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**The Boomaster** · 09-09-2010, 05:53 PM

gl, bum

**shoeman530** · 09-09-2010, 05:56 PM

Good luck sdb

**jt4545** · 09-09-2010, 05:56 PM

Thanks and good luck star

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 06:11 PM

Auburn faces stiff test at Mississippi State

Auburn's Cameron Newton set a team rushing record for a quarterback with 171 yards in a season-opening win over Arkansas State—it was just the sixth 100-yard rushing performance by a Tigers quarterback. Other than current receiver Kodi Burns' 158-yard effort two years ago against Tennessee-Martin, the other four were turned in by Phil Gargis from 1974-76.
The debut performance gives the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Newton the early SEC lead in both rushing and total offense and earned him league offensive player of the week honors. It was good enough for seventh and fourth nationally. Newton passed for 186 yards and three touchdowns and scored twice more running.

But that was against a Sun Belt Conference team. Now, Newton makes his SEC debut.Mississippi State redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Russell was nearly as impressive in his debut performance, completing 13 of 16 passes for 256 yards and 4 TDs in a 49-7 rout of Memphis. While the Auburn defense will get a boost from LB Craig Stevens’ expected to return from his one-game suspension, handicapping trends point to the home underdog in this one:

• AUBURN is 1-8 ATS in road games over the last three seasons.

• AUBURN is 2-10 ATS after a game where they forced one or zero turnovers over the last three seasons.

Play on Mississippi State +1.5

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 06:12 PM

Auburn at Mississippi St.

Date: Thursday, September 9
Matchup: #22 Auburn (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
TV: 7:45 PM, ESPN
Venue: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (grass)
Sports.com Line: Auburn -1.5/U 55.5
A strong outing for the Ole Ball Coach kicked us off last Thursday night. Unfortunately, for readers of this space, it was not a good start to the season as Southern Miss was thoroughly outclassed on both sides of the ball and the outcome – both straight up and against the number – was rarely in doubt as the ‘Cocks easily covered the two touchdown spread, 41-13.

Looking to turn things around this week, we stay in the SEC and get a chance to slip down to Starkville, MS, home of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Speaking of the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks, I’m reminded of one of my worst beats ever when Mississippi State traveled to Columbia in September of 2000.

QB Wayne Madkin had the 25th-ranked Bulldogs in perfect position for a solid road victory – and winning ticket -when a series of what can only be described as highly unlikely plays culminated in South Carolina backup QB Eric Kimrey tossing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jermale Kelly on 4th-and-10 to give the home team a 20-19 lead. The Gamecocks, then coached by Lou Holtz, would hang on for a 23-19 victory.

I watched that game with fellow VegasInsider handicapper, and SEC expert, Brian Edwards and while it generally takes a lot to make a grown man cry, I recall a few tears were shed that afternoon.

Of course, that September game from 2000 has little relevance to this game, especially due to the fact that Mississippi State will be facing Auburn this Thursday night and not South Carolina. However, it does recall a time when the Bulldogs were one of the stronger teams in the SEC West.

It wasn’t too many seasons after 2000 that the program fell on hard times and when Sylvester Croom replaced Jackie Sherrill in 2004, there was optimism in Starkville that a couple lean years were in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, the struggles for MSU were only beginning.

Croom was given plenty of time to right the ship but despite a few glimpses of life, he ultimately wasn’t able to get the job done for Mississippi State. Enter Dan Mullen in 2009 and again, optimism.

A scrappy 5-7 effort in his inaugural campaign was enough to bring out over 34,000 to the Mississippi State spring game – a state record - and provide a strong boost to season ticket sales. If you think the Bulldog faithful was excited heading into the season, you can only imagine the frenzy they have been whipped into after a strong performance in week one against Memphis.

Everyone knew the MSU could run the ball, after all they returned four starters on an offensive line that had paved the way for the top rushing attack in the SEC last season and had multiple options such as Vick Ballard, LaDarius Perkins and Robert Elliott. The question mark seemed to exist around the all-important QB position in Starkville.

That question mark was at least partially erased last weekend against the Tigers as QB’s Chris Relf and Tyler Russell looked sharp while feeding WR’s Brandon Heavens and Chad Bumphis – making that duo the first pair of Bulldog receivers to each have 100 or more yards since Justin Jenkins and McKinley Scott turned the trick in 2003. Russell, the 2008 Mr. Football out of Meridian High in Mississippi, was extremely impressive in his role as the #2 QB, completing 13-for-16 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns.

It all added up to a 49-7 drubbing of Memphis in front of the fourth-largest announced crowd in Scott Field history.

Mississippi State left some ink on the record books in their 11th straight win over Memphis. The 42-point win was its largest margin of victory since it beat East Tennessee State 53-6 during the 1998 SEC West Division title-winning year and their total yardage (569) was the most it gained since 1994.

Predictably, Mississippi State fans are flying high and frothing at the mouth to get a piece of the 22nd ranked Auburn Tigers this Thursday.

More than just an opportunity to take a big step in their rebuilding process, there are a couple other story lines at play this Thursday. One is good old fashioned revenge as the Bulldogs were thumped 49-24 in their 2009 SEC opener at Auburn. The other plot at play here is a story of rejection.

If the name Cam Newton rings a bell, it’s probably not because he led the Blinn Buccaneers to the junior college national title in 2009 while throwing for 2,833 yards and accounting for 38 touchdowns. No, it’s likely you recall the name for Newton’s time before he went to Blinn.

Newton began his collegiate career at the University of Florida as backup to the legendary Tim Tebow. He threw 10 passes in 2007 and then missed the 2008 season when an ankle injury caused him to redshirt. Unfortunately, later that year Newton had a scrape with the law, involving a stolen laptop, that caused his time at Florida to come to an end.

Fresh off an outstanding junior college season in 2009, Newton was ready to resume his Division 1-A college career and former Florida offensive coordinator, now Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen was thought by many to have the best shot to land Newton.

"For a long time, I thought I was going to Mississippi State," Newton told Sports Illustrated this past May.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a story of rejection if Newton had landed in Starkville. As you might have guessed, the Atlanta native spurned the Bulldogs and headed to Auburn, Alabama.

And so we turn our attention back to Thursday night where an enthusiastic Mississippi State crowd will welcome Mr. Newton to Starkville and hope the home team will show the youngster he chose the wrong school.

Newton got his Auburn career off to a fantastic start last weekend as he tallied five touchdowns, 357 yards total offense and set the Tigers' record for rushing yards for a quarterback after he finished with 171 yards on 15 carries.

Granted, the competition was just Arkansas State but you can forgive fans on the Plains if they feel the second coming of Jason Campbell has arrived on campus.

However, while the Auburn offense looked to be in midseason form, the Tigers defense appeared to still be stuck in the rut from 2009 when they allowed the most points ever in a War Eagle season.

Auburn’s defense permitted the Red Wolves from the Sun Belt to rack up 366 yards of total offense and with the hot Mississippi State offense on deck, the Tigers defensive unit looks vulnerable.

It all adds up to a interesting matchup this Thursday night. The Bulldogs are 1-0 ATS as they easily covered the number (-21.5) against Memphis. Auburn is 0-1 ATS as their defense couldn’t keep Arkansas State off the board enough to make a winner out of those holding tickets (-30) for a game that ended 52-26.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 06:21 PM

Study Hall - Week 2

There is no rest for the wary when it comes to betting the college gridiron. As far as the opening weekend was concerned, shaking off the rust was more important than helping bettors cover the spread. We can look back at last week’s big movers and see that the pups covered in three of those five matchups.

Most of the smart bettors have taken notice of that from last Saturday. And they’re using it at the betting shops for Week 2’s board of quality showdowns. The Las Vegas Hilton’s Jay Kornegay has kept an eye on the pups this week in his list of games that showed the most movement at his sportsbook.

Saturday's Big Movers
Matchup Opening Line Current Line
UAB at SMU UAB(+13) UAB(+11.5)
Virginia at USC USC(-18) USC(-20)
Fla St. at Oklahoma Fla. St.(+9.5) Fla. St.(+7.5)
Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M A&M(-18.5) A&M(-19.5)
U.of Miami at Ohio St. Miami (+10) Miami (+8.5)

I doubt we’re going to find many people out there that are going to be arguing with the favorites that have been bumped up by the public. The Trojans looked strong in their win at Hawaii, and Virginia struggled against Richmond last weekend. Meanwhile, Aggies are getting plenty of love against a Louisiana Tech side that didn’t have a terribly convincing win over Grambling State in Sonny Dykes’ debut.

What game did make me scratch my head a bit was Florida State walking into Memorial Stadium as a 7 ½-point road pup against the Sooners. This line has actually was set with Oklahoma as a 9 ½-point home “chalk,” but the public keeps on betting it down.

The movement on the line shouldn’t be too surprising after the Sooners barely won a 31-24 decision against Utah State last Saturday. Oklahoma’s Landry Jones wasn’t sharp against the Aggies, completing 17-of-36 of his passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the other side of the field are the ‘Noles, who are fresh off of a 59-6 drubbing of Samford. How could the public not want to toss cash blindly at Florida State after the Sooners’ poor play in Week 1?

VegasInsider.com’s expert handicapper Bruce Marshall believes that sibling familiarity and mobility can play to the Seminoles’ advantage. “I think Mark (Stoops) is likely to significantly upgrade the FSU stop unit; we have seen many platoons make quick turnarounds with new leadership, schemes, etc.” Marshall continues, “On the other side of the ball, having a dangerous and versatile sr. QB such as Ponder is a nice plus for FSU, especially since OU's pass defense apparently has not answered all of its questions after being somewhat exposed by Utah State (although Diondre Borel is very underrated). The Noles also have a veteran OL, so that combo with Ponder and the Sooners’ defensive questions indicate that FSU should be "live" at this number.”

While the Sooners are going to have issues on defense, their offense needs to find a lot less predictability. Jones has clearly proved that he isn’t on the same level of Sam Bradford to run OU’s offense. Will het get to that level? It’s hard to say he won’t. But they need to get him passing effectively so DeMarco Murray doesn’t have a giant target painted on his back. Murray racked up 218 yards and two scores on the ground against Utah State last weekend. He also needed 35 carries to reach that point. Florida State kept the Bulldogs to just 77 rushing yards in Week 1.

Something else gamblers should take into consideration is that Bob Stoops isn’t beating talent from other BCS leagues. For our purposes, Oklahoma has failed to cover the spread in its last three games against teams from the BCS conferences. Florida State has won five of its last seven ATS against non-conference BCS foes, with three of those coming as an underdog.

Out in Knoxville, we find the Ducks preparing to show their wares against Tennessee in Derek Dooley’s first real challenge as its head coach.

Oregon was supposed to be in the national discussion for a championship run this year. Instead, they were known for Jeremiah Masoli’s love of taking things that didn’t belong to him. That meant Darron Thomas and Nate Costa would share QB duties for the Quack Attack as they kindly called off the dogs in a 72-0 route of New Mexico at home last week. Glad to see Chip Kelly is a gentleman of a coach.

Dooley did enough to make himself seem like the right choice to run the Volunteers last weekend with a 50-0 beatdown of UT-Martin in his debut. Despite the strong showing, Tennessee is still a 12 ½-point home pup for this game.

Are the Vols worth dropping a dollar or two on to hold close to Oregon? VegasInsider.com’s expert handicapper Pat Hawkins isn’t so sure that’s a good idea. “Its hard to make a strong play on Rocky Top considering their play over the last few years.”

“Oregon dominated New Mexico make no mistake, if the line crosses the two touch down threshold (14) it might be a good idea to take a shot on UT, but don't go big on this game since UT is very thin on the D-line,” concludes Hawkins. He’s got a great point there as the Volunteers gave up just 56 yards to the Skyhawks on the ground. Oregon, by comparison, logged an insane 369 rushing yards against the Lobos.

Tennessee hasn’t been all that familiar with being a home ‘dog over the years, seeing as it’s happened just 11 times since 1998. They’ve gone 4-7 straight up and 6-5 against the spread in those spots. So will we get the chance to act on Hawkins’ suggestion of +14 on the Vols? It’s going to be a matter of gamblers watching the line well into Saturday since Oregon originally started as a 13 ½-point road “chalk.”

In the interest of making a game look like “Trading Places,” I give you UAB taking on Southern Methodist. The Blazers looked every bit the part of Louis Winthorpe III last week as 13-point home favorites against Florida Atlantic. And Alabama-Birmingham held a commanding 28-12 lead into the third quarter. After taking that lead, the Blazers were picked off in their next drive and punted the ball three straight times after that turnover. After all the dust cleared, UAB found itself losing 32-31 to the Owls.

The Mustangs did their best Billy Ray Valentine impression last Saturday in Lubbock as 13-point road pups to Texas Tech. SMU found themselves losing 35-27 to the Red Raiders. You can look directly to Kyle Padron’s three interceptions as to why the ‘Stangs lost; Texas Tech was able to covert two of those picks into touchdowns on defenses working on little rest.

Now the two teams reverse roles against one other this weekend with Southern Methodist as a 11 ½-point home favorite, which is down from the 13-point spread initially sent out.

VegasInsider.com’s Marc Lawrence thinks that the oddsmakers were prisoners of the moment. “Assuredly there was an over reaction to the Blazers' loss as they were the only favorite that was upset in Week 1. Had these two teams met opening week SMU would have been no more than an 8-point favorite.”

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 06:22 PM

Look Aheads and Let Downs - Week 2

There was no shortage of excitement in college football’s opening weekend. Upsets, however, were at a premium. The biggest shock was Ole Miss falling at home to FCS school Jacksonville State. I firmly believe this was due to the school not being able to get Admiral Ackbar as their new mascot.

Regardless of oddly dressed person on the sidelines, the Rebels could very well be set for a surprising letdown. That means we are in line for some positive chances for the underdogs to be barking. Let’s look at a few games that fall into this category.

What a Rebel Hell…

How many folks at Ole Miss are wishing that Jeremiah Masoli was denied his appeal to play last week? That might be a bit far fetched but that’s all Rebels fans can think of after losing 49-48 in double overtime to Jacksonville State last Saturday.

Mississippi was strong on the attack with 479 total yards on offense and wasn’t penalized once during the game. Yet they coughed up the ball three times (four with the turnover on downs) to the Gamecocks, which led to 14 points. Plus, the Rebs couldn’t stop JSU drives short as they were 8-of-17 on third downs.

The betting shops aren’t too worried about that loss as they’ve made Ole Miss a 20 ½-point road favorite against the Green Wave.

It’s awfully hard to think that Tulane will push Houston Nutt into drinking some Black Label on the sideline, but there is a chance it can happen. The Green Wave are coming off of a 27-21 home win over Southeastern Louisiana. That win doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the first time Tulane has won a season opener since 2002.

The Green Wave were quite balanced on the attack last week (123 rushing yards, 129 passing yards), which could give Ole Miss some fits. But that all depends on how well Nutt gets his team to bounce back this week.

Pirates on a High…

Out of all the excitement of last weekend’s action, the biggest of the bunch was East Carolina’s 51-49 win as a seven-point home pup over the Golden Hurricane on a Hail Mary pass to Justin Jones as time expired. Not a bad way for Ruffin McNeill to open his career as a head coach at his alma mater.

Most sportsbooks have no doubt parlayed that finish into making the Pirates 12 ½-point home favorites against Memphis.

You can’t fault the betting shops for setting the line as they did in this game. ECU took quickly to Lincoln Riley’s offense, gaining 538 of total offense. And they are taking on a Tigers squad that was decimated 49-7 at Mississippi State last weekend.

So why would you take a stab with the Tigers, a team that hasn’t beaten East Carolina since 2005 and covered against them since 2000?

It can happen if you have a first-year coach and a first-year offensive coordinator taking care of an offense that brought back just five starters. This team could easily find itself confused by a passing attack that only gained 196 yards through the air, but were 20-of-32 on pass attempts. Not a bad number considering that the Bulldogs are an up-and-coming team in the SEC.

Sleeping Huskies…

Jake Locker has been tabbed as the next top pick in the next NFL Draft. As far as Washington fans are concerned, he was the reason they lost 23-17 to the Cougars. Now the Huskies come home to face off with Syracuse as 13 ½-point favorites this Saturday.

So why would this game be a problem for Huskies? Well, losing a game that they could have easily won in Provo last week is a tough pill to swallow. But Washington has the Cornhuskers coming to town on Sept. 18. That’s a Top 10 team coming into the Pacific Northwest. How can you keep your eyes on the lowly Orange?

They should keep their eyes on Syracuse for this game because they’re not as bad as they had once been. The Orange are coming off of a 29-3 win at Akron last week eight-point road faves for their first season opening win since Paul Pasqualoni was roaming the sidelines on 2003. This is a tough test for the ‘Cuse as they’re practically traveling the entire length of the country. But bettors can take heart in the fact that the Orange are 6-12 SU and 11-7 ATS as a road pup against non-conference teams since 1998. Adding a little a fuel to the fire is the fact that Washington is 4-1 SU and 1-4 ATS in its last five games as a home “chalk” against non-conference teams.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 07:01 PM

MLB Betting: Padres, Giants start crucial set

The San Diego Padres must continue their mastery over the San Francisco Giants to keep their slim NL West lead. The teams start a vital four-game set Thursday night in Southern California.

San Diego is 9-2 against San Francisco this season (4-1 at home). It allowed 2.09 runs per game in those 11 contests, only twice surrendering more than two runs. The ‘under’ has gone 8-2-1.

The Padres (78-59) have been in their own scoring drought the last 12 games, averaging 2.4 runs. They lost 10 straight before winning the last two against the Dodgers (4-2, 2-1).

San Diego leads San Fran by one-game in the division pending Wednesday’s late results. It’s been in first place in the NL West since April 20 and has only been out of the top spot for three days since.

The Giants (78-61) struggled in August with a 13-15 record. However, they got energized by the San Diego losing streak and have won four straight. They go for a sweep Wednesday at Arizona.

Both teams struggle to score runs. San Francisco is at 4.39 per game for the year, with San Diego at 4.30. The baseball betting ‘under’ is 9-2 in San Diego’s last 11 games and 6-2 in San Francisco’s last eight.

Matt Cain (10-10, 3.18 ERA) allowed four earned runs over seven innings at the Dodgers last Saturday. He hadn’t allowed more than three earned in his prior nine outings (eight quality starts). The 25-year-old righty leads the team in ERA and should have more wins.

The Giants are 8-2 in Cain’s last 10 starts. They won that last road start at L.A. (5-4). However, they’re just 5-9 in his road starts for the season (3.68 ERA). Batters are hitting .258 against him away as opposed to .199 at home.

Cain is 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA in three starts against San Diego this year. He pitched good in the two starts at Petco Park (3.00 ERA) and is 1-5 with a 2.90 ERA lifetime there. San Francisco is 0-3 in his starts versus San Diego this year and 3-13 in the last 16.

Jon Garland (13-10, 3.31 ERA) is trying to finish strong in what’s been a solid season overall. He had a 2.15 ERA through May, 5.16 from June-July, and 2.55 since.

The 30-year-old righty loves to pitch at home with an ERA (2.68) much lower than away (4.04). He did only last 4 2/3 innings at home against Colorado on Saturday. He allowed two earned runs and the Rockies won 6-2.

Garland has surprisingly only faced the Giants once this season (April 21). He surrendered one earned run over seven innings in a 5-2 win. He’s only made four lifetime starts against them (3-0, 2.15 ERA).

San Diego has position players Jerry Hairston (elbow) and Tony Gwynn (hand) on the DL. However, neither has an OPS above .667 and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (.916) is the only regular with an OPS above .804.

San Francisco’s only listed injury is outfielder Mark DeRosa (wrist), who is out for the season.

First pitch on Thursday night is 7:05 p.m. (PT). Weather should be clear and only in the low 60s.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 07:02 PM

MLB Betting Preview: Dodgers battle Astros

Los Angeles and Houston begin a four-game series Thursday from the Astros’ Minute Maid Park. Both teams will be playing out the string the final month of the regular season.

The Dodgers remain around the .500 mark 138 games into the 162-game campaign, but are just eight games off the pace in the National League West. Los Angeles would have to overtake four other teams in its bid for the wild card.

Houston, locked in a battle for third place in the NL Central, has gone 12-4 its last 16 outings overall. The Astros still have a shot at finishing the season over .500 if they continue their current hot streak.

Los Angeles left-hander Ted Lilly (8-9, 3.55 ERA) picked up a no-decision against San Francisco Saturday despite pitching a solid seven innings. The veteran hurler was reached for two runs on three hits (two home runs) with two walks and seven strikeouts on 93 pitches.

The Dodgers eventually dropped that contest as 118 home ‘chalk,’ 5-4, while the combined nine runs eclipsed the 6 ½-run closing total at the baseball betting window. The ‘over’ has now cashed his last two starts after a 6-1-1 ‘under’ streak. The two home runs surrendered to the Giants were solo shots hit in the seventh and eighth inning.

Lilly faced the Astros twice this season as a member of the Chicago Cubs, with both starts occurring in late July before the trading deadline. The 34-year-old went a combined 13 innings, yielding just one run on 12 hits (one home run) with four walks and 14 strikeouts.

Despite those solid numbers, the Cubs failed to win either matchup. Houston triumphed as a 108 home selection, 6-1, and as a 164 road underdog, 4-3. The ‘under’ is 3-0-1 in Lilly’s last four starts against the Astros.

Los Angeles continues a 10-game road trip after this series with three games against NL West rival San Francisco. The Dodgers have struggled this season to a 28-37 road record.

Houston hurler Bud Norris (6-8, 5.34 ERA) finagled a no-decision in Saturday’s matchup against Arizona. The second-year player lasted just 4 2/3 innings and 102 pitches, allowing five runs on eight hits (one home run) with three walks and five strikeouts.

The Astros eventually won that contest as a 125 road underdog, 6-5, while the combined 11 runs toppled the 9 ½-run closing MLB odds total. The ‘under’ had cashed his previous four starts despite surrendering 10 runs his last 10 1/3 innings.

Norris has one career start against Los Angeles, occurring in a May 18 setback as a 173 road underdog, 7-3. The 25-year-old went 4 1/3 innings, yielding six runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts on 75 pitches. The combined 10 runs went ‘over’ the seven-run closing total.

Houston, 35-33 at Minute Maid Park, continues a 10-game homestand after this series with matchups against NL Central rivals Milwaukee and Cincinnati. The Astros have seen the ‘under’ go a stellar 22-5 their last 27 games overall.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-09-2010, 07:03 PM

MLB Odds: Bumbling Braves return home

The Atlanta Braves are hoping a seven-game homestand will reverse their recent skid and move them back into first place in the NL East standings. The Braves are a major league-best 49-19 on their home turf.

The homestand begins Thursday with the opener of a four-game series against a slumping St. Louis Cardinals team that swept a four-game series at Busch Stadium against the Braves in April.

The Cardinals registered victories of 4-3, 5-4, 6-0 and 10-4. The first and third games ducked ‘under' the closing total, while the second and fourth matchups skipped ‘over' the number.

The finale of that series featured the Cards' Adam Wainwright against Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens. Ironically, that will be the matchup in Thursday's series opener.

Wainwright closed as a 165 favorite in that meeting and needed just 78 pitches to complete six innings and notch the victory. The 6-foot-7 right-hander limited the Braves to three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning four.

Jurrjens lasted just one inning after getting tagged for three runs on two hits (one homer) spanning just 14 pitches.

The 29-year-old Wainwright will be attempting to snap a personal four-game losing skid in this spot. However, the Cards have not provided Wainwright with more than three runs of support in any of those outings.

Wainwright is off last Saturday's 6-1 loss against Cincinnati as a 165 home favorite. He allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits through just five innings spanning 83 pitches.

St. Louis is now 17-12 in Wainwright's first 29 starts, with the ‘under' going 14-12-3. He is 6-8 with a 3.15 ERA in 14 road assignments, compared to 11-2 with a sparkling 1.52 ERA in 12 home starts.

The Cardinals are a dismal 29-40 in their first 69 road dates, 5-7 in extra innings and 18-22 in one-run affairs.

The Braves saw their losing streak reach three games during Tuesday's 5-0 setback to the lowly Pirates. Coupled with Philadelphia's victory over Florida, Atlanta fell back into second place in the National League East, a half-game behind the Phillies.

Jurrjens' best outing of the season occurred last Saturday when he blanked Florida 2-0 as a 145 road underdog. The 24-year-old right-hander stymied the Marlins on three hits through seven innings spanning 99 pitches. He walked three batters and fanned seven.

The Braves are 12-6 in Jurrjens' first 18 starts, with the ‘under' going 11-7. Jurrjens is a perfect 6-0 with a nifty 2.15 ERA in eight home stars, compared to 1-4 with a 5.81 ERA in 10 road endeavors.

Atlanta is a sizzling 55-35 against right-handed starters, but just 6-7 in extra innings and 20-21 in 1-run affairs. The Braves own a plus-119 run differential by outscoring the opposition, 649-530.

Don't forget to check the weather report and the umpire assignments for all of Thursday's baseball action.

**Dat Boi E** · 09-09-2010, 07:10 PM

good luck, Bum!

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The Bum's Thursday's Best Bets MLB-NCAAF-NFL !

The Bum's Thursday's Best Bets MLB-NCAAF-NFL !

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