Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 08-02-2011, 10:01 PM

Cardinals, Brewers Finish MLB Betting Series

The Milwaukee Brewers are starting to take control of the National League Central Division and will try to create more breathing room in their series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. (PT) at Miller Park.

Offseason moves and trade deadline deals have made the Brewers a serious threat to make a run at the World Series this year. Milwaukee won its seventh game in a row Monday night, capturing a 6-2 victory and extending its division lead to 3.5 games.

The Brewers are an impressive 40-14 (+22.8 units) at home this season and 13-4-0 in series play. It’s also important to point out down the stretch that the club has lost consecutive games at Miller Park just once during the 2011 campaign.

Randy Wolf (7-8, 3.44 ERA) aims to win consecutive games for the first time since June, coming off a 4-0 home victory over the miserable Astros. He tossed seven shutout frames and scattered four hits in the appearance. Wolf has tallied a solid 4-2 mark and 3.17 ERA in 10 home starts this year, which is an improvement from the losing 5-6 record and 4.24 ERA he finished with last year at the venue.

In 15 career starts versus the Cardinals, the left-hander has compiled a 5-7 record and 3.79 ERA, including a 6-0 road defeat on May 6. He allowed six runs and seven hits over five frames in that particular effort.

Total bettors will be interested in knowing that the ‘under’ is 14-3 in Wolf’s last 17 outings versus NL Central opponents.

St. Louis was also busy during last week’s trade deadline and will be focusing on putting together a win streak to close out the season. In looking at past results, the Cardinals haven’t put together a stretch of more than four wins the entire year.

First baseman Albert Pujols is going to have a lot of say about who wins the division and is a force to be reckoned with in August. Since his career began in 2001, Pujols has managed to hit .345 with 81 home runs during the month.

Edwin Jackson (8-7, 3.78 ERA) was one of the team’s most recent acquisitions and the move has already paid dividends in a 9-2 home victory over the Chicago Cubs on July 29. He allowed just a single run and seven hits over seven strong innings. Jackson has actually won four of his last five starts, giving up 11 runs and 34 hits in 35 frames over that span.

The 27-year-old will be making just his third lifetime start versus the Brewers, coming in with an even 1-1 mark and 3.00 ERA. He suffered his only loss against them on May 7, 2010 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up three runs and six hits in seven innings at Chase Field.

Home plate umpire Gary Darling gives the Cardinals a decided advantage with road teams tallying a 15-7 record in his 22 games behind the dish this year. The ‘under’ is also 14-8 in those contests.

Weather forecasts suggest partly cloudy skies and game-time temperatures to reach the low-80s. The Miller Park roof is likely to be left open under such conditions and a northeasterly wind of 10-15 mph is expected (left to right).

**StarDust Bum** · 08-02-2011, 10:03 PM

New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox MLB Betting Preview

The New York Yankees take on the Chicago White Sox in the third game of their four-game series this Wednesday night. Both teams are looking to gain ground in their respective division title hunts.

U.S. Cellular Field will play host to the game, which is scheduled to start at 5:10 p.m. (PT) and will be televised by ESPN. AJ Burnett is set to take the mound against Gavin Floyd.

Heading into Tuesday’s action, the Yankees were one game behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East standings and the White Sox were third in the AL Central, 4.5 games behind Detroit. After splitting their first four game series with Chicago 2-2, New York took the early lead in this one in a 3-2 win with CC Sabathia on the mound.

New York (65-42) appears to have a playoff spot fairly well in hand with a seven-game lead in the Wild Card race, but they’d much rather enter the playoffs with the American League’s best record and another AL East Title. The Yankees are looking to carry the momentum of a nice 7-3 homestand (+1.95 units) into this road trip that started with a win Monday night behind the pitching of CC Sabathia.

Burnett (8-9, 4.23 ERA) was on the mound for two of those three losses during the homestand. In nine starts since June 13, Burnett is just 2-5 and hasn’t received more than five runs of support in any of those outings. The Yankees are 4-5 (-3.85 units) over the slump.

Burnett hasn’t fared well against the White Sox over the course of his career at 2-5 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in eight starts. He did pitch eight strong innings allowing only one run when these two teams met back on April 25, but was outdueled by Phil Humber and lost as a 185 favorite.

At 52-55, the 2011 season has been a frustrating one for the Chicago White Sox, who have struggled with their offense and bullpen issues all season long. Still, with no one grabbing a stranglehold of the AL Central, the White Sox are still alive if they can start stringing some wins together.

Sending Floyd (9-9, 3.96 ERA) to the mound may be a good place to start. Floyd has been outstanding in three second-half starts, going 3-0 (+3.85 units) while allowing just two earned runs over 22 1/3 innings.

Floyd’s red-hot start out of the all-star break is a sharp contrast to the slump he was in going into it, as Chicago had lost in his previous six starts (-8.25 units). Floyd won as a 120 underdog in his last meeting against the Yankees on April 26, fanning 10 over eight innings and giving up just two runs.

The total has gone ‘under’ in five of the last six games between these two teams.

New York is 28-20 on the road (+6.35 units). Chicago is 24-29 at home (-14.27 units).

New York has Alex Rodriguez (knee) on the disabled list.

Weather reports suggest a nice day in the Chicago area with a north wind up to 11 mph. Ivan Nova and Philip Humber are expected to take the mound in the final game of the series on Thursday

**StarDust Bum** · 08-02-2011, 10:07 PM

Around the Horn - Wednesday

August 2, 2011

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta at Washington - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Beachy (4-2, 3.27 ERA) 4-2 L6 8-4 L12 away during day
Wang (0-1, 9.00 ERA) 3-6 L9 4-1 L5 home on Wednesdays

Nationals beat Braves, 5-3 on Monday

St. Louis at Milwaukee - 2:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Jackson (8-7, 3.78 ERA) 7-4 L11 1-4 L5 away during day
Wolf (7-8, 3.44 ERA) 7-0 L7 12-5 home Game 3's

Brewers beat Cardinals, 6-2 on Monday

Philadelphia at Colorado - 3:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Halladay (13-4, 2.44 ERA) 9-3 L12 3-7 L10 away Game 3's
Hammel (6-10, 4.65 ERA) 5-5 L10 OVER 14-3 home during day

Phillies beat Rockies, 4-3 on Monday

Arizona at San Francisco - 3:45 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Marquis (8-5, 3.95 ERA) 7-2 L9 2-5 L7 away during day
Vogelsong (8-1, 2.23 ERA) 4-6 L10 UNDER 7-2 L9 home Game 3's

Diamondbacks beat Giants, 5-2 on Monday

Chicago at Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Garza (4-8, 3.99 ERA) 2-5 L7 2-7 L9 on Wednesdays
Morton (8-6, 4.04 ERA) 1-6 L7 4-12 home Game 3's

Cubs beat Pirates, 5-3 on Monday

Florida at N.Y. Mets - 7:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Hensley (1-3, 3.09 ERA) 7-2 L9 5-0 L5 away Game 3's
Gee (10-3, 3.69 ERA) 5-3 L8 6-0 L6 on Wednesdays

Marlins beat Mets, 7-3 on Monday

Cincinnati at Houston - 8:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Willis (0-1, 3.52 ERA) 5-5 L10 5-2 L7 away on Wednesdays
Lyles (0-6, 4.41 ERA) 3-8 L11 OVER 4-1 L5 home vs LHP

Astros beat Reds, 4-3 on Monday

Los Angeles at San Diego - 10:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lilly (7-10, 5.02 ERA) 6-3 L9 UNDER 5-1 L6 away Game 3's
Stauffer (6-8, 3.10 ERA) 2-9 L11 3-6 home on Wednesdays

Dodgers beat Padres, 6-2 on Monday

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Oakland at Seattle - 3:40 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Gonzalez (9-8, 2.84 ERA) 5-3 L8 1-7 L8 away during day
Furbush (1-3, 3.78 ERA) 3-8 L11 1-10 L11 home vs LHP

Mariners beat Athletics, 8-4 on Monday

Texas at Detroit - 7:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Harrison (9-7, 2.94 ERA) 3-5 L8 5-2 L7 Game 2's
Fister (3-12, 3.33 ERA) 5-5 L10 2-5 L7 home Game 2's

Cleveland at Boston - 7:10 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Carrasco (8-9, 4.67 ERA) 3-8 L11 2-7 L9 away Game 3's
Wakefield (6-4, 5.06 ERA) 8-4 L12 9-4 home on Wednesdays

Indians beat Red Sox, 9-6 on Monday

Toronto at Tampa Bay - 7:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Villanueva (6-2, 3.60 ERA) 5-2 L7 4-1 L5 away vs RHP
Shields (9-9, 3.03 ERA) 4-6 L10 UNDER 15-5 L20 home vs RHP

N.Y. Yankees at Chicago - 8:10 PM EST (Game 3/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Burnett (8-9, 4.23 ERA) 7-2 L9 UNDER 6-1 L7 away vs RHP
Floyd (9-9, 3.96 ERA) 5-3 L8 UNDER 6-0 L6 on Wednesdays

Yankees beat White Sox, 3-2 on Monday

Baltimore at Kansas City - 8:10 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Guthrie (5-14, 4.18 ERA) 2-6 L8 0-11 L11 away Game 2's
Hochevar (7-8, 5.15 ERA) 6-4 L10 2-6 home on Wednesdays

Minnesota at Los Angeles - 10:05 PM EST (Game 2/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Baker (8-6, 2.86 ERA) 3-5 L8 3-6 L9 away Game 2's
Pineiro (5-5, 4.91 ERA) 5-3 L8 6-0 L6 home Game 2's

**StarDust Bum** · 08-02-2011, 11:27 PM

Wednesday, August 3

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 1:05 PM ET Atlanta -152 500
Washington - Over 8.5 500

St. Louis - 2:10 PM ET Milwaukee -109 500
Milwaukee - Over 8.5 500

Philadelphia - 3:10 PM ET Colorado +180 500
Colorado - Over 8 500

Oakland - 3:40 PM ET Seattle +132 500
Seattle - Under 7 500

Arizona - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -142 500
San Francisco - Over 7.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2011, 05:54 PM

Halladay looks to pitch Phils to 6th straight win

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (70-39, +15.8 Units)

at COLORADO ROCKIES (51-59, -21.0 Units)

First pitch: Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -185, Colorado +175, Total: 8

The Phillies are lapping the rest of the National League, and Wednesday is shaping up to be more of the same when they play go for a three-game sweep of the Rockies in Colorado.

The Phillies have won five straight and 11 of 14 and will have Roy Halladay going against struggling Rockies right-hander Jason Hammel on Wednesday. The Phils have won 12 of Halladay’s past 13 starts, and the reigning Cy Young Award winner has been dominant in day games (8-1, 2.06 ERA). The Rockies have dropped seven of 10 overall, and six of their past eight home games. Hammel has a 7.00 ERA over his past five starts, a 5.10 ERA at home, and a 6.55 ERA in day games. Despite the relatively small payout for a road team, the pick is PHILADELPHIA. The FoxSheets have a three-star trend working in the Phillies’ favor:

PHILADELPHIA is 60-20 (75.0%, +35.1 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.5, OPPONENT 3.6 - (Rating = 3*).

Halladay (13-4, 2.44 ERA) has been incredible for a second straight season. He hasn’t faced the Rockies this year, but saw them twice in 2010, holding them to three runs (two earned) over 14.1 innings. He did lose in his only Coors Field start though, allowing all three of those runs and 10 base runners in 6.1 innings.

Hammel (6-10, 4.65 ERA) pitched well in San Diego Friday (6.1 innings, two runs in a victory). He’s faced the Phils four times (once in the playoffs) since joining the Rockies in 2009, going 1-1 with a 6.27 ERA. He worked into the seventh just once in those starts, and three of those outings were Colorado losses.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2011, 05:58 PM

Yankees aim for 6th straight win vs. slumping White Sox

NEW YORK YANKEES (66-42, +9.8 Units)

at CHICAGO WHITE SOX (52-56, -8.1 Units)

First pitch: Wednesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -110, Chicago +100, Total: 9

The Yankees look to solidify their spot in the playoffs while pushing the White Sox further out of the playoff picture when they visit Chicago on Wednesday night.

After Tuesday night’s 6-0 victory, the Yankees have won five straight and eight of 10. Meanwhile, the White Sox have dropped four in a row. But considering the strong performance of Sox starter Gavin Floyd since the All-Star break (3-0, 0.81 ERA over three starts) and Yankee right-hander A.J. Burnett’s increasingly shaky performance (0-3, 4.83 ERA in five July starts), CHICAGO is the pick on Wednesday.

The FoxSheets provide a four-star trend working against the Yanks:

Play Against - Any team (N.Y. YANKEES) - red hot hitting team - batting .333 or better over their last 5 games against opponent with a hot starting pitcher- WHIP <= 0.800 over his last 3 starts. (35-9 since 1997.) (79.5%, +26.5 units. Rating = 4*).

The FoxSheets also show a highly-rated trend backing the UNDER as the play.

N.Y. YANKEES are 16-2 UNDER (88.9%, +13.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season. The average score was NY YANKEES 2.8, OPPONENT 2.8 - (Rating = 4*).

Floyd (9-9, 3.96 ERA) had been sold during the first half of the year, but he’s really turned it on since the All-Star break. He allowed two runs (one earned) over 7.2 innings in Detroit, then threw 7.2 shutout innings in Cleveland, followed by seven innings of one-run ball against Boston last Friday. He has a 16-to-3 K/BB ratio since the All-Star break. Over the past three seasons, Floyd is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in five starts against the Yankees. The Sox are 4-1 in those games, including 3-0 in Floyd’s starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

The past month has not gone well for Burnett (8-9, 4.23 ERA). After averaging just 3.8 walks per 9 innings through the end of June, he’s walked 5.2 per 9 innings over his past five starts. He failed to get out of the sixth in three of those starts. On Friday, he struck out 10 over eight innings against Baltimore, but also allowed four runs and two homers in the Yankees’ only loss of that series. Since joining the Yankees in 2009, Burnett has been shaky against the White Sox: 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA over three starts. However, he held them to one run over eight innings in a hard-luck loss in April.

Despite the absence of All-Star 3B Alex Rodriguez (knee) for nearly a month, the Yankees haven’t missed a beat offensively. Since A-Rod went down, they’re fourth in the majors with 5.43 runs per game.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2011, 06:02 PM

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

August 3, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Nationals are 0-14 since April 20, 2010 as a 140+ dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1400 when playing against.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Angels are 0-10-2 OU since July 02, 2010 as a home favorite after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a favorite for a net profit of $1000 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Royals are 0-10 since August 01, 2008 when Luke Hochevar starts in August for a net profit of $1010 when playing against.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Tigers are1-18 (-3.4 rpg) since 2004 as a 110-plus underdog in the second game of a series when they are off a win in which they scored more than five runs in at least four separate innings.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Diamondbacks are 0-7 since April 13, 2010 as a road dog after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $700 when playing against.

The Orioles are 7-0 since September 06, 2010 as a dog after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $1138.

The Braves are 7-0 OU since April 22, 2010 after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $700 when playing the over.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2011, 06:05 PM

Run Line & ML Standings

August 3, 2011

The 2011 MLB campaign is well past its halfway point and heading into the far turn as we enter August. And, much like the won-loss standings we see every day in the newspapers, the Run Line and Money Line standings are developing a familiar look as well.

Since the All-Star break, the cream has started to rise to the top, evidenced by Money Line surges by the likes of Philadelphia (+416 since July 18), Milwaukee (+517 that span, although most of the success coming at home), the Angels (+406), and Yankees (+391). Meanwhile, early-season contenders Seattle (-553 since July 18, including the last stages of a debilitating 17-game straight-up losing streak), Cleveland (-541 the past two weeks), and Pittsburgh (-419 the same span) are beginning to lose traction.

There are still a few surprises in the mix, none more so than surging Arizona, now with the best Money Line mark for the season in all of MLB at +1663, with the Phillies close behind at +1653. The Diamondbacks also rate as the best on the Money Line since July 18 at +579. Interestingly, all of the NL East is on the plus side as of August 2, save Florida, barely in the red at -10. On the bottom end, it's no surprise that Seattle's fade over the past couple of weeks has the Mariners with the worst MLB mark (-553) since July 18, but contenders Texas (-534 same span) and Atlanta (-430) suddenly have some issues as well.

On the Run Line side, note some of the ongoing woeful season-long numbers posted by Baltimore (-3684), Houston (-2982), the Dodgers (-2148), and, surprisingly, Milwaukee (-2156), hindered by its poor road form. And while floundering lately on the Money Line, the Rangers still have the best season-long Run Line results (+1671) in baseball.

Following are the complete MLB Money Line and Run Line standings through games of August 2, with the recent numbers since July 18 also included.

MONEY LINE STANDINGS

AL WEST

LA Angels +594
Texas +73
Seattle -1378
Oakland -1599

AL WEST SINCE JULY 18...

LA Angels +406
Oakland +16
Texas -534
Seattle -553

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland +671
Detroit +140
Minnesota +45
Chicago White Sox -758
Kansas City -770

AL CENTRAL SINCE JULY 18...

Kansas City +513
Detroit +167
Chicago White Sox -140
Minnesota -254
Cleveland -541

AL EAST

NY Yankees +991
Boston +668
Toronto +600
Tampa Bay -239
Baltimore -1619

AL EAST SINCE JULY 18...

Toronto +565
NY Yankees +391
Boston +59
Baltimore -244
Tampa Bay -408

NL WEST

Arizona +1663
San Francisco +678
San Diego -971
LA Dodgers -1323
Colorado -2042

NL WEST SINCE JULY 18...

Arizona +579
LA Dodgers +78
San Diego -79
Colorado -276
San Francisco -317

NL CENTRAL

Pittsburgh +1118
Milwaukee +694
St. Louis -324
Cincinnati -921
Chicago Cubs -1717
Houston -3049

NL CENTRAL SINCE JULY 18...

Milwaukee +517
Chicago Cubs +182
St. Louis -157
Cincinnati -264
Houston -281
Pittsburgh -419

NL EAST

Philadelphia +1653
NY Mets +568
Atlanta +470
Washington +388
Florida -10

NL EAST SINCE JULY 18...

Philadelphia +416
Florida +195
NY Mets +35
Washington -238
Atlanta -430

RUN LINE STANDINGS

AL WEST

Texas +1671
LA Angels +657
Oakland -931
Seattle -1916

AL WEST SINCE JULY 18...

Texas +298
LA Angels +258
Oakland -104
Seattle -859

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland +649
Minnesota +474
Detroit +51
Kansas City -409
Chicago White Sox -577

AL CENTRAL SINCE JULY 18...

Chicago White Sox +305
Cleveland +74
Kansas City +16
Detroit -242
Minnesota -833

AL EAST

NY Yankees +1147
Boston +1072
Toronto +719
Tampa Bay +542
Baltimore -3684

AL EAST SINCE JULY 18...

Toronto +537
Boston +420
Tampa Bay +260
NY Yankees +255
Baltimore -834

NL WEST

Arizona +776
Colorado -509
San Diego -903
San Francisco -1298
LA Dodgers -2148

NL WEST SINCE JULY 18...

Arizona +782
LA Dodgers -180
San Francisco -338
Colorado -347
San Diego -720

NL CENTRAL

Cincinnati +1277
Pittsburgh +1246
St. Louis -355
Chicago Cubs -1694
Milwaukee -2156
Houston -2982

NL CENTRAL SINCE JULY 18...

Milwaukee +303
Pittsburgh +64
Cincinnati -1
Chicago Cubs -149
St. Louis -370
Houston -423

NL EAST

NY Mets +846
Philadelphia +741
Florida +662
Atlanta +248
Washington -316

NL EAST SINCE JULY 18...

Philadelphia +453
NY Mets +246
Florida +39
Washington -199
Atlanta -422

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2011, 06:36 PM

Evening Selections:

Texas - 7:05 PM ET Detroit -103 500
Detroit - Over 9 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +102 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Boston -174 500
Boston - Over 10.5 500

Toronto - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -156 500
Tampa Bay - Over 7.5 500

Florida - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets -128 500
NY Mets - Under 8.5 500

Cincinnati - 8:05 PM ET Cincinnati -133 500
Houston - Under 8.5 500

Baltimore - 8:10 PM ET Baltimore +113 500
Kansas City - Over 9 500

NY Yankees - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +101 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 8.5 500

Minnesota - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels -104 500
LA Angels - Under 8 500

LA Dodgers - 10:05 PM ET San Diego -119 500
San Diego - Under 6.5 500

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