Announcement

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:03 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Tuesday, October 6

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Capitals take on the Flyers, the Blue Raiders battle the Trojans, and the Twins and Tigers decide the AL Central title.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There's one college football game on tap for Tuesday, with Middle Tennessee at Troy. The Blue Raiders (3-1 straight-up, 3-1 against-the-spread) last played on September 26, picking up a 37-21 win over North Texas on that day. Dwight Dasher had a pair of TD passes in the victory. The Trojans (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) got past Arkansas State 30-27 last time out, with Levi Brown throwing for 355 yards.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Tigers and Twins will play one game for all the marbles on Tuesday as the teams meet in Minnesota with the AL Central title on the line. Detroit sends Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.04 ERA) to the mound in that matchup. Righthander Porcello pitched against the Twins on September 29, holding them to one run over 6 1-3 innings in the no-decision. Minnesota counters with Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36 ERA), who beat Detroit on October 1 by allowing only one run in his five innings of work. The winner of Tuesday's showdown will move on to battle the Yankees.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League, meanwhile, offers up seven games on Tuesday, including Washington at Philadelphia. The Capitals got a goal and two assists from Alexander Ovechkin on Saturday night as they cruised to a 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs. Semyon Varlamov drew the start for Washington, stopping 27 of 31 shots. The Flyers stayed on a roll by knocking off New Jersey 5-2 on the road on Saturday night. Jeff Carter potted his second goal of the season in that matchup.

Elsewhere on the ice on Tuesday night: Tampa Bay at Carolina, Montreal at Calgary, Anaheim at Minnesota, Dallas at Edmonton, San Jose at Los Angeles, and Ottawa at Toronto. The Maple Leafs were down 6-1 to the Capitals on Saturday night before scoring three late goals; netminder Vesa Toskala was yanked after giving up three goals on eight shots. The Senators were handled 5-2 by the Rangers on Saturday night; Daniel Alfredsson and Peter Regin scored.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:05 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Tuesday, October 6

Who's hot ... or not

Entering the one-game playoff for the AL Central Division title, the hottest hitters over the last week are Detroit's Magglio Ordonez, who is 12-for-22 with six RBI; Minnesota's Delmon Young, 13-for-29 with 12 RBI; and Minnesota's Jason Kubel, 11-for-26 with 12 RBI.

Those who are slumping for Detroit are Gerald Laird (4-for-19), Curtis Granderson (6-for-29) and Ramon Santiago (3-for-15). For Minnesota, it's Nick Punto (4-for-21) and Jose Morales (2-for-13). The Twins are -163 with a total of 8.5.

QB or not QB

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Monday that quarterback Matthew Stafford is "day to day" with what several reports said Sunday was a partially dislocated knee. The host Lions are getting 10.5 points from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. said he expects Matt Hasselbeck to practice Wednesday despite a broken rib but would make no commitment to him as his starter vs. Jacksonville. The Seahawks are three-point underdogs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris said his winless team is sticking with quarterback Josh Johnson, who in his first start converted just 2-of-15 third downs. The Buccaneers are getting 12 points at Philadelphia.

Trending toward Troy

The winner of the Middle Tennessee-Troy matchup will have the inside track to the Sun Belt Conference title. Troy has won and covered the last three meetings, with the total playing under each time. That may be somewhat of a reflection on MTSU offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who left Troy in the offseason. The Trojans may see some familiar offensive sets. Troy is giving six points, and oddsmakers have yet to set a total.

Hardly enlightening

The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost their season opener, running their losing streak to 10 in a row dating to last season. They are visiting winless Carolina, which may not be their ideal foe to end the slide. The Lightning have lost their last seven meetings with the Hurricanes, getting outscored 32-15. The Lightning are +147 with a total of 6.0.

Rising temperatures

Although oddsmakers have yet to establish a line, the host Indiana Fever should be favored over the Phenix Mercury in Game Four of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday. Keep in mind that the underdog has covered the number in each of the first three games and nine of the last 10 meetings between the teams.

Homer happenings

According to Yahoo!, the Philadelphia Phillies averaged a homer every 24.9 at-bats this season, nearly 33 percent better than the National League average of one homer every 36 at-bats. In six games against the Colorado Rockies, the Phillies hit nine homers, going 4-2. Philadelphia is -160 to win the best-of-five NL Division Series vs. the Rockies and -126 with a total of 8.5 in Wednesday's opener.

Oklahoma not OK

Oklahoma is hopeful it will have back Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford for Saturday's home game vs. Baylor. But the Sooners will not have Ryan Broyles, their leading receiver and punt returner. Broyles will miss two to four weeks with a broken left shoulder blade. He has 23 catches for 346 yards and seven Tds, serving as a prime target for backup QB Landry Jones. Oklahoma is giving 24.5 points to Baylor.

Notable quotable

"They were high-fiving and bouncing around. What I didn't see was any action on the part of the player in question to demonstrate to the fans or draw any kind of special attention to himself."

-- SEC coordinator of officials Roger Redding, who admitted that officials erred in giving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Georgia's A.J. Green after he scored a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 13-12 lead over LSU with 1:09 to play. The 15-yard penalty forced Georgia to kickoff from its 15, and a 40-yard return positioned the Tigers for the go-ahead TD in a 20-13 win.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:06 AM

Six-pack for Tuesday

-- NFL home underdogs are 3-10 vs spread this year in non-divisional games, but 6-2 in divisional matchups.

-- Oakland Raiders' total yardage the last three games: 166-137-165.

-- Major league baseball attendance was down 6% this season.

-- Chiefs are 9-51 (17.6%) on third down conversions this year; their opponents are 25-58 (43.1%).

-- Brett Favre has thrown 35 one-yard TD passes in his career, more than anyone else in league history (Marino, 22).

-- NFL home favorites are 15-10 vs spread this year in non-divisional games, 7-8 in divisional matchups.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

13) Did anyone else notice that when Ray Lewis was ranting about the officiating after the game in Foxboro Sunday, he was wearing the same stylish fedora Tom Landry wore when he coached the Cowboys?

12) NFL referees should be allowed to ridicule stupid replay challenges.

11) If you look at the first drives by each team in their first four games, the Steelers have outgained opponents 252-0, outscored them 17-0.

10) Sometimes you can tell right from the start its going to be a long day; both Kansas City and Baltimore fumbled the opening kickoff Sunday, and the Rams ran the opening kick back for a TD, but had it called back by a penalty. All three teams lost.

9) Rams are 0-4 and struggling mightily, but in three of their four games, they've tried a field goal when the game was scoreless. Despite having a very high-paid kicker, they've missed all three kicks, and never led in any of the three games, getting shut out twice.

8) Steelers have forced only one turnover in three games since Polamalu has been out injured.

7) Cleveland Browns turned ball over on their first drive of 3rd quarter in all four games this season.

6) Redskins have been outscored 47-13 in the first half this year, but in the second half, they've outscored those same opponents 43-15.

5) In their last two games, six of the seven TDs Tennessee allowed came on drives that started in their territory; Titans have lost average starting field position in all four games: -11/-8/-14/-25. Next up for them are the Colts and Patriots. Hard to believe they won't be 0-6 soon.

4) Jets' defense has allowed three touchdowns in four games. Problem is, so has their offense.

3) Houston Cougars had 42 first downs in their loss at UTEP Saturday; cannot remember seeing a team get 42 first downs in one game before.

2) In two games so far, Detroit has been scored upon on the first drive in six of eight halves, and they stopped the Redskins on the 1-yard line on another drive.

1) If I was a Green Bay Packers' fan, I'd be damned glad my team had a coach and GM who had the onions and made the tough decision to deal Brett Favre away. No one can know how it will turn out, but since they thought Aaron Rodgers was the real deal, they had to cut Favre loose.

From: Armadillo
----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:12 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Tuesday, October 6

Detroit at Minnesota (5:05 p.m EDT). The Tigers and Twins meet to decide the AL Central title with a one-game playoff at the Metrodome. In what could be the final baseball game at the Homer Hankie haven, Detroit rookie Rick PorcelloTuesday, October 6 (14-9) will start against Scott BakerTuesday, October 6 (15-9).

STARS

Sunday (this is repeated from yesterday, no Monday baseball)

— 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. 6

1926—Babe Ruth hit three homers to lead the Yankees to a 10-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series.

1948—In the opening game of the World Series, the Boston Braves beat Bob Feller and the Cleveland Indians 1-0 with two hits and the benefit of a disputed call on a pickoff attempt in the eighth by Feller.

1963—Frank Howard led Los Angeles to a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees with a home run and a single, giving the Dodgers a four-game sweep in the World Series.

1966—Jim Palmer, 20, became the youngest player to pitch a World Series shutout as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0. Sandy Koufax was the loser, his last appearance in the major leagues. Dodger outfielder Willie Davis committed three errors on successive plays in the fifth inning.

1983—Baltimore’s Mike Boddicker struck out a playoff-record 14 batters en route to a 4-0, five-hit victory over the Chicago White Sox in the second game of the ALCS.

1985—Phil Niekro of the New York Yankees became the 18th 300-game winner as he blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 on the last day of the season. At 46, he became the oldest pitcher to throw a shutout.

2001—Phil NevinTuesday, October 6 had his first three-homer game, including a grand slam, as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 10-4. Colorado’s Todd HeltonTuesday, October 6 became the first player in major league history to have consecutive seasons with 400 or more total bases. His seventh-inning double gave him exactly 400 bases this year.

2003—The Boston Red Sox completed a three-game playoff comeback, beating the Oakland Athletics 4-3 in Game 5 of their AL division series.

2008—B.J. UptonTuesday, October 6 homered twice to lead the Tampa Bay Rays into the American League championship series, finishing off the Chicago White Sox 6-2 in Game 4 of the AL playoffs.

Today’s birthdays: Joel Hanrahan 28; Darren Oliver 39

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:16 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On October 6 in Baseball History...

1911 - Cy Young's farewell appearance in a major league game is a letdown, as he loses to Brooklyn 13-3 wearing a Braves uniform in his 906th game.

1919 - After a Sunday rainout, Hod Eller blanks the White Sox on three hits, fanning six in a row in the second and third innings. Once again a big inning and some sloppy play give the Reds a 5-0 victory and a four-games-to-one lead in the best-of-nine World Series.

1920 - When Wheeler Johnston pinch-hits for Cleveland in the ninth inning of Game Two, his brother Jimmy is playing third base for Brooklyn. They become the first brothers to take opposite sides in a World Series. Brooklyn's Burleigh Grimes tosses a 3-0 shutout to even the Series.

1926 - Babe Ruth hit three homers, leading the New York Yankees to a 10-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series.

1936 - The Yankees roll to a 13-5 World Series-ending victory. Lefty Gomez is the winning pitcher, his second of the Series despite a team-worst 4.70 ERA. In the six games the Yankees score 43 runs to 23 by the Giants.

1938 - Lefty Gomez sets a record with his sixth World Series victory without a loss with a 6-3 win in Game Two against the Cubs. The Yankees return home with a 2-0 Series lead.

1941 - The Yankees top the Dodgers, 3-1, to take the World Series in five games. Pitcher Ernie Bonham, the fifth Yankees pitcher to start in the Series, wins the clincher with a four-hitter.

1945 - Tavern owner "Billy Goat" Sianis buys a box seat for his goat for Game Four of the World Series and is escorted out of Wrigley Field. In retaliation Sianis casts a "goat curse" over the Cubs. The Tigers tie the series on Dizzy Trout's 4-1 win.

1947 - The Yankees beat the Dodgers 5-2 to win the World Series in seven games. Relief pitcher Hugh Casey of the Dodgers appears in six games, winning two while notching an 0.87 ERA. Series heroes Bill Bevens, Al Gionfriddo, and Cookie Lavagetto will not play another major-league game.

1948 - In the opening game of the World Series, the Boston Braves beat Bob Feller and the Cleveland Indians 1-0 with only two hits.

1957 - With the score tied at 5-5, Eddie Mathews of the Braves evens the World Series with a two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth to end Game Four. In the Series' first famous "shoeblack incident," pinch-hitter Nippy Jones convinces umpire Augie Donatelli that Tommy Byrne's pitch hit him on the foot.

1963 - Frank Howard led Los Angeles to a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees with a home run and a single, giving the Dodgers a four-game sweep in the World Series.

1966 - Jim Palmer, 20, became the youngest player to pitch a World Series shutout as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0. Sandy Koufax was the loser, his last appearance in the major leagues.

1968 - St. Louis dumps Detroit 10-1 in Game Four. Bob Gibson, fanning ten, earns his seventh straight World Series victory. The Cardinals have a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 Series lead.

1969 - The Mets rally twice and win the first NL Championship Series. Tommie Agee, Ken Boswell, and Wayne Garrett hit home runs and fans swarm the Shea Stadium field after a 7-4 win.

1971 - The Pirates outslug the Giants, 9-5, to win the LCS, three games to one. Richie Hebner has three hits and three RBI, including a homer.

1979 - Scott McGregor's 8-0 shutout of the Angels gives the Orioles the AL pennant. Pat Kelly notches three RBI with a home run and a single.

1980 - The Astros finally win, whipping the Dodgers in a one-game playoff at Dodger Stadium, 7-1. Art Howe drives in four runs and Joe Niekro wins his 20th game of the season to put Houston in the postseason for the first time since entering the major leagues in 1962.

1983 - Baltimore's Mike Boddicker struck out a playoff record 14 batters en route to a 4-0, five-hit victory over the Chicago White Sox in the second game of the ALCS.

1984 - Steve Garvey's two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game Four gives San Diego a 7-5 win over Chicago and evens the NLCS.

1985 - Phil Niekro of the New York Yankees became the 18th 300-game winner as he blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 on the final day of the season. At 46, he also became the oldest pitcher to throw a shutout.

1995 - The Indians sweep the Division Series with an 8-2 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mo Vaughn, who will later be named MVP for 1995, and slugger Jose Canseco are a combined 0-for-27 for Boston.

1997 - The Indians complete their surprising victory over the Yankees with a tense 4-3 win at Jacobs Field in Game Five of the Division Series. Jose Mesa saves rookie Jaret Wright's second win of the series when he retires Bernie Williams with the tying run on second in the ninth inning.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:23 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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:23 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:24 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, October 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, October 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:25 AM

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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:26 AM

MLB
Write-up

Tuesday, October 6

Twins won eight of last ten Baker starts. Porcello is 3-0, 2.31 in his last four starts; four of his last five starts went over total. Minnesota won 16 of its last 20 games; Detroit lost six of its last ten games. Winner goes on to the Bronx for the playoffs; loser goes home for the winter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:26 AM

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:28 AM

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What bettors need to know: Tigers-Twins tiebreaker
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (-165, 8)

For the second year in a row, 162 games aren't enough to decide the AL Central division title. The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins will square off in Minneapolis on Tuesday for a trip to the postseason and an opening round playoff matchup against the New York Yankees.

Resilient Twins force a tie

On September 6th, the Twins were seven games out of first place with only 26 games to play. A week later, the club lost 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau for the rest of the year due to an injury. Somehow, Minnesota overcame the loss of Morneau to win 16 of its last 20 games to force the tie.

While the Twins surged, the Tigers slumped. Detroit struggled to an 11-15 finish and was unable to wrap up the title. Even a three-game lead with four to play wasn't enough for Detroit.

The Twins comeback has brought back memories of the 2006 campaign. Three years ago, the Tigers held a 10-game lead over Minnesota in early August. Detroit went 19-31 in its last 50 games, while the Twins went 30-20 over the same stretch to steal the division. The Tigers still landed a wild-card spot and ultimately went on to win the AL Pennant.

Young hurlers set to square off

Because Detroit had to use ace right-hander Justin Verlander on Sunday, the Tigers will have to pin their hopes on a 20-year-old rookie to keep their season alive. Right-hander Rick Porcello has registered 14 victories for the Tigers in 2009. He has pitched his best baseball down the stretch, going 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA since August. While he has posted two strong efforts at home against the Twins this season, Porcello has a 6.30 ERA in two starts at the Metrodome.

The Twins will turn to righty Scott Baker on Tuesday. He delivered a clutch effort on Thursday at Detroit to keep the Twins alive in Minnesota's 8-3 win. Baker didn't allow an earned run in five innings after struggling against the Tigers earlier in the year. He’s posted a 13-3 record since June and leads the club in wins with 15.

Metrodome still open for Twins

While the fans and players of the Twins are eagerly looking forward to playing outdoors at the new Target Field in 2010, they aren't quite ready to close the garbage bag on the Metrodome. The atmosphere in the dome played a critical role in world championships for the Twins in 1987 and 1991. Because of their 11-7 regular season series edge over the Tigers, the Twins will get at least one more opportunity to take the field at the Metrodome.

This year, Minnesota is 48-33 at home with a 9-1 mark to close the regular season in Minneapolis. In contrast, the Tigers are just 35-46 on the road with only two wins in nine efforts at the dome this season.

Even with Morneau on the shelf, the Twins appear to have a slight edge offensively over Detroit. Minnesota finished fourth in the league in runs scored while Detroit finished 11th. The Tigers fared better on the mound with the AL's fifth best team ERA compared to Minnesota's 11th ranking.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB Notes: Game #163 in the American League
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:29 AM

MLB

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dodgers-Cardinals series breakdown and pick
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Series odds: Pick ‘em

Pitching

It's not often that the Dodgers don't enjoy a significant pitching edge over their opponents, but that's the case in this matchup. Although Los Angeles led the Majors in both team ERA and bullpen ERA, St. Louis wasn't far behind - ranking fourth in team ERA and fifth in bullpen ERA - and has the better starting rotation, particularly in a short series.

The Cardinals' rotation is led by a pair of Cy Young candidates in Adam Wainright and Chris Carpenter. That duo, which combined to go 36-12 this season, could conceivably pitch four games in the series.

Third starter Joel Pineiro is no slouch either, particularly at home where he had a 2.75 ERA.

While the Cardinals' top three starters are obvious, Dodgers manager Joe Torre has struggled with selecting his starters for the Division Series. Chad Billingsley seemed a no-brainer at the All-Star Break, but he's only 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA since. He was also horrible in last year's NLCS, allowing 11 runs in five innings. Clayton Kershaw (8-8,
2.79) has had an excellent year, but he's just 21 and has thrown all of two innings of relief in his playoff career. Randy Wolf, Jon Garland, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla are also options for Torre, but none of them are likely to strike fear in Albert Pujols and company.

The Dodgers' pitching strength lies in its bullpen, from long relievers Jeff Weaver to late-inning specialists Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill, Ramon Trancoso, Guillermo Mota and closer Jonathan Broxton. St. Louis also has excellent relievers in Trever Miller, Dennys Reyes and Ryan Franklin.

Edge: Cardinals

Hitting

Though the teams each have one of the all-time run producers in the middle of the lineup, both the Dodgers and Cards have struggled to score runs this season. Los Angeles was scoring at will early in the year, but the 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez and his subsequent struggles (.255 average, 10 HR, 34 RBI in the second half) slowed the Dodgers down and they finished 11th in runs.

The Cards' offence has been a two-trick pony, relying heavily on Pujols and midseason acquisition Matt Holliday. St. Louis finished 18th in runs scored this season. Neither team hits a lot of home runs, though both have team batting averages that ranked in the top 12.

Edge: Dodgers

Intangibles

The Dodgers appeared unstoppable in the first third of the season, winning 40 of their first 60 games. They were a modest 39-35 after the All-Star break. St. Louis picked up steam in the second half, going 42-29 since the All-Star Game to pull away in the NL Central. The Cards are 39-25 since acquiring Holliday from the A's.

St. Louis has a wealth of playoff experience, making its seventh postseason appearance this decade. The Cardinals were World Series champs in 2006 and finalists in 2004. The Dodgers are in the playoffs for the fourth time in six years, but they have won only one playoff round (last year's NLDS) since winning the World Series in 1988.

Edge: Cardinals

Pick: Cardinals in four games.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 10-06-2009, 04:29 AM

MLB

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Sox-Angels series breakdown and pick
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

Series odds: Boston -150

Pitching

Los Angeles has a slight edge when it comes to starting pitching. John Lackey has an ERA under 3.00 since the All-Star break and has been effective against the Red Sox this season, while Scott Kazmir has been excellent since being acquired from the Rays last month. Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders round out the rotation.

For Boston, Josh Beckett is known as a playoff stud, but he's struggled in the second half. Jon Lester is probably the most reliable Red Sox starter right now, having lost only once in the past two months. What Boston will get from Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz or Tim Wakefield is anyone's guess.

Starting pitching gets most of the attention, but this series might be won or lost in the bullpens. Boston ranks seventh in the Majors this year in bullpen ERA, while the Angels' relief corps is ranked 24th. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is much more reliable than the Angels' Brian Fuentes.

Edge: Los Angeles

Offense

Both teams have the potential to put up runs in bunches, though they do it in different ways. Los Angeles has the highest team batting average in baseball and all of its regulars are hitting .270 or better. Torii Hunter, Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu have all driven in more than 80 runs. The Angels are also known for running the bases aggressively, ranking third in stolen bases.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox rely more on the long ball, having hit the third-most home runs in the Majors this season. Leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury led the Bigs in steals this year and, along with defending AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, sets the table for RBI men Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay and Victor Martinez. David Ortiz has been a forgotten man after his awful start to the year, but he still came close to 30 homers and 100 RBI this season.

Edge: Boston

Intangibles

Though the Angels have handled the Red Sox fairly well this season, they probably aren't happy to draw Boston in the opening round. The Red Sox have eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs three times in the past five years, including last season when the Angels had the league's best regular-season record.

Boston's players seem to thrive under the postseason pressure, winning two of the past five World Series, while Los Angeles has developed a reputation as a good regular-season team that folds in the playoffs. Exhibit A is Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, who has one RBI in his past 17 playoff games.

Though Los Angeles has home-field advantage, the Angels will be in tough if they lose one of the first two games and need at least one victory in Fenway Park to extend the series.

Pick: Boston in four games

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement

Tuesday Trends and Indexes 10/6 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Tuesday Trends and Indexes 10/6 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment