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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 05:58 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, September 4

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NFL plays its last exhibition games, the PGA Tour continues its playoffs, and the Yankees play another game in Toronto.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The National Football League closes out its preseason schedule on Friday night with three last matchups: Houston at Tampa Bay (-3, Total 34), San Francisco at San Diego (-3.5, Total 37), and Dallas at Minnesota (-3, Total 36). The Vikings improved to 3-0 in exhibition play last time out by beating the Texans 17-10. Brett Favre saw extended action in that contest, going 13-of-18 for 142 yards passing and a touchdown. Favre, though, won't be on the field against Dallas on Friday.

There are two college football games on the Friday schedule, with Central Arkansas at Hawaii and Tulsa at Tulane. The Bears/Warriors matchup hasn't received a line from the oddsmakers this week, while the Golden Hurricane are listed as 13.5-point road faves versus the Green Wave. The total sits at 64 points.

Finally, the Canadian Football League offers up one game on Friday night, with Montreal at British Columbia. The league-leading Alouettes are 7-1 straight-up and 5-3 against-the-spread on the season, while the Lions sit at 3-5 SU and ATS in the basement of the West standings. The oddsmakers like the Als on the road in this contest, pegging them as 5.5-point favorites. The total is listed at 54 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Joba Chamberlain (8-4, 4.38) will take his limited pitch count into the Rogers Centre on Friday night to battle the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay (13-8, 3.13 ERA). Righthander Chamberlain was on the mound for just three innings against the White Sox last time out, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Righthander Halladay was tagged with his third consecutive loss in his most recent start, surrendering four earned runs on seven hits over six innings pitched vs. Boston.

Also on the AL schedule for Friday: Texas at Baltimore, Minnesota at Cleveland, the Angels at Kansas City, Boston at the White Sox, Seattle at Oakland, and Detroit at Tampa Bay. The Tigers will go with Justin Verlander (15-7, 3.38 ERA), while the Rays counter with Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.80 ERA). Verlander beat Tampa Bay last Sunday, giving up three runs over eight innings. Niemann (two runs in seven innings) also took the hill in that contest, settling for a no-decision.

Over in the NL, Cliff Lee (5-1, 1.80 ERA in the NL) will try to bounce back from a loss when the Phillies play a road game in Houston against the Astros and Wandy Rodriguez (12-9, 2.93 ERA). Lefthander Lee was knocked around for six runs on 10 hits over five innings by the Braves last time out, ending his personal eight-game winning streak. Lefthander Rodriguez is coming off back-to-back losses to the D-Backs and Cardinals, surrendering five runs over his 13 innings.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

There are four games on the WNBA's schedule for Friday, with New York at Connecticut, Washington at Chicago, Atlanta at Sacramento, and Indiana at Detroit. The Fever and Shock met back on August 15, with Indiana picking up an easy 82-59 home victory. Guard Katie Douglas led the Fever with a game-high 19 points in that matchup; Douglas is currently day-to-day with a sprained ankle.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the PGA Tour tees off at its second FedExCup event on Friday morning, the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts. Tiger Woods is the tournament favorite as always, getting a line of 9/5 from the Vegas oddsmakers. Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker are next at 15/1, followed by Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els at 20/1. Defending champ Vijay Singh sits at 25/1 odds, while The Barclays winner Heath Slocum is with the field at 2/1.

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 05:59 AM

Eight-pack for Friday

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

-- Falcons covered 11 of last 16 games against AFC teams.

-- Carolina is 9-5-1 as road favorite since '05; 16-10-1 as non-divisional road underdog since '01.

-- Favorite is 26-12 in last 38 Saint games where the visitor is favored.

-- Buccaneers are 14-25-1 vs spread in road games the last five years.

-- Texans covered nine of last 12 as home dog against division foes.

-- Colts covered 17 of last 25 against NFC teams but are 5-10 against spread in game after their last 15 losses.

-- Jaguars covered six of last 21 as road favorite, 16 of 24 as road dog.

-- Titans covered 16 of last 22 road games, 16 of last 21 as underdog and 17 of last 23 against NFC opposition.

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Friday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.......

13) Good to see Aaron Boone back in the big leagues, five months after he had open heart surgery. Sad to say he returned from his surgery a lot faster than Jose Reyes is from a hamstring injury.

12) Speaking of heart surgeries, weird situation with Carolina Panthers, where owner Jerry Richardson, 73, who had a heart transplant last year, replaced both his squabbling sons with the former AD at TCU. Seems as the two sons couldn't agree on how to run things, so dad canned them.

11) Tennessee Vols had eight new assistant coaches last year, and they all got fired after the season. South Carolina has six new assistants this fall, and they're not exactly off to a flying start in '09, though they did get out of Raleigh with a very unimpressive 7-3 win over NC State. Take a look at Carolina's schedule-- very, very hard.

10) Matt Holliday is hitting .386 with 37 RBI for the Cardinals, making him this year's version of Manny Ramirez in the National League.

9) Never knew that first four innings of Dodger telecasts are simulcast on radio, which is why Vin Scully talks so much early in game, then less as the game goes on. Looks like Mr Scully will retire after 2010 season, so we have one more season to be treated to listening to a master.

8) Washington Redskins led NFL in revenue LY, with $345M. Detroit Lions were last, with $206M.

7) Florida Gators' athletic budget is $90M; they expect $35M in revenue from their seven home football games, which would be 38.9% of budget, and is also why Coach Meyer earns a small fortune coaching Florida.

6) Saints have had only one winning season in last six, but had three 8-8 seasons- they're just 12-11 at home since Hurricane Katrina.

5) One thing about European pro basketball seems to be that pro teams work very hard, harder than NBA teams, as far as practicing. European coaches believe that if you take a day off, it takes a day off the length of your career. Takes some adjustment for American players going over the pond to play pro ball.

4) Then there's Ricky Rubio, the 18-year old who prefers to stay over in Spain rather than play for Minnesota; he can talk all he wants about how his skills will develop more playing in Spain, but if the Knicks or Lakers held his rights, you know damn well he'd be in this country right now.

3) Pedro Martinez struck out nine guys in seven IP, beating Linceum and the Giants 2-1. Martinez has been lot better than expected so far.

2) Eldrick Woods putted 114 times last week and lost by one shot.

1) Whats up with two NFL teams firing their offensive coordinators in the last week, with the start of the season so close? Both teams also have new head coaches- you have to wonder about the Chiefs, Bucs-- issues like this are rarely a positive with any type of team.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:00 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Friday, September 4

Boston at Chicago (8:11 p.m. EDT). Paul Byrd, who dazzled with six shutout innings in his first start in nearly a year, makes his second start for the AL wild card-leading Red Sox as they begin a three-game set against the White Sox.

STARS

Thursday

-Jorge Posada, Yankees, hit his 20th homer of the season and drove in four runs to help New York beat Toronto 7-5 for its seventh straight win.

-Pedro Martinez, Phillies, tossed seven impressive innings to outpitch Tim Lincecum and lead Philadelphia to a 2-1 victory over San Francisco.

-David Wright and Pat Misch, Mets. Wright drove in three runs and Misch pitched seven solid innings to earn his first major league win as New York beat Colorado 8-3.

-Jon Garland, Dodgers, faced his former team three days after they traded him and retired the last 14 batters he faced as Los Angeles beat Arizona 4-2.

-Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, hit a tying, pinch-hit single and scored the go-ahead run in his first game since teammate Dan Uggla publicly challenged his effort, lifting Florida to an 8-3 win over Atlanta.

SLUGGING AWAY

Jorge Posada's 20th homer gave New York a major league-leading seven players with at least that many - the first time the Yankees have done that in team history. The seven 20-homer players matches a major league record set three times previously. The 1996 Orioles, 2000 Blue Jays and 2005 Rangers all had seven players with 20 or more home runs. New York shortstop Derek Jeter is the next closest with 17 homers.

THE KID ISN'T DONE

Ken Griffey Jr. sure seems like someone who wants to stick around the Seattle Mariners for another season. While Griffey won't go as far as to say he's leaning toward playing in 2010, he tells The Associated Press he'd be game for another year in Seattle if the situation was right for both himself and the club. And if his body holds up, of course.

HAPPY BOSS

George Steinbrenner is planning to travel to New York for some postseason games if the AL East-leading Yankees make the playoffs. Steinbrenner attended opening day at the new Yankee Stadium this season but has attended few games in New York since becoming increasingly frail. He also watched the Yankees beat the Rays 6-2 on July 29th at Tropicana Field, which is a short trip from his Tampa home.

SENTENCED

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced former major league pitcher Jerry Koosman to six months in prison for not paying his taxes. Prosecutors say Koosman, a former All-Star who helped the New York Mets win the 1969 World Series, didn't pay federal income taxes for 2002, 2003 and 2004. He pleaded guilty in May to willfully failing to file taxes for 2002, a misdemeanor, in a deal with prosecutors.

SIDELINED

Tigers left-hander Jarrod Washburn will miss his next start because of a sore left knee. Washburn was scheduled to start Saturday in Tampa Bay. He said on Thursday that he will be replaced by Armando Galarraga. Washburn missed a start in May with Seattle for the same reason.

SPEAKING

"It's ridiculous how nasty his stuff still is. When you watch him, it's obvious he knows what he's doing out there.'' - San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum on Pedro Martinez, who tossed seven impressive innings to outpitch the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner in the Philadelphia's 2-1 victory.

SEASONS

Sept. 4

1916 - Longtime pitching rivals Christy Mathewson and Mordecai Brown closed out their careers, by special arrangement, in the same game. Mathewson won the game 10-8.

1928 - The Boston Braves started a grueling string in which they played nine straight doubleheaders, a major league record.

1941 - The New York Yankees clinched the pennant on the earliest date in baseball history with a 6-3 victory over Boston.

1966 - The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team in major league history to draw more than 2 million at home and on the road in an 8-6 victory over the Reds in front of 18,670 fans in Cincinnati.

1974 - Don Wilson of the Houston Astros was replaced by a pinch hitter after pitching eight no-hit innings against Cincinnati. Mike Cosgrove pitched the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single to Tony Perez for the only hit as the Reds won the game 2-1.

1985 - Gary Carter hit a pair of solo home runs to tie a major league record and singled in another run to lead the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over San Diego. With the three homers he hit the night before, Carter became the 11th player in major league history to hit five home runs in two games.

1993 - Jim Abbott threw the New York Yankees' first no-hitter in 10 years, leading them to a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

1995 - Robin Ventura became the eighth player in major league history - and the first in 25 years - to hit two grand slams in one game as the Chicago White Sox beat Texas 14-3.

1998 - The New York Yankees reached 100 wins on the earliest date in major league history - five days before the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 1954 Cleveland Indians - with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The '06 Cubs set the major league record for fewest games to reach 100 victories (132).

2002 - The Oakland Athletics set an AL record by winning their 20th straight game. They somehow blew an 11-run lead before pinch-hitter Scott Hatteberg homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Kansas City 12-11. Oakland broke a three-way tie for the longest winning streak in AL history with the 1906 Chicago White Sox and the 1947 New York Yankees.

2006 - Florida became the first team in major league history to climb above .500 after being 20 games under, rallying to beat reeling Arizona 8-5. With four consecutive victories, the Marlins (69-68) have a winning record for the first time. They were 11-31 on May 21.

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:01 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On September 4 in Baseball History...

1891 - Cap Anson shows up for today's game wearing a wig and a long white beard, much to the delight of the Chicago crowd. Anson wears the costume throughout the game, which his Colts win over the Beaneaters 5-3.

1899 - The Superbas, already famous for their late rallies, stage "Brooklyn finishes" in two different boroughs. They win the morning game at home with two in the ninth, and then take the afternoon game in Manhattan with four in the eighth.

1908 - The Pirates and Cubs are tied 0-0 in the last of the tenth at Pittsburgh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Pittsburgh's Chief Wilson singles to center, scoring Fred Clarke with the winning run. Warren Gill, on first base, does not get to second base buts stops short, turns, and heads for the dugout, a common practice. The Cubs' Johnny Evers calls for the ball from Jimmy Slagle, touches second base, and claims the run does not count as Gill has been forced. The lone umpire, Hank O'Day, has left the field. When queried, he rules that Clarke had already scored, so the run counts. The Cubs protest the game, but are denied. This is the first time the Cubs try this tactic, but not the last.

1916 - Longtime pitching rivals Christy Mathewson and Mordecai Brown closed out their careers, by special arrangement, in the same game. Mathewson won the game, 10-8.

1928 - The Boston Braves started a grueling string in which they played nine straight doubleheaders, a Major League record.

1941 - The New York Yankees clinched their third straight pennant on the earliest date in baseball history with a 6-3 victory over Boston.

1966 - Los Angeles became the first team in Major League history to draw more than 2 million at home and on the road as the Dodgers beat the Reds, 8-6, before 18,670 fans in Cincinnati.

1969 - After hitting in 31 straight games, the third-best streak to date in modern National League history, Willie Davis of the Dodgers is stopped in a 3-0 loss to San Diego.

1974 - Don Wilson of the Houston Astros was replaced by a pinch hitter after pitching eight no-hit innings against Cincinnati. Mike Cosgrove pitched the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single to Tony Perez for the only hit as the Reds won the game, 2-1.

1985 - Gary Carter hit a pair of solo home runs to tie a Major League record and singled in another run to lead the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over San Diego. Carter's feat followed a three-homer performance the night before as he became the 11th player in Major League history to hit five home runs in two games.

1992 - Eddie Murray ties Al Simmons for most consecutive years (16) with at least 75 RBI.

1993 - Jim Abbott pitched the New York Yankees' first no-hitter in 10 years in a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

1995 - Robin Ventura became the eighth player in Major League history - and the first in 25 years - to hit two grand slams in one game as the Chicago White Sox beat Texas, 14-3.

1998 - The New York Yankees reached 100 wins on the earliest date in Major League history - five days before the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 1954 Cleveland Indians - with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The '06 Cubs set the Major League record for fewest games to reach 100 victories (132).

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:02 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Arizona at Colorado
The Rockies look to build on their 7-1 record in Jason Hammel's last 8 home starts. Colorado is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockies favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Game 901-902: Florida at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (West) 13.920; Washington (Mock) 14.425
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Florida (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+120); Under

Game 903-904: St. Louis at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.870; Pittsburgh (Hart) 13.501
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-250); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-250); Over

Game 905-906: Chicago Cubs at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 14.338; NY Mets (Parnell) 14.900
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+175); Over

Game 907-908: Cincinnati at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.616; Atlanta (Lowe) 14.622
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-185) 8
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+175); Over

Game 909-910: Philadelphia at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 15.153; Houston (Rodriguez) 14.079
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-125); Under

Game 911-912: San Francisco at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 15.765; Milwaukee (Suppan) 15.228
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+100); Over

Game 913-914: Arizona at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 15.237; Colorado (Hammel) 15.422
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110); Under

Game 915-916: San Diego at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Leblanc) 15.381; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 16.137
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-275); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-275); Under

Game 917-918: Texas at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Feldman) 15.761; Baltimore (Tillman) 15.275
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-130); Over

Game 919-920: NY Yankees at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Chamberlain) 15.997; Toronto (Halladay) 16.001
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-110); Under

Game 921-922: Minnesota at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 15.204; Cleveland (Sowers) 14.727
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+110); Over

Game 923-924: Detroit at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.279; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.340
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+115); Over

Game 925-926: LA Angels at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 14.145; Kansas City (Meche) 15.171
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-165); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+155); Over

Game 927-928: Boston at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Byrd) 16.091; White Sox (Garcia) 15.572
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-135); Over

Game 929-930: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Rowland-Smith) 15.674; Oakland (Mazzaro) 15.002
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+100); Over

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:05 AM

MLB

Friday, September 4

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. WASHINGTON
Florida is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 15 games when playing Florida

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:05 PM
TEXAS vs. BALTIMORE
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing at home against Texas

7:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
Toronto is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games on the road
NY Mets are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets' last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs

7:35 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ATLANTA
Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cincinnati's last 21 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Atlanta's last 21 games when playing Cincinnati

7:38 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Tampa Bay is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games at home

8:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. HOUSTON
Philadelphia is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 8 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games at home

8:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. MILWAUKEE
San Francisco is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels' last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Kansas City's last 22 games when playing LA Angels

8:11 PM
BOSTON vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Boston is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 4-14 SU in their last 18 games when playing Boston
Chi White Sox are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games

9:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games
Colorado is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Arizona
Colorado is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Arizona

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 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
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of LA Dodgers' last 13 games

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:07 AM

MLB

Friday, September 4

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers (-260, 8)

While the wild fires burn hot outside of Los Angeles, the Dodgers' offense remains ice cold.

Los Angeles is posting a .251 BA in the past week and, heading into Thursday's finale with the D-backs, has scored just 11 total runs in the past four games. Things hit rock bottom at the plate Wednesday, when the Dodgers managed a single run in a 4-1 loss to Arizona as -166 home favorites. In the first three games with the Diamondbacks, L.A. is 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

"Right now, everyone is aware of the fact that we haven't been producing," manager Joe Torre told the media. "They may be squeezing the bat a little too much."

That power outage has produced a 0-3-1 over/under mark in the last four games heading into Thursday. Add to that, San Diego’s basement hitting numbers and three straight under results against the Nationals this week.

Pick: Under 8

Chicago Cubs at New York Mets (+153, 8.5)

The Mets aren’t used to the role of spoiler. But they got a taste for it after defeating the Rockies Thursday afternoon. New York downed the Wild Card chasers 8-3 as big +220 road underdogs.

New York’s usual September slate has them fighting for their lives – and choking – for a playoff spot. But after a disastrous year filled with injuries to star players, the Mets can only settle for ruining others' postseason dreams.

One of those clubs with playoff aspirations are the Chicago Cubs, who sit six games out of the NL Wild Card and 10.5 games behind St. Louis in the Central. The Cubbies are coming off a 5-0 loss to the rival White Sox Thursday in which they managed just six hits and committed two errors.

The Mets got a boost from the return of third baseman David Wright this week. He led the way Thursday, driving in three runs, in a game where every starting position player registered a hit.

The last time New York faced Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, it hung 11 hits on the hefty right-hander. Zambrano lasted only 3 1-3 innings last Sunday, leaving with three earned runs and a pitch total of 75. That was the second straight outing Zambrano struggled against New York. He was knocked around for five runs in under five innings back in September of last year.

Pick: Mets +153

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 06:09 AM

MLB

Friday, September 4

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals

The way Wainwright is pitching in the second half of the year, the Cardinals could have two Cy Young contenders on their staff.

The right-hander has lead St. Louis to five straight wins in his recent starts and carries a 1.29 ERA since the break. In his most recent trip to the bump, Wainwright gave up one run through six innings, striking out seven batters, against the Nationals – on his 28th birthday.

His efforts are only outdone by teammate Chris Carpenter, who won the NL Pitcher of the Month for August with an 8-0 record and ERA just north of 2.00.

Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds

Bronson Arroyo will never stop rockin’ as long as there are games to pitch.

While the Reds are showing life in the home stretch of the season, they are still stuck in the NL Central basement. Arroyo is hoping some of those wins can come when he is on the mound. Cincy has ruined the righty’s efforts with poor run support and a feeble bullpen.

Since the All-Star break, Arroyo is just 2-4 in nine starts but boasts a 2.53 ERA. In his last three starts, the veteran pitcher is 0-1 with a 1.61 ERA. His most recent effort, a two-run, six-hit display, resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Dodgers and another no-decision for Arroyo.

Cincinnati has won four straight games heading into Friday’s game, scoring over six runs per game during this stretch.

Slumping

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays

When Roy Halladay hits the slumping side of this article, you know things are bad in Toronto. The Doctor was beat up – by Doc standards - again in his most recent outing, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings against the Red Sox.

In his last three appearances, Halladay has an ERA just under 8.00 and has allowed four home runs. He’s also watched his command suffer during this skid, with pitch counts soaring despite only going six innings at most.

Bobby Parnell, New York Mets

Don’t blame all the Mets' woes on Parnell. You can, however, blame some of them. The right-hander has blown leads in his last three games, going 0-3 with an ERA above 15.00. In his most recent nightmare, Parnell served up eight earned runs in just over four innings, including a grand slam.

After a promising showing against the Giants in the middle of August, in which Parnell pitched a six-inning shutout while striking out seven batters, he was walked more batters than he has whiffed and has struggled to find the strike zone with pitch counts above 100 despite short showings.

But, in Parnell’s defense, the team didn’t expect him to still be pitching in the bigs at this time of year. And neither did he.

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 10:11 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Friday, September 4
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FLORIDA (70 - 64) at WASHINGTON (46 - 88) - 7:05 PM
SEAN WEST (L) vs. GARRETT MOCK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 69-58 (+18.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 118-121 (+30.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 70-64 (+3.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 84-66 (+23.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 70-72 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 39-25 (+24.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 14-9 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 15-9 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 150-136 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 108-104 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 106-102 (+8.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 4-17 (-13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-34 (-18.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 46-85 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 29-66 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 5-21 (-14.5 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 25-62 (-32.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 18-50 (-24.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-42 (-21.6 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.
WASHINGTON is 46-88 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 27-39 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 9-3 (+4.6 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.0 Units)

SEAN WEST vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WEST is 0-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 10.39 and a WHIP of 2.540.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

GARRETT MOCK vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (79 - 56) at PITTSBURGH (53 - 79) - 7:05 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. KEVIN HART (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 35-29 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-19 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-12 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 35-29 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 79-56 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 54-33 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 113-85 (+21.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 76-56 (+17.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 79-56 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 62-40 (+16.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 14-5 (+8.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
WAINWRIGHT is 20-8 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 23-6 (+13.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 11-1 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 9-0 (+9.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 18-6 (+9.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 20-8 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 15-4 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 7-0 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 20-53 (-24.9 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.
PITTSBURGH is 19-39 (-18.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 8-4 (+2.7 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 4-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.42 and a WHIP of 1.527.
His team's record is 5-4 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-6. (-6.1 units)

KEVIN HART vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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CHICAGO CUBS (67 - 65) at NY METS (60 - 74) - 7:10 PM
CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R) vs. BOBBY PARNELL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 67-65 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 30-39 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 53-51 (-11.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 30-33 (-7.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 513-480 (-103.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 67-65 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 22-26 (-9.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 27-38 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 6-16 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 21-16 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
NY METS are 35-16 (+18.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ZAMBRANO is 70-46 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 14-2 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games in September games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 29-13 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 24-36 (-13.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
NY METS are 149-147 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 13-18 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in home games in September games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 149-147 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-2 (+0.4 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. NY METS since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 4-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 5-3 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.8 units)

BOBBY PARNELL vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
PARNELL is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 15.42 and a WHIP of 2.355.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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CINCINNATI (60 - 73) at ATLANTA (70 - 64) - 7:35 PM
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. DEREK LOWE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 317-365 (+31.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 351-410 (+33.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 233-252 (+41.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 478-559 (+43.8 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 85-81 (+25.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
ATLANTA is 70-64 (-6.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 99-107 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 42-46 (-14.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 25-26 (-9.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 70-64 (-6.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 35-39 (-14.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 21-22 (-10.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 14-21 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 3-3 (+0.5 Units) against ATLANTA this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
ARROYO is 4-3 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 6.40 and a WHIP of 1.769.
His team's record is 6-4 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+4.1 units)

DEREK LOWE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
LOWE is 3-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 0.808.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (77 - 54) at HOUSTON (63 - 70) - 8:05 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LEE is 11-15 (-8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 145-143 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 105-104 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 71-77 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 32-32 (+12.0 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.
HOUSTON is 149-145 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-18 (+11.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 82-61 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
RODRIGUEZ is 8-1 (+7.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
RODRIGUEZ is 10-2 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
RODRIGUEZ is 10-2 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
RODRIGUEZ is 7-0 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season. (Team's Record)
RODRIGUEZ is 17-5 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 74-51 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-18 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 27-14 (+9.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-29 (+10.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 77-54 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 41-23 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 89-73 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
LEE is 57-39 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

CLIFF LEE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (73 - 61) at MILWAUKEE (65 - 68) - 8:05 PM
BARRY ZITO (L) vs. JEFF SUPPAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 27-18 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SUPPAN is 40-19 (+18.3 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 73-61 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-42 (+6.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-46 (+6.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 37-24 (+14.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 78-66 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 73-61 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-16 (-12.3 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 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 65-68 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-18 (-10.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-18 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 65-65 (-6.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-3 (+0.5 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

BARRY ZITO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ZITO is 1-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 6.43 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.3 units)

JEFF SUPPAN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SUPPAN is 3-6 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.86 and a WHIP of 1.611.
His team's record is 3-7 (-5.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-6. (-2.5 units)

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ARIZONA (61 - 74) at COLORADO (74 - 60) - 9:10 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. JASON HAMMEL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 61-74 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 102-110 (-21.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 45-72 (-29.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 61-74 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 23-37 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 64-86 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 74-60 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 74-60 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 52-38 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 66-80 (-13.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 24-30 (-10.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 6-6 (+0.4 Units) against COLORADO this season
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-1.0 Units)

DAN HAREN vs. COLORADO since 1997
HAREN is 5-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.070.
His team's record is 6-3 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.4 units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN DIEGO (59 - 76) at LA DODGERS (80 - 55) - 10:10 PM
WADE LEBLANC (L) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 122-174 (-42.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-85 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 122-174 (-42.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 51-95 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 80-55 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 37-18 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 80-55 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 23-20 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
KERSHAW is 8-12 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 9-4 (+3.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
6 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-1.4 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LEBLANC is 0-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 9.23 and a WHIP of 2.289.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KERSHAW is 2-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.31 and a WHIP of 1.377.
His team's record is 4-2 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)

=============================================

TEXAS (75 - 58) at BALTIMORE (54 - 80) - 7:05 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. CHRIS TILLMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 40-32 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 40-32 (+9.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TEXAS is 75-58 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 26-18 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TEXAS is 70-75 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 72-52 (+22.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 55-43 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 47-36 (+15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FELDMAN is 17-7 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 11-1 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 6-0 (+6.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 15-7 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 8-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 7-0 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 6-0 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 5-22 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 498-546 (-116.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 238-297 (-89.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 134-242 (-99.6 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 85-156 (-47.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 23-59 (-25.9 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.
BALTIMORE is 54-80 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 498-546 (-116.5 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
FELDMAN is 2-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.273.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY YANKEES (86 - 48) at TORONTO (59 - 74) - 7:07 PM
JOBA CHAMBERLAIN (R) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HALLADAY is 22-5 (+16.1 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 112-53 (+33.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 57-28 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 12-3 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
NY YANKEES are 86-48 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 32-49 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 31-41 (-14.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 24-43 (-18.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 11-27 (-16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 59-74 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 18-26 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 8-14 (-9.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 17-38 (-24.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
HALLADAY is 5-10 (-9.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 11-22 (-18.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 10-3 (+6.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.7 Units)

JOBA CHAMBERLAIN vs. TORONTO since 1997
CHAMBERLAIN is 0-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.30 and a WHIP of 1.553.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.1 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HALLADAY is 16-6 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 2.91 and a WHIP of 1.115.
His team's record is 21-12 (+11.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 15-16. (-1.9 units)

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MINNESOTA (67 - 66) at CLEVELAND (58 - 75) - 7:05 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. JEREMY SOWERS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 4-16 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-6 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-8 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 72-51 (+13.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 110-87 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 112-91 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 8-2 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 14-8 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 14-25 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-75 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 28-35 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 51-67 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 36-48 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 41-58 (-17.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-6 (+0.4 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

CARL PAVANO vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
PAVANO is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 1.04 and a WHIP of 0.577.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

JEREMY SOWERS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SOWERS is 1-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.34 and a WHIP of 0.956.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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DETROIT (72 - 61) at TAMPA BAY (72 - 61) - 7:38 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. JEFF NIEMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 10-21 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
DETROIT is 23-37 (-16.6 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.
DETROIT is 146-149 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 27-39 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 92-97 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 97-111 (-31.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-15 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 58-25 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 177-134 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 105-50 (+36.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 33-14 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 106-53 (+33.6 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 69-38 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 116-61 (+36.3 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 124-81 (+32.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NIEMANN is 15-4 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-2 (+0.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VERLANDER is 3-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.20 and a WHIP of 1.367.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. DETROIT since 1997
NIEMANN is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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LA ANGELS (78 - 54) at KANSAS CITY (51 - 82) - 8:10 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. GIL MECHE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 19-9 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
MECHE is 66-52 (+29.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
MECHE is 10-3 (+9.8 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. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 71-46 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 63-45 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 117-87 (+15.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 73-44 (+25.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 38-21 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA ANGELS are 78-54 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 76-46 (+20.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 39-28 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 193-144 (+41.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
WEAVER is 31-11 (+16.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 45-72 (-27.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 35-53 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 16-23 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 32-49 (-13.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 2-10 (-8.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
KANSAS CITY is 51-82 (-27.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 43-71 (-21.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 5-20 (-13.4 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 26-41 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 10-20 (-10.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 4-17 (-15.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
MECHE is 6-14 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 6-0 (+6.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JERED WEAVER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WEAVER is 2-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.389.
His team's record is 2-4 (-4.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

GIL MECHE vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
MECHE is 8-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.84 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 11-8 (+5.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-9. (+0.5 units)

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BOSTON (78 - 55) at CHI WHITE SOX (66 - 69) - 8:11 PM
PAUL BYRD (R) vs. FREDDY GARCIA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 19-29 (-13.7 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 17-6 (+12.0 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 91-58 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 61-57 (+1.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 161-97 (+33.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 130-87 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 84-42 (+29.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-15 (+14.9 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 13-19 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-1 (+1.8 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

PAUL BYRD vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
BYRD is 9-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.33 and a WHIP of 1.211.
His team's record is 11-6 (+6.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-8. (-0.1 units)

FREDDY GARCIA vs. BOSTON since 1997
GARCIA is 7-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.78 and a WHIP of 1.354.
His team's record is 7-8 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.5 units)

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SEATTLE (71 - 64) at OAKLAND (59 - 75) - 10:05 PM
RYAN ROWLAND-SMITH (L) vs. VIN MAZZARO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 2-13 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in road games in September games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 88-116 (-26.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 252-234 (-71.8 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 18-9 (+11.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 68-60 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 47-40 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 39-29 (+7.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SEATTLE is 71-64 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 33-26 (+6.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 29-52 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OAKLAND is 64-88 (-27.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 10-3 (+7.2 Units) against OAKLAND this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.4 Units)

RYAN ROWLAND-SMITH vs. OAKLAND since 1997
ROWLAND-SMITH is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.31 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

VIN MAZZARO vs. SEATTLE since 1997
MAZZARO is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 10:33 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

***Note: The MLB Short Sheet is currently unavailable due to technical problems. When available, it will be posted.***

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 11:15 AM

MLB

Friday, September 4

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Tips and Trends
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Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals [8:10 PM ET]

Angels (-$1.50, O/U 9.5 under -$1.20): The Angels are on a downturn having lost nine of their last 14 games. They lead the majors in batting and hits, but have scored only once in their last 18 innings getting just 10 hits during this two-game span. Jered Weaver (13-5, 3.89 ERA) hasn’t had much success versus Kansas City. He does have a 3.75 ERA in six career games against the Royals, but has dropped his last four decisions to them. Since the All-Star break, Weaver’s ERA is 5.43. He went 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA during August. The over has cashed in 11 of Weaver’s last 14 starts. Los Angeles has won 19 of its last 26 as a road favorite. The Angels are 7-2 in Weaver’s past nine road starts. The Angels also have defeated the Royals 20 of the last 26 times at Kauffman Stadium, including a three-game sweep in July.

The Angels are 17-8 in their last 25 during Game 1 of a series.

Key Injuries - None

PROJECTED SCORE: 6

Royals: The Royals are already ensured of a losing season for the 14th time in 15 years. Kansas City has had problems winning at home going 7-26 in its last 33 games at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals are 0-6 this year to the Angels and may be missing Jose Guillen because of a sore hamstring. Guillen had just returned from missing 37 games due to a sprained knee. Gil Meche gets the start following his worst outing in four starts since coming off the DL with a back strain. Meche (6-10, 5.09 ERA) gave up seven runs on eight hits in four innings against the Mariners in Seattle last Saturday. Meche has an 8.14 ERA since returning from the DL. Kansas City has lost eight of Meche’s past nine home starts. Meche is 8-3 lifetime versus the Angels in 19 starts with a 4.92 ERA.

The Royals are 6-18 in their last 24 games versus American League West clubs.
The teams are 23-8 in their last 31 head-to-head meetings.

Key Injuries - Jose Guillen (hamstring) is questionable.

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

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

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 11:59 AM

MLB

Friday, September 4

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Weekend MLB cheat sheet
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It’s suddenly September and with it comes MLB call-ups as rosters expand to 40. It’s also the beginning of the stretch drive for playoff positioning in the pennant races.

With that, take a look into the top four series on tap this weekend. Remember, all results are within the series and all pitcher records are "team starts" (the team’s record in games in which the pitcher starts) versus this opponent.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros

Most Recent Series Result: Phillies 5-3 last eight games

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Astros 10-6 last 16 games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Phillies 15-3 Saturdays away

Best Arm in the Series: Phillies’ Hamels 5-0, 4.42 ERA career team starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Astros’ Rodriguez 0-1, 7.20 ERA career

San Francisco Giants at Milwaukee Brewers

Most Recent Series Result: Brewers 9-3 last 12 games (4-3 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Brewers 16-4 last 20 games home (2-1 this season)

Key Day/Month Stat: Brewers 9-1 Saturdays; Giants 1-5 Saturdays away

Best Arm in the Series: Brewers 2-0, 2.57 ERA home career team starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Giants’ Zito 0-4, 8.55 ERA away career team starts; Sanchez 0-3, 15.13 ERA career team starts

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays

Most Recent Series Result: Tigers 5-3 last eight games (2-2 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Rays 6-1 last seven games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Rays 15-2 Saturdays; Tigers 1-5 Saturdays away

Best Arm in the Series: Tigers’ Verlander 5-0, 4.20 ERA career team starts, Rays’ Shield 5-0, 2.97 ERA career team starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Rays’ Niemann 0-1, 1.56 ERA career

Boston Red Sox at Chicago White Sox

Most Recent Series Result: Red Sox 14-4 last 18 games (3-1 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Red Sox 8-3 last 11 games away

Key Day/Month Stat: White Sox 12-3 Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Lester 2-1, 4.13 ERA career team starts

Worst Arm in the Series: White Sox’ Danks 0-2, 6.19 ERA home career team starts; Garcia 0-2, 7.50 ERA last team starts home

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 12:07 PM

MLB
Write-up

Friday, September 4

The MLB “Write-up” is late today, we will post when available.

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**pm530** · 09-04-2009, 12:07 PM

WNBA
Dunkel Index

Indiana at Detroit
The Fever look to take advantage of a Detroit team that is just 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games with 2 days of rest. Indiana is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Shock favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Game 651-652: New York at Connecticut
Dunkel Ratings: New York 112.306; Connecticut 107.281
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 5; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 4 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-4 1/2); Over

Game 653-654: Indiana at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 113.640; Detroit 114.656
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 143 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 2 1/2; 150 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+2 1/2); Under

Game 655-656: Washington at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 106.518; Chicago 114.179
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 7 1/2; 150 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 4 1/2; 150
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-4 1/2); Over

Game 657-658: Atlanta at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 114.863; Sacramento 112.719
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 2; 163 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 170
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-1); Under

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WNBA
Long Sheet

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Friday, September 4
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NEW YORK (12 - 18) at CONNECTICUT (14 - 17) - 9/4/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CONNECTICUT is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 8-4 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 7-6 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (20 - 9) at DETROIT (14 - 15) - 9/4/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 66-95 ATS (-38.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 71-99 ATS (-37.9 Units) in road games since 1997.
INDIANA is 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DETROIT is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DETROIT is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 9-7 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 9-7 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (15 - 15) at CHICAGO (14 - 16) - 9/4/2009, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 175-222 ATS (-69.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 105-139 ATS (-47.9 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in road games in August or September games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 108-142 ATS (-48.2 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-4 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (16 - 14) at SACRAMENTO (11 - 20) - 9/4/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
ATLANTA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.

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

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WNBA

Friday, September 4

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Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bet
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Indiana Fever at Detroit Shock (-2.5, 150.5)

Have the Fever caught a cold? The league’s best team (according to the standings) has dropped four of five games including Wednesday’s showdown with the West-leading Mercury.

Of course it wasn’t a fair fight. The Fever were missing their leading scorer Katie Douglas because of a sore ankle. Her status is day-to-day and it’s unclear whether she’ll be ready to go for Friday’s game against the Shock.

Mercury coach Corey Gaines says the difference is night and day for Indiana without Douglas in the lineup.

“She stretches the defense a little bit,” Gaines told the Indianapolis Star. “She handles the ball a lot. But hopefully, we’ll meet again and we’ll see.”

Indiana won’t get any favors from the surging Shock. Detroit, which started out the year 2-7, has won five of its last six, including a win Tuesday over the Mercury.

The seats will be packed for this matchup. Detroit handed out 2000 free tickets to the public in hopes of getting some fans interested in the club again.

Pick: Shock

Atlanta Dream at Sacramento Monarchs (+1, 170)

At 11-20 and with just four games left on the schedule, you would probably guess that the Monarchs would be thinking about the offseason already.

But two wins in a row has put the club just 2.5 games back of San Antonio for the final playoff seed in the West.

Monarchs coach John Whisenant knows his team’s chances are slight, but he also knows his group won’t give up.

“We’ve got a shot, we’ve got a chance, with all the problems and issues we’ve had.”

The problem Whisenant is talking about is his team’s lack of depth at point guard. Backup point guard Kara Lawson is out for the season with tendinitis and starting PG Ticha Penicheiro is fighting through a sore left hamstring.

“I want to help the team so I’m really frustrated,” Penicheiro told the Sacramento Bee. “This is the most important part of the season and we’ve still got a shot at the playoffs and I’m just frustrated that this has happened.”

She only played four minutes in Saturday’s win over the Fever because of the injury.

Kristin Haynie, who was acquired in a trade a few weeks back, has been doing the heavy lifting at the point. Look for the Dream to exploit the Monarchs’ short guard rotation.

Pick: Atlanta

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Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 9/4 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 9/4 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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