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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:29 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: October 10

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Colts play host to the perfect Chiefs, the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series take on Auto Club, and the baseball playoffs continue.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The Colts (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) will try to fend off the undefeated Chiefs (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS) when those teams take the gridiron in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs are coming off their bye week, but they trounced San Francisco 31-10 at home in their most recent game two weeks ago. Matt Cassel threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns for Kansas City in that contest, with one interception. The Colts fell 31-28 in Jacksonville last week despite Peyton Manning's 352 yards and two touchdowns (to go along with one interception) through the air. Oddsmakers have the Colts pegged as the 7-point home favorite for this Sunday matchup, and the total for the contest is listed at 45 points.

Elsewhere around the NFL on Sunday it'll be Chicago at Carolina (-1), Tampa Bay at Cincinnati (-6.5), St. Louis at Detroit (-3), the Giants at Houston (-3), Denver at Baltimore (-7), Atlanta (-3) at Cleveland, Jacksonville (-1) at Buffalo, Green Bay (-2.5) at Washington, New Orleans (-7) at Arizona, Tennessee at Dallas (-7), San Diego (-6) at Oakland, and Philadelphia at San Francisco (-3.5). The Eagles (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) will go with Kevin Kolb in place of the injured Michael Vick at quarterback in their Sunday night contest, while the Niners (0-4 SU, 2-2 ATS) are still looking for their first victory of the season. Oddsmakers have the total for the Eagles/Niners matchup on Sunday set at 38.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Both NLDS will hit Game 3 on Sunday, with San Francisco at Atlanta and Philadelphia at Cincinnati. The Giants will give the ball to Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA) in that first matchup, while the Braves go with Tim Hudson (17-9, 2.83 ERA). It'll then be Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06 ERA) vs. Johnny Cueto (12-7, 3.64 ERA) in the Phillies/Reds matchup. Lefthander Hamels last pitched against the Reds back on July 11, giving up just six hits over 7 2-3 shutout innings in a victory. Righthander Cueto went up against the Phillies back on July 8, taking a no-decision after allowing two runs in seven innings.

Meanwhile, Game 4 of the ALDS between the Rays and Rangers in Texas on Sunday will feature Wade Davis (12-10, 4.07 ERA) taking on Tommy Hunter (13-4, 3.73 ERA). Righthander Davis took a no-decision against the Royals in his last start, giving up two runs on three hits over seven innings. Righthander Hunter settled for a no-decision against the Angels last time out, allowing one run on three hits in five innings.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

There are just three games on the ice on Sunday, as the NHL schedule features Boston at Phoenix, Los Angeles at Calgary, and Florida at Edmonton. The Panthers will be the last team in the league to open their season when they hit the rink on Sunday, and they'll be looking to improve on a sub-par 2009/10 campaign in which they missed the playoffs in the Eastern Conference by 11 points. Vegas has Florida well back at 80/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup this year, but they're ahead of the 100/1 Oilers on that list.

Roaring around the track . . .

The Sprint Cup Series offers up the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday afternoon, with Jimmie Johnson leading the Chase standings heading into the event. Johnson, who has also won each of the last two races at Auto Club, is the oddsmakers' 5/2 favorite for Sunday, with both Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle (who won last week in Kansas) at 8/1 odds. Jeff Gordon sits at 9/1 odds to pick up a victory in the Pepsi Max 400, with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch each at 10/1 to score the win Sunday afternoon.

As well, the drivers of Formula 1 will compete in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. Mark Webber sits atop the drivers championship heading into this weekend's race, and the oddsmakers have him at 7/2 odds to get the win in Japan. Sebastien Vettel is the 7/4 race favorite, with Fernando Alonso at 11/4, and Lewis Hamilton sitting at 9/2 odds.

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:29 AM

Bettors’ best friend: Sunday’s wagering tips

Lines to keep an eye on

The Braves opened as -125 favorites over the Giants at most betting sites, but the line has steadily climbed to -134.

The Reds opened as 125 underdogs at most betting sites, but the line has dropped to 118.

The Bills opened at even money against the Jaguars, but the line has moved to -1.5.

The Colts opened as 8.5-point favorites against the Chiefs, but the line is now at -7.

The Panthers opened as 3-point underdogs against the Bears, but they are now 2.5-point favorites with Jay Cutler having been ruled out for Chicago.

Weather to watch

Rays at Rangers: A 12 mph wind is expected to blown in from right field to the third base line.

Who’s hot

The Braves are 8-2 in Tim Hudson’s last 10 home starts.

The Phillies are 21-5 in their last 26 home games.

The Chiefs are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall dating back to last season.

The over is 8-1 in the Broncos last nine games overall.

The Oilers are 6-1 in their last seven home games dating back to last season and the under is 8-2 in their last 10 home games.

Who’s not

The Rays are 1-5 in their last six playoff games.

The Reds are 0-5 in Johnny Cueto’s last five starts.

The Bills are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 home games.

The Eagles are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.

The Flames are 0-5 in their last five games overall dating back to last season.

Key stat

339.5, 119.0 – Yards per game of passing offense by Denver and passing yards per game allowed by Baltimore. Both are tops in the NFL, respectively. Something will have to give when Kyle Orton and the Broncos go up against Ray Lewis and the Ravens on Sunday. The Ravens, however, have just one interception (second worst in the league) and Orton has thrown only three picks in four games.

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked:

Injuries to which attention is paid do not often bode well for the player in question, but in this case the news is good for Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis. He was a full participant in Saturday’s practice and has been upgraded to probable for Monday night’s game against Minnesota. That’s especially good news for the Jets since they will be facing new Viking Randy Moss for the second time already this season.

Reds’ shortstop Orland Cabrera aggravated pulled muscles in his side during the Game 2 loss in Philadelphia. Cabrera, who missed 27 games throughout August and September due to the problem, is not expected to play on Sunday. In the first two games of the series, Cabrera was one of only three Cincinnati starters who had prior playoff experience.

Biggest games on the slate

Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers (-120, 9)

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (-7, 45.5)

Notable quotable

“I've always believed in myself. And when the opportunity presented itself, I'm performing for the Jets. They took a chance on me. That's what makes me happy more than anything is that I'm proving them right. People took shots at the Jets when they signed me. 'What are they doing? He's done.' It's more about proving [the Jets] right than proving anybody else wrong.” – New York Jets’ running back LaDainian Tomlinson on his apparent 2010 resurgence. Tomlinson has 341 rushing yards (good for seventh in the NFL despite having already had a bye week) and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

Tips and notes

The Cleveland Browns have a quarterback quandary on their hands heading into Sunday’s home game against the Falcons. Jake Delhomme is questionable with a high ankle sprain sustained in Week 1 so Seneca Wallace is expected to start. Delhomme, however, could come in for a change of pace if Wallace struggles, or maybe even if Wallace doesn’t struggle. Atlanta can at least count on seeing running back Peyton Hillis in Cleveland’s backfield. “He had a little tightness,” coach Eric Mangini said of Hillis’ thigh injury suffered during Thursday’s practice. “It shouldn't be an issue for the game, but we'll just take some precautions here.”

Several media outlets are reporting that the Braves do not know what they are going to do with Billy Wagner in the wake of his oblique injury that felled him in Game 2. However, the Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that the closer is out for this series and the entire NLCS if the Braves advance. Regardless, Wagner is definitely out Sunday and it’s safe to assume he's gone for at least the series against San Francisco. "We've been a team all year that just rolls with the punches," said Sunday starter Tim Hudson. "We still have to go out there and play. Injuries are part of the game and adversity is part of the game. We're not the most talented club, but I feel like we have the most heart and a lot of guts."

In the first of two games in Prague between the Bruins and Coyotes, Boston lost 5-2 and coach Claude Julien said he was “embarrassed.” However, the Bruins have to be feeling better about themselves having signed both defenseman Zdeno Chara and center Patrice Bergeron to long-term deals in between the season opener and Sunday’s game. "These are two very, very important pieces of our team," explained GM Peter Chiarelli said. "Very important individuals on and off the ice. There's uncertainty as the season progresses in trying to retain these types of players and as they get closer to the free[-agent] market you never know what is going to happen. It's an extreme show of good faith on both sides to want to get a deal done.”

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:30 AM

Sunday's six-pack

NFL trends for Sunday's games........
-- Falcons are 16-7 vs spread when playing an AFC team.

-- Cowboys covered their last five post-bye games.

-- Ravens are amazing 29-6 vs spread as non-divisional home fave.

-- Rams covered six of last seven non-divisional games.

-- Raiders are 8-17 vs spread in their last 25 home games.

-- Buccaneers are 4-10 vs spread in last 14 games vs AFC squads.

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Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up the college football Saturday

13) Les Miles' LSU Tigers did it again last night, using a fake field goal to drive to the winning score in the last 0:06 at Florida, handing the Gators their second loss in a row. You have to see the fake FG yourself to truly appreciate how bizarre it was, because the blind toss actually bounced, but it bounced like a basketball, right up to the kicker who ran with it. Footballs very seldom bounce straight up like basketballs.

12) South Carolina outrushed Alabama 110-36 in upsetting the Crimson Tide 35-21, knocking the Tide out of the #1 spot; the fake field goal that LSU used was the same one the Gamecocks pulled off in Baton Rouge a couple years back. Spurrier's ball plays worked all over Saturday.

11) Alabama's loss was a huge boost to Boise State's hopes of playing for a national title in January; if there is a gambling god somewhere up in heaven, or out in Vegas, please let Boise play Ohio State for the national title, because the Buckeyes will be favored and that'll be stealing money.

10) Utah 68, Iowa State 27. In Ames, a week after Cyclones pounded on Texas Tech 52-38 on the same field. This is called sending a message that the non-BCS schools can play. Of course, Utah will be in Pac-10 a year from now, but still, for the time being, a big win for the Mountain West.

9) Wisconsin scored a TD with 6:39 left to go up 41-16 on Minnesota; Badgers then went for two points, which didn't sit too well with coach of Minnesota, Tim Brewster, who let Bret Bielema (Wisconsin's coach) hear about it in no uncertain terms after the game. Brewster is going to get canned in a couple months anyway, but it did seem excessive to go for two there. Not the best of days for sports fans in the Twin Cities.

8) Who made Oregon State's schedule? TCU in Arlington, at Boise State and at Arizona. All before Columbus Day. Mike Riley coached in both the NFL and CFL; he might be America's most underrated coach, but he needs some help in how to build a more winning-friendly schedule. .

7) Tennessee coach Derek Dooley grew up in Athens, Ga, where his dad was a legendary head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs; Derek's return to his hometown didn't go too well Saturday, as Tennessee lost 41-14 to a Dawg squad that had lost its previous four games. At one point, Vols were playing three freshmen on the offensive line. Not good.

6) Baylor's QB and left guard are both named Robert Griffin.

5) Florida State ran ball for 298 yards and thrashed Miami 45-17 in game that usually has heavy recruiting implications. Looks like Seminoles are making a fairly seamless transition to new coach Jimbo Fisher, of course it helps to have a veteran QB (Ponder) to steer the ship for you.

4) Not sure what to make of Penn State, which is 3-3 playing a freshman QB with a coach in his 80's-- there is no successor waiting in the wings to take over. You wonder what'll happen on Mount Nittany when the legendary Joe Paterno finally puts away his whistle. Recruiting won't be much fun for whomever JoePa's successor is, whereas Florida State has some built-in recruiting advantages (weather, for one).

3) Auburn ran the ball for 311 yards, passed for 210 more, but still had to sweat out a dramatic finish, kicking a FG on game's final play as they nipped Kentucky 37-34, after leading 31-14 at one point.

2) USC scored 31 points last week, 35 this week but lost both games. It is too bad Lane Kiffin doesn't have a relative who is well-versed on the defensive side of the ball who could help him out. What? Really?

1) There used to be a pro wrestler named Haystacks Calhoun who wore overalls and a big horseshoe on a chain around his neck; when he passed on, Haystacks must have passed his horseshoe on to Les Miles, the man known as The Hat, who is building quite a legacy of fantastic finishes in Baton Rouge.

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:31 AM

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at Atlanta
The Braves look to build on their 7-0 record in Tim Hudson's last 7 starts as a home favorite from -110 to -150. Atlanta is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 971-972: Philadelphia at Cincinnati (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.057; Cincinnati (Cueto) 15.621
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+110); Over

Game 973-974: San Francisco at Atlanta (4:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 15.250; Atlanta (Hudson) 16.382
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-135); Under

Game 975-976: Tampa Bay at Texas (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Davis) 15.560; Texas (Hunter) 15.855
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-120); Under

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:32 AM

MLB

Sunday, October 10

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Texas
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Texas
Texas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Texas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay

4:37 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 9 games
San Francisco is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:07 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
Philadelphia is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:34 AM

MLB

Sunday, October 10

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Payoff pitch: Sunday's best MLB mound matchup
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Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06 ERA)

The Phillies couldn't ask for much more than to have Hamels on the mound in attempt to clinch a series sweep. Well, OK, maybe Roy Halladay would be an even better option, but Hamels sure isn't bad.

Despite a modest 12-11 record, Hamels' ERA was just 3.06. His strikeouts to walks ration was a ridiculous 211-61 and he shows off a WHIP of a mere 1.18.

Hamels faced the Reds once during the regular season, and to say that start went well would be an understatement. The lefty pitched seven innings of shutout baseball and picked up the win in a 1-0 Philadelphia victory on July 11. Hamels struck out three and walked three while giving up just six hits.

As for his career postseason exploits, Hamels stumbled last season but he was positively awesome in 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series. Overall, in 10 playoff starts, Hamels is 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

Johnny Cueto (12-7, 3.64 ERA)

While Hamels bewildered the Reds in one start, Cueto gave the Phillies fits on two different occasions. He pitched a combined 15 innings against Philadelphia this season, going 1-0 while allowing just 10 hits and two earned runs (1.20 ERA).

Of course, Cueto was good against just about every team during the regular season. He enjoyed his best year in the bigs, compiling a 12-7 record and a 3.64 ERA. Cueto's strikeouts way more than doubled his walks (138-56) and both his WHIP (1.28) and his home runs allowed (19) were career-lows.

He has not pitched since September 29. "My arm right now feels really strong," Cueto said in an interview with the team's website on Saturday. "I was tired at the end of the season, but I rest good enough the last few days and I feel really well right now. I feel really good."

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves (-134, 7)

How will the Giants recover from blowing what appeared to be a sure-thing 2-0 lead in the series when they led 4-0 in the sixth inning on Friday night?

Well, they might not. And they will certainly regret failing to take care of business at home against this Atlanta team. The Braves were a mediocre (borderline bad) 35-46 on the road during regular season, but they were an MLB-leading 56-25 at home.

Atlanta hit .270 at home, .247 on the road; slugged .423 at home, .380 on the road; scored 391 runs at home, 347 on the road; hit 74 home runs at home, 65 on the road.

That can't be called a coincidence, because the pitchers did similar work. The Braves' staff boasted a 3.18 ERA at Turner Field but that ballooned to 3.96 away from home. As for Sunday's starter Tim Hudson, he was 6-4 with a 3.25 ERA on the road. At home? 11-5 with a paltry 2.48 ERA.

Pick: Braves

Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds (118, 7.5)

The Reds have had all kinds of problems this series, from not getting a single hit against Roy Halladay in Game 1 to Jay Bruce's loss of a fly ball in the lights in Game 2. Veteran Scott Rolen was asked if he had any advice for some of Cincinnati's youngsters who have looked lost through two games.

"There's some old guys with some tough breaks in this series as well," Rolen answered, as reported by the USA Today. "I don't know, I might ask a few questions myself, trying to get back. Obviously, I'm not swinging the bat well myself and I'm kicking the ball around a little bit. So I don't have much advice to kick out to anybody right now."

The Reds had more errors than hits in Game 1 (one to none) and they had as many errors as runs in Game 2 (four to four). Arguably the best team in baseball at capitalizing on opponents' mistakes, the Phillies did it again on Friday. They converted the four Cincinnati miscues into a whopping five unearned runs.

Pick: Phillies

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This Day in Baseball
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On October 10 in Baseball History...

1904 - Boston clinched the pennant on the last day of the season when Jack Chesbro of the New York Highlanders threw a wild pitch in the ninth to allow the winning run to score from third. The Red Sox won 3-2 in the doubleheader opener.

1906 - Ed Reulbach's no-hit bid is broken by Jiggs Donahue's single in the seventh, but the Cubs beat the White Sox, 7-1. The next World Series one-hitter will come in 1945, by another Cub: Claude Passeau.

1920 - The Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-1 in the fifth game of the World Series. For the Indians, Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam and Jim Bagby, the winner, hit the first Series homer by a pitcher.

1923 - It's an all-New York World Series for the third straight year. A 4-4 tie is broken in the top of the ninth by the Giants. Casey Stengel's inside-the-park home run is the first World Series homer at Yankee Stadium. It is the first World Series to be broadcast on a nationwide radio network.

1924 - The Washington Senators won their only championship by defeating the Giants 4-3 in 12 innings. The winning run scored when a ball hit by Earl McNeely bounced over third baseman Fred Lindstrom's head.

1926 - Grover Alexander, 39, saved Game 7 and the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, fanning Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and pitching 2 1/3 hitless innings.

1931 - The Philadelphia Athletics rally for two runs and have two runners on base with two outs in the ninth when Cardinals reliever Bill Hallahan gets the final out for the 4-2 win in Game Seven. The A's are denied their third consecutive World Championship.

1937 - Lefty Gomez knocks in the winning run in the 4-2 clincher in Game Five against the Giants. It is his record fifth World Series win without a loss. Another record comes when the Yankees complete the Series without an error.

1945 - The Tigers score five runs in the first inning of Game Seven and rout the Cubs 9-3 behind Hal Newhouser, who strikes out 10 to win the World Series.

1951 - Hank Bauer's bases-loaded triple in Game Six propels the Yankees to a 4-3 win and their third straight Series victory.

1956 - Johnny Kucks sets down Brooklyn, 9-0, as the Yankees win the World Series in seven games. Yogi Berra hits a pair of two-run home runs and Bill Skowron hits a grand slam. It's the seventh and final time Brooklyn and the Yankees meet in the Series. In the future, it will take a jet, not a subway, to get these two teams together.

1957 - Lew Burdette's third victory of the World Series, a 5-0 decision over the New York Yankees, gave the Milwaukee Braves the championship.

1964 - Jim Bouton and Curt Simmons battle to a 1-1 tie through eight innings in Game Three. Mickey Mantle homers on Barney Schultz's first pitch in the ninth, and the Yankees win, 2-1.

1968 - Mickey Lolich won the World Series for the Detroit Tigers by defeating Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in Game 7. It was Lolich's third win and came after the Tigers had lost three of the first four games.

1973 - Tom Seaver hurls the Mets into the World Series for the second time in four years with a 7-2 victory over the Reds in Game Five of the NLCS.

1978 - Davey Lopes collects two home runs and five RBI to lead the Dodgers to an 11-5 victory over the Yankees in the first game of the World Series.

1979 - The Orioles score five runs in the first inning of the World Series, then hang on to defeat the Pirates 5-4.

1980 - Kansas City's George Brett hit an upper deck three-run homer off relief ace Goose Gossage to give the Kansas City Royals a 4-2 victory and a three-game sweep of New York Yankees in the ALCS.

1982 - The Brewers complete their comeback from a 2-0 ALCS deficit by edging the Angels 4-3, to earn their first-ever trip to the World Series. Angels outfielder Fred Lynn bats .611 for the series and is named MVP in a losing cause.

1987 - Jeffrey Leonard homered for the fourth straight game as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2, tying the NLCS at two games apiece.

1990 - The Oakland Athletics swept the Boston Red Sox for the American League pennant and their third straight trip to the World Series with a 3-1 victory. MVP Dave Stewart won for the eighth straight time in head-to-head matchups with Roger Clemens, who was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Terry Cooney.

1996 - Gary Gaetti hits a grand slam off Greg Maddux to lead the Cardinals to an 8-3 win over the Braves and a tie of the NLCS.

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:36 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at Calgary
The Kings look to build on their 6-1 record in their last 7 games when playing with 0 days of rest. Los Angeles is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Kings favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 51-52: Boston at Phoenix (10:05 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.124; Phoenix 11.789
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+100); Over

Game 53-54: Florida at Edmonton (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 10.296; Edmonton 10.977
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-155); Under

Game 55-56: Los Angeles at Calgary (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.854; Calgary 9.581
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+100); Over

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:37 AM

NHL
Write-Up

We'll start posting daily information early next week, after the teams get a couple games under their belt.

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:38 AM

NHL

Sunday, October 10

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Trend Report
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10:00 AM
BOSTON vs. PHOENIX
Boston is 1-5-1 SU in its last 7 games ,when playing Phoenix
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

8:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Florida's last 13 games when playing Edmonton
Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games at home
Edmonton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. CALGARY
Los Angeles is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:39 AM

NHL

Sunday, October 10

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (-119, 5.5)

Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter believes in nipping things in the bud before they blossom into full-fledged problems.

Sutter blasted his team Friday, following their poor showing in a 4-0 season-opening loss to the rival Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

"Use your f-ing heads," Sutter shouted to his players at practice on Friday.

The Flames allowed three third-period goals to the Oilers despite outshooting their opponents 37-33 for the game. Calgary spent 32 minutes in the penalty box and allowed Edmonton’s special teams to score two power-play goals and a shorthanded marker.

Sutter explained to reporters the laundry list of issues his team had in the first game of the season, pointing the finger at his blueline, which constantly left goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff out to dry.

"There were times you saw two defensemen and you couldn't see any forwards," Sutter said of Thursday’s game. "They were two zones ahead of where our defense was.

"There were times you saw a defenseman leading the rush. All of a sudden, the puck is turned over, and bang there's a 2-on-1. That isn't what we're about."

Hockey fans can expect a better effort from Calgary when it hosts the Los Angeles Kings Sunday night. The Flames and Kings have played under the total in five of their last six meetings, including a trio of 2-1 games which stayed below the 5.5-goal total in December of last year.

Pick: Under

Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers (-149, 5.5)

While the rest of the NHL kicked off its 2010-11 campaign, the Florida Panthers sat and waited.

Florida will finally take the ice against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and is hoping to avoid the slow starts that have plagued the franchise in recent seasons.

The Panthers dropped eight of the first 10 games last year, started 8-11-3 in 2008-09 and, since the 2005-06 season, have a record of 46-64-17 in the opening two months of the schedule.

“We were focused on getting off to good starts before, and it hasn't worked out,” goaltender Tomas Vokoun told the Miami Herald. “We have to get a better start because we're not the kind of team that can chase teams down by getting eight-game winning streaks going. Everyone realizes that. We have to be consistent throughout the year.”

The Panthers face an Edmonton squad that opened its season with a bang. The Oilers thumped Calgary 4-0 on Thursday and own a 5-1 record in their last six head-to-head contests with Florida.

Pick: Edmonton

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 09:57 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 10

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PHILADELPHIA (99 - 65) at CINCINNATI (91 - 73) - 7:05 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 4-13 (-14.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
HAMELS is 36-33 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 36-32 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 92-73 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 62-47 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CINCINNATI is 34-22 (+9.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 41-31 (+11.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CINCINNATI is 92-73 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 50-32 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-41 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 72-44 (+17.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-9 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 63-36 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 54-32 (+18.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-9 (+25.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 100-64 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 98-71 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-7 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 100-64 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 78-100 (-37.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-2 (+4.7 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HAMELS is 6-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.07 and a WHIP of 0.908.
His team's record is 7-0 (+7.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.4 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
CUETO is 1-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.96 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

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

SAN FRANCISCO (93 - 71) at ATLANTA (92 - 72) - 4:35 PM
JONATHAN SANCHEZ (L) vs. TIM HUDSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 19-5 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
ATLANTA is 57-26 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 23-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-26 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HUDSON is 124-54 (+35.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 22-4 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 124-54 (+35.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 92-70 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 69-52 (+12.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 86-59 (+24.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 93-72 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 43-39 (+6.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 1-6 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in October games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-4 (+0.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.0 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

JONATHAN SANCHEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.55 and a WHIP of 1.480.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-5. (-6.0 units)

TIM HUDSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HUDSON is 5-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.56 and a WHIP of 1.165.
His team's record is 7-6 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.9 units)

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TAMPA BAY (97 - 68) at TEXAS (92 - 73) - 1:05 PM
WADE DAVIS (R) vs. TOMMY HUNTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 24-29 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 32-50 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 13-29 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 172-134 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 179-149 (+26.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 127-105 (+18.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 52-40 (+14.4 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.
TEXAS is 179-148 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 35-15 (+13.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
HUNTER is 27-14 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 16-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUNTER is 16-4 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 48-34 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 44-29 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 4-5 (-0.4 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.8 Units)

WADE DAVIS vs. TEXAS since 1997
DAVIS is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 21.62 and a WHIP of 2.703.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

TOMMY HUNTER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HUNTER is 2-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.299.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 10:00 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 10

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BOSTON (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. PHOENIX (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2010, 10:00 AM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 54-36 ATS (+15.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-4 ATS (+19.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 18-7 ATS (+26.0 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 24-11 ATS (+36.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-0 (+4.6 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-0-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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FLORIDA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at EDMONTON (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2010, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 179-149 ATS (+11.8 Units) after a division game since 1996.
EDMONTON is 10-23 ATS (-23.4 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 1-1-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) at CALGARY (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2010, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 23-15 ATS (+44.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-4 ATS (+18.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 8-1 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 7-1 (+6.0 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 7-1-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.8 Units)

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**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 11:28 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Sunday, 10/10/2010

** NL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 3 - PHI LEADS 2-0
PHILADELPHIA at CINCINNATI, 7:05 PM ET TBS
HAMELS: 8-0 Under vs. NL Central
CUETO: 11-2 Under on Sunday

** NL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 3 - Series Tied 1-1
SAN FRANCISCO at ATLANTA, 4:35 PM ET TBS
SANCHEZ: 6-1 Over after walking 5+ hitters last outing
HUDSON: 4-0 TSR at home when the money line is +125 to -125

** AL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 4 - TEX LEADS 2-1
TAMPA BAY at TEXAS, 1:05 PM ET TBS
DAVIS: TB 17-8 Over as road underdog
HUNTER: 18-4 TSR as favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-10-2010, 12:57 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, 10/10/2010

BOSTON vs. PHOENIX, 10:00 AM ET - (Prague, CZ) NHL
BOSTON: 64-94 SU after allowing 5+ goals
PHOENIX: 14-4 SU after a non-conference game

FLORIDA at EDMONTON, 8:00 PM ET
FLORIDA: 5-17 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
EDMONTON: 7-4 SU off a home win by 3+ goals

LOS ANGELES at CALGARY, 8:00 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 9-3 SU Away after playing a game where 3 or fewer total goals were scored
CALGARY: 24-27 SU as a favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Announcement

Sunday's Trends and Indexes 10/10 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Sunday's Trends and Indexes 10/10 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

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