Announcement

**Udog** · 10-01-2011, 10:35 PM

Sunday’s betting tips: Road tests for Lions, Bills

Who’s hot

NFL: The Bengals are 5-1 ATS in their last six overall and 5-0 ATS in their last five against the AFC.

NFL: The Redskins are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.

MLB: The Cardinals are 5-0 in Chris Carpenter’s last five starts against the Phillies.

MLB: The Brewers are 15-0 in Zack Greinke’s last 15 home starts.

WNBA: The Dream are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven against the Western Conference and 4-1 ATS in their last five games as underdogs.

Who’s not

NFL: The Browns are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven overall and 0-5-1 ATS in their last six home games.

NFL: The Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last six overall, 1-5 ATS in their last six against the NFC, and 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.

MLB: The over is 0-5 in Arizona’s last five road games and 0-5 in Milwaukee’s last five playoff games.

MLB: The Yankees are 0-4 in their last four overall heading into Game 1 on Saturday night.

WNBA: The under is 2-8-1 in Atlanta’s last 11 road games.

Key stat

0 – Number of rushing touchdowns scored by the Kansas City Chiefs through the first three weeks of the NFL season. The Chiefs are scoring a ridiculously bad 9.0 points per game, with three TDs to go along with three PATs and two field goals. Kansas City’s ground game—and its offense as whole—may have a tough time turning things around on Sunday against a Minnesota team that is ranked fourth in the NFL against the run (67.3 yards per game).

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

Miami Dolphins’ rookie running back Daniel Thomas was ruled out Saturday for his team’s Week 4 visit to San Diego. Thomas also missed the season opener with this hamstring injury. In two games, the former Kansas State star has 41 carries for 202 yards in addition to one receiving touchdown. Steve Slaton, whom the Dolphins claimed off waivers on Wednesday, will see plenty of action.

In other running back news, the Arizona Cardinals expect Beanie Wells to be ready for Sunday’s home game against the Giants. Wells rushed for 183 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry before missing last week’s loss at Seattle with a hamstring problem. The Ohio State product looked good in practice on Friday and is all set to play barring a setback during **** warm-ups.

Biggest games on the slate

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens (-4, 43.5)

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (-2.5, 46)

Notable quotable

“I think it's really a fresh week for us. Like I said, there's nothing that we can do about what's happened. We're trying to bring a fresh, new plan, new energy. We're trying to put it together against a damn good football team.” – New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, who sounds like he could be talking about his recent haircut, but is instead alluding to a Week 3 loss at Buffalo and a Week 4 date at Oakland. Brady threw four interceptions last Sunday as New England was stunned by the Bills.

Tips and notes

Both the Lions and Bills will put their undefeated records on the line on the road during Week 4 NFL action—the Lions at Dallas and the Bills at Cincinnati. Watch out, because the Cowboys are second in the NFL against the run at 61.3 yards per game. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson will have to keep the air assault firing on all cylinders in order to put up points. As for the Bengals, they are 1-2 but could just as easily be 3-0 and they are fourth in the NFL against the pass at 188.3 yards per game.

Desperate times call for desperate measures in St. Louis, with the Cardinals trailing Philadelphia 1-0 in the NLDS. Tony La Russa was already planning to go with Chris Carpenter for Game 2 in order to give his ace a chance to pitch twice in the best-of-five series, and now he really has to since the Cards would have to win three straight in order to end the series in four. As a result, Carpenter will be pitching on three days of rest on Sunday. How many times as he done that in his entire career? Zero.

The Minnesota Lynx are just a six-point home favorite over the Atlanta Dream for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals despite what some numbers would suggest. Minnesota and Atlanta faced each other twice during the regular season, with the Lynx cruising 96-85 at home and dominating 77-64 on the road. Furthermore, Minnesota is 17-3 at home this season, including 14-6 ATS.

**Udog** · 10-01-2011, 10:35 PM

WNBA Finals
Dunkel

Atlanta at Minnesota
The Lynx look to open up the Finals and build on their 11-3 ATS record in their last 14 games as a home favorite. Minnesota is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 7 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

Game 651-652: Atlanta at Minnesota (8:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 115.164; Minnesota 122.718
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 7 1/2; 157
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 5 1/2; 161
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5 1/2); Under

WNBA Finals
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 2

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ATLANTA (24 - 15) at MINNESOTA (31 - 8) - 10/2/2011, 4:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA Finals

Sunday, October 2

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. MINNESOTA
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games at home
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

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**Udog** · 10-01-2011, 10:37 PM

MLB

Sunday, October 2

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Payoff pitch: Sunday's best MLB mound matchup
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Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA)

The Cardinals caught fire in September to reach the playoffs and so, too, did Chris Carpenter. He went 3-0 during the final month of the regular season with a 2.15 ERA. In his last five starts, a span of 40 innings, the veteran has given up a mere five runs.

It took a while for him to finally make the playoffs, but the 36-year-old righty has plenty of recent postseason experience. In nine starts over three appearances in 2005, 2006, and 2009, Carpenter boasts a 5-2 record and a 2.93 ERA. When the Cardinals won it all in 2006, he compiled a 3-1 record and a 2.78 ERA in five starts.

Carpenter has stymied the Phillies in two starts this season. He has pitched 15 innings against the National League's top seed, allowing only one run while striking out 12 hitters.

It must be noted that Carpenter is going on three days of rest after shutting down Houston in the wild-card clincher on Wednesday. Manager Tony LaRussa explained the obvious--that he wants his ace ready and able to pitch two games out of a possible five.

“If you look at our five starters and one guy has to be picked to pitch two games of the five, it’s got to be Chris,” La Russa said. "As we've gotten into the season, he's gotten stronger and stronger. He actually feels better now than he did the first half of the year."

Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA)

Lee decided to return to Philadelphia during the offseason and neither party is regretting it. The Phillies chalked up the best record in baseball (by far) and Lee was good from start to finish throughout the regular season--especially at the finish. His team won four of his five September starts and he tallied a 1.42 ERA, striking out 40 in 38 innings of work.

Like his Game 2 counterpart, Lee has been outstanding in the playoffs. It has not been an extensive postseason career for the 33-year-old southpaw, but he has started 10 games in two trips (2009 and 2010) while compiling a 7-2 record to go along with a 2.13 ERA. In 2009 Lee went 4-0 with a miniscule 1.56 ERA before his team got tripped up by the Yankees in the World Series.

As for his exploits against the Cardinals this season, well, that category is also rock-solid. Lee has started two games versus St. Louis, going 1-1 with an impressive 1.76 ERA in 15 1-3 innings. He faced the Cards most recently on June 22 and tossed a complete-game shutout.

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MLB

Sunday, October 2

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Hot lines: Sunday's best MLB bet
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Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers

Arizona thought it received some good news when St. Louis stole the wild card from Atlanta, thus sending the Diamondbacks to Milwaukee instead of Philadelphia to face the mighty Phillies.

Perhaps that news was not so good after all.

Arizona mustered just four hits and one run in a 4-1 Game 1 loss to the Brewers on Saturday afternoon. Yovani Gallardo went eight innings and mowed down nine Diamondbacks' hitters. The D-Backs are now 1-7 in their last eight playoff road games and 0-5 in their last five postseason games overall.

If scoring runs was a problem against Gallardo, it could be even more difficult against Miller Park master Zack Greinke. Milwaukee is a hard-to-imagine 15-0 in Greinke's 15 home starts this season. The right-hander is 11-0 in the friendly confines of his own ballpark and sports a 3.13 ERA (compared to 4.70 on the road) with 119 strikeouts in 95 innings.

Going for the Diamondbacks is Daniel Hudson, who was a consistent force throughout the regular season. The 24-year-old righty compiled a 16-12 record to go along with a solid 3.49 ERA. Although he really heated up down the stretch, Arizona lost his final three starts and Hudson--despite decent numbers--took the loss in all three.

Pick: Brewers

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**Udog** · 10-01-2011, 10:42 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** · 10-02-2011, 09:21 AM

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Six most popular picks and six least popular picks in Hilton handicapping contest, which has 517 contestants, all of whom who pick five NFL games a week against the spread. They put up $1,500 each, so these are serious handicappers........

6) Detroit 117

5) Atlanta 122

4) Washington 124

3) Minnesota 159

2) New England 162

1) New Orleans 174 27) Green Bay 41

28) Indianapolis 39

29) Cleveland 38

30) Seattle 33

31) Jacksonville 27

32) Kansas City 20

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

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday......

13) There have to be some unhappy people in Raleigh these days, as the NC State Wolfpack slog along at 2-3, 0-2 in the ACC, while Wisconsin is making an unlikely run at a national title. Whats the connection?

Senior QB Russell Wilson is supposed to be a senior at NC State, but he was granted a release from his scholarship, ostensibly because he insisted on playing minor league baseball this summer (he was a 2B in the Rockies organization). Best I can remember, this is a unique situation, where such a skilled player was basically fired by the head coach (think back to 1967 Red Sox, when the A's fired Hawk Harrelson, and he helped Boston win the AL pennant, but a quarterback is more vital than Harrelson was).

12) Wisconsin crushed Nebraska 48-17 in the Cornhuskers' debut in their new league, a game the Huskers once led 14-7. Wilson was 14-20/255 and ran the ball six times for 32 yards. He's a difference-maker and while he's really helping the Badgers, his absence is killing the Wolfpack. Go figure.

11) Clemson has to be ranked in the top 5 after beating Auburn-Florida St and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks. All with a first-year starting QB. Quite a coaching job by Dabo Swinney, who is the fifth Alabama graduate to be head football coach at Clemson.

10) Syracuse is 3-2, and has already played three overtime games.

9) Then there's poor Utah State, which is 1-3, 0-3 vs I-A teams, after yet another brutal loss Friday night, 27-24 to in-state rival BYU. Cougars got the winning TD on a tipped pass with 0:11 left. Utah State led by 10 at Auburn with 3:38 left and lost, then lost 35-34 in OT to Colorado State after going for two points and the win. They easily could be 4-0, but you are what you are, and they're winless vs I-A teams. Too bad.

8) SMU beat TCU 40-33 in OT, just a huge win for June Jones that has to help his chances of getting the Mustangs into the Big 12, if the Big 12 ever goes back to 12 teams (they're at nine right now). Big win for recruiting in fertile Texas too, since SMU is in Dallas and TCU is in Fort Worth.

7) Colorado led Washington State 27-17 with 3:00 left in its first home game as a Pac-12 team; visitor was supposed to get tired in altitude, but the vastly-improved Cougars scored two TDs in 1:25, the second one on a 63-yard TD pass with 1:10 left, to stun the Buffaloes 31-27 in Boulder.

7A) This weekend is the 50th anniversary of Mr Ed, the old TV show about a talking horse, one of my favorite TV shows of all-time. This has nothing to do with football, just wanted to wish Mr Ed happy birthday. The episode where he plays with the Dodgers is a TV classic.

7B) Brown beat Rhode Island 35-21, showing tremendous balance, with 221 rushing yards, and 203 passing. I have a buddy who's an assistant at Brown, so I'm going to bore you with their scores every week. Its not as much fun as wishing happy birthday to a fictional talking horse, though.

6) For all the gray hairs South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia has given to Steve Spurrier and the other Gamecock coaches, you'd think at least he'd have a decent senior year, but he just isn't a good passer. Garcia completed nine of 23 passes, converted 2-10 on 3rd down, against an Auburn defense that had been allowing 59% conversions on 3rd down. Auburn ran off 92 plays, South Carolina 52. Why can't Spurrier develop a QB at Carolina?

5) Baylor still hasn't won at Kansas State, losing 36-35 in the Little Apple after leading 35-26 going into the 4th quarter. Robert Griffin III threw five TDs, but also tossed a costly INT that handed K-State the winning FG.

4) Stanford 45, UCLA 19. Andrew Luck tossed a 5-yard TD pass with 1:51 left. Why? What coach would risk injury to his meal ticket by having him throw the ball with 1:51 left in a game he led by 19 points? Nitwit.

3) Arkansas 42, Texas A&M 38 was a fun game to watch, but A&M has to be rivaling Utah State for heartache. Aggies led Oklahoma State 20-3 at the half last week and lost; they led the Hogs 35-17 at the half this week and lost. Something like that becomes mental for a team.

2) Ohio State ran ball 39 times for 35 yards in 10-7 home loss to Michigan State that has to have Urban Meyer's agent's phone ringing off the hook. Going to be some relatively-lean years ahead for the Buckeyes; wouldn't think Meyer is going to be interested in cleaning up that mess.

Meyer is OK on TV, by the way; he has a bad voice, which isn't his fault, but once in a while he sounds like Al McGuire, as in he doesn't identify the player by name, he'll just say, "Number 22 makes a good tackle here." Thought he started to lighten up a little this week. Very serious guy.

1) Illinois is 5-0 after beating Northwestern on a TD with 0:13 left; I'd be little more impressed if they had played a road game, although a win over Arizona State is starting to look better. Illini has four road games on its schedule, but three of them are Indiana-Purdue-Minnesota, games that a good team could show up for hung over and still win.

Ron Zook's wife must have made this schedule. October 29 at Penn State looms as an interesting game, and Russell Wilson leads the Badgers into Champaign on Nov. 19. Everyone in Raleigh will be Illini fans that day.

**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 09:24 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Detroit at NY Yankees
The Tigers look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss and build on their 5-0 record in Max Scherzer's last 5 starts in Game 2 of a series. Detroit is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

Game 961-962: Detroit at NY Yankees (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 16.191; NY Yankees (Garcia) 15.508
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+125); Under

Game 963-964: Arizona at Milwaukee (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Hudson) 14.857; Milwaukee (Greinke) 15.631
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-150); 7
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-150); Over

Game 965-966: St. Louis at Philadelphia (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.827; Philadelphia (Lee) 15.140
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-175); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+155); Under

**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 09:31 AM

MLB

Sunday, October 2

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Trend Report
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3:07 PM
DETROIT vs. NY YANKEES
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
NY Yankees are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit

4:37 PM
ARIZONA vs. MILWAUKEE
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Milwaukee's last 23 games when playing at home against Arizona

8:07 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PHILADELPHIA
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing St. Louis

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**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 09:35 AM

MLB

Sunday, October 2

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What bettors need to know: Sunday's NLDS matchups
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St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies (-170, 7)

THE STORY: Chris Carpenter has never ventured to the mound on three days' rest during his career. The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping Carpenter's maiden voyage is a successful one on Sunday as they look to even their National League Division Series at one game apiece against the Philadelphia Phillies. The visiting Cardinals watched as an early three-run lead went by the boards and the NL East champions benefited from a five-run sixth inning to record an 11-6 triumph in Game 1. Cliff Lee will provide the opposition for the Phillies, who have won six consecutive games in the NLDS.

TV: 8:37 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA) vs. Phillies LH Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA)

Carpenter was simply brilliant in his last outing, scattering two hits and striking out 11 in a complete-game gem against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. The 36-year-old former Cy Young Award winner owns an impressive 7-2 career mark against the Phillies - with a pair of victories to his credit this season. He allowed one run over seven innings in an eventual 12-2 rout on June 23 before tossing eight scoreless frames in a 5-0 win on Sept. 18.

This is why Lee returned to the City of Brotherly Love - although a five-year deal worth $120 million can certainly help him purchase his fair share of cheesesteaks, too. Lee hopes to take the first step toward a third straight World Series appearance when he takes the mound on Sunday. The 33-year-old Arkansas native improved to 3-1 in his career against the Cardinals by scattering six hits in a complete-game shutout on June 22.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Lance Berkman belted a three-run homer in the first inning to quiet the crowd at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. Berkman's blast was his first since he got the better of Roy Halladay last month as well. Berkman has fared well versus Lee, going 5-for-13 in his career with three doubles. Albert Pujols went 1-for-3, but manager Tony La Russa noted that the slugger is being plagued by a minor heel injury. Rafael Furcal returned from a two-game absence with a hamstring injury and went 1-for-4. Five-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday did not start due to tendinitis in his right hand. He struck out to end the game.

ABOUT THE PHILLIES: Ryan Howard launched a three-run homer to ignite a five-run sixth inning on Saturday. The St. Louis native added a run-scoring sacrifice fly for his 31st RBI in postseason play, moving him into first place in franchise history. Hunter Pence enjoyed his first taste of the postseason, going 2-for-5 with a two-run single in the eighth inning. Both Phillies stars have struggled against Carpenter - with Howard going 2-for-9 and Pence 4-for-22, respectively. Chase Utley has been swinging a hot bat, collecting seven hits in his last three contests. He went 3-for-5 and scored three times on Saturday.

FINAL PITCH: The first six hitters in Philadelphia's lineup combined to go 13-for-25 with two homers and 11 RBIs.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers (-150, 7)

THE STORY: The Milwaukee Brewers used a familiar formula to jump out in Game 1 - strong starting pitching and some big hits from the middle of the lineup. The Arizona Diamondbacks will be looking to send the series back to Phoenix even when they tap Daniel Hudson to start Game 2 at Miller Park on Sunday.

TV: 5:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Daniel Hudson (16-12, 3.49 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.83 ERA).

Hudson lost his final three starts to close the regular season, posting a 4.26 ERA over that span. The 24-year old totaled just 50 walks in 222 innings but struggled with his command a bit down the stretch, issuing seven free passes in those last three turns. Hudson was knocked around for six runs - five earned - in four innings against the Brewers on July 4, including a grand slam by opposing pitcher Shaun Marcum.

Greinke getting the ball for Game 2 is a bit of a surprise, as Milwaukee had originally planned on using him in Arizona for Game 3. But the righthander, who will be working on three days’ rest, is 11-0 with a 3.13 ERA at home. The Brewers are 15-0 at Miller Park when Greinke starts. He dropped his lone start against the Diamondbacks on July 21, allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings at Chase Field.

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS: The only time Arizona had a chance against Yovani Gallardo in Game 1 came in the first, when Willie Bloomquist was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single to left. Aggressive base running was one of the staples of the Diamondbacks offense in 2011 and their overall advantage in team speed is something they will continue to try to exploit.

ABOUT THE BREWERS: Gallardo struck out nine and never gave Arizona a chance after that first inning. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder combined for five hits and three runs scored. Fielder put the game out of reach in the seventh when he belted a two-out, two-run homer off Ian Kennedy. Gallardo’s performance meant that Milwaukee did not have to deploy its full component of bullpen weapons, needing only three outs from closer John Axford.

FINAL PITCH: Since the wild card was introduced in the 1995 playoffs, the team that wins the first game of the division series is 47-17, including 29-3 in the National League.

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**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 10:38 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 2

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DETROIT (95 - 68) at NY YANKEES (98 - 65) - 3:05 PM
MAX SCHERZER (R) vs. FREDDY GARCIA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 3-16 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 98-65 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 33-6 (+24.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 44-12 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY YANKEES are 91-54 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
GARCIA is 33-20 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 79-44 (+25.0 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 31-17 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 18-8 (+14.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 20-10 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 96-69 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 46-37 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 36-17 (+19.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 39-23 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 90-67 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 65-47 (+12.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-4 (+0.7 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SCHERZER is 3-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.105.
His team's record is 3-0 (+4.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

FREDDY GARCIA vs. DETROIT since 1997
GARCIA is 18-8 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.88 and a WHIP of 1.256.
His team's record is 23-9 (+10.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-17. (-5.4 units)

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ARIZONA (94 - 69) at MILWAUKEE (97 - 66) - 5:05 PM
DANIEL HUDSON (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 59-38 (+14.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MILWAUKEE is 98-66 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-4 (+12.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 59-24 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-0 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday this season.
MILWAUKEE is 22-7 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 98-66 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 80-48 (+25.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
GREINKE is 21-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 15-0 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 21-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 11-0 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 10-1 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 95-70 (+25.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 43-39 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ARIZONA is 95-70 (+25.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 71-46 (+28.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 36-31 (+8.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 12-22 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 4-4 (+0.2 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

DANIEL HUDSON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
HUDSON is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.73 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.1 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GREINKE is 0-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 6.12 and a WHIP of 1.680.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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ST LOUIS (90 - 73) at PHILADELPHIA (103 - 60) - 8:35 PM
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. CLIFF LEE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 176-150 (-23.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 45-48 (-20.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CARPENTER is 17-19 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CARPENTER is 17-19 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 44-24 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-9 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 103-60 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-19 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 231-170 (+40.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 101-59 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 148-85 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 20-12 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 46-37 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 45-35 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 66-46 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-4 (+3.4 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
CARPENTER is 7-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.256.
His team's record is 9-2 (+7.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+1.7 units)

CLIFF LEE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LEE is 3-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.48 and a WHIP of 1.121.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

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

**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 11:40 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Sunday, October 2

DETROIT at NY YANKEES, 3:05 PM ET - AL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 2 - NYY leads 1-0
SCHERZER: DETROIT 3-16 in road games when playing with a day off
GARCIA: NY YANKEES 44-12 in day games

ARIZONA at MILWAUKEE, 5:05 PM ET - NL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 2 - MIL leads 1-0
HUDSON: ARIZONA 71-56 OVER as a road underdog
GREINKE: 9-1 OVER as a favorite of -125 to -175

ST LOUIS at PHILADELPHIA, 8:35 PM ET - NL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 2 - PHI leads 1-0
CARPENTER: ST LOUIS 41-25 OVER after 2 or more consecutive road gamesLEE:
PHILADELPHIA 16-6 OVER in home games against NL Central opponents

**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 04:32 PM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 2

Brewers are 15-0 in Grienke's home starts; he is 1-0, 2.55 in his last four starts. Arizona is 4-4 vs Milwaukee this year; Snakes scored three or less runs in all four losses- they blanked the Brewers twice, winning two of four in Miller Park, splitting four in the desert. Under is 5-3 in series games, 2-2 in Milwaukee. Hudson is 0-3, 4.26 in his last three starts; his last eight starts stayed under the total- he gave up six runs in four IP in his only start here.

Carpenter is pitching on three days' rest for first time; he is 3-0, 1.13 in his last five starts. Carpenter beat Philly twice, allowing one run in 15 IP. Lee is 7-0, 0.94 in his last ten starts, not allowing a run in six of those starts- he was 1-1, 1.76 in two starts vs St Louis. Cardinals vs 6-4 vs Philly this year, holding Phils to three or less runs in all six wins, with five of those six staying under total. Phillies scored 10-4-9-11 runs in their four wins.

**Udog** · 10-02-2011, 10:43 PM

College football odds: Week 6 opening line report

There are a lot of critics, especially those residing in the SEC, waiting for Oklahoma to slip up.

The Sooners may have speed, they may have depth and they may have a not-so-difficult road to the national title game. But for many, that doesn't matter. To them, Oklahoma is still Oklahoma, a traditional powerhouse that can't get it done at crunch time.

And with several slip-ups in the Bob Stoops Era, perhaps the Sooners are deserving of their so-so status. But maybe this year is different. Maybe this group sees what lies ahead, and knows it's all up to them to see where they finish. Maybe they'll use a BCS bowl win last season, and a consistent Top 5 rating this year, to fuel them to drive for more this season.

If you listen to Stoops, for one, he certainly believes this year could be different. It may only be October, but these players are not resting on their laurels.

Not at all.

“I feel good that we've made good progress. I feel good that the players aren't overly joyed about anything," Stoops said Saturday night, after Oklahoma drilled Ball State, 62-6. "They know there is more to come and they are anticipating that. They know we need to keep getting better in some areas. I feel they are in a good spot. They are always excited about this game, everybody is. So, they'll work hard this week to get ready for it.”

That’s a good attitude to have, because Texas is up this week in the Red River Rivalry. And even if they weren't both ranked, even if they weren't both undefeated, it'd be a huge game. But parlay those aspects with national championship implications, and you have the makings of an absolute dandy in Texas.

Las Vegas certainly believes that.

"Traditional game, neutral site, and always a lot of action on it,” said Pete Korner of Esportclub, LLC, in Las Vegas. “But when we sat down to look at it, based on a lot of factors, we had to give more credit to Oklahoma.”

Korner, whose line consultant group advises multiple Nevada sportsbooks, established the Sooners as 10-point favorites. The Wynn, always the first Vegas book to post college football odds, opened with the Longhorns getting 10.5 points.

"They’ve been really good, and they’re playing like they have more work ahead of them,” Korner said. “Texas is OK, but let’s face it: This is Oklahoma’s game. More on the line for them.”

And with that, let’s take a look at some of next week’s other marquee games. We’ll show the Wynn’s odds and give you Korner’s perspective.

Cal (+20.5) at Oregon

Oregon got bet up almost immediately from 20.5 to 23.5 at the Wynn. The Ducks have scored 181 points in their last three games and allowed just 58.

“We really thought Oregon had the talent to pick things up after a slow start,” Korner, who suggested Oregon -21, told ***********. “And they’re getting there. With this being a marquee game by itself on a Thursday night, this should end up being a blowout.”

Boise State (-19.5) at Fresno State

“You have to go high on Boise, especially on a Friday night, when nothing else is going on,” Korner, who recommended Broncos -23, said. “When they play in the middle of a Saturday, tucked in with everyone else? Differentstory. But when they can showcase themselves all by themselves in front of the nation, they usually get it done.”

Kentucky (+20.5) at South Carolina

“We’re not big on Kentucky at all,” Korner said. “We’re not in love with South Carolina, either, and in the SEC, they’ll probably lose some more games this year. But this is a win for them, and they have to roll this team.”

Florida at LSU

The Wynn didn’t post odds on this game because of the uncertain status of Gators starting QB John Brantley. Korner’s group sent out LSU -11 but sportsbooks could go with a bigger spread if Brantley’s a no-go.

“There are quarterback issues at Florida, so we kicked it up from the seven number we originally thought about,” Korner said. “LSU rolls here, I think, and so we needed to figure double digits on this one. I think it’s a fair number.”

Air Force (+11) at Notre Dame

Here’s another game that drew attention early from sharp bettors. The Wynn moved this number up to 15.5 without much hesitation.

“Notre Dame has such a dynamic offense, it just took them a little while to get going,” Korner, who recommended Air Force +12, said. “They’re playing well now, and every game is important for them now. We expect them to play well.”

Miami (+6) at Virginia Tech

Early bettors like the home favorite here. The Hokies are now 7.5-point chalk against the Hurricanes.

“Miami can win this one straight up, no question,” said Korner. “We went with just below a touchdown (6.5), but two or three weeks ago, this would have been in double digits. But Virginia Tech has certainly lost some of their invincibility factor.”

Iowa (+2) at Penn State

“Close game with a couple of nondescript Big Ten teams,” Korner said. “We had anywhere from a pick up to four. Anything could happen here.”

Auburn (+8) at Arkansas

This game opened with the Razorbacks giving 8 points but the line was quickly bet up to 10 in only a few hours.

“Auburn’s kind of doing alright, and we didn’t think that was going to be the case early on,” Korner said. “Home field counts here a lot. But it’s the SEC, so it could be close.”

Ohio State (+10) at Nebraska

“We’re not big on Ohio State, as they haven’t shown much. Name recognition is big here for both schools, but that’s about it,” Korner said. “With these two programs, you would think national title implications, conference title implications, stuff like that.

“That’s just not the case. But we like the fact that it’s at Nebraska, and even though didn’t impress last week, they’re playing Ohio State, and there’s just not that much there.”

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