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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 08:58 AM

Thursday’s betting tips: Peavy starts on short rest

Who’s hot

MLB: The over has cashed in on nine of Milwaukee’s last 13.

MLB: San Francisco is 21-7 in its last 28 as a favorite.

WNBA: Minnesota has covered in seven of its last 10 road games.

Who’s not

MLB: The Mets have won two of Mike Pelrey’s last eight starts.

MLB: The Pirates have won only eight of their last 30 games on astroturf.

WNBA: Atlanta is just 1-8 against the spread this season.

Key stat

25 – Maria Sharapova has yet to be really tested as she heads into her Wimbledon semifinal match against as a -300 favorite. Sharapova, has lost just 25 games so far and is also pegged as the tournament’s outright favorite at +120.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves - The knee injury Jones has been playing through may be more serious than originally thought. Jones sat out Wednesday’s game and the team plans to rest him for a couple of days, hoping he won’t need surgery. Jones has just three hits over the last six games.

Game of the day

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies (-125, 7.5)

Notable quotable

"Your body is a machine a little bit. It makes noises. So for me it's perfectly natural now. I really have to exhale with that to move, to hit the shot. It's not that I want to piss somebody off. It's just natural." - Victoria Azarenka about all the fuss her grunting is making at Wimbledon. She’s set as a +100 favorite against Petra Kvitova in the other women’s semifinal.

Notes and tips

Jake Peavy will start Thursday for the Chicago White Sox against Colorado even though he threw 4 1/3 innings of relief Saturday against Washington. Peavy reportedly flew his massage therapist to Denver to help him recuperate and isn’t concerned about fatigue. "My biggest thing was that I wanted to pitch twice more (before the end of the first half), and I wanted to pitch in the division twice more by staying on schedule," Peavy told reporters. Peavy is 4-1 on the year and is currently set around -110 for Thursday’s game.

Carlos Beltran is open to a trade from the New York Mets if it means he’s heading to a contending team. Now that he has openly stated that he’d be OK with a move, this could give some weight to the rumors that have been floating around the Mets’ clubhouse for weeks. He’s unlikely to be re-signed after the season, so this may move quickly. “You take a piece like [Beltran] out of the lineup, and you better have something to replace it with,” manager Terry Collins said.

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:01 AM

Thursday's six-pack

-- Congrats to the South Carolina Gamecocks for winning consecutive baseball national titles.

-- Cliff Lee faced 29 batters Tuesday night; only three of them swung at the first pitch. Hitters are 16-54 (.296) when they put first ball play against Lee. Overall, batters are hitting .229 against him.

-- VCU basketball coach Shaka Smart has a $2,000 bonus in his new contract for every time he beats rival Richmond.

-- Saratoga's Tim Stauffer is 3-1, 1.00 in his last five starts.

-- Mets have 52 runs, 69 hits in their last four games; they scored 14 runs Saturday, 16 last night without homering in either game.

-- In you invest in totals, you probably already know that under was 13-2 in Wednesday's baseball. 20 of 30 starting pitchers finished seven innings, an unusually high percentage.

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Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud........

13) Cliff Lee and Randy Johnson are the only lefty pitchers since Ted Higuera in 1987 to throw three consecutive shutouts.

12) Pirates brought up prospect Alex Presley, who hit .336 with 18 steals at AAA; he homered and had three RBI in his big league debut.

11) Still need an explanation on why gas in New Jersey is 35 cents a gallon cheaper than in New York, especially considering they pump it for you in the Garden State.

10) Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter has to pay the school $1M if he leaves for another job before July 11 of this year, $750,000 if he leaves before 7/11/12, but after that, he’s free to go anywhere without a buyout, which could be bad news for Boilermaker fans, since Purdue will be an experienced team next season that could make serious noise, which would make Painter an attractive target for schools with deeper pockets, or at least a deeper willingless to empty their pockets. .

9) Mets had gone 299 games without a grand slam, then hit two in consecutive innings Tuesday. Go figure.

8) 34-year old Carlos Beltran is making a serious bid for a new contract, hitting .281 with 53 RBI in his walk year. Not only that, but he’s played most every day and shows no ill effects of his leg injury running the bases. He isn’t the same fielder he used to be, but he’s been a damn good player this season.

7) Beltran said he would welcome a trade to a contender-- buy this man a newspaper; the Mets are only five games out of the Wild Card spot. In other words, they’re pretty much a contender right now.

6) Padres got prospect Anthony Rizzo for Adrian Gonzalez; he’s hitting .170 so far in San Diego, but Padres also have recovering slugger Kyle Blanks in AAA, where he’s batting .397. Blanks hurt his elbow during a lousy rookie season LY. He’s 6-6, 270 and plays LF/1B.

5) In his last three starts, Detroit’s Rick Porcello has given up 21 runs in 11.1 IP. That not good. Could be time to give young Charlie Furbush a couple of starts (I’m not just saying that because he is stashed on my fantasy team’s bench. OK, well maybe.).

4) Obscure stat of the day, courtesy of baseball-reference.com: Tom Burgmeier had 79 wins in his big league career, the most by any major league pitcher who never won 10+ games in a single season. Anytime a major league record is held by Tom Burgmeier, it needs to be reported.

3) TruTV is becoming copycat TV; they’ve got Hardcore Pawn, knockoff of Pawn Stars, they’ve got Storage Hunters, a steal from Storage Wars. Must admit that Hardcore Pawn isn’t bad; Storage Hunters was annoying the first time I saw it.

2) All you need to know about the status of labor issues in NBA/NFL; NBA cancelled the Las Vegas Summer League, NFL still had its rookie symposium. NFL should have a labor deal, hopefully before I go to Las Vegas on July 11. NBA? Get ready for a winter full of hockey.

1) Speaking of pro football, the CFL regular season starts tonight, with the BC Lions visiting Montreal. Writeups on CFL games begin on this website next week.

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:10 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Minnesota at Tulsa
The Lynx look to bounce back from a 78-75 loss to Indiana and build on their 6-2 ATS record in their last 8 games following a SU loss. Minnesota is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 13. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30

Game 651-652: New York at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 110.583; Atlanta 113.380
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 3; 167
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 4; 164
Dunkel Pick: New York (+4); Over

Game 653-654: Minnesota at Tulsa (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 115.037; Tulsa 102.251
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 13; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 7 1/2; 158
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-7 1/2); Under

WNBA

Thursday, June 30

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TULSA
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tulsa
Tulsa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tulsa's last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota

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WNBA

Thursday, June 30

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Lady luck: Thursday's best WNBA bets
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New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream (-4.5, 163)

If you like betting look-ahead spots, keep this matchup in mind.

The Liberty are pegged as 4.5-point underdogs Wednesday with another big matchup scheduled against the league-leading San Antonio Silver Stars the following night.

The only thing is, the Dream are just terrible to their supporters. They have covered only once in eight games.

This is the last of a five-game home stand for Atlanta and they have allowed at least 90 points in three of those contests and the club hasn’t covered a spread at home yet this season.

New York should win this one outright, but tomorrow’s a different story all together.

Pick: Liberty

Minnesota Lynx at Tulsa Shock (7, 159)

It’s back to the drawing board for the league-worst Tulsa Shock.

They waived center Jacinta Monroe on Tuesday after she went scoreless in four with games with the club. The Shock hoped she would also provide a defensive presence in the middle but she didn’t a single shot either.

Monroe was the No. 6 pick in the 2010 draft, so Tulsa was obviously expecting a lot more from her. However, the same could be said about a lot of players on the Shock’s roster.

Tulsa is averaging just over 72 points per game and allows more than 84, so it’s actually surprising they have managed to cover in five of their nine games. Meanwhile, Minnesota has lost two straight but that isn’t getting the club down.

"Our (swagger) hasn't been shot down — just weakened," guard Candice Wiggins said after losing to Indiana. "In fact, I think teams should fear that because ... we have so many weapons and so much confidence."

Against a scrappy Minnesota club that’s tough inside and on the glass, the Shock won’t be so lucky this time.

Pick: Lynx

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:13 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Week 1

BC at Montreal
The Alouettes look to open up the season and take advantage of a BC team that is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games in Week 1. Montreal is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Alouettes favored by 12. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-6 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30

Game 491-492: BC at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 110.853; Montreal 123.070
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 12; 49
Vegas Line: Montreal by 6 1/2; 54
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-6 1/2); Under

FRIDAY, JULY 1

Game 493-494: Winnipeg at Hamilton (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 109.085; Hamilton 114.844
Dunkel Line: Hamilton by 7; 58
Vegas Line: Hamilton by 9 1/2; 53
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+9 1/2); Over

Game 495-496: Toronto at Calgary (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 106.533; Calgary 116.809
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 10 1/2; 50
Vegas Line: Calgary by 7 1/2; 52
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-7 1/2); Under

SUNDAY, JULY 3

Game 497-498: Edmonton at Saskatchewan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 107.794; Saskatchewan 113.504
Dunkel Line: Saskatchewan by 5 1/2; 55
Vegas Line: Saskatchewan by 7; 53
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+7); Over

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:17 AM

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 1

Thursday, June 30

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (8 - 11) at MONTREAL (14 - 6) - 6/30/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 42-21 ATS (+18.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 70-47 ATS (+18.3 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 3-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, July 1

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WINNIPEG (4 - 14) at HAMILTON (9 - 10) - 7/1/2011, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 5-2 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 5-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (10 - 10) at CALGARY (13 - 6) - 7/1/2011, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 2-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 3-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, July 3

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EDMONTON (7 - 11) at SASKATCHEWAN (12 - 9) - 7/3/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 148-114 ATS (+22.6 Units) in all games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 135-102 ATS (+22.8 Units) in games played on turf since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 148-114 ATS (+22.6 Units) in all lined games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 5-2 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-3 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:19 AM

CFL
Write-Up

Week 1 CFL
CFL writeups start with Week 2 games.

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:23 AM

CFL

Week 1

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Trend Report
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Thursday, June 30

7:30 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. MONTREAL
British Columbia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of British Columbia's last 9 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing British Columbia

Friday, July 1

6:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. HAMILTON
Winnipeg is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing Winnipeg

9:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CALGARY
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 10 games
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto

Sunday, July 3

7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. SASKATCHEWAN
Edmonton is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games
Saskatchewan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Saskatchewan's last 11 games when playing at home against Edmonton

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:25 AM

CFL

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Canadian bacon: CFL Week 1 betting preview and picks
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B.C. Lions at Montreal Alouettes (-6.5, 53)

Although they’re playing in front of their home fans, the two-time defending Grey Cup champs may find themselves on quite a bumpy road to start the season.

The Als have 15 or so players that were either acquired or bumped into new positions. The departure of Avon Cobourne (Hamilton) will be felt when it comes to pass protection, which is a crucial aspect of head coach Marc Trestman’s offence and where replacement Brandon Whittaker still struggles.

All of those changes will also make the special teams more vulnerable, as they fell apart in the final preseason game in Hamilton last week. Speaking of special teams, since the departure of veteran K Damon Duval, the non-import newcomer, Sean Whyte, has yet to prove his real value.

The Lions, who were so terrible in the first half of 2010, seem to have picked up where they left off and have shown a cohesive team in all aspects of the game at the end of training camp. Quarterback Travis Lulay will have more time to find his excellent receivers, if only because of a greatly improved offensive line following the acquisition of Ben Archibald.

Pick: Lions 28, Alouettes 24

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-9.0, 51.5)

As much as Avon Cobourne will be missed by the Alouettes, he will bring a lot to the Tiger-Cats offence with both his explosive runs and his brilliant blocks in pass protection.

The Tiger Cats have a well-balanced offence led by Kevin Glenn, who’s in full control of his skills, while offering one of the stingiest defensive squads, despite the losses of Geoff Tisdale (Calgary) and Bo Smith (retirement). Another key element is Justin Medlock, who’s probably one of the most reliable kickers in the CFL.

The biggest concern for the Blue Bombers will be the health of QB Buck Pierce. As long as he is on the field, Winnipeg will be able to compete with anyone. But the minute he will be injured, and it will happen knowing is history, it will be catastrophic, even if the likes of Huntley, Pile and Eiben can shut down any offence in this league.

Pick: Tiger-Cats 35, Blue Bombers 13

Toronto Argonauts at Calgary Stampeders (-7.5, 51)

The Toronto defense, despite all of its talent, will face a tough test against the Stampeders, especially in Calgary. Henry Burris still has at his disposal a very impressive group of receivers starting with Ken-Yon Rambo, Nik Lewis and Romby Bryant.

On the flip side, the Stampeders defense lost two key players during the offseason with the departures of cornerbacks Dwight Anderson (Alouettes) and Brandon Browner (NFL). Can Toronto QB Cleo Lemon take full advantage of this situation? That’s the big question in this game.

The faith of the Argos lies greatly on the arm of Lemon who, so far, has proven capable of good and bad decisions. He does have great weapons at his disposal, starting with exceptional players like Corey Boyd and Chad Owens. Both can also be game changers on special teams.

Pick: Stampeders 31, Argonauts 24

Edmonton Eskimos at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-7, 52.5)

The Roughriders will start the 2011 season without two key elements on offense: Robbie Baggs (injury) and Andy Fantusz (NFL). But Darian Durant can still count on Dressler, Clermont and Getzlaf to move the chains and score points.

If Durant can limit his interceptions, the Roughriders will slaughter the Eskimos, who will certainly once again be the poor parents of the CFL this season.

Quarterback Ricky Ray will suffer again behind an offensive line that seems has vulnerable as it was last year. The Eskimos defensive squad also appears to be one of the weakest in the league, despite the reliability of a few players like DT Jermaine Reid and DB Chris Johnson.

Pick: Roughriders 42, Eskimos 16

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:42 AM

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at Chicago Cubs
The Giants look to bounce back from yesterday's 2-1 loss and build on their 5-1 record in Matt Cain's last 6 starts against the Cubs. San Francisco is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Cubs favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30

Game 951-952: San Francisco at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.758; Cubs (Zambrano) 14.291
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120); N/A

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 16.600; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.020
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+170); Over

Game 955-956: NY Mets at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.144; Detroit (Verlander) 15.919
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-220); 7
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-220); Over

Game 957-958: Boston at Philadelphia (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 15.992; Philadelphia (Hamels) 14.987
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+105); Under

Game 959-960: Chicago White Sox at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Peavy) 14.472; Colorado (Cook) 16.155
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-105); Under

Game 961-962: Florida at Oakland (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Volstad) 15.811; Oakland (Cahill) 14.588
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+145); Over

Game 963-964: St. Louis at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 14.716; Baltimore (Matusz) 13.656
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 965-966: Pittsburgh at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Karstens) 15.175; Toronto (Cecil) 16.229
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-135); Over

Game 967-968: Texas at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Harrison) 14.849; Houston (Rodriguez) 13.584
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-135); Under

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:45 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Thursday, June 30

Remember as interleague play starts, there are DHs used in games in the American League ballparks; pitchers bat in National League parks.

AL teams are 102-99 vs NL teams so far in interleague play.
Over is 42-43-9 with a DH, 42-58-7 without one, 84-102-15 overall.

Under was 13-2 Wednesday, by the way.......

Hot pitchers
-- Cain is 4-0, 1.96 in his last five starts.
-- Sabathia is 7-1, 3.78 in his last eight starts. Wolf is 2-0, 1.95 in his last four starts.
-- Verlander is 5-0, 0.86 in his last five starts.
-- Hamels is 3-2, 1.55 in his last six starts.
-- Peavy is 3-1, 4.40 in his last five starts.
-- Cahill is 2-0, 1.15 in his last two starts. Volstad is 1-0, 1.98 in his last couple starts.
-- Karstens is 2-0, 1.83 in his last five starts. Morrow is 1-1, 3.38 in his last four outings.
-- WRodriguez is 3-1, 1.97 in his last five starts. Harrison has a 2.79 RA in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Zambrano is 1-2, 5.60 in his last four starts.
-- Pelfrey is 1-2, 4.36 in his last five starts.
-- Lester is 2-3, 4.81 in his last five starts.
-- Cook is 0-3, 5.87 in his four starts this season.
-- Matusz is 0-3, 11.12 in his last three starts. JGarcia is 0-2, 5.01 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-2 in last eight San Francisco games.
-- Six of last eight Milwaukee road games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in Mets' last six road games.
-- Last six Philly home games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 10-5 in last fifteen games at Coors Field.
-- Eight of last nine Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-2-1 in last seven St Louis road games.
-- Eleven of last fourteen Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-4 in Rangers' last twelve road games.

Hot Teams
-- Giants won seven of their last eight games.
-- Bronx Bombers won seven of their last eight home games.
-- Pirates won five of their last seven games.
-- White Sox won three of their last four road games.
-- Mets won six of their last seven games, scoring 52 runs in last four.
-- Phillies won eleven of their last twelve home games.
-- Rangers won four of their last five road games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last nine road games.
-- Cardinals lost 12 of their last 17 games. Baltimore lost 11 of 16.
-- Detroit lost its last two games, allowing 30 runs.
-- Red Sox lost six of their last seven games.
-- Astros lost eight of last nine games, allowing 36 runs in their last five.
-- Colorado lost five of its last seven games.
-- Marlins lost 25 of their last 30 games. Oakland lost five of seven.
-- Blue Jays lost seven of their last ten home games.

Umpires
-- SF-Chi-- Eight of last nine Reyburn games stayed under total.
-- Mil-NY-- Eight of last nine Johnson games went over the total.
-- NY-Det-- Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven Barrett games.
-- Bos-Phil-- Last five Wolf games all went over the total.
-- Chi-Colo-- Underdogs are 8-6 in last fourteen Danley games.
-- Fla-A's-- Three of last four Conroy games went over the total.
-- StL-Balt-- Road team won 11 of last 14 Gorman games.
-- Pitt-Tor-- Six of last nine Estabrook games went over the total.
-- Tex-Hst-- Under is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Tichenor games.

**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:48 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 30

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
NY Yankees are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home

1:05 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games on the road
Boston is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Philadelphia is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Boston

1:05 PM
NY METS vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games
NY Mets are 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games

2:20 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of San Francisco's last 25 games
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home

3:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

3:35 PM
FLORIDA vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games on the road
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. BALTIMORE
St. Louis is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:07 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. TORONTO
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:05 PM
TEXAS vs. HOUSTON
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games at home

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:50 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 30

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.38 ERA), Detroit Tigers

If you’re any sort of baseball bettor, you know Justin Verlander is as close to a sure thing as you can get right now.

He is 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA in his last six starts and he’s making it all look incredibly easy.

"I feel like I'm learning how to pitch better — learning how to use my stuff a little bit better," Verlander told reporters. "I feel like my fastball control this year has been a lot better than years previous, and I think that has a lot to do with the mentality that I've been taking out there — just nice and methodical, nice and easy the first few innings and establishing a rhythm."

Matt Cain (7-4, 3.22 ERA), San Francisco Giants

Cain is coming off another ho-hum seven-inning shutout that saw him blank the Indians while allowing just four hits. He struck out six and walked one.

Cain has sandwiched four great starts around one off outing. He gave up five runs against Arizona three starts ago but he hasn’t allowed more than a single run in the other four trips to the hill.

His WHIP checks in at 1.11 on the year.

Slumping

Aaron Cook (0-3, 5.48 ERA), Colorado Rockies

Cook hasn’t been able to find his trademark sinker since starting the season on the DL and it’s showing in his numbers.

He hasn’t won in four outings this season and he gave up a season-high 12 hits in his last start and ended up on the losing end of a 8-3 decision to the Yankees.

"I felt like I was making pitches early," Cook told reporters. "They just found a couple of holes, and then later in the game is when I started giving up the doubles."

Brian Matusz (1-3, 6.85 ERA), Baltimore Orioles

According to manager Buck Showalter, one of the main issues with Matusz is his confidence, which is a tough thing to get back when he’s allowed 14 runs over his last three starts.

Matusz was just drilled for six earned runs and three dingers in a 10-5 loss

"Obviously, psychologically and mentally, [he is not there]. Who is when you're struggling? But he's strong," Showalter said. "I think he has a real healthy respect for what you have to do to have success up here.”

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 09:52 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 30

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Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
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St. Louis Cardinals at Baltimore Orioles (N/A)

Wednesday was a tough day in the St. Louis clubhouse.

The Cards released former All-Star closer Ryan Franklin ahead of Wednesday night’s game and even though he was struggling on the mound, it’s a big loss to the organization.

"When you look at how he's pitched and how he's performed, it was something that we could no longer try to ignore or keep trying to find innings for someone that became very inconsistent," general manager John Mozeliak said. "Ultimately, what we were trying to do was to do what was best for the organization. Unfortunately, it was time to move on."

Franklin lost his closing job earlier this year after blowing three saves in the first 10 days of the season and then failing to find his way as a long reliever. St. Louis’ bullpen is still struggling, but probably won’t be needed much on Thursday with Jaime Garcia on the hill.

Pick: Cardinals

Texas Rangers at Houston Astros (+120, 8)

If you’ve been following the Houston Astros this season – our sympathies – you’ll know that one of their only bright spots is center fielder Michael Bourn.

The speedster had a seven-game hit streak heading into Wednesday night’s action and has stolen 34 bases while being caught only three times this season.

"I feel pretty good so far," he said. "I feel like I have been doing a lot of running. Every now and then, I feel it in my legs and I'm careful in what I'm doing. I maybe take it easy in batting practice while running and work on whatever I'm doing so I can save it for the game because that's the most important part."

Without Bourn, Houston’s offense would be in real trouble. The Astros sit 29th in the league with only 44 homers this season.

They’ve really been rolling out the overs and that’s how we see this one playing out.

Pick: Over

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**Udog** · 06-30-2011, 01:01 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 30

National League

SAN FRANCISCO at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
CAIN: 31-17 TSR when the money line is +125 to -125
ZAMBRANO: ZAMBRANO 71-66 against the money line in home games

Interleague

MILWAUKEE at NY YANKEES, 1:05 PM ET
WOLF: 16-4 UNDER when working on 5 or 6 days rest
SABATHIA: 61-18 as a favorite of -175 to -250

NY METS at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
PELFREY: 1-7 TSR as a road underdog of +100 or higher
VERLANDER: 14-2 TSR at home when the total is 7 to 7.5

BOSTON at PHILADELPHIA, 1:05 PM ET
LESTER: BOSTON 17-9 as a road underdog of +100 to +125
HAMELS: PHILADELPHIA is 11-0 UNDER in an inter-league game

CHI WHITE SOX at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
PEAVY: CHI WHITE SOX 76-49 UNDER on the road when the total is 8.5 to 10
COOK: 29-45 when the total is 9 to 9.5

FLORIDA at OAKLAND, 3:35 PM ET
VOLSTAD: FLORIDA 27-21 as a road underdog of +100 to +150
CAHILL: 17-4 UNDER in home games

ST LOUIS at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
GARCIA: 7-4 TSR when the money line is +125 to -125
MATUSZ: 0-5 TSR in an inter-league game

PITTSBURGH at TORONTO, 7:07 PM ET
KARSTENS: PITTSBURGH 12-30 as a road underdog of +100 to +150
CECIL: TORONTO 19-7 when playing with a day off

TEXAS at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
HARRISON: TEXAS 17-8 OVER as a favorite of -125 to -175
RODRIGUEZ: HOUSTON 33-19 OVER in night games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 6/30 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 6/30 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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