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**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 08:31 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Most popular, least popular picks in the LVH Super Contest, where 1,034 contestants pick five games each week of the NFL season........they paid $1,500 each to be in this contest, by the way.

Most popular (2-15-1 vs spread)

1) Falcons-- 390 - L
2) Saints 341
3) Texans-- 267 - L
4) Steelers-- 248 - L
5) Colts-- 233 - W
6) Chiefs/Jets 232 - W/L

Least popular (12-5-1)

31) Vikings 56 - W
30) Raiders 60 - L
29) Buccaneers 84 - L
28) Jaguars 97 - L
27) Dolphins 98
26) Patriots 124 - W

*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Sunday..........

13) Vikings 34, Steelers 27-- Pitt is 0-4 for first time since 1968, when they went 2-11-1 and fired Bill Austin, replacing him with Chuck Noll. They have had only three head coaches since that season. Why did the spread go up after it was announced Cassel was playing? He's as good as Ponder.

12) Bills 23, Ravens 20-- Buffalo outrushed defending champs 203-24, had five INTs (+2 turnover ratio), held Ravens to 3-16 on third down. Each side had ball 16 times in this game, an awful lot for an NFL game-- 10 of Ravens' 16 drives started 80+ yards from the end zone.

11) Browns 17, Bengals 6-- Cleveland is 2-0 with Hoyer at QB, they held the Bengals to 63 rushing yards, one field goal on two red zone drives. Three of the four AFC North teams are tied for first place at 2-2, and Steelers aren't one of those three.

10) Colts 37, Jaguars 3-- Would the Jaguars win the CFL title? Three TDs on 48 drives is no way to start a season. Jax hasn't come within 10 points in any game yet this season, outscored 129-31. Luckily for me they play the Rams next week and then they go to Denver, where the spread is expected to be as high as 28 points, maybe the highest spread in NFL history.

9) Seahawks 23, Texans 20-- Major choke job by Houston, which led 20-3 at half, had ball in Seattle territory up 20-13 with 3:00, to play, then threw a pick-6 to tie game, and they lost in OT. QBs can't throw balls like that.

Remember now, Lane Kiffin got fired this weekend, but lot of the stuff that has USC's program in decline happened under Pete Carroll's watch, before he beat feet a few steps ahead of the NCAA calling.

8) Cardinals 13, Bucs 10-- Both teams had three turnovers, neither team gained 300 yards, Larry Fitzgerald didn't catch a ball in the first half, but the Redbirds won despite 10 penalties for 90 yards and going 1-10 on 3rd down; Mike Glennon's debut at QB didn't help Greg Schiano's job security any.

Doug Martin had 27 rushes for 45 yards; it is painful just to type that.

7) Lions 40, Bears 32-- Only second Detroit win in last 11 series games; its four TDs came on drives of 22-2-51 yards, plus the defense scored one. Two teams combine to convert 3-23 on third down and turn ball over seven times. Lions forced seven 3/outs, won field position battle by 18 yards.

6) Chiefs 31, Giants 7-- In last five halves, Giants were outscored 100-21. In its 4-0 start, Chiefs won field position by 15-14-23-12 yards; this just doesn't happen much in the NFL. Turnovers were even here, which makes final result little more telling, since Giants were -9, Chiefs +9 in first three games.

5) Titans 38, Jets 13-- Tennessee lost QB Locker with hip injury, won this game by forcing four turnovers (+4)- their first three TD drives were 18-26-46 yards, then defense scored one, too. Rough day on road for rookie QB, as Jets had six 3/outs, 10 penalties, were 4-13 on third down.

4) Chargers 30, Cowboys 21-- Dallas led 21-13 at half, but rough weekend for Kiffin family (USC-Ole Miss-Dallas all lost) ended with Cowboys getting blanked in second half. Rivers was 35-42/392 passing, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. NFC East is a combined 4-12 SU.

3) Redskins 24, Raiders 14-- Oakland led 14-0 early thanks to blocked punt for a TD, but Skins scored a defensive TD and sacked Flynn seven times as Raider fans asked, "Why did we trade for this guy?" Hopefully RGIII's knee will get better; right now, he looks like a shell of what he was last year.

Raiders are down 10 with 3:30 to go, have 4th-and-1 at the Washington 17-- how do they not kick a FG there to get within seven points? Do coaches go to game management class after they get hired? If not, they should.

2) Broncos 52, Eagles 20-- If Chip Kelly called USC today, how fast do you think he could get out of his Philly contract? Since halftime of Week 1, Iggles have been outscored 131-73. Steve Mariucci said on NFL Network that he wouldn't be that surprised if Denver went undefeated this season.

1) Patriots 30, Falcons 23-- AFC East teams are now 8-1 vs spread outside their division. BC alum Ryan wasn't as sharp as normal; Smith drops to 19-5 vs spread in games following a loss. Atlanta is now 1.5 games behind Saints in NFC South- they seem to do just enough to lose.

**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 08:32 AM

College football odds: Week 6 opening line report

In one of the most entertaining games of the season thus far, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the LSU Tigers 44-41 in a matchup of two SEC heavyweights.

The Bulldogs (3-1 SU, 1-2-1 ATS) have beaten some big names to start the season with their only blemish coming courtesy of the Clemson Tigers in the opening game of the campaign.

Coming off that massive win against LSU, the Bulldogs now must travel to Tennessee to face the Volunteers (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS).

Georgia has won straight up in three consecutive meetings with the Volunteers and both won and covered as 2.5-point faves in Knoxville back in 2011; the last meeting at Tennessee.

Peter Korner, founder of the Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, sent out a line of Bulldogs -14 after he and his team were all between 13 and 17.

"Offshores have lower and we could've gone that way with Georgia RB (Todd) Gurly questionable but with him in the lineup, I like where we're at."

Maryland Terrapins at Florida State Seminoles (-17)

The Maryland Terrapins (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS) have satisfied faithful backers so far during an unblemished start to the season. Maryland is one of four programs in the country that is 4-0 ATS and one of just eight squads without an ATS loss. But Korner feels they'll have their hands full with quarterback Jameis Winston and the Seminoles (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS).

"The range went from -14 to -21 and we decided in the middle with FSU -17," Korner told Covers. "Maryland has shown well of late and are competitive here. I wouldn't be surprised to see this line drop a little. But FSU's overall team strength in so many areas will show through here."

Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+4)

Played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

The Irish (3-2, 0-4-1) are coming off a poor performance at home against the Oklahoma Sooners which saw them on the wrong end of a 35-21 scoreline. The Irish have been fairly abysmal both on the field and against the spread. They are one of just eight teams that have yet to cover a spread this season.

"This is in a neutral field and to tell you the truth, we don't like Notre Dame at all," said Korner. "We sent out ASU -4 but a gun to our heads we could easily go higher. Notre Dame can't stop anyone and they're facing a quality team here."

Ohio State Buckeyes at Northwestern Wildcats (+6)

The Buckeyes (5-0 SU, 3-1-1 ATS) are coming off a massive 31-24 win against Wisconsin to get their Big 10 season off to a great start. It won't get easier for them as they (along with College Gameday) go to Evanston, Illinois to face the Northwestern Wildcats (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS), who are off to a great start themselves.

"We were all around the -6 number. There wasn't much to discuss here. Big Ten clash with two good teams. I don't see this number running in either direction by kick-off."

**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 08:32 AM

NHL betting: Top goalscorer prop bet

The National Hockey League makes a welcomed return on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

One of the most popular prop bets in the world of hockey betting is, obviously, the top goalscorer in the league.

Steven Stamkos (of course) of the Tampa Bay Lightning leads the way with a total of 51.5, but there are a host of other players that should be able to compete for the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Here is a look at 2013-14 regular season total goals for the top scorers in the NHL.

Odds courtesy of SportsInteraction.com:

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning - Over/Under 51.5
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals - Over/Under 48.5
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins - Over/Under 32.5
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins - Over/Under 40.5
James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins - Over/Under 35.5
Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings - Over/Under 36.5
Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild - Over/Under 30.5
John Tavares, New York Islanders - Over/Under 37.5
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks - Over/Under 34.5
Rich Nash, New York Rangers - Over/Under 32.5
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks - Over/Under 29.5
Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers - Over/Under 29.5
Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks - Over/Under 33.5
Jarome Iginla, Boston Bruins - Over/Under 29.5
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks - Over/Under 34.5
Daniel Sedin, Vancouvery Canucks - Over/Under 30.5
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets - Over/Under 24.5
Nazem Kadri, Toronto Maple Leafs - Over/Under 21.5
Evander Kane, Winnipeg Jets - Over/Under 28.5

**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 08:42 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Tampa Bay at Texas
The Rays look to take today's tiebreaker against the Rangers and build on their 20-6 record in David Price's last 26 starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150. Tampa Bay is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Rays favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Game 981-982: Tampa Bay at Texas (8:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Price) 16.842; Texas (Perez) 15.433
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-135); Under

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, September 30

AL play-in game

-- Price is 1-1, 2.73 in his last four starts; he didn't pitch against the Rangers this year-- he allowed eight runs in 10.2 IP in two starts against them LY.
-- Perez is 1-0, 2.84 in his last two starts; he allowed two runs in five IP in a relief appearance vs Rays LY, only time they've seen him.

Rangers are 32-18 vs lefty starters, Tampa Bay is 29-23.

Texas just went 7-0 vs Astros/Angels on a homestand to get here, scoring 46 runs in those games; they had lost seven in a row at home before that. Rangers are 4-3 vs Tampa Bay this year, winning two of three here in early April.

Rays are 8-2 in last ten games but lost Friday/Saturday and almost blew a 7-0 lead Sunday; they've won seven of their last ten on the road.

Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Texas games, 4-1 in last five Tampa tilts.

MLB

Monday, September 30

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Trend Report
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8:07 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Tampa Bay is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games at home

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**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 09:26 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, September 30

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TAMPA BAY (91 - 71) at TEXAS (91 - 71) - 8:05 PM
DAVID PRICE (L) vs. MARTIN PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 11-3 (+8.9 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
PEREZ is 9-2 (+8.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 99-84 (-21.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 10-13 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 71-73 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 13-25 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 4-3 (+0.9 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
DAVID PRICE vs. TEXAS since 1997
PRICE is 1-7 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.57 and a WHIP of 1.429.
His team's record is 4-7 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-5. (+0.5 units)
MARTIN PEREZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

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**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 09:28 AM

MLB

Monday, September 30

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Rays at Rangers: What bettors need to know
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Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers (+105, 7.5)

It is a must-win scenario for the Tampa Bay Rays and host Texas Rangers on Monday if they wish to advance to a second must-win situation. The two teams tied for the second American League wild-card spot and will break the tie for the right to meet the Cleveland Indians in Wednesday’s one-game round. Texas has won seven straight games and Tampa Bay has won eight of its last 10 contests.

Rays ace David Price starts against Rangers rookie Martin Perez and Texas announced that power-hitting outfielder Nelson Cruz will be activated for Monday’s game. Cruz’s 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs ended Sunday and he has fared well against Price, going 6-for-12 with two homers against the left-hander. Price is fired up about getting the ball in the tiebreaker. “This is a moment that I want to be in,” he said. “I want to be able to relish the moment and go out there and have fun.”

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE: Texas opened as a +119 home underdog and has been bet down to +105, taking Tampa Bay down from -129 to -116. The total has stayed steady at 7.5 runs.

WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid 70s, clear skies and winds blowing south at 6 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55)

Price didn’t face the Rangers this season but has traditionally struggled against them, going 1-4 with a 5.98 ERA in eight career outings. After being sensational in July and August, Price was 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in five September starts. He has pitched at least seven innings in four of his last six turns.

The 22-year-old Perez won seven of his last nine decisions as one of Texas’ most-reliable starters over the second half of the season. He didn’t face the Rays this season and his lone career outing against them was a five-inning stint last season in which he gave up two runs and seven hits. Perez has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his last 11 starts.

TRENDS:

* Over is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
* Under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings in Texas.
* Under is 5-2 in Prices last seven starts vs. Rangers.
* Rays are 2-5 in Prices last seven starts vs. Rangers.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Texas defeated Tampa Bay in the AL Division Series in 2010 and 2011 en route to back-to-back World Series appearances.

2. The Rangers earned the right to host the play-in game because they won the regular-season series 4-3. The teams split a four-game series in mid-September.

3. Rangers OF Alex Rios is batting .435 with two homers and seven RBIs in 23 career at-bats against Price.

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**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 11:20 AM

MLB

Tuesday, October 1

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MLB betting: Looking at NL Wild Card starters
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Major League Baseball's postseason officially starts Tuesday with the National League Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates and Reds will renew acquaintances for the seventh time in the past 10 games for each club.

Mat Latos was manager Dusty Baker's first choice to make the start, but the big righty has a bone chip in his elbow which is causing him discomfort, so Johnny Cueto gets the call.

The Bucs will call on southpaw Francisco Liriano to take the hill.

Here is a look inside the numbers for Tuesday's starting pitchers.

Liriano versus the Reds - 0-3, 3.70 ERA in four starts.

- The Reds roster bats .260 (32-for-123) with four homers and 12 RBIs versus Liriano.
- Todd Frazier is 3-for-9 with a pair of solo homers off the Pirates lefty.

Cueto versus the Pirates - 1-0, 0.73 ERA in two starts.

- The Pirates roster bats .209 (45-for-215) with five homers and 17 RBIs versus Cueto.
- Andrew McCutchen is 9-for-39 (.231) with three homers and five RBIs versus Cueto.

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**Udog** · 09-30-2013, 02:05 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, September 30

Tampa Bay at Texas, 8:05 ET
Price: Tampa Bay 46-30 SU when the money line is -100 to -150
Perez: Texas 25-35 SU after 3 straight games where they committed no errors

Announcement

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 9/30 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, NHL, Misc.)

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 9/30 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, NHL, Misc.)

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