Announcement

**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:32 PM

Saturday’s betting tips: 49ers may sit starters down

Weather to watch

Hurricane Irene has forced the postponement of Saturday and Sunday’s matchups between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves as well as the New York Giants-New York Jets preseason NFL matchup. The Giants and Jets will play Monday night instead.

Who’s hot

NFL: The New England Patriots have won their first two preseason games, outscoring their opposition 78-26.

MLB: The Chicago White Sox are 20-8 in their last 28 meetings with Seattle.

WNBA: The Dream have covered the number in nine of their last 10 matchups with the Fever.

CFL: Montreal has covered in three of its last four meetings with Calgary.

Who’s not

NFL: Jacksonville has allowed 60 points combined in preseason play, the most in the league through two games.

MLB: The under is 3-13-2 in San Diego’s last 18 road games.

WNBA: The under is 0-5-1 in Atlanta’s last six overall.

CFL: The under is 6-14-1 in Calgary’s last 21 contests overall.

Key stat

1 – Wolves, who sit tied atop the English Premier League table with Manchester United and Man City after winning their first three matches, have just one win in their last 18 meetings with Aston Villa. Wolves are set as +255 underdogs with Aston Villa favored at +105 and the draw at +215 on Saturday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Johnson returned to practice Thursday after missing last week’s game with a sore shoulder, but is still considered a game-time decision Saturday against New England. The Lions are set as 4-point home underdogs.

Game of the day

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings (1, 37)

Notable quotable

“I know we haven’t talked about (a trade). I don’t see it getting to that level. I just think he is going to be here. It is not like he’s not under contract. If they can’t work something out he has a two-year contract to honor.” – Tennessee head coach Mike Munchak about running back Chris Johnson’s holdout status. The Titans are set as 3-point home favorites Saturday against Chicago.

Notes and tips

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh says he’s pretty confident in his first-stringers at this point in camp and will likely take Alex Smith and the starters out of Saturday’s game against Houston early – maybe even after a single series. He left the door open to putting them back in the game for some more plays later on, but it’s clear the backups are his main focus. “The idea of playing some of our twos and threes more in this game is also the way that we’re leaning going into this ball game, not so much the traditional way of playing the starters for three quarters like has been historically done in the third preseason game,” Harbaugh told reporters

If you’re hoping to see a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Saturday night against Atlanta, you might end up disappointed. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pittsburgh plans to use the game to showcase Dennis Dixon, who is currently listed No. 3 on the depth chart behind Big Ben and Charlie Batch. However, Batch isn’t expected to play against the Falcons, so Dixon, who’s in a contract year, could see a lot of snaps. Oddsmakers have the Steelers listed as 3-point home favorites.

Montreal Alouettes outspoken defensive back Dwight Anderson returns to his old stomping ground Saturday as his club visits the Calgary Stampeders. Anderson has been uncharacteristically quiet this week about playing his former team, but that isn’t fooling the Stamps. "He's going to try and give his coaching staff and players a little insight into what we do, having practiced against us for so many years,'' Stamps quarterback Henry Burris told reporters. "Hopefully, we'll have enough wrinkles to throw him off.” Calgary is set as a 1-point home favorite in the battle between the two 5-2 teams.

**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:36 PM

NFLX
Dunkel

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Game 261-262: NY Jets at NY Giants (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 123.375; NY Giants 118.706
Dunkel Line: NY Jets by 4 1/2; 40
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 2 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (-2 1/2); Over

Game 263-264: Jacksonville at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 118.477; Buffalo 121.587
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 3; 31
Vegas Line: Buffalo by 1; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-1); Under

Game 265-266: Atlanta at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.812; Pittsburgh 120.437
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 41
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 3 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+3 1/2); Over

Game 267-268: Miami at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.714; Tampa Bay 124.179
Dunkel Line: Even; 39
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 4; 37
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+4); Over

Game 269-270: New England at Detroit (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New England 127.525; Detroit 120.329
Dunkel Line: New England by 7; 42
Vegas Line: New England by 4; 44 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-4); Under

Game 271-272: Chicago at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 120.969; Tennessee 121.176
Dunkel Line: Even; 39
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 3; 37
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3); Over

Game 273-274: Dallas at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 121.097; Minnesota 118.142
Dunkel Line: Dallas by 3; 34
Vegas Line: Dallas by 1; 37
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-1); Under

Game 275-276: Houston at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 125.672; San Francisco 120.239
Dunkel Line: Houston by 5; 38
Vegas Line: Houston by 3; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-3); Over

Game 277-278: Seattle at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 119.327; Denver 126.402
Dunkel Line: Denver by 7; 36
Vegas Line: Denver by 4; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4); Under

Game 279-280: San Diego at Arizona (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 128.320; Arizona 122.672
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 5 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: San Diego by 3; 40 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-3); Under

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

Game 281-282: New Orleans at Oakland (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 124.178; Oakland 121.042
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 3; 42
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 4 1/2; 38 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+4 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:37 PM

NFLX
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 27

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NY JETS (1 - 1) at NY GIANTS (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY JETS are 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
NY JETS are 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games since 1993.
NY JETS are 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road lined games since 1993.
NY JETS are 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) against NFC East division opponents since 1993.
NY JETS are 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1993.
NY GIANTS are 12-29 ATS (-19.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
NY GIANTS are 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) against AFC East division opponents since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY GIANTS is 1-1 against the spread versus NY JETS over the last 3 seasons
NY GIANTS is 1-1 straight up against NY JETS 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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JACKSONVILLE (1 - 1) at BUFFALO (0 - 2) - 8/27/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSONVILLE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in a road game where the total is between 35.5 and 38 points since 1993.

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

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ATLANTA (0 - 2) at PITTSBURGH (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 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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MIAMI (2 - 0) at TAMPA BAY (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) as an underdog since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-1 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ENGLAND (2 - 0) at DETROIT (2 - 0) - 8/27/2011, 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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CHICAGO (1 - 1) at TENNESSEE (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 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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DALLAS (1 - 1) at MINNESOTA (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 15-36 ATS (-24.6 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 MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 1-0 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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HOUSTON (2 - 0) at SAN FRANCISCO (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 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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SEATTLE (1 - 1) at DENVER (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, TBA
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) against NFC West division opponents since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-0 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 1-0 straight up against DENVER 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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SAN DIEGO (1 - 1) at ARIZONA (1 - 1) - 8/27/2011, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 1-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO is 1-0 straight up against ARIZONA 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 28

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NEW ORLEANS (1 - 1) at OAKLAND (0 - 2) - 8/28/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) in road games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 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 1-0 against the spread versus OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 1-0 straight up against OAKLAND 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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**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:38 PM

NFLX
Short Sheet

Saturday, 8/27/2011

NY JETS at NY GIANTS, 7:00 PM ET
NY JETS: 13-4 ATS vs. Giants
NY GIANTS: 6-1 Over off home win by 10+ pts

JACKSONVILLE at BUFFALO, 7:00 PM ET
JACKSONVILLE: 8-0 Over off BB ATS losses
BUFFALO: 13-4 ATS after scoring 17 pts or less BB games

ATLANTA at PITTSBURGH, 7:30 PM ET
ATLANTA: 23-9 ATS off SU loss
PITTSBURGH: 6-1 ATS as favorite

MIAMI at TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM ET
MIAMI: 26-12 ATS as underdog
TAMPA BAY: 7-0 Under at home vs. Miami

NEW ENGLAND at DETROIT, 8:00 PM ET CBS
NEW ENGLAND: 8-2 Over after scoring 30+ pts
DETROIT: 6-0 ATS off non-conf game

CHICAGO at TENNESSEE, 7:00 PM ET
CHICAGO: 0-3 ATS after scoring 14 pts or less
TENNESSEE: 1-5 ATS after allowing 7 pts 1st half BB games

DALLAS at MINNESOTA, 8:00 PM ET
DALLAS: 1-6 ATS as a road favorite
MINNESOTA: 5-1 ATS in dome games

HOUSTON at SAN FRANCISCO, 8:00 PM ET
HOUSTON: 0-7 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better
SAN FRANCISCO: 5-1 ATS as home underdog

SEATTLE at DENVER, TBA ET
SEATTLE: 21-9 ATS off SU loss
DENVER: 22-9 ATS vs. NFC West

SAN DIEGO at ARIZONA, 10:00 PM ET
SAN DIEGO: 20-8 Over off an Under
ARIZONA: 0-3 ATS off an Over

Sunday, 8/28/2011

NEW ORLEANS at OAKLAND, 8:00 PM ET NBC
NEW ORLEANS: 27-12 ATS in road games
OAKLAND: 25-11 Under off an Under

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:43 PM

NFLX

Saturday, 8/27/2011

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NFL preseason odds: Full Saturday primer
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New York Jets at New York Giants (+2.5, 35)

Jets head coach Rex Ryan was adamant this week that he wants to see more out of his running game against the Giants.

"I'd like to see us be able to establish our run game a little more," Ryan said. "Obviously, this will be a huge test for us going against the Giants defense."

Gang Green will welcome RB Shonn Green and RG Brandon Moore back to the field this week. Both will likely be used sparingly, but the rest of the Jets starters are expected to work into the third quarter after playing the entire first half last week.

Tom Coughlin has indicated that his starters will play most of the first half on Saturday. He’s giving them a bit of a break given that it’s a short week after dismantling the Bears this past Monday night.

Don’t be surprised if both teams hold a little back given they’ll face each other for real on Christmas Eve.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills (-2.5 36)

The Jaguars will be focused on sharpening their offense after a sloppy performance, albeit a winning one, against the Falcons last week.

"I guess I look at that as our team is tuning up, it's not just David Garrard. It's not any one player,” head coach Jack Del Rio said, “I think as a football team we need to begin to play as a team and play better football and have it all come together for us and with an eye on the opener, yes, no question. But I think just like last week we saw some encouraging signs. I think this week we need to see more of them throughout our football team in all three phases."

Jacksonville’s first unit is expected to see action into the third quarter this week. Blaine Gabbert will once again take the majority of the snaps with the second-team offense after starter David Garrard exits.

Bills head coach Chan Gailey has been fairly tight-lipped when it comes to playing time here in the preseason. He has stated that Fred Jackson will be the team’s starter at running back, and has also hinted that his first-unit will see more action than they have in the last two weeks, but that’s it.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyler Thigpen will once again share duties under center after a lackluster effort in Denver last Saturday.

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5, 36)

Off to an 0-2 start, Atlanta will give its starters their most extensive action of the preseason on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“In terms of the amount of snaps that they are going to play, I don’t know that we’ve sat down and decided,” head coach Mike Smith said. “But we want to keep those (starting) units in there and get them as many exposures as possible.”

After not game-planning for either of their first two matchups, the Falcons will be hitting the film room for this week’s game.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t downplaying the importance of the third preseason game, particularly for guys fighting for roster spots. His starters are expected to play into the third quarter, but Tomlin has yet to decide on how his QB rotation will shake down after Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich. Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon both remain on the roster.

Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4, 36.5)

The Dolphins offense is off to a fast start, scoring 48 points in back-to-back wins over the Falcons and Panthers.

That doesn’t mean they’ll be easing off the gas on Saturday, however. Miami starters are likely to play into the third quarter against the Bucs. Starting QB Chad Henne threw 24 passes last week, and should see another heavy workload this week.

The Bucs were embarrassed by the Patriots on their own home turf last week, but they remain confident heading into Saturday’s showdown with the Dolphins.

Raheem Morris hasn’t officially stated how long his starters will play, but WR Mike Williams has hinted that they’ll see at least a half of action.

"We get to play more plays this week, at least the whole first half,'' Williams said. “The last game, we knew we were on limited reps. It was hard getting into a rhythm, knowing you only had 12 or 13 plays.''

Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (+3, 35.5)

The Texans have been one of the league’s most impressive teams so far this preseason. Their offense lit up Reliant Stadium last Saturday, and they’ll get a chance to do the same in San Francisco this week, as Matt Schaub and the rest of their starters are likely to play into the third quarter.

That leaves the bulk of the second half snaps to backup QB Matt Leinart.

49ers first year head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t a believer in using the third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

He’ll use his starters sparingly in the first quarter, instead electing to give his backups plenty of time to hone their skills.

New England Patriots at Detroit Lions (+4, 44.5)

New England’s starters will see at least a half of action on Saturday. Even after two blowout wins, don’t count on Bellichick to call off the dogs against the Lions.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson returned to practice on Thursday, but remains a game-time decision for Saturday’s game. RB Jahvid Best has been officially ruled out.

If you consider head coach Jim Schwarz’s track record, the rest of the Lions starting unit will likely play into the third quarter. The focus will be on improving defensively after a poor showing in Cleveland last week.

Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (-3, 37)

Playing on a short week, and being on the road for a second consecutive game, Bears head coach Lovie Smith will take a cautious approach when it comes to his starters playing time on Saturday. If the first-unit plays into the second half, it will come as a surprise.

With that being said, there’s obviously plenty of work to be done after back-to-back less than impressive performances against the Bills and Giants. If there’s no improvement, there will be plenty of restless fans in the seats at Soldier Field next week.

Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck took a big hit against the Rams last week, but is expected to start Saturday’s game. He and Jake Locker will handle at least the first three quarters against the Bears, with Hasselbeck taking all of the snaps with the first-team offense.

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings (+1, 37)

The Cowboys will begin the road portion of their preseason schedule in Minnesota on Saturday. We can expect to see plenty from the starters, likely playing into the third quarter.

Head coach Jason Garrett puts a lot of stock in preseason results, so he was understandably upset with last week’s sloppy effort against the Chargers.

"We live in reality," Garrett said. "There were some things that happened that exposed us. There were a number of mental mistakes. We need to play better. There were some good things that happened, but there were a lot of things that need to be addressed."

There’s a heated battle for the number two quarterback spot ongoing in Minnesota. Christian Ponder and Joe Webb are competing, and should see the bulk of the action under center again on Saturday.

Leslie Frazier has been one the conservative side when it comes to starters playing time this preseason. He has indicated that his first-team offenses and defenses will play at least the first quarter on Saturday.

Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos (-4.5, 37.5)

Pete Carroll says there’s no QB controversy in Seattle.

He continues to back up the play of Tarvaris Jackson, who once again struggled last week, completing 11-of-21 passes for 75 yards. Jackson, along with the rest of the Seahawks starters, will once again play the majority of the first half, and possibly even into the third quarter on Saturday.

The big news out of Broncos camp this week was that Tim Tebow had been dropped to third on the QB depth chart behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn.

With that being said, John Fox stated this week that Tebow would see more playing time in at least one of the Broncos final two preseason games.

"Kyle has had 19 passes, Brady's had 30 and Tim's had nine," Fox said. "So in fairness to Tim, we need to get that total up whether that's this week or next week."

San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals (+3, 40.5)

Philip Rivers and the rest of the Chargers starters played into the second quarter last week, and should see more extensive action here in Week 3.

Norv Turner has traditionally used his first-unit into the third quarter in the third preseason game, and while he hasn’t made it official this week, that remains the expectation.

Billy Volek will spend the majority of the second half under center, with Scott Tolzien possibly getting only a series in mop-up duty.

The Cardinals continue to work on getting Kevin Kolb acclimated with the offense, so no surprise that he’s expected to play the entire first half and a series or two in the third quarter on Saturday.

Playing for only the third time in 17 days, the Cardinals can afford to give their starters a fairly heavy workload.

Arizona signed QB Brodie Croyle this week, waiving former BYU standout Max Hall. That still leaves four quarterbacks on the roster, with Richard Bartel and John Skelton rounding out the quartet.

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**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:47 PM

CFL
Dunkel

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Game 493-494: Montreal at Calgary (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 116.673; Calgary 118.638
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 2; 51
Vegas Line: Calgary by 1; 55
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-1); Under

CFL
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 27

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MONTREAL (5 - 2) at CALGARY (5 - 2) - 8/27/2011, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 20-36 ATS (-19.6 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1996.
CALGARY is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.

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

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CFL
Write-Up

Week 9

Montreal (5-2) @ Calgary (5-2)-- Road team won six of seven Calgary games, with Stampeders losing two of three at home (beat Hamilton by 12 for only home win)- they're 3-3 as a favorite, covering last three tries. Four of Montreal's five wins are by 13+ points; they're 2-1 on freign soil. losing 34-26 at Hamilton, winning in Regina/Toronto. Home teams won both series meetings LY, with Als losing 46-21 here, winning 46-19 at home. Five of seven Alouette games stayed under the total

CFL

Week 9

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Trend Report
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4:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing Calgary
Montreal is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal
Calgary is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal

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CFL

Week 9

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Canadian Bacon: CFL Week 9 preview and picks
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Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders (-1, +55)

You can’t get better a coaching matchup in the CFL than the Als’ Marc Trestman trying to outwit Stamps coach John Hufnagel. And you can’t find better QB matchup than Anthony Calvillo vs. Henry Burris.

Both teams are coming off a bye week which only makes all of this more exciting. MLB Juwan Simpson is back after nursing a knee injury but DB Brandon Isaac is doubtful and could be replaced by Milt Collins.

The Alouettes are now rolling in full gear and their defense was merciless two weeks ago against the Eskimos. It won’t be any different even in the hostile environment of Calgary.

Expect Montreal RB Brandon Whitaker to challenge the Stampeders’ run defense Calgary focusing in on stopping the Als’ passing attack.

Pick: Montreal

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**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:50 PM

WNBA

Saturday, August 27

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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WNBA

Saturday, August 27

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Lady luck: Saturday's best WNBA bets
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Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever (-5.5, 157.5)

Whether Angel McCoughtry likes it or not, she’s the key to the Atlanta Dream’s success every time they take the court.

McCoughtry averages 20.5 points and 2.5 steals per game to pace the club and has managed at least 20 points in four straight games, helping the club to three wins over that stretch.

"Everybody says all of the attention is on me but it's really about teammates. They get me open and get rebounds," McCoughtry said. "I need to lead my team and keep my composure. I'm an emotional player but I want to show all of my toughness and help build my team up through adversity. That's what I really want to do."

If Atlanta’s going to punch its postseason ticket, it’ll have to keep beating up on the East-leading Fever. Three of the Dream’s last seven games are against Indiana and the Dream have covered in nine of their last 10 matchups with Indiana overall.

The Dream had four players score in double figures in an 84-74 win over the Fever last month, helping Atlanta bettors to the pay window as a 2.5-point home underdog.

We like the Dream to at least keep this one close.

Pick: Dream

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**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:56 PM

MLB

Saturday, August 27

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Saturday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers (19-5, 2.28 ERA)

With a fat slate of Saturday games, there is a lot to choose from and while we try to avoid the obvious at times in this space, we can’t ignore Verlander here. The big righty is looking for his 20th win of the season against the Twins and could become the first Tigers pitcher to reach that mark since Bill Gullickson accomplished the feat in 1991.

Verlander has won his last seven starts, giving up more than three runs only once during the streak.

Ivan Nova, New York Yankees (13-4, 3.97 ERA)

There are a lot of questions about the Yankees’ starting rotation right now, but nobody’s worried about Nova. He has won his last five starts since getting the call to the big club and bounced back from a rotten outing against Kansas City to blank the Twins over seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out five. Having won his last nine decisions overall, he could break Whitey Ford’s team record for most consecutive wins by a rookie on Saturday.

Slumping

Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles (1-6, 8.92 ERA)

Matusz has been dreadful on the bump lately, dropping each of his last six outings. He has allowed at least four runs in each of those and is getting hammered by the long ball. The lefty has served up 10 taters during the skid and has struck out only 25 batters compared to 15 walks in 36 1/3 innings of work this season.

Joe Saunders, Arizona Diamondbacks (8-11, 3.98 ERA)

Saunders hasn’t won a decision this month and has allowed 14 runs over his last three trips to the hill. In his last start, he gave four runs over six innings while walking three in a 4-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. The big inning hurt him again in that one.

“He had trouble throwing the ball over the plate,” manager Kirk Gibson told reporters of Saunders. “He pitched pretty good until the seventh and then we kind of fell apart.”

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MLB

Saturday, August 27

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Hot lines: Saturday's best MLB bets
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Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (-225, 7.5)

Chris Carpenter needs a little help from his offense. Despite allowing just seven runs over his last four starts, the Cardinals are 2-2 over that stretch.

The last time he was on the hill, the veteran was mowing down Dodgers up until the ninth inning. St. Louis had a 1-0 lead and Carpenter had chalked up seven strikeouts before he hit the leadoff batter in the ninth and was promptly pulled by manager Tony LaRussa.

The bullpen came on and allowed the Dodgers to complete a 2-1 comeback victory.

"It's a tough one, no question," Carpenter told reporters after the game. "Absolutely. Tough loss. We had a chance to start a nice homestand and we weren't able to pull it off."

Luckily for Cardinals bettors, the veteran righty has owned the Pirates over his career. The Cardinals have won 14 of their last 16 matchups with Pittsburgh with Carpenter on the hill.

At this price, we won’t bother with a St. Louis bet, but the under looks tasty.

Pick: Under

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers (-200, 8)

It’s pretty hard to bet against the Brewers these days. They had won 24 of their last 29 games heading into Friday night’s action, opening up a huge 9.5-game lead over the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.

Their bats have been booming and their pitching staff looks primed to push the team to a long playoff run.

But you might want to look at the underdog Cubs on Saturday.

Chicago sends Ryan Dempster to the hill and in another lost year for Cubs bettors, he has been one bright spot. Chicago is 16-11 in his starts this season and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last six outings.

Call us crazy, but we like the value here.

Pick: Cubs

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

**Udog** · 08-26-2011, 11:57 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** · 08-27-2011, 09:18 AM

Saturday's six-pack

-- Giant-Jet game has been moved to Monday night at 7 because of the hurricane. Saturday/Sunday baseball in Queens and Baltimore has been postponed, as has Sunday's baseball game in Philadelphia.

-- In five starts for Cleveland, Ubaldo Jimenez has a 0.60 ERA in two home starts, an 11.77 ERA in three road outings.

-- Detroit is 11-4 in its last 15 games, batting .303 as a team.

-- AJ Burnett is in a funk, going 1-4, 9.17 in his last seven starts.

-- Evan Longoria has 23 RBI in his last 21 games. Tampa Bay is still only 7.5 games out of the Wild Card spot, with a decent 71-59 mark.

-- Today's weird reality TV show of the day: Hillbilly Handfishin', and I wish I was making that one up.

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

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

13) You know this hurricane stuff is serious when Atlantic City casinos close, just the third time its ever happened, with two of the three being weather-related.

12) Last time New Jersey was hit by a tropical storm at hurricane strength was 1903.

11) In less significant news, the Lingerie Football League kicked off its season on MTV2 Friday night; Not only didn’t I know the LFL was a real league, I had no idea there is an MTV2. I’m terribly uninformed.

10) Giants-Jets moved their exhibition game to Monday night because of the hurricane. Oakland-Boston will play a twinbill Saturday afternoon and get the A’s out of town before storm hits Massachusetts late Saturday.

9) Since 2003, Patriots are 19-6 against the spread in game that followed a loss.

8) Indianapolis Colts signed Kerry Collins as an insurance policy in case Peyton Manning is a no-go on September 11. Good news for Collins is that he’ll probably get to go to the Super Bowl in February. Bad news is that he’ll be able to go to the Super Bowl because its in Indianapolis this year.

7) Colts have three primetime game in the first seven weeks of the season. Network executives are praying that #18’s neck isn’t going to give them a pain in the neck.

6) Police in south Florida are cracking down on the rampant gambling/ drinking/violence taking place at youth football games, which involve kids ages 15 and under. People are betting serious money on these games, and giving bonuses to kids who play well and help them win bets. I wish I was making all of this up; also hope someone is writing a movie about it. That I would pay to see.

5) Over last two seasons, Atlanta Falcons are 7-3 vs spread in first five games of the season, 7-1 in last four games, which means I’d much rather play them in the middle of the season. My momma didn’t raise no fool.

4) Over the last ten years, New Orleans Saints are just 3-18 against the spread as a divisional home fave; over the same period, they’re 19-16-2 as a home favorite against everyone else.

3) In Raheem Morris’ two years coaching Tampa Bay, the road team is 24-6-2 against the spread. Bucs are 3-12-1 vs spread at home under Morris, 12-3-1 on foreign soil.

2) Season hasn’t even started yet, and Purdue is already down to its #3 QB. This is the kind of stuff that gets coaches fired.

1) Last major league player to hit a walk-off home run in his first major league game? Miguel Cabrera for the Marlins in 2003.

**Udog** · 08-27-2011, 09:36 AM

NFLX
Dunkel POD

Dallas at Minnesota
The Cowboys look to bounce back from their 20-7 loss to San Diego last week as they travel to Minnesota tonight. Dallas is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Cowboys favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-1).

**Udog** · 08-27-2011, 09:38 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Atlanta at Indiana
The Dream look to build on their 9-1 ATS record in the last 10 meetings between the two teams. Atlanta is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Game 601-602: Atlanta at Indiana (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 113.619; Indiana 115.450
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 4 1/2; 158
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 08-27-2011, 09:42 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Pittsburgh at St. Louis
The Pirates look to bounce back from last night's 5-4 loss and take advantage of a St. Louis team that is 1-4 in its last 5 games after scoring 5 runs or more in the previous game. Pittsburgh is the pick (+190) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 1 1/2. Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Game 903-904: Colorado at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Millwood) 17.226; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 17.082
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-145); Under

Game 907-908: Washington at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Detwiler) 14.044; Cincinnati (Leake) 14.492
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-145); Over

Game 909-910: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 14.214; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 16.462
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-200); Under

Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Lincoln) 15.487; St. Louis (Carpenter) 14.198
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-230); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+190); Over

Game 913-914: San Diego at Arizona (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Harang) 14.398; Arizona (Saunders) 15.984
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Over

Game 915-916: Houston at San Francisco (9:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 15.421; San Francisco (Surkamp) 14.220
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.336; Toronto (Perez) 14.263
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-115); Under

Game 923-924: Oakland at Boston (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Godfrey) 17.108; Boston (Bedard) 16.317
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 925-926: Detroit at Minnesota (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 16.590; Minnesota (Pavano) 12.472
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 4; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200); Under

Game 927-928: Kansas City at Cleveland (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Duffy) 14.838; Cleveland (Carmona) 13.978
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+140); Over

Game 929-930: LA Angels at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.844; Texas (Wilson) 15.211
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 931-932: Chicago White Sox at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.733; Seattle (Pineda) 15.319
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-110); Under

Game 933-934: Florida at Philadelphia (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Sanchez) 13.930; Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.454
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-280); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-280); Over

Game 935-936: Oakland at Boston (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Moscoso) 16.222; Boston (Lester) 17.110
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

**Udog** · 08-27-2011, 09:46 AM

MLB
Write-Up

Saturday, August 27

Hot pitchers
-- Halladay is 4-1, 2.98 in his last six starts.
-- Karstens is 4-0, 2.27 in his last seven road starts. Carpenter is 2-0, 2.12 in his last four starts.
-- Gallardo is 3-2, 2.57 in his last six starts. Dempster is 3-1, 3.09 in his last five starts.
-- Detwiler has a 2.89 RA in five starts this season.
-- Harang is 3-0, 4.98 in his last four starts.

-- Lester is 3-2, 2.72 in his last six starts. Moscoso is 2-1, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Niemann is 4-1, 2.61 in his last five starts. Perez shut the A's out for six innings in his first 2011 start.
-- Verlander is 7-0, 2.56 in his last seven starts.
-- Carmona is 1-0, 1.88 in his last couple starts.
-- Santana is 5-1, 1.99 in his last seven starts. Wilson is 3-0, 1.37 in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Sanchez is 1-3, 6.00 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 1-2, 5.87 in his last five starts. Millwood is 1-1, 4.50 in three starts for Colorado.
-- Leake is 1-2, 5.33 in his last four starts.
-- Saunders is 0-3, 7.04 in his last four starts.
-- Myers is 0-7, 5.91 in his last eleven starts. Surkamp was 10-4, 2.02 in 22 starts in the AA Eastern League; this is his big league debut.

-- Bedard is 0-3, 4.91 in four starts for Boston. Godfrey is 1-1, 5.82 in three starts this year, last of which was June 23.
-- Pavano is 0-4, 6.29 in his last seven starts.
-- Duffy is 0-4, 8.03 in his last five starts.
-- Danks is 1-3, 6.27 in his last six road starts. Pineda is 1-2, 5.88 in his last seven starts.

Totals
-- Over is 10-2 in Phillies' last twelve home games.
-- Under is 9-2 in Washington's last eleven road games.
-- Last seven games at Miller Park stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-2 in Cardinals' last ten home games.
-- 12 of San Diego's last 16 road games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Dodgers' last ten home games.
-- Seven of Giants' last nine home games stayed under total.

-- Over is 9-2-1 in last twelve Bronx games.
-- Over is 6-3 in Toronto's last nine home games.
-- Five of Cleveland's last seven games went over the total.
-- Over is 9-1-1 in Oakland's last eleven road games.
-- Six of Angels' last seven road games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-3-2 in Detroit's last fifteen road games.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven games at Safeco Field.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won four of their last six home games.
-- Reds won five of their last six home games.
-- Milwaukee won 19 of its last 22 home games.
-- Padres won five of their last seven games. Arizona won last four games, allowing total of three runs.
-- Colorado won five of its last six games. Dodgers won six of their last eight games.

-- Orioles won their last five games, outscoring foes 36-9.
-- Tampa Bay won seven of its last ten games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last nine games. Oakland won seven of its last ten games, scoring 36 runs in their last four.
-- Angels won six of their last seven games.
-- Tigers won seven of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost six of their last eight road games.
-- Nationals lost their last four games, outscored 18-6.
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.
-- Cardinals lost seven of their last 11 games. Pirates lost seven of ten.
-- Giants lost seven of their last eleven games. Astros lost five of six. .

-- Toronto is 5-7 in its last twelve home games.
-- Bronx Bombers lost three of their last four games.
-- Cleveland lost six of its last eight games. Royals lost eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Twins lost their last six games, outscored 35-5.
-- Seattle lost seven of its last ten games. White Sox are 3-5 in their last eight games.

Umpires
-- Fla-Phil-- Underdogs are 9-5 in last fourteen O'Nora games.
-- Atl-NY-- PPD rain
-- Colo-LA-- Road team won the last six Knight games.
-- Pitt-StL-- Favorites won eight of last nine TWelke games.
-- Chi-Mil-- Six of last nine Hallion games went over the total.
-- Wsh-Cin-- Over is 8-3 in last eleven West games.
-- SD-Az-- Underdogs are 9-4 in last thirteen Carlson games.
-- Hst-SF-- Over is 12-7 in last nineteen Randazzo games.

-- A's-Bos-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Hudson games.
-- NY-Balt-- PPD rain
-- TB-Tor-- Home team won seven of last nine Tschida games.
-- Det-Min-- Last four Dreckman games stayed under the total.
-- KC-Clev-- Visitor won seven of last eight Estabrook games.
-- LA-Tex-- Under is 9-2 in last eleven Cousins games.
-- Chi-Sea-- Under is 12-3-1 in last sixteen Eddings games.

Announcement

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 8/26 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 8/26 ( MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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