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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:37 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, August 13

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Tiger Woods takes the course at the PGA Championship, while the NFL begins its first full week of preseason matchups.

Doing battle on the gridiron . . .

Week 1 of the NFL's preseason schedule gets going on Thursday night, with Washington at Baltimore (-3), Dallas at Oakland (-2), Arizona at Pittsburgh (-3), and New England at Philadelphia (-3). With top players only expected to be on the field sparingly this early in the exhibition slate it'll be mostly second and third stringers deciding the outcomes. For the Pats, though, it should mean a (brief) return to action for Tom Brady as he completes his recovery from knee surgery.

Colliding in the Junior Circuit . . .

There are just four games on the American League schedule for Thursday, with Texas at Cleveland, Kansas City at Minnesota, the Yankees at Seattle, and Detroit at Boston. Justin Verlander (12-6, 3.45 ERA) is slated to start for the Tigers on Thursday; the righthander lost to the Twins last time out, allowing five runs in six innings. Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.33 ERA) gets the ball for the BoSox; the righthander fell to the Yankees last time out, allowing two runs in six innings.

Clashing in the Senior Circuit . . .

The NL offers up five games on Thursday, with San Diego at Milwaukee, Pittsburgh at Colorado, Washington at Cincinnati, Houston at Florida, and Philadelphia at the Cubs. Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.13 ERA in the NL) will be gunning for his sixth straight win overall; the lefthander has given up two runs over his 16 innings with the Phillies. The Cubs will counter with Ryan Dempster (6-5, 4.04 ERA), who beat the Rockies last time out despite allowing five runs in six innings.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Tiger Woods will get his fourth and final chance at a major title in 2009 this week when he hits the links at Hazeltine in Minnesota for the PGA Championship. Vegas oddsmakers have Woods listed as a big 9/5 favorite to grab the trophy this week, with Phil Mickelson his nearest competitor on that list at 12/1 odds. Jim Furyk is the third favorite at 20/1, with each of Kenny Perry, Lee Westwood, Geoff Ogilvy, Anthony Kim, and Sergio Garcia listed at 25/1 odds for the tourney.

There's one game on the Canadian Football League schedule for Thursday, with Calgary at Edmonton. Both the Stampeders and the Eskimos have posted 3-3 straight-up records through the first six weeks of the season, and they're both at 2-4 against-the-spread. The oddsmakers have given the slight edge to the Eskimos at home against their rival for Thursday night, as they've been pegged as 1-point faves. The total for the Western Division clash is sitting at 59.5 points.

Finally, there are four games on the WNBA's schedule for Thursday, with Seattle at Connecticut, Detroit at Atlanta, San Antonio at Phoenix, and Indiana at Minnesota. The league-leading Fever will be looking to bounce back from a rare loss, as they fell 75-63 to Los Angeles last time out. Katie Douglas had a team-high 16 points in that defeat for Indiana, which is 17-5 SU and 14-8 ATS so far on the season. Minnesota sits at 11-11 SU and also ATS in their 22 games this year.

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:39 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

-- Tremendous pitching duel out in Seattle, with Buehrle/Hernandez both throwing goose eggs — [Ken Griffey Jr. gets the winning RBI in the 14th, 1-0 Mariners]

-- Tough week for Jim Leyland; his starting pitcher didn't finish second inning in either game the last two nights. Galarraga came up sick in last night's game, after Porcello was ejected Tuesday night.

-- Juan Uribe hit walkoff homer in 10th inning as Giants salvaged last game of their series with the Dodgers, 4-2.

-- Jimenez blanked Pittsburgh; Colorado holds onto Wild Card lead.

-- Angels scored 24 runs in their last three games after getting shut out by the Rangers Sunday. Halos lead Texas by five games in AL West.

--Pedro Martinez won his return to the big leagues, 12-5 at Wrigley; he threw 99 pitches, allowed seven hits on 15 balls in play in his five innings. Hard to tell how good he was, he got so much support.

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Thursday's List of 13: Random knowledge on the NFL............

13) Seven of the last eight Super Bowl losers missed the playoffs in the next season, which puts Arizona's '09 season under a microscope.

12) Amongst current coaches, Jack Del Rio (18-6), John Fox (18-10) have the best record in exhibition games.

11) Andy Reid (14-26), Mike McCarthy (4-8) haven't done as well in these meaningless summer games.

10) McCarthy, Gary Kubiak both went over nine of last 12 exhibition games. Some people like to play over in the nationally televised games, figuring the league wouldn't mind higher scoring games to advertise their product on natonal TV.

9) Under is 30-17-1 in Bill Belichick's exhibition games.

8) 49ers have their seventh offensive coordinator in last seven years.

7) There are nine new head coaches in the NFL this season.

6) Houston Texans are 16-16 the last two seasons, despite a turnover margin of -23; if they could break even in turnovers this season, they'll be surprise playoff contenders in the AFC.

5) Tampa Bay won its division in three of last seven years, but fact of the matter is they're just 45-51 since winning the Super Bowl. They're starting over this season, with a new coach and GM. Bucs also have a game in London this season, against the Patriots.

4) Redskins haven't won NFC East since 1999, and haven't made it to the playoffs in consecutive years since 1991-92.

3) Denver's two backup QBs are Chris Simms, Tom Brandstater; you're telling me Michael Vick isn't better than those two??????

2) Dallas Cowboys last won a playoff game in 1996.

1) DirecTV now charges $280 for the NFL Sunday Ticket, in addition to you having to have freakin' DirecTV. How is this legal? I mean, I'd love to get ripped off for $280, because I enjoy the NFL, but because there are wooded areas behind my house, I get lousy reception with the dish, so I have to have digital cable, which is only worse in football season.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:42 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, August 13

New York Yankees at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EDT). CC Sabathia (12-7, 3.76 ERA) starts for the Yankees in the opener of a four-game series.

STARS

Wednesday

-Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners, lined a pinch-hit double off the right-field wall with two outs in the bottom of the 14th to give Seattle a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

-Juan Uribe, Giants, hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th inning to give San Francisco a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-Hunter Pence and Bud Norris, Astros. Pence hit two three-run homers for a career-high six RBIs in a 14-6 victory over Florida, and Norris struck out six in five innings to become the first Houston pitcher to win his first three starts since Roger Clemens won his first seven in 2004.

-Robinson Cano, Yankees, hit a game-ending RBI single in the 11th inning, and also homered in New York's 4-3 victory over Toronto.

-Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez, Phillies, hit three-run homers in an eight-run fourth in support of Pedro Martinez in Philadelphia's 12-5 win over Chicago.

-Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Jason Bay, Red Sox. Beckett pitched seven strong innings for his major league-high 14th win, and Lowell and Bay homered in Boston's 8-2 victory in Detroit.

-Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter, Cardinals. Pujols hit his major league-leading 38th homer, and Carpenter (12-3) won his seventh straight decision, striking out 10 in seven innings in St. Louis' 5-2 win over Cincinnati.

-Adam LaRoche, Braves, homered twice and drew a bases-loaded walk in Atlanta's 6-2 victory over Washington.

-Gary Matthews Jr. and Howie Kendrick, Angels, hit three-run homers in Los Angeles' 10-5 victory over Tampa Bay.

-Landon Powell, Athletics, homered in a four-run fourth inning and Oakland beat Baltimore 6-3 for its third straight series victory.

-Cory Sullivan, Mets, tripled twice in his second game in the leadoff spot and made a nice defensive play in center to help New York beat Arizona 6-4.

-Tommy Hunter and Josh Hamilton, Rangers. Hunter limited Cleveland to six hits in a career-high 7 2-3 innings, and Hamilton had three hits and drove in two runs in Texas' 5-0 victory.

-Joe Crede, Twins, hit a three-run homer in his return to the lineup from a shoulder injury to help Minnesota beat Kansas City 7-1.

-Ubaldo Jimenez and Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies. Jimenez pitched three-hit ball for eight innings, and Gonzalez homered early in Colorado's 8-0 win over Pittsburgh.

START

Pedro Martinez pitched five innings Wednesday night in his return to the majors to help Philadelphia rout Chicago 12-5. The three-time Cy Young Award winner left with a 12-3 lead. It was Martinez's first appearance in the majors since September 2008, while with the New York Mets, also against the Cubs. Martinez threw 99 pitches, allowing seven hits and three runs. He walked one and had five strikeouts.

STATS

The New York Yankees have won nine of their last 10 to move to a season-best 28 games over .500. They're a major league-best 41-18 at home. ... Atlanta has won five straight to improve to 17-9 since the All-Star break.

SUSPENDED

Boston star Kevin Youkilis and Detroit pitcher Rick Porcello were suspended for five games each Wednesday and fined by Major League Baseball, a day after their brawl at Fenway Park. Youkilis began his suspension Wednesday night against Detroit. Porcello appealed, and no penalty will take effect until the process is complete.

SURGERY

Seattle left-hander Erik Bedard is having more surgery on his throwing shoulder, all but ending his season and perhaps his time with the Mariners. Manager Don Wakamatsu said Wednesday that Bedard will have exploratory surgery Friday in Los Angeles with Dr. Lewis Yocum, who removed a cyst from Bedard's shoulder in September. ... Jordan Zimmermann will have reconstructive elbow surgery next week, leaving Washington without its top pitching prospect for at least a year.

SPEAKING

"I promised my dad I would come back and play baseball like he asked me, his last word. Making it back feels like I just took something off my shoulders. The fact that I got a win or whatever is very good, but to actually be able to make it back like I promised my dad I would do, it was probably my best gift. That's for him. This one's for him.'' - Pedro Martinez after pitching five innings Wednesday night in his return to the majors to help Philadelphia rout Chicago 12-5. His father died in July 2008.

SEASONS

Aug. 13

1906 - Jack Taylor of the Chicago Cubs was chased by Brooklyn in the third inning, ending a streak of 187 complete games and 15 relief appearances that Taylor had finished without help.

1910 - The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates played to an 8-8 tie. Each team had 38 at-bats, 13 hits, 12 assists, two errors, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batsman and one passed ball.

1931 - Tony Cuccinello of the Cincinnati Reds had six hits in six at-bats in the first game of a doubleheader at Boston. Cuccinello had a triple, two doubles and three singles to knock in five runs as the Reds won 17-3.

1948 - Satchel Paige, 42, pitched his first major league complete game against the Chicago White Sox. Paige gave up five hits en route to 5-0 Cleveland victory.

1969 - Jim Palmer of the Orioles, plagued by arm trouble the year before, threw an 8-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A's in Baltimore.

1978 - The Baltimore Orioles benefited from the rain-out rule. The Orioles were leading New York 3-0 after six innings but the Yankees scored five runs in the top half of the seventh. Heavy rains ended the game in the bottom half of the inning and the score was reverted to the end of the last completed frame giving the Orioles the triumph. This rule was changed in 1980.

1979 - St. Louis' Lou Brock reached the 3,000-hit plateau with an infield hit off Chicago Cubs pitcher Dennis Lamp. St. Louis won the game 3-2.

2004 - J.T. Snow hit three home runs, had four RBIs, and scored five runs to power the San Francisco Giants to a 16-6 rout of Philadelphia Phillies.

2004 - Kansas City rookies Abraham Nunez and John Buck both hit grand slams to lead the Royals past the Oakland Athletics 10-3. It was the first time in club history the Royals had two grand slams in one game. Buck and Nunez were also the first rookie teammates to hit grand slams in the same game since the rookie rule went into effect in 1957.

2005 - New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera blew his first save since April 6 in a 7-5 win over Texas. Rivera had converted a career-best 31 consecutive saves before allowing Kevin Mench's two-run, game-tying single in the ninth.

2006 - Travis Hafner tied Don Mattingly's single-season grand slam record with his sixth of the year as Cleveland routed Kansas City 13-0.

Today's birthdays: Boone Logan 25; Dallas Braden 26; Will Ohman 32; Jarrod Washburn 35

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:42 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On August 13 in Baseball History...

1906 - The Cubs' Jack Taylor is knocked out by Brooklyn in the third inning, ending a string of 187 complete games and 15 relief appearances in which he finished each game. The record run began June 20, 1901. In ten years he will fail to finish only eight of 286 starts.

1908 - Cy Young Day is celebrated by 20,000 at Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. He pitches briefly against an All-Star team that includes Jack Chesbro, Hal Chase, Willie Keeler, Harry Davis, and George Mullin. The game is interrupted several times for presentations to the great hurler.

1910 - In the most evenly matched game ever played, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn each have eight runs, thirteen hits, 38 at bats, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batter, one passed ball, thirteen assists, 27 putouts, two errors, and use two pitchers.

1922 - New York Yankee Everett Scott nears 1,000 consecutive games played, but it takes an extra effort to keep the streak alive. He spends $40 to hire a car to get to Chicago in time for the game after a train he is on is wrecked.

1931 - Tony Cuccinello of the Cincinnati Reds had six hits in six at-bats against the Braves in Boston. Cuccinello had a triple, two doubles and three singles to knock in five runs as the Reds won 17-3.

1945 - Branch Rickey becomes the principal stockholder of the Dodgers. He and associates Walter O'Malley and John Smith acquire the 50 percent interest of the Ebbets estate for a reported price of $750,000.

1948 - The promise of Satchel Paige on the mound brings 51,013 to Comiskey Park. Paige pitches his first major league shutout as Cleveland wins 5-0.

1962 - Infielder Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (Florida State League) pitches ambidextrously in a relief appearance.

1969 - Jim Palmer of the Orioles, plagued by arm trouble the year before, pitched an 8-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A's in Baltimore.

1978 - The Baltimore Orioles benefited from the rain-out rule. The Orioles were leading New York 3-0 after six innings but the Yankees scored five runs in the top half of the seventh. Heavy rains ended the game in the bottom half of the inning and the score reverted to the end of the last completed frame, giving the Orioles the triumph. This rule was changed in 1980.

1979 - Lou Brock collects his 3,000th career hit, a single off Dennis Lamp, as the Cardinals top the Cubs 3-2.

1987 - The Cardinals outfield sets a major league record by failing to record a single putout in a 4-2, 13-inning win over the Phillies. The 1905 St. Louis Browns, who played an 11-inning game with no outfield putouts, held the previous mark.

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:44 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Thursday, August 13
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SAN DIEGO (48 - 66) at MILWAUKEE (55 - 57) - 2:05 PM
CESAR CARRILLO (R) vs. MANNY PARRA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 111-164 (-48.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 46-89 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 111-164 (-48.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 60-80 (-22.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 13-23 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 22-34 (-16.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 245-284 (-65.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 3-1 (+2.3 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

CESAR CARRILLO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

MANNY PARRA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
PARRA is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (62 - 48) at CHICAGO CUBS (58 - 53) - 2:20 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. RYAN DEMPSTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LEE is 8-14 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 65-38 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 65-38 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 33-16 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 165-121 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-19 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-16 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-12 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-12 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 68-48 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LEE is 20-6 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 1015-1062 (-190.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 546-490 (-104.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 154-197 (-60.7 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 958-978 (-168.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-29 (-7.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-26 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 (+2.2 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

CLIFF LEE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LEE is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DEMPSTER is 3-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.05 and a WHIP of 1.634.
His team's record is 6-7 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-1. (+11.0 units)

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PITTSBURGH (46 - 66) at COLORADO (62 - 51) - 3:10 PM
PAUL MAHOLM (L) vs. JASON MARQUIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 38-86 (-34.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 32-81 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 13-46 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 62-51 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 62-51 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MARQUIS is 18-6 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 49-60 (-20.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MARQUIS is 15-25 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 59-65 (-32.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 27-40 (-30.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 4-3 (-0.3 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. COLORADO since 1997
MAHOLM is 1-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-4 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-5. (-5.2 units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
MARQUIS is 9-6 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.93 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 11-9 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-6. (+3.2 units)

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HOUSTON (55 - 58) at FLORIDA (60 - 53) - 7:10 PM
MIKE HAMPTON (L) vs. SEAN WEST (L)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 60-53 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 57-50 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 100-96 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 24-15 (+11.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 141-133 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 25-15 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 137-131 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 99-95 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 66-71 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-26 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MIKE HAMPTON vs. FLORIDA since 1997
HAMPTON is 9-7 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.522.
His team's record is 11-11 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-8. (+2.9 units)

SEAN WEST vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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WASHINGTON (40 - 73) at CINCINNATI (49 - 63) - 7:10 PM
COLLIN BALESTER (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 40-73 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-31 (-15.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-40 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-70 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 26-54 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 31-55 (-17.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 114-111 (+35.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 8-2 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
WASHINGTON is 89-91 (+20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-42 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 61-62 (-37.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 251-270 (-61.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 80-107 (-26.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 53-65 (-18.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

COLLIN BALESTER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
BALESTER is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
ARROYO is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.56 and a WHIP of 1.402.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.7 units)

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TEXAS (62 - 49) at CLEVELAND (49 - 63) - 12:05 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. JEREMY SOWERS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 12-30 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 24-13 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 10-4 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
TEXAS is 62-49 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 64-70 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 61-47 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FELDMAN is 14-6 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 8-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 14-6 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 49-63 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-30 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 70-85 (-32.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 36-52 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 44-56 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 32-49 (-19.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-20 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-1 (+2.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
FELDMAN is 0-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 7.50 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JEREMY SOWERS vs. TEXAS since 1997
SOWERS is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 17.17 and a WHIP of 2.452.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (44 - 68) at MINNESOTA (54 - 58) - 1:10 PM
GIL MECHE (R) vs. CARL PAVANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 44-68 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 39-66 (-21.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 68-104 (-29.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 18-29 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MECHE is 14-28 (-16.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MECHE is 6-19 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 84-52 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-8 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 65-47 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 87-56 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 87-59 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 110-89 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 12-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 26-26 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 54-58 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 4-3 (+2.8 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.5 Units)

GIL MECHE vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MECHE is 8-6 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.53 and a WHIP of 1.390.
His team's record is 10-8 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-7. (+3.1 units)

CARL PAVANO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PAVANO is 1-3 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 8.59 and a WHIP of 1.636.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

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DETROIT (59 - 53) at BOSTON (64 - 48) - 1:35 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. CLAY BUCHHOLZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 133-141 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 23-35 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 17-22 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 126-122 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 87-105 (-34.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-35 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-32 (-18.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 95-45 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-2 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
BOSTON is 152-91 (+29.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 35-43 (-17.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUCHHOLZ is 5-15 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 4-12 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-0 (+5.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. BOSTON since 1997
VERLANDER is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.474.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CLAY BUCHHOLZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
BUCHHOLZ is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 11.25 and a WHIP of 2.750.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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NY YANKEES (70 - 43) at SEATTLE (59 - 54) - 10:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. IAN SNELL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 133-88 (-51.1 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997.
SEATTLE is 59-54 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 29-21 (+7.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 12-7 (+14.9 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +175 to +200 since 1997.
SEATTLE is 56-50 (+7.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 78-109 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SNELL is 3-13 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-2 (+0.6 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SABATHIA is 5-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.39 and a WHIP of 1.376.
His team's record is 7-6 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.8 units)

IAN SNELL vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:46 AM

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, August 13

Hot Pitchers
-- Parra is 4-0, 5.34 in his last five starts; Brewers are 1-11 in his starts when they give Parra less than six runs.
-- Lee is 2-0, 1.13 in two starts for Philadelphia.
-- Washington won all three Balester starts (1-0, 5.06) scoring 20 runs.

-- Sowers is 2-0, 1.80 in his last three starts. Rangers won seven of last nine Feldman starts.
-- Pavano is 2-0, 0.60 in his last two starts.
-- Sabathia is 4-1, 3.78 in his last five starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Carrillo was 8-4, 4.24 in 20 AA starts, then got called up to Portland and was 0-2, 6.19 in three AAA outings.
-- Dempster has a 6.28 RA in his last five starts.
-- Marquis is 0-2, 5.21 in his last three starts. Maholm is 0-2, 7.13 in his last four starts.
-- West is 0-2, 8.53 in his last four starts. Hampton is 2-4, 10.08 in his last six starts.
-- Arroyo is 0-3, 4.91 in his last four starts.

-- Meche was 0-4, 9.89 in his last five starts before going on the DL.
-- Verlander has a 6.00 RA in his last three starts. Buchholz is 0-2, 6.52 in his last four starts.
-- Snell is 0-1, 6.14 in two starts for Seattle.

Hot Teams
-- Marlins won five of their last six games.
-- Nationals won eight of their last ten games, but lost last two.
-- Padres won 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Colorado won nine of its last thirteen games.

-- Indians won seven of their last ten games.
-- Bronx Bombers are 20-6 since the All-Star break.
-- Red Sox won their last three games, scoring 21 runs.
-- Seattle won six of its last eight home games.

Cold Teams
-- Astros are 6-11 in their last seventeen games.
-- Reds lost 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last seven games. Phillies are 5-8 in their last 13 games, but won the last two.
-- Pirates lost 18 of their last 22 road games.
-- Brewers are 5-11 in their last 16 home games.

-- Rangers are 7-9 in their last sixteen road games.
-- Tigers are 2-12 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Royals lost six of their last eight road games. Twins lost eight of their last eleven games.

Totals
-- Nine of Brewers' last ten home games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine Florida games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-0-2 in Pirates' last seven away games.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in Phillies' last ten road games.
-- 12 of last 15 Washington road games went over the total.

-- Over is 11-5-1 in last seventeen Cleveland games.
-- Last seven games at Fenway Park all went over the total.
-- Under is 15-7-2 in Royals' last 24 road games.
-- Five of last six Bronx games stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:47 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 13

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Trend Report
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12:05 PM
TEXAS vs. CLEVELAND
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

1:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Kansas City is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Minnesota is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Minnesota is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games

1:35 PM
DETROIT vs. BOSTON
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

2:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. MILWAUKEE
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
San Diego is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

2:20 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CHI CUBS
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games
Chi Cubs are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games at home

3:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLORADO
Pittsburgh is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Colorado is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games

7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. FLORIDA
Houston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Florida
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Florida is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CINCINNATI
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Cincinnati's last 13 games at home

10:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
Seattle is 3-11 SU in their last 14 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Seattle's last 10 games when playing NY Yankees

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:49 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 13

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox (+106, 9)

Sometimes a good bench-clearing brawl is all you need to vent frustrations.

Tuesday night, Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis charged the mound after getting beaned by Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello in the second inning and was whipped to the ground by the lanky right-hander.

Despite Youkilis futile fury, the brawl sparked the Red Sox offense and gave the team its second win in a row after losing six straight heading into the week. Boston has combined for 13 runs in those victories after scoring just eight runs in their four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees last weekend.

The BoSox might not need a brawl to fire up the bats Thursday. Boston faces struggling Detroit ace Justin Verlander, who has allowed 10 runs over 14 innings in his past two starts. He’s struck out 14 batters in that span but has also given up 16 hits including two home runs.

The talented righty blames poor execution for his rough start to August. He had better find his familiar form quickly - the Red Sox have lit the Tigers’ starter up in his most recent outing versus Beantown. Boston totaled five earned runs on nine hits including a home run against Verlander back in May 2008.

Pick: Boston +106

San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers (-168, 9.5)

The axe is falling all around the Milwaukee Brewers during the team’s lousy second half of the season. The Brew Crew are 10-14 since the break, falling to 55-57 on the season, and have now bid goodbye to three members of the team.

Milwaukee discarded veteran pitching coach Bill Castro, long-time Brewer Bill Hall and sent former All-Star J.J. Hardy to the minors after the shortstop posted a .229 BA with 11 home runs and 45 RBI this year. The club brought up top prospect Alcides Escobar to replace Hardy.

Drastic moves like these are a surefire sign that the Brewers are packing it in for next season. They’ve lost three of their last four games heading into Wednesday and lug a team ERA of 5.73 this month.

The Padres, on the other hand, are making a push in the National League West. San Diego has won four of five games heading into Wednesday and hasn’t given up on 2009 despite being last in the division and 14.5 games out of the Wild Card spot.

Pick: San Diego +160

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 07:50 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 13

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Jeremy Sowers, Cleveland Indians (4-7, 4.75 ERA)

Maybe a little trip to the minors was all Sowers needed. The lefty is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts since his return from Columbus on July 25 and he is quietly one of the hottest pitchers in the majors right now.

Sowers has given up only 14 hits since his return to the bigs and nobody has taken him over the wall in 20 innings in those starts. The 26-year-old lefty isn’t doing it with big whiffs or heavy heat, either. Instead, he’s getting batters to ground out in most at-bats, which shows Sowers might have learned a thing or two while riding the bus in the Midwest.

Look for value with Sowers for the rest of the month.

Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies, (2-0,1.12 ERA)

Looks like Lee likes his new surroundings. He has started with a perfect record since being moved to the Phillies and he’s only given up two runs and 10 hits in 16 innings with his new club.

It’s nothing new for Lee - except for the winning part. Despite some fantastic pitching all season, he went just 7-9 with the lowly Indians and watched as one quality start after another was squandered away.

Right now, he’s pitching off the charts. He’s won five games in a row and three of those were complete game efforts (He went seven innings in the other two). He gave up just one run in four of those outings and two runs in the other.

Slumping

Cesar Carrillo, San Diego Padres, (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Make it 13 starting pitchers for the Padres when Carrillo makes his major league debut Thursday in Milwaukee. The first-round pick from 2005 has had a rough road to get to this point after Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the 2007 season.

The prospect started the year in Double-A in San Antonio and was only recently promoted to Triple-A where he went 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA. So chances are, he’ll need some run support if he hopes to make his debut a winning one. Hopefully for him, the Padres club that shows up will be the one that scored 13 runs Monday night instead of the one that’s hitting .239 BA this season.

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 10:03 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Detroit at Boston
The Tigers look to bounce back from yesterday's 8-2 loss and build on their 7-1 record in Justin Verlander's last 8 starts when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in the previous game. Detroit is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 901-902: San Diego at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Carrillo) 14.952; Milwaukee (Parra) 14.214
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-175); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+165); Over

Game 903-904: Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 14.966; Cubs (Dempster) 13.516
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-130); N/A

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.676; Colorado (Marquis) 14.461
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-230); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+210); Over

Game 907-908: Houston at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Hampton) 15.415; Florida (West) 15.068
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 13
Vegas Line: Florida (-160); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+150); Over

Game 909-910: Washington at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Balester) 14.663; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.833
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-150); Under

Game 911-912: Texas at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Feldman) 16.876; Cleveland (Sowers) 16.359
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-110); Under

Game 913-914: Kansas City at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Meche) 14.193; Minnesota (Pavano) 15.444
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-160); Over

Game 915-916: Detroit at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.168; Boston (Buchholz) 14.631
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-110); Over

Game 917-918: NY Yankees at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.829; Seattle (Snell) 15.037
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2; 7
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200); Under

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 11:55 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 13

National League

SAN DIEGO at MILWAUKEE, 2:05 PM ET
CARRILLO: SD 16-7 off BB wins
PARRA: MIL 4-11 revenging loss as home favorite

PHILADELPHIA at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
LEE: PHI 34-19 in road games
DEMPSTER: CUBS 4-21 as an underdog

PITTSBURGH at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
MAHOLM: PIT 14-40 Away after allowing 8+ runs
MARQUIS: 18-6 TSR in day games

HOUSTON at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET MLB
HAMPTON: HOU 16-4 Under off 3+ Overs
WEST: FLA 24-15 vs. lefties

WASHINGTON at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
BALESTER: WAS 8-24 as a road underdog of +125 to +175
ARROYO: CIN 30-15 Under off BB road games

American League

TEXAS at CLEVELAND, 12:05 PM ET
FELDMAN: 6-0 TSR Away off team win
SOWERS: CLE 77-50 Under in day games

KANSAS CITY at MINNESOTA, 1:10 PM ET
MECHE: KC 18-5 Under off division loss by 6+ runs
PAVANO: MIN 12-21 after allowing 2 runs or less

DETROIT at BOSTON, 1:35 PM ET MLB
VERLANDER: DET 40-22 as favorite
BUCHHOLZ: 5-15 TSR in all games

NY YANKEES at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
SABATHIA: NYY 5-1 Under at Seattle
SNELL: 2-12 TSR as underdog

TSR = Team Start Record
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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 12:20 PM

MLB

Thursday, August 13

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Tips and Trends
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No selections in baseball today for the "Tips and Trends" section.

There are selections in the NFL Preseason, see the thread: “NFL Trends and Indexes - Preseason Week 1 (8/9 – 8/17)”

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 12:24 PM

WNBA
Dunkel Index

Indiana at Minnesota
The Lynx look to build on their 9-3 ATS record in their last 12 games against the Eastern Conference. Minnesota is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 651-652: Seattle at Connecticut
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 111.038; Connecticut 112.157
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 1; 140
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 3; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+3); Under

Game 653-654: Detroit at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 109.520; Atlanta 110.686
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 163 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 4; 162
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+4); Over

Game 655-656: Indiana at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 112.510; Minnesota 113.477
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 2 1/2; 160 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2 1/2); Over

Game 657-658: San Antonio at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 109.431; Phoenix 114.873
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 5 1/2; 176 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 6 1/2; 177 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+6 1/2); Under

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WNBA
Long Sheet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, August 13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SEATTLE (13 - 9) at CONNECTICUT (11 - 10) - 8/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 3-1 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 4-0 straight up against SEATTLE 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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DETROIT (9 - 11) at ATLANTA (11 - 11) - 8/13/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ATLANTA is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 3-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (17 - 5) at MINNESOTA (11 - 11) - 8/13/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 70-97 ATS (-36.7 Units) in road games since 1997.
INDIANA is 45-72 ATS (-34.2 Units) against Western conference opponents since 1997.
INDIANA is 45-72 ATS (-34.2 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more this season.
MINNESOTA is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (10 - 12) at PHOENIX (16 - 7) - 8/13/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 117-86 ATS (+22.4 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
PHOENIX is 123-86 ATS (+28.4 Units) in home games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 43-21 ATS (+19.9 Units) in home games in August or September games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 79-52 ATS (+21.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
PHOENIX is 51-29 ATS (+19.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PHOENIX is 33-15 ATS (+16.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games since 1997.

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

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WNBA

Thursday, August 13

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Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bet
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Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun (-4, 143.5)

The last time the Storm managed to beat the Sun, Mariah Carey’s Emancipation of Mimi ruled the charts, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the top hit at the box office and President George W. Bush was beginning his second term in office.

Yeah, 2005 is a long time ago.

Since then, the Sun have taken the past six meetings between the squads as they are emerging as a top team in the Eastern Conference. Connecticut, which also is 5-1 ATS versus Seattle during the streak, has won two of its past three and seven of 11 at home this season.

The Storm, however, have lost three of five and each of their past two on the road. In fact, Seattle’s most recent wins have come by a combined four points.

Pick: Sun -4

San Antonio Silver Stars at Phoenix Mercury (-6.5, 177.5)

Fans of defense, methodical possessions and low-scoring games should avoid this matchup.

The Silver Stars have nearly been an automatic over play the past two months. Seven of their past eight games have surpassed the total as the team tries to compensate for its mediocre defense (76.7 ppg) by unleashing dynamic scorers Becky Hammon (20.7 ppg) and Sophia Young (17.2 ppg).

The Mercury have also been one of the best over plays in the league this season, posting an over/under mark of 16-7 overall and a staggering 9-3 record at home. The team has struggled to find a consistent rhythm since suspended star Diane Taurasi returned to the lineup from her suspension, but still sees plenty of points with the league’s best offense (92 ppg) and worst defense (88.7 ppg)

Each of the team’s previous two meetings also topped the number this season.

Pick: Over 177.5

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**pm530** · 08-13-2009, 12:25 PM

CFL
Dunkel Index

Calgary at Edmonton
The Stampeders look to build on their 5-2 ATS record in their last 7 games in Edmonton. Calgary is the pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Stampeders favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+1). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 401-402: Calgary at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 116.134; Edmonton 109.161
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 7; 62
Vegas Line: Edmonton by 1; 59
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+1); Over

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

Game 403-404: BC at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: BC 109.082; Toronto 106.942
Dunkel Line: BC by 2; 38
Vegas Line: BC by 3; 46 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+3); Under

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

Game 405-406: Montreal at Winnipeg
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 121.352; Winnipeg 106.813
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 14 1/2; 52
Vegas Line: Montreal by 8; 48
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-8); Over

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

Game 407-408: Hamilton at Saskatchewan
Dunkel Ratings: Hamilton 108.868; Saskatchewan 112.156
Dunkel Line: Saskatchewan by 3 1/2; 48
Vegas Line: Saskatchewan by 5 1/2; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (+5 1/2); Under

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CFL
Long Sheet

The Top Trends sections should update as gamedays get closer

Week 7

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Thursday, August 13
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CALGARY (3 - 3) at EDMONTON (3 - 3) - 8/13/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

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

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Friday, August 14
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BRITISH COLUMBIA (2 - 4) at TORONTO (2 - 4) - 8/14/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 36-55 ATS (-24.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 33-17 ATS (+14.3 Units) in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 38-20 ATS (+16.0 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.
TORONTO is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) off a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-0 straight up against TORONTO 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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Saturday, August 15
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MONTREAL (5 - 1) at WINNIPEG (2 - 4) - 8/15/2009, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-3 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 5-2 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, August 16
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HAMILTON (4 - 2) at SASKATCHEWAN (3 - 3) - 8/16/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 3-1 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-0 straight up against HAMILTON 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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CFL
Write-up

Week 7 CFL games

Thursday, August 13

Calgary (3-3) @ Edmonton (3-3)-- Stampeders won three of last four games, with +10 turnover ratio (13 takeaways); they split couple away games, losing 42-30 at Winnipeg, winning 48-10 in Vancouver. Three of their last four games stayed under. Eskimos are 2-1 at home, beating the Bombers and Montreal, losing to BC. Underdog covered five of Eskimos' six games this season. Edmonton is -14 in turnovers so far in 2009.

Friday, August 14

BC Lions (2-4) @ Toronto (2-4)-- Argonauts are a mess, gaining total of 126 yards last week, with 108 penalty yards, a week after they turned ball over seven times vs Winnipeg- they're 0-2 at home, losing 46-36 to the Riders, 13-12 to Bombers. Lions are 0-4 when they score less than 35 points- their last three games all stayed under the total. Toronto has been outscored 45-8 in second half of its last four games.

Saturday, August 15

Montreal (5-1) @ Winnipeg (2-4)-- Alouettes rebounded from first loss by blanking Toronto last week; all five of their wins are by 13+ points-- Als have road wins by 13 at Calgary, 33 in Regina, before 33-19 loss in Edmonton. Bombers lost three of last four games; underdog is 6-0 vs the spread in their games this season. Winnipeg was -2 in turnovers a week ago in Calgary (23-31), after being +13 in first five games of the season.

Sunday, August 16

Hamilton (4-2) @ Saskatchewan (3-3)-- Roughriders allowed 35+ points in four of last five games, losing three of last four; they're 1-2 at home, giving up 81 points in losing last two, to Montreal/Edmonton. Spunky TiCats won four of last five games (5-0 vs spread), with last four going under total; they're 2-0 as road dog, winning 31-28 at BC, losing 21-8 at Montreal. TiCats are 4-0 when they get 2+ takeaways, 0-2 when they don't. Saskatchewan has 18 giveaways in its six games.

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CFL

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Trend Report
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Thursday, August 13

9:00 PM
CALGARY vs. EDMONTON
Calgary is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Edmonton is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Edmonton's last 13 games at home

Friday, August 14

7:30 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. TORONTO
British Columbia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
British Columbia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against British Columbia
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against British Columbia

Saturday, August 15

8:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. WINNIPEG
Montreal is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Montreal is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Winnipeg
Winnipeg is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

Sunday, August 16

7:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. SASKATCHEWAN
Hamilton is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Saskatchewan
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Hamilton
Saskatchewan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Hamilton

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CFL

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Canadian bacon: CFL Week 7 preview and picks
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Thursday, August 13

CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT EDMONTON ESKIMOS (-1, 59)

This could very well be the best game of Week 7, when two great rivals led by two of the best quarterbacks in the league meet for the first time this season. This being said, the supporting cast around Henry Burris, specially the offensive line, seems more solid than the one Ricky Ray can count on. But it is never easy for anyone, even the Stampeders, to pick up a game at Commonwealth Stadium. You can expect a very close game and if that’s the case, you have to go with the home team.

Pick: Edmonton -1

Friday, August 14

BC LIONS AT TORONTO ARGONAUTS (+3, 46.5)

No matter who starts at quarterback, if the offensive line doesn’t do the job, you won’t win a football game. Cody Pickett will try to ignite the Argos offence but how will he do that if he has no time to find his receivers and throw the ball? And how is he to perform miracles when his head coach, Bart Andrus, seems way over his head when play calling three-down football? Calling a sweep on the weak side on a third and short situation last week in Montreal comes to mind. It’s even worse when the entire team gives yardage by the ton through terrible penalties. The B.C. Lions have had their fair share of problems and a QB controversy of their own. But they are a much better team than the Argonauts at this point and should win this one.

Pick: B.C. -3

Saturday, August 15

MONTREAL ALOUETTES AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (+8, 48)

Winnipeg will try to run the ball and with backs like Fred Reid and Yvenson Bernard, they should. The problem is that it is exactly what the Alouettes will be expecting and have prepared for during practice. Will Michael Bishop be able to create chaos in Montreal’s secondary by throwing deep and take advantage of tall WR Adarius Bowman against two cornerbacks that are only 5-foot-9? That might be the key. But Bishop will need his offensive line to contain the Alouettes front seven if he is going to take advantage of that apparent mismatch. The defensive unit will also need to step up to slow down Anthony Calvillo and his impressive arsenal of receivers. The Bombers have the second-worst offensive record in the CFL and are facing the second most potent attack.

Pick: Montreal -8

Sunday, August 16

HAMILTON TIGER CATS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (-5, 52.5)

It’s an interesting showdown in Regina between these surprising squads who lead the CFL in points against after six games. Not exactly what they are used to in Saskatchewan. DeAndra Cobb is a solid running back and he should inflict some damage to the Riders but I doubt that it will be enough. Hamilton this season has played with discipline avoiding giving costly turnovers or taking bad penalties. The Roughriders should make note of that, especially after last week when QB Darian Durant threw two interceptions in a 35-20 loss to B.C. Home advantage should be a big factor in this one.

Pick: Saskatchewan -5

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Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 8/13 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 8/13 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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