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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:21 AM

Thursday’s betting tips: Can USC keep covering vs. Cal?

Who’s hot

MLB: Texas is 6-1 in its last seven road games.

NCAAF: San Diego State is 7-1 against the spread following an ATS loss.

NCAAF: USC has covered in five of its last six matchups with Cal.

NHL: Calgary has won four of its last five games against Montreal.

NHL: New Jersey has won 17 of its last 22 home games.

Who’s not

MLB: The under is 2-7 in Detroit's last nine home games.

NCAAF: Air Force is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight conference games.

NCAAF: Just one of the last seven meetings between Cal and USC has played under.

NHL: Edmonton has won eight of its last 23 games against Minnesota.

NHL: Phoenix is just 3-11-1 in its last 15 games in Nashville.

Key stat

13 - Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander has thrown just 13 innings over the past two weeks ahead of Thursday's Game 5 start. That's part of the reason he wanted the ball Wednesday night, but manager Jim Leyland insisted on keeping him on his regular pitching schedule.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Michal Neuvirth, Washington Capitals - The goaltender is dealing with a lower-body injury and is questionable to play in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to coach Bruce Boudreau. Neuvirth did not practice on Wednesday, but Boudreau admitted that there is a "good chance" the netminder gets the call if he skates on Thursday. The 23-year-old won his lone start of the season and is 2-0-1 in three career games versus the Penguins. Tomas Vokoun, who was supposed to be the club’s starter, gave up five goals in his first start of the season against Tampa Bay.

Game of the day

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers (-175, 7.5)

Notable quotable

“Everybody has those games every year or two where even if you call a play that’s not supposed to work, somebody makes a great play or they get a ball tipped. It was just one of those games where everything went our way and nothing went their way. That’s why it was 42-0 at half.” – USC coach Lane Kiffin on last year’s 48-14 win over Cal as a 2-point favorite. The Trojans are 3-point road favorites Thursday at Cal.

Notes and tips

The Atlanta Falcons ruled out rookie wide receiver Julio Jones for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday. The sixth overall pick of the 2011 draft, Jones is nursing a hamstring injury which he suffered in Sunday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers. "He worked out with our training staff today," coach Mike Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. "He did some running around. He’s already back out on the field working. We are hoping that after this week, we’ll get him back the following week." Harry Douglas will replace the 22-year-old Jones, who has 25 receptions for 358 yards in five games this season. Douglas has just 11 catches for 80 yards this season. The Falcons are set as 4.5-point favorites at home to Carolina this week.

Better than 57 percent of *********** Consensus bettors are backing Air Force in its Thursday night matchup with San Diego State. The Falcons have been hovering anywhere between -6 and -7 since Tuesday, so keep a close eye on the line to see where it settles around the key number before the kickoff. Air Force has covered the number in just one of its last five, while the Aztecs are riding a 1-3 slump against the spread.

Over bettors will be happy to know that Jeff Nelson is scheduled to be behind the plate for Game 5 of the ALCS. The over is 20-12 when Nelson is calling balls and strikes this season. The over is also 7-2-1 in his last 10. Oddsmakers have Detroit as an early -175 favorite against Detroit with the total at 7.5.

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:24 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Over is 17-5-1 in Patriots' last 23 games.

-- Over is 4-2 in Monday night games this season.

-- Packers covered six of their last seven home games.

-- Detroit covered 18 of its last 21 games overall.

-- Over is 7-2 in Oakland's last nine home games.

-- Memphis wants to be in the SEC? Kentucky is the worst SEC team, but if they played the Tigers on a neutral field, they'd be favored to win by a mere 15 points.

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

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud........

13) We complained last week that QB Stephen Garcia wasn’t playing well enough for South Carolina to merit all the chances he had been given by Steve Spurrier; well, the Head Ball Coach finally had enough and Garcia is history in Columbia.

Let’s be adults here, Garcia didn’t get canned for failing a drug test; if he were playing at a high level, if Gamecocks were national championship contenders, his urine never sees the inside of a cup, some squeaky-clean student manager’s does, and Garcia is still wearing #5 every Saturday. Garcia got streeted for being a pain-in-the-butt who wasn’t playing well. End of (sad) story.

12) 22 new NFL stadiums have been built since the Rams/Raiders bolted southern California; with 32 teams in the league and Jets/Giants sharing a stadium, that means only nine teams are still playing in the same stadium they were 17 years ago.

11) Pauley Pavilion is being refurbished as we speak, so UCLA is playing home basketball games at the LA Sports Arena this winter, with some non-league games being played in Anaheim.

10) Baltimore Ravens’ center Matt Birk was fined $5,000 recently for not wearing his mike during a game; NFL centers are being miked during games this season, apparently for the benefit of NFL Films and you and I, the TV viewer. Birk is appealing the fine.

9) Since 2008, the Bengals are 1-10 against the spread as home favorites.

8) On the Texans’ last play Sunday, when Matt Schaub was picked off by Oakland’s Michael Huff in the end zone, the Raiders had only 10 guys on the field.

7) Phoenix was awarded the 2015 Super Bowl, which I guess is Super Bowl 49; the 50th Super Bowl is being more widely sought after, with Kansas City wanting it based on fact that Lamar Hunt coined the name “Super Bowl”. But its looking more and more like Super Bowl 50 might be in the same town Super Bowl I was, Los Angeles; chances are there will be an NFL franchise in LA by then.

6) Former Arkansas/USC QB Mitch Mustain, who played for the Hogs when they had a McFadden/Jones/Hillis backfield, recently signed with the Georgia Force of the Arena League. Mustain was cut by the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in June.

5) Knicks’ only visit to Denver this season was scheduled for November 16, so looks like Carmelo Anthony is off the hook for getting booed unmercifully for two hours until at least next season. We’ll be lucky to see any NBA games before Christmas.

4) One of the few bad things about DirecTV is that there is far less variety in the commercials shown; no local commercials like on cable. I miss car dealer Billy Fuccillo yelling “Huuuuggggeeee!!!” every half hour.

3) We forget that major league ballplayers/managers are real people with real-life issues just like the rest of us, they just have more money. Terry Francona has a son and son-in-law in Afghanistan; his marriage fell apart this year and one of his knees required draining once a month, which probably means he’ll need a knee replacement soon. He has to be pretty relieved to be out of the Boston limelight, where he can recharge and plan his next steps. He’s good enough on TV to get a regular gig, if he wants to work but not manage.

2) Really is hard to believe that a Boston team that was 80-41 from games 13-134 missed the playoffs. As stories seep out about how their veteran players failed to respect their position and stay in shape/support their teammates and do other things incumbent on being part of a team, you realize the next manager will most likely be a tough guy type who will smash a TV in the clubhouse so nobody can watch it during games.

But that goes against the Moneyball way of thinking that the Red Sox embrace (even though they have a lot of money). The Moneyball manager is a middle manager who fills out the lineup card with some guidance from above; he is not the king of the clubhouse, the front office is. Asking a middle manager to be a dictator isn’t that great a fit, especially when you throw in the voracious Boston media. This will be interesting to follow. I don’t think a first-time manager can succeed there.

1) Question for all of us to ponder: If you owned the Cubs, would you give Theo Epstein $20M to run your franchise? Was he that good in Boston, or was he a right place/right time guy? My opinion is that this trend of young Ivy league-educated GMs being successful is more about the young part and less about the Ivy League part.

Epstein to Wrigley probably means Ryne Sandberg will be new manager of the Cubs, bad news for current Chicago skipper Mike Quade, who has only a year left on his contract and therefore is expendable. Wouldn't it be cool if Epstein had to take Carl Crawford, John Lackey and their stupidly high contracts to Chicago with him?

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:26 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Vancouver at Detroit
The Canucks look to build on their 16-5 record in their last 21 games when playing with 0 days of rest. Vancouver is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Canucks favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+120). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

Game 51-52: Tampa Bay at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.272; NY Islanders 10.995
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-130); Under

Game 53-54: Los Angeles at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.473; New Jersey 11.933
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-105); Over

Game 55-56: Washington at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.676; Pittsburgh 12.843
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 57-58: Calgary at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.816; Montreal 10.626
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+105); Over

Game 59-60: Colorado at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.275; Ottawa 11.810
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-145); Over

Game 61-62: Vancouver at Detroit (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 12.455; Detroit 11.067
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+120); Under

Game 63-64: Phoenix at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 10.909; Nashville 11.969
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-150); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-150); Under

Game 65-66: Edmonton at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 11.021; Minnesota 10.765
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+145); Over

Game 67-68: Winnipeg at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 10.194; Chicago 12.114
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-210); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-210); Over

Game 69-70: St. Louis at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 11.569; Dallas 11.217
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-110); Under

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:32 AM

NHL

Thursday, October 13

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NEW JERSEY
Los Angeles is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY ISLANDERS
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
NY Islanders are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games

7:30 PM
CALGARY vs. MONTREAL
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Calgary's last 13 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 8 games at home

7:30 PM
COLORADO vs. OTTAWA
Colorado is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado

7:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Vancouver
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Vancouver

8:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Edmonton's last 17 games
Edmonton is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. NASHVILLE
Phoenix is 3-11-1 SU in its last 15 games ,when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Nashville
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Nashville's last 12 games when playing at home against Phoenix

8:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Dallas is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against St. Louis

8:30 PM
WINNIPEG vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
Winnipeg is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg

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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:34 AM

NHL

Thursday, October 13

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Ice picks: Thursday’s best NHL bets
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Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins (-125, N/A)

This time there won’t be any HBO cameras hanging around as the Capitals and Penguins meet for the first time of the season and the matchup sounds like it will be without considerable star power too.

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby still hasn’t been cleared for contact and Evegeni Malkin’s surgically repaired knee is already giving him problems. He has practiced gingerly over the past couple of days but remains questionable for Thursday.

Not like that has slowed the Pens, who have taken seven out of a possible eight points so far with Kris Letang, Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke leading the way.

"We're obviously on the same page. Diving out there, guys are blocking shots," Cooke told reporters. "(Marc-Andre Fleury) and (Brent Johnson) are both standing on their heads and that makes it fun.”

Meanwhile, the Capitals look sloppy early this season and have their depth players to thank for their last two extra-time wins.

This early in the season, we’ll go with a system that’s working over star power any day of the week.

Pick: Penguins

St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (-140, 5.5)

St. Louis is going to be a team to be reckoned with this season. The Blues have a nasty group of talented forwards that love to run opposing defenseman through the back of the rink and you can see their lines are starting to gel.

They also have a couple of standout players on the blue line like Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo and Jaroslav Halak is looking to make a statement between the pipes this season.

Dallas is just trying to get used to one another after GM Joe Nieuwendyk brought in five new forwards and two defenseman in a major offseason overhaul. One of the pieces that remains the same is goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who doesn’t get enough credit.

He made 40 saves to help the Stars steal a win over the Coyotes on Monday, holding the fort for the Stars as they managed just 25 shots on the other goal. Lehtonen could have some more nights like that ahead of him, probably starting Thursday against this sparkplug Blues club.

Pick: Blues

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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:36 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Texas at Detroit
The Rangers look to build on their 6-1 record in their last 7 games as an underdog. Texas is the pick (+140) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Texas (+140). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

Game 915-916: Milwaukee at St. Louis (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.785; St. Louis (Lohse) 15.969
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-140); Over

Game 917-918: Texas at Detroit (4:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 15.687; Detroit (Verlander) 15.411
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+140); Under

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:38 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, October 13

Detroit is 13-3 in Verlander's last 16 starts, but he is 1-1, 5.85 in his last four starts, 0-2, 4.15 against Texas this season; seems like its rained out every time he's started recently. Wilson is 0-2, 6.00 in last five starts; he is 0-0, 4.63 in two starts against the Tigers. Detroit needs to win to stay alive this season- they're 2-2 at home in playoffs. Texas is 3-1 on road. .

Brewers lost five of last six road games, including all three playoff games this fall. Wolf is 0-2, 10.29 in his last three starts; he is 1-1, 9.00 in his last three road outings, 3-2, 5.34 in five starts against the Cardinals this year, 2-1, 3.43 in this park. Lohse is 1-1, 3.86 in his last four starts, 1-2, 2.37 in three starts against Milwaukee. Home team won seven of eight Brewer playoff games. Cardinals are 2-1 at home in playoffs.

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:42 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 13

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Trend Report
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4:19 PM
TEXAS vs. DETROIT
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 9 games at home

8:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ST. LOUIS
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 07:44 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 13

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Hot lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
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Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers (-175, 7.5)

As much as Justin Verlander lobbied to start Wednesday’s Game 4, he had to know deep down that there was no way Jim Leyland was going to change his mind.

Leyland wants to keep his ace on a regular pitching schedule – even though weather delays have already thrown a wrench in that plan. You can hardly blame the skipper considering Verlander has allowed seven runs over his last two starts.

"My last start my body and my arm didn't feel great,” Verlander told reporters. “But that happened plenty of times throughout the season. It's going to happen. I've worked real hard to be strong this time of year. And I feel like I am. I don't think there's anything else I can do. I feel good. Just need to get my mechanics in order. I've done everything I can possibly do to get myself prepared."

Detroit’s pitching gave the Tigers a shot on Wednesday, but you have to wonder what might have been if Verlander did go in Game 4. At any rate, the Rangers fought back from a 2-0 deficit and Nelson Cruz came through again in extra innings to give Texas a 7-3 win and a 3-1 series lead on Wednesday night.

We have a lot of confidence in Verlander in this one, but -175 is pretty steep even with the Tigers set to bring out all the stops as they sit on the brink of elimination.

Even if Verlander doesn't go deep - which we expect him to - the Tigers are going to unload the bullpen. We'll jump on the under.

Pick: Under

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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 09:00 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 13

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What bettors need to know: Thursday's MLB playoff action
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Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers (-156)

Texas leads series 3-1

THE STORY: The Texas Rangers can advance to their second consecutive World Series with a victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday but will be facing the American League’s top pitcher in Game 5. The Rangers took a 3-1 lead in the AL Championship Series with a 7-3, 11-inning victory on Wednesday and Detroit sends ace Justin Verlander to the mound in the do-or-die contest. Nelson Cruz capped a four-run 11th inning uprising in Game 4 to become the first player in postseason history to hit two extra-inning homers in the same postseason series. Fourteen of the previous 18 teams to build a 3-1 lead in the ALCS have won the series.

TV: 4:19 p.m. ET, Fox

WEATHER: There is a 22 percent chance of rain in Detroit Thursday, with game-time temperatures in the mid 60s.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH C.J. Wilson (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (0-1, 6.75 ERA)

Wilson pitched 4 2/3 innings in Saturday’s opening game of the series and gave up two runs and six hits. He returned after the first rain delay in the fifth inning but didn’t return after the second. The Game 1 outing was only Wilson’s second career start against Detroit.

Verlander pitched just four innings in Game 1 due to the rain delays. He took the loss and allowed three runs and five hits. Verlander is 6-2 with a 2.31 ERA in nine career regular-season starts against Texas. Cruz homered against Verlander in Game 1 after entering the contest with just one career hit against the probable Cy Young Award winner.

ABOUT THE TIGERS: Closer Jose Valverde was racked for the four 11th-inning runs and has a 7.36 ERA in six postseason appearances. He is 52-for-52 in save opportunities, counting three postseason saves. Miguel Cabrera had a two-run double and is batting .357 in the series. Brandon Inge homered in Game 4 after hitting just three in the regular season. Victor Martinez played despite a strained intercostal muscle.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Cruz has four homers and nine RBIs in the series but also made an impact with his arm in Game 4 by throwing out Cabrera at the plate in the eighth inning. Mike Napoli had the go-ahead single in the 11th prior to Cruz’s homer. Michael Young had a run-scoring single for his first RBI of the postseason. Young is hitting just .118 in the ALCS. David Murphy had three hits. Adrian Beltre played despite a gimpy knee after fouling a ball of it in Tuesday’s game.

TRENDS:

* Rangers are 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Tigers are 4-1 in Verlanders last five home starts vs. Rangers.
* Under is 4-1 in Verlanders last five home starts vs. Rangers.
* Under is 4-1 in Verlanders last five starts vs. Rangers.
* Under is 10-3-3 in the last 16 meetings in Detroit.
* Tigers are 6-2 in Verlanders last eight starts vs. Rangers.
* Rangers are 5-17 in the last 22 meetings in Detroit.

FINAL PITCH: Texas manager Ron Washington elected to intentionally walk Cabrera with one out and nobody on in the eighth, the inning in which Cruz gunned Cabrera out at the plate.

Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (-135)

St. Louis leads series 2-1

THE STORY: The St. Louis Cardinals’ Achilles heel during the regular season was the bullpen. Since Game 2 of the Division Series, the Cardinals relief corps has been nearly hittable. Now the bullpen, with a little help from Albert Pujols and David Freese, has gotten St. Louis control of the National League Championship Series. The Milwaukee Brewers are still waiting for one of their starting pitchers to put up a strong effort in the series. Randy Wolf will get the next shot when the Brewers attempt to even the series at two games apiece on Thursday night at Busch Stadium.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, TBS

WEATHER: Skies will be clear in St. Louis, however, winds gusting of speeds of up to 12 mph will blow WNW, from the third-base line out to right field. Game-time temperatures will be in the high 60s.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Randy Wolf (13-10, 3.69 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.39 ERA).

Wolf was crushed by the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Division Series, surrendering seven runs in three innings to suffer the Game 4 loss. Including his last two regular season turns, Wolf has posted a 10.43 ERA in his last three starts. The veteran lefthander went 3-2 with a 5.34 ERA in five outings against St. Louis in 2011.

Lohse started out strong in Game 1 of the LDS against Philadelphia but melted down in the middle innings to suffer the loss. He pitched six scoreless innings to beat Milwaukee on Sept. 6 but was just 1-2 in three turns against the Brewers despite a 2.37 ERA this season.

ABOUT THE BREWERS: The offense managed to bail out Zack Greinke in Game 1. Shaun Marcum and Yovani Gallardo weren’t quite as lucky. Milwaukee starters have been torched for a 9.00 ERA and are averaging five innings per outing. The Brewers bullpen is built to hold a lead from the seventh inning on with LaTroy Hawkins, Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford. The middle innings are a little trickier. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder combined to go 1-for-6 without an RBI on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: The St. Louis bullpen was asked to cover four innings in Game 3. Four relievers combined for four perfect innings. Since Game 2 of the LDS, the Cardinals bullpen has allowed a total of four runs in 23 2/3 innings. Pujols, who tied a postseason record with four extra-base hits in Game 2, started with an RBI double in the first inning of Game 3 and is hitting .636 (7-for-11) in the series. Freese is at .500 (6-for-12). The two have combined for 12 RBIs.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0-2 in Lohses last six starts vs. Brewers.
* Under is 5-0-1 in Wolfs last six road starts vs. Cardinals.
* Under is 14-3-4 in the last 21 meetings in St. Louis.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Lohses last six home starts vs. Brewers.
* Brewers are 4-1 in Wolfs last five road starts vs. Cardinals.
* Brewers are 5-2 in Wolfs last seven starts vs. Cardinals.
* Under is 5-2-1 in Wolfs last eight starts vs. Cardinals.
* Brewers are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings in St. Louis.
* Brewers are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings.
* Cardinals are 2-8 in Lohses last 10 starts vs. Brewers.
* Cardinals are 1-5 in Lohses last 6 home starts vs. Brewers.

FINAL PITCH: Chris Carpenter got the win with five innings in Game 3, tying Bob Gibson for the all-time Cardinals postseason record with seven. Carpenter needed three more starts to reach the mark.

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**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 09:05 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 13

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MILWAUKEE (100 - 70) at ST LOUIS (95 - 75) - 8:05 PM
RANDY WOLF (L) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 39-45 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 4-12 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
ST LOUIS is 96-76 (+3.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 95-74 (+4.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 71-46 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 45-21 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 25-14 (+13.7 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 101-70 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 57-28 (+23.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 53-31 (+15.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 101-70 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 82-51 (+24.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WOLF is 149-119 (+32.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 30-20 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 85-76 (-27.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 8-14 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 93-86 (-21.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 11-10 (+1.5 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

RANDY WOLF vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
WOLF is 8-8 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.94 and a WHIP of 1.180.
His team's record is 11-9 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-11. (-4.0 units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LOHSE is 4-8 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.399.
His team's record is 6-11 (-7.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-7. (-0.7 units)

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TEXAS (102 - 68) at DETROIT (99 - 72) - 4:15 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 100-73 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 104-64 (+22.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 40-25 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 94-71 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 44-28 (+12.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DETROIT is 46-34 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 24-14 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
VERLANDER is 48-23 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 38-11 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 20-5 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 46-21 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 103-67 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 97-62 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 76-44 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 49-34 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 85-63 (+21.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
WILSON is 47-25 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WILSON is 45-23 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-6 (+1.4 Units) against TEXAS this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. DETROIT since 1997
WILSON is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.852.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. TEXAS since 1997
VERLANDER is 6-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.107.
His team's record is 7-3 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.3 units)

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**flashypants** · 10-13-2011, 09:25 AM

i just want to thank you for putting all the info up for us!it is greatly apprieciated thanks again.

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by flashypants View Post

i just want to thank you for putting all the info up for us!it is greatly apprieciated thanks again.

You are sure welcome, flashy! Good luck today!

**Udog** · 10-13-2011, 10:04 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 13

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TAMPA BAY (1-1-0-1, 3 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 83-164 ATS (+301.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 58-45 ATS (+105.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 31-19 ATS (+10.8 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 4-4 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 4-4-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 11-28 ATS (-31.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 2-0 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-0-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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WASHINGTON (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (3-0-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-1 (+6.2 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-1-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)

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CALGARY (0-2-0-0, 0 pts.) at MONTREAL (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 16-27 ATS (-21.3 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 3-1-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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COLORADO (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) at OTTAWA (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 45-38 ATS (+87.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 79-57 ATS (+19.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
OTTAWA is 128-105 ATS (-70.9 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 2-0-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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VANCOUVER (1-1-0-1, 3 pts.) at DETROIT (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 8-1 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 128-93 ATS (+223.5 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 152-151 ATS (+339.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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PHOENIX (0-1-0-1, 1 pts.) at NASHVILLE (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 8-17 ATS (-10.2 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 100-83 ATS (+208.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 96-81 ATS (+14.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 119-114 ATS (+253.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-3 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-3-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.7 Units)

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EDMONTON (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) at MINNESOTA (1-1-0-1, 3 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 1-12 ATS (+18.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-8 ATS (+24.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-3 (+4.9 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.9 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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WINNIPEG (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) at CHICAGO (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 229-260 ATS (-42.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 114-136 ATS (-67.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 2-0-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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ST LOUIS (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) at DALLAS (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/13/2011, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-3 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 10/13 (MLB, WNBA, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 10/13 (MLB, WNBA, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

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