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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:02 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, September 3

Daily Sports Roundup: September 3

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The National Football League begins its last week of preseason action, and the ChiSox and Cubs meet in a Chicago matchup.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There are 13 games on the NFL's exhibition slate for Thursday, including 1-2 Philadelphia at the 1-2 Jets. The Eagles will start backup quarterback Kevin Kolb in that contest, while Michael Vick is expected to get the ball at the beginning of the second half. Donovan McNabb will sit out the game. The Jets have already named rookie QB Mark Sanchez as their starter for Week 1 of the regular season. New York is pegged as a 3-point home favorite for Thursday's matchup.

Also on tap for Thursday: Detroit at Buffalo (-3), the Giants (-3) at New England, Washington at Jacksonville (-5), Indianapolis at Cincinnati (-4), Baltimore at Atlanta (-3), Cleveland at Chicago (-3), Kansas City at St. Louis (-3), Pittsburgh at Carolina (-3.5), Green Bay at Tennessee (-3.5), Miami at New Orleans (-3), Oakland at Seattle (-3), and Arizona at Denver. The Cardinals and Broncos are both winless so far in the preseason at 0-3. Broncos starting quarterback Kyle Orton suffered a dislocated finger last game and won't play on Thursday night.

As well, college football kicks off its season on Thursday night with nine games on tap: Troy at Bowling Green, Villanova at Temple, Coastal Carolina at Kent State, South Carolina at N.C. State, North Texas at Ball State, Eastern Kentucky at Indiana, North Dakota State at Iowa State, Utah State at No. 19 Utah, and No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State. Only five of those Thursday contests have received lines from the oddsmakers; Boise State is favored by 3.5 points, N.C. State by 5 points, Troy by 7 points, Ball State by 16 points, and Utah by 20.5 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

An interleague makeup game is on tap in Chicago on Thursday afternoon, with the Cubs playing host to the White Sox. The Cubs will send Ryan Dempster (8-7, 4.15 ERA) to the mound at Wrigley Field. Righthander Dempster is coming off back-to-back wins over the Mets and Dodgers, allowing four earned runs over those 13 innings. Dempster took a no-decision vs. the White Sox June 27 (five runs in five innings). The ChiSox will counter with Carlos Torres (0-0, 6.75 ERA).

In the other NL parks on Thursday it'll be Milwaukee at St. Louis, the Mets at Colorado, Atlanta at Florida, Arizona at the Dodgers, and San Francisco at Philadelphia. Tim Lincecum (13-4, 2.33 ERA) will take on Pedro Martinez (2-0, 4.50 ERA) in that marquee matchup. Righthander Lincecum blanked the Rockies on four hits over eight innings in his last start. Righthander Martinez threw two scoreless innings in a rain-shortened outing against the Braves in his last start.

Meanwhile, the American League offers up Cleveland at Detroit, the Yankees at Toronto, Seattle at Oakland, and Boston at Tampa Bay on Thursday. Clay Buchholz (3-3, 4.38 ERA) will take the mound for the Red Sox. Righthander Buchholz is coming off a strong win over the Blue Jays, allowing one run on three hits in 8 1-3 innings. The Rays go with David Price (7-6, 4.63 ERA). Lefthander Price beat Detroit last time out, surrendering one run in his 7 1-3 innings of work.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

Finally, there's one game on the WNBA schedule for Thursday, with Seattle at Washington. The Mystics are battling for playoff position in the tight Eastern standings heading into the final stretch of the season, and they sit at 14-15 SU and 15-13-1 ATS through 29 games. Washington played in Seattle back on August 25, with the Storm picking up a 78-68 home victory. Janell Burse led the way with 14 points for Seattle, while Monique Currie tossed in 13 for the Mystics.

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:03 AM

Bettor's best friend : Today's wagering tips

Thursday, September 3

Can't we just get along?

Florida's double-play tandem is not getting along these days. Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla exchanged words in clubhouse on Wednesday. The two players met with manager Fredi Gonzalez afterwards.

The arguement appears to stem from Ramirez's defensiveness about his recent injury. He's missed some time with a tight hamstring and caught some heat from teammates after leaving early from a game on Tuesday.

"You don't get the same respect from teammates when you're not playing," the shortstop told reporters said. "I got people upset when I got out of the game last night. I try to do the best I can. Whatever."

Uggla overheard Ramirez relaying the same type of comments later and tempers boiled over.

No word on whether Ramirez, who sat out Wednesday's game, will be back in the lineup Thursday. The Marlins are +119 home dogs to Braves.

Cookie cutter oddsmaking

Want an idea of how tough it is to set lines for Week 4 of the NFL preseason?

Take a look at this week’s spreads and totals and you’ll notice a pattern. Books, having no clue what teams will field this week, have pegged almost every game with a spread of three points. Currently, eight of the 17 games are dealing that magic number.

As for the total, it seems 36 points is the expected output of these makeshift lineups. Nine of this week’s games boast a total of 36 or 36.5.

The biggest anomalies are six points Jacksonville is giving at home to the Redskins Thursday and the 33.5-point total for the Steelers at Carolina game.

Young and the injured

Rangers All-Star third baseman Michael Young is expected to miss the next two to three weeks because of a strained left hamstring. Young is one of the key components to Texas' batting order. He's hitting .322 with a .524 slugging percentage.

The Rangers begin a series against the Orioles on Friday.

Why the six points?

Closer investigation into the 6-point spread in the Washington-Jacksonville tilt reveals that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is planning to run with his starters further into Thursday’s game than most teams do in Week 4.

Del Rio believes there are too many roster spots still in question and doesn’t feel his team is ready for the regular season yet. The biggest questions remaining are on the offensive line where rookies are challenging veterans for the starting gigs.

"Ideally we'd like to roll out a group that for the most part is going to take the field in our opener at Indy. So Thursday I'd like to do that,” he told reporters. “We're going to continue to work through that as a staff and settle on the guys. I think there are still some decisions to be made and we'll have the next couple days to sort through it, but I would like to put what should be as close as we can come to having the starting group on the field when we kick it off Thursday night."

Winner by default

The battle to carry Tom Brady’s luggage came to an anticlimactic close this week when would-be No. 2 Kevin O’Connell was released by the Patriots. That left five-year veteran Andrew Walter as the team’s Plan-B if Brady goes down again.

Brady will not be in action against the New York Giants Thursday, leaving Walter to take the majority of the snaps. He’s been with the team for just over a month and is still learning the complex playbook. Walter threw nine passes against the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason, connecting on five of them for 62 yards.

Thursday's total is a cookie-cutter 36 points.

MLB Thursday trends

-The Mets, who are +222 dogs Thursday at Colorado, are 2-8 in their last 10 games as a road underdog.

-The under is 4-0 in Rays starter David Price's last four starts. The total is set at 9 for tomorrow's home tilt against the Red Sox.

-The Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 games visiting teams with a winning home record. New York is a -129 fave tomorrow at Toronto.

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:04 AM

Eight-pack for Thursday

Some NFL trends to consider with the season approaching........

-- Chicago is 2-11-2 vs spread in game after a win the last two years.

-- Detroit Lions covered 13 of last 16 as a double digit underdog.

-- Packers are 16-6-1 vs spread in their last 23 road games.

-- Since 2004, Minnesota is 5-12-2 as a dog of three or less points.

-- Baltimore is 23-6-1 as a non-divisional home favorite this decade.

-- Cincinnati is 20-33 vs spread at home since '02, 2-9 as a home dog.

-- Since 2005, Browns are 24-14 vs spread in game following a loss.

-- Since 2002, Steelers are 3-16 as a favorite of three or less points.

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Thursday's List of 13: Cleaning out a cluttered mind........

13) Late season investments paid off big for Rockies, Giants last night, as Jason Giambi got game-winning hit for Colorado, while Brad Penny blanked the Phillies in his first start for San Francisco. It looks like the NL Wild Card is going to be the most suspenseful race in September.

12) Wes Helms' walk-off homer put a dent in Atlanta's playoff hopes as Florida beat the Braves 8-7. Marlins held a closed-door meeting before the game, after Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla had heated words about Ramirez' leaving Tuesday's game with a hamstring injury of some kind.

11) Jon Garland was an Arizona Diamondback all season until earlier in the week; he's going to pitch against the Snakes for LA Thursday.

10) Six of Paul Byrd's last ten big league starts were against Toronto.

9) Cincinnati batters took 73 pitches against the Pirates Tuesday; 64 of them were called balls, they took only nine called strikes all night.

8) Major league teams are allowed to put seven players a day on waivers every day during the week (Mon-Fri). If a player is claimed, then either a trade is worked out, or the player is pulled back off waivers and stays on his original team, or the original team lets the claiming team have him, in most cases so they don't have to pay the player's salary anymore.

7) When I was a kid, I got in trouble if I came home with ripped pants; these days, kids buy pants in stores that are already ripped. Why would anyone want to buy clothes that are torn before you buy them?

6) Less people live in Wyoming than in any other state.

5) 25% of the students at BYU are married.

4) Greg Paulus played basketball at Duke the last four years; now, he is the starting QB for his hometown team, the Syracuse Orangemen. This is going to be one of the more interesting situations to follow this year; can a kid walk right into a starting QB slot after not having played football for four years and do well? He was once a top QB prospect, but this seems like a tall order for Paulus to pull off successfully.

3) Few years ago, LSU coach Les Miles was a trucking executive making $50,000/year when he quit that to become a grad assistant at Michigan for $8,500, but he's made that money back. Makes a few million now.

2) Scott Kazmir, Felix Hernandez were locked in scoreless duel through six innings Wednesday, before Seattle broks through, beat Angels 3-0 in Kazmir's debut for the Halos.

1) Boston-Tampa series this week was huge for Rays' playoff hopes, but they drew only 17,692/19,148 for first two games. Have to wonder if Tampa/St Pete will be able to support the Rays longterm, since it looks like they're not going to be getting that retractable domed stadium.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:05 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, September 3

San Francisco at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EDT). NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum (13-4, 2.33 ERA), who leads the majors with 222 strikeouts, pitches for the Giants in the finale of a three-game series between playoff contenders. On the mound for the Phillies is 37-year-old Pedro Martinez, a three-time Cy Young winner.

STARS

Wednesday

-Brad Penny, Giants, pitched five-hit ball over eight shutout innings in his first start with San Francisco, leading the NL wild-card contenders to a 4-0 victory over Philadelphia.

-Chris Carpenter, Cardinals, won his 10th straight decision for St. Louis despite laboring at times in a 10-3 victory over Milwaukee.

-CC Sabathia, Yankees, allowed one run in seven innings to earn his AL-leading 16th victory as New York beat Baltimore 10-2 to complete a three-game sweep.

-Ted Lilly, Cubs, pitched eight shutout innings to reach the 10-win mark for the seventh consecutive season in Chicago's 2-0 victory over Houston.

-Wes Helms, Marlins, hit a game-winning homer to lift Florida to a 8-7 victory over Atlanta.

-Felix Hernandez, Mariners, pitched eight scoreless innings to spoil Scott Kazmir's Angels pitching debut in Seattle's 3-0 victory over Los Angeles.

-Landon Powell, Athletics, hit his first career grand slam to help Oakland score five runs in the second inning en route to a 10-4 win over Kansas City.

SIDELINED

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has soreness in his left groin, an injury that could sideline him into the weekend. Rivera said he first began to feel sore on Aug. 15 in Seattle. The right-hander has pitched in five games since then, including Monday and Tuesday, when he recorded his 37th and 38th saves against Baltimore.

MILESTONE

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez got his 2,500th hit and drove in four runs in New York's 10-2 rout of Baltimore. Rodriguez got his milestone hit in the fifth inning, a single off Jason Berken.

STATS

New York hit 20 homers at Camden Yards this season, the most by any visiting team in one year since the ballpark opened in 1992. It was the 12th series sweep of the season for New York, including three against the Orioles. ... Toronto SS Marco Scutaro had his third error in three games, after only four errors the first 126 games this season. His throwing error in the sixth allowed a run. ... The Cardinals are 31-4 since July 1 in starts by their big three of Carpenter, Adam Wainwright (16-7) and Joel Pineiro (14-9), and are a season-best 24 games above .500. Although shy of his best stuff for the second straight start despite an extra day of rest, Carpenter is 10-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last 12 outings and leads the majors with a 2.28 ERA.

STREET CLOSURE

Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street has biceps tendinitis in his pitching arm and is being shut down for an undetermined amount of time. Street said he first felt discomfort Tuesday night when he threw a six-pitch ninth inning against the New York Mets in his first action in a week. He brushed it off as the effects of a weeklong layoff.

SENATOR SCHILLING?

Curt Schilling, the former major league pitcher who won the allegiance of Bostonians by leading the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series title, said Wednesday that he has "some interest'' in running for the vacant seat held for nearly 50 years by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Schilling, a registered independent and longtime Republican supporter, wrote on his blog that while his family and video game company, 38 Studios, are high priorities, "I do have some interest in the possibility.''

SEE YA

Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones homered in the second inning at Cincinnati to give the Pirates 10,000 all-time homers in 123 years. The Pirates first baseman led off the second inning by hitting Homer Bailey's 1-0 pitch into the right field seats at Great American Ball Park to make Pittsburgh the 14th of the 16 pre-expansion teams to reach 10,000 home runs.

SPEAKING

"The second you hear a pop in your hamstring, you think something's wrong and it's going to be more than a month recovery time. So for them to tell me there's a good chance I'll be available the last two weeks, that's great news to me. That's all I'm going to focus on.'' - Texas third baseman Michael Young, who will miss at least two weeks while he recovers from a injured hamstring.

SEASONS

Sept. 3

1917 - Philadelphia's Grover Cleveland Alexander went the distance in both games of the Phillies' 5-0 and 9-3 sweep of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1947 - Bill McCahan pitched a 3-0 no-hitter to give the Philadelphia Athletics a 3-0 win over Washington.

1947 - The New York Yankees had 18 hits, all singles, in an 11-2 victory over Boston at Fenway Park. Tommy Henrich and Joe DiMaggio each had four hits.

1957 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves recorded his 41st career shutout with an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Spahn's shutout set a major league record for left-handed pitchers.

1970 - Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs asked to be kept out of the lineup, snapping his National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played. His record was broken in 1983 by Steve Garvey.

1981 - The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners played the longest game in Fenway Park's history, 19 innings, before the game was suspended with the score tied 7-7. The Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings when the game resumed the next day.

1986 - Billy Hatcher's homer in the top of the 18th inning gave the Houston Astros an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The two teams played 14 innings the day before and used a major league record 53 players in the game.

1990 - Bobby Thigpen set a major league record with his 47th save in a 4-2 Chicago White Sox victory over Kansas City. Thigpen broke the record set by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1986.

2000 - Kenny Lofton tied a major league record by scoring in his 18th straight game in the first inning of Cleveland's 12-11, 13-inning victory over Baltimore. Red Rolfe set the record in 1939 for the New York Yankees.

2001 - Bud Smith became the 16th rookie in modern history to throw a no-hitter and the second to do it to San Diego this season in St. Louis' 4-0 win. Smith was making his 11th career start.

2006 - Ryan Howard homered in his first three at-bats, leading Philadelphia to an 8-7 victory over Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader. Howard raised his major league-leading total to 52 and set a record for second-year players.

2006 - Albert Pujols homered in his first three at-bats, helping St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 6-3. Pujols, with 42 homers, reached 40 or more for the fourth straight season.

2007 - Pedro Martinez completed his comeback from major shoulder surgery and quickly went into the record books, becoming the 15th pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in his career. The New York Mets' right-hander needed only two strikeouts to reach the mark. He fanned Aaron Harang swinging at an 87-mph fastball for the milestone as the Mets posted a 10-4 win over Cincinnati.

2007 - Ichiro Suzuki homered in the third inning of Seattle's 7-1 win over the New York Yankees to reach 200 hits for the seventh consecutive season, tying Wade Boggs' AL mark.

2008 - Baseball's first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Third-base umpire Brian Runge signaled a home run after A-Rod's towering, two-run shot off Troy Percival caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested the call, bringing manager Joe Maddon out of the dugout. The umpires convened before leaving the field to check the replay on a monitor not far from the field. It took 2 minutes, 15 seconds to uphold the homer that gave the Yankees an 8-3 lead.

Today's birthdays: Matt Capps 26; Nate Robertson 32

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:05 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On September 3 in Baseball History...

1901 - Baltimore Orioles pitcher Joe McGinnity hurls two complete games against the Milwaukee Brewers, winning 10-0 and losing 6-1.

1917 - Philadelphia's Grover Alexander went the distance in both games of the Phillies' 5-0 and 9-3 sweep of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1928 - Ty Cobb makes the last of his 4,189 hits, the 724th double of his career, as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in the first game of a doubleheader at Washington. The hit is off Bump Hadley.

1932 - Jimmie Foxx of the A's poles his 50th and 51st home runs to become the third player to reach fifty in a season. Babe Ruth was the first player to do it and Hack Wilson was the first National League star to perform the trick.

1947 - The New York Yankees had eighteen hits, all singles, in an 11-2 victory over Boston at Fenway Park. Tommy Henrich and Joe DiMaggio each had four hits.

1957 - The Dodgers play their last game in Jersey City, as Don Drysdale loses to Philadelphia 3-2 in 12 innings. Brooklyn ends with an 11-4 mark in New Jersey.

1957 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves recorded his 41st career shutout with an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Spahn's shutout set a Major League record for left-handed pitchers.

1965 - Preparing a move to Anaheim, the Angels change their name from Los Angeles to California. They will stay in LA for another year before going to Anaheim.

1970 - Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs asked to be kept out of the lineup, snapping his National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played. His record was broken in 1983 by Steve Garvey.

1974 - Giants pitcher John Montefusco makes his Major League debut, homers in his first official time at bat, and hurls nine innings of relief to earn a 9-5 victory over the Dodgers.

1977 - Japan's Sadaharu Oh hits the 756th home run of his career to surpass Hank Aaron's total and make him the most prolific home run hitter in professional baseball history.

1981 - The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners played the longest game in Fenway Park's history, 19 innings, before the game was suspended with the score tied 7-7. The Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings when the game resumed the next day.

1986 - Billy Hatcher's homer in the top of the 18th inning gave the Houston Astros an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The two teams played 14 innings the day before and used a Major League record 53 players in the game.

1990 - Bobby Thigpen set a Major League record with his 47th save in a 4-2 Chicago White Sox victory over Kansas City. Thigpen broke the record set by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1986.

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:06 AM

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, September 3

Hot Pitchers
-- Smoltz is 1-0, 0.82 in two starts for the Cardinals.
-- Marquis is 4-2, 2.22 in his last eight home starts. Misch allowed one run in seven IP in his first start for the Mets.
-- Martinez is 2-0, 4.50 in four starts; he left two of the four starts early because of rain delays. Lincecum has a 1.80 RA in his last two starts.
-- Hanson is 4-1, 2.93 in his last five starts.
-- Garland is 2-0, 2.40 in his last two starts; he's pitching against team he played for until a few days ago.
-- Dempster is 2-0, 3.46 in his last couple starts.

-- Red Sox won last three Buchholz starts, scoring 21 runs. Price is 2-1, 2.79 in his last three starts.
-- Romero is 1-2, 6.00 in his last five starts.
-- Tomko is 2-0, 1.62 in three starts for Oakland. Snell is 3-0, 2.16 in his last three starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Parra has an 8.14 RA in his last eight starts.
-- Nolasco has a 7.89 RA in his last four starts.
-- Buckner is 0-4, 13.25 in his last four starts, last of which was June 26.
-- Torres is 0-0, 6.75 in two starts for White Sox.

-- Carmona is 1-3, 5.56 in his last four starts. Robertson allowed two runs in four IP in his first '09 start.
-- Gaudin is 0-4, 6.96 in his last eight starts.

Hot Teams
-- Giants won six of their last eight games. Phillies are 14-7 in their last 21 games.
-- Braves won eight of their last twelve road games.
-- Cardinals won 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Arizona won six of its last seven games.
-- Cubs won four of their last six games.

-- Detroit is 16-7 in its last 23 home games.
-- Bronx won 16 of its last 21 games.
-- Red Sox won seven of their last nine games. Rays are 12-5 in their last seventeen home games.
-- A's won four of their last five home games. Mariners won seven of their last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost five of their last seven games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last ten road games.
-- White Sox lost 20 of their last 28 road games.
-- Rockies lost five of their last seven games. Mets lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Dodgers lost 12 of their last 20 home games.

-- Indians lost four of their last five games.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Seven of last eight Parra starts went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Marquis starts.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in San Francisco's last six games.
-- Over is 10-3-1 in last fourteen Florida home games.
-- Three of last four Buckner starts went over the total.
-- 11 of last 14 White Sox games stayed under the total.

-- Eight of last eleven Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Buchholz starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Romero starts.
-- Three of last four Seattle games stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:07 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 3

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
Cleveland is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Detroit
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

2:15 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ST. LOUIS
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing St. Louis
Milwaukee is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

2:20 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CHI CUBS
Chi White Sox are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games
Chi White Sox are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

3:10 PM
NY METS vs. COLORADO
NY Mets are 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing NY Mets
Colorado is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against NY Mets

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Francisco
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
NY Yankees are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing Toronto
NY Yankees are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Toronto is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:08 PM
BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Boston is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. FLORIDA
Atlanta is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Arizona is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 13-6 SU in their last 19 games when playing Arizona
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Arizona

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:07 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 3

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs (-170)

Who can dare resist a little taste of interleague in September?

It’s like having BBQ in the dead of winter.

The Cubs and ChiSox finish out their 2009 rivalry with this makeup game for a postponement back in June. The teams split that series while the White Sox have a 3-2 advantage in the season series.

A lot has happened since the last time these cross-town rivals met. The Cubs fallen far behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central, going 23-21 since the break heading into Wednesday. The White Sox have also struggled. They’ve dropped out of contention in the AL Central with a 19-23 mark since the Mid-Summer Classic.

But while there is no joy in the Windy City, it’s tough to play as bad as the ChiSox. Heading into Wednesday, they’ve won just once in the past 10 games and have managed to score only 3.5 runs per game during this slump.

Manager Ozzie Guillen, who should be fired following this season, has insisted his team has not packed it in after falling seven games behind Detroit in the standings and 13.5 games out of the AL Wild Card hunt. Despite Guillen’s persistence, the franchise has all the signs of a tanker – waiving talents, making call-ups and shutting down injured players.

The Cubs seem like the perfect foe to make Guillen realize that.

Pick: Chicago Cubs

San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies (+128, 8)

Thursday’s game will feature two former Cy Young winners on the bump. But that’s not why this contest between the Giants and Phillies will play under the 8-run total.

Sure, Tim Lincecum and Pedro Martinez are impressive names.

Lincecum is coming off an eight-inning shutout of the Rockies Friday, which is the same type of effort he put up against Philadelphia when the teams met on August 1. And Martinez has proven he still has something left in the tank and has had plenty of time to rest with a rain delay shortening his most recent outing.

But that’s not why bettors should look to the under Thursday.

Both teams couldn’t hit the broadside of Barry Bond’s forehead. San Francisco is hitting .215 this past week and has totaled a major-league low 39 hits in that span. The Phillies are also whiffing at the plate, posting a .251 average in the past seven days. Philadelphia has mustered a MLB-worst 15 runs during this stretch.

Tuesday’s Game 1 of this series finished with a 1-0 win for the Phillies.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 06:08 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 3

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Tim Lincecum (13-4, 2.33 ERA), San Francisco Giants

It’s kind of hard to believe this kid was almost traded for Alex Rios. Two years ago, the Giants were looking for a good young bat and Rios, then with the Blue Jays, was coming off an All-Star season.

San Francisco fans should let out a huge sigh of relief that the trade never materialized.

Lincecum’s stuff is – to borrow a line from Chicago Bulls radio man Chuck Swirsky – sick, wicked and nasty.

He pitched eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Rockies his last time to the bump. The Giants have won just once over his last four road starts, but the price is always cheaper than backing him at home.

If you don’t want to back the away team, think about the under. The under is 7-2 the last nine times Lincecum was on the mound.

John Smoltz (3-5, 6.71 AL & NL combined), St. Louis Cardinals

Some things go so well together they should never be separated, like peanut butter and jam or a smoke and a beer. You can now throw John Smoltz and the National League in the same category.

The former Brave looked like he didn’t belong in the majors during his short stint with the Red Sox. He was getting hit hard often and lefties were clobbering his not fast enough fastball.

But a return to the senior circuit has turned him back into a reliable and strikeout-tallying pitcher. He’s gathered 15 K’s in just 11 innings of work with the Cards.

“He knew he could still pitch when he got released by Boston,” teammate Albert Pujols said of the veteran hurler. “Obviously, he’s just been unbelievable.”

Before bettors get too excited about Smoltz’s 0.82 ERA in the NL this year, let’s not forget that his success has come against the Padres and Nationals – not exactly stiff competition.

Slumping

Manny Parra (9-10, 6.66), Milwaukee Brewers

This lefty pitcher is a frequent visitor to the slumping section. Milwaukee, oddly enough, is winning (5-2 in his last seven appearances) with Parra out there despite his devilishly-high ERA.

“For my own personal satisfaction, I’d like to pitch better,” Parra, who has an 8.25 ERA in his last seven starts, told reporters after his last outing. “But at the end of the day everyone in this clubhouse is happy when we win so that’s all that matters.”

Parra has good stuff, but he routinely gets into trouble because of walks. His lack of control leads to big innings and early exits. It doesn’t bode well either that it was the light-hitting Nats and Pirates who were roughing Parra up in his last three starts.

The best play with Parra on the bump might be the over. His starts have finished above the total in seven of his last eight games.

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 10:23 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Cleveland at Detroit
The Tigers look to build on their 5-1 record in their last 6 games as a favorite between -110 and -150. Detroit is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Game 951-952: Milwaukee at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 14.817; St. Louis (Smoltz) 16.281
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-180); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-180); Over

Game 953-954: NY Mets at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Misch) 14.019; Colorado (Marquis) 15.302
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-245); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-245); Under

Game 955-956: San Francisco at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 15.059; Philadelphia (Martinez) 15.860
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+130); Over

Game 957-958: Atlanta at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hanson) 15.295; Florida (Nolasco) 14.247
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-120); Over

Game 959-960: Arizona at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Buckner) 16.618; LA Dodgers (Garland) 15.756
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+190); Under

Game 961-962: Cleveland at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carmona) 14.783; Detroit (Robertson) 15.223
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135); Over

Game 963-964: Boston at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Buccholz) 14.769; Tampa Bay (Price) 16.661
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-115); Over

Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Gaudin) 15.846; Toronto (Romero) 16.201
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+125); Under

Game 967-968: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Snell) 14.383; Oakland (Tomko) 16.293
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-120); Over

Game 969-970: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Torres) 16.034; Cubs (Dempster) 14.876
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-175); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+165); N/A

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 11:29 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Thursday, September 3
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MILWAUKEE (64 - 68) at ST LOUIS (79 - 55) - 2:15 PM
MANNY PARRA (L) vs. JOHN SMOLTZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 64-68 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-18 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 19-30 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 16-26 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 64-65 (-7.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-53 (-13.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 79-55 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 79-55 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 41-20 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 22-14 (+10.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-5 (+0.9 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

MANNY PARRA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
PARRA is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.445.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

JOHN SMOLTZ vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
SMOLTZ is 3-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 0.932.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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NY METS (59 - 74) at COLORADO (74 - 59) - 3:10 PM
PAT MISCH (L) vs. JASON MARQUIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 148-147 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 148-147 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 74-59 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 74-59 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 135-109 (+19.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
MARQUIS is 53-34 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 8-1 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 61-65 (-30.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 29-40 (-28.0 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
NY METS is 3-3 (+0.7 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

PAT MISCH vs. COLORADO since 1997
MISCH is 0-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 1.501.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. NY METS since 1997
MARQUIS is 6-6 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.43 and a WHIP of 1.477.
His team's record is 6-9 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-5. (+3.4 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (73 - 60) at PHILADELPHIA (76 - 54) - 7:05 PM
TIM LINCECUM (R) vs. PEDRO MARTINEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-54 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 73-51 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 128-90 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-31 (+13.1 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.
SAN FRANCISCO is 73-60 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 73-60 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-41 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-45 (+7.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-31 (+5.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-24 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-17 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-2 (+3.6 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LINCECUM is 2-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.182.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.2 units)

PEDRO MARTINEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MARTINEZ is 3-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 0.964.
His team's record is 3-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

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ATLANTA (70 - 63) at FLORIDA (69 - 64) - 7:10 PM
TOMMY HANSON (R) vs. RICKY NOLASCO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 142-153 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 35-38 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 141-151 (-27.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 99-106 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 42-45 (-13.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 153-141 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 406-374 (+44.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 68-53 (+24.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 149-136 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 107-104 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 105-102 (+7.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 75-72 (+19.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 266-277 (+51.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
NOLASCO is 35-22 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 33-22 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 26-16 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 18-11 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 43-32 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 7-7 (+1.9 Units) against ATLANTA this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.2 Units)

TOMMY HANSON vs. FLORIDA since 1997
HANSON is 1-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NOLASCO is 1-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.723.
His team's record is 2-7 (-5.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.5 units)

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ARIZONA (61 - 73) at LA DODGERS (79 - 55) - 10:10 PM
BILLY BUCKNER (R) vs. JON GARLAND (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 61-73 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 23-36 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 61-73 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 102-109 (-20.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 25-35 (-11.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 45-71 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 79-55 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 31-11 (+19.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
LA DODGERS are 16-4 (+10.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
LA DODGERS are 36-18 (+13.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 79-55 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 36-18 (+14.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
GARLAND is 16-8 (+9.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 8-6 (-0.1 Units) against ARIZONA this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.7 Units)

BILLY BUCKNER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
BUCKNER is 1-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

JON GARLAND vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GARLAND is 1-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 11.70 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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CLEVELAND (58 - 74) at DETROIT (71 - 61) - 1:05 PM
FAUSTO CARMONA (R) vs. NATE ROBERTSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 58-74 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 51-66 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 44-22 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
DETROIT is 19-7 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
DETROIT is 69-53 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 12-5 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
DETROIT is 145-149 (-28.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 56-65 (-22.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 96-111 (-32.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ROBERTSON is 22-37 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 3-11 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 20-33 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 10-4 (+4.9 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.2 Units)

FAUSTO CARMONA vs. DETROIT since 1997
CARMONA is 6-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 9-2 (+7.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+1.7 units)

NATE ROBERTSON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
ROBERTSON is 2-5 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.36 and a WHIP of 1.538.
His team's record is 6-10 (-3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-9. (-3.5 units)

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BOSTON (77 - 55) at TAMPA BAY (72 - 60) - 7:08 PM
CLAY BUCHHOLZ (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 8-21 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 17-30 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 30-46 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 8-15 (-8.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BUCHHOLZ is 8-16 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 5-12 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 2-9 (-8.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 177-133 (+26.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 105-49 (+37.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-52 (+27.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 106-52 (+35.0 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 69-37 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 116-60 (+37.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 30-12 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 66-34 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 58-24 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-21 (+13.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 9-5 (+5.0 Units) against BOSTON this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

CLAY BUCHHOLZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BUCHHOLZ is 1-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.03 and a WHIP of 1.050.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. BOSTON since 1997
PRICE is 1-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (85 - 48) at TORONTO (59 - 73) - 7:07 PM
CHAD GAUDIN (R) vs. RICKY ROMERO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 49-44 (+22.7 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 95-52 (+24.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 56-28 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 11-3 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
GAUDIN is 18-10 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 59-73 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 21-36 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 17-37 (-23.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 32-48 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 31-40 (-13.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 24-42 (-17.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 11-26 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 9-3 (+5.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

CHAD GAUDIN vs. TORONTO since 1997
GAUDIN is 0-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.885.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

RICKY ROMERO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
ROMERO is 1-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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SEATTLE (70 - 64) at OAKLAND (59 - 74) - 10:05 PM
IAN SNELL (R) vs. BRETT TOMKO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 1-13 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games in September games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 87-116 (-27.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 251-234 (-73.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SEATTLE is 70-64 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 17-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 67-60 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 46-40 (+8.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 64-87 (-26.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 29-51 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 9-3 (+6.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.6 Units)

IAN SNELL vs. OAKLAND since 1997
SNELL is 1-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

BRETT TOMKO vs. SEATTLE since 1997
TOMKO is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (65 - 69) at CHICAGO CUBS (67 - 64) - 2:20 PM
CAROLS TORRES (R) vs. RYAN DEMPSTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-67 (-24.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 22-47 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 11-29 (-17.3 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 2 seasons.
DEMPSTER is 66-39 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 146-115 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 67-64 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 553-496 (-108.3 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 67-64 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 53-50 (-9.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 38-57 (-33.6 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 499-524 (-123.3 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 513-479 (-101.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
DEMPSTER is 9-15 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 9-15 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

CAROLS TORRES vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
DEMPSTER is 1-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 7.17 and a WHIP of 1.969.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 12:20 PM

MLB

Thursday, September 3

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

There is a “Tips and Trends” section for College football, see the thread: “NCAAF Week 1 Trends and Indexes 9/3 - 9/7”

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 12:45 PM

MLB

Thursday, September 3

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Back to the futures: Betting the MLB award winners
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There’s only a month to go in the baseball season, but it’s prime time to make futures bets on this year’s MVP and Cy Young Award winners.

Take a look at the top candidates for the hardware:

MVP

American League

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins -150

The Gold Glove catcher (.367 BA, 26 home runs, 80 RBI) leads the majors in average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. His numbers would be even better had he not missed the first month of the season. His MVP chances will take a hit if the Twins don’t make the playoffs.

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees +200

Teixeira (.281 BA, 32 HR, 101 RBI) hit .200 in April but has been money ever since. He leads the AL in RBI, is second in homers and has committed only one error at first base. However, Teixeira might be hurt by the fact he has another MVP candidate on his team.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees +300

At age 35, the Yankees captain (.333 BA, 17 HR, 60 RBI) is still a spark at the top of the order. He is second in the AL in runs scored (94) and 12th in steals (23). Jeter is also a media darling, particularly in New York, which could swing a few votes his way.

Other notables: Miguel Cabrera (+400), Jason Bay (+2000), Justin Morneau (+2000), Kevin Youkilis (+2000), Evan Longoria (+4000), Field (+1000)

National League

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals -2000

A more interesting bet might be whether or not Pujols (.320 BA, 42 HR, 111 RBI) gets all the first-place votes. He leads the NL in homers, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and is third in RBI and walks. Surprisingly, he is “only” hitting .296 with 24 RBI in the second half.

Field +500

Prince Fielder (.298 BA, 36 HR, 119 RBI) has had an excellent season, but the Brewers have not. Ryan Howard (.275 BA, 37 HR, 112 RBI) and Hanley Ramirez (.355 BA, 19 HR, 85 RBI) have also been stellar, but it’s hard to get out of Pujols’ shadow.

Other notables: Adrian Gonzalez (+1000)

Cy Young

American League

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals -150

Greinke (13-8, 2.32 ERA) has a mediocre win-loss record for a Cy Young candidate, but look who the poor guy's pitching for. In July, Greinke posted a 2.53 ERA but still went 0-3 that month. He is 5-7 in his last 12 decisions, thanks in large part to the 3.63 runs per game the Royals offence has averaged in his starts.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers +300

After getting shelled for 21 runs in his first 21 innings of the season, Verlander (15-7, 3.38 ERA) quickly turned things around. The league leader in strikeouts went 6-0 in his next nine starts, holding opponents scoreless in four of those outings. He’s been quietly consistent since then but doesn’t get as much media attention as Greinke or Sabathia.

C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees +400

The second-half numbers of Sabathia (15-7, 3.56 ERA) might be freshest in the minds of voters. He's 7-1 with a 2.95 ERA since the All-Star break, a vast improvement on his 8-6, 3.86 ERA first-half numbers. Sabathia benefits from 5.64 run support per game from the Yankees.

Other notables: Josh Beckett (+700), Roy Halladay (+1200), Field (+400)

National League

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants -200

Lately, wins haven’t come as frequently for the defending NL Cy Young winner (13-4, 2.33 ERA), who was 10-2 at the break. The league’s runaway leader in strikeouts (222) also leads the league in complete games (four). Lincecum could get an extra start in September as the Giants chase the NL Wild Card.

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals +200

Carpenter (14-3, 2.20 ERA) has baseball’s lowest ERA and best winning percentage. He also ranks second in the NL in wins and WHIP. Carpenter’s been just filthy since the break, going 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA. Playoff-bound Cardinals may limit his innings in the final month, however.

Field +150

Carpenter’s Cardinals teammate Adam Wainright (16-7, 2.47 ERA) leads the NL with wins and ranks third in ERA. He’s 6-2 with a 1.29 ERA in the second half. Giants’ Matt Cain (12-4, 2.50 ERA) was a frontrunner for the Cy Young at the break, but is only 2-2 with a 2.71 ERA since.

Other notables: Dan Haren (+1200)

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**pm530** · 09-03-2009, 12:49 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, September 3

The MLB “Short Sheet” is running late today, we will post when available.

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Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/3 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/3 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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