Monday's Trends and Indexes - 8/8 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Monday, August 8

Good Luck on day #220 of 2011!

At this time, the sports menu in this thread consists of MLB, WNBA and CFL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted.

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.

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[Udog]

Monday's betting tips: PHI-SF brawl punishment coming

Weather to watch

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers, 7:05 p.m. ET – It will be dangerously hot at first pitch. The forecast calls for 105-degree temperatures, dropping only to 99 degrees by 9 p.m. Winds will be blowing in from right at 11 miles per hour.

Who’s hot

MLB: The Phillies have won nine of Roy Halladay's last 10 starts.

MLB: The Marlins have won rookie Brad Hand's last four starts.

Who’s not

MLB: The Orioles have lost nine of their last 12 games.

MLB: The Astros have lost six of Wandy Rodriguez's last eight starts.

Key stat

6 – That’s how many games defensive lineman Sedrick Ellis has missed since becoming a starter in 2001. Ellis just left the Jets for the Patriots and should immediately bolster New England’s pass rush. The Jets planned to start rookie Muhammad Wilkerson over Ellis, but wanted the 34-year-old veteran back as part of the rotation. It’s another twist in one of the NFL’s best rivalries.

Injury not to be overlooked

New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara broke his left foot and will need surgery. The 19th overall pick in the draft and likely will miss at least two months, making the Giants’ secondary extremely thin. Amukamara was expected to challenge for a starting job or at least provide valuable depth behind starters Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster.

Notable quotable

“He has every reasonable chance to come back and be like he was.” – Rockies team physician Dr. Allen Schreiber on pitcher Juan Nicasio, who underwent neck surgery to stabilize a fractured verterbra after being hit in the head by a line drive.

Notes and tips

Punishment likely will be handed out Monday for Friday night’s Phillies-Giants bench-clearing brawl. San Francisco reliever Ramon Ramirez and catcher Eli Whiteside and Philadelphia center fielder Shane Victorino all were ejected. The fight erupted in the sixth when Philly’s Jimmy Rollins stole second with a six-run lead, and Ramirez hit Victorino in the lower back with a pitch.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting WR DeSean Jackson will end his holdout Monday, eliminating a big obstacle for the NFC East favorites. Jackson, 24, averaged 22.5 yards per catch last season in addition to his electrifying punt returns. Philly is listed at +600 to win the Super Bowl, along with New England and Green Bay.

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre aggravated his strained left hamstring and will miss three more weeks. Beltre was supposed to come off the DL Sunday, but reinjured the hamstring running the bases in a workout. At the time of the original injury, Beltre led Texas with 76 RBIs.

[Udog]

Monday's six-pack

Early betting lines for Labor Day weekend college football games
-- LSU -1.5 vs Oregon @ Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX

-- Syracuse -6 vs Wake Forest

-- Boise State -2.5 vs Georgia in Atlanta

-- BYU -2.5 @ Ole Miss

-- Boston College -3 vs Northwestern

-- Miami -4.5 vs Maryland (Monday)


**********************


Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a summer weekend.........

13) Helluva weekend to be caddy Steve Williams, as his new boss Adam Scott won World Golf tourney in Akron, in the first event Eldrick Woods played in since firing Williams as his caddy. It just keeps getting a little bit worse every week for Woods, who is now just another guy on Tour.

12) ESPN's Sunday night TV ratings are 81% higher for baseball when it is a Bronx-Boston game, so these are baseball's most visible games, but to be honest, those are the most boring games in the major leagues. Should not take four hours to play nine innings. Slow. Mind-numbing.

Another thing, the way the current playoff system is, these games aren't even that important- they're both going to make the playoffs anyway, no matter what happens in these games.

11) Colorado Rockies beat the Cubs 9-5 back on April 17; since then, the Rockies have lost their last 16 Sunday games. Yikes.

10) Oakland A's have sent seven 1Bs out there this year; they combined so far to hit .225 with a .615 OPS. Pathetic. Which is why they traded for Brandon Allen at the trade deadline. Allen has some pop in his bat.

9) Another dismal day for the Mets, who lost Jose Reyes/Daniel Murphy to leg injuries. Very expensive injury for Reyes, who very well might not play again this month. The man has fragile hamstrings. No one is going to give $100M to a guy with fragile hamstrings.

8) This weekend the Braves were the first team since 1980 to have couple of guys with 20+-game hitting streaks at the same time.

7) San Diego Padres are 23-36 at home, 28-28 on the road; they hit ..215 at home, scoring 2.93 runs/game, .256 on road, scoring 4.41 runs/game.

6) Ryan Howard struck out three times Sunday, for the 91st time in his career; Adam Dunn has done it 61 times, just this season.

5) Red Sox have executed 13 sacrifice bunts this season, same number as both Livan Hernandez, Elvis Andrus have by themselves.

4) Divorce lawyers rejoice; there are NFL games on network TV every night from Thursday-Saturday this coming week, then another game on Monday. So what they're preseason games that don't mean anything? Its football, and football is king these days.

3) 4 hours, 15 minutes to play a 3-2 game. Kids are the paying fans of the future. Doubt lot of kids stuck it out through the whole 4:15.

2) If you see a Pirate fan today, give him/her a hug; chances are they can use one. Good news is, Steelers play a preseason game Friday night.

1) If the baseball playoffs started Monday morning, the playoffs would look like this: AL: Bronx @ Texas....Detroit @ Boston
NL: Giants @ Phillies....Braves @ Brewers

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Chicago White Sox at Baltimore
The White Sox look to take advantage of a Baltimore team that is 0-5 in Jeremy Guthrie's last 5 Monday starts. Chicago is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 8

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 14.714; Florida (Hand) 14.130
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-115); Over

Game 953-954: Colorado at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Hammel) 14.849; Cincinnati (Bailey) 15.145
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 955-956: San Diego at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 14.838; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.753
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-115); Under

Game 957-958: Washington at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Wang) 15.525; Cubs (Garza) 14.503
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-185); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+165); N/A

Game 959-960: Houston at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 13.988; Arizona (Hudson) 15.037
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-175); Over

Game 961-962: Philadelphia at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Halladay) 16.256; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 15.500
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 5
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 6
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under

Game 963-964: Pittsburgh at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 12.917; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 15.016
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-170); Over

Game 965-966: Chicago White Sox at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.418; Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.086
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-120); Under

Game 967-968: Kansas City at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Hochevar) 16.296; Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 15.529
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+150); Under

Game 969-970: Seattle at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Furbush) 14.842; Texas (Harrison) 16.413
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-220); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-220); Over

Game 971-972: Boston at Minnesota (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Wakefield) 16.122; Minnesota (Baker) 13.244
Dunkel Line: Boston by 3; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-120); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Monday, August 8

Hot pitchers
-- Florida won Hand's last four starts (1-0, 2.37, 19 IP).
-- Stauffer is 2-2, 2.88 in his last four starts.
-- Garza is 1-1, 2.41 in his last five starts.
-- Kuroda has a 2.49 RA in his last four starts.
-- Halladay is 3-0, 3.27 in his last three starts.
-- Vogelsong is 3-0, 2.35 in his last five starts.

-- Danks is 4-1, 2.11 in his last seven starts.
-- Hochevar is 3-0, 3.04 in his last four starts. Hellickson is 3-0, 3.08 in his last four outings.
-- Harrison is 4-1, 2.61 in his last six starts.
-- Baker is 3-1, 2.31 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Lowe is 0-3, 9.64 in his last three starts.
-- Pelfrey is 1-1, 4.50 in his last four starts.
-- Wang is 0-2, 12.00 in his first two '11 starts.
-- Hammel is 1-3, 9.00 in his last four starts. Bailey is 0-3, 6.55 in his four road starts that weren't in Houston.
-- WRodriguez is 1-4, 6.00 in his last six starts. DHudson is 1-2, 4.43 in his last three starts.
-- Morton is 1-1, 6.53 in his last four road starts.

-- Guthrie is 2-5, 5.60 in his last seven starts.
-- Furbush is 1-2, 8.78 in his first three big league starts.
-- Wakefield is 1-1, 7.30 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Over is 11-2 in Lowe's last thirteen starts.
-- Five of last six Cincinnati home games went over the total.
-- Last four Pelfrey starts went over the total. Under is 8-3 in Stauffer's last eleven starts.
-- Over is 11-4 in Garza's last fifteen starts.
-- Six of last seven DHudson starts went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Dodger home games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten Morton starts went over the total.

-- Over is 9-1 in Guthrie's last ten home starts.
-- Under is 9-4 in Kansas City's last thirteen road games.
-- Under is 6-0-1 in last seven Harrison starts.
-- Five of last seven Boston road games stayed under the total.

Hot Teams
-- San Diego won its last four games, scoring 38 runs.
-- Cubs won seven of their last eight games.
-- Phillies won 15 of their last 19 games, are 8-1 since the Pence trade. .

-- Kansas City won three of its last four road games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- Red Sox won 15 of their last 22 games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost their last four games, scoring 11 runs. Atlanta is 5-7 in its last dozen road games.
-- Mets lost six of their last seven games.
-- Colorado lost ten of its last fifteen games. Reds lost three of their last four games, allowing 27 runs.
-- Washington lost six of its last nine road games.
-- Astros lost seven of their last nine games. Arizona lost three of its last four games.
-- Dodgers lost three of their last four home games.
-- Giants lost eight of their last ten games. Pittsburgh lost 12 of its last 13 games.

-- Orioles lost nine of their last twelve games. White Sox lost six of their last nine games.
-- Tampa Bay is 9-13 in its last 22 games.
-- Seattle is 2-10 on the road since the All-Star break.
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last ten games.

[Udog]

MLB


Monday, August 8

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. BALTIMORE
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Baltimore
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. CINCINNATI
Colorado is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Colorado's last 15 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Cincinnati is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado

7:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games on the road
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
NY Mets are 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against San Diego

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 10 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games at home

8:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Washington is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games

8:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Texas
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Texas is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games at home
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle

8:10 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Boston is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 12 games when playing Boston

9:40 PM
HOUSTON vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Arizona's last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Arizona's last 21 games when playing at home against Houston

10:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games

10:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 15 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Francisco's last 15 games when playing Pittsburgh


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[Udog]

MLB


Monday, August 8

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants (9-1, 2.19 ERA)

He’s given up two runs or less in five of his last six starts, including allowing one run over six innings against Arizona last Wednesday. Vogelsong has gone 12 starts without losing, the longest streak by a Giants pitcher in 98 years.

Tim Stauffer, San Diego Padres (7-8, 2.96)

The 29-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or less in eight of his past 10 starts. He blanked the Dodgers over 6 1/3 innings in his last outing. If Stauffer played on a more potent team, he’d have 12 to 15 wins now.


Slumping

Derek Lowe, Atlanta Braves (6-10, 4.86)

The 38-year-old sinkerballer has seen his ERA climb steadily over the last six weeks from 4.16 to 4.88. His most recent outing was the worst: he gave up seven earned runs, including two homers, in four innings against the Nationals. Lowe has dropped four of his last five decisions.

Chien-Ming Wang, Washington Nationals (0-2, 6.00)

In Wang’s two starts since coming off the long-term DL, batters are hitting .385 against him. He has struck out two and walked two while allowing 15 hits over nine innings. And he hurt himself with a throwing error in his last outing, a 6-4 loss to Atlanta.


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[Udog]

MLB


Monday, August 8

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Hot lines: Monday's best MLB bets
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Atlanta Braves at Florida Marlins (104, NA)

The Braves are leading the wild card race, no thanks to Derek Lowe recently.

The 38-year-old has given up at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts.

Lowe has a 4.79 career ERA against the Marlins. He has to be hoping that Hanley Ramirez doesn’t return from his sprained shoulder Monday, as Ramirez is 14-for-26 (.538) with a homer, six doubles and five walks against him.

Marlins rookie lefty Brad Hand has been almost unhittable at home, holding batters to a .138 average. When he faced the Braves on June 7, the only hit he allowed over six innings was an Alex Gonzalez solo homer.

Florida has won Hand’s last four starts.

Pick: Marlins


Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles (109, NA)

Until giving up four runs to the Yankees his last time out, Chicago lefty John Danks had been on a roll.

He had allowed four earned runs total over his previous six starts.

Baltimore, meanwhile, trots out Jeremy Guthrie, who is trying to avoid his 16th loss. He’s given up five homers in his last five starts. And lifetime he’s 3-5 with a 4.45 ERA against the White Sox.

Guthrie leads MLB in losses, but hasn’t deserved such a cruel fate. He’s gotten 3.3 runs per game to work with, the sixth-lowest support in the AL.

It’s unlikely that trend will change against Danks.

Pick: White Sox


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[Udog]

NFL Preseason
Dunkel


Seattle at San Diego
The 2011 preseason begins with the Chargers hosting Seattle. San Diego is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Chargers favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-4 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

Game 251-252: Baltimore at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 125.734; Philadelphia 118.551
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 7; 31
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 3; 34
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+3); Under

Game 253-254: Jacksonville at New England (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 120.851; New England 126.147
Dunkel Line: New England by 5 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: New England by 4; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-4); Over

Game 255-256: Seattle at San Diego (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 120.446; San Diego 125.535
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 5; 33
Vegas Line: San Diego by 4 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-4 1/2); Under

Game 257-258: Denver at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 121.361; Dallas 121.395
Dunkel Line: Even; 38
Vegas Line: Dallas by 3; 36
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+3); Over

Game 259-260: Arizona at Oakland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 120.948; Oakland 122.740
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 37
Vegas Line: Oakland by 3 1/2; 33 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+3 1/2); Over

Game 261-262: Cincinnati at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 116.840; Detroit 124.333
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 7 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: Detroit by 4 1/2; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-4 1/2); Under

Game 263-264: Miami at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 118.382; Atlanta 123.408
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 5; 30
Vegas Line: Atlanta by 3; 33 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3); Under


FRIDAY, AUGUST 12

Game 265-266: Pittsburgh at Washington (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 124.320; Washington 119.504
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 5; 37
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 33
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-1); Over

Game 267-268: Tampa Bay at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 120.662; Kansas City 119.170
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 35
Vegas Line: Pick; 33
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay; Over

Game 269-270: San Francisco at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 124.633; New Orleans 129.440
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 5; 35
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 3; 36
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3); Under


SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 271-272: Green Bay at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Green Bay 121.566; Cleveland 120.407
Dunkel Line: Green Bay by 1; 40
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 1 1/2; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+1 1/2); Over

Game 273-274: NY Giants at Carolina (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 120.677; Carolina 119.973
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 1; 31
Vegas Line: Carolina by 1 1/2; 33
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+1 1/2); Under

Game 275-276: Buffalo at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 117.977; Chicago 118.698
Dunkel Line: Chicago by 1; 35
Vegas Line: Chicago by 3; 33 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+3); Over

Game 277-278: Indianapolis at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indianapolis 116.347; St. Louis 125.977
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 9 1/2; 30
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 6 1/2; 34
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-6 1/2); Under

Game 279-280: Minnesota at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 125.326; Tennessee 125.717
Dunkel Line: Even; 35
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 3; 33
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+3); Over


MONDAY, AUGUST 15

Game 281-282: NY Jets at Houston (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 117.538; Houston 120.797
Dunkel Line: Houston by 3 1/2; 32
Vegas Line: Houston by 2 1/2; 34 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-2 1/2); Under

[The Game]

Love this thread!
Must read for me every morning. Keep up the good work, buddy.

[Udog]

NP, Game! I hope it's helping! Good luck today!

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, August 8

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ATLANTA (66 - 49) at FLORIDA (55 - 59) - 7:10 PM
DEREK LOWE (R) vs. BRAD HAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 101-96 (-28.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 18-31 (-17.9 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 476-437 (+51.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 495-491 (+46.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
FLORIDA is 300-317 (+53.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
FLORIDA is 7-26 (-18.2 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 23-34 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
FLORIDA is 23-34 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 18-27 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 16-25 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 10-21 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
FLORIDA is 4-15 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
FLORIDA is 9-20 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-3 (+2.1 Units) against FLORIDA this season
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.8 Units)

DEREK LOWE vs. FLORIDA since 1997
LOWE is 6-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.10 and a WHIP of 1.473.
His team's record is 10-6 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-7. (+1.8 units)

BRAD HAND vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HAND is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 0.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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COLORADO (53 - 62) at CINCINNATI (55 - 59) - 7:10 PM
JASON HAMMEL (R) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JASON HAMMEL vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HAMMEL is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.031.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. COLORADO since 1997
BAILEY is 0-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.74 and a WHIP of 2.234.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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SAN DIEGO (51 - 64) at NY METS (56 - 57) - 7:10 PM
TIM STAUFFER (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 26-47 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 56-57 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 56-57 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 141-137 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 28-28 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 28-28 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 22-16 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 54-52 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 23-30 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 15-23 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

TIM STAUFFER vs. NY METS since 1997
STAUFFER is 0-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
PELFREY is 2-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.211.
His team's record is 3-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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WASHINGTON (55 - 59) at CHICAGO CUBS (49 - 66) - 8:05 PM
CHIEN-MING WANG (R) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 17-43 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 55-73 (-18.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 55-59 (+2.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 55-59 (+2.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 37-35 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-66 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 63-78 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-66 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-30 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 43-55 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 57-67 (-25.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 174-147 (-40.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
GARZA is 18-32 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 16-22 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

CHIEN-MING WANG vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WANG is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

MATT GARZA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GARZA is 0-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 10.56 and a WHIP of 2.608.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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HOUSTON (37 - 77) at ARIZONA (62 - 52) - 9:40 PM
WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. DANIEL HUDSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 37-77 (-32.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-40 (-28.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 2-17 (-14.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 35-76 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 27-51 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 21-59 (-33.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 27-49 (-16.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 16-42 (-22.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
RODRIGUEZ is 5-22 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 62-53 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 62-53 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 46-36 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 34-28 (+8.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 601-527 (-71.5 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 47-61 (-17.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. ARIZONA since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 2-5 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.647.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.7 units)

DANIEL HUDSON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HUDSON is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.25 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (74 - 40) at LA DODGERS (52 - 61) - 10:10 PM
ROY HALLADAY (R) vs. HIROKI KURODA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-46 (-26.9 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 74-40 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 133-95 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 72-39 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 125-71 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 127-77 (+26.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-9 (+18.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 52-61 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 52-61 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 36-43 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 37-45 (-11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 12-18 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 67-83 (-20.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 30-48 (-19.8 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.
KURODA is 3-9 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
KURODA is 3-9 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KURODA is 2-8 (-8.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-1 (+0.3 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HALLADAY is 3-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.03 and a WHIP of 1.032.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
KURODA is 3-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 0.839.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

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PITTSBURGH (54 - 59) at SAN FRANCISCO (63 - 52) - 10:15 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 16-52 (-26.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 27-65 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 74-126 (-29.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 42-99 (-31.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 21-46 (-18.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 193-400 (-96.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 85-203 (-65.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 166-127 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 80-54 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 140-86 (+31.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 165-125 (+28.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-30 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 183-149 (+25.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 22-9 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-59 (+5.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-27 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 52-58 (+3.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MORTON is 1-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.226.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-5. (-5.0 units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
VOGELSONG is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.058.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (55 - 58) at BALTIMORE (44 - 67) - 7:05 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-32 (-13.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 23-29 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BALTIMORE is 17-5 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-26 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-20 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 25-20 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-13 (+12.6 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 44-68 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 37-63 (-24.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 29-49 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 11-23 (-11.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 23-42 (-15.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BALTIMORE is 105-103 (-37.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
GUTHRIE is 19-43 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 3-1 (+2.5 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JOHN DANKS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
DANKS is 4-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.13 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 4-4 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.9 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
GUTHRIE is 3-5 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.71 and a WHIP of 1.308.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.7 units)

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KANSAS CITY (49 - 65) at TAMPA BAY (59 - 54) - 7:10 PM
LUKE HOCHEVAR (R) vs. JEREMY HELLICKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 25-59 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 75-28 (+29.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 36-19 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 27-28 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 27-28 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome this season.
TAMPA BAY is 27-28 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf this season.
TAMPA BAY is 40-41 (-9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

LUKE HOCHEVAR vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HOCHEVAR is 1-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 9.26 and a WHIP of 1.886.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.5 units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (49 - 64) at TEXAS (64 - 51) - 8:05 PM
CHARLIE FURBUSH (L) vs. MATT HARRISON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 49-64 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 47-90 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 32-60 (-26.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 108-155 (-44.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 80-110 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 7-20 (-13.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 10-25 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 19-36 (-16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 3-17 (-13.5 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 8-2 (+5.7 Units) against SEATTLE this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

CHARLIE FURBUSH vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT HARRISON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HARRISON is 3-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.23 and a WHIP of 1.230.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.0 units)

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BOSTON (70 - 43) at MINNESOTA (51 - 63) - 7:10 PM
TIM WAKEFIELD (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 65-61 (-17.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WAKEFIELD is 36-52 (-20.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 139-124 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 48-22 (+15.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-1 (+1.4 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 11-6 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.81 and a WHIP of 1.389.
His team's record is 12-10 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-11. (-2.2 units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. BOSTON since 1997
BAKER is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.363.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

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[Udog]

MLB


Monday, August 8

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Rounding the bases: This week's best MLB trends
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Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in Major League Baseball.

HOT TEAM: Philadelphia Phillies

THIS SEASON: 74-40
LAST WEEK: 6-1

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Dodgers for three, home to the Nationals for three.

THE SKINNY: We’re going out on is about as hefty as Philadelphia’s team ERA (3.06 through the weekend), but wins are wins, and if you can stomach the price, the Phillies may be your best dogs-days-of-summer bet. Philadelphia tore through Colorado and San Francisco last week, and had numerous chances on Sunday to erase Tim Lincecum’s dandy effort for the Giants.

Outfielder Hunter Pence -- despite an 0-fer on Sunday -- has been everything and more in two weeks with the Phillies. He hit two homers in the Giants series, and had seven RBIs through Sunday since the trade from Houston. Look out toward the end of this week, too, as Philadelphia has two pluses in their corner.

First, they have a much-needed day off on Thursday to rest, relax and get back used to the Eastern time zone. And second, the Nationals -- complete with former Philadelphia outfielder Jayson Werth -- are coming to Citizens Bank Park for the weekend. So, there will be incentive aplenty. Keep in mind, the last time Werth showed up in the City of Brotherly Love, the Phillies swept Washington May 3-5.

COLD TEAM: Pittsburgh Pirates

THIS SEASON: 54-59
LAST WEEK: 0-7

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Giants for three, at the Brewers for three.

THE SKINNY: As much as we like to show variety here, we cannot ignore a team that had lost 10 in a row leading into Monday’s action. So, Pittsburgh gets the cold call again here as not only are the Pirates’ chances to win the NL Central gone, their long-lost hope at their first winning season in 19 years is now in serious jeopardy as well.

Listen, losing is one thing. Streaks happen all the time, especially as we head toward September. But Pittsburgh came home last week, welcomed two halfway-decent bats to the fold in Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick, and then bombed out against two to the NL’s worst teams: Chicago and San Diego. That simply cannot happen.

And now, this weary bunch has to face a desperate Giants team on the road, and then cap the week against the team that has most benefited from this slide: first-place Milwaukee.

OVER TEAM: Oakland Athletics

O/U THIS SEASON: 54-49-11
O/U LAST WEEK: 4-0-2

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Blue Jays for three, home to the Rangers for three.

THE SKINNY: One of the season’s most anonymous teams has made a quite a name for itself in the last two weeks. If you’re an over player, you have to be pleased with the going-nowhere Athletics, who are riding an 11-0-2 over streak headed into Tuesday’s tilt with Toronto.

In last week alone, Oakland games averaged 9.6 runs, and the total hit at least 11 runs three times. Josh Willingham, with 17 homers and 63 RBIs, has been the catalyst, but Hideki Matsui (56 RBIs) has been decent, as well, and let’s face it: With an over streak like that, you’re getting enough offense, no matter what names are sprinkled throughout that lineup.

With a 3.48 team ERA, you wouldn’t think the Athletics would be among the better over clubs, but that’s baseball sometimes. Over the long haul, yes, the staff is good, and the bullpen is okay. But you can’t hide the fact that Oakland has allowed at least seven runs a total of six times since July 24.

UNDER TEAM: Detroit Tigers

O/U THIS SEASON: 57-48-9
O/U LAST WEEK: 1-4-1

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Indians for three, at the Orioles for three.

THE SKINNY: The cream has risen to the top in the AL Central, and the Tigers have used a stingy style to put themselves comfortably in first place. They will enter Tuesday’s tilt with second-place Cleveland with a four-game lead and a pitching staff that appears ready to punch a playoff ticket. Detroit closed last week with four consecutive unders, and three starters with at least 11 wins, including Justin Verlander’s 16.

On offense, Detroit has received a great year from Victor Martinez -- .323 average through Sunday -- and Miguel Cabrera (.318 average, 22 homers, 71 RBIs, and 76 runs) is having a prototypical season. This division is not great, we all know that. It’s part of the reason a team like Cleveland was in first place for so long. But Detroit appears to be the best of the bunch. And after a ho-hum start, Jim Leyland’s crew is getting it together at the right time. It shows in the under category, and with that rotation, it might stay that way for a while.


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[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Monday, August 8

National League

ATLANTA at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
LOWE: ATLANTA 22-10 in road games after 3 or more consecutive road games
HAND: FLORIDA 10-21 in home games after a loss

COLORADO at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
HAMMEL: COLORADO 9-26 as a road underdog of +125 to +175
BAILEY: 11-1 TSR after giving up 1 or less earned runs last outing

SAN DIEGO at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
STAUFFER: SAN DIEGO 26-47 in night games
PELFREY: NY METS 39-29 after a one run loss

WASHINGTON at CHICAGO CUBS, 8:05 PM ET
WANG: WASHINGTON 15-5 after a one run win
GARZA: 2-9 TSR after giving up no earned runs last outing

HOUSTON at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
RODRIGUEZ: HOUSTON 27-51 in night games
HUDSON: ARIZONA 16-8 after having lost 3 of their last 4 games

PHILADELPHIA at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
HALLADAY: PHILADELPHIA 30-9 after a loss
KURODA: 2-8 TSR in home games in night games

PITTSBURGH at SAN FRANCISCO, 10:15 PM ET
MORTON: PITTSBURGH 30-68 after 2 or more consecutive losses
VOGELSONG: 13-5 UNDER in all games

American League

CHI WHITE SOX at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
DANKS: CHI WHITE SOX 24-13 after 3 or more consecutive wins
GUTHRIE: 19-43 TSR in night games

KANSAS CITY at TAMPA BAY, 7:10 PM ET
HOCHEVAR: KANSAS CITY 17-41 on the road when the total is 7 to 8.5
HELLICKSON: TAMPA BAY 75-28 as a home favorite of -150 to -175

SEATTLE at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
FURBUSH: SEATTLE 31-75 as a road underdog
HARRISON: TEXAS 15-5 OVER as a favorite of -175 to -250

BOSTON at MINNESOTA, 7:10 PM ET
WAKEFIELD: BOSTON 48-22 after a win
BAKER: MINNESOTA 8-20 after a loss by 4 runs or more

** (TC) Denotes Time Change