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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:20 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, October 5

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Packers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings and their old quarterback, and the Rangers get set to battle the Devils.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

It'll be Brett Favre vs. the Packers on Monday Night Football as the Vikings play host to their division rivals in the primetime matchup. Undefeated Minnesota (3-0 straight-up, 2-1 against-the-spread) is coming off a 27-24 win over the Niners last weekend. Favre went 24-of-46 for 301 yards passing in that contest with two touchdowns, including a game-winning strike to Greg Lewis with two seconds left on the clock. Adrian Peterson ran for 85 yards on 19 carries in the Week 3 victory.

Green Bay, meanwhile, improved to 2-1 SU (2-1 ATS) on the season with a 36-17 win in St. Louis in Week 3. Aaron Rodgers was good on 13-of-23 pass attempts for 269 yards in that victory, with two touchdowns. Ryan Grant rushed for 99 yards on 26 carries in that game. The oddsmakers, though, have the Packers pegged as 4-point road underdogs for Monday night, with the total for the game at 45.5. Green Bay and Minnesota are both 2-1 on the OVER/UNDER.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are a couple of games on the National Hockey League's schedule for Monday night, with Columbus at Vancouver, and the Rangers at New Jersey. The Devils will be looking to bounce back from a 5-2 home loss to the Flyers on Saturday night. Martin Brodeur stopped just 22 of 27 Philly shots in that contest, while Brian Rolston and Jamie Langenbrunner had the Devils' goals. New York beat Ottawa 5-2 on Saturday, with Brandon Dubinsky scoring twice in that victory.

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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:21 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Monday, October 5

A boost from Brett

It will be strange to see Brett Favre throwing against the Green Bay Packers and for the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. But no matter he is quarterbacking, these teams put up points in the Metrodome. In the last nine meetings at the Metrodome, the teams are 7-1-1 against the over, with Favre running the Packers in every game except last season. The total is 45.5 with Vikings giving four points.

Throwing Potts

Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts was released from a hospital Sunday, one day after a reported concussion. Potts was sacked twice just before halftime of a 48-28 win over winless New Mexico, and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported he had a concussion. Potts was replaced by Steven Sheffield, who had 238 yards and three TDs in just his second game and would get the start Saturday vs. Kansas State if Potts is unable to go.

Red Sox ready

Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz - in that order - will start the first three games of the AL Division for the Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Red Sox have won eight of the last nine games started by Lester, who faces the Angels for the first time this year when he opposes John Lackey in Anaheim. Boston has won nine of the last 10 playoff games between the clubs and is -150 to win the series.

Southern missed

Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis is out for the season with a torn ligament in his left foot. Davis had 1,165 passing yards and 10 TDs before suffering the injury in Thursday's 30-17 loss to UAB. He will be replaced by Martevious Young, who gets the controls to the nation's 28th-ranked offense Saturday at Louisville. The Golden Eagles are 3-0 straight up at home and 0-2 straight up on the road. The game has no line.

Run aground

Maryland's ground game took a hit in Saturday's win over Clemson as left tackle Bruce Campbell may have a torn left MCL and leading rusher Da'Rel Scott broke his left wrist. Campbell will have an MRI to determine whether he will miss more than next week's game at Wake Forest, where the Terrapins are getting 11.5 points. Scott is out until at least Nov. 21 at Florida State. The bulk of his carries should go to Davin Meggett, who is averaging just 3.0 yards per rush.

A short day of work

At 11:30 a.m. ET, Vaughn Taylor and Matt Kuchar will head to the par-4 13th hole of the Atunyote Golf Club in Verona, N.Y. for the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to decide the winner of the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Taylor, who has not won since 205, has parred the hole four times, while Kuchar, who has not won since 2002, had three pars before a bogey at 13 on Sunday. Kuchar is a 40-1 choice to win; Taylor was part of the field at 7-5.

Notable quotable

"I swear it felt like 2007 almost, when we played the Patriots at home. They don't need no help. They're a great team. They don't need any help from anybody. We don't need any help from anybody. We definitely don't need anyone taking it away from us."

-- Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed, complaining about the officials after a 27-21 road loss to the New England Patriots.

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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:22 AM

Six-pack for Monday

-- Twins-Tigers finish season tied for AL Central title, will play 5:00 game Tuesday, with winner playing Bronx Bombers in playoffs.

-- Yes Tuesday, because the Twins are hosting the playoff game and the Metrodome is booked for Vikings-Packers Monday night.

-- Next year, the Twins will have their own stadium and this won't be an issue, But for this week, its embarrassing. So much for baseball as the national pastime. The NFL rules.

-- Alex Rodriguez knocked in seven runs in one inning Sunday, and the funny thing is, the second time he came up that inning, Rays walked the guy in front of him intentionally. Amazing.

-- If Nick Saban had signed Drew Brees when he was coach at Miami, he'd still be with the Dolphims, Lord knows where the Crimson Tide would be today. Good for Alabama, lucky for the Saints.

-- Ben Roethlisberger and some other Steelers will be in Wilkes-Barre Monday night to be guest hosts on WWE Raw.

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Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.........

13) New York Giants are 4-0, seem to be rolling along, but Eli Manning had a non-contact heel injury, so lot of people are holding their breaths down in New Jersey. If Eli goes down, the Giants go down with him.

12) Kansas City averaged 2.4 yards per pass with their expensive free agent QB, Matt Cassel, converted 2-15 on third down, had 88 passing yards. Wasn't Tyler Thigpen better than that last year?

11) Now that Tennessee is 0-4, don't they need to find out whether or not Vince Young is an NFL quarterback? If they don't, does that mean they've given up on him and will look for a different QB of the future?

10) Ravens have held their last 39 opponents without a 100-yd rusher.

9) Tony Romo is the most overrated quarterback in the league.

8) My Rams have the worst offense I've seen since the '76 Buccaneers, and the Raiders aren't much better.

7) Cincinnati did nothing from the time they went up 14-0 to their tying drive in the last minute, but credit to them for finding a way to win in a divisional road game. The last couple years, the Bengals lose this game.

6) For someone to rough the passer, don't they at least have to hit him? Baltimore got called for one roughing call where the guy tried to hit Tom Brady low, but he missed, just brushing him. Good Lord man, the guy has a helmet and shoulders pads on. Its not a penalty to touch him.

5) Of the eight teams that did it Sunday, Chargers, Ravens were the only teams to score a defensive/special teams TD and not lose. Saints had a pair of defensive TDs, 49ers had two defensive and a special teams TD.

4) You almost never see extra points blocked in the NFL, but Browns, Buccaneers both did it Sunday. Cleveland's block forced overtime, after Bengals had scored a last-minute TD to tie the game.

3) Favorites were 8-5 against the spread Sunday, over was also 8-5.

2) The better the Saints play defense, the more the phrase "Drew Brees, game manager" becomes a nightmare for his fantasy league owners.

1) After four Sundays of games, there is a large gap between the best and worst NFL teams, that much is obvious. There are a few teams that look totally hopeless right now. Sadly, my Rams are one of them.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:24 AM

NHL

Monday, October 5

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. NEW JERSEY
NY Rangers are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 9 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home

10:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. VANCOUVER
Columbus is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
Columbus is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Vancouver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Vancouver is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home

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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:25 AM

NHL

Monday, October 5

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils (-130, 5.5)

The Rangers’ new top line looks good through the first two games and you can toss some of the credit to No. 1 center Brandon Dubinsky.

The 23-year-old playmaker held out the first bit of training camp before settling on a new contract with the Blue Shirts. Coach John Tortorella originally called Dubinsky’s no-show in camp “stupid” but now that the kid has four points in his first two games, Tortorella is reconsidering.

“I think he wants to prove he’s worth what he did. And that’s not a bad thing, I don’t begrudge him that at all,” Tortorella told the New York Daily News following the Rangers 5-2 win over the Senators. “He just has a different look about him, even when he’s not playing, how he’s handling himself…. He has the right type of arrogance right now.”

Look for Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik to apply pressure on New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur whenever they're on the ice and the Rangers to come away with the win.

Pick: Rangers

Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks (-164, 5.5)

The Jackets enjoyed their finest season in franchise history last year and there’s optimism this year will be even better. Columbus beat Minnesota in a low-scoring but entertaining game on Saturday.

“I think we’re going to be a lot better than people think we’re going to be,” coach Ken Hitchcock told the Columbus Dispatch.

For that to happen, the Blue Jackets will need Steve Mason to play even better than he did in his rookie season. The prodigy goaltender went 33-20 with a 2.29 goals against and a league-high 10 shut outs a year ago.

Mason was key in his team’s first win stopping 32 of 33 produced by the Wild.

Meanwhile, the Canucks are winless with two games under their belt. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo allowed eight goals in the two losses, but his coach thinks the team has other more glaring issues.

“Right now we’ve got one line, in my mind, generating offensively and that’s Henrik [Sedin’s] line,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault told the Vancouver Sun following a 3-0 loss to the Avalanche. “The other three lines are not doing enough to be successful.”

Pick: Blue Jackets

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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 03:26 AM

NHL
Write-up

Monday, October 5

2009-10 NHL knowledge
NHL writeups will start Monday night, for Tuesday's games

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**Udog** · 10-05-2009, 09:03 AM

NHL
Dunkel

NY Rangers at New Jersey
The Rangers look to build on their 14-5 record in the last 19 meeting between the two teams. New York is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5

Game 51-52: NY Rangers at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.695; New Jersey 11.553
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+125); Under

Game 53-54: Columbus at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 10.676; Vancouver 11.541
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-165); Over

**Udog** · 10-05-2009, 09:03 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, October 5

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NY RANGERS (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/5/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 14-5 (+8.7 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 14-5-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.6 Units)

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COLUMBUS (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) at VANCOUVER (0-2-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/5/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 11-22 ATS (-14.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 3-11 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 22-14 ATS (+36.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-3 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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**Udog** · 10-05-2009, 10:23 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, 10/5/2009

NY RANGERS at NEW JERSEY, 7:00 PM ET NY RANGERS:
18-35 SU after playing a game with 7+ total goals
NEW JERSEY: 5-9 SU off a home loss

COLUMBUS at VANCOUVER, 10:00 PM ET
COLUMBUS: 36-78 SU AWAY when the total is 5.5
VANCOUVER: 7-1 SU after getting shutout

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-05-2009, 10:26 AM

MLB
Play-in and Playoff Preview

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

AMERICAN LEAGUE – Game #163

1-GAME PLAYOFF to decide Division Winner

Early line

931 DETROIT TIGERS (R) Porcello 8.5
P: 2:05PM C: 4:05PM E: 5:05PM TBS
932 MINNESOTA TWINS (R) Baker 160

Additional Trends and Notes will be available in Tuesday’s edition.

MLB DUNKEL

Detroit at Minnesota
The Twins look to build on their 11-2 record in their last 13 games as a favorite. Minnesota is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Twins favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-155). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6

Game 931-932: Detroit at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 14.485; Minnesota (Baker) 16.883
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 2 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-155); Under

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

Game 951-952: Colorado at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Jimenez) 15.407; Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.413
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-130); Over

Game 953-954: St. Louis at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.306; LA Dodgers (Wolf) 16.473
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+130); Under

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

Game 961-962: Boston at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 16.907; LA Angels (Lackey) 15.821
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-120); Over

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MLB LONG SHEET

Tuesday, October 6
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DETROIT (86 - 76) at MINNESOTA (86 - 76) - 5:07 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 160-164 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 35-46 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 66-78 (-29.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 20-34 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 105-122 (-37.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 174-151 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 101-61 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-6 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday this season.
MINNESOTA is 26-10 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 45-27 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 104-65 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 106-70 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 58-44 (+8.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 47-25 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 38-30 (+7.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 11-7 (+3.5 Units) against DETROIT this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.5 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
PORCELLO is 1-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.414.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. DETROIT since 1997
BAKER is 5-4 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.33 and a WHIP of 1.202.
His team's record is 8-8 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-6. (+3.7 units)

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Wednesday, October 7
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COLORADO (92 - 70) at PHILADELPHIA (93 - 69) - 2:37 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 71-85 (-15.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
JIMENEZ is 12-23 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 12-24 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 56-36 (+11.4 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.
COLORADO is 92-70 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 46-29 (+20.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 92-70 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 123-111 (+25.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 69-54 (+19.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 45-36 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-16 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 45-36 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-29 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-19 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HAMELS is 16-16 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 1-7 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-2 (+1.5 Units) against COLORADO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
JIMENEZ is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.51 and a WHIP of 1.592.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

COLE HAMELS vs. COLORADO since 1997
HAMELS is 0-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 8.70 and a WHIP of 1.838.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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ST LOUIS (91 - 71) at LA DODGERS (95 - 67) - 9:35 PM
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. RANDY WOLF (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 95-67 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 95-67 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 68-47 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WOLF is 40-27 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 25-9 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 40-27 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 22-6 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 19-12 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 85-77 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 85-77 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 62-41 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-13 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
CARPENTER is 52-28 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 49-45 (-11.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-2 (+3.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CARPENTER is 5-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.20 and a WHIP of 1.024.
His team's record is 6-0 (+6.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

RANDY WOLF vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
WOLF is 3-5 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.64 and a WHIP of 1.166.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.7 units)

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Thursday, October 8
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BOSTON (95 - 67) at LA ANGELS (97 - 65) - 9:35 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 9-16 (-8.9 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
BOSTON is 31-49 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 3-15 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LA ANGELS are 97-65 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 24-12 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 12-2 (+11.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
LA ANGELS are 22-9 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 90-57 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 37-17 (+16.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 58-38 (+13.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 47-38 (+7.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 178-109 (+34.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 143-95 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LESTER is 56-25 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 43-16 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 36-14 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 1-7 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 5-4 (+1.2 Units) against BOSTON this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

JON LESTER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
LESTER is 2-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.55 and a WHIP of 1.634.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.1 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. BOSTON since 1997
LACKEY is 3-9 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.95 and a WHIP of 1.582.
His team's record is 3-14 (-11.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-7. (+1.3 units)

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MLB ADDITIONAL

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MLB Notes: Game #163 in the American league
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Porcello vs. Baker as Twins in one-game playoff again

Not a lot of folks really like the Metrodome, with its difficult roof and trash-bag fence. But the Minnesota Twins seem to love it, because they won't let it close.

Baseball lives in the Metrodome for at least one more game, and they don't get any bigger than this: a playoff against the Detroit Tigers, with the winner going to the postseason and the loser going home.

The Twins are the first team in baseball history to play a one-game playoff in consecutive years. They dropped a 1-0 road game to the Chicago White Sox last year but have the home-field advantage this year, going 11-7 vs. the Tigers in the regular season.

Minnesota was 48-33 at home this season, matching the ninth-best record in the majors this season. Detroit was 35-46 on the road, including 2-7 at the Metrodome.

Both teams have solid young righthanders pitching in the biggest game of their careers.

The Tigers have rookie Rick Porcello, who is 4-1 with a 2.98 ERA in his last seven starts. In four starts vs. the Twins, he is 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA. He has faced them twice in his last three starts, taking a loss and a no-decision as Detroit dropped both games.

The Twins have five-year veteran Scott Baker, who is 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA in his last 10 starts. In four starts vs. the Tigers, he is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA. The win came Thursday with five scoreless innings at Detroit.

Both teams should be able to go deep into their bullpens if the starters falter. The game is not until Tuesday as the Metrodome is unavailable on Monday because of the Packers-Vikings game.

Although there is no line or total yet, the Twins have been favored in 10 of their last 12 home games. They were -111 with Baker vs. Justin Verlander on May 14 and -180 vs. with Baker vs. Nate Robertson on Sept. 20.

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Monday, October 5

No games scheduled.

STARS

Sunday

— Delmon Young, Twins, hit two solo homers and Minnesota beat Kansas City 13-4 to force a one-game playoff with Detroit.

— Ryan Raburn, Tigers, homered twice and slumping Detroit beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3.

— Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in an inning, keying a 10-run burst that sent playoff-bound New York over Tampa Bay 10-2.

— Vicente Padilla, Dodgers, struck out 10 in five innings, and NL West champion Los Angeles finished the regular season with another win over wild card Colorado, 5-3.

— J.D. Drew and Jed Lowrie, Red Sox. Drew homered twice and Lowrie hit his first career grand slam as Boston headed into the playoffs with a 12-7 victory over Cleveland.

— Prince Fielder, Brewers, homered twice and Milwaukee sent St. Louis scuffling to the postseason with a 9-7 victory in 10 innings.

— Alberto Gonzalez, Nationals, drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the 15th inning and Washington closed the season with a seven-game winning streak, beating Atlanta 2-1.

— Felix Hernandez, Mariners, finished tied for the major league lead with 19 wins and Seattle beat Texas 4-3.

— Nelson Figueroa, Mets, pitched a four-hitter for his first complete game and New York wrapped up a miserable season by completing a three-game sweep of Houston with a 4-0 victory.

STILL GOING

For the second straight year a tiebreaker will decide the AL Central. Trying to save their seasons, the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins both won Sunday, leaving them even for the division lead and forcing a one-game tiebreaker. Last season, the Twins lost the tiebreaker 1-0 at Chicago. The teams get an extra day off—not for travel, but because Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings host Green Bay at the Metrodome on Monday night.

SUPER INNING

Alex Rodriguez homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in a 10-run sixth inning as New York pounded Tampa Bay to get ready for the playoffs. Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning after Andy Sonnanstine issued an intentional walk to league co-home run champion Mark Teixeira to load the bases.

SWINGS

Playing the longest game since the franchise moved to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals became the first team in baseball history to close the season with seven straight wins after losing the first seven. Still, they finished 59-103—the worst record in baseball.

SENT DOWN

The disappointed Chicago Cubs wasted little time making a change, dropping hitting coach Von Joshua after Sunday’s season finale while offering him a similar spot at Triple-A. Joshua had been promoted from Triple-A Iowa on June 14 when Gerald Perry was fired as hitting coach after 2 1/2 seasons.

SPECTACULAR GLOVE

San Diego’s Kevin Kouzmanoff set an NL single-season record for third baseman with a .990 fielding percentage, committing three errors in 309 total chances. Kouzmanoff beat the old record of .987 by Colorado’s Vinny Castilla in 2004.

SPEAKING

“It’s going to be fun. I’m sure Minnesota is going to be rocking.”— Curtis Granderson of the Tigers on playing the Twins on Tuesday in a one-game playoff to determine the AL Central winner.

SEASONS

Oct. 5

1941—Brooklyn catcher Mickey Owen dropped a third strike on Tommy Henrich of what would have been the last out of a Dodgers victory against the New York Yankees. Given the second chance, the Yankees scored four runs for a 7-4 victory and a 3-1 lead in the World Series, which they ended up winning.

1947—Al Gionfriddo’s catch in left field robbed Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying home run in Game 6 of the World Series. The Dodgers beat the Yankees 8-6.

1966—Baltimore relief pitcher Moe Drabowsky struck out 11 and gave up one hit in 6 2-3 innings to beat the Dodgers 5-2 in the opening game of the World Series.

1967—Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox pitched a one-hit, 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to tie the World Series 1-1. Carl Yastrzemski hit two home runs.

1986—Pete Incaviglia of Texas hit his 30th home run of the season against the California Angels to become the 16th rookie in major league history to reach that plateau. The homer came off Don Sutton as the Rangers beat the Angels 7-4.

1996—Bernie Williams homered from each side of the plate and Cecil Fielder broke a tie with a seventh-inning single as the New York Yankees beat Texas 6-4 to win the AL series 3-1 and advance to the ALCS.

2001—Barry Bonds set a new mark for home runs in a single season, hitting Nos. 71 and 72, but San Francisco was eliminated from the playoffs with an 11-10 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game lasted 4 hours, 27 minutes, setting a record for the longest nine-inning game.

2001—The Mariners won their 115th game of the year to become the winningest team in American League history, passing the record the Yankees set three years earlier. Jamie Moyer became the oldest first-time 20-game winner, leading Seattle to a 6-2 victory over the Rangers.

2001—Tim Hudson pitched Oakland to its 100th victory of the season as the Athletics beat the Angels 6-2. The Athletics became the eighth team in modern major league history to win 100 games but finish second in their division.

2002—The wild-card Anaheim Angels roughed up Yankees starters Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and David Wells in succession to win the AL division series 3-1 and end New York’s four-year run as league champions.

2003—The Chicago Cubs won their first postseason series since 1908 when they beat Atlanta 5-1 in the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS.

2007—Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Francisco Rodriguez and the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3, taking a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

2008—Francisco Rodriguez wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning, Mike Napoli hit two early homers before scoring the go-ahead run in the 12th and the Los Angeles Angels avoided another playoff sweep by beating the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in a game that lasted 5 hours, 19 minutes.

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This Day in Baseball
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On October 5 in Baseball History...

1921 - In the first one-city World Series since 1906, the Polo Grounds is the site for all nine games. Carl Mays (27-9) needs 86 pitches to set the Giants down on five hits -- four of them by Frank Frisch. Babe Ruth drives in the first run of the Series in the opening inning of the 3-0 Yankees win.

1928 - Lou Gehrig unloads a three-run home run in the first inning of Game Two. Grover Cleveland Alexander, the hero of the 1926 Series between the Yankees and Cardinals, is driven from the game in the third inning as New York cruises, 9-3, to take a 2-1 Series lead.

1929 - Mel Ott and Chuck Klein go into a head-to-head doubleheader tied at 42 home runs apiece. In the opener, Klein homers for the Phillies off Carl Hubbell in his first at-bat to take the home run lead. In the nightcap, Phillies pitchers intentionally walk Ott five times rather than give him a chance to tie Klein. The last walk comes with the bases loaded. Lefty O'Doul of the Phillies has six hits on the day for an NL record of 254 hits.

1939 - Yankees pitcher Monte Pearson does not allow a base hit until one out in the eighth as he shuts out the Reds, 4-0. Babe Dahlgren hits a home run and double as the Yanks take a 2-0 Series lead.

1941 - With two outs in the ninth inning of Game Four, Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen drops a third strike on Tommy Henrich, which would have given Brooklyn a 4-3 victory over New York. The Yankees then rally for a 7-4 win to take a 3-1 World Series lead.

1942 - Whitey Kurowski's two-run home run in the ninth inning of Game Five gives St. Louis a 4-2 win to capture the World Series over the Yankees.

1945 - Claude Passeau of the Cubs pitches a one-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 3-0 in Game Three of the World Series.

1947 - Al Gionfriddo's catch in left field robbed Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying home run in Game 6 of the World Series. The Dodgers beat the Yankees, 8-6.

1952 - Brooklyn wins 6-5 in 11 innings when Duke Snider doubles home Billy Cox. Carl Erskine goes all the way for the win to give the Dodgers a 3-2 Series lead heading back to Ebbets Field.

1953 - The Yanks end the World Series in six games when Billy Martin's 12th Series hit, a single to center field in the bottom of the ninth, gives the Yankees their fifth world championship in a row. Carl Furillo had tied it up in the ninth with a two-run home run.

1960 - In a portent of things to come, Bill Mazeroski's two-run fifth-inning home run off Jim Coates is the difference as Pittsburgh beats New York 6-4 in its first World Series win since 1925.

1966 - With first-inning home runs by Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson and 11 strikeouts from relief pitcher Moe Drabowsky, the Orioles win their first World Series game, 5-2.

1967 - Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox pitched a one-hit, 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to tie the World Series, 1-1. Carl Yastrzemski hit two home runs.

1968 - Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda each hit three-run home runs to lead St. Louis to a 7-3 win over Detroit. The Cardinals take a 2-1 World Series lead.

1971 - The Orioles overcome two Reggie Jackson home runs to complete a sweep of Oakland in the ALCS with a 5-3 victory.

1979 - The Pirates complete a sweep of the NLCS, beating the Reds, 7-1. Willie Stargell, who homers, is named series MVP.

1980 - Capping an improbable comeback, the Dodgers beat the Astros for the third day in a row to force a one-game playoff for the NL West title. Los Angeles trailed Houston by three games with three games left in the season, and won each game by a single run.

1984 - Milt Wilcox and Willie Hernandez combine on a three-hitter to give the Tigers a 1-0 win and a sweep of the Royals in the ALCS.

1986 - Pete Incaviglia of Texas hit his 30th home run of the season, against the California Angels, becoming the 16th rookie in major league history to reach that mark. The homer came off Don Sutton as the Rangers beat the Angels, 7-4.

1991 - After 11 lead changes or ties in the closing weeks of the NL West race, the Braves finally clinch the division on the second-to-last day of the season.

1996 - Bernie Williams homered from each side of the plate and Cecil Fielder broke a tie with a seventh-inning single as the New York Yankees beat Texas, 6-4, to win the AL division series, 3-1, and advance to the ALCS.

1997 - Mike Mussina beats Seattle and Randy Johnson for the second time and gives the Orioles their second straight trip to the ALCS. Mussina pitches a two-hitter for seven innings to win the game, and the series, by a 3-1 margin.

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**Udog** · 10-05-2009, 10:32 AM

Len's Top 5

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 5, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

Minnesota and Detroit finish the regular season tied for first in the AL Central. They will have a one game playoff tomorrow night in Minnesota. The winner will face the Yankees Wednesday in the playoffs.
Only four NFL teams are 4-0. The Colts, Giants, Saints and who would have thunk it, the Broncos?
Brett Favre faces his old Green Bay team tonight in Minnesota. If he wins the Vikings will also be 4-0.

2. What "A-Year"

So the baseball season began with Alex Rodriguez concocting a steroid story. He then missed the first month with hip surgery, and still finished the season with 30 homers and 100 RBIs. He got to 100 by hitting a 3 run homer in the 6th inning yesterday against Tampa Bay, and then hitting a grand slam in the same inning. He thus set an American League record for RBIs in an inning (7). I had a "blue ribbon panel" vote for the "25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time." It's my kids book coming next October. Only one active player made it. Yup, A-Rod. Love him, or hate him. You can't ignore him. Not to mention Kate Hudson.

3. The Road To Rio

I always thought Rio should get the 2016 Olympics. South America has never hosted the games and fans there are sports-crazy. But I can't help but feel the early exit for Chicago was a tad political. I know this is a sports column, but America isn't exactly the most popular country in the world. As Kevin R. wrote to me on Facebook, Tony Blair says the way you judge America is how many people want to get in versus how many want to leave. Having said that, we've had our share of Olympics. The opening ceremony in Brazil should to be the most colorful and lively on record.

4. Hail to the Chief

Many viewed this as a "failure" for President Obama. If you want to get really serious about this issue, you could make the case that George W. Bush had something to do with it as well. But lets take the high road. I salute the President for making the effort. If he had sat in the Oval Office and not gone to Copenhagen, the same critics who claimed he "failed," would be trashing him for staying home.

5. Monday Musings

Cheer up Mets fans, your long national nightmare is over. And look at the bright side. No heartbreaking last day elimination, and there were some real positives at Citi Field. For two, Shake Shack burgers and Paul McCartney.
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How sick is the Ted Williams story? Workers at a cryogenics lab in Phoenix treated his frozen head like a pinata? Shut down that place!
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They finally caught that creep who shot the peep-hole video of an ESPN sportscaster. Thank God the world is safe again. Now about that Bin Laden guy.....

Happy Birthday: Hockey great Mario Lemieux. 44.
Bonus Birthday: Oscar winning actress Kate Winslet. 34.

Today in Sports: Brooklyn's Al Gionfriddo robs Joe DiMaggio in deep left field at Yankee Stadium in game 6 of the World Series. Joe kicks the dirt near second base, a complete meltdown in DiMaggio terms. 1947.
Bonus Event: The first radio broadcast of a World Series game from the Polo Grounds between the Giants and Yankees. The announcer wasn't actually at the game. He took accounts from a newspaper guy over the phone and then recreated the game. 1921.

**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 01:22 PM

More baseball!

MLB
Short Sheet

Tuesday, October 6th

One Game Playoff for AL Central Title

DETROIT at MINNESOTA, 5:07 PM ET TBS
PORCELLO: DET 30-59 as road underdog
BAKER: MIN 23-7 after scoring 8+ runs

Wednesday, October 7th

National League Division Series
Best of Five
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: TBS

Colorado at Philadelphia, 2:37 ET

Ubaldo Jiminez (R) vs. Cole Hamels (L)

Jiminez:
42-24 Under in all starts
Col 23-11 off loss by 2 runs or less

Hamels:
1-7 TSR in day games
0-3 TSR, 7.02 ERA L3 starts

National League Division Series
Best of Five
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: TBS

St. Louis at LA Dodgers, 9:37 ET

Chris Carpenter (R) vs. Randy Wolf (L)

Carpenter:
1-6 TSR after giving up 0 ER last outing
STL 29-17 Under vs lefties

Wolf:
25-9 TSR in home games
LAD 12-4 as an underdog of +125 to +175

Thursday, October 8th

American League Division Series
Best of Five
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: TBS

Boston at LA Angels, 9:35 ET

Jon Lester (L) vs. John Lackey (R)

Lester:
47-16 TSR as favorite
BOS 28-4 off 5+ home games

Lackey:
9-0 Under in playoff games
LAA 2-8 at home off BB wins by 2 runs or less

TSR = Team Start Record
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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 01:23 PM

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

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Trend Report
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5:07 PM
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home

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**pm530** · 10-05-2009, 01:44 PM

More Hockey!

NHL

Monday, October 5

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Tips and Trends
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Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks [10:00 PM ET]

Blue Jackets: Columbus will be trying to open the season with consecutive victories for the first time in franchise history. Goalie Steve Mason showed why he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year last season as he made 32 saves in Columbus’ 2-1 season-opening victory against Minnesota on Saturday. Mason was especially tested during the final minute when the Blue Jackets had a two-man advantage. The Blue Jackets had 39 shots, their most ever in a season debut. Only four times last year did the Blue Jackets have 39 shots or more in a game. Columbus has lost 11 of the past 16 times it has played in Vancouver. Leading scorer Rick Nash had three goals and five assists in four games against the Canucks last season. Columbus won three of the four meetings versus Vancouver last season.

The Blue Jackets are 1-6 in their last seven Western Conference games.
The Under is 8-2-3 the past 13 times Columbus has played Vancouver.

Key Injuries - Defenseman Mike Commodore (groin) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 2

Canucks (-$1.55, O/U 5.5 under -$1.35): Vancouver is off to its worst start in eight years at 0-2-0. The Canucks were shut out 3-0 on Saturday at Colorado. It was the fifth time the Canucks have been blanked since the start of last season. The Canucks opened the year losing 5-3 at Calgary on Thursday. Now, though, Vancouver plays three consecutive home games. The Canucks are 13-2 in their last 15 regular-season home games. Vancouver is 11-2-3 lifetime at home versus the Blue Jackets. Vancouver has lost in 10 of its past 14 games played on Monday. The Canucks also are 0-5 in their last five games when playing on one days rest. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo is known as a slow starter. He stopped 24 of 27 shots against Colorado. The two teams have gone under in their last six games played in Vancouver. The home team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.

Vancouver is 18-7 in its last 25 games when its opponent allows two goals or less in its previous game.

Key Injuries - Pavol Demitra (shoulder) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

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Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 10/5 (NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 10/5 (NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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