career against Boston with an unimpressive 5.23 ERA.

Rays are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. AL East.
Rays are 2-6 in Shields' last 8 starts vs. Red Sox.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:36 AM

Major League Baseball – Hot lines

MLB

Friday, October 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: ALCS - Series Preview / Pick
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALCS - Friday, October 10

Red Sox vs. Rays: Series preview and pick

Boston Red Sox (-123) versus Tampa Bay Rays (+113)

Well, there was no reason to expect the public to start respecting the Rays now, and they didn’t. Tampa Bay is the first team with home-field advantage to be an underdog in these playoffs.

This line isn’t as unreasonable as it would seem from just looking at the teams’ two regular season records (the Rays won two additional games) since Boston’s run differential was actually 48 runs better than Tampa Bay’s.

But run differential doesn’t tell the whole story either, since the Red Sox come into the series with ace Josh Beckett banged up, and third baseman Mike Lowell not even on the ALCS roster.

The reason Boston is favored doesn’t have much to do with anything in the last two things mentioned. It’s because of the names and histories of the two teams; the Red Sox have shed the “losers” label by winning two titles over the last four seasons, while the Rays had never won 70 games prior to this year. The perception may have changed significantly since the spring, but it’s hard to do a complete 180 in just a few months.

This can most clearly be seen in the Game 1 line, with the Rays, playing at home with their ace on the mound, barely favored (-110/+102).

Daisuke Matsuzaka, may have the name recognition, and the impressive win-loss record (18-2), but Jamie Shields is simply a better pitcher. Matsuzaka has slightly better strikeout and groundball rates, but his walk rate of 5.1 BB/9 is three times as high as Shields.

There will probably be significant value in most of Tampa Bay’s game lines this series, but Friday night’s game may be the best opportunity to bet on them because Matsuzaka is about as overrated as it gets.

Overall, like the NLCS, this is a pretty evenly matched series. The Red Sox are better (even after the injuries), while the Rays have the extra game at home.

At these odds, I’d definitely take Tampa Bay, and even without them I think the Rays take it in 7.

Pick: Rays

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-10-2008, 05:38 AM

This Day in MLB

MLB

Friday, October 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This day in Baseball….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On October 10 in Baseball History...

1904 - Boston clinched the pennant on the last day of the season when Jack Ches_bro of the New York Highlanders threw a wild pitch in the ninth to allow the winning run to score from third. The Red Sox won 3-2 in the doubleheader opener.

1906 - Ed Reulbach's no-hit bid is broken by Jiggs Donahue's single in the seventh, but the Cubs beat the White Sox, 7-1. The next World Series one-hitter will come in 1945, by another Cub: Claude Passeau.

1920 - The Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-1 in the fifth game of the World Series. For the Indians, Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam and Jim Bagby, the winner, hit the first Series homer by a pitcher.

1923 - It's an all-New York World Series for the third straight year. A 4-4 tie is broken in the top of the ninth by the Giants. Casey Stengel's inside-the-park home run is the first World Series homer at Yankee Stadium. It is the first World Series to be broadcast on a nationwide radio network.

1924 - The Washington Senators won their only championship by defeating the Giants 4-3 in 12 innings. The winning run scored when a ball hit by Earl McNeely bounced over third baseman Fred Lindstrom's head.

1926 - Grover Alexander, 39, saved Game 7 and the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, fanning Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and pitching 2 1/3 hitless innings.

1931 - The Philadelphia Athletics rally for two runs and have two runners on base with two outs in the ninth when Cardinals reliever Bill Hallahan gets the final out for the 4-2 win in Game Seven. The A's are denied their third consecutive World Championship.

1937 - Lefty Gomez knocks in the winning run in the 4-2 clincher in Game Five against the Giants. It is his record fifth World Series win without a loss. Another record comes when the Yankees complete the Series without an error.

1945 - The Tigers score five runs in the first inning of Game Seven and rout the Cubs 9-3 behind Hal Newhouser, who strikes out 10 to win the World Series.

1951 - Hank Bauer's bases-loaded triple in Game Six propels the Yankees to a 4-3 win and their third straight Series victory.

1956 - Johnny Kucks sets down Brooklyn, 9-0, as the Yankees win the World Series in seven games. Yogi Berra hits a pair of two-run home runs and Bill Skowron hits a grand slam. It's the seventh and final time Brooklyn and the Yankees meet in the Series. In the future, it will take a jet, not a subway, to get these two teams together.

1957 - Lew Burdette's third victory of the World Series, a 5-0 decision over the New York Yankees, gave the Milwaukee Braves the championship.

1964 - Jim Bouton and Curt Simmons battle to a 1-1 tie through eight innings in Game Three. Mickey Mantle homers on Barney Schultz's first pitch in the ninth, and the Yankees win, 2-1.

1968 - Mickey Lolich won the World Series for the Detroit Tigers by defeating Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in Game 7. It was Lolich's third win and came after the Tigers had lost three of the first four games.

1973 - Tom Seaver hurls the Mets into the World Series for the second time in four years with a 7-2 victory over the Reds in Game Five of the NLCS.

1978 - Davey Lopes collects two home runs and five RBI to lead the Dodgers to an 11-5 victory over the Yankees in the first game of the World Series.

1979 - The Orioles score five runs in the first inning of the World Series, then hang on to defeat the Pirates 5-4.

1980 - Kansas City's George Brett hit an upper deck three-run homer off relief ace Goose Gossage to give the Kansas City Royals a 4-2 victory and a three-game sweep of New York Yankees in the ALCS.

1982 - The Brewers complete their comeback from a 2-0 ALCS deficit by edging the Angels 4-3, to earn their first-ever trip to the World Series. Angels outfielder Fred Lynn bats .611 for the series and is named MVP in a losing cause.

1987 - Jeffrey Leonard homered for the fourth straight game as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2, tying the NLCS at two games apiece.

1990 - The Oakland Athletics swept the Boston Red Sox for the American League pennant and their third straight trip to the World Series with a 3-1 victory. MVP Dave Stewart won for the eighth straight time in head-to-head matchups with Roger Clemens, who was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Terry Cooney.

1996 - Gary Gaetti hits a grand slam off Greg Maddux to lead the Cardinals to an 8-3 win over the Braves and a tie of the NLCS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 10/10 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 10/10 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment