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**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 12:28 AM

Thursday Tips

The Thursday baseball card allows gamblers to wager on 10 games, including five contests under the lights. The Yankees continue their road trip in Kansas City, while the Twins and White Sox wrap up their series on the South Side. We'll start with the series finale in Philadelphia between a pair of division winners from a season ago that are currently outside the playoff race.

Dodgers at Phillies - 7:05 PM EST

Los Angeles busted out of its offensive funk by putting up a season-high 15 runs in Tuesday's six-run victory at Philadelphia. The Dodgers still have plenty of work to do if they want to make the postseason for the third time under Joe Torre. Despite loads of injuries all season, the Phillies are right in the thick of the playoff mix in the National League, owning a one-game deficit behind the Giants.

Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers, trying to bounce back from a home loss as a substantial favorite against the Nationals his last time out. The southpaw allowed six earned runs and seven hits in six innings of work, losing as $2.20 'chalk,' his third loss this season when listed as at least $1.60 favorite. Kershaw hasn't had much luck on the road recently, with Los Angeles losing three of his last four starts on the highway. To make matters worse, the Dodgers are 1-4 in Kershaw's five career outings against the Phillies, including an 8-6 defeat in last season's NLCS.

The Phillies send out Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65 ERA), who continues to deliver quality starts with seven in his last 10 outings. The right-hander has allowed three earned runs or more eight times in this span, but is coming off a solid performance against the Mets in his last start. Blanton gave up seven hits and two earned runs in seven innings, as the Phillies rallied against the Mets' bullpen to pull out a 7-5 victory. The veteran was involved in a pair of one-run decisions with the Dodgers last season, but the Phillies picked up a 5-4 home triumph in the NLCS.

Five of the last six meetings at Citizens Bank Park have finished 'over' the total, while the two clubs have split the six matchups in Philadelphia dating back to last May. Despite Tuesday's win, the Dodgers own a 2-10 mark on the road since the All-Star Break.

Twins at White Sox - 8:10 PM EST

Minnesota recaptured the advantage atop the AL Central with Tuesday's blowout victory at Chicago. The Sox held control of the division for most of July until a meltdown in Baltimore opened the door for the Twins to come back. Ozzie Guillen's squad is 20-3 at U.S. Cellular Field since June 10, but winning the division is the only likely way either of these two teams makes the playoffs.

Gavin Floyd (8-8, 3.49 ERA) has turned things following a horrendous start to the season. The White Sox righty allowed nine earned runs in his last 10 outings, after giving up 35 earned runs in his first eight starts alone. Chicago has cashed the 'under' in eight of Floyd's previous 11 starts, while going at least seven innings in six of his last seven outings. Floyd hasn't put up great career numbers against Minnesota, losing three of his last four matchups. However, Floyd will be seeing the Twins at home for the first time since a 12-2 victory in June 2008.

The Twins send out Francisco Liriano (10-7, 3.33 ERA), who had a three-start scoreless streak snapped in a 7-6 loss at Cleveland. The southpaw allowed seven hits and four earned runs in just 4.2 innings, Minnesota third loss in Liriano's previous four road outings. The competition Liriano has faced over the last four starts hasn't been the best, seeing the Indians twice, Royals, and Mariners. Liriano is 1-0 in two starts against the White Sox this season, including a no-decision in a 4-3 win at U.S. Cellular Field on April 9.

Minnesota has owned this series by winning seven of the last eight meetings on the South Side, while the Twins are 7-3 this season against the Sox. Chicago has cashed the 'over' in eight of the last 11 home games, as the Sox have plated at least six runs eight times in this stretch.

Yankees at Royals - 8:10 PM EST

These two teams shared an intense rivalry in the late 1970's, but this is just another series on the schedule over the last 25 years. New York is rolling atop the AL East, owning the top record in baseball. On the flip side, Kansas City is battling it out with Cleveland to avoid the cellar of the AL Central.

CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.14 ERA) bounced back from consecutive road losses to the Rays and Indians by shutting down the Red Sox. Sabathia has turned in 13 straight quality starts, with the Yankees going 11-2 in this span. The former Cy Young Award winner takes care of business as a long road favorite, owning a 5-2 record when laying at least $1.50 on the highway. Sabathia beat the Royals in the Bronx on July 22 by a 10-4 count, allowing a season-high 11 hits in 6.1 innings.

The Royals send out left-hander Bruce Chen (7-5, 4.44 ERA), who won back-to-back starts against last-places clubs Baltimore and Seattle. Chen has actually put up better numbers on the road than at home, owning an ERA of 5.06 at Kaufmann Stadium. The journeyman southpaw allowed nine hits and five earned runs in six innings of that 10-4 loss to Sabathia and the Yankees in late July.

The Bombers took three of four from the Royals in July, while going 6-3 the last nine meetings with Kansas City. The Royals are just 6-12 in series openers this season coming off a loss, falling to the Angels in extra-innings on Wednesday.

**shoeman530** · 08-12-2010, 01:38 PM

Good luck sdb

**bryce** · 08-12-2010, 01:46 PM

Good luck SDB!

**jt4545** · 08-12-2010, 03:51 PM

Goos luck star

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 06:33 PM

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

08/08/10 2-0-0 100.00% +1000 Detail

Totals 2-0-0 100.00% +1000

Thursday, August 12Game Score Status Pick Amount

New Orleans - 7:30 PM ET New England -1.5 500 *****
New England - Under 35 500

Carolina - 8:00 PM ET Carolina +4.5 500 *****
Baltimore - Over 34 500 *****

Oakland - 9:00 PM ET Oakland +3 500
Dallas - Under 34 500 *****

Good Luck Gang !

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 07:00 PM

Panthers and Ravens to put rushing prowess on display

Carolina (0-0) at Baltimore (0-0), Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT, Sports.com Line: Baltimore -3 Total: 34
  A pair of powerful rushing teams square off in the first preseason contest for both clubs. There’s no question the Carolina offense will once again feature a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams this season, while the Ravens will be handing the ball off to Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain.
  The Ravens have an established starting quarterback in Joe Flacco, while the Panthers will be replacing longtime starter Jake Delhomme. Matt Moore replaced the injured Delhomme for the final five games of last season, leading the Panthers to a 4-1 record. Moore will face competition from second-round draft pick Jimmy Clausen.

  The always stingy Baltimore defense is a little banged up in the secondary at the moment, but expect them to be able to stifle Carolina’s attack. FoxSheets illustrate Baltimore’s success against Carolina: BALTIMORE is 3-1 straight up (and against the spread) versus CAROLINA since 1993.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 07:01 PM

Super Bowl champs open pre-season in Foxboro

New Orleans (0-0) at New England (0-0), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT, Sports.com Line: New England -1.5 Total: 35.5
The reigning Super Bowl champs travel to New England to take on a franchise that knows a few things about winning Super Bowls. If familiarity indeed builds contempt, then this preseason tilt could have some fireworks as the Saints and Patriots are conducting joint practices this week in preparation for this matchup.
  Among the storylines in Patriots camp is the presence of Wes Welker after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery in the offseason. Welker (NFL-best 123 receptions in 2009) appears on course to make an immediate impact again this season.

  The Saints humiliated the Patriots on a Monday night in the Superdome last season as the porous Patriots defense had no answer for Drew Brees and his arsenal of offensive weapons. Look for the Saints to take advantage of a defense that remains a work in progress.

  FoxSheets show the Saints to be a solid play in this one: NEW ORLEANS is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in a road game where the total is between 35.5 and 38 points since 1993. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 19.2, OPPONENT 19.4 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 07:01 PM

Dallas looks to get offense on track against Raiders

Oakland (0-0) at Dallas (1-0), Thursday, 9:00 p.m. EDT, Sports.com Line: Dallas -3.5 Total: 34.5
  The Raiders are putting their hopes on the arm of quarterback Jason Campbell, whom they acquired from Washington during the offseason. Pushing Campbell will be veteran Bruce Gradkowski, who gave the Raiders a bit of a spark last season after replacing mega-bust JaMarcus Russell.
  The Cowboys offense went without a touchdown in their 16-7 win over Cincinnati on Sunday night in Canton, scoring on a 6-yard interception return by Brandon Sharpe in the fourth quarter. The Dallas defense forced four turnovers in the game. Tony Romo went 5-for-10 for 59 yards without a pick. Rookie WR Dez Bryant remains out with an ankle injury.

  The Raiders are eager to establish a winning attitude while their perennial playoff contending opponents may have less to prove in the preseason. Also consider this from the FoxSheets:

  Play Against - Favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (DALLAS) - after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread, in August games. (47-22 over the last 10 seasons.) (68.1%, +22.8 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 07:02 PM

British Columbia and Saskatchewan both look to turn things around

British Columbia (1-5) at Saskatchewan (4-2), Thursday, 9:00 p.m. EDT, Line: Saskatchewan -8.5 Total: 54
British Columbia travels to Saskatchewan to take on the Roughriders. The Lions find themselves tied for last place in the CFL’s West Division, while the Roughriders are two points behind Calgary for first place in the West.
Both clubs are floundering a bit. British Columbia enters this contest with a five-game losing streak. Saskatchewan, after starting the season 3-0, has lost two of their last three games.

The Roughriders are a perfect 3-0 at home this season, averaging 38.3 points in home games. They have won two straight against British Columbia, including a 37-18 win at BC on July 10.

The Lions have really struggled on offense this season, as they have yet to top 25 points in a game. BC is last in the league in scoring (20.3 PPG) and second to last in offense with fewer than 340 total yards per game. The Roughriders have had success on offense this season leading the CFL in offense (more than 465 yards per game) and second to Montreal in points per game (33.0).

Since the 19-point loss to Saskatchewan, BC has lost each of its last four games by five points or less. Combine that with Saskatchewan’s poor defensive performance in their last three games (94 points allowed) and BC looks like the team to pick against the spread.

Also consider this from FoxSheets: Play On - Road underdogs or pick (BRITISH COLUMBIA) - revenging a loss versus opponent, off a loss against a division rival. (69-34 since 1996.) (67%, +31.6 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 08-12-2010, 07:04 PM

Thursday's Three-Way

Alright everyone can step back off of the ledge now. The NFL has finally returned. Some folks that see the glass as half-empty will see these as just preseason games. The rest of us normal thinking, red-blooded Americans take them as matches that we can win some cash on at the betting shops. Thursday night is the first full night of action with three games on the ledger after a boring Hall of Fame Game in Canton. So are we going to start fattening our wallets early or will we be fighting with someone for a Big Gulp of Mr. Pibb? Let’s look at the contests for some good information.

Saints at Patriots – 7:30 p.m. EDT

Things were already different in the Saints camp with Kim Kardashian moving on from Reggie Bush to new flavor Miles Austin. But this offseason saw the team head to the White House for the obligatory meeting with the President.

When the team gets on the field for Thursday night’s preseason opener, we’ll see a different squad on offense. Drew Brees will still get his two or three offensive series to shake off some of the rust. Patrick Ramsey, Chase Daniel and rookie Sean Canfield will all get snaps under center during this contest.

Wide receiver Marques Colston was another getting back into the fold after coming off of the physically-unable-to-perform list from knee surgery. While Colston has been participating in practices so far, the odds are leaning towards New Orleans’s No. 1 wideout will be sitting this game out. Same goes for Robert Meachem (toe), who is on the PUP list for the game. Lance Moore and Devery Henderson are slated to be the starters come time for kickoff.

When it comes to the Saints’ defense, this will be a game for them to take it easy. Linebackers Scott Shanle (knee) and Clint Ingram (knee) are “questionable” and on the PUP list respectively for this contest. Darren Sharper (knee) is also going to be “out” for this game, hurting the secondary all the more.

Switching our focus to the Patriots and you’ll notice that not everything is sunshine and lollipops for the guys in Foxboro. Guard Logan Mankins is not going to be back protecting Tom Brady after demanding a trade. Ryan Wendell and Rich Ohrnberger appear to be the favorites to replace him, but neither have stood out in practice.

Tom Brady won’t have to deal with these issues for too long on Thursday night. Brian Hoyer, Jeff Rowe and Zac Robinson will instead get to show off their mobility for Bill Belichick.

Most of the betting shops have posted the Patriots as 1 ½-point home favorites with a total 35 ½. It’s pretty standard stuff for a preseason game between quality clubs, to be honest.

Belichick has given up for the most part in New England’s past few preseasons (last year’s 3-1 SU, ATS mark surprised many). What he has done is watch the ‘under’ go 5-2 in his last seven preseason openers.

New Orleans has been strong away from the Superdome under Sean Payton’s tutelage, evidenced by a 6-2 SU and ATS record in preseason road tests. The ‘under’ is 5-3-1.

Another thing to keep an eye on is Super Bowl champions in their preseason openers. The last four champs have gone 1-3 SU and 1-2-1 ATS with the ‘under’ cashing in all four matches.

Panthers at Ravens – 8:00 p.m. EDT, ESPN

Here’s a game between two coaches going in opposite directions. John Fox guided the Panthers to the Super Bowl just six year ago. Now he’s just hoping to keep his job for the season.

Much of Fox’s luck will ride on how the quarterback position plays out in the preseason. Matt Moore has the starting role for the time being, but Jimmy Clausen is chomping at the bit to prove he’s ready to start as a rookie. And you can’t forget about Tony Pike out of Cincinnati, who was one of the best passers in college football a year ago.

The offense is hurting in the backfield as well with Jonathan Stewart (Achilles’) and Mike Goodson (ankle) are “questionable” and “doubtful” respectively for this contest. That kills a lot of depth behind DeAngelo Williams.

Things are much more stable in Baltimore with John Harbaugh running the show. He knows he has Joe Flacco firmly placed in as the No. 1 signal caller. And he’s got two brand new targets to throw to in Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin this season. Doubtful we’ll see them out there for more than two series, but that’s enough to make the folks at M&T Bank Stadium giddy. After Flacco leaves the game, look for Marc Bolger and Troy Smith to fight for the No. 2 spot on the QB depth chart.

The Ravens have been posted as 3 ½-point home faves with the total rolling in at around 34 for this opener.

Harbaugh stepped it up last year with a 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS record in the preseason. That’s a far cry from the 1-3 SU, ATS spot he posted in his first season running the Ravens. What has remained consistent is his desire to keep things close to the vest…that’s resulted in the ‘under’ going 6-2 in his exhibition work.

Fox has had his teams ready to play in the first game of the preseason during his stay in Charlotte. The Panthers are 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in his eight preseason openers, while the ‘over went 6-2.

Raiders at Cowboys – 9:00 p.m. EDT

The hype machine has been running hot and heavy during the offseason for the Cowboys. Plenty of pundits are saying this is the team that will be the first ever to play a Super Bowl on its home turf. And their 16-7 win over Cincinnati at the Hall of Fame Game as 2 ½-point pups did nothing to put out the fire.

While the score is what the fans care about, Dallas does have some concerns to keep in mind for its first home game of the year. They had some issues with ball control by fumbling twice, losing one of those to the Bengals. The Cowboys also failed to convert on all three of their trips to the red zone. I know that it is only the first preseason game, but that has to bother Wade Phillips to no extent. Something else to consider is that 10 of the Cowboys’ 15 drives ended in either a missed field goal or punting the ball away to the other squad.

Tony Romo will get more rest in this game after completing 5 of 10 passes for 59 yards. Stephen McGee got the majority of snaps in Canton, connecting on 12 of 22 attempts for 116 yards. Jon Kitna does figure more into the gameplan on Thursday evening after hitting 4 of 7 for 56 yards against Cincy.

Oakland comes into this contest with some love from the experts as a sleeper team in the AFC West. They upgraded the QB spot with Jason Campbell, which is far and beyond better than JaMarcus Russell could hope to be. To be fair, Russell did help me find out about the magic of “purple drank.” The Raiders are going to be a little thin under center for this game with Bruce Gradkowski (groin) and Charlie Frye (wrist) are both “questionable” for this game. That means we’ll get to see if Kyle Boller can still function at the NFL level as a quarterback. Reports are stating that Colt Brennan will be in house to show off is wares for teams to possibly pick him up.

Regardless of who is calling the signals, they’ll not have the top running back behind them in Silver and Black. Darren McFadden (hamstring) is “out” for the game after getting injured in practice on Tuesday. Michael Bush is the most logical choice to start for the Raiders in the opener.

Dallas is coming into this short turnaround as a 3 ½-point home “chalk” with a total of 34 ½.

Normally you’d think that a team coming off of a game just four days earlier would be a lot to ask of them. Yet the Cowboys have a solid little trend working for them as the Hall of Fame Game winner is 3-1 SU and ATS in their very next matchup. The ‘under’ has cashed in three of those four meetings as well.

Oakland does come into this game knowing that they have won their last four preseason openers, both SU and ATS. That includes a 31-10 win over the Cowboys as a 1 ½-point home favorite last August. In their first preseason road tests, the Raiders have gone 1-3 SU and 3-1 ATS.

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