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**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:45 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

College football trends with Week 5 upon us........

-- NC State is 9-3-1 in last 13 games as a home underdog.

-- Since '04, Nevada is 24-10 as home favorite (5-6 in last 11).

-- Oregon covered its last eight games against Washington.

-- Oklahoma is 19-8 vs spread in game following a loss.

-- Wisconsin covered nine of last 10 as Big Dozen home favorite.

-- Michigan State covered 10 of its last 13 games against Indiana.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random thoughts with weekend here.......

13) If you ran a big league baseball team and your career depended on team winning, would you give free agent-to-be Josh Hamilton big bucks? I’m just asking; he puts up huge numbers, but also has very glaring flaws. Will be interesting to track.

12) Congrats to Miguel Cabrera on being the first Triple Crown winner since 1967. All in a year when he changed positions too, and on a playoff team. Well done.

11) Teddy Roosevelt won the President’s Race at Nationals’ Park for the first time in 500+ tries Wednesday. Maybe Stephen Strasburg got bored and was inside the Teddy costume.

10) College hoop practice starts next week; Texas Tech named an interim coach from within, which is probably a good thing, since they’ve got nine new players on the squad. The Big X is a tough, tough league; Tech is going to get whacked around this year. Interesting to see who they hire full-time next spring.

9) Cliff Lee is first pitcher in modern history to strike out 200+ batters and not win seven games.

8) Knicks-Pistons are playing regular season game in London in January. I could envision a European division in the NBA someday, if they can get five cities with NBA-quality arenas. NBA might be more popular in Europe than America.

7) Tampa Bay Rays were 47-27 when Evan Longoria played this season, 43-45 when he didn’t; they need a more durable Longoria moving forward (so does my fantasy team).

6) Houston Rockets drafted Iowa State’s Royce White in first round; he’s a terrific talent, but is scared to fly, and wants to travel to road games via a customized bus. Can’t wait to see how the Rockets deal with this one.

5) San Diego’s Chase Headley led the NL with 115 RBI, first Padre to lead the league since Dave Winfield in 1979. Want to feel old? Winfield turned 61 Wednesday.

4) Speaking of age, Knicks have the oldest roster in NBA history. Seriously. Hard to envision this ending well.

3) Oakland rookie pitchers started 103 of 162 games this season, the most by any big league team since the ’52 Brooklyn Dodgers, who played in the World Series that year.

2) Derek Holland threw 113 stressful pitches for the Rangers Sunday night, in second game of twinbill in Arlington; what was he doing in the game Wednesday afternoon in Oakland, throwing 50 more? Not like the Rangers were dead if they lost, and they had 17 pitchers on their roster. Seemed like they were putting a young talent at risk and they still didn’t win.

1) Bobby Valentine can whine all he wants about his coaches, the media, the players, anything he wants, but he doesn’t seem like a guy who endears much loyalty. What he does seem like is a self-promoting control freak who was way out of his element in Boston. The Red Sox’ winter will be one of the best baseball stories of the offseason.

**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:45 AM

NLDS series preview and pick: Reds vs. Giants

Check out our breakdown of the NL Divisional Series between the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.

Cincinnati Reds (97-65) vs. San Francisco Giants (94-68)

Regular season head-to-head: The Reds won the season series 4-3. Three of the seven contests were decided by one run.

Series odds: N/A

PITCHING

The Reds’ starting rotation boasts four pitchers with ERAs under 4.00. The five starters were incredibly durable during the regular season, making every start except one. But the real strength of the Cincinnati ball club is its bullpen. Fireballer Aroldis Chapman leads a deep relief corps that registered a league-low 2.65 ERA this season.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain had a combined 6-1 record during San Francisco’s unforgettable championship run in 2010 and they’ll be joined by Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong down the stretch this year. The bullpen will certainly miss the playoff experience and swagger of closer Brian Wilson, but the group still features some power arms in Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla that should be able to close out games.

Edge: Giants

HITTING

The Cincinnati offense ranked 21st in the majors in runs per game (4.13) and 17th in team batting average (.251) this season. Slugger Joey Votto batted just .227 against Giants pitching this season and also injured his left knee sliding into third base on June 30 at San Francisco, which led to a six-week stint on the disabled list. The Reds still managed to put up runs in Votto’s absence because of other offensive contributors like Jay Bruce (34 homers, 99 RBIs) and Ryan Ludwick (26 homers).

San Francisco has an impressive 30-14 record since OF Melky Cabrera was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. Buster Posey has been a monster at the plate, becoming the first catcher to lead the NL in hitting (.336 BA) since Ernie Lombardi in 1942.

Edge: Reds

INTANGIBLES

Cincinnati put up the second best record in baseball, just a single game behind the Nationals. The Reds finished the campaign with 97 victories – their most in the regular season since the tail end of the Big Red Machine days in 1976.

The Giants finished with 94 wins, the most the franchise has had since 2003, when they won 100 games. Cain gets the ball for Game 1 on Saturday. He has surrendered a run in 21 1/3 innings postseason innings, all during the 2010 championship campaign.

Edge: Giants

PREDICTION: Giants in five games.

**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:45 AM

ALDS preview and pick: Athletics vs. Tigers

Check out our breakdown of the AL Divisional Series between the Oakland Athletics and Detroit and Tigers.

Oakland Athletics (94-68) vs. Detroit Tigers (88-74)

Regular season head-to-head: The Tigers won the season series 4-3.

Series odds: N/A

PITCHING

Oakland’s young pitching staff is no doubt the backbone of the ball club. The A's are set to make history by fielding an all-rookie starting rotation this postseason. Travis Blackley, A.J. Griffin, Tom Milone, Jarrod Parker and Dan Straily are all likely to make their postseason debuts after impressive rookie campaigns. Oakland’s bullpen has been equally as impressive, posting a 2.94 ERA, the fourth-best mark in the league.

Nobody wants to face 2011 MVP Justin Verlander multiple times in a short series. With AL strikeout leader Max Scherzer factoring into the equation and feeling good after a return from shoulder fatigue, the Tigers have a potent one-two punch at the front of the rotation. Closer Jose Valverde has converted all four of his career save opportunities in the postseason.

Edge: Athletics

HITTING

The A’s, whose 14 walkoff victories lead baseball, won their seventh game this year after trailing by four or more runs Wednesday over the Rangers in the AL West clincher. Oakland’s .238 team batting average was one of the worst marks in the league, but its hitters ranked seventh in the majors with 195 home runs, 32 of those coming off the bat of OF Josh Reddick.

Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera became the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, finishing the season with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs. But he isn’t the only big bat Oakland pitchers should be worried about. Slugger Prince Fielder eclipsed the 30-home run mark for the sixth consecutive season, while racking up 108 RBIs.

Edge: Tigers

INTANGIBLES:

Oakland came from 13 games back to capture the AL West title and become the most improbable $59.5-million payroll division winners you’ll ever see. Two of the four teams in MLB history to previously come from 13-or-more games back went on to win the World Series.

The Tigers also had to come from behind to clinch a division title and have been hot down the stretch, going 15-7 over their final 22 games.

Edge: Athletics

PREDICTION: A’s in five games.

**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:46 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Connecticut
The Fever look to take advantage of a Connecticut team that is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 home games. Indiana is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5

Game 603-604: Indiana at Connecticut (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 116.559; Connecticut 114.373
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2; 156
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 4 1/2; 152
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+4 1/2); Over

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, October 5

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INDIANA (24 - 13) at CONNECTICUT (27 - 9) - 10/5/2012, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-5 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 7-6 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Friday, October 5

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. CONNECTICUT
Indiana is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games
Connecticut is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home

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**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:49 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Hamilton at Edmonton
The Eskimos look to bounce back from their 39-15 loss to Calgary last weekend and build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following an ATS defeat. Edmonton is the pick (Pick) according to Dunkel, which has the Eskimos favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Edmonton. Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5

Game 491-492: Hamilton at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hamilton 106.992; Edmonton 114.044
Dunkel Line: Edmonton by 7; 50
Vegas Line: Pick; 53
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton; Under

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6

Game 493-494: Calgary at BC (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 118.550; BC 119.761
Dunkel Line: BC by 1; 54
Vegas Line: BC by 4 1/2; 49
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+4 1/2); Over

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 15

Friday, October 5

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HAMILTON (5 - 8) at EDMONTON (5 - 8) - 10/5/2012, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-2 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-2 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Saturday, October 6

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CALGARY (8 - 5) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (9 - 4) - 10/6/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 9 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest this season.

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

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Monday, October 8

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WINNIPEG (3 - 10) at MONTREAL (8 - 5) - 10/8/2012, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 5-3 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SASKATCHEWAN (7 - 6) at TORONTO (7 - 6) - 10/8/2012, 4:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 15

Home (31-21). Favorites (21-31), Over (25-26-1). West 15-9 vs East.
Home underdogs are 12-2 in the CFL this season.

Friday's Game
Hamilton (6-7) @ Edmonton (5-8)-- TiCats lost six of last eight games, but one of wins was 51-8 (-2.5) home thrashing of Eskimos three weeks ago, but that game was just 16-8 at half. Hamilton lost its last four away games; its only road win this year was 35-34 at Saskatchewan in Week 5. Edmonton was 5-3, but now lost its last five games, with three of five losses by 1 or 2 points- they're 3-3 at home, but lost three in row there, last two by total of three points. 10 of 13 Hamilton games went over the total. Eskimos are 0-5 when they allow more than 20 points.

Saturday's Game
Calgary (8-5) @ BCLions (9-4)-- Lions went to McMahon and drilled Stampeders 34-8 (+2.5) back in Week 5, outrushing Calgary 161-29 with +2 turnover ratio. BC is 5-1 at home, winning last three home games by 19-33-5 points; they've won seven of last nine games, are 3-3 as home favorites. Stamps are 6-2 since BC loss- they're 3-3 on road, 4-0 vs spread as road underdogs. Calgary is 6-0 when it allows less than 22 points; BC scored 24+ in five of its six home games. Under is 6-3 in last nine Calgary games, 1-3-1 in Lions' last five.

CFL

Week 15

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Trend Report
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Friday, October 5

9:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. EDMONTON
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Hamilton is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 9 games when playing at home against Hamilton

Saturday, October 6

10:00 PM
CALGARY vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Calgary's last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary
British Columbia is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Calgary

Monday, October 8

1:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. MONTREAL
Winnipeg is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Winnipeg is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Montreal is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

4:30 PM
SASKATCHEWAN vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Saskatchewan's last 12 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan

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CFL

Week 15

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Canadian Bacon: Week 15 CFL betting preview
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Four teams are set to do battle on a holiday Monday in Canada as clubs in both divisions jockey for position in the standings with only five games remaining on the regular season schedule.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Eskimos (0, 53)

Quarterback Henry Burris guided the Tiger-Cats to a 41-28 home win versus division-leading Montreal last week. Burris was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season on Tuesday after throwing for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns. Hamilton is 12-4 ATS (against the spread) in its last 16 meetings with Edmonton.

The Eskimos are in a free fall, dropping five straight outings, including a 39-15 decision at Calgary last week. Third-string QB Matt Nichols was forced into action because of injuries to Steven Jyles and Kerry Joseph in the loss. Nichols led the offense to just 242 yards on 66 plays, a unit that has failed to produce more than 18 points in each of its last four contests. Head coach Kavis Reed recently assumed control of the offense and is ready to reinstate Joseph (knee) as Friday's starter, even if he’s not 100 percent healthy.

Calgary Stampeders at B.C. Lions (-4.5, 49)

The fight for first in the West heats up Saturday night at B.C. Place when the Calgary Stampeders visit the B.C. Lions. Calgary trails B.C. by two points for top spot in the division after its convincing win over the Eskimos last week. The victory was the fifth in the last six games for the Stampeders, who are 8-0 ATS in their last eight contests in B.C.

The Lions were held to a single point through the first 30 minutes of last week’s six-point loss at Saskatchewan. But to make matters worse, WRs Geroy Simon (hamstring) and Arland Bruce (concussion) fell to injuries in the defeat and are doubtful versus Calgary. The Lions have only covered once in their last six games overall.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Montreal Alouettes (Odds N/A)

The Blue Bombers dropped a 29-10 decision to the Argonauts last week and lost QB Buck Pierce (concussion) in the process after he took a hit under the chin from Toronto LB Brandon Isaac. Joey Elliott will assume the starting QB role Monday if Pierce isn’t cleared to play. Elliot was picked off three times in relief of Pierce last week, thwarting Winnipeg’s comeback attempt. The Blue Bombers have played under the total in four consecutive games.

Montreal sits alone in first place in the East and enjoys a two-point cushion over the Argonauts with five games to play. The Als fell 41-28 to the Tiger-Cats last Sunday, but have won two straight meetings and seven of the last nine clashes with the Bombers.

Saskatchewan Roughriders at Toronto Argonauts (Odds N/A)

The Roughriders have won back-to-back games thanks to another impressive outing from QB Darian Durant. The signal-caller threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns to help guide the Riders to a thrilling 6-point win over B.C. at Mosaic Stadium last week.

The good news for the Argos at this point in the season is that all but one of their final five games will be played at home. Jarious Jackson is likely to make his second consecutive start at QB for the injured Ricky Ray (knee). Jackson tossed for a modest 155 yards and a score in the club’s win over the lowly Bombers last week. The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings between the clubs and Saskatchewan has failed to cover in its last four road games.

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**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 07:51 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Baltimore at Texas
The Orioles look to build on their 19-7 record in their last 26 games following an off day. Baltimore is the pick (+170) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+170). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5

Game 901-902: St. Louis at Atlanta (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lohse) 15.754; Atlanta (Medlen) 15.828
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-170); Under

Game 903-904: Baltimore at Texas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Saunders) 15.698; Texas (Darvish) 14.866
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-200); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+170); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, October 5

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ST LOUIS (88 - 74) at ATLANTA (94 - 68) - 5:05 PM
KYLE LOHSE (R) vs. KRIS MEDLEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 88-74 (-5.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 7-15 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 38-43 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 9-17 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
ST LOUIS is 88-74 (-5.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 57-57 (-14.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 25-35 (-18.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 94-68 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 18-6 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
ATLANTA is 30-18 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ATLANTA is 92-67 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 64-37 (+22.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 59-35 (+17.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ATLANTA is 46-37 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEDLEN is 12-0 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 14-0 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 12-0 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 13-1 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 10-0 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 71-47 (+24.2 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.
ATLANTA is 38-51 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 14-21 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games in playoff games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-1 (+4.7 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
6 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.0 Units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LOHSE is 3-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.97 and a WHIP of 1.583.
His team's record is 4-6 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+1.9 units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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BALTIMORE (93 - 69) at TEXAS (93 - 69) - 8:35 PM
JOE SAUNDERS (L) vs. YU DARVISH (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 5-2 (+1.9 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.8 Units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. TEXAS since 1997
SAUNDERS is 3-7 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 6.48 and a WHIP of 1.491.
His team's record is 4-7 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-8. (-6.5 units)

YU DARVISH vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, October 5

Today's games are one-game, winner-move-on scenarios........

Braves won five of six games vs St Louis this year, but all six games came in May; all six games went over the total. Cardinals lost two of three here in last week in May. Overall, St Louis won 12 of its last 16 games, five of last seven on road. Braves won 10 of last 11 home games, eight of last 11 overall. Lohse is 2-0, 3.32 in his last three starts; he lost 10-7 here May 30, giving up five runs in five IP. Atlanta won Medlen's last 23 starts; he is 9-0, 1.18 in his 12 starts this season. He didn't start against St Louis in 2012.

Texas won five of seven vs Baltimore this year, winning two of three here in late August. Five of the seven games went over total, with two of three going under in this park. Rangers lost seven of last nine games to lose division title, they lost six of last ten home games. Orioles went 12-5 in last 17 games, 5-2 in last seven. Saunders is 1-2, 3.58 in his last four starts; he didn't pitch against the Rangers this year. Darvish cost the Rangers $100M to sign; he is 4-0, 2.06 in his last six starts. He didn't pitch against Baltimore.

MLB

Wednesday, October 3

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Trend Report
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5:07 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis

8:37 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TEXAS
Baltimore is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Texas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 8 games when playing Texas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore

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MLB

Friday, October 5

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NL Wild Card game betting preview: Cards at Braves
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GAME: St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) at Atlanta Braves (94-68)
WHERE: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia

The final season of Chipper Jones’ Hall of Fame career will last at least one more game. Jones and the Braves will host the defending World Series-champion St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in the National League's one-game wild card playoff. After being overtaken for the wild card by the Cardinals on the final night of the 2011 season, the Braves will be looking for some payback when Kris Medlen takes the mound opposite Kyle Lohse.

Atlanta made a strong run at first place in the National League East over the final week before ultimately falling short. The Cardinals have been in playoff mode for at least the last two weeks, fighting off the Los Angeles Dodgers until finally clinching the No. 2 spot on Tuesday. The Braves set up their pitching for a deep playoff run by having a “bullpen game” in the regular season finale on Wednesday and have made sure that Jones is well-rested by giving him just one at-bat over the final two games. St. Louis, which dropped five of six to Atlanta this season, set itself up similarly by letting rookie Shelby Miller make his first start on Wednesday. The clubs have not met since May 30 and both come in having won seven of their last 10 games.

LINE: 153, -163 TOTAL: 6.5 - The line varies considerably for this game, depending on where you get it. Some offshore sites have the Braves as high as -180 and you can get them as low as -160 in Las Vegas as of Thursday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Kyle Lohse (16-3, 2.86 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kris Medlen (10-1, 1.57)

Lohse put together the best regular season of his 12-year career by relying on pinpoint control, issuing only 38 walks in 211 total innings. Lohse struck out nine and walked one in his regular-season finale but was charged with four runs on eight hits in six innings against Washington. He matched his shortest start of the year at the Braves on May 30, yielding five runs on nine hits in five innings. He did not factor in the decision that time and is 3-1 with a 4.97 ERA in 10 career starts against Atlanta.

The Braves have won a major league-record 23 straight games started by Medlen, who has not lost since joining the rotation at the end of July. The right-hander, who turns 27 on Sunday, has allowed more than two runs only once in 50 total appearances in 2012 and capped his regular season by surrendering one run (unearned) on three hits in six innings to beat the New York Mets on Sunday. One of Medlen’s roughest appearances came out of the bullpen against St. Louis on May 28, when he was reached for two runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings.

BETTING TRENDS:

•Eight of the 10 meetings played over between these teams this season
•Under is 23-5-1 in ATL last 29 home games.
•Cardinals are 8-19 in their last 27 road games vs. a team with a winning record
•Braves are 4-0 in their last 4 games with the total set at 6.5 or lower
•Braves are 25-1 in Medlen’s last 26 starts
•Cardinals are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings
•Medlen ranks 4th on the Covers starting pitcher money list with a profit of $1200 this season for his backers
•Lohse ranks 21st on the money list with a profit of just over $700

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta 2B Dan Uggla suffered a laceration to his right hand during the playoff clinching celebration but returned to the lineup despite swelling on Wednesday.

2. Due to the nature of the one-game playoff, neither team will need to carry multiple starters and could stock the bullpen or carry 16 position players if necessary.

3. Jones slumped his way to the finish, going 2-for-19 over his last seven games. He is 6-for-13 with six walks, a home run and five RBIs in his career against Lohse.

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**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 08:25 AM

MLB

Friday, October 5

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AL Wild Card game betting preview: Orioles at Rangers
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Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers (-187, 9)

The first-ever American League Wild Card game will be contested by two teams that owned at least a share of first place in their respective divisions with three contests remaining in the regular season. The surprising Baltimore Orioles were tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East entering the final three-game series of the year. But while New York was sweeping the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore dropped two of three against the Rays in Tampa Bay following a 25-10 run and wound up settling for the second wild-card spot.

The end of the regular season was even more disappointing for the Texas Rangers, who squandered a five-game lead with nine contests remaining and settled for the first wild card. Texas, which occupied first place in the AL West for 178 days, was swept of its season-ending three-game series by eventual division champion Oakland. The Rangers dropped nine of their final 13 contests, including Wednesday's season finale in which they built a 5-1 lead before allowing 11 unanswered runs.

Texas, which had been in first place in the West since April 9, won five of its seven meetings with the Orioles this season. The Rangers captured two of three at home from Aug. 20-22 after taking three of four in Baltimore from May 7-10.

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

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-70s and clear skies at Rangers Ballpark. Winds will blow out to right field at 11 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Joe Saunders (3-3, 3.63 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (16-9, 3.90)

Saunders has pitched well since yielding seven runs against Chicago in his debut with the Orioles on Aug. 29, allowing three earned runs or less in each of his last six starts. The 31-year-old ended his regular season on a high note, giving up three runs over 7 1/3 innings of a victory over the Red Sox on Sunday. Saunders has not fared well against Texas in his career, however, going 3-7 with a 6.48 ERA in 11 starts.

Darvish finished his impressive rookie season strong, winning his final four decisions while allowing three runs or less in each of his last eight starts. The 26-year-old Japanese right-hander finished fifth in the AL with 221 strikeouts and held opponents to a .220 batting average, the third-best mark in the league. Darvish, who went 10-2 in 14 starts at home, will be facing Baltimore for the first time.

TRENDS:

* The over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
* Rangers are 7-1 in their last eight playoff games as a favorite.
* Orioles are 1-5 in the last six meetings in Texas.
* The over is 5-0 in Rangers’ last five home games.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Baltimore logged a franchise-record 1,483 innings pitched this season, eclipsing the previous mark of 1,478 2/3 frames tossed by the 1970 Orioles.

2. The Rangers set a club record by committing only 85 errors, two fewer than the previous team low set in 1996.

3. CF Adam Jones became the first Oriole since Miguel Tejada in 2006 to play in every regular-season game.

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**Udog** · 10-05-2012, 10:44 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, October 5

NL Wild Card (Best-of-One)

(TC) St. Louis at Atlanta, 5:05 ET TBS
Lohse: St. Louis 9-18 SU away with a total of 7.5 runs or less
Medlen: 14-0 TSR in home games

AL Wild Card (Best-of-One)

(TC) Baltimore at Texas, 8:35 ET TBS
Saunders: Baltimore 14-44 SU off BB games having 5 or less hits
Darvish: Texas 16-2 SU at home off BB losses

(TC) = Time Change

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