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**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 08:59 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: October 20

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Baseball's League Championship Series continue in both San Francisco and New York, while the Ducks hit the road to take on Columbus.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

It's Game 5 of the ALCS between the Rangers and Yankees in New York on Wednesday, with Texas' C.J. Wilson (1-0, 2.02 ERA in the playoffs) taking on New York's CC Sabathia (1-0, 7.20 ERA in the playoffs). Lefthander Wilson picked up a no-decision in the first game of this series, surrendering three runs on six hits over his seven innings of work. Lefthander Sabathia also had to settle for a no-decision in the opener, giving up five runs on six hits in just four innings of work. Sabathia walked four batters that game, and he has seven walks and just eight strikeouts during the playoffs.

Over in the NLCS on Wednesday the Giants will play host to the Phillies in Game 4. San Francisco will hand the ball to Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 3.00 ERA in the playoffs) in that contest. Lefthander Bumgarner picked up a win over the Braves back in the NLDS, surrendering just two runs on six hits over six innings of work, and fanning five. Philadelphia will then counter with Joe Blanton (barring a late change to ace Roy Halladay). Blanton has yet to pitch in the playoffs; the righthander took the mound against the Giants back on August 18, winning while allowing two runs in 6 1-3 innings.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are four games on the National Hockey League's schedule for Wednesday, with Buffalo at Atlanta, Vancouver at Chicago, Carolina at Los Angeles, and Anaheim at Columbus. The 2-3-1 Ducks got past the Coyotes 3-2 at home in their last game on Sunday night. Cam Fowler, Toni Lydman, and Corey Perry all scored for Anaheim in that win, while Bobby Ryan picked up three assists. Jonas Hiller stopped 36 of 38 Phoenix shots. The 2-2-0 Blue Jackets are coming off a 3-2 road win over Minnesota on Saturday, with Derek Dorsett, Derek MacKenzie, and R.J. Umberger providing the three goals. Mathieu Garon stopped 21 shots for Columbus in that victory.

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:04 AM

Bettors' best friend: Wednesday's wagering tips

Line to watch

Chicago Blackhawks opened at -135 for Wednesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks but are now listed around -140 following Vancouver’s blowout loss to Minnesota on Tuesday.

Who’s hot

Philadelphia Phillies are 12-2 in their last 14 games as an underdog.

New York Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 playoff home games.

Chicago Blackhawks have won three straight games, scoring 12 goals over that span.

Who’s not

Buffalo Sabres have dropped seven of their last nine matchups against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Carolina Hurricanes are 15-31 in their last 46 road games.

Key stat

.206 – The San Francisco Giants’ batting average against right-handed pitchers over the last 10 games. The Giants are up against righty Joe Blanton on Wednesday.

Notable quotable

“I think since he's become a starter, he's become a better person to be around, also. And that's only because when he was in the bullpen as a closer, he was always in a destroying mode, and now that he's a starter, he has to destroy when he has to get through innings, and because he was a closer, he knows how to do that.” – Texas Rangers manager on his Game 5 starter, C.J. Wilson.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Mark Teixeira (hamstring), New York Yankees – Teixeira appeared to hurt his right hamstring as he tried to run out a grounder in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Game 4. He was 0-for-14 at the plate in the series and is scheduled to undergo an MRI. Manager Joe Girardi said it "doesn't look good" and reports indicate Teixeira may not play again this season.

Game of the day

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees

Notes and tips

Texas’ Matt Treanor will be behind the plate again as C.J. Wilson takes the mound against the Yankees in Game 5. It will be his third start of the postseason with the other two coming in Wilson’s starts and it looks like manager Ron Wilson will keep rolling out personal catchers for his starters moving forward. Treanor is 1-for-3 at the plate in the playoffs with two runs scored.

The San Francisco Giants moved postseason sensation Cody Ross up from the eight-hole to the No. 5 spot in the batting order and he responded by ripping a two-out RBI single in the fourth inning of Game 3’s 3-0 win. Ross is likely to stay in that spot after his incredible playoff run. He’s hitting .348 with four home runs and seven RBIs in the postseason.

Los Angeles Kings backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier is expected to make his first start of the season at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. Many thought Bernier could challenge Jonathan Quick for L.A.’s starting job, but Quick has been fantastic so far in allowing only three goals through three games.

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:09 AM

Wednesday's six-pack

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook came in the mail today; here are their top six teams in the country for this season........
6) Villanova-- Three starters back from 25-8 team that went 3-6 down stretch, losing to St Mary's in second round of NCAAs.

5) Purdue-- This was before Robbie Hummel went down for the year. #7 Kansas would slide into top six with Purdue falling back.

4) Pitt-- Four starters back from 25-9 team that to Xavier in second round; Pitt's last Final Four was 1941. Is this the year for a return?

3) Ohio State-- Lost Evan Turner to NBA, but most people think they will be better this year, even with Turner in Philly.

2) Michigan State-- Are talented, deep, going for third Final Four in a row; they're lucky Izzo turned down the Cavaliers. So is Izzo.

1) Duke-- Most talented team in America, but they won title last year, when they weren't the most talented team. They'll miss Zoubek, who provided muscle and physical presence inside.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Ramdom stuff for Hump Day........

13) Dallas Cowboys lost to the Titans two weeks ago when Tennessee got great field position because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dallas after their tying TD in last 5:00 of game; so what happens after Cowboys scored their first TD Sunday?

Another 15-yard penalty for the same thing, which resulted, two drives later in Minnesota tying game 7-7. Not sure if they’re undisciplined, stupid, or both. In their last three games, Dallas has 31 penalties for 273 yards.

12) Quite a race we have for US Senator from Connecticut; a guy who lied about serving in Vietnam against Vince McMahon’s wife, the CEO of pro wrestling. Quite a choice for the Nutmeg State. (I’d take anyone over someone who lied about being in a war).

11) All six Cleveland Brown games have been within four points at halftime, with Browns leading four of the six; in second half of games, Cleveland has been outscored 68-27, losing five of the six games.

10) Crystal Cathedral, a 40-year old church in Garden Grove, CA that was popularized by the televised services of Dr Robert Schuller, is now $43M in debt. Revenues are down 30% since LY, but how does a church gets $43M in debt?

9) Tony Larussa is coming back to manage the Cardinals next year, where the only change to the coaching staff will be a new bullpen coach. Team goes 86-76 and they fire the bullpen coach, who is friends with Dave Duncan and well-liked by the pitchers? Sounds like some internal friction under the Arch.

8) Marty Mason, the bullpen coach, is said to be really good at helping pitchers with their mechanics, which seems like a good trait for a bullpen coach to have. Seems like Mason and someone in the Cardinal front office are at odds, and it cost Mason his job.

7) According to cbssports.com, the top three NHL teams right now are 1—Washington 2—Dallas 3—LA Kings with 30-- Edmonton bringing up the rear. Still very early; some teams haven’t played their home opener yet.

6) Magic Johnson sold his part of the Lakers to some doctor who was listed last year as the 87th richest person in the world. Rumors have Magic buying part of his home-state Pistons when they get sold.

5) Hope no one tells former used car salesman Bud Selig, but TV ratings for Monday night were: Titans-Jaguars 7.2, Bronx-Texas 6.5. And that was a bad football game.

4) According to espn.com, Bronx Bombers swung at 57 of Cliff Lee’s 122 pitches Monday, and missed 17; his 29.8% swing/miss percentage was Lee’s highest in any start this year. Only 62 of Lee’s 122 pitches were actually in the strike zone.

3) Translation: It’s a very good month to be Cliff Lee’s agent.

2) Bears were 6-14 on 3rd down in their season opener, but are a ridiculously poor 7 for 60 (11.7%) in their last five games.

1) Where are the politicians when you need them? This Cablevision/ FOX dispute is crying out for mediation, so people in Philly and NYC can watch the baseball playoffs and NFC football. Time for someone powerful to step in and force some kind of action.

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:26 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Philadelphia at San Francisco
The Phillies look to build on their 10-1 record in their last 11 games as a road underdog. Philadelphia is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Phillies favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-105). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20

Game 915-916: Philadelphia at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 16.836; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.807
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-105); Over

Game 917-918: Texas at NY Yankees (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 16.135; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.344
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-175); Under

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 20

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PHILADELPHIA (101 - 67) at SAN FRANCISCO (97 - 72) - 7:55 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BLANTON is 3-15 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 97-73 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 33-22 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 103-62 (+24.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 96-71 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 66-47 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 72-53 (+15.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 31-22 (+10.3 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 102-66 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-15 (+11.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 99-72 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 102-66 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 78-42 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-17 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-11 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 56-34 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-11 (+24.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BLANTON is 30-19 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BLANTON is 8-1 (+7.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-4 (+2.6 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

JOE BLANTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
BLANTON is 2-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.450.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (96 - 75) at NY YANKEES (99 - 70) - 4:05 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. C.C. SABATHIA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 24-28 (-10.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 28-8 (+18.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 58-24 (+26.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 183-150 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 32-17 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 175-136 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 56-42 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WILSON is 25-10 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WILSON is 24-10 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 100-70 (-4.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 43-44 (-15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY YANKEES are 25-29 (-11.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 7-5 (+1.9 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
WILSON is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.641.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. TEXAS since 1997
SABATHIA is 8-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.60 and a WHIP of 1.467.
His team's record is 10-5 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-5. (+4.6 units)

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MLB
Write-Up

Wednesday, October 20

Giants are 5-4 vs Phillies this year, holding Phils to three or less runs in all five wins; Philly scored 6+ runs in their wins. Blanton's last start was three weeks ago, but Phillies won his last seven starts (3-0, 2.77 in his last four). He beat Giants 8-2 August 18 in Philly (two runs in 6.1 IP). Bumgarner is 3-0, 1.50 in his last three starts; he didn't pitch against the Phillies this year. Shadows will be factor in game with first pitch around 5pm local time.

Rangers scored 16 runs in last 10 innings; they've outscored Bronx 30-11 in series. Wilson is 2-2, 3.38 in his last six starts; he gave up three runs in 7+ innings in Game 1. Sahathia is 3-2, 5.16 in his last seven starts; he allowed five runs in five IP in Game 1 of series. Home team is 1-8 in Texas games this postseason (Rangers are 5-0 on road). Neither closer pitched in yesterday's game.

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:29 AM

MLB

Wednesday, October 20

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Trend Report
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4:07 PM
TEXAS vs. NY YANKEES
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 11 games

7:57 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Philadelphia is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

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Tips and Trends
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Texas Rangers at New York Yankees [TBS | 4:07 PM ET]

RANGERS: Texas is 1 win away from their first ever World Series. The Rangers shocked the world yesterday, beating the Yankees 10-3 SU behind 4 home runs in the final few innings. It was a shocking power display usually reserved for the home Bronx Bombers. Texas has yet to lose on the road during this postseason, amassing a perfect 5-0 record. Texas is +2.29 and -16.02 both SU and on the RL respectively this season. The Rangers will send their 2nd best pitcher to the mound today in C.J. Wilson. Wilson is 16-8 SU this season, with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.22 this year. The Rangers are 10-3 in their last 13 games against the American League East. The Rangers are 12-4 in their last 16 games against a team with a winning record. Texas is 6-1 in Wilson's last 7 starts against the American League East. The Rangers are 8-2 in Wilson's last 10 starts against a team with a winning record. Texas is 15-5 in Wilson's last 20 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. The Rangers are 6-2 in Wilson's last 8 road starts.

Rangers are 5-0 last 5 road games against a left-handed starter.
Under is 4-1 last 5 road games against a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 2

YANKEES: (-172, O/U 8.5) In a shocking turn of events, New York finds themselves down 3-1 in their best of 7 ALCS with the Rangers. Flat out, the Rangers have outplayed the Yankees from start to finish in nearly every game this series. New York is facing elimination today, so they have absolutely no margin for error. The Yankees are -4.37 and +10.26 units both SU and on the RL respectively this season. Ace lefty C.C. Sabathia will make the critical home start today for the Yankees. Sabathia is 22-7 SU with an ERA of 3.34 and a WHIP of 1.22 this season. The Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 playoff home games. New York is 1-5 in their last 6 games against the American League West. The Yankees are 11-2 in Sabathia's last 13 home starts against a team with a winning record. The Yankees are 13-3 in Sabathia's last 16 starts against the American League West. New York is 21-5 in Sabathia's last 26 home starts overall. The Yankees are 22-7 in Sabathia's last 29 starts with 4 days of rest.

Yankees are 3-10 last 13 games against a left-handed starter.
Over is 7-1 last 8 games against a left-handed starter.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 3 (UNDER-Total of the Day)

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants [FOX | 7:57 PM ET]

PHILLIES: Philadelphia is trailing in the postseason for the first time this year. The Phillies need to bounce back in a hurry, especially against a rookie pitcher in the postseason. Philadelphia struggled offensively in Game 3, failing to score a single run. Considering they scored 9 runs in the first 2 games of this series, they are more than confident in their ability to bounce back. The Phillies are +10.92 and +1.93 units both SU and on the RL respectively this season. Veteran right hander Joe Blanton will take the road mound tonight in crucial Game 4. Blanton is 9-6 with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.42 this season. The Phillies are 9-0 in their last 9 road games against a left-handed starter. The Phillies are 39-13 in their last 52 games against a team with a winning record. Philadelphia is 37-14 in their last 51 games against the National League West. The Phillies are 4-0 in Blanton's last 4 road starts overall. Philadelphia is 5-0 in Blanton's last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. The Phillies are 5-0 in Blanton's last 5 starts against the National League West. The Phillies are 10-1 in Blanton's last 11 starts against a team with a winning record.

Phillies are 11-1 last 12 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%.
Over is 12-4-2 last 18 playoff games overall.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 5 (SIDE of the Day)

GIANTS: (-115, O/U 8) San Francisco has taken a 2-1 series lead in the NLCS behind yet another great pitching performance. Matt Cain took his turn yesterday, pitching 7 strong innings and now allowing a single run over 2 hits. The Giants are 2 wins away from a World Series thanks to arguably the deepest pitching staff in baseball. San Francisco is +17.85 and -1.74 units both SU and on the RL overall this year. The homefield advantage for Game 3 was huge, as the San Francisco crowd showed up in a big way. Rookie left hander Madison Bumgarner will make the start in Game 4 tonight, as he is 8-6 with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.30 this season. The Giants are 4-1 in their last 5 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. San Francisco is 6-2 in their last 8 League Championship games. The Giants are 5-11 in their last 16 home games against a team with a winning road record. The Giants are 5-2 in their last 7 games on grass. San Francisco is 8-3 in Bumgarner's last 11 starts overall.

Giants are 9-3 last 12 home games against a right-handed starter.
Under is 13-4 last 17 home games overall.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 3

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants (-115, 8)

Just when the Philadelphia Phillies thought their offense was coming around after a six-run outburst in Game 2, they put up a bagel against Matt Cain in Game 3. They had a few opportunities, but were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The Phillies are now hitting just .203 in the playoffs with three home runs in six games and still can’t get anything going at AT&T Park after hitting only .199 there over the past three regular seasons.

"We just need to be aggressive," Shane Victorino told reporters. "I don't know what we're doing, why we're not hitting. If I could put my finger on it I would have answered it a long time ago. We're not going to sit here and worry about why we're not hitting. We're going to worry about when we're going to hit."

For the sake of Phillies bettors, they’d better hope that they hit on Wednesday.

Pick: Phillies

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees (N/A)

The kids are all right in Texas.

With youngsters Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus showing no kind of playoff jitters at all, the Texas Rangers feel pretty good heading into Game 5 against the New York Yankees with a 3-1 lead in the series.

The 25-year-old Moreland is hitting .304 with four RBIs in the playoffs after playing just 47 MLB regular season games, while the 22-year-old Andrus has hit safely in all nine of his postseason games.

"There's been a lot of maturity on this ballclub this year," Texas team president Nolan Ryan told reporters. "Some of the young kids, Moreland's a good example of that - he's come out and played well for us. He's swung the bat well and hasn't been overwhelmed by it. And so that says a lot - because it doesn't get any bigger than here [in New York]."

Texas has won all five of its playoff road games, while teams with a 3-1 lead in a League Championship Series have advanced to the World Series in 24 of 30 instances.

Pick: Rangers

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Payoff Pitch: Today's Best Mound Matchup
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C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers vs. CC Sabathia New York Yankees

C.J. Wilson (16-8, 3.27)

Wilson is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two playoff starts, the last of which was a no-decision against the Yankees in Game 1. He went seven innings allowing three earned runs on six hits.

But by now, Wilson isn’t intimidated by the New York Yankees’ lineup. He already faced the Bombers three times in the regular season before making the start in Game 1 of this series.

And while he hasn’t had a lot of success, at least he knows what he’s up against on Wednesday. Wilson was 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA in the regular season.

However, he thinks that he’s in better shape for this start after seeing how Cliff Lee handled the Yanks, picking up some tips about how Lee faced certain batters. Wilson also feels his time working as a closer gives him an advantage now that he’s a starter.

"The reliever thing has helped me a lot because I think I'm able to work out of those jams more naturally because I've pitched more games," he said. "As a starter you only pitch 30 games a year. As a reliever, I was pitching in 40, 50, 70 games a year. The experience of having guys on base in those pressure situations in the seventh and eighth was more frequent with that."

CC Sabathia (22-7, 3.34)

Sabathia is coming off a terrible start in Game 1 that saw him give up six hits and five runs over just four innings. Nobody saw that kind of outing coming from New York’s ace, but Sabathia said he didn’t feel right heading into the start on eight days’ rest.

"Obviously, I didn't really know what I was doing," Sabathia told reporters of Game 1’s start. "I hadn't been out there in so long, I didn't know what to correct. There were so many things - not standing tall, flying open - because typically I can have a bad inning and then find out what I'm doing wrong and get my mechanics right and be able to correct it during the game. But I just didn't really have any clue.”

This time around, Sabathia will take the hill on regular rest, but Yanks bettors have to be at least a little concerned about his recent control problems. He has walked 12 batters over his last four starts dating back to the regular season.

Sabathia is 6-4 through 12 career playoff starts with a 4.79 ERA.

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This Day in Baseball
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On October 20 in Baseball History...

1910 - Philadelphia's Jack Coombs, on one day of rest, had a complete game victory to beat the Chicago Cubs 12-5 and give the Athletics a 3-0 lead in the World Series. Coombs also had three hits and drove in three runs in the game.

1935 - ank Greenberg is named AL MVP by the Baseball Writers. Wes Ferrell is runner-up.

1936 - Carl Hubbell (26-6) edges out Dizzy Dean (24-13) for MVP honors in the NL.

1960 - Coach Ralph Houk, 41, is named to succeed Casey Stengel as manager of the Yankees. He briefly led the Yankees in 1960 when Stengel was hospitalized.

1967 - Charlie Finley names Bob Kennedy the first manager of the Oakland A's.

1972 - In the fifth game of the World Series, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds homered on the first pitch of the game from Oakland's Catfish Hunter, and the Reds went on to win 5-4.

1973 - Reggie Jackson of Oakland had RBI doubles in the first and third innings to lead the A's to a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets and set up a seventh game in the World Series.

1982 - The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 in Game 7 to win the World Series.

1985 - After giving up just two hits in eight innings, Royals southpaw Charlie Leibrandt is raked with three two-out hits and loses 4-2. St. Louis has a 2-0 Series lead.

1987 - The Cards get all their runs against the Twins in the seventh inning to win Game Three 3-1.

1988 - Orel Hershiser pitched a four-hitter and Mickey Hatcher and Mike Davis hit two-run homers to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics and the World Series title in five games. Hershiser became only the third player to win the MVP in both the playoffs and the World Series.

1990 - The Cincinnati Reds completed one of the biggest upsets in baseball history, beating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 to win the World Series in four games.

1993 - Devon White's two-run triple capped a six-run eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied for a 15-14 victory over the Phillies and a 3-1 World Series lead. The 29 runs shattered the Series record of 22 set in Game 2 in 1936, when the Yankees beat the New York Giants 18-4. It was also the longest nine-inning game in series history - 4 hours, 14 minutes.

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**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:39 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Vancouver at Chicago
The Canucks look to bounce back from last night's loss in Minnesota and build on their 8-1 record in their last 9 games when playing with 0 days of rest. Vancouver is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Canucks favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20

Game 51-52: Anaheim at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.869; Columbus 10.194
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+120); Over

Game 53-54: Buffalo at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 10.832; Atlanta 11.545
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-110); Under

Game 55-56: Vancouver at Chicago (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.431; Chicago 11.229
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+125); Over

Game 57-58: Carolina at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.127; Los Angeles 12.076
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-200); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 20

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ANAHEIM (2-3-0-1, 5 pts.) at COLUMBUS (1-2-0-1, 3 pts.) - 10/20/2010, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 4-4 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 4-4-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

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BUFFALO (1-4-0-1, 3 pts.) at ATLANTA (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/20/2010, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 7-15 ATS (-11.7 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-2 (+6.9 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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VANCOUVER (2-3-0-1, 5 pts.) at CHICAGO (4-2-0-1, 9 pts.) - 10/20/2010, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 19-6 ATS (+10.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 129-138 ATS (+306.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 29-17 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 213-247 ATS (-70.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 55-61 ATS (-48.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 12-8 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 12-8-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

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CAROLINA (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/20/2010, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 15-4 ATS (+19.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 107-130 ATS (+244.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 56-75 ATS (-45.5 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-0-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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NHL
Write-Up

Wednesday, October 20

Hot Teams
-- Thrashers won their last two games, scoring nine goals.
-- Blackhawks won last three games, allowing seven goals. .
-- Kings won three of their first four games. Carolina is 3-2 despite not having played a home game yet.

Cold Teams
-- Ducks were outscored 13-2 in losing first three road games.
-- Sabres lost last five games, outscored 17-10.
-- Canucks lost first three road games, 4-3/4-1/6-2.
-- Sharks lost three of their first four games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Anaheim games went over the total; three of four Blue Jacket games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Three of four Chicago home games stayed under the total. Over is 7-1 in last eight Vancouver-Chicago games.
-- First four Los Angeles games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Columbus won three of last four games against the Ducks.
-- Thrashers won seven of last nine games against Buffalo.
-- Chicago beat the Canucks 4-2 in last spring's playoffs, but they're 3-2 in last five games in this building.
-- Kings won 5-2 at Carolina in LY's meeting.

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 09:43 AM

NHL

Wednesday, October 20

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. COLUMBUS
Anaheim is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Anaheim is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim
Columbus is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. ATLANTA
Buffalo is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Buffalo is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Vancouver's last 24 games
Vancouver is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 11 games

10:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Carolina's last 11 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Buffalo Sabres at Atlanta Thrashers (-120, 5.5)

With only three points through six games, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff needed to get his club’s attention.

So, he benched veteran winger Tim Connolly for most of the third period in Friday’s loss to Montreal and then put the club through a brutal practice of suicide skates after they lost another one on Saturday night.

"We haven't had a good practice in, really, 11 days," Ruff told reporters. "Today was a good day for us. I think even watching some of the players, they needed that."

They certainly need something to get them going. The club has scored just 10 goals so far this year and the power play has been terrible so far, converting on only 8.3 percent of its chances so far.

Derek Roy leads the team with five goals and six points, but no other Sabre has more than two goals.

Pick: Atlanta

Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets (-135, 5.5)

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

That has to be what Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has to be thinking about splitting up his No. 1 line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan to begin the season. Anaheim lost its first three games of the year, managing just two goals.

Since putting the big line back together, everything is falling into place. The Ducks have now won two of their last three with Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan combining for six goals and 13 assists.

Getzlaf was named last week’s Third Star of the Week after posting eight points in four games. He could add to those numbers against the Blue Jackets after posting 24 points and two game-winning goals in 19 career games against Columbus.

If Anaheim’s top line keeps clicking like this, you won’t see this sort of value for very long.

Pick: Ducks

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**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 03:42 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Wednesday, 10/20/2010

** NL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 4 - SF LEADS 2-1
PHILADELPHIA at SAN FRANCISCO, 7:55 PM ET FOX
BLANTON: 18-9 Over in all starts
BUMGARNER: 3-0 TSR, 1.80 ERA L3 starts

** AL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 5 - TEXAS LEADS 3-1
TEXAS at NY YANKEES, 4:05 PM ET TBS
WILSON: 25-10 TSR in all starts
SABATHIA: 31-15 Under in home day games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-20-2010, 03:45 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, 10/20/2010

ANAHEIM at COLUMBUS, 7:00 PM ET
ANAHEIM: 9-29 SU as a road underdog
COLUMBUS: 15-4 UNDER in home games after playing a road game

BUFFALO at ATLANTA, 7:00 PM ET
BUFFALO: 0-12 SU in road games after 5 or more BB losses
ATLANTA: 6-0 OVER off BB non-conference games

VANCOUVER at CHICAGO, 9:00 PM ET
VANCOUVER: 10-1 SU after having lost 3 of their last 4 games
CHICAGO: 14-4 OVER off a win against a division rival

CAROLINA at LOS ANGELES, 10:30 PM ET
CAROLINA: 13-5 OVER off BB road games
LOS ANGELES: 15-4 SU in non-conference games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Announcement

Wednesday's Trends and Indexes 10/20 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Wednesday's Trends and Indexes 10/20 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

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