The Bum's Thursday's Best Bets MLB-NFL-WNBA !

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Brewers And Cardinals Finish MLB Odds Series

The Milwaukee Brewers wrap up a key three-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday after winning the series opener 5-3 in 10 innings on Tuesday.

Thursday's series finale at Busch Stadium is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. (PT).

The Brew Crew headed to St. Louis with a three-game lead in the NL Central and extended it to four after third baseman Casey McGehee came up with the big hit in extra innings on Tuesday. The victory guaranteed the Brewers would leave St. Louis with the lead in the National League Central, as they won their fifth straight game overall and beat the Cardinals for the sixth time in the last seven meetings.

Milwaukee will send Yovani Gallardo (13-7, 3.56 ERA) to the mound looking for his fourth win in five starts. Gallardo has made four of his last five starts on the road, losing both times he was an underdog at Colorado and San Francisco.

He is 5-6 in 13 outings away from home overall with a 4.14 ERA. Gallardo has also struggled against St. Louis during his career with a 1-4 mark and 4.66 ERA in eight starts.

However, he earned the one win in his last appearance against the Cardinals back on May 8. The Brewers won that game 4-0 at Busch Stadium, as Gallardo allowed only one hit in eight innings with four walks and six strikeouts as a +120 road underdog.

St. Louis will counter with veteran Chris Carpenter (7-8, 3.75), who will be making just his second home start since July 9. Carpenter is coming off a win at Florida on Saturday in which he gave up just one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

The Cardinals had lost his previous two outings, including a road game at Milwaukee and a home game against Houston as a 200 favorite.

Carpenter surrendered five runs and seven hits to the Brewers in five innings of a 6-2 loss on August 1, dropping his career record against them to 4-6 to go along with a 5.33 ERA. He is 2-2 in 11 home starts this year with a 2.88 ERA.

Umpire Greg Gibson will be working behind home plate, and he has seen the ‘under’ go 15-4-2 in his games this season. Home favorites of 140 or less are just 5-6 when he is calling balls and strikes.

The weather forecast for first pitch on Thursday in St. Louis calls for a temperature of around 80 degrees under mostly sunny skies.

St. Louis remains at home for a weekend series with the Colorado Rockies. The Brewers will return to Milwaukee following this game to open a 7-game homestand that begins with a visit from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Cueto And Cincinnati Reds Tangle With Colorado Rockies

Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto sports a 1.51 ERA at home in seven starts.
Thursday's MLB betting slate is heavy with getaway games, including the finale of a 4-game set in Cincinnati between the Reds and Colorado Rockies. First pitch from Great American Ball Park is 9:35 a.m. (PT).

Colorado took the first two games of the series, each time as the MLB odds underdog. The Rockies used a 14-hit, 4-HR barrage to win Monday's opener, 10-7, then nipped Cincinnati on Tuesday by a 3-2 count.

Beating the Reds has become the norm for Colorado who was 23-5 in the series heading into Wednesday's contest which was still pending. The Rockies have brought home the bacon in 11 of the last 14 played at Great American Ball Park.

Thursday's pitching matchup has the potential to be a good one with Jhoulys Chacin (11-12, 3.45) taking on Johnny Cueto (10-7, 2.06). Early baseball betting lines made Cincinnati a favorite in the 135-140 range with Thursday's total an even eight runs.

Chacin didn't have good stuff but still picked up the win in his most recent start to snap a 7-start span without a win for him or the Rockies. His last road win was June 21 in Cleveland with Colorado 0-4 in Chacin's latest four starts away from Coors Field.

The Rockies are 5-5 overall in his 10 road starts this campaign, Chacin posting a 3.71 ERA in those outings.

Cueto is coming off his worst effort of the season, failing to get past the fourth in Chicago last Saturday as a 130 MLB betting favorite. This will be his third career start vs. the Rockies, the last two in Denver and both losses for the Reds.

Cincinnati has failed to take advantage of Cueto's pitching at Great American Ball Park this season. The Reds are just 4-3 in his seven home starts despite some eye-popping stats like a 1.51 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and holding batters to a .176 average.

Both clubs have a few new injuries that play into this matchup. The Rockies could be without two key members of their bullpen as setup man Matt Lindstrom (sore arm) is expected to be placed on the disabled list while closer Huston Street (lat muscle) is experiencing some soreness.

Cincinnati recently sent outfielder Chris Heisey (oblique) to the DL and has veteran infielder Miguel Cairo also battling an oblique strain.

Adrian Johnson has the plate for Thursday's affair and enters with a 15-11 lean to the 'over' in his previous 2011 assignments. Home favorites are 10-8 on the year.

Weather shouldn't be a factor with clear skies and a very light NNE breeze. The afternoon high is expected to reach the low-to-mid 80s.

Cincinnati's homestand continues this weekend with the Padres coming to town. The Rockies move on from here to St. Louis to open a 3-game series Friday against the Cardinals.

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Detroit Tigers At Minnesota Twins MLB Betting Preview

The Cleveland Indians host division rival Detroit Tigers in the third and final game of their series this Thursday evening.

Thursday’s game starts at 4:05 p.m. (PT) at Progressive Field as AL Cy Young contender Justin Verlander takes on Fausto Carmona.

With the AL Central still up for grabs, this series is critical for both teams. The Indians topped the Tigers 3-2 with a 14th inning win in the series opener Tuesday night, narrowing Detroit’s lead over the Indians down to three games.

Detroit (61-54) entered Wednesday’s action 5-3 over their last eight games (+1.80 units). The Tigers shuffled up their pitching staff to make sure that Justin Verlander would be available to take the mound in each of their remaining series against Cleveland.

Justin Verlander (16-5, 2.30 ERA) is tied with CC Sabathia for the major league lead of 16 wins, and has been a money machine for bettors this season. In his last 15 trips to the mount, Detroit is 13-2 (+9.85 units).

Verlander has had mixed results over the course of his career against Cleveland (11-11 with a 4.82 ERA), but was masterful in his only start against them this season, pitching a complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts back on June 14.

Cleveland (57-56) has cooled off considerably since their hot 30-15 start, going just 27-41 since then. But that didn’t stop the Indians from being buyers at the trade deadline, adding Ubaldo Jimenez and Kosuke Fukudome to try to make a late push at winning the AL Central.

Fausto Carmona (5-11, 5.19 ERA) has had his share of struggles this season, but has actually pitched fairly well of late with a 2.60 ERA in his last five starts. The Indians are 4-1 (+4.32 units) over that stretch.

Carmona won in his only game against Detroit this season, giving up two earned runs over five innings on June 15. He is 8-4 all time against the Tigers with a 3.48 ERA.

Cleveland’s extra-innings win Tuesday night gave them a 5-2 series lead over the Tigers in the seven games they’d played heading into Wednesday. The ‘under’ had a slight edge at 4-3.

The total has gone ‘under’ in Detroit’s last five games, and in 11 of their last 16 on the road. The total has also gone ‘under’ in nine of Cleveland’s last 10 at home.

Detroit is 28-29 on the road this season (+0.10 units) and Cleveland is 30-24 (+5.37 units) at home. Cleveland won their first four home games against Detroit this season.

Weather reports indicate a nice sunny day in Cleveland on Thursday with game-time temps in the low-70s.

Plate duty falls to Mark Carlson for the series ender with home teams just 8-14 in his previous assignments. The 'over' has a small 11-8-3 advantage.

Detroit will head to Baltimore for the weekend, the final leg of their 9-game road trip. The Indians will remain at home to host the Minnesota Twins.

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Chargers And Seahawks Open NFL Preseason Betting

The offseason of discontent officially ends Thursday night when the NFL kicks off its preseason slate with five games. The opening docket includes an ESPN prime-time matchup in San Diego between the Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

Friday's schedule includes five more contests, headlined by the FOX broadcast in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The NFL Network will air one of the four games on Saturday that pits the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on the road to face the Cleveland Browns.

And ESPN wraps the first week of exhibition play up on Monday when the New York Jets swagger into Houston to meet the Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
When: Aug. 11, 4:30 p.m. (PT)
NFL Odds: Patriots -3½, Total 35½

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
When: Aug. 11, 4:30 p.m. (PT)
NFL Odds: Ravens -3, Total 34

Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
When: Aug. 11, 5:00 p.m. (PT) ESPN
NFL Odds: Chargers -3, Total 35

Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys
Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
When: Aug. 11, 5:30 p.m. (PT)
NFL Odds: Cowboys -3, Total 35

Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders
Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliesum
When: Aug. 11, 7:00 p.m. (PT)
NFL Odds: Raiders -3, Total 32½

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Connecticut Sun, San Antonio Silver Stars WNBA Betting Preview

Two of the top teams in women's basketball duke it out in WNBA betting action on Thursday night in what should be a fantastic showdown between the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Connecticut Sun.

This clash tips off from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Hartford, CT at 4:30 p.m. (PT), and there will be live television coverage on FOX Sports Southwest and WNBA Live Access.

The Sun are clearly aiming the WNBA title this year, especially if they can figure out how to earn home court advantage. They have the best home record in the league at 9-1, and they have a sterling 7-3 ATS mark in those 10 home games as well.

Connecticut knocked off the Chicago Sky 69-58 on Tuesday night to move to within just a game of the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference standings.

It's clear that this is an offensive-minded team. The Sun average 79.6 PPG, No. 3 in the league in spite of the fact that they only ran No. 10 in shooting percentage (42.6%) and No. 8 in three point shooting percentage (35.0%). Still, there aren't many teams that can boast having four double-digit scorers and a host of capable players behind them, making this one of the deepest teams in the league.

Tina Charles is leading the way this year with 18.0 PPG and 10.9 RPG. She ranks fifth in the league in scoring, first in rebounds, fourth in blocks (1.6 per game), and is one of the two players averaging a double-double per game on the campaign (the other being Minnesota's Rebekkah Brunson).

Renee Montgomery is the catalyst at point guard, averaging 15.9 PPG and 4.8 APG, while both Asjha Jones and Kara Lawson are also good for at least 10 points on the average night.

The Silver Stars are currently sliding back. They've dropped four out of five, and three of those losses came on the road. Their offense hasn't scored more than 72 points in a game since July 28, and they haven't won a game away from the Lone Star State since knocking off the Washington Mystics in DC 73-67 on July 26.

San Antonio also has four players that are averaging at least a dozen points per game, led by Becky Hammon who is No. 2 in the WNBA in assists. Hammon is averaging 16.9 PPG and 5.7 APG, and there is no doubt that she is one of the best point guards in the league.

Hammon has put together nine straight games with at least 11 points scored, but she hasn't received much help offensively since third-leading scorer Danielle Adams got injured.

Adams has a foot injury and has been out of the fold since July 26. Needless to say, things have fallen apart, just as they would have for most other teams who are losing someone contributing 14.3 PPG and 4.6 RPG.

Gia Perkins, the fourth leading scorer at 12.0 PPG, only has a total of six points in her last two games, which really isn't helping matters any either.

This is the first meeting of these two teams this season. Connecticut had covered four straight WNBA spreads in his series before last July's meeting, a game which the Silver Stars won, 79-66.

The 'under' has cashed in three out of four in this rivalry and is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings as well. San Antonio has played seven 'unders' in its last eight road games to boot.

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2011 PGA Championship Betting Preview

The reputation of Tiger Woods, and his place on the oddsboard, continues to take a hit as the PGA Championship tees off Thursday from Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia.

The course is a grueling 7,467 yards, a full 250 longer than the last time it was played here in 2001, won by David Toms (-15 score). The increased length and more narrow fairways are expected to bring the winning score way down.

Woods has won this event four times, but not since 2007. His last win in a major was the 2008 U.S. Open, losing the last nine he’s entered. He’s at 18/1 odds to win this week, ranked fifth overall.

The now 35-year-old Woods finished tied for fourth at this year’s Masters, but had to sit out both the U.S. and British Open due to lingering knee and Achilles issues.

Woods did return last week for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a tourney he won seven times, but he wasn’t a factor. He shot a respectable opening-round 68, with following scores of 71, 72 and 70 dropping him into a tie for 37th.

It’s seems everyone is into the ‘Tiger bashing’ lately, including caddie Steve Williams. The two had an acrimonious split after over 12 years together, with Williams now carrying Australian Adam Scott's bag.

Scott (20/1 odds) shot a -17 at Bridgestone, winning by four strokes. He’s still looking for his first major at age 31, with his best finish a second-place tie at this year’s Masters. Having the loquacious, but knowledgeable Williams by his side is a big positive overall.

Scott is trying to continue a string of non-Americans victors at the PGA Championship. Germany’s Martin Kaymer, South Korea’s Y.E. Yang and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington were the last three winners. An American has also been shut out of the first three majors this year, the last time it happened in all four was 1994.

Rory McIlroy (9/1) is the favorite with his eight-stroke win at this year’s U.S. Open still fresh in everyone’s mind. However, the uber-talented Northern Irishman still needs to develop consistency as his tie-for-25th at the British Open attests. The 22-year-old finished tied for third at this tournament the last two years.

Luke Donald (10/1) sits right behind McIlroy as he begins his 11th week as the No. 1 player in the world. The native of England finished tied-for second last week at Bridgestone after disappointing finishes at the U.S. Open (tied for 45th) and British Open (missed cut).

Lee Westwood (14/1) is sick of hearing he’s the world’s best player to never win a major, but it will continue until he gets it done. He didn’t play in this event last year with a calf injury, but finished tied for third in 2009.

Steve Stricker (16/1) is the highest ranked American (fifth) in the World Rankings. He’s a consistent player who finished in the top-20 in his last four majors. However, it’s hard to imagine him getting his first major win at age 44 and other online sportsbooks have him more in the 20/1-25/1 odds range.

Phil Mickelson (20/1) finished one shot back of Toms here in 2001 (Woods finished tied-for-29th). The always exciting ‘lefty’ is on the wrong side of 40, but got the second of his four majors at the 2005 PGA Championship.

This year, Mickelson struggled at the Greenbrier Classic and Bridgestone after finishing tied for second at the British Open, but he’s always capable of getting hot.

Nick Watney (18/1), Dustin Johnson (23/1), Jason Day (25/1), Rickie Fowler (28/1), Sergio Garcia (30/1), Kaymer (33/1) and Matt Kuchar (33/1) are in the next tier down.

Johnson and Day arguably provide the most value, with the former finishing in a second-place tied at this year’s British Open and the latter second at both the Masters and U.S. Open.

Toms is an interesting 42/1 with a win here already and currently ranking 10th in the FedExCup Standings.

Underdogs are always dangerous at the PGA Championship. Names like Shaun Micheel (2003) and Rich Beem (2002) came out of nowhere and haven’t done much since. The ‘Field’ odds (after the first 20 golfers) are +125, which could be the best pick of the week.

[StarDust Bum]

Around the Horn - Thursday

August 10, 2011

NATIONAL LEAGUE


San Diego at N.Y. Mets - 12:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Luebke (4-6, 3.06 ERA) 5-3 L8 2-5 in Game 4's
Niese (11-8, 4.12 ERA) 3-6 L9 2-4 L6 during day

Mets beat Padres, 9-8 on Monday
Mets beat Padres, 5-4 on Tuesday

Colorado at Cincinnati - 12:35 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Chacin (9-8, 3.45 ERA) 4-6 L10 0-8 L8 away during day
Cueto (7-5, 2.06 ERA) 2-6 L8 2-5 in Game 4's

Rockies beat Reds, 10-7 on Monday
Rockies beat Reds, 3-2 on Tuesday

Washington at Chicago - 2:20 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Zimmermann (7-9, 3.12 ERA) 7-3 L10 UNDER 7-1 L8 away during day
Dempster (9-8, 4.87 ERA) 7-2 L9 5-1 L6 home during day

Nationals beat Cubs, 3-1 on Tuesday

Milwaukee at St. Louis - 8:15 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Gallardo (13-7, 3.56 ERA) 12-1 L13 OVER 6-2 L8 away Game 3's
Carpenter (7-8, 3.75 ERA) 5-2 L7 1-4 L5 home Game 3's

Brewers beat Cardinals, 5-3 on Tuesday

Houston at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Myers (3-12, 4.76 ERA) 2-9 L11 OVER 6-0 in Game 4's
Saunders (8-9, 3.61 ERA) 2-4 L6 7-2 L9 on Thursdays

Astros beat Diamondbacks, 9-1 on Monday
Diamondbacks beat Astros, 11-9 on Tuesday

AMERICAN LEAGUE


Kansas City at Tampa Bay - 12:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Duffy (3-5, 5.08 ERA) 6-4 L10 UNDER 4-1 in Game 4's
Niemann (6-4, 3.58 ERA) 8-4 L12 2-5 in Game 4's

Rays beat Royals, 2-1 on Monday
Rays beat Royals, 4-0 on Tuesday

Oakland at Toronto - 12:35 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Moscoso (4-6, 3.69 ERA) 3-4 L7 1-9 L10 away Game 3's
Mills (1-1, 3.65 ERA) 6-4 L10 4-1 L5 home Game 3's

Athletics beat Blue Jays, 4-1 on Tuesday

Los Angeles at N.Y. Yankees - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Chatwood (6-8, 4.10 ERA) 6-3 L9 6-3 L9 away during day
Colon (8-6, 3.33 ERA) 8-3 L11 19-3 home during day

Angels beat Yankees, 6-4 on Tuesday

Detroit at Cleveland - 7:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Verlander (16-5, 2.30 ERA) 5-3 L8 0-4 L4 away Game 3's
Carmona (5-11, 5.19 ERA) 4-4 L8 3-7 L10 home Game 3's

Indians beat Tigers, 3-2 on Tuesday

Chicago at Baltimore - 7:05 PM EST (Game 4/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Buehrle (9-5, 3.04 ERA) 5-0 L5 2-4 L6 in Game 4's
Tillman (3-4, 4.85 ERA) 2-9 L11 OVER 4-0 L4 home on Thursdays

White Sox beat Orioles, 7-6 on Monday
White Sox beat Orioles, 4-3 on Tuesday

[StarDust Bum]

Preseason Trends - Week 1

August 10, 2011


Thursday, Aug. 11


Baltimore at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. ET)
Teams Coaches (Exhibition Records) Projected QB Rotation Preseason Trends

John Harbaugh (8-4 SU 7-5 ATS)

Joe Flacco
Hunter Cantwell
Tyrod Taylor
UNDER 6-2 L8

Andy Reid (18-30 SU 19-27-2 ATS)

Michael Vick
Vince Young
Mike Kafka
Jerrod Johnson
OVER 9-2 L11




Jacksonville at New England (7:30 p.m. ET)
Teams Coaches (Exhibition Records) Projected QB Rotation Preseason Trends

Jack Del Rio (20-12 SU 20-10-2 ATS)

David Garrard
Blaine Gabbert
Luke McCown
5-1 ATS L6

Bill Belichick (34-27 SU 31-24-6 ATS)

Tom Brady
Brian Hoyer
Ryan Mallett
2-6 L8 favorite




Seattle at San Diego (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Teams Coaches (Exhibition Records) Projected QB Rotation Preseason Trends

Pete Carroll (11-10 SU 12-8-1 ATS)

Tarvaris Jackson
Charlie Whitehurst
Josh Portis
8-3-1 ATS L12

Norv Turner (26-26 SU 23-24-5 ATS)

Philip Rivers
Billy Volek
Scott Tolzien
0-3 ATS L3 vs SEA




Denver at Dallas (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Teams Coaches (Exhibition Records) Projected QB Rotation Preseason Trends

John Fox (19-17 SU 16-19-1 ATS)

Kyle Orton
Tim Tebow
Brady Quinn
Adam Weber
OVER 6-1 L7

Jason Garrett (First-Year)

Tony Romo
Jon Kitna
Stephen McGee
2-5 ATS L7




Arizona at Oakland (10:00 p.m. ET)
Teams Coaches (Exhibition Records) Projected QB Rotation
Preseason Trends


Ken Whisenhunt (5-11 SU 6-10 ATS)

Kevin Kolb
Max Hall
John Skelton
Richard Bartel
UNDER 6-2 L8


Hue Jackson (First-Year)
Jason Campbell
Trent Edwards
Kyle Boller
Jordan La Secla
5-0 ATS L5 openers

[StarDust Bum]

PGA Championship Prop Bets


PGA Championship
Tees Off: Thursday, August 11
Atlanta Athletic Club – Johns Creek, GA

Prop Bets
(For the latest Odds, connect to Sportsbook.com)
Golf’s final major of the season tees off on Thursday when The PGA Championship returns to the Atlanta Athletic Club. As the sport’s best battle for the Wanamaker Trophy, here’s a look at some of the top prop bets available…

Jason Day finishing position: UNDER 28.5 (20/23, -115)
Day has gone top-10 in three of the past four majors, with the exception being this year’s fluky British Open. He’s been in the hunt in some of the biggest tournaments this year: T2 at the Masters, a second at the U.S. Open, a T6 at The PLAYERS and a T4 last week at Bridgestone.

Winning score UNDER 271.5 (20/23, -115)
The last time the Atlanta Athletic Club hosted the PGA Championship, David Toms shot a 15-under 265, an all-time tournament record. Since then, designer Rees Jones lengthened the par-70 course, made the rough more punishing and the greens tougher to stick. Length will be a key, and considering the power that everyone on the tour now plays with, someone will break 9-under this weekend.

Lee Westwood finishing position: UNDER 15.5 (20/23, -115): Westwood is actually our pick to win this tournament. If you exclude this year’s fluke-riddled British Open, Westwood has finished top-15 in eight straight starts. And he doesn’t wilt on the biggest stages: He’s finished top-3 in five of his past eight majors.

Tiger Woods finishing position: UNDER 33.5 (20/23, -115)
We wouldn’t pass on a Tiger prop bet when he’ll be covered ad nauseum no matter where he is on the leaderboard. While he was all over the place last week at the Bridgestone Invitational, his length off the tee is still there (316.0 yards per drive last week), and that will serve him very well in Atlanta. Factor in his historical success in Georgia at the Masters, and a top-25 finish seems very likely.

Rickie Fowler finishing position: OVER 28.5 (20/23, -115)
He’s never finished higher than 38th at any of his five starts in the U.S. majors, and his tendency to fade late (60th on the Tour in Round 3 scoring average, 109th in final-round play) doesn’t bode well in the 90-degree heat of Atlanta. Even if Fowler is hanging around after Friday, expect him to drop down the leaderboard.

[StarDust Bum]

McIlroy favored to win PGA Championship


PGA Championship
Tees Off: Thursday, August 11
Atlanta Athletic Club – Johns Creek, GA

Odds to Win Tournament
(For the latest Odds, connect to Sportsbook.com)
Player Odds
Rory McIlroy 8-to-1
Lee Westwood 15-to-1
Tiger Woods 15-to-1
Luke Donald 15-to-1
Steve Stricker 20-to-1
Dustin Johnson 20-to-1
Rickie Fowler 20-to-1
Adam Scott 20-to-1
Phil Mickelson 20-to-1
Nick Watney 25-to-1
Jason Day 25-to-1
Martin Kaymer 30-to-1
Zach Johnson 40-to-1
Matt Kuchar 40-to-1
Sergio Garcia 50-to-1
David Toms 50-to-1
Charl Schwartzel 50-to-1
Hunter Mahan 50-to-1
Bubba Watson 50-to-1
Geoff Ogilvy 60-to-1
Anthony Kim 60-to-1
Webb Simpson 60-to-1
KJ Choi 60-to-1
12 Golfers 80-to-1
FIELD 15-to-1


The PGA Championship returns to the Atlanta Athletic Club for the first time since 2001 this week, welcoming a wide-open field. Here’s a look at some of the favorites to host the Wanamaker Trophy at the season’s final major…

Lee Westwood (15/1): Outside of a disappointing showing at a wild British Open, Westwood has been in contention at every tournament he’s played since May, with top-15 finishes in his eight starts. After shooting a fourth-round 65 to finish T9 at the Bridgestone, he’s primed for a big week in Atlanta. He sat out last year's PGA Championship, but has placed top-3 in five of his past eight majors.

Rory McIlroy (8/1): His performance at the Bridgestone Invitational (T6) was his best since dominating the U.S. Open. A year ago, he followed up a T9 at the Bridgestone with a T3 at the PGA Championship.

Martin Kaymer (30/1): He was on the receiving end of Dustin Johnson’s collapse at Whistling Straits a year ago, and while Kaymer hasn’t lit the world on fire since, he has been solid of late. He went top-20 in three starts, including a T12 at the British Open, before finishing 29th at the Bridgestone Invitational last weekend. At those odds, the defending champ is a nice pick.

Luke Donald (15/1): He’s bounced back nicely since a disastrous missed cut at the British, placing T17 at the Canadian Open and a runner-up at last week’s Bridgestone Invitational. With his putting, he has as good a shot as anyone.

Adam Scott (20/1): With long-time Tiger Woods caddie (and fellow Aussie) Stevie Williams by his side Scott has strung together a nice run of tournaments, culminating in last week’s domination at the Bridgestone Invitational. He finished T3 at the AT&T National to kick off July, and started strong before fading to a T25 at the British Open. He also had a huge showing at The Masters in April, with a T2.

David Toms (50/1): Toms won the PGA Championship the last time it was held at the AAC. His strong showing at the Bridgestone Invitational after a month off (T9 with four sub-70 rounds) bodes well heading into this weekend.

Dustin Johnson (20/1): Johnson will be the sentimental favorite as he tries to bounce back from last year’s controversial collapse at Whistling Straits. He put together an impressive month in Europe, including his runner-up at the British Open, before a disappointing 48th at last week’s Bridgestone Invitational.

Phil Mickelson (20/1): Mickelson’s performance since the British Open doesn’t bode well for Atlanta. He missed the cut at the Greenbrier Classic, then finished T48 with only one sub-70 round at the Bridgestone Invitational. He’s just 71st on the Tour in putting (.164 strokes gained) and 177th in driving accuracy (53.14%).

Tiger Woods (15/1): He had plenty of rust to shake off at last week’s Bridgestone Invitational, but there was little to like about Woods’ weekend (T37 after a first-round 68). His putter has shown no signs of getting hot, and until it does, there’s no good reason to think Woods will contend.

[StarDust Bum]

Seahawks-Chargers kick off preseason Thursday


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS


NFL Preseason Game
Kickoff: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: San Diego -4.5, Total: 37

The Seahawks kick off their preseason schedule with plenty of new faces when they visit San Diego Thursday night.

The Seahawks went 8-4 SU over the past three preseasons, but just 1-3 in Pete Carroll’s first preseason last year. But they have a backup quarterback who’s been strong in preseason action, as Charlie Whitehurst coming off the bench gives them a major advantage in preseason games. The pick is SEATTLE.

The Seahawks are breaking in a new starting quarterback in Tarvaris Jackson and a couple of new top receivers for him in former Vikings teammate Sidney Rice and former Oakland tight end Zach Miller. Seattle also has a new offensive coordinator in Darrell Bevell, who coached Jackson and Rice as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator from 2006-10. They don’t have a major transition to make.

The Chargers kept the core of their 2010 roster intact, so they won’t have to play their starters for extended reps. San Diego is 6-6 SU in the preseason over the past three years, including 1-3 last year. Billy Volek and rookie Scott Tolzien are likely to see the majority of action at quarterback behind Philip Rivers.

These teams met at Seattle in Week 3 last year. The Seahawks won 27-20 despite being outgained 518-271, behind two Leon Washington kickoff return touchdowns in the second half.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, August 11

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Kansas City - 12:10 PM ET Kansas City +161 500
Tampa Bay - Over 8.5 500

San Diego - 12:10 PM ET San Diego +116 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

Colorado - 12:35 PM ET Cincinnati -135 500
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Oakland - 12:37 PM ET Oakland +124 500
Toronto - Over 9 500

LA Angels - 1:05 PM ET LA Angels +178 500
NY Yankees - Over 9 500

Washington - 2:20 PM ET Washington +106 500
Chi. Cubs -

[StarDust Bum]

Eskimos travel to Montreal minus Stamps

EDMONTON ESKIMOS (5-1)

at MONTREAL ALOUETTES (4-2)


Kickoff: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Montreal -6.5, Total: 54.5

Edmonton puts its 5-1 record on the line Thursday night in Montreal at McGill Stadium. The Eskimos will be without a key player on Thursday, as their star receiver, Fred Stamps (33 rec., league-high 619 yds, 5 TD), will miss the next 4-to-6 weeks after surgery to stop internal bleeding.

The Eskimos and Alouettes (4-2) are two of the better teams in the CFL, but their past seven meetings have all been decided by 10 or more points, with Montreal winning five of the seven matchups (SU & ATS). The Alouettes have won all four home meetings during this stretch by a combined score of 157 to 60 (24.3 PPG margin). With their 28-16 loss at Winnipeg last week, the Eskimos have dropped two straight games ATS. The Als won big in Toronto last week, 36-23 and lead the CFL with 32.5 PPG. Expect MONTREAL to win big again over an Edmonton team that will suffer without its star wideout.

This FoxSheets trend also sides with the Alouettes.

Marc Trestman is 20-9 ATS (69.0%, +10.1 Units) after playing their last game on the road as the coach of MONTREAL. The average score was MONTREAL 33.7, OPPONENT 19.5 - (Rating = 1*).

Quarterback Ricky Ray (1,718 pass yds, 11 TD, 4 INT), is having a remarkable year, but must quickly forget last Friday’s game which ended in a 28-16 loss to Winnipeg. Ray threw for 226 yards, but more importantly tossed three interceptions and was sacked four times. With Stamps out, the Eskimos will most likely rely more on their running game, which means Jerome Messam (324 rush yds, 5.1 YPC, 2 TD) will have to take on a heavy load rushing the football. Messam is fourth in the league in rushing and should be able to take a bundle of carries with his 6-foot 3, 245-pound frame.

Montreal is coming off a nice win in Toronto where it scored a touchdown in all four quarters and won 36-23. The Als legendary quarterback Anthony Calvillo (1,834 pass yds, 12 TD, 3 INT) had a tremendous game, completing 30-of-36 passes for 349 yards and a touchdown. Calvillo leads the league in passing this year and is the league’s all-time leader in completions (5,180) and touchdown passes (398). Montreal also has a terrific rushing attack with the CFL rushing leader, Brandon Whitaker (493 rush yds, 6.8 YPC, 1 TD), who ran for 150 yards on 19 carries last week against Toronto. Teammate Dahrran Diedrick scored three times and is tied for the league-lead with four rushing touchdowns, despite only 21 carries.

[StarDust Bum]

Tigers try to end 13-game skid in Cleveland

DETROIT TIGERS (61-55)

at CLEVELAND INDIANS (58-56)


First pitch: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Detroit -180, Cleveland +170, Total: 7.5

Cleveland is looking for the sweep Thursday night against Detroit in a very pivotal series. The Indians came into this series down four games, but now have the ability to decrease the margin to one. Struggling Detroit sends its Cy Young candidate, Justin Verlander, to the mound on Thursday, hoping to snap a 13-game losing skid at Progressive Field.

Verlander has been lights out all year, going 16-5 with a 2.30 ERA. Verlander threw a no-hitter earlier in the year and has nearly thrown a few more, allowing two hits or fewer in three starts other than the no-hitter. Cleveland will send Fausto Carmona (5-11, 5.19 ERA) to the mound. Carmona has pitched well since coming back from the disabled list, posting a 2.81 ERA in those four starts. Cleveland has played well at home (31-24), including 5-0 versus Detroit, but has not won three straight games against AL opponents since May 13-17. Good teams with aces on the mound usually fare well against the sweep, and since 2009, the Tigers are 8-2 against Cleveland when Verlander takes the ball. The pick here is DETROIT.

The FoxSheets provide another trend that sides with Verlander and the Tigers.

VERLANDER is 22-3 (88.0%, +16.1 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -150 or more over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record). The average score was VERLANDER 5.5, OPPONENT 2.8 - (Rating = 2*).

Detroit has had some serious problems at Progressive Field, losing 13 straight games in Cleveland. Despite Verlander’s 2.54 ERA and .187 opponents’ BA in the past 10 outings versus the Indians, he has struggled in Cleveland, going 4-8 with a 6.31 ERA in 13 career starts. Verlander did record the last win for the Tigers at Progressive Field on May 8, 2010 and will try to break the losing skid on Thursday night. In Verlander’s last outing against the Indians, he didn’t give up a hit until the eighth inning and ended with a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts in a 4-0 win.

Carmona has pitched well at home against the Tigers in his brief career, going 4-1 with 3.46 ERA in eight starts. The Indians may have changed the momentum in the AL Central race with their triumphant 14-inning win in the series opener and then followed that up with a 10-3 whooping in Ubaldo Jimenez’s home debut as an Indian. Cleveland could use a performance out of second baseman Jason Kipnis, similar to the one Wednesday when he went 5-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and four runs scored.

[StarDust Bum]

Brewers aim to sweep Cards in St. Louis

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (67-50)

at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (62-55)


First pitch: Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT
Line: St. Louis -125, Milwaukee +115, Total: 7.5

Milwaukee comes into the series finale Thursday night against St. Louis scorching hot and looking to finish off the sweep. The Brewers have won six in a row and are 13-1 since July 26. The Cardinals now find themselves five games out in the NL Central and can ill afford to get swept.

Yovani Gallardo (13-7, 3.56 ERA) will get the start for the Brewers and try to replicate his last outing against the Cards at Busch Stadium when he threw eight scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out six in a 4-0 victory. Chris Carpenter (7-8, 3.75 ERA) has been horrible against the Brewers this year going 0-2 with a humongous 8.18 ERA. Milwaukee has been bad on the road this year (26-35) but has won five in a row on its current road trip. Milwaukee has not fared too well as an underdog of +100 to +125 this year, going 8-15. St. Louis has been average at home (29-26), but has been a winning bet in night games (44-36) and has played the role of favorite pretty well too (47-39). The pick here is for ST. LOUIS to fend off the sweep in a victory.

The FoxSheets provide a trend steering bettors away from Gallardo and Milwaukee:

GALLARDO is 13-26 (33.3%, -15.1 Units) against the money line when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record). The average score was GALLARDO 4.5, OPPONENT 5.5.

Gallardo is coming off a gem against Houston August 5, when he threw eight innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six in an 8-1 win. The Brewers have done a good job of silencing the Cardinals big bats. Lance Berkman is batting .147 (5-for-34) and Albert Pujols is hitting .119 (5-for-42) against Milwaukee this year.

Carpenter pitched well Saturday, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits in a 2-1 win over the Marlins. St. Louis really relies on its superstar Albert Pujols, (.277 BA, 27 HR, 70 RBI) considering Pujols is batting .348 in wins, and .188 in losses. The Cardinals are 3-8 this year against the rivals Brewers and 8-15 in home meetings in the past three seasons.