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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:07 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, September 10

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NFL season gets going in Pittsburgh, the Angels host the Mariners, and the PGA Tour hits the links at Cog Hill G&CC.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The National Football League launches its regular season on Thursday night, with Tennessee at Pittsburgh. The oddsmakers like the defending champs at home in this contest, listing them as 6-point favorites. The total for the game has been set at a stingy 35 points. Kickoff is set for 8:30pm ET on NBC. The Titans and Steelers met in Week 16 last year, with Tennessee winning 31-14 at home. The Titans went 3-2 during the preseason, while the Steelers posted a 3-1 mark.

There's also one college football game on tap for Thursday night, with Clemson at No. 15 Georgia Tech. The Tigers got past Middle Tennessee 37-14 last week, with Kyle Parker going 9-of-20 for 159 yards passing and two touchdowns. The ranked Yellow Jackets dispatched Jacksonville State 37-17 in Week 1; Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 95 yards and a pair of first-quarter scores in that contest. The oddsmakers have Georgia Tech listed as a 5-point home favorite for Thursday.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Ryan Rowland-Smith (3-2, 3.88 ERA) takes on John Lackey (9-7, 3.74 ERA) on Thursday night as the Mariners and Angels conclude their series in Los Angeles. Lefthander Rowland-Smith is coming off a win over the Athletics in which he gave up three earned runs over eight innings. Righthander Lackey dominated the Royals in his last trip to the mound, giving up just one earned run over his nine innings of work. The Angels, however, are just 3-4 in Lackey's last seven outings.

There are just two other games on the American League schedule for Thursday, with Minnesota at Toronto and Detroit at Kansas City. Over in the National League on Thursday it'll be Cincinnati at Colorado, Florida at the Mets, Atlanta at Houston, and Philadelphia at Washington. Joe Blanton (9-6, 3.80 ERA) will take on Livan Hernandez (7-10, 5.44 ERA) in that Phillies/Nats matchup. Righthander Hernandez has gone 0-5 with two no-decisions over his last seven trips to the hill.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

Four games make up the WNBA schedule for Thursday, with New York at Detroit, Indiana at Chicago, San Antonio at Sacramento, and Phoenix at Seattle. The Mercury (22-10 straight-up, 22-10 against-the-spread) and the Storm (19-13 SU, 14-17-1 ATS) are the top two teams in the Western standings heading into next week's playoffs. Those two clubs last met in Seattle back on August 4, with Phoenix winning 101-90. Diana Taurasi had a team-high 19 points in that victory.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the PGA Tour's FedExCup playoffs continue on Thursday with the opening of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. Steve Stricker, who has jumped ahead of Tiger Woods in the FedExCup standings, is tied with Padraig Harrington at 15/1 on the Vegas odds board for this event. Woods, though, remains the tourney favorite - he's been pegged at 9/5 to win. Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, and Ernie Els all sit back at 20/1 odds.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:09 AM

Bettor's best friend : Today's helpful tips

Thursday, September 10

On the Contreras

Add Jose Contreras to the list of pitchers who have found new life in the National League. The veteran righthander, acquired by the Rockies for the stretch run, won his first start to improve to 2-2 with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP against NL clubs. He was 4-11 with a 5.85 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP in 22 starts vs. AL teams.

Contreras is -208 - by far the highest price he has had this year - when the Rockies host the Reds.

Steel trap

The NFL season kicks off with the Super Bowl champion Steelers giving six points to the visiting Titans. Tennessee is the last team to beat Pittsburgh, rolling to a 31-14 home victory in Week 16 last season. But keep these in mind: Against the spread, the Steelers are 4-0 in their last four Thursday games, 4-0 in their last four season openers and 5-0 in their last five home games.

No ordinary Joe

The Phillies are 7-4 in the last 11 starts made by Joe Blanton, who is 5-2 during that span. The righthander hasn't been spectacular; he hasn't had a complete game or struck out more than seven batters and has given up eight homers in that stretch.

But in each of those 11 starts, Blanton has pitched at least six innings while giving up no more than three earned runs. That is the longest run of quality starts by any Philadelphia pitcher this season. The Phillies are -182 at Washington.

Dub mix

The only Western Conference team that the last-place Sacramento Monarchs have beaten twice this season is the San Antonio Silver Stars, last year's conference champions who are playing for their postseason lives. The Monarchs are gettng 1.5 points and are 1-2 against the spread as home underdogs this season.

The Phoenix-Seattle matchup could be a preview of the Western Conference finals, but don't expect playoff-like intensity. The Mercury are playing for the first time since securing the top seed and may rest their star players. The Storm, locked into the second seed, will be without All-Stars Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird and Swin Cash for the last two regular-season games. Seattle is favored by 5.5 points with a total of 173.

Butterfingers

Last season, Georgia Tech was last in the ACC with 20 lost fumbles. Only Army, which utilizes a run-heavy option offense, had more (24). There were eight more fumbles in the spring game in April and five - three lost - in last week's season-opening 37-17 win over Jacksonville State. The Yellow Jackets are -5 vs. ACC foe Clemson, which is 4-1 against the spread in its last five visits to Atlanta.

Tigers' Tale

The first-place Detroit Tigers got some unintentional pennant race help from the last-place Kansas City Royals, who pushed ace Zack Greinke back one day and called up Lenny DiNardo to start the series finale. The Tigers avoided a fifth meeting this season with Greinke, who has not pitched once against the second-place Minnesota Twins.

The Tigers had been 2-2 against Greinke this season, despite managing just five runs in his four starts. Detroit is -150 to DiNardo and host Kansas City. Greinke will start Friday at Cleveland.

Getting reacquainted

Kim Clijsters has been playing solid tennis at the U.S. Open but isn't being given much of a chance by bookmakers in her semifinal matchup with defending champion Serena Williams, the first time they have met since 2003. Clijsters, who recently returned to tennis after a two-year hiatus to start a family, is +400 to beat Williams, whether it be in two or three sets.

Williams is -125 to win in straight sets and +225 to win in three sets. She is 7-1 all-time vs. Clijsters, whose only win came on carpet in the 2002 WTA Tour Championships. All of Williams' wins have come on hard courts.

Notable Quotable

"I don't know how anybody could ever be better than he is. Ever. No offense to Henry Aaron and all those guys. I'm sorry, Hank. But Albert Pujols is really, really good."

-- Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who notched his major league-leading 18th win with the help of two homers by Pujols.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:10 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

Favorites to get to Super Bowl XLIV, in Miami

-- New England Patriots, opened 6-1, now 5-1

-- Pittsburgh Steelers, opened 6-1, now 7-1

-- New York Giants, opened 8-1, still 8-1

-- Philadelphia Eagles, opened 12-1, now 8-1

-- San Diego Chargers, opened 15-1, now 10-1

-- Colts, Cowboys, both opened 10-1, both now 12-1.

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Thursday's List of 13: One-liners on opening Day of the NFL

13) Bob Barker was guest host on pro wrestling Monday. Seriously.

12) Sounds like it would be fun to be Shawne Merriman's neighbor.

11) This is the first time in long time our President isn't a running joke.

10) Was there any doubt Brady Quinn was going to start at QB for the Browns? Mangini is a Patriot guy, Quinn played for Weis in college.

9) Allen Iverson to the Grizzlies? This isn't going to end well.

8) Bronx Bombers are 61-21 in their last 82 games, making them a huge favorite to win World Series. I'll be rooting against them.

7) My friend Phil recently took a baseball trip to the midwest; his son met Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, White Sox TV announcer, who was nice as you could be to the young man. Glad to hear it.

6) Jose Reyes has been out since May 12 with a hamstring injury, but Aaron Boone came back in five months from heart surgery. Go figure.

5) Do the Patriots keep the #1 pick if Richard Seymour never reports? Seymour earns something like $261,000 a game, by the way.

4) Rajai Davis, Michael Bourn are baseball's most improved players, and Ben Zobrist isn't too far behind.

3) Can't be good news that the Buccaneers haven't sold out their opener this week yet, especially considering its against the Cowboys.

2) How was Michael Jordan not already in the hoop Hall of Fame?

1) My Super Bowl prediction? Chargers over the Falcons.......

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:13 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, September 10

Florida at New York Mets (8:10 p.m. EDT). The Mets' Bobby Parnell (3-7, 5.25 ERA) will try to build off his last outing as New York closes out a three-game set with the Marlins, who have crept back into the NL playoff chase.

STARS

Wednesday

-Albert Pujols, Cardinals, homered twice and drove in three runs to lead St. Louis to a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee.

-Adrian Gonzalez, Padres, hit his career-high 37th homer and drove in three runs in San Diego's 4-2 win at San Francisco.

-Jorge Posada, Yankees, connected for a pinch-hit, three-run homer to lift New York to a 4-2 victory over skidding Tampa Bay.

-A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox, hit a game-ending RBI double in the 13th inning to give Chicago a 4-3 win against Oakland.

-Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, pitched six solid innings to earn his first win since July 22, leading Chicago to an 8-5 victory at Pittsburgh.

-Victor Martinez, Red Sox, hit a tiebreaking three-run double in a pinch-hit appearance in the seventh inning, powering Boston to a 7-5 win over Baltimore.

-Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz, Phillies, hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning to lead Philadelphia to a 6-5 win at Washington.

-Miguel Tejada, Astros, hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to give Houston a 2-1 victory over Atlanta.

-Kendry Morales, Angels, hit a three-run double to help Los Angeles beat Seattle 6-3 for its fifth victory in six games.

-Cody Ross, Marlins, hit a three-run homer to help Florida to a 6-3 victory over the New York Mets.

-Robinson Tejeda, Royals, matched his career high with eight strikeouts in six shutout innings, helping Kansas City to a 5-1 win over Detroit.

-Scott Feldman, Rangers, allowed five hits in seven innings to win his eighth consecutive road start, leading Texas to a 10-0 win at Cleveland.

NICE COMPANY

Derek Jeter joined Lou Gehrig at the top of the Yankees' hits list, equaling the record with a seventh-inning single in New York's 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Wednesday night. Jeter's third hit of the game gave him 2,721 in a Yankees uniform, tying a mark held by Gehrig for more than 70 years. Jeter had a chance to break the record in the eighth inning, but he walked against reliever Grant Balfour. The Yankees are off Thursday, and Jeter will get his next opportunity Friday night at home against Baltimore.

WILD, WILD WEST

Seth Smith and the Rockies definitely had a nice day. Smith's two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning lifted surging Colorado to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Rockies have won six straight to extend their NL wild-card lead to four over San Francisco, which lost 4-2 to San Diego. Colorado also pulled within 2 1/2 games of West-leading Los Angeles, which lost 4-3 to Arizona when Ramon Troncoso walked in the winning run.

HURTING HOLLIDAY

St. Louis got a scare when Matt Holliday tripped running out a grounder in the third inning of its 5-1 win at Milwaukee. He bruised his left knee and left two innings later. The star left fielder said he'd be back in the lineup Friday.

ONE HARD WIN

Justin Morneau and Orlando Cabrera homered and the Twins finally got the best of Roy Halladay, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Wednesday night. Halladay allowed nine hits, struck out nine and walked one in his major league-leading seventh complete game. The right-hander dropped to 8-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 13 games, 11 starts, against Minnesota, which was the only AL team that hadn't pinned a loss on him.

DOUBLE YOUR FUN

Baltimore's Brian Roberts doubled in the fifth inning of the Orioles' 7-5 loss at Boston to become the fourth player in major league history to have three seasons with at least 50 doubles. Hall of Famers Tris Speaker, Paul Waner and Stan Musial are the others.

DOUBLE YOUR FUN II

Billy Butler doubled three times for a club-record fourth time this season to help Kansas City beat Detroit 5-1 for its first three-game winning streak since July. According to STATS LLC, the 23-year-old first baseman is the first player since at least 1954 to have four games with three or more doubles in a season.

WORTH NOTING

The crowd of 11,159 for Minnesota's 4-1 victory at Toronto was the smallest in the 20-year history of Rogers Centre, eclipsing the previous low of 12,571 against Texas on April 30, 2002. Toronto's lowest attendance ever was 10,074 on April 17, 1979, against the Chicago White Sox. ... Adam Wainwright threw seven scoreless innings in St. Louis' 5-1 victory at Milwaukee to become the first major league pitcher with 18 wins.

SPEAKING

"Madson pitched good last night. I like him, plus I wanted to leave Lidge alone.'' - Phillies manager Charlie Manuel after choosing Ryan Madson to finish a 6-5 victory at Washington, leaving struggling closer Brad Lidge in the bullpen.

SEASONS

Sept. 10

1919 - Cleveland's Ray Caldwell pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees as the Indians took a 3-0 decision in the opening game of a doubleheader.

1950 - Joe DiMaggio became the first player to hit three home runs in one game at Griffith Stadium as the New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators 8-1.

1967 - Joe Horlen of the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers with a 6-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader.

1969 - The New York Mets swept Montreal in a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, 3-2 in 12 innings and 7-1. The victories moved the Mets into first place in the NL East for their first time on top.

1974 - Lou Brock tied Maury Wills' single-season stolen base record with a steal in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke the record with steal No. 105 in the seventh inning.

1977 - Roy Howell hit two home runs, two doubles and a single and drove in nine runs as Toronto beat the New York Yankees 19-3.

1980 - Bill Gullickson struck out 18 - the most by a rookie - as the Montreal Expos beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2.

1997 - Mark McGwire joined Babe Ruth as the only players in major league history with consecutive 50-homer seasons by hitting a 446-foot shot off Shawn Estes in the third inning of St. Louis' game against at San Francisco. McGwire, who hit a major league-leading 52 homers for Oakland last season, became the first player with back-to-back 50-homer seasons since Ruth did it in 1927 and 1928.

2000 - Arizona's Randy Johnson became the 12th player to reach 3,000 strikeouts, fanning a season-high 14 in seven innings as the Diamondbacks lost to Florida 4-3 in 12 innings. Johnson also recorded his 300th strikeout for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.

2003 - St. Louis' Tony La Russa became the eighth manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins as the Cardinals beat Colorado 10-2. The 58-year-old La Russa is 2,000-1,782 in 25 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis.

2006 - Francisco Rodriguez became the youngest pitcher in major league history to reach 100 saves in the Los Angeles Angels' 4-3 win over Toronto. The 24-year-old right-hander, with 41 saves this season, broke the previous mark held by Gregg Olson.

2007 - Kurt Suzuki and Dan Johnson both hit grand slams to power Oakland past Seattle 9-3.

Today's birthdays: Joey Votto 26; Nick Green 31; Danys Baez 32; Randy Johnson 46.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:14 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On September 10 in Baseball History...

1881 - In a game in Albany, Troy's Roger Connor hits the first grand slam in National League history. The blow comes off Worcester's Lee Richmond with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning and wins the game 8-7.

1889 - New York Giants pitcher Mickey Welch strikes out as the first pinch hitter in Major League history.

1918 - Players on both sides threaten to strike the World Series unless they are guaranteed $2,500 to the winners and $1,000 each for the losers. They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting World War I. On the field, Hippo Vaughn comes back with two days of rest for the Cubs and blanks the Red Sox 3-0 in Game Five.

1919 - Cleveland's Ray Caldwell pitched a 3-0 no-hitter against the New York Yankees.

1924 - At the Polo Grounds, the Giants rip the Braves 22-1 in the opener of a doubleheader. Frankie Frisch goes six-for-six before grounding out.

1950 - Joe DiMaggio became the first to hit three home runs in one game at Griffith Stadium as the New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators, 8-1.

1969 - The New York Mets swept the Montreal Expos in a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, 3-2 in 12 innings and 7-1. The victories moved the Mets into first place in the National League East for the first time ever on top.

1974 - Lou Brock tied Maury Wills' single-season stolen base record with a steal in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke the record with steal No. 105 in the seventh inning.

1977 - Roy Howell hit two home runs, two doubles and a single and drove in nine runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees, 19-3.

1978 - The Red Sox throw 22-year-old Bobby Sprowl at the Yankees and the lefty last just two-thirds of an inning as the Yankees win 7-4. New York outhits the Red Sox 67-21, and outscores them 42-9, in a sweep that leaves the teams in a tie for first place, and caps a remarkable march to the top from fourth place, 14 games out.

1980 - Bill Gullickson struck out eighteen - the most ever by a rookie - as the Montreal Expos beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-2.

1989 - Five days after hitting a home run for the Yankees in a 12-2 win over the Mariners, Deion Sanders returns a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in his NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcons. He is the first player to accomplish both these feats in the same week at the professional level.

1997 - Mark McGwire joined Babe Ruth as the only players in Major League history with consecutive 50-homer seasons by hitting a 446-foot shot off Shawn Estes in the third inning of St. Louis' game against at San Francisco. McGwire, who hit a Major League-leading fifty-two homers for Oakland last season, became the first player with back-to-back 50-homer seasons since Ruth did it in 1927 and 1928.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:15 AM

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, September 10

Hot Pitchers
-- Reds are 3-0 in Wells' starts (1-0, 2.65). Contreras beat Arizona 4-1 in his first start for Colorado (one run/6.2 IP).
-- Lowe has a 2.84 RA in his last two starts. Oswalt is 2-1, 2.39 in his last four starts.

-- Twins won last five Baker starts (4-0, 2.36).
-- Lackey is 1-0, 1.06 in his last couple starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Hernandez is 0-2, 5.50 in three starts for the Nationals.
-- West has a 6.16 RA in his last four starts. Parnell is 0-3, 10.07 in his last four starts.

-- Cecil is 1-3, 11.65 in his last four starts.
-- Washburn has an 8.66 RA in his last three starts. DiNardo has 10-15, 4.93 record in 29 major league starts; this will be his first start this season.
-- Rowland-Smith has 6.53 RA in his four road starts.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won their last two games, scoring 11 runs.
-- Marlins won six of their last seven games.
-- Astros won five of their last six games.
-- Rockies won eight of their last nine games.

-- Twins won eight of their last twelve road games.
-- Tigers won six of their last eight games. Royals won three in a row.
-- Angels won five of their last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- Mets lost 14 of their last 20 games.
-- Braves lost six of their last seven games.
-- Reds lost their last three games, scoring seven runs.

-- Blue Jays lost 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Mariners are 4-9 in their last thirteen road games.

Totals
-- Under is 12-3-2 in last seventeen Cincinnati road games.
-- 11 of Phillies' last 14 games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten West starts went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Atlanta games stayed under the total.

-- 12 of last 13 Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last twelve Detroit road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 11-6-1 in Seattle's last eighteen games.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:16 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 10

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TORONTO
Minnesota is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Minnesota's last 13 games
Toronto is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

2:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Kansas City's last 20 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Kansas City's last 25 games when playing Detroit

3:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. COLORADO
Cincinnati is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

7:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
Florida is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Florida's last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of NY Mets's last 19 games when playing Florida

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. HOUSTON
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 14 games when playing Atlanta

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games when playing Seattle

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:17 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 10

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+142, 9.5)

The Royals are looking for a little bit of September magic after a crazy season of ups and downs. After starting the month with just one win in their first five games, the Royals have taken back-to-back contests heading into Wednesday Game 2 against Detroit.

"I don't think we've quit at all," Royals manager Trey Hillman told the media after Tuesday’s win over the Tigers. "I still see effort, I still see energy. Guys get depressed a little bit when you've lost as many games as we've lost, but for me -- without overstating it -- it takes a heck of lot of character to continue to come back against a first-place club."

Last season, Kansas City caught fire down the stretch and finished September with an 18-8 record. The team’s pitching was the catalyst to that strong run down the home stretch. In recent games, it’s been the Royals bats that are leading the charge.

They put six runs on the board in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels Monday before driving in seven runs in a 7-5 win over Detroit Tuesday. Those efforts improved Kansas City’s batting average to .283 this month and was the first time the club has won consecutive games since July 28.

Pick: Kansas City +142

Florida Marlins at New York Mets (+101, 9.5)

Don’t look now but the Marlins are making a run at the Wild Card – not to mention the National League East title

Florida has won five of its last six games heading into Wednesday’s meeting with the New York Mets and sits just 5.5 games back of the NL Wild Card and six games out of the division lead.

"We know we have to win every day, but we don't try to put a lot of pressure on us," shortstop Hanley Ramirez told reporters. "We stay in the race. That's all it's about."

Ramirez let his bat do the talking with a 2-run home run to help down the Mets 4-2 Tuesday. Ramirez is hitting .412 BA with three home runs and nine RBIs in September, despite a nagging hamstring injury.

The Marlins, as a team, have been bashing the cover off the ball during this streak, hitting a major-league best .313 while averaging almost 6.5 runs per game this month.

Pick: Florida -102

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 06:17 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 10

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Scott Baker (13-7, 4.34 ERA), Minnesota Twins

The righthander's career-best season just keeps getting better. Having increased his win total for the fourth straight season, Baker is pitching as well as he has all year.

The Twins have won the last five starts made by Baker, who is 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP in that span. He has faced Texas and Cleveland twice each during his hot streak.

Baker has not lost in his last 11 starts.

"You want to see him out there. He's been our hottest pitcher," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the team's web site.

Kip Wells (1-3, 4.85), Cincinnati Reds

Pressed into the rotation due to injuries, the righthander has made the most of his opportunities.

The Reds have won all three starts made by Wells, who has two no-decisions but has posted a 2.65 ERA while getting stronger with each outing.

Wells allowed three runs and seven hits in his first start, two runs and two hits in his next start and tossed six scoreless innings in his last outing, giving up just one hit.

Wells has walked 11 in 17 innings as a starter and needs to develop more command.

Returning

Lenny DiNardo (NR), Kansas City Royals

The journeyman lefthander will be making his first major league appearance since Aug. 9, 2008, when he was with Oakland. He debuted in 2004 and spent three seasons with Boston, primarily as a reliever.

DiNardo was signed as a minor league free agent and pitched for Italy in the World Baseball Classic before pitching five scoreless innings in spring training.

He was sent to the minors and was 10-5 with a 3.32 ERA and two saves in 29 games at Triple-A Omaha, including 23 starts.

Slumping

Brett Cecil (6-4, 5.46), Toronto Blue Jays

As the season winds down, the rookie lefthander appears to be fading.

Cecil is 1-3 in his last four starts, but that hardly tells the whole story. He has not lasted more than five innings in any of those outings and has been hit very hard.

In 17 innings, Cecil has allowed 28 hits, including seven homers. Throw in nine walks and he has a 2.18 WHIP to go with a 10.06 ERA.

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 08:59 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Seattle at LA Angels
The Angels come off a 6-3 win last night and look to build on their 9-3 record in John Lackey's last 12 starts after scoring 5 or more runs in the previous game. LA is the pick (-200) according to Dunkel, which has the Angels favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-200). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Game 901-902: Cincinnati at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Wells) 15.466; Colorado (Contreras) 16.146
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-210); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-210); Under

Game 903-904: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 14.419; Washington (Hernandez) 13.339
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-190); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-190); Over

Game 905-906: Florida at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (West) 14.393; NY Mets (Parnell) 15.379
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Florida (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Over

Game 907-908: Atlanta at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 14.571; Houston (Oswalt) 14.822
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Houston (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-130); Over

Game 909-910: Minnesota at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Baker) 14.646; Toronto (Cecil) 15.895
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+135); Under

Game 911-912: Detroit at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Washburn) 14.735; Kansas City (Dinardo) 15.428
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+150); Under

Game 913-914: Seattle at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Rowland-Smith) 14.551; LA Angels (Lackey) 15.356
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-200); Over

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 11:22 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Thursday, September 10
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CINCINNATI (63 - 76) at COLORADO (80 - 60) - 3:10 PM
KIP WELLS (R) vs. JOSE CONTRERAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 80-60 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 56-38 (+15.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 140-110 (+22.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 80-60 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 419-507 (+31.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 354-413 (+36.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 481-562 (+46.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 6-0 (+6.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

KIP WELLS vs. COLORADO since 1997
WELLS is 0-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 6.28 and a WHIP of 1.640.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.6 units)

JOSE CONTRERAS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
CONTRERAS is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.368.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (79 - 58) at WASHINGTON (47 - 92) - 7:05 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 119-124 (+28.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 70-61 (+17.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-30 (+10.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 182-131 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-27 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-23 (+12.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-9 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-24 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-20 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 26-65 (-34.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 19-54 (-27.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-46 (-24.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-92 (-34.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 28-43 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-38 (-20.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 47-89 (-31.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 29-70 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 37-71 (-24.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 12-2 (+8.9 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

JOE BLANTON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
BLANTON is 1-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 6.44 and a WHIP of 1.789.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+2.8 units)

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 10-9 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.67 and a WHIP of 1.336.
His team's record is 12-13 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-14. (-5.9 units)

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FLORIDA (74 - 65) at NY METS (62 - 77) - 7:10 PM
SEAN WEST (L) vs. BOBBY PARNELL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 41-32 (+7.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
FLORIDA is 74-65 (+6.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 87-67 (+24.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 35-32 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 42-26 (+26.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 21-11 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 33-23 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 71-62 (+5.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 112-104 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 109-103 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 151-150 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 54-73 (-31.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 28-35 (-19.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 15-21 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in home games in September games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 98-98 (-30.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 151-150 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 9-5 (+3.6 Units) against NY METS this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

SEAN WEST vs. NY METS since 1997
WEST is 1-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

BOBBY PARNELL vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

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ATLANTA (71 - 68) at HOUSTON (68 - 71) - 8:05 PM
DEREK LOWE (R) vs. ROY OSWALT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 71-68 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 51-49 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 43-49 (-20.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 26-30 (-16.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 71-68 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 66-70 (+0.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 108-105 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 53-55 (+1.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 81-72 (+14.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 76-78 (+16.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 11-4 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 68-71 (+2.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 40-31 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OSWALT is 15-6 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 (+1.1 Units) against ATLANTA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

DEREK LOWE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
LOWE is 3-3 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.10 and a WHIP of 1.166.
His team's record is 4-4 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.4 units)

ROY OSWALT vs. ATLANTA since 1997
OSWALT is 2-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.490.
His team's record is 4-5 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-6. (-3.6 units)

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

MINNESOTA (70 - 69) at TORONTO (62 - 77) - 12:37 PM
SCOTT BAKER (R) vs. BRETT CECIL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 20-29 (-11.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 33-37 (-10.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MINNESOTA is 20-29 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
TORONTO is 50-44 (+24.0 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 97-66 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 27-44 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 62-77 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 22-38 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-3 (+0.8 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. TORONTO since 1997
BAKER is 0-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

BRETT CECIL vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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DETROIT (75 - 63) at KANSAS CITY (54 - 85) - 2:10 PM
JARROD WASHBURN (L) vs. LENNY DINARDO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 14-22 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DETROIT is 64-88 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 57-67 (-24.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 22-12 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 70-55 (+5.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 75-63 (+4.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 54-85 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 73-126 (-36.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 29-44 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 25-44 (-20.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 26-42 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 48-75 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 16-35 (-19.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 6-8 (-0.3 Units) against DETROIT this season
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.2 Units)

JARROD WASHBURN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WASHBURN is 8-6 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.97 and a WHIP of 1.127.
His team's record is 10-8 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-11. (-4.8 units)

LENNY DINARDO vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (72 - 68) at LA ANGELS (83 - 55) - 10:05 PM
RYAN ROWLAND-SMITH (L) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 89-119 (-28.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 8-24 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 3-17 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in road games in September games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 49-33 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 39-31 (+7.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA ANGELS are 83-55 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 22-11 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 20-8 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 76-47 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 29-14 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 69-64 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 48-41 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 39-29 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 72-68 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 19-11 (+10.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 9-9 (+1.0 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
10 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.1 Units)

RYAN ROWLAND-SMITH vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
ROWLAND-SMITH is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LACKEY is 11-9 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.12 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 14-10 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-11. (+0.9 units)

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 11:28 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, September 10

National League

CINCINNATI at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
WELLS: CIN 18-7 UNDER as an underdog of +175 to +250
CONTRERAS: COL 15-2 as a home favorite of -150 to -200

PHILADELPHIA at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
BLANTON: PHI 17-4 UNDER as a road favorite of -175 or more
HERNANDEZ: WAS 14-38 against division opponents

FLORIDA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
WEST: FLA 17-9 after having won 4 of their last 5
PARNELL: NYM 14-26 after 4+ consecutive home games

ATLANTA at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
LOWE: ATL 13-5 AWAY after a loss by 2 runs or less
OSWALT: HOU 16-7 UNDER after scoring and allowing 3 runs or less

American League

MINNESOTA at TORONTO, 12:37 PM ET
BAKER: 23-6 TSR as a favorite of -125 to -175
CECIL: TOR 14-24 after scoring 2 runs or less

DETROIT at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
WASHBURN: DET 17-6 after scoring 1 run or less
DINARDO: KC 9-24 after allowing 2 runs or less

SEATTLE at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
ROWLAND-SMITH: SEA 3-17 AWAY in September
LACKEY: LAA 20-8 on Thursday

TSR = Team Start Record
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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 12:38 PM

MLB

Thursday, September 10

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

There are “Tips and Trends” selections for College football and the NFL.
See the threads: “NCAAF Week 1 Trends and Indexes 9/10 - 9/12” and “NFL Trends and Indexes - Week 1 (9/10 - 9/14)”

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**pm530** · 09-10-2009, 12:51 PM

WNBA
Dunkel Index

New York at Detroit
The Shock look to bounce back from last night's loss in Minnesota and build on their 6-2-1 ATS record in their last 9 games following a SU defeat. Detroit is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Shock favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Game 601-602: New York at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: New York 107.701; Detroit 117.305
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 9 1/2; 142
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 6 1/2; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6 1/2); Under

Game 603-604: Indiana at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 110.517; Chicago 111.926
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 137 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Pick; 146
Dunkel Pick: Chicago; Under

Game 605-606: San Antonio at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 111.936; Sacramento 109.403
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 154 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 1 1/2; 158
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-1 1/2); Under

Game 607-608: Phoenix at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 116.176; Seattle 113.932
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 6; 173
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+6); Over

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WNBA
Long Sheet

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Thursday, September 10
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NEW YORK (12 - 20) at DETROIT (16 - 16) - 9/10/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 10-6 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 10-6 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (22 - 10) at CHICAGO (15 - 17) - 9/10/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 72-100 ATS (-38.0 Units) in road games since 1997.
INDIANA is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
INDIANA is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) as an underdog this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (14 - 18) at SACRAMENTO (11 - 21) - 9/10/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 49-29 ATS (+17.1 Units) on Thursday since 1997.
SACRAMENTO is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games since 1997.
SACRAMENTO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
SACRAMENTO is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 10-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 9-7 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (22 - 10) at SEATTLE (19 - 13) - 9/10/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 76-52 ATS (+18.8 Units) in August or September games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHOENIX is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games this season.
SEATTLE is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 6-6 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, September 10

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Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bet
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The "Lady Luck" information is not available at this time. If it is published, we will post.

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Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/10 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/10 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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