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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:18 AM

Thursday’s betting notes: Yanks beating up on lefties

Who’s hot

MLB: Washington has won nine of Jordan Zimmermann’s last 11 starts.

NFL: Tampa Bay is 6-3 against the spread under head coach Raheem Morris.

CFL: The under is 7-3 in Saskatchewan’s last 10 games in Toronto.

WNBA: Washington has covered the number in seven straight games.

Who’s not

MLB: Florida is riding a 2-10 slump.

NFL: Philadelphia is 19-30 straight up under head coach Andy Reid.

CFL: Saskatchewan is just 1-7 straight up and against the spread this season.

WNBA: New York has dropped five straight games against the spread.

Key stat

11 – With a home run Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Albert Pujols has hit at least 30 home runs in each of his first 11 seasons in the majors, becoming the first player ever to accomplish that feat.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants – Wilson sat out Wednesday’s game against Atlanta with inflammation in his pitching elbow after missing some time last weekend with a back injury. Sounds like he’s experiencing some major fatigue down the stretch.

Game of the day

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3, 34)

Notable quotable

"I want everyone to know I’m fine, I’m healthy. I was tested for everything, and everyt single test came back negative. I don’t have mono, I don’t have AIDS, leukemia — all the things people were guessing on, there was nothing. I was being tested for lymphoma and thank God everything has come back negative.” – Philadelphia Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin about a health scare that has kept him off the field so far in camp. He isn’t expected to play Thursday against the Steelers but has been cleared to work out. The Eagles currently sit as 3-point road underdogs at Pittsburgh.

Notes and tips

The New York Yankees are 26-10 against left-handed starters this season, winning 14 times in 17 games. They're batting .285 against all left-handed pitchers and have hit 47 homers against lefties. The Yankees are set as big -200 favorites against Minnesota’s lefty Brian Duensing on Thursday.

Quarterback Cleo Lemon may finally be putting it all together for the Toronto Argos. Even though the club heads into Thursday’s matchup with Saskatchewan with a 1-7 straight up record, it has covered in two of its last three, while Lemon has put together back-to-back 300-yard games for the first time in his career. Last year the Argos ranked last in the CFL in passing yards per game (221.1) with Lemon taking the snaps. This season they’re averaging 254 passing yards per game and are set as 3-point home favorites against the Roughriders.

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:22 AM

Thursday's six-pack

-- Joakim Soria's 40-pitch, one-inning save last night was the first of its type in the big leagues since Ryan Dempster's in 2005.

-- Milwaukee is now 19-2 in its last 21 games, winning its last 15 games against teams other than the Cardinals.

-- Brewers haven't scored more than three runs in any of their last five games, but still won them all. They had their 23rd home sellout too.

-- Drew Pomeranz is big prospect Colorado got for Ubaldo Jimenez; he threw six perfect innings for AA Tulsa in his debut for the Rockies.

-- Kid named Brian Bernardi from Xaverian in NYC (Chris Mullin's high school) is best shooter in Big Apple; his list of schools is down to five: Fairfield-Fordham-Hofstra-Iowa State-SMU. Odd group.

-- Frank from Sacramento snapped at me late Thursday, insisting that following line movements is the definitive way to wager on preseason football. When Frank snaps, I listen. Follow the line movements.

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Thursday's List of 13: The 13 best quarterbacks in the NFL......

There has been chatter in the New York media this week about where Eli Manning ranks amongst the NFL quarterbacks; instead of commenting on what was said, I’ll just give you my top 13 active NFL QB’s, with caveat that this is highly subjective, and that some of the QB’s who are low on this list or not on it at all are poised to make the leap, as soon as they accomplish a little more.

I’m trying to give weight here to players who have accomplished things, rather than try and project what they will accomplish. Anyway, instead of bitching at me about this list, make your own, and let me know how it compares.

13) Mark Sanchez—Solid leader who is beloved by teammates and that really does mean something. Question remains how he will handle bitter winter weather in the Swamp.

12) Tony Romo—Horrendously overrated by most, but gets one last chance with offensive-minded Garrett as his new head coach.

11) Matt Cassel—When was last time a starting QB in NFL never started a college game? How did Matt Leinart start ahead of him at USC?

10) Matt Ryan—Won a lot with marginal talent around him in college, still winning in NFL. Saved Atlanta franchise from post-Vick depression.

9) Matt Schaub—Ryan’s life would be lot different had Falcons learned about Vick’s legal problems before they dealt Schaub to Houston, because Schaub would still be in Atlanta, and Ryan would be playing elsewhere.

8) Eli Manning—Won big at Ole Miss, won Super Bowl in Swamp, but keep remembering that he’s the rich kid whose daddy wouldn’t let him play for the Chargers. Plays every week, which is big, but doesn’t seem like a guy that his teammates are that eager to follow. Not saying its his fault, either, just the way it seems.

7) Michael Vick—Gets points for being one of greatest running QB’s, if not the greatest of alltime; loses points for 2-year jail term. You need a team leader who makes better decisions than he has in his life.

6) Ben Roethlisberger—Gets points for two Super Bowl wins, loses points for 4-game suspension for being a drunken jerk. Wonder what his new in-laws thought when their daughter broke the news of her impending nuptials?

5) Aaron Rodgers—No 4-year college offered him a scholarship out of high school. This is why college coaches get fired.

4) Philip Rivers—Hasn’t won a title yet, and he plays in the ideal passing environment, so this may seem a little high to some, but he can play for my team anytime.

3) Drew Brees—Chargers actually let him walk, and then Miami passed on signing him for Daunte Culpepper. Yikes. At least San Diego still has Rivers.

2) Peyton Manning—Coming off his second surgery, might not play at all until regular season, so slippage seems likely, especially with offensive guru Tom Moore gone, but for now he gets rated here, in part because he makes Jim Caldwell seem like a competent coach.

1) Tom Brady—Won three Super Bowls, seems like a great teammate, a leader. What else needs to be said?

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:23 AM

NFL Preseason
Dunkel

New England at Tampa Bay
The Patriots look to follow up their 47-12 win over Jacksonville in Week 1 as they hit the road against Tampa Bay. New England is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: New England (+2 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

Game 401-402: New England at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New England 124.481; Tampa Bay 124.233
Dunkel Line: Even; 34
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (+2 1/2); Under

Game 403-404: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 119.857; Pittsburgh 123.953
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 4; 36
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 3; 34
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-3); Over

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

Game 405-406: Washington at Indianapolis (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 121.536; Indianapolis 108.994
Dunkel Line: Washington by 12 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: Washington by 5 1/2; 34 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-5 1/2); Under

Game 407-408: Detroit at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 123.639; Cleveland 124.206
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 42
Vegas Line: Cleveland by 2 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+2 1/2); Over

Game 409-410: Carolina at Miami (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 120.120; Miami 122.433
Dunkel Line: Miami by 2 1/2; 37
Vegas Line: Miami by 5 1/2; 34
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+5 1/2); Over

Game 411-412: Kansas City at Baltimore (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City 111.686; Baltimore 125.054
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 13 1/2; 30
Vegas Line: Baltimore by 6 1/2; 33
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-6 1/2); Under

Game 413-414: Arizona at Green Bay (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 122.434; Green Bay 131.606
Dunkel Line: Green Bay by 9; 44
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 6; 38
Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (-6); Over

Game 415-416: Atlanta at Jacksonville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.747; Jacksonville 120.543
Dunkel Line: Jacksonville by 1; 35
Vegas Line: Jacksonville by 3; 36
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+3); Under

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

Game 417-418: Tennessee at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 122.498; St. Louis 128.548
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 6; 39
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 3 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-3 1/2); Over

Game 419-420: New Orleans at Houston (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 129.639; Houston 121.462
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 8; 33
Vegas Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+1 1/2); Under

Game 421-422: Oakland at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 120.163; San Francisco 121.434
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: San Francisco by 3; 34
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+3); Under

Game 423-424: Buffalo at Denver (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 116.393; Denver 122.557
Dunkel Line: Denver by 6; 38
Vegas Line: Denver by 4; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4); Over

Game 425-426: Minnesota at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 121.451; Seattle 127.235
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 6; 32
Vegas Line: Seattle by 3; 35
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-3); Under

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21

Game 427-428: Cincinnati at NY Jets (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 116.654; NY Jets 120.120
Dunkel Line: NY Jets by 3 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 6 1/2; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+6 1/2); Over

Game 429-430: San Diego at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 120.415; Dallas 122.696
Dunkel Line: Dallas by 2 1/2; 43
Vegas Line: Dallas by 1; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-1); Over

MONDAY, AUGUST 22

Game 431-432: Chicago at NY Giants (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 119.434; NY Giants 120.241
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 1; 31
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 4; 35
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+4); Under

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:24 AM

NFL Preseason
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 18

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NEW ENGLAND (2 - 2) at TAMPA BAY (2 - 2) - 8/18/2011, 7:30 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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PHILADELPHIA (2 - 2) at PITTSBURGH (3 - 1) - 8/18/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-38 ATS (-19.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

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

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Friday, August 19

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WASHINGTON (2 - 2) at INDIANAPOLIS (0 - 4) - 8/19/2011, 7:00 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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DETROIT (3 - 1) at CLEVELAND (2 - 2) - 8/19/2011, 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 DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 1-1 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CAROLINA (1 - 3) at MIAMI (2 - 2) - 8/19/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 1-0 against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI 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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KANSAS CITY (1 - 3) at BALTIMORE (3 - 1) - 8/19/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as an underdog 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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ARIZONA (3 - 1) at GREEN BAY (2 - 2) - 8/19/2011, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GREEN BAY is 1-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
GREEN BAY is 1-0 straight up against ARIZONA 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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ATLANTA (2 - 2) at JACKSONVILLE (2 - 2) - 8/19/2011, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Saturday, August 20

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TENNESSEE (2 - 2) at ST LOUIS (3 - 1) - 8/20/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 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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NEW ORLEANS (2 - 2) at HOUSTON (1 - 3) - 8/20/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) in road games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) in road lined games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in a road game where the total is between 35.5 and 38 points since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 2-0 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 2-0 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OAKLAND (3 - 1) at SAN FRANCISCO (4 - 0) - 8/20/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) against NFC West division opponents since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-1 against the spread versus OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-0 straight up against OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BUFFALO (2 - 2) at DENVER (1 - 3) - 8/20/2011, 8:30 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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MINNESOTA (3 - 1) at SEATTLE (1 - 3) - 8/20/2011, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Sunday, August 21

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CINCINNATI (3 - 2) at NY JETS (2 - 2) - 8/21/2011, 7:00 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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SAN DIEGO (1 - 3) at DALLAS (3 - 2) - 8/21/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 15-35 ATS (-23.5 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 1-0 against the spread versus SAN DIEGO over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 1-0 straight up against SAN DIEGO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, August 22

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CHICAGO (0 - 4) at NY GIANTS (2 - 2) - 8/22/2011, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:25 AM

NFL Preseason
Short Sheet

Thursday, 8/18/2011

NEW ENGLAND at TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM ET
NEW ENGLAND: 3-0 ATS as an underdog
TAMPA BAY: 8-0 UNDER off a win by 21 or more

PHILADELPHIA at PITTSBURGH, 8:00 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: 13-4 UNDER in road games off 1 or more unders
PITTSBURGH: 16-6 UNDER at home when playing with 6 or less days rest

Friday, 8/19/2011

WASHINGTON at INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00 PM ET
WASHINGTON: 7-4 UNDER after allowing 9 pts or less
INDIANAPOLIS: 13-4 ATS off a loss by 10 or more

DETROIT at CLEVELAND, 7:30 PM ET
DETROIT: 4-13 ATS off a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better
CLEVELAND: 15-5 ATS at home after a non-conf game

CAROLINA at MIAMI, 7:30 PM ET
CAROLINA: 14-28 ATS in non-conf games
MIAMI: 3-1 ATS after playing a non-conf game

KANSAS CITY at BALTIMORE, 7:30 PM ET
KANSAS CITY: 8-1 UNDER in all games
BALTIMORE: 24-11 UNDER as a favorite

ARIZONA at GREEN BAY, 8:00 PM ET
ARIZONA: 1-3 ATS after playing a non-conf game
GREEN BAY: 27-12 OVER as a favorite

ATLANTA at JACKSONVILLE, 8:00 PM ET
ATLANTA: 8-2 UNDER off an upset loss as a favorite
JACKSONVILLE: 5-1 ATS in non-conf games

Saturday, 8/20/2011

TENNESSEE at ST LOUIS, 8:00 PM ET
TENNESSEE: 19-8 OVER in road games
ST LOUIS: 7-0 ATS in non-conf games

NEW ORLEANS at HOUSTON, 8:00 PM ET
NEW ORLEANS: 3-0 ATS off a home game
HOUSTON: 2-5 ATS in non-conference games

OAKLAND at SAN FRANCISCO, 8:00 PM ET
OAKLAND: 8-1 OVER in all games
SAN FRANCISCO: 4-7 ATS after scoring 9 pts or less

BUFFALO at DENVER, 8:30 PM ET
BUFFALO: 1-5 ATS after scoring 9 pts or less
DENVER: 5-1 ATS after playing a Thursday game

MINNESOTA at SEATTLE, 10:00 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 10-1 OVER after a loss by 10 or more
SEATTLE: 24-9 OVER as a favorite

Sunday, 8/21/2011

CINCINNATI at NY JETS, 7:00 PM ET
CINCINNATI: N/A
NY JETS: N/A

SAN DIEGO at DALLAS, 8:00 PM ET
SAN DIEGO: 10-2 ATS off a home loss
DALLAS: 20-36 ATS after a non-conf game

Monday, 8/22/2011

CHICAGO at NY GIANTS, 8:00 PM ET
CHICAGO: 3-12 ATS off a home win
NY GIANTS: 3-1 OVER in home games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:30 AM

NFL Preseason

Thursday, August 18

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NFL preseason Thursday: What bettors need to know
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New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5, 36.5)

Starter report

New England: There was lots to like in the Patriots’ preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, despite more than 30 regular players watching from the sideline. New England’s balanced attack rolled over the Jaguars defense for a 47-12 win as a 3-point home favorite last Thursday.

Backup quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet combined for 335 passing yards and two touchdowns while the running game rumbled for 141 yards, getting two scores apiece from rookies Stevan Ridley and Richard Medlin.

This week, Tom Brady is expected to make his preseason debut as is newly acquired receiver Chad Ochocino, after both sat out Week 1. Head coach Bill Belichick is as tight-lipped as ever about his game plan and his starters' minutes, however, New England’s other skill players are hinting at a full look at the starting lineup.

“We’re all excited. It’s the coach’s decision. Whatever he says, that’s what we’ve got to do,” veteran WR Deion Branch told the media. “We want to get out there and see what we look like.”

Other notable Patriots should be taking the field Thursday after sitting out Week 1. Big-name defensive additions DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Shaun Ellis will likely be spectators for another week.

Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers wowed in their preseason debut, stomping the Kansas City Chiefs 25-0 as 2.5-point road favorites Friday. However, the Chiefs played without many of their star players on both sides of the ball.

Tampa Bay got a good look at starting QB Josh Freeman, who went 9-for-13 passing for 72 yards and no scores. His backups, Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter, were steady and combined for 158 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, the Buccaneers spread the ball around, but got the biggest punch from their scrambling quarterbacks. Johnson rushed for 57 yards while Freeman tacked on a five-yard touchdown plunge.

While the offense was impressive, head coach Raheem Morris is more concerned with the improvements made on defense. Tampa Bay’s stop unit wasn’t tested much versus Kansas City and had some rough showings in training camp. Morris turned up the intensity in practice this week, and will have his focus squarely on the defense Thursday night. Expect an aggressive pass rush from the Bucs, who sacked the Chiefs’ QBs six times in the opener.

Things to note: Under Morris, the Bucs are now 4-5 SU and 6-3 ATS in the preseason while Belichick is 37-29 SU and 34-26-6 ATS in the warmup schedule… With the Pats’ backup QBs impressing in Week 1, there is trade buzz starting that New England may be able to deal Hoyer or Mallet for some quality talent… the forecast in Tampa Bay is calling for thunderstorms Thursday night.

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3, 34)

Starter report

Philadelphia: The new-look Eagles edged the Baltimore Ravens 13-6 as 3-point home favorites in their preseason opener Thursday night.

Quarterback Michael Vick was limited to just six throws, completing four of those for 74 yards and a score. Backup Mike Kafka connected on 13 of his 19 pass attempts, putting up 132 yards through the air and one interception. Big-name acquisition Vince Young was limited to only five pass attempts, completing three of those for 45 yards while adding one six-yard run.

Head coach Andy Reid, who is notorious for not caring about preseason games, told reporters he plans on playing his starters for the first half of Thursday’s meeting with the state-rival Steelers. Reid hopes the hostile environment of Heinz Field will help toughen his team.

"We have a lot of new faces here," Reid told the media. "Good, hard aggressive work has a tendency to bring people together and I think it checks all the egos at the door and allows you to jell as a team."

Missing in action this week are receivers Jeremy Maclin and Steve Smith, along with numerous bodies on the offensive line. Philadelphia will have stud receiver DeSean Jackson back in action after his brief holdout forced the playmaker to miss Week 1 of the preseason. Although he only has a handful of reps under his belt, Jackson could play the entire first half in order to catch up with his fellow first-teamers.

Pittsburgh: The Steelers fell to the Washington Redskins, 16-7 as 2.5-point road underdogs, in their preseason opener Friday.

The starters played a handful of sets, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attempting only three passes – connecting on two of those for 22 yards. Backups Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch split snaps under center, combining for just 81 total yards through the air. On defense, the Steelers were missing LB James Harrisons and S Troy Polamalu, who will return to action Thursday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters his starters will play 20 to 25 snaps versus the Eagles, but said that could change depending on the flow of the game. Tomlin is paying close attention to his offensive line, which will start Doug Legursky and Tony Hills Thursday. He’s also testing his special teams, and may ask them for shorter kickoffs to get a good look at their coverage, which means great field position for Philadelphia.

Things to note: Reid is 19-30 SU and 20-27-2 ATS in the preseason while Tomlin owns a preseason record of 13-4 SU and 10-7 ATS… The Eagles are reportedly shopping CB Asante Samuel after acquiring Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha this offseason… the forecast in Pittsburgh is calling for a chance of thundershowers Thursday.

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:35 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Week 8

Saskatchewan at Toronto
The Argonauts look to take advantage of a Saskatchewan team that is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 games against a team with a losing record. Toronto is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Argonauts favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-3). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

Game 491-492: Saskatchewan at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Saskatchewan 105.531; Toronto 109.844
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 4 1/2; 57
Vegas Line: Toronto by 3; 54
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-3); Over

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

Game 493-494: BC at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 109.263; Edmonton 112.117
Dunkel Line: Edmonton by 3; 44
Vegas Line: Edmonton by 6; 50
Dunkel Pick: BC (+6); Under

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 8

Thursday, August 18

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SASKATCHEWAN (1 - 6) at TORONTO (1 - 6) - 8/18/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 100-63 ATS (+30.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in dome games since 1996.
TORONTO is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.

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

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Friday, August 19

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (1 - 6) at EDMONTON (5 - 2) - 8/19/2011, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 43-21 ATS (+19.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 71-49 ATS (+17.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CFL
Write-Up

Week 8

Saskatchewan (1-6) @ Toronto (1-6)-- Both teams obviously starving for a win; Argonauts scored 26 ppg in last four games, but still lost all of them- their only win was 23-21 at Calgary in opener. Saskatchewan has five losses by 10+ points, losing 33-3 at Hamilton, 24-11 in Vancouver, but they did get only win at Montreal. Four of Roughriders' last five games stayed under the total. Last five Toronto games went over.

BCLions (1-6) @ Edmonton (5-2)-- Eskimos scored 16-4 points losing on road last two weeks, after scoring 30.6 ppg during 5-0 start; they are 3-0 at home (2-1 as home favorite) winning by 18-1-16 points. Lions are 1-5 vs spread last six weeks, losing three road games by 4-16-5- back in Week 3, BC (+2.5) lost 33-17 here, giving up 142 rushing yards with -3 turnovermargin. Five of last six Edmonton games stayed under the total.

CFL

Week 8

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Trend Report
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Thursday, August 19

7:30 PM
SASKATCHEWAN vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Saskatchewan's last 11 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan

Friday, August 19

9:00 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. EDMONTON
British Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
British Columbia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games
Edmonton is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against British Columbia

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CFL

Week 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian bacon: CFL Week 8 betting preview and picks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saskatchewan Roughriders at Toronto Argonauts (-3, 54)

This trip to Toronto might be the perfect occasion for the Roughriders to get back on track. They’ve won their last five visits to Toronto and have taken seven of their last eight games against the Argos.

Saskatchewan QB Darian Durant will be able to whisper the plays in an empty Rogers Center, where the scattered fans make for the dullest and quietest atmosphere in the CFL.

Defensively, the Argos will still be without MLB Jason Pottinger (knee) and could also go without DE Kevin Huntley (ankle). On the bright side, SB Andre Durie should play despite suffering a hamstring injury earlier this week.

These teams are both 1-6 but keep in mind that the lone win for the Riders was against Montreal, a team that clobbered the Argos twice this season.

Pick: Saskatchewan

B.C. Lions at Edmonton Eskimos (-6, 50)

After a stunning 5-0 start, the Eskimos have lost two in a row against the best two teams in the East, the Alouettes and Blue Bombers. In both losses, this young team showed its weaknesses on the offensive line and in its depleted receiving corps.

Jason Barnes was the most reliable target for QB Ricky Ray during the absence of Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman, but will miss this game due to a rib injury. Bettors can also add WR Marcus Henry (concussion) to the injured list

Newcomers Dobson Collins and Preachae Rodriguez are capable of getting the job done and become nice alternatives for Ray, but they haven’t had much time to learn the Eskimos’ playbook.

Passing isn’t the only problem with Edmonton. Its running game was totally annihilated over the last two weeks. The Eskimos have only scored 20 points over their last two games and only six points in their last six quarters. Over that period, Ricky Ray has been sacked 10 times.

The Lions can’t afford to go 1-7 heading into next week’s bye. They’ll need to regroup and avenge a 33-17 loss to the Eskimos earlier this season. In fact, the Eskimos won six of their last 10 games against the Lions and three in a row heading into the weekend. These statistics don’t mean as much because of all the injuries suffered to key players on Edmonton's depth chart.

Travis Lulay will be back under center for B.C. after being pulled against Winnipeg last week. Lulay was just 12 for 23 and totaled 103 yards passing before being replaced by Jarious Jackson. He’ll get help from WR Geroy Simon, who is currently the third best receiver in the CFL, and should do enough to cover against the sliding Eskimos.

Pick: B.C.

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:41 AM

WNBA

Thursday, August 18

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. NEW YORK
Connecticut is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Connecticut is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Connecticut
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Minnesota
Washington is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home

10:30 PM
INDIANA vs. LOS ANGELES
Indiana is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 9 games when playing at home against Indiana
Los Angeles is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games

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WNBA

Thursday, August 18

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Lady luck: Thursday's best WNBA bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minnesota Lynx at Washington Mystics (7.5, 151)

After laying an egg in Connecticut Tuesday night, the Lynx have a nice matchup to get back on track.

Things certainly can’t get much worse than the 108-79 blowout loss against the Sun that saw the Lynx get hammered 29-14 in the first quarter and 28-17 in the final frame. Minnesota shot just 22 percent from downtown and was outrebounded 36-32.

Washington has just five straight up wins this season, but has been great to bettors by covering the number in seven consecutive contests.

"Every game this season we've been in, so we match up well," Washington coach Trudi Lacy told reporters. "I think our defense has improved throughout the season. I think the lack of playing together and the lack of experience with a very young team shows up at the end of games. We just continue to learn and grow and improve and that's our objective."

The Lynx will put on a clinic in this one and put an end to Washington’s cash streak.

Pick: Lynx

Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty (-2, 153)

The Liberty came out of Washington with a win on Tuesday, but the club was far from happy about its play.

"All our games have been close lately," New York coach John Whisenant told reporters after the club dropped Washington 69-66 as a four-point favorite. "I wish I had an explanation for our lulls. We are obviously not where we need to be, but we're still right there in the playoff hunt."

That doesn’t make the team’s supporters feel any better in the middle of an 0-5 run against the spread. It’s not going to get any easier against a Connecticut team that has covered in each of the last three meetings between the two clubs.

Plus, the Sun will be fired up after that big win over Minnesota.

Pick: Sun

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 08:46 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Thursday, August 18

Hot pitchers
-- Kershaw is 6-1, 2.21 in his last seven starts. Brewers are 3-0 at home when Estrada starts (2-0, 3.00).
-- Kennedy is 7-0, 2.44 in his last seven starts. Phillies won last ten Worley starts (1-0, 6.35 last three).
-- Lincecum is 5-2, 1.16 in his last seven starts. Minor is 2-0, 3.93 in his last three starts.
-- Vazquez is 1-1, 3.00 in his last four starts.

-- Hochevar is 3-1, 3.40 in his last six starts.
-- Masterson is 4-1, 2.72 in his last nine starts.
-- Lewis is 3-1, 3.15 in his last six starts.
-- Romero is 4-0, 1.15 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Arroyo is 0-3, 6.26 in his last eight starts. Zimmerman is 1-3, 5.40 in his last five outings.
-- Stauffer is 1-3, 6.52 in his last five starts.

-- Sabathia is 2-3, 4.14 in his last five starts. Duensing is 1-4, 6.23 in his last five starts.
-- Beckett is 0-2, 4.50 in his last four starts.
-- Humber is 0-4, 7.52 in his last five starts.
-- Cahill is 1-3, 8.10 in his last five starts.
-- Weaver is 0-2, 4.87 in his last three starts.

Totals
-- Seven of Dodgers' last eight road games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last eleven Washington home games went over total.
-- Over is 9-4 in Philly's last thirteen home games.
-- Eight of Giants' last eleven games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 12-3-1 in last sixteen games at Petco Park.

-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Minnesota games. Six of last eight Bronx games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Beckett starts stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Last fourteen Oakland home games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in Rangers' last ten road games.

Hot Teams
-- Washington won five of its last seven home games.
-- Phillies won 14 of their last 17 games. Arizona won seven of their last eight games.
-- Atlanta won seven of its last ten games.
-- Brewers won 19 of their last 21 games.

-- White Sox won nine of their last twelve games. Cleveland won five of its last seven.
-- Bronx won 13 of its last 18 games.
-- Rangers won eleven of their last thirteen games.
-- Toronto won four of its last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Cincinnati lost 12 of its last 18 road games.
-- Giants lost six of their last nine road games.
-- Padres are 6-11 in their last seventeen home games. Marlins lost 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Dodgers lost their last three games, scoring two runs.

-- Red Sox lost five of their last seven games. Kansas City lost 10 of its last 13 games.
-- Minnesota lost nine of its last 12 games.
-- Oakland lost four of its last six games, allowing 38 runs.
-- Angels lost seven of their last eight games.

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 09:03 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 18

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Trend Report
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2:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Dodgers are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Arizona is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Arizona is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 11 games when playing at home against Arizona
Philadelphia is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. WASHINGTON
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing San Francisco

8:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Minnesota is 3-19 SU in their last 22 games when playing NY Yankees

8:10 PM
BOSTON vs. KANSAS CITY
Boston is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games
Chi White Sox are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games at home

10:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. SAN DIEGO
Florida is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing San Diego
Florida is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
San Diego is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
LA Angels are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games at home

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 09:05 AM

MLB
Dunkel

LA Dodgers at Milwaukee
The Dodgers look to build on their 7-0 record in Clayton Kershaw's last 7 starts as a favorite. LA is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

Game 951-952: LA Dodgers at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 16.613; Milwaukee (Estrada) 15.664
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-115); Over

Game 953-954: Arizona at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 16.135; Philadelphia (Worley) 15.374
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+125); Under

Game 955-956: Cincinnati at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.074; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.951
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-135); Under

Game 957-958: San Francisco at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.779; Atlanta (Minor) 15.647
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+110); Over

Game 959-960: Florida at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Vazquez) 12.996; San Diego (Stauffer) 14.859
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-135); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-135); Over

Game 961-962: NY Yankees at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.120; Minnesota (Duensing) 14.329
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200); Under

Game 963-964: Boston at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 15.781; Kansas City (Hochevar) 14.889
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-180); Under

Game 965-966: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 15.042; White Sox (Humber) 16.063
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100); Over

Game 967-968: Toronto at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Romero) 15.812; Oakland (Cahill) 16.039
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-105); Over

Game 969-970: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lewis) 15.263; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.706
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-140); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-140); Under

**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 09:08 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 18

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (14-5, 2.72 ERA)

Kershaw has won six of his last seven starts, allowing only seven earned runs over that span while striking out at least seven batters five times over that stretch. In his last trip to the hill, the big lefty baffled the Astros over eight innings while allowing just a single run during a 6-1 win.

Kershaw and the Dodgers are set as -125 road favorites at Milwaukee Thursday.

Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (15-3, 3.12 ERA)

Ian Kennedy has won his last seven starts and allowed fewer than three runs and lasted at least seven innings in five of those outings. The D-Backs are set as +125 underdogs Thursday in Philadelphia.

"You have to watch him a lot to really appreciate him," Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers says. "I knew he was good, but didn't realize he was this good. He's very deceptive. Very sneaky. He reminds you of a (Greg) Maddux or (Tom) Glavine. Just a smooth customer."

Slumping

Philip Humber, Chicago White Sox (8-8, 3.67 ERA)

The White Sox have lost six of Humber’s last seven starts and the right-hander has allowed at least four earned runs in five straight trips to the bump. He gave up 11 hits, including a pair of home runs last week in a six-inning performance against the Orioles, but still thinks he’s throwing the ball pretty well.

“Earlier in the year, I was rolling and those ground balls were going to guys,” Humber told reporters. “Whether you want to call that luck or chance or whatever it is, I think sometimes it will even out. Right now, it feels like it’s really evening out pretty hard. So hopefully I’ll start getting some guys to hit it at people.”

Brian Duensing, Minnesota Twins (8-11, 4.53 ERA)

Duensing made just one mistake in his last start and it cost him. He gave up nine hits over 6 2/3 innings and struck out nine, but also gave up a three-run homer that gave him a 3-1 loss to the Indians. The lefty has now lost his last three trips to the hill with a date with the Yankees looming on Thursday.

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 09:11 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 18

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels (-145, 6.5)

Maybe Jered Weaver’s six-game suspension for throwing at Detroit’s Alex Avila messed with his rhythm. In his first start off his ban, the Blue Jays drilled him for eight earned runs and three homers in only 4 2/3 innings of work. The eight runs allowed matched a career-high and the 11-2 shellacking stretched his winless string to three games.

"The command wasn’t there, everything was kind of flat, nothing was really sharp," Weaver told reporters.

He’ll need to be a lot better against a surging Rangers squad which had 27 of its last 38 games and had moved to six games ahead of the Angels heading into Wednesday’s action.

We see Weaver bouncing back in a huge matchup for his club. He’s been there all year for the Halos and he’ll have his best stuff going Thursday night. At -150, it’s pretty hard to go against him.

Pick: Angels.

Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics (-105, 6.5)

If you’re a Ricky Romero supporter, you’d better jump on prices like these while you can because books are going to jack his odds if he keeps chucking like this. He hasn’t been priced higher than -170 this season.

Romero has allowed just four earned runs – all on solo dingers – over his last 31 1/3 innings on the hill and has won each of his last four starts.

He only gave up a single solo homer in an 11-2 win over the Angels last week that saw him go seven solid innings, allowing just a couple of hits. Romero only had three strikeouts in that win, but is proving that he can win a lot of different ways.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Romero told reporters after dropping the Orioles earlier this month. “Today was just a lot of groundballs. It was just a matter of keeping it simple. I wasn’t trying to do too much. Just told myself I was going to hit spots down in the zone. We did it with a lot of fastballs and cutters.”

Romero’s the real deal and some great value Thursday.

Pick: Blue Jays

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**Udog** · 08-18-2011, 10:55 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 18

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA DODGERS (55 - 67) at MILWAUKEE (73 - 51) - 2:10 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. MARCO ESTRADA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 55-67 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 55-67 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 39-49 (-13.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 29-38 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 18-30 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA DODGERS are 7-17 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-11 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-19 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-4 (+15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 73-51 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 47-15 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-5 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 73-51 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.0 Units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
KERSHAW is 1-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 1.904.
His team's record is 2-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-0. (+4.1 units)

MARCO ESTRADA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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ARIZONA (69 - 54) at PHILADELPHIA (79 - 42) - 7:05 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. VANCE WORLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 79-42 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 77-41 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 129-73 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 129-79 (+24.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-56 (+20.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-18 (+27.5 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.
WORLEY is 12-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WORLEY is 12-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
WORLEY is 9-1 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 69-55 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 33-28 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ARIZONA is 69-55 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 52-38 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 51-37 (+17.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 30-23 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KENNEDY is 18-7 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 9-2 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 18-7 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 15-5 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 10-3 (+7.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 (+2.5 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
KENNEDY is 1-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.06 and a WHIP of 0.471.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

VANCE WORLEY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

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CINCINNATI (60 - 63) at WASHINGTON (58 - 63) - 7:05 PM
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 60-63 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 58-62 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 37-41 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CINCINNATI is 45-48 (-10.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 23-36 (-18.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CINCINNATI is 26-29 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WASHINGTON is 58-63 (+3.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-38 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 58-63 (+3.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 33-24 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CINCINNATI is 555-640 (+47.5 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 29-16 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ARROYO is 26-18 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 26-17 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 14-6 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 12-3 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 57-76 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
ARROYO is 3-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.138.
His team's record is 6-2 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.7 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (67 - 57) at ATLANTA (72 - 52) - 7:10 PM
TIM LINCECUM (R) vs. MIKE MINOR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 72-52 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 72-52 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 117-80 (+15.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 170-132 (+24.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 83-57 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 81-73 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 169-130 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-34 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-31 (+13.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 86-74 (+12.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-35 (+15.7 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.
LINCECUM is 22-9 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LINCECUM is 22-9 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-1 (+4.3 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LINCECUM is 7-3 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.112.
His team's record is 7-3 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.4 units)

MIKE MINOR vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

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FLORIDA (57 - 66) at SAN DIEGO (55 - 70) - 10:05 PM
JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R) vs. TIM STAUFFER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 40-50 (-11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 64-84 (-22.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 74-68 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 145-143 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-7 (+7.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
FLORIDA is 20-15 (+12.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 32-25 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 33-24 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 25-16 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 35-24 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 34-19 (+13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VAZQUEZ is 21-9 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
VAZQUEZ is 14-4 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 24-38 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 24-38 (-17.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 24-38 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 28-52 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 14-31 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 32-43 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN DIEGO is 35-53 (-17.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 3-0 (+4.7 Units) against FLORIDA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 5-5 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.094.
His team's record is 8-10 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-6. (+3.4 units)

TIM STAUFFER vs. FLORIDA since 1997
STAUFFER is 1-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 0.75 and a WHIP of 0.917.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

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NY YANKEES (74 - 47) at MINNESOTA (54 - 68) - 8:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. BRIAN DUENSING (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 41-39 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 9-5 (+14.2 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +175 or more since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 142-129 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 74-47 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 30-9 (+21.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 68-41 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 26-11 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SABATHIA is 24-3 (+17.8 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997. (Team's Record)
SABATHIA is 59-19 (+25.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-2 (-0.1 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SABATHIA is 15-8 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.94 and a WHIP of 1.202.
His team's record is 18-13 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 18-12. (+3.9 units)

BRIAN DUENSING vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
DUENSING is 0-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 8.40 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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BOSTON (74 - 48) at KANSAS CITY (51 - 73) - 8:10 PM
JOSH BECKETT (R) vs. LUKE HOCHEVAR (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 122-186 (-42.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-2 (+2.9 Units) against BOSTON this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BECKETT is 6-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.44 and a WHIP of 1.053.
His team's record is 6-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.4 units)

LUKE HOCHEVAR vs. BOSTON since 1997
HOCHEVAR is 2-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 6.67 and a WHIP of 1.651.
His team's record is 2-3 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

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CLEVELAND (61 - 58) at CHI WHITE SOX (61 - 61) - 8:10 PM
JUSTIN MASTERSON (R) vs. PHILIP HUMBER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 69-59 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 62-58 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 59-55 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 49-38 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 45-40 (+9.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-34 (-11.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-34 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 14-19 (-11.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 54-63 (-20.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-34 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 17-24 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 17-23 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 7-2 (+4.6 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MASTERSON is 2-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 2.04 and a WHIP of 1.151.
His team's record is 3-6 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.5 units)

PHILIP HUMBER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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TORONTO (63 - 60) at OAKLAND (55 - 68) - 10:05 PM
RICKY ROMERO (L) vs. TREVOR CAHILL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CAHILL is 32-22 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 63-60 (+4.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 32-31 (+6.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TORONTO is 30-27 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TORONTO is 45-32 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 117-103 (+17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 50-64 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 32-44 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 55-68 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CAHILL is 8-16 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

RICKY ROMERO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
ROMERO is 3-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.98 and a WHIP of 1.061.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

TREVOR CAHILL vs. TORONTO since 1997
CAHILL is 1-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.71 and a WHIP of 1.395.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

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TEXAS (72 - 52) at LA ANGELS (65 - 59) - 10:05 PM
COLBY LEWIS (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 24-8 (+13.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 33-15 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 34-24 (+9.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 597-587 (+47.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
WEAVER is 12-0 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 26-12 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TEXAS is 53-34 (+9.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 94-104 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 7-5 (+1.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.3 Units)

COLBY LEWIS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
LEWIS is 3-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.399.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. TEXAS since 1997
WEAVER is 9-5 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.23 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 13-10 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-7. (+6.8 units)

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/18 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/18 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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