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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:38 AM

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:39 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, September 17

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Hurricanes host the Yellow Jackets, the Angels battle the Red Sox, and the Royals send their ace out against the Tigers.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Two ranked teams meet on the college gridiron on Thursday night as No. 14 Georgia Tech plays on the road against No. 20 Miami. The Yellow Jackets won their season opener last week, taking a 24-0 lead on Clemson and then holding on for a 30-27 victory. The Hurricanes are also 1-0 on the season after slipping past Florida State 38-34 back on September 7. The oddsmakers have Miami listed as a 4.5-point home favorite for Thursday, with the total sitting at 54 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Angels and Red Sox conclude their series at Fenway Park on Thursday night, with Ervin Santana (7-8, 5.52 ERA) taking on Josh Beckett (15-6, 3.82 ERA). Righthander Santana took a no-decision against the White Sox last time out, allowing two earned runs over seven innings; Los Angeles is 0-4 in Santana's last four starts. Righthander Beckett picked up his first win in a month last time out, holding the Rays to a single earned run over his five innings pitched.

Also on the American League schedule for Thursday: the White Sox at Seattle, Tampa Bay at Baltimore, Cleveland at Oakland, and Kansas City at Detroit. Royals ace Zack Greinke (13-8, 2.19 ERA) will get the ball for his team on Thursday afternoon; righthander Greinke has allowed just one earned run over his last 24 innings pitched. Detroit counters with Edwin Jackson (12-6, 3.22 ERA); the Tigers are 4-2 over righthander Jackson's past six trips to the mound.

Meanwhile, the National League has just four games on tap for Thursday, with Milwaukee at the Cubs, the Mets at Atlanta, Florida at Cincinnati, and Washington at Philadelphia. J.D. Martin (4-4, 4.29 ERA) will pitch for the Nats; righthander Martin has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts. Cole Hamels (9-9, 4.21 ERA) starts for the Phillies; lefthander Hamels beat the Mets last time out, allowing a single run over his 6 2-3 innings.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The top seeds in the WNBA open their playoff series on Thursday night, as Indiana plays in Washington and Phoenix takes the court in San Antonio. The Fever (22-12 straight-up, 19-15 against-the-spread during the season) are pegged as 2-point road favorites for Thursday, with the total at 144 points. The Mercury (23-11 both SU and ATS) are 1-point favorites with a total at 178 points.

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:40 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Thursday, September 17

Flu bug bites Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes are the latest college football team to get bitten by the flu bug.

The Hurricanes are reporting that three players – most notably safety Jojo Nicolas – are suffering from illness heading into Thursday's conference clash with Georgia Tech. There is speculation that the outbreak could be spreading through the Miami locker room.

Nicolas, the only starter of the three players listed, joins cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke (concussion) on the sidelines while defensive end Eric Moncur (groin) and receiver Aldarius Johnson (groin) are listed as probable and questionable for this week's ACC showdown.

Miami is a 5.5-point home favorite for Thursday's game.

Reds pitcher looking a little green

In more flu news, Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto could miss Thursday's scheduled start against the Florida Marlins due to illness. Cueto, who is 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his last three starts (all team wins), was allowed to skip a team photo and left the ballpark Wednesday.

"We'll back Cueto up if he's not feeling better," manager Dusty Baker told mlblogs.com. "We sent him home. I doubt that he'll be better tomorrow. He might be but he'll probably feel weak."

Left-hander Matt Maloney is likely to start in Cueto's spot. He's also not 100 percent after leaving his most recent start with a blister on his finger. Maloney is 0-4 with a 5.65 ERA in five starts this season.

No way Jorge

Following Wednesday's rumble in the Bronx, New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada has been suspended three games and fined after throwing an elbow at Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson (who was suspended three games) that sparked a bench-clearing brawl in the eighth inning.

With Posada in the clubhouse, New York will split time behind home plate between Jose Molina and Francisco Cervelli. The veteran catcher was hitting .308 with 13 RBIs and four home runs this month. While his bat will be missed, Posada hasn't been the choice of the Yankees' pitching staff following communication issues earlier this season.

Busch feeling bushed

Despite his four wins, Kyle Busch failed to make the 12-driver cut for the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship following a fifth-placed finish at last Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond. Busch, who finished 13th in the standings before the cut, will take the track at New Hampshire this weekend priced at +900 but won't have much motivation for the remaining 10 races of 2009.

There is value, however, with Kyle's brother Kurt, who is at +2000 to win his second Cup title. With the younger Busch helping out his sibling, the No. 2 Dodge could have an edge over the other drivers in the Chase.

Don't count out Donovan

While the Philadelphia Eagles scramble to replace Donovan McNabb, head coach Andy Reid isn't ruling his star quarterback out for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Reid told reporters that McNabb was “actually making some progress” during the team's practice Wednesday. McNabb did not participate in drills alongside backup Kevin Kolb and recently-signed veteran pivot Jeff Garcia.

"Don's been in this situation before," Reid told reporters. "So I would probably say if he can go, he can go. If he were [cleared] to play and felt okay, I think he could do that, go out there and play with very little practice and perform."

The Eagles opened as 3-point home favorites at the Las Vegas Hilton Sunday night. That has since been bet down to -1, where it stands at most books.

King of the Cassel

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel is currently listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Oakland but was running better on his injured left knee at practice Wednesday.

Cassel did not participate in all of Kansas City's drills but according to head coach Todd Haley, Cassel “moved around a little better than he did at the end of the week”.

The team's big offseason acquisition missed last week's opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Backup Brodie Croyle performed well, passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-24 loss as 14-point underdogs.

"I haven't talked to the doctors. But to my eye, he was improved some from last week," Haley told reporters of Cassel's improvements.

Kansas City is a 3-point home favorite against the Raiders after the line moved from its opening stand of 4.5.

Big unit is back

Veteran pitcher Randy Johnson was activated by the San Francisco Giants Wednesday after missing the last two months with a torn rotator cuff. Johnson won't jump back into the Giants' stellar rotation but will be used out of the bullpen.

The lanky lefty is 8-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 17 starts this season. He bolsters San Francisco's bullpen, which ranks second in the majors with a collective ERA of 3.61 and 37 saves. The Giants are currently hosting the Colorado Rockies, who they trail by 2.5 games in the National League Wild Card race.

Leap of faith

“If they’re to accept one individual out of all the NFL teams to embrace if he got in the stands, I think I should be that one,” Ochocinco said. “I’m no harm. It’s all fun. It’s all entertainment.”

- Chad Ochocinco, Bengals WR, talking about his plans to do the Lambeau Leap if he scores against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field this Sunday.

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:42 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

Some trends for Week 2 in the NFL........

-- Titans are 10-2 vs spread in game after their last twelve losses.

-- Eagles covered six of last eight as a home favorite.

-- Patriots covered 17 of last 23 as a road favorite.

-- Broncos covered three of last 20 as a home favorite.

-- Vikings are 2-8 as a road favorite in divisional games.

-- Rams are 5-12-1 vs spread when getting more than seven points.

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Thursday's List of 13: Our college football List of 13.......

Unlike our other lists, this isn't a ranking; just some teams that made an impression over the first two weekends.

13) SMU-- They're 6.5-point favorites at Washington State Saturday-- if they win, they're 3-0 for first time in 25 years. How long will Mustangs be able to keep June Jones in Dallas?

12) Ohio State-- Ignorant jerks are thrashing Jim Tressel for losing last week to USC; who do they think would be a better coach? The guy has made Michigan a personal pinata (7-1), he's won five national titles, one at Ohio State, but he isn't good enough? Ugh.

11) Colorado-- What jackass scheduled a Sunday night game against a rival, followed by a Friday night road game in Ohio? Its one thing to put a coach on the hot seat, but did he approve the ridiculous schedule?

10) Central Michigan-- Down 27-20 in East Lansing, Chippewas scored a TD with 0:35, stupidly went for two, didn't get it, then recovered an onside kick and won game on a last-second FG. QB Lefevour is one of country's better quarterbacks.

9) Purdue-- Fun team to watch, with senior QB Elliott getting his first chance to start; whacked Toledo 52-31 in opener, then lost tough game out in Oregon, 38-36. I like teams that score a lot of points.

8) Auburn-- Haven't heard Charles Barkley bitching about Gene Chizik lately; Tigers have the most fun offense they've had since Bo Jackson.

7) Utah-- Team's with nation's longest win streak is an underdog against the Ducks in Eugene this week.

6) Pitt-- Joe Flacco is an NFL starter, Tyler Palko got cut this summer in training camp; any Pitt fans worried that Dave Wannstedt isn't too good a judge of talent, since he chose Palko to start over Flacco at Pitt?

5) BYU-- If Notre Dame had done what Cougars have done so far this year (beat Oklahoma in Dallas, win by 50 at Tulane), they'd be ranked in top three in country. BYU is currently ranked 7th in one poll and 9th in the other. Go figure.

4) Florida State-- Lost tough game to Miami, damn near lost as 34-point favorite to Jacksonville State (scored two TDs in last 0:35 to win 19-9) and is a 7-point dog at BYU this week. Big game for Jimbo Fisher.

3) Fresno State-- Will go anywhere and play anyone out of league, but was surprised to hear they've never won WAC title under Pat Hill- its almost like they gear their season moreso to the non-league games.

2) UCLA-- QB Prince has broken jaw, so freshman takes reins for Rick Neuheisel's offense this week; if Bruins beat Kansas State, they're 3-0 heading into conference play. Pac-10 is little down in '09, except at....

1) ........Cal-- This running back Best was tremendous vs Maryland, but now Bears visit 2-0 Minnesota this week. Last year, Cal headed east as big favorite and got ambushed by Maryland. This is an interesting test.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:43 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, September 17

Kansas City at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EDT). Royals ace Zack Greinke (13-8, 2.19 ERA) faces Edwin Jackson (12-6, 3.22) in a matchup of All-Star right-handers. Greinke is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.84 ERA in his last four starts.

STARS

Wednesday

-Matt Kemp, Dodgers, hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning of Los Angeles' 3-1 victory against Pittsburgh.

-Jayson Werth, Phillies, hit his third career grand slam to lead Philadelphia to a 6-1 win over Washington.

-Hideki Matsui, Yankees, hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth inning of New York's 5-4 victory over Toronto.

-Justin Upton, Diamondbacks, had a career-high five hits in Arizona's 6-5 loss at San Diego in 10 innings.

-Francisco Cordero, Reds, worked the ninth inning of Cincinnati's 6-5 win against Houston to pick up his 37th save.

-Jorge De La Rosa, Rockies, pitched eight scoreless innings for Colorado to win his sixth straight start against San Francisco, 4-3.

-Josh Johnson, Marlins, pitched six effective innings in Florida's 5-2 win at St. Louis.

-Trevor Cahill, Athletics, allowed one hit in seven innings to help Oakland to a 4-0 win at Texas.

-Matt Wieters, Orioles, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Russ Springer, giving Baltimore a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay.

-Michael Cuddyer, Twins, homered, doubled and drove in three runs in Minnesota's 7-3 victory that completed a three-game sweep of Cleveland.

-Everth Cabrera, Padres, hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to give San Diego a 6-5 victory against Arizona.

STINGY

Joe Blanton tossed six scoreless innings in the Philadelphia Phillies' 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. The Phillies were one out away from recording three consecutive shutouts for the first time in 40 years when Willie Harris singled in a run off Tyler Walker. Philadelphia beat the Mets 1-0 Sunday night behind eight innings from Pedro Martinez and one from Ryan Madson. Cliff Lee tossed a six-hitter in a 5-0 win against the Nationals on Tuesday.

SIT DOWN

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and Toronto pitcher Jesse Carlson each were suspended for three games and fined by Major League Baseball for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl Tuesday. They were cited for "aggressive and inappropriate actions'' by Bob Watson, MLB's vice president for discipline, and started serving the penalties immediately, a day after they tangled. Yankees utilityman Shelley Duncan was suspended for three games and appealed, delaying the start of any discipline.

GOING SOLO

Houston hit five solo homers off Reds starter Justin Lehr but it wasn't enough to keep the Astros from their fourth consecutive loss. Jeff Keppinger went deep twice against his former team, and Kaz Matsui, Carlos Lee and Geoff Blum also connected for Houston in a 6-5 loss at Cincinnati.

HONORING HARWELL

The Tigers honored longtime Detroit radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who recently said he has inoperable cancer, during the third inning of their 4-3 win over the Royals. The Tigers showed a 3-minute video tribute, then the Hall of Fame announcer gave a thank you speech. The 91-year-old Harwell was in the booth from 1960 to 2002.

FRUSTRATION BUILDS

Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford angrily shouted at teammate Pat Burrell in the clubhouse before a game against Baltimore, the latest breakdown in a lost season for the Rays. It was not clear what caused the dispute shortly before the Rays took the field for **** stretching. Burrell did not respond. The AL champion Rays have lost 13 of 14 to fall out of playoff contention.

WORTH NOTING

Mark Reynolds struck out four times in Arizona's 6-5 loss in 10 innings at San Diego, reaching 200 for the second straight season. Reynolds set the major league record with 204 strikeouts last year. ... The Yankees came away with their 14th walkoff win - 5-4 over Toronto - their most since setting a team record with 17 in 1943.

SPEAKING

"On the biggest stage of his career, in the biggest game of his career, he pitched the best game of his career. That's exactly what took place tonight. That was as good a game as he has pitched I'll guarantee you in his career. And there have been some good ones.'' - Colorado manager Jim Tracy on Jorge De La Rosa, who pitched eight shutout innings to help the Rockies beat the Giants 4-3 and avoid a three-game sweep.

SEASONS

Sept. 17

1930 - Cleveland's Earl Averill drove in eight runs with three consecutive home runs to lead the Indians to a 13-7 victory over the Washington Senators in a doubleheader opener. Averill added another homer in the nightcap, which the Senators took 6-4, and set an American League record with 11 RBIs in the twinbill.

1968 - Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals for a 1-0 victory.

1984 - Reggie Jackson, at 38, became the 13th player in major league history to record 500 home runs. No. 500 came off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black. His homer came exactly 17 years after he got his first career hit.

1984 - Rookie pitcher Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets struck out 16 Phillies in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia. Five days earlier, Gooden fanned 16 Pittsburgh Pirates tying a major league record for 32 strikeouts in two consecutive games.

1988 - Jeff Reardon became the first pitcher to save 40 games in both leagues as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1. Reardon, who saved 42 games for the Montreal Expos in 1985, pitched the ninth inning for his 40th save in 47 opportunities.

1996 - Hideo Nomo pitched a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walked four batters and stuck out eight.

1998 - Denny Neagle put Atlanta's pitching staff into the record books as he limited Arizona to four hits in six innings for a 1-0 win. Neagle improved to 15-11, making the Braves the first major league team with five 15-game winners since the 1930 Washington Senators. Neagle joined Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood.

2003 - In Boston's 7-0 loss to Tampa Bay, Todd Walker's ninth-inning double was the Red Sox's 608th extra-base hit of the season, breaking the major league record set by the 1996 Mariners.

2004 - San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit the 700th home run of his career, joining Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) as the only players to reach the milestone. Bonds connected in the third inning at home, a 392-foot solo shot to left-center. San Francisco beat San Diego 4-1.

2004 - Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki broke Lloyd Waner's single-season record for singles with his 199th in a 6-3 win over Oakland. Suzuki's two hits gave him 235 for the season, 22 shy of the major league record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920.

2007 - Frank Thomas hit three home runs to lift the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox 6-1. Thomas homered twice off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, then hit his third against reliever Kyle Snyder.

2008 - Alex Rodriguez became the first player to hit 35 homers and drive in 100 runs in 12 seasons, surpassing Babe Ruth's record by one. Rodriguez homered in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 5-1 victory over Chicago.

2008 - Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki matched Willie Keeler's major league record of eight straight 200-hit seasons, beating out an infield single in the eighth inning for his third hit against Kansas City.

2008 - Tampa Bay (90-60) became the sixth team in major league history to win 90 games immediately following a stretch of at least 10 consecutive losing seasons. The others were the 1912 Washington Senators, 1914 Boston Braves, 1956 Cincinnati Reds, 1979 Montreal Expos and 2006 Detroit Tigers.

Today's birthdays: Sean Burnett 27; Casey Janssen 28; Dan Haren 29

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 05:44 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On September 17 in Baseball History...

1900 - Tommy Corcoran of the Reds uncovers a wire in the coaching box that leads across the outfield to the Phils' locker room, where reserve catcher Morgan Murphy is reading the opposing catcher's signs and relaying them to the Phils' coach by a buzzer hidden in the dirt.

1906 - Playing as Sullivan, Columbia University junior Eddie Collins makes his debut at shortstop with the Philadelphia Athletics. He gets one hit off Ed Walsh and strikes out twice. Collins will play twenty-five years in the Major Leagues, bat .333, and become a member of the Hall of Fame.

1912 - Center fielder Casey Stengel breaks in with Brooklyn and has four singles, a walk, two stolen bases, and two RBI in the 7-3 win over Pittsburgh.

1930 - Cleveland's Earl Averill drove in eight runs with three consecutive home runs to lead the Indians to a 13-7 victory over the Washington Senators in a doubleheader opener. Averill added another homer in the second game, which the Senators took 6-4, and set an American League record with eleven RBIs in the twinbill.

1931 - On his 32nd birthday, outfielder Earl Webb of the Red Sox sets a Major League record for doubles with sixty-five. He will finish the season with sixty-seven.

1941 - Stan Musial has two hits in his Major League debut as the Cardinals beat the Boston Braves. Musial, who started the season in the Western Association (Class C), will hit .426 in 12 games.

1947 - Jackie Robinson is named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News two weeks before the season is over. At year's end he has hit .297 and led the league in stolen bases and sacrifices. He has fourteen bunt hits, and in a game against the Cubs in June, scores from first base on a sacrifice.

1955 - Future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson gets two hits in his first game as the Orioles top the Senators 3-1.

1964 - Mickey Mantle gets his 2,000th career hit and his 450th home run as the Yankees whip the Angels 6-2 to lock on to first place for good with a two percentage point lead over the idle White Sox and Orioles.

1966 - Cleveland pitchers set an American League record by fanning nineteen batters in the first nine innings of a ten-inning 6-2 win at Detroit.

1968 - Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals for a 1-0 victory.

1979 - Royals third baseman George Brett collects his 20th triple of the season in a 16-4 romp over the Angels. Brett becomes the sixth player ever, and the first since Willie Mays in 1957, to collect twenty doubles, twenty triples, and twenty home runs in the same season. He will finish with totals of 42, 20, and 23.

1980 - After surrendering a two-run home run to Rusty Staub, Rick Langford is removed with two outs in the ninth inning of Oakland's 6-4 win over Texas, ending his consecutive complete-game streak at 22.

1981 - Fernando Valenzuela sets the National League rookie record with his eighth shutout of the season, a three-hitter to beat the Braves, 2-0. He had shared the record with Irv Young (1905), Grover Alexander (1911), and Jerry Koosman (1968).

1983 - The Chicago White Sox clinch their first-ever American League West championship, beating Seattle 4-3 on Harold Baines's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

1984 - Reggie Jackson, at thirty-eight, became the thirteenth player in Major League history to record five-hundred home runs. No. 500 came off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black. His homer came exactly seventeen years after he got his first career hit.

1984 - Rookie Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets struck out sixteen Phillies in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia. Five days earlier, Gooden fanned sixteen Pittsburgh Pirates, tying a Major League record for thirty-two strikeouts in two consecutive games.

1988 - Jeff Reardon became the first to save forty games in both leagues as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-1. Reardon, who saved forty-two for the Montreal Expos in 1985, pitched the ninth inning for his fortieth save in forty-seven opportunities.

1996 - Hideo Nomo pitched a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers and beat the Colorado Rockies, 9-0. Nomo walked four and struck out eight.

1998 - Denny Neagle put Atlanta's pitching staff into the record books as he improved to 15-11 with a 1-0 victory over Arizona. Neagle's victory made the Braves the first Major League team with five 15-game winners since the 1930 Washington Senators. Neagle joined Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood.

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 06:02 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 17

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
Kansas City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

2:20 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home

6:40 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. SEATTLE
Chi White Sox are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Chi White Sox are 5-12 SU in their last 17 games on the road
Seattle is 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BALTIMORE
Tampa Bay is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Baltimore is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games at home

7:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Washington is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Philadelphia is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. CINCINNATI
Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. BOSTON
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Boston is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets

10:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. OAKLAND
Cleveland is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing Cleveland

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 06:03 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 17

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Los Angles Angels at Boston Red Sox (-162, 9.5)

It won’t be goodbye. More like, “See you later”.

The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels wrap their three-game series Thursday but have a sinking feeling they’ll be seeing each other very soon – like in October.

The Angels hold the AL West lead and the Red Sox are the frontrunners to land the AL Wild Card, setting up a divisional series between these two clubs for the third straight year. Last season, Boston knocked off Los Angeles 3-1. In 2007, the BoSox rolled the Halos in three straight en route to a World Series title.

The one common theme in those postseason meetings was the Red Sox's ability to shut down L.A.’s lineup. They’ve held the Angels to under 2.5 runs per game in the past two playoff series.

Boston was in postseason form against the Angels in Monday’s series opener. They limited Los Angeles to just one run on six hits, getting a great start from the returning Daisuke Matsuzaka. It was the third time in the past four meeting these teams have played under the total, heading into Wednesday Game 2.

Pick: Under 9.5

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers (-110, 7.5)

Kansas City wishes every month could be September.

The Royals are rolling into the offseason with another red-hot late-season run, winning seven of their last eight games heading into Wednesday’s Game 2. Fresh of a four-game sweep of the Tigers last week, Kansas City is in Motown sticking it to the AL Central leaders for 11 runs in Tuesday’s series opener.

This current stretch has improved the Royals’ September record to 8-5 this season (as of Tuesday’s win) and gives K.C. a 26-13 count in the final month of the season over the past two years. The Royals have earned 8.55 units over the last eight contests.

“You’re seeing a team that ain’t going to give up,” right fielder Willie Bloomquist told the Kansas City Star. “It’s our obligation to win as many games as we can. That being said, we’re starting to get a few breaks here and there and come out on top.”

This current streak has been fueled by the Royals offense. On top of that 11-run explosion Tuesday, Kansas City is hitting a collective .304 and scoring more than 5.5 runs per contests over the past week.

Pick: Kansas City +102

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 06:04 AM

MLB

Thursday, September 17

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

John Danks (12-9, 3.71 ERA), Chicago White Sox

This lefty is as dependable as they come. Danks has delivered quality starts in seven straight outings. The Sox have only won four of those games, but they were dogged or short faves each time.

Danks solid performances could be tied in with his giving up chewing tobacco. He complained of not being able to grip the ball as well early in the year and trainers believed his tobacco intake was affecting his blood circulation.

“I think it’s something that it probably didn’t help, but I’m over a month now without a dip and it was something I wanted to do even before the finger problem,” Danks told MLB.com. “But definitely it’s a battle for me to quit, but I fell like I’m past the worst, and it really is a big accomplishment for me to be able to quit.”

Zack Greinke (13-8, 2.19), Kansas City Royals

The Royals are finally starting to take advantage of Greinke’s brilliance. Kansas City has won three of his last four starts and, because of his long winless streak before, his odds have been much more reasonable. He hasn’t been priced higher than -142 since the first week of August.

He owns a sparkling 0.38 ERA over his last three starts and he’s pitched at least seven innings in each of his last seven trips to the mound.

The under is also 5-0-1 in his last six appearances.

Slumping

Edwin Jackson (12-6, 3.22), Detroit Tigers

It’s not that Jackson is pitching awful, it’s just bettors expect much more from him because of how well he’s pitched this season.

The fireball righty has just one quality start in his last four appearances, but the Tigers are still 2-2 those games.

The Jays knocked him around for five runs and three dingers in his last trip to the bump.

“They were ready for the fastball all night,” Jackson said following the 8-6 loss.

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**Udog** · 09-17-2009, 09:45 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Kansas City at Detroit
The Royals look to build on their 5-2 record in their last 7 games as an underdog. Kansas City is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Royals favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Game 951-952: Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 15.784; Cubs (Wells) 15.302
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-165); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+155); N/A

Game 953-954: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Detwiler) 13.683; Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.392
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-300); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-300); Under

Game 955-956: NY Mets at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Figueroa) 13.776; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 16.195
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-265); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-265); Under

Game 957-958: Florida at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Sanchez) 16.128; Cincinnati (Maloney) 15.020
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 11
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 959-960: Kansas City at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Greinke) 15.568; Detroit (Jackson) 14.807
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+115); Over

Game 961-962: Chicago White Sox at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.318; Seattle (Morrow) 16.485
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+135); Under

Game 963-964: Tampa Bay at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Davis) 14.270; Baltimore (Hendrickson) 15.607
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 10
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+110); Under

Game 965-966: LA Angels at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 16.529; Boston (Beckett) 15.875
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-165); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+155); Over
Game 967-968: Cleveland at Oakland

Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 13.884; Oakland (Mortensen) 16.968
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-110); Under

**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 10:08 AM

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, September 17

Hot Pitchers
-- Bush has a 1.93 RA in his last two starts.
-- Hamels is 2-1, 1.52 in his last four starts.
-- Jurrjens has a 2.32 RA in his last six starts.

-- Greinke is 2-0, 1.13 in his last four starts.
-- Danks has a 2.31 RA in his last seven starts.
-- Masterson has a 2.25 RA in his last couple starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Wells is 1-2, 5.16 in his last four starts.
-- Detwiler is 0-6, 6.58 in 10 starts, last of which was July 8.
-- Figueroa is 1-5, 5.23 in six starts for the Mets.
-- ASanchez is 0-2, 4.19 in his last four starts. Maloney is 0-4, 5.65 in five starts for the Reds.

-- Jackson has a 5.47 RA in his last four starts.
-- Morrow is 1-1, 5.23 in seven starts this season.
-- Beckett is 1-2, 7.18 in his last six starts. Angels lost Santana's last four starts (0-2, 4.01).
-- Davis is 0-1, 8.38 in two starts this season. Hendrickson is 0-4, 10.57 in his last six starts (last one May 12).
-- Mortensen is 1-2, 6.88 in three starts for the A's.

Hot Teams
-- Cubs won seven of their last nine games.
-- Phillies won seven of their last nine games.
-- Braves won their last six games, outscoring foes 38-20.
-- Reds won three of their last four games. Florida won seven of its last nine road games.

-- Royals won seven of their last nine games.
-- Orioles won four of their last five home games.
-- Red Sox won their last nine games at Fenway Park.
-- A's won eight of their last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Brewers are 6-9 in their last fifteen games.
-- Nationals lost nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Mets lost eight of their last nine games.

-- Tigers lost six of their last nine games.
-- White Sox lost 12 of their last 17 road games. Mariners lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Rays lost 13 of their last 14 games.
-- Angels lost four of their last five games.
-- Indians lost eight of their last nine games.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Cub games went over the total.
-- Five of Phillies' last six games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eleven Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Four of five Maloney starts stayed under the total.

-- Five of last six Detroit home games went over the total.
-- Under is 12-2-1 in White Sox' last fifteen road games.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Baltimore games.
-- Eight of Angels' last nine road games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Masterson starts stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 11:06 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Thursday, September 17
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MILWAUKEE (70 - 75) at CHICAGO CUBS (75 - 69) - 2:20 PM
DAVE BUSH (R) vs. RANDY WELLS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 21-37 (-17.5 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.
MILWAUKEE is 70-75 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-29 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 70-72 (-6.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 50-59 (-14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BUSH is 23-51 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 7-28 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 4-21 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 21-46 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 521-484 (-101.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 75-69 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 557-499 (-109.5 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 75-69 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 60-55 (-10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 8-5 (+1.3 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.8 Units)

DAVE BUSH vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BUSH is 1-7 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.78 and a WHIP of 1.087.
His team's record is 2-11 (-10.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-6. (-2.6 units)

RANDY WELLS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
WELLS is 0-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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WASHINGTON (50 - 95) at PHILADELPHIA (84 - 60) - 7:05 PM
ROSS DETWILER (L) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 21-52 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 17-41 (-18.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 50-92 (-29.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 31-73 (-33.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 28-66 (-32.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-57 (-25.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 17-49 (-22.0 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.
WASHINGTON is 50-95 (-32.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 187-133 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 183-129 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 135-93 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-15 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 110-74 (+17.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 15-11 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 121-127 (+29.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 14-3 (+9.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DETWILER is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 11.25 and a WHIP of 2.750.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

COLE HAMELS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HAMELS is 6-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.41 and a WHIP of 1.104.
His team's record is 10-4 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-10. (-6.7 units)

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NY METS (63 - 83) at ATLANTA (77 - 68) - 7:10 PM
NELSON FIGUEROA (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 99-104 (-35.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 152-156 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 38-58 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 152-156 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 58-41 (+17.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 112-120 (-24.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 29-30 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 77-68 (-6.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 39-41 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 37-33 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 22-24 (-13.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 77-68 (-6.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 104-110 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 48-49 (-14.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-5 (+4.0 Units) against NY METS this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

NELSON FIGUEROA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
FIGUEROA is 2-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.397.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. NY METS since 1997
JURRJENS is 4-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.87 and a WHIP of 1.141.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

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FLORIDA (78 - 68) at CINCINNATI (67 - 79) - 7:10 PM
ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 51-55 (+5.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 43-34 (+5.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
FLORIDA is 78-68 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 29-19 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
FLORIDA is 38-33 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 38-28 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 75-65 (+5.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 25-22 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 113-105 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 231-268 (-68.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against FLORIDA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. FLORIDA since 1997
CUETO is 1-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.833.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (58 - 87) at DETROIT (78 - 67) - 1:05 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. EDWIN JACKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 34-52 (-14.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 58-87 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 52-77 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
GREINKE is 1-7 (-7.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 21-7 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
DETROIT is 48-25 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 16-6 (+8.8 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
DETROIT is 48-25 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 26-14 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 32-33 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 58-69 (-27.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 100-114 (-33.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 63-63 (-23.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 152-155 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 8-9 (+1.9 Units) against DETROIT this season
9 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. DETROIT since 1997
GREINKE is 9-5 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.74 and a WHIP of 1.152.
His team's record is 11-7 (+6.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-12. (-6.9 units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
JACKSON is 3-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.326.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (72 - 74) at SEATTLE (75 - 71) - 6:40 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. BRANDON MORROW (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 25-50 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 14-32 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 42-67 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 41-32 (+5.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SEATTLE is 75-71 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 36-30 (+5.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 72-67 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 40-33 (+6.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 67-62 (+2.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DANKS is 8-2 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 27-41 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 254-237 (-73.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-4 (-0.2 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

JOHN DANKS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
DANKS is 1-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 6.11 and a WHIP of 1.571.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

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TAMPA BAY (73 - 73) at BALTIMORE (60 - 85) - 7:05 PM
WADE DAVIS (R) vs. MARK HENDRICKSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 73-73 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 8-22 (-17.4 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
TAMPA BAY is 30-47 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 2-14 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 23-42 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TAMPA BAY is 51-50 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 33-39 (-12.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TAMPA BAY is 78-62 (+17.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 502-548 (-114.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 42-88 (-30.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 502-548 (-114.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 7-6 (+3.8 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

WADE DAVIS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HENDRICKSON is 3-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.32 and a WHIP of 1.458.
His team's record is 4-5 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.6 units)

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LA ANGELS (86 - 59) at BOSTON (86 - 58) - 7:10 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 26-9 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 52-21 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 58-24 (+20.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 76-46 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 63-38 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 38-12 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 79-51 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 65-48 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 123-91 (+16.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 76-46 (+26.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 85-63 (+18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 86-59 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 81-50 (+19.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 8-2 (+10.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 42-32 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 21-8 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 26-12 (+15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
BECKETT is 15-19 (-12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BECKETT is 6-13 (-13.6 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. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-4 (-0.4 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. BOSTON since 1997
SANTANA is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 6.12 and a WHIP of 1.423.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.6 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
BECKETT is 3-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.303.
His team's record is 4-5 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

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CLEVELAND (61 - 84) at OAKLAND (67 - 78) - 10:05 PM
JUSTIN MASTERSON (R) vs. CLAYTON MORTENSEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 61-84 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 56-76 (-24.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 54-73 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 38-53 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 44-67 (-23.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MASTERSON is 0-7 (-8.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 67-78 (+2.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 50-50 (+9.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 17-7 (+11.6 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 124-59 (+46.1 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 20-10 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-6 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 2-1 (+0.2 Units) against OAKLAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

CLAYTON MORTENSEN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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**pm530** · 09-17-2009, 11:34 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, September 17

National League

MILWAUKEE at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
BUSH: MIL 6-13 after 6+ consecutive road games
WELLS: CHC 42-22 as a favorite of -125 to -175

WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET
DETWILER: WAS 17-41 against division opponents
HAMELS: PHI 28-15 against left-handed starters

NY METS at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
FIGUEROA: NYM 13-6 after a one run loss
JURRJENS: 17-7 UNDER in night games

FLORIDA at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
SANCHEZ: 8-1 TSR when the total is 7 to 8.5
CUETO: CIN 20-10 UNDER against NL East

American League

KANSAS CITY at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET MLB
GREINKE: KC 26-14 in September
JACKSON: DET 13-24 after having won 3 of their last 4

CHI WHITE SOX at SEATTLE, 6:40 PM ET
DANKS: 8-2 TSR AWAY in games played on a grass field
MORROW: SEA 25-13 OVER as a home underdog of +100 to +125

TAMPA BAY at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
DAVIS: TB 34-21 UNDER when the money line is +125 to -125
HENDRICKSON: BAL 8-21 after allowing 2 runs or less

LA ANGELS at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET MLB
SANTANA: LAA 16-6 with double revenge
BECKETT: BOS 13-20 against AL West

CLEVELAND at OAKLAND, 10:05 PM ET
MASTERSON: CLE 12-6 when playing on Thursday
MORTENSEN: OAK 16-25 when the money line is -100 to -150

TSR = Team Start Record
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**Udog** · 09-17-2009, 12:14 PM

MLB

Thursday, September 17

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Tips and Trends
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Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox [7:10 PM ET]

Angels: The Angels have had their problems with Boston in the playoffs, but they’ve won 12 of their 16 regular-season games versus the Red Sox, including six of the last nine at Fenway Park even after a tough loss Wednesday. The Angels are second to the Yankees in runs scored and lead the majors in batting average. Ervin Santana has had his difficulties this season with a 7-8 mark and 5.52 ERA. But he’s been better on the road with a 6-3 record and 4.39 ERA compared to 1-5 and a 7.24 ERA at Angel Stadium. Santana has allowed two earned runs or less in three of his past four starts. He was solid in his last outing on Saturday, giving up two earned runs on seven hits to the White Sox in seven innings. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA in five career starts against the Red Sox.

The Under is 19-8-1 in the Angels’ last 28 games, including 7-1 during the past eight road contests.

Key injuries - Vladimir Guerrero (ribcage) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Red Sox (-$1.60, O/U 9.5 under -$1.15): : The Red Sox are hot again winning seven in a row. They’ve won 10 straight at Fenway Park. Boston has won 51 of its past 70 home games. The Red Sox are especially strong at home with Josh Beckett (15-6, 3.82 ERA) on the mound. Beckett is 9-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 94 2/3 innings at Fenway Park this season. The Red Sox have won 12 of the past 14 times at home when Beckett has been the starter. The 29-year-old righty hurled one-run ball for five innings in his last start on Saturday in a rain-shortened home win against the Rays. Beckett, though, is 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA in seven career starts versus the Angels. Boston is 0-4 in Beckett’s past four starts against Los Angeles. The Red Sox are expecting catcher Victor Martinez to be back in the lineup today.

The Over is 14-5 the past 20 times Boston has been a home favorite.

Key Injuries - Kevin Youkilis (back) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

Side of the Day is in NCAAF today.

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Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/17 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 9/17 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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