Announcement

**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:05 PM

Saturday's betting tips: Cuddyer hurt

Who’s hot

MLB: The over is 9-0-2 in Oakland’s past 11 home games.

NFL: The over was 4-0 in the Indianapolis Colts’ four preseason games last year.

WNBA: Washington is 4-0 ATS in its past four games overall.

CFL: Winnipeg is 5-0 ATS in its past five road games.

Who’s not

MLB: The Giants are 3-10 in their past 13 games.

NFL: The Chicago Bears went 0-4 SU and ATS in the preseason last year.

WNBA: Atlanta is 0-3-1 ATS in its past four road games.

CFL: Toronto has seen the over go 4-0 in its past four games overall.

Key stat

0 – Losses for Tampa Bay starting pitcher Jeff Niemann since coming off the disabled list. In early May, he was 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA and suffering back problems. Six weeks later he returned to the mound and has been dominant. Since coming off the DL he is 6-0 with a 2.71 ERA.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Michael Cuddyer – The third baseman tweaked a neck muscle during batting practice and is listed as day-to-day. "He popped something in his neck on his last swing," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters. "He was hurting. He was in a lot of pain." Cuddyer is hitting .295 and leads Minnesota with 18 homers and 61 RBI.

Game of the day

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns (-2, 35.5)

Notable quotable

"When he got out of the car, we're talking, and the crowd started to build and his bravery started to build. I walk away and he keeps talking. That's the part that frustrates me. That's when you saw me engage like that. If you're going to say something, say it to a man's face. I don't know about you, but that really makes me mad. He just started running his mouth." – Jimmy Johnson on his altercation with Kurt Busch following last week’s race at Pocono.

Notes and tips

Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks confirmed he is ahead of schedule to return from a third-degree ankle sprain and surrounding ligament damage. However, he still is expected to miss another 2-4 weeks with the injury. He has only been able to run in the pool but has put weight on the ankle. Weeks is batting .272 with 19 homers and 43 RBI.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team will make a decision no later than Monday about which pitchers will make the cut to a 5-man rotation. "It's either somebody going to the pen or somebody going to Triple-A,” Cashman told reporters. “We'll make that call soon enough.” The team is expected to choose between Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett for the final spot.

The Panthers (-2, 33) are favorites against the visiting Giants but will be without a slew of players on Saturday. Carolina will miss receiver Steve Smith and guard Geoff Schwartz on offense and defensive ends Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy, linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis and cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Captain Munnerlyn on defense. On Friday, receiver David Gettis and defensive tackle Ron Edwards were placed on IR.

**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:06 PM

NFL Preseason
Dunkel

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

**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:09 PM

NFL Preseason
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 13

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GREEN BAY at CLEVELAND - 8/13/2011, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-1 against the spread versus GREEN BAY over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 1-1 straight up against GREEN BAY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NY GIANTS at CAROLINA - 8/13/2011, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY GIANTS is 1-0 against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NY GIANTS is 1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BUFFALO at CHICAGO - 8/13/2011, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 1-0 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 1-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANAPOLIS at ST LOUIS - 8/13/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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MINNESOTA at TENNESSEE - 8/13/2011, 8:00 PM
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.

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Monday, August 15

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NY JETS at HOUSTON - 8/15/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY JETS are 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
NY JETS are 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less since 1993.
NY JETS are 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in road games since 1993.
NY JETS are 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in road lined games since 1993.
NY JETS are 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in a road game where the total is between 32.5 and 35 points since 1993.
HOUSTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1993.

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

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:10 PM

NFL Preseason
Short Sheet

Saturday, 8/13/2011

GREEN BAY at CLEVELAND, 7:30 PM ET NFL
GREEN BAY: 27-12 Over as favorite
CLEVELAND: 7-1 ATS as home underdog

NY GIANTS at CAROLINA, 8:00 PM ET
NY GIANTS: 5-1 Over vs NFC South
CAROLINA: 1-7 ATS in all games

BUFFALO at CHICAGO, 8:00 PM ET
BUFFALO: 5-1 Over as underdog
CHICAGO: 5-1 Over vs. non-conf

INDIANAPOLIS at ST LOUIS, 8:00 PM ET
INDIANAPOLIS: 6-0 Over as underdog
ST LOUIS: 6-0 ATS in non-conference

MINNESOTA at TENNESSEE, 8:00 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 9-2 ATS as as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points
TENNESSEE: 8-0 Over if total is 35 or less

Monday, 8/15/2011

NY JETS at HOUSTON, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
NY JETS: 14-1 ATS Away if total is 35 or less
HOUSTON: 0-7 ATS as home favorite of 3 pts or less

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:14 PM

NFL Preseason

Saturday, August 13

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NFL preason Saturday: What bettors need to know
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Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns (-1.5, 35.5)

Starter report

Packers: As has been the case throughout head coach Mike McCarthy’s tenure, Packers starters aren’t expected to play more than a few series Saturday. It’s unlikely that Aaron Rodgers will be on the field for more than 12 plays. Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell will see the bulk of the action under center.

Browns: The Browns have a new head coach in Pat Shurmur and while he hasn’t laid out his gameplan in regard to playing time, he has indicated that he “won’t deviate from the original plan”. Way to be vague, coach.

Several Browns insiders believe that Colt McCoy and the rest of the starters will be on the field for the majority of the first quarter.

Things to remember: This game marks the first time the Packers will open the preseason away from Lambeau Field since 2007… The Browns edged the Packers 27-24 in last year’s preseason opener… The Packers are 9-11 SU and 11-9 ATS in the preseason under Mike McCarthy.

Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans (-3, 33)

Starter report

Vikings: The winds of change have blown through Minnesota, with Donovan McNabb taking over the reins at quarterback. However, he won’t make much more than a cameo appearance Saturday, before giving way to rookie Christian Ponder and Joe Webb.

Ponder has struggled at his first NFL training camp, but head coach Leslie Frazier doesn’t seem overly concerned.

"It's called being a rookie in the National Football League,” Frazier told reporters. “There's going to be some other days like that. That's part of it. He's going to have a lot of good days, too."

Titans: For the first time in what seems like an eternity, Jeff Fisher won’t be roaming the Titans sideline. Mike Munchak is the new man in charge, and while he hasn’t indicated his plan of attack for the preseason opener, we know that Chris Johnson (holdout) and Kenny Britt (injury) won’t be taking the field.

We can expect to see Matt Hasselbeck make a cameo appearance before Jake Locker makes his much-anticipated debut. Rusty Smith and Brett Ratliff should also see time in the second half.

Things to remember: This matchup features a pair of head coaches getting their first taste of preseason action… The Vikings haven’t posted a losing preseason record since 2003… Tennessee is a perfect 7-0 SU in its last seven preseason home games.

Indianapolis Colts at St. Louis Rams (-7, 34)

Starter report

Colts: In case you haven’t been paying attention, Peyton Manning won’t be ready for the Colts preseason opener. He isn’t expected to see any action until Week 1.

Based on Jim Caldwell’s history, the rest of the Colts starters likely won’t get more than a series or two of action.

Curtis Painter is expected to start Saturday’s game and play the entire first half. Dan Orlovsky and Nate Davis will share duties in the second half, while Mike Hartline may have to wait until next week to make his preseason debut.

Rams: Rams head coach Steve Spanguolo has indicated that his starters will see 12-15 plays before exiting. That includes QB Sam Bradford. Veteran A.J. Feeley should play the rest of the first half before giving way to a pair of undrafted rookies, Thaddeus Lewis and Taylor Potts.

St. Louis is a little banged up with no fewer than 12 players expected to miss Saturday’s game due to injury.

Things to remember: The Rams are 6-2 SU and ATS in preseason action since Steve Spagnuolo took over coaching duties two years ago… St. Louis has given up at least 20 points in seven of its last nine preseason tilts… Colts head coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t put much stock in preseason results. His team has gone 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS under his guidance.

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers (-2.5, 33)

Starter report

Giants: Giants head coach Tom Coughlin says that his starters will see between 15 and 18 plays on Saturday night. He’s also confirmed that only three of the four quarterbacks on the roster will get action. Chances are, that leaves Ryan Perriloux as the odd man out, with Sage Rosenfels and David Carr following Eli Manning.

Osi Umenyiora has been cleared to practice, but has yet to do so and obviously won’t be on the field in the opener.

Panthers: Saturday marks the much-anticipated debut of Panthers first-overall pick Cam Newton. However, fans may have to wait to catch their first glimpse of Newton in game action. Ron Rivera hasn’t indicated who will start Saturday, but has listed Jimmy Clausen ahead of Newton on the depth chart.

Veteran Derek Anderson and second-year man Tony Pike will also see time in the opener, likely splitting the final quarter and a half.

Things to remember: Tom Coughlin has steered the Giants to a 33-28 SU and 30-27-4 ATS mark in the preseason… The Panthers are a miserable 1-7 SU and ATS in the preseason over the last two years… Ron Rivera makes his coaching debut for Carolina.

Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears (-3, 34.5)

Starter report

Bills: Bills boss Chan Gailey hasn’t said what he has in store for Saturday, but if last year is any indication, we can expect all four quarterbacks to see the field at some point.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter, but he’ll be pushed by Tyler Thigpen. Levi Brown and Josh Nesbitt will be assigned mop-up duty in the second half.

Bears: Lovie Smith likes to give his starters a series of action in the preseason opener, and that trend should continue in 2011. After Jay Cutler makes a cameo appearance, Caleb Hanie will likely play two quarters. That leaves the remainder of the game to fifth-round pick Nathan Enderle.

Matt Forte remains a question mark after he hinted that he may not play in the preseason until he has a long-term contract extension in place.

"I expect all the guys to be ready to play if we tell them,” Smith told reporters. “We'll make those decisions a little bit later. But you just look at what Matt is doing. You love everything he's done. And why wouldn't he be ready to go?''

Things to remember: Chan Gailey-coached teams have gone 3-11 SU and 4-10 ATS in the preseason… The Bears are 14-15 SU and 12-16-1 ATS in exhibition contests under Lovie Smith… Chicago went winless in last year’s preseason… The Bills won 27-20 when these teams met in the 2009 preseason.

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:17 PM

CFL
Dunkel

Week 7

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 495-496: Toronto at Hamilton (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 106.996; Hamilton 117.051
Dunkel Line: Hamilton by 10; 47
Vegas Line: Hamilton by 7 1/2; 50
Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (-7 1/2); Under

Game 497-498: Winnipeg at BC (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 116.711; BC 113.497
Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 3; 54 1/2
Vegas Line: BC by 1 1/2; 49 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+1 1/2); Over

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 7

Saturday, August 13

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TORONTO (1 - 5) at HAMILTON (3 - 3) - 8/13/2011, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 5-3 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 5-3 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WINNIPEG (5 - 1) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (1 - 5) - 8/13/2011, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
WINNIPEG is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in games played on turf this season.
WINNIPEG is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in a home game where the total is between 49.5 and 52 over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CFL
Write-Up

Week 7

Toronto (1-5) @ Hamilton (4-2)-- Argonauts haven't won since opener, losing last five games by average score of 31-21, with three of last four losses by 9+ points. TiCats won three of last four games; they're 2-0 at home, scoring 33-34 points in wins by 30-8 points. Hamilton was held to 10-20 points in its two losses; they scored 32.5 ppg in four wins this season. TiCats won 33-3 the only time they were favored this year.

Winnipeg (5-1) @ BCLions (1-5)-- Bombers are 6-0 vs spread this year, handing Edmonton its first loss last week, week after they beat this foe 25-20 (-3.5) at home two weeks ago. Winnipeg won last three games, but trailed at half in all three games; they had six sacks vs Lions in game two weeks ago, but were outrushed 145-105. Five of six Winnipeg games, three of last four BC games stayed under total.

CFL

Week 7

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. HAMILTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hamilton's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hamilton's last 5 games when playing Toronto

10:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Winnipeg is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
British Columbia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg

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CFL

Week 7

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Canadian bacon: CFL Week 7 betting preview and picks
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Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-7.5, 50)

This will be the first showdown of the year between these great East Division rivals - just don’t expect it to be the intense affair that fans dream of.

The first chunk of the 2011 season has clearly shown one thing: The Tiger-Cats have a much better team than the Argonauts. The Tabbies have greatly improved offensively, in part to the acquisition of RB Avon Cobourne. They are also much better defensively, where they proved to be more aggressive and more creative than their Ontario rivals.

Toronto QB Cleo Lemon will need all the protection he can get from his offensive line Saturday. You can expect the Tiger-Cats to get their claws out after losing to Calgary.

Of course, new defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer will bring some fresh ideas to the table. He will need time before changing the philosophy and work habits of a defense that is coming off a brutal loss to the Alouettes in Week 6.

Pick: Hamilton

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at B.C. Lions (-1.5, 49.5)

Against all odds, the Blue Bombers have become one of the most frightening teams in the league. They are a legit threat to overthrow the Alouettes as the top team in the East.

The defensive unit, led by brilliant coordinator Tim Burke, has proved lethal. They lead the CFL in sacks while forcing their opponents to commit turnovers and must be considered among the best defenses in the league.

Unfortunately for the Bombers, they will play against the Lions, who are much better than their record indicates. These Leos are hungrier than ever and can’t afford to drop another game at home.

The Lions’ acquisitions of DB Tad Kornegay and WR Arland Bruce (aka Runako “Babe” Reth) could pay off this week. Wally Buono also made changes on defense, reuniting Korey Banks and Dante Marsh, two defensive backs that gave him excellent performances from 2007 to 2009.

Banks, who has been seeing less action recently for the benefit of Ryan Phillips, won’t need extra motivation to prove to coach Buono that he can still contribute in the secondary.

Pick: B.C.

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:19 PM

WNBA

Saturday, August 13

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Lady Luck: Saturday's best WNBA bets
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New York Liberty at Indiana Fever (-7, 147)

The Fever is hot and it can thank the play of backup point guard Erin Phillips.

The Australian took over as the team’s lead guard this season when Briann January went down with a season ending injury. In the 13 games since, Phillips is averaging 10.3 points and three assists per game. Oh, and the team is 9-4 SU and 8-5 ATS during that streak.

"Playing on this team is a lot of fun," Phillips told reporters. "I think that's half the battle. You come into practice every day, and you want to work hard and get better every day."

In the Fever’s most recent game, an 81-68 win over San Antonio, Phillips had 13 points – single-handedly outscoring the Silver Stars 10-5 in the second quarter – to go with four rebounds and three assists.

"Erin is a sparkplug for us," Indiana forward Tamkia Catchings said. "I think she's gotten a lot better. She's an energy player."

Pick: Fever

Atlanta Dream at Seattle Storm (-6, 153.5)

Seattle has a very simple reason for suffering a 70-53 blowout loss to Atlanta in Georgia last week: Sue Bird had her worst game of the season.

The former Connecticut star averages 15 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game but was a horrendous 1-for-3 from the floor with just two points and three assists against six turnovers versus the Dream.

Don’t count on that happening again.

"I can guarantee there are 30 NBA teams that wish they had a player on their team that played the game like she did,” Seattle coach Brian Agler told reporters. “She's as smart a player as I've ever been around."

And Bird and her teammates never take a game off at home. The Storm is 9-1 SU in its own gym and 6-4 ATS in those games.

"By nature, I do want to set my teammates up," Bird told reporters. "People are going to look at this season and my scoring's up and I'm shooting more and I'm more aggressive, and, yes, I do have to have that in my game always.

Pick: Storm

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:22 PM

MLB

Saturday, August 13

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Saturday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Ricky Romero, Toronto Blue Jays (10-9, 2.94 ERA)

Romero earned American League Player of the Week honors after winning his third straight start Sunday. The Jays lefty allowed only two runs (both solo home runs) on four hits to improve to 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA over his past three outings.

Luke Hochevar, Kansas City Royals (8-8, 4.79 ERA)

Rarely do Royals pitchers find themselves this high in the daily "Streaking and Slumping" article. Hochevar, however, is breaking out of the mold in Kansas City with a 4-0 record in his past eight starts. The right-hander hasn’t tasted defeat since June 21 and has been sharp over his past three appearances. Hochevar is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA while striking out a total of 20 batters in that span.

Slumping

Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies (4-7, 3.84 ERA)

OK, OK. Oswalt isn’t the norm for the slumping category, but he has dropped three straight starts going back to June 12, and has only one win since April 15. The Phillies righty looked serviceable in his first game out since hitting the DL with a nagging back on June 23. He lasted six innings, allowed three runs on 12 hits, and whiffed four batters.

Jason Hammel, Colorado Rockies (6-11, 5.14 ERA)

Baseball fans holding their breath for another magical, late-season run from Colorado will be more purple in the face than the Rockies' unis. Colorado is more than 10 games back in the National League West and has lost six of its last 10 heading into the weekend. Hammel is a big reason for this. The Rockies right-hander has served up 12 total runs in his last nine innings of work, most recently getting knocked around for six runs on four hits - two of which were home runs – in a four-inning, no-decision against the Reds Monday.

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:24 PM

MLB

Saturday, August 13

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Hot lines: Saturday's best MLB bets
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Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers (-158, 9)

The Brewers absolutely love facing Pirate pitching.

Milwaukee entered the weekend having scored at least four runs in each of their five games against Pittsburgh this season, averaging 5.4 runs in those games. Not surprising, the Brewers are 5-0 in those contests.

And Milwaukee’s favorite Pittsburgh pitcher to face? Kevin Correia, who will be taking the bump on Saturday. Correia is 0-2 against the Brewers this season, giving up 12 runs on 13 hits with four walks over 10 innings.

"We need our starting pitchers to put a foot down," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters. "We didn't pitch well. We just haven't pitched well against them, especially at their place. Not many teams have. They've got a dominant home record. You've got to make them uncomfortable at the plate. You've got to keep them guessing. You have to try and keep them off balance."

Overall, the Pirates have given up double-digit run totals three times over the past 10 games with the over going 7-3 over that span. However, it isn’t a great time to face the Brewers’ offense as the team has seen the over go 7-2-1 in their past 10.

Pick: Over

Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles

Tigers manager Jim Leyland has his work cut out for him this weekend in Baltimore. Not only does the Detroit skipper have to alter his lineup due to slugger Brennan Boesch suffering a sprained thumb, but he also must find a way to work Victor Martinez into the lineup as a DH since he still can’t catch due to a sore knee.

"We're in a little bind with that," Leyland told reporters. "Hopefully, we don't have to make a move, we're not at that stage, but we have to be prepared."
Boesch, who is hitting .285 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI isn’t sure how he suffered his bruised digit, but knows it was aggravated during a 14-inning loss to the Indians this week. He is listed as day-to-day.

Martinez suffered a bruised knee last week against Kansas City and has been forced to DH. As a result, Alex Avila has to spend every game behind the plate, limiting Leyland’s lineup options.

Meantime, the Orioles are far from world beaters but have taken at least one game each of the past eight series and entered the weekend with a 2-1 record against the Tigers this season.

Pick: Orioles

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**Udog** · 08-12-2011, 10:25 PM

NOTE:
For the initial posting of trends and indexes, we have provided information available up to the time of posting.
Additional updates for today’s games will be posted ASAP.

**Udog** · 08-13-2011, 08:11 AM

Saturday's six-pack

-- Arizona's Ian Kennedy has thrown 100+ pitches in each of his last 22 starts; he's been eating a lot of innings for an improved Arizona team.

-- Diamondbacks are trying very hard to gets fans to the ballpark; they are offering upper deck seats for only $4 for Saturday night's game.

-- Vin Scully pointed out Friday night that the last 11 hitting streaks of 30+ games were all accomplished by National League players.

-- Johnny Damon has hit as many doubles as Babe Ruth did.

-- CC Sabathia had only allowed eight HRs all season before the Rays hit five solo homers against him Friday night.

-- Texas Longhorns turned a $68M profit with their football program last year; the entire athletic budget at Texas A&M was $66.8M, which is a big reason why A&M might bolt the Big 12 for the SEC.

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

Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind.........

13) 77-year old Howard Schnellenberger is expected to step down as the football coach at Florida Atlantic after this season; the man with the pipe and very deep voice has had an exceptional career- he played and coached under Bear Bryant (he recruited Joe Namath for the Crimson Tide).

He coached under George Allen with the Rams and under Don Shula with the undefeated '72 Dolphins; he was head coach of the Baltimore Colts for only 17 games, but turned Miami Hurricanes into a national power at the college level, winning the '83 national title. He rebuilt Louisville's program to the point where they whipped Alabama 34-7 in the '91 Fiesta Bowl.

Schellenberger started the Florida Atlantic program from scratch and he won two bowls with the Owls. His career bowl record is 6-0, the most bowl wins of any coach who never lost one. Its fair to say that he's had one of the most underrated coaching careers in football history.

12) Boise State fired its athletic director over NCAA rules violations; the AD worked for the school for 30 years, oversaw the move from I-AA to national prominence, and now he gets fired? What did he do that was so bad? Either there is stuff left unsaid or the punishment in no way fits the crime. Seems like the guy has done a great job for the Broncos, just not a perfect one.

11) Florida Marlins are 51-41 when Hanley Ramirez plays, 5-21 when he doesn’t. That speaks for itself.

10) Arkansas Razorbacks lost star RB Knile Davis for the season with an ankle injury, big blow for a team breaking in a new QB this year.

9) Tennessee has a new basketball coach and he has huge shoes to fill, because before Bruce Pearl got to Knoxville, Tennessee basketball was only relevant when the women’s team played. Now Pearl is in coaching limbo and Cuonzo Martin, who did well at Missouri State but never made the NCAA’s, will try to win games with an extremely inexperienced team in a very tough SEC East. Good luck there.

8) According to espn.com, as of Friday morning, there had been 58 HR’s of 450+ feet this season; 11 of those 58 were at Chase Field in Arizona.

7) Pirates announced this week they’re going to raise ticket prices next year for the first time in 10 years. Team has lost 14 of 17 games since briefly being in first place; this probably wasn’t the best time to announce the price increase, not that there is ever a good time.

6) In 1999, Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban sold his Internet startup company for $5.9B worth of Yahoo! stock. That’s billion, with a B. Baseball would be more interesting if Cuban bought the Dodgers.

5) How good has Cole Hamels been this season? Phillies have scored two runs in eight of his 25 starts this season, and they’re 4-4 in those games.

4) When the Rams beat 49ers in Week 16 LY, it ended a 7-year long, 0-9 streak as a divisional home favorite against the spread.

3) Ohio State had to eat 7,517 tickets to the Sugar Bowl LY? That’s over 40% of their allotment. Seems like the BCS bowl setup is only a good deal for the BCS itself.

2) Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy must be quite a character; he fired a carpenter who came to his house wearing an Oklahoma baseball shirt. Now the carpenter is suing Gundy for $30,000 in lost earnings. Lot of hard feelings could've been avoided if Gundy had just laughed it off.

1) So Eldrick Woods shot +10 at the PGA and missed the cut; he's also out of the PGA Tour "playoffs" that were originally designed to get him and other stars to play more in the fall. He's ranked 30th in the world and falling fast, he's not in the top 100 on this year's money list and he's not scheduled to play again until November. Juat proves once again that real life is a lot stranger than fiction.

**Udog** · 08-13-2011, 08:15 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox
The White Sox look to bounce back from yesterday's 5-1 loss to KC and build on their 5-1 record in Jake Peavy's last 6 starts when their opponent scores 5 or more runs in the previous game. Chicago is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-155). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 901-902: Colorado at St. Louis (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Hammel) 15.579; St. Louis (Garcia) 17.265
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-180); Over

Game 903-904: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 16.319; Philadelphia (Oswalt) 14.774
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+170); Under

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Correia) 13.859; Milwaukee (Estrada) 16.585
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-160); Under

Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wells) 14.653; Atlanta (Lowe) .964
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+150); Over

Game 909-910: San Francisco at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.624; Florida (Vazquez) 13.716
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-165); Under

Game 911-912: San Diego at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 15.417; Cincinnati (Bailey) 16.372
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-130); Over

Game 913-914: NY Mets at Arizona (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.709; Arizona (Hudson) 13.967
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+150); Under

Game 915-916: Houston at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 14.175; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.344
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-210); 6
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-210); Over

Game 917-918: LA Angels at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 14.614; Toronto (Romero) 15.437
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+100);

Game 919-920: Texas at Oakland (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lewis) 16.862; Oakland (Cahill) 15.252
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-115); Over

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 16.862; NY Yankees (Hughes) 15.723
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+120); Under

Game 923-924: Minnesota at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Duensing) 14.211; Cleveland (Tomlin) 15.657
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-140); Over

Game 925-926: Detroit at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 15.102; Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.168
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130); Over

Game 927-928: Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Hochevar) 14.453; White Sox (Peavy) 15.553
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-155); Under

Game 929-930: Boston at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 15.705; Seattle (Hernandez) 15.190
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-140); Under

**Udog** · 08-13-2011, 08:36 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Saturday, August 13

Hot pitchers
-- Lannan is 1-0, 2.84 in his last couple starts.
-- Lincecum is 4-2, 1.36 in his last six starts. Vazquez is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Stauffer is 1-0, 2.70 in his last couple starts.
-- Pelfrey is 2-1, 2.33 in his last four road starts.
-- Kershaw is 5-1, 2.40 in his last six starts. WRodriguez is 2-1, 2.25 in his last three road starts.

-- Weaver is 7-1, 1.18 in his last ten starts. Romero is 3-0, 1.11 in his last three outings.
-- Hellickson is 3-0, 2.67 in his last five starts. Hughes is 1-1, 1.50 in his last couple starts.
-- Hochevar is 2-0, 2.11 in his last three starts. Peavy has a 1.80 RA in his last couple starts.
-- FHernandez is 2-1, 2.11 in his last three starts. Beckett has a 2.12 RA in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Hammel is 1-3, 9.69 in his last five starts. JGarcia is 0-1, 7.88 in his last three starts.
-- Oswalt is 0-3, 6.91 in his last three starts.
-- Correia is 1-4, 9.21 in his last six starts. Estrada is 1-2, 5.18 in four starts, last of which was May 4.
-- Lowe is 1-3, 7.65 in his last four starts. Wells is 1-1, 5.68 in his last three starts.
-- Bailey is 1-1, 9.00 in his last three starts.
-- DHudson is 1-3, 6.56 in his last four starts.

-- Cahill is 1-5, 6.31 in his last eight starts, but is 2-1, 1.25 in three starts vs Texas this season. Lewis is 0-1, 5.89 in his last three starts.
-- Duensing is 1-3, 7.15 in his last four starts. Tomlin is 1-1, 5.21 in his last six starts.
-- Scherzer is 0-2, 4.24 in his last three starts. Guthrie is 1-2, 4.82 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Eight of last nine Washington road games stayed under total.
-- Over is 9-4 in San Francisco's last thirteen road games.
-- Nine of last eleven San Diego road games went over the total.
-- Seven of Cubs' last eight road games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-3 in Pittsburgh's last fourteen games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven St Louis games.
-- Over is 7-4 in Mets' last eleven road games.
-- Five of Dodgers' last seven home games went over the total.

-- Six of last seven Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Tampa Bay road games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Detroit road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 14-2 in Weaver's last sixteen starts.
-- Six of Royals' last seven road games stayed under the total.
-- Last nine Oakland home games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Seattle home games.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies are 20-7 in their last 27 home games.
-- Padres won six of their last nine road games. Cincinnati won six of its last eight home games.
-- Cubs won nine of their last twelve games. Atlanta won seven of eight.
-- Brewers won 14 of their last 16 games.
-- Cardinals won six of their last eight home games.
-- Arizona won its last four games, scoring 29 runs.

-- Tampa Bay won five in row, eight of last ten games. Bronx won ten of its last fourteen games.
-- Tigers are 7-4 in their last eleven games.
-- Angels are 6-4 in their last ten road games.
-- White Sox won six of their last eight games.
-- A's won four of their last six games.
-- Boston won five of its last six games overall. Mariners won four of their last sixi home games.

Cold Teams
-- Washington is 7-13 in its last 20 road games.
-- Florida lost seven of its last eight games. Giants lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Pirates lost 14 of their last 17 games.
-- Colorado lost nine of its last thirteen games.
-- Mets lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Dodgers lost five of their last six home games. Houston lost seven of their last eight games overall.

-- Minnesota lost seven of its last eight games. Indians are 5-10 in last 15 home games.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last nine games.
-- Baltimore lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Kansas City lost six of its last eight games.
-- Rangers lost six of their last nine road games.

Umpires
-- Col-StL-- Six of last nine Schrieber games stayed under total.
-- Wsh-Phil-- Over is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Wendelstedt games.
-- Pitt-Mil-- Over is 9-2 in last eleven Hirschbeck games.
-- Chi-Atl-- Favorites won six of last seven Kellogg games.
-- SF-Fla-- Under is 8-4 in last twelve Kulpa games.
-- SD-Cin-- Favorites won last eight Bucknor games.
-- NY-Az-- Over is 6-4-1 in last eleven Barksdale games.
-- Hst-LA-- Under is 8-3 in last eleven Campos games.

-- LA-Tor-- Underdogs are 12-8 in last twenty Darling games.
-- Tex-A's-- Over is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Hudson games.
-- TB-NY-- Road team won four of last five Hallion games.
-- Min-Cle-- Under is 11-1-1 in last thirteen Eddings games.
-- Det-Balt-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten BWelke games.
-- KC-Chi-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Guccione games.
-- Bos-Sea-- Favorites won three of last four Ripperger games.

**Udog** · 08-13-2011, 08:43 AM

MLB

Saturday, August 13

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing Toronto
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 4-9 SU in their last 13 games when playing LA Angels

4:05 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Oakland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

4:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games

4:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MILWAUKEE
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 11 games

7:05 PM
DETROIT vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games at home
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Minnesota is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games

7:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ATLANTA
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing Chi Cubs
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. FLORIDA
San Francisco is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco

7:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Diego's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 8 games
Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:15 PM
COLORADO vs. ST. LOUIS
Colorado is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Colorado
St. Louis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado

8:10 PM
NY METS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
NY Mets are 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Arizona's last 16 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
BOSTON vs. SEATTLE
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA DODGERS
Houston is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games
LA Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games at home
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

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Announcement

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 8/13 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 8/13 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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