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**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:38 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Eldrick Woods was a cripple on Sunday, now he's healthy? Call me skeptical.

-- Red Sox/Rays GMs were told by owners of their teams that trading pitchers was OK, as long as they didn't trade them to the Bronx. This is excellent.

-- Mariners 7, Braves 3-- Atlanta limps home after an 0-8 road trip.

-- UAB banished its leading scorer Chad Frazier after a domesitc violence charge (which was later dropped); he won't transfer, will just go pro instead.

-- Dodgers 2, Angels 1-- Dan Haren retired first 16 Halos in a surprising effort.

-- PGA will shift to July in 2016 only to prevent a conflict with the Olympics, where golf will be an event for the first time.

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Kevin Durant’s $60M, seven-year Nike contract just ended; Durant is from Maryland, which is where Under Armour is located. There are rumors afoot that they’re ready to pay Durant much more than the $19M he’s going to make from the Thunder next season. Yikes.

12) Most popular place in the Las Vegas airport was the hallway with all the electrical outlets, where everyone was re-charging their electronic devices. It was more crowded than the food court.

11) Baseball teams who walk more batters than they strike out lose roughly 70% of time. There have been only three or four games all season where both teams walked more than they struck out; two of them happened on the same day last week.

10) Mike Tyson will be guest-starring on Franklin & Bash this summer, as TNT tries to add some punch to its late night ratings.

9) Former NFL lineman Jordan Gross retired last January; since then, he’s lost about 70 pounds. Former Cowboys’ GM Gil Brandt posted a pic of he and Gross on Twitter, said he almost didn’t recognize him when he saw Gross at Wofford, where the Panthers have training camp.

8) Adam Dunn has 457 career homers; if he got to 520 or so homers, would he get any Hall of Fame support? Dunn pitched an inning Tuesday; he now ranked sixth on the HR list for players who also pitched in the big leagues. Babe Ruth obviously leads the list but Ted Williams is on there too.

7) If you don’t like summer, know that the Celtics play their first exhibition game October 6 against the 76ers, a mere 60 days from now. Actually, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like summer, but the NBA is still closer than you think.

6) So you’d like to be an NFL coach? Dan Quinn is Seattle’s defensive coordinator, a very good one, but this is the first time in 10 years he’s lived in the same city three years in a row. He’ll probably be moving next year, when he becomes an NFL head coach. Football coaches often lead a nomadic existence.

5) Cubs’ prospect Javier Baez went 1-10 in his first two major league games, but the one hit was a game-winning homer in the 12th inning Tuesday. Cubs are taking an interesting road; all their top prospects are position players. All this time I thought pitching was the most important element in baseball.

4) Grantland.com posted a table that shows since 2002, 18 NFL QBs have started 25+ games in their first two seasons, with very mixed results. I still think sitting and watching for at least part of one season is the wisest way to go, but no one asked me. If they did, I'd suggest the Browns let Johnny Manziel watch and learn for a year or so, before throwing him to the wolves.

3) One last word about Miami’s Ryan Tannehill, that I forgot to mention yesterday: How can an NFL team draft a franchise QB who didn’t know who the other teams in the AFC East are? Seriously, on Hard Knocks last summer, Tannehill told backup QB Matt Moore he knew almost nothing about pro football. That would raise a red flag for me, a really big, bright red flag.

2) There is a kid pitching in the Cape Cod League named Ryan Perez who is ambidextrous; last guy in major leagues to pitch with both hands was Greg Harris, who had a special glove he could put on either hand. .

1) Lot of preseason football on the docket tonight; be careful how much you wager on these meaningless games, played by guys, some of whom will be working for FedEx or tending bar next month. Sometimes it is better to just sit and watch.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:38 AM

NASCAR Driver Capsules, Aug. 6

Capsules for the top 20 drivers in the Sprint Cup standings, plus five additional drivers of note.

24 JEFF GORDON, Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: Jeff Gordon remained in first place for the eighth consecutive week after Pocono and for 14 of the last 15 weeks. Gordon leads second-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 17 points and third-ranked Brad Keselowski by 70 points (was 51 points ahead of Keselowski prior to Pocono).

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 21 career starts, 4 wins, 6 top-5s, 9 top-10s, 2 poles. Best career finish: First in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001. Finished 36th in this race last year and was 21st in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Gordon has struggled since his last win at Watkins Glen in 2001, with just two top 10 finishes in his last 12 starts there. He'll definitely be looking to improve upon that record Sunday: "While Sonoma is a finesse track, Watkins Glen is a track where you have to be aggressive and attack. It's a very challenging track, but it's fun and it's fast. Double-file restarts ... (have) really changed things on the road courses because it gives you that extra opportunity to be aggressive, to get the position and to take some extra chances to try to get that position or maintain a position - and that causes a lot of incidents. But that has also made the road course events some of the most exciting races we have on the circuit."

LOOKING BACK: Gordon had hoped to make it two wins in a row after his triumph at Indianapolis, but fell short at Pocono. Even though he led a race-high 63 laps there Sunday, he fell back in the closing laps due to bad pit strategy, ultimately finishing sixth.

ETC.: Gordon has completed 95.7 percent (1,813) of the 1,894 total laps contested in 21 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start is 10.2 and average finish is 15.8. He has three DNFs there.

88 DALE EARNHARDT JR., Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: Former points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. remained in second place for the fourth consecutive week after Sunday's win at Pocono. Earnhardt trails points leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 17 points and is 43 points ahead (was 27 points ahead prior to Pocono) of third-ranked Brad Keselowski.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 14 career starts, 0 wins, 2 top-5s, 3 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Third in 2003. Finished 30th in this race last year and was 28th in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Watkins Glen is arguably Earnhardt's worst track on the Sprint Cup schedule. His last top 10 there was 2005. He hopes to change that this Sunday: "I definitely have more confidence going into the Glen then I do Sonoma. Sonoma is a much more technical track and a lot more challenging for me as a driver. When we run the Glen, it's straightaway then turn, straightaway then turn. I think I can be more of an asset to (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) and help him with the car more so then I can at Sonoma. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not going to get too overly confident. We are just going to go there with no pressure and have fun and try to get a great finish."

LOOKING BACK: Earnhardt led just 14 laps en route to his third win of the season Sunday and his second of 2014 at Pocono.

ETC.: Earnhardt has completed 92.2 percent (1,165) of the 1,264 total laps contested in 14 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 18.0, and average finish is 23.2. He has two DNFs there.

2 BRAD KESELOWSKI, Ford

Team: Penske Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Brad Keselowski remained in third place for the third consecutive week. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 70 points (was 51 behind before Pocono), is 43 points behind second-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr., and leads fourth-ranked Matt Kenseth by 19 points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Four career starts, 0 wins, 3 top-5s, 3 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Second in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Finished second in this race last year and was also second in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: After three consecutive runner-up finishes at Watkins Glen, Keselowski is seeking that elusive first win on the twisting road course. To give himself the best chance, he's also running Saturday's Nationwide Series race. "This No. 22 Discount Tire Ford team has hit its stride, and we are in that sweet spot where solid preparation and effort equals strong results. Running these Nationwide Series races is important to me for a lot of reasons, one of those being the extra seat time at the track gives me more insight into how things are likely to play out in the Cup race. On top of that, I know how hard this team works to give me competitive cars and that drives me to give my best for them. ... I feel great about our chances this weekend."

LOOKING BACK: Keselowski did not have a good outing at Pocono, where he finished second in June. This past Sunday, he ended up one lap down to the leaders, eventually finishing 23rd.

ETC.: Keselowski has completed a perfect 100 percent (362) of the 362 total laps contested in four career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start is 14.0 and his average finish is an outstanding 6.5. He has zero DNFs there.

20 MATT KENSETH, Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Matt Kenseth remained in fourth place for the third consecutive week after Pocono. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 89 points (was 56 points behind prior to Pocono), is 19 points behind third-ranked Brad Keselowski and leads fifth-ranked Ryan Newman by 26.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 14 career starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 4 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Eighth in 2003 and 2012. Finished 23rd in this race last year and was eighth in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Kenseth readily admits he's not a good road course racer. But like others who could also make that statement, he hopes to turn his misfortune into good fortune this Sunday.

LOOKING BACK: Kenseth was one of 13 drivers involved in the big wreck on Lap 116 at Pocono this past Sunday. His car was heavily damaged, ending his day early and resulting in a disappointing 38th place finish. "I just was following (Denny) Hamlin on that restart and he kind of went to the middle so I stayed at the bottom and got behind Brian (Vickers) and my spotter told me I was clear high so I just went up to go up off the corner and when I got up there I saw the 11 car (Denny Hamlin) sideways and the 55 (Brian Vickers) went to miss him and we just got all collected."

ETC.: Even with his disappointing overall record, Kenseth still has managed to complete an outstanding 99.9 percent (1,263) of the 1,264 total laps contested in 14 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 18.7 and average finish is 15.6. He has zero DNFs there.

31 RYAN NEWMAN, Chevrolet

Team: Richard Childress Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: After two weeks in seventh place, Ryan Newman moved up two spots to fifth in the standings after Pocono. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 115 points, is 26 points behind fourth-ranked Matt Kenseth and leads the sixth-ranked tie of Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson by nine points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 12 career starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 3 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Second in his first career Cup start there in 2002. Finished 14th in this race last year and was 11th in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Newman has never come close to equaling his first race at Watkins Glen, where he finished second. Still looking for his first win of the season, which would all but assure he makes the Chase, Newman has a big task ahead of him this Sunday: "Watkins Glen is so much faster than Sonoma Raceway. I think Pocono was a nice warm up to this race because of the fact that we had to shift. It couldn't have fallen at a better place on the schedule when it comes to preparing for this race. The speed is the biggest difference when comparing Watkins Glen to Sonoma. It also provides for a few more places to pass on the track, and that's always a good thing for us."

LOOKING BACK: Newman had a decent run at Pocono. While he didn't lead any laps, he did come home with an eighth place showing.

ETC.: Even with his mediocre overall performance there, Newman has completed a near-perfect 99.9 percent (1,083) of the 1,084 total laps contested in 12 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 10.0 and average finish is 15.7. He has zero DNFs there.

22 JOEY LOGANO, Ford

Team: Penske Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Joey Logano made the biggest climb upward of any driver in the top 10 after Pocono, improving three positions from ninth to a tie for sixth with Jimmie Johnson. Both drivers trail points leader Jeff Gordon by 124 points, are nine points behind fifth-ranked Ryan Newman and lead eighth-ranked Carl Edwards by 15 points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 5 career starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 2 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Fifth in 2011. Finished seventh in this race last year and was 32nd in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Logano is looking for his first career road course win, but he'll have some tough competition, including fellow Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski. Here's Logano's thoughts on Sunday's race: "We have been a top-10 car at a majority of the tracks this season, we just didn't have the finishes to show for it. At Indy, we were a top-10 car and that is where we finished. At Pocono, I feel like we were probably the third best car and that is where we finished. We are finishing where we are running. ... The team puts in a lot of hard work to give me fast race cars, and we work hard during the race, so it's frustrating when you don't finish where you think you should. It lifts the guys' spirits on the team when you finish like you feel you should."

LOOKING BACK: Logano led 30 laps but couldn't hold off eventual winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. or runner-up Kevin Harvick at Pocono this past Sunday, ultimately settling for a third-place showing.

ETC.: Logano has completed 95.4 percent (431 laps) of the 452 laps contested in 5 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 17.8 and average finish is 18.6. He has zero DNFs there.

48 JIMMIE JOHNSON, Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: After two weeks in fifth place, Jimmie Johnson dropped one position and into a tie for sixth with Joey Logano. Both drivers trail points leader Jeff Gordon by 124 points (Johnson was 89 points behind Gordon prior to Pocono), are nine points behind fifth-ranked Ryan Newman and lead eighth-ranked Carl Edwards by 15 points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 12 career starts, 0 wins, 4 top-5s, 7 top-10s, 1 pole. Best career finish: Third in 2007 and 2012. Finished eighth in this race last year and third in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Watkins Glen is one of the few tracks Johnson has yet to win a race at. He hopes to change that this Sunday: "Watkins Glen is one of the four tracks I've not won a race at in my career. It's a great race, lots of strategy plays out, and it would be nice to check that one off the list this year. I like going there, the area is beautiful and we usually enjoy a good group bike ride on Saturday after the garage closes. After last weekend at Pocono, we need a good solid finish."

LOOKING BACK: Johnson had one of his worst showings of the 2014 season, finishing 39th this past Sunday at Pocono due to a wreck on Lap 111.

ETC.: Johnson has completed just 93.8 percent (1,017) of 1,084 total laps in 12 career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is an outstanding 7.2 and his average finish is 12.8. He has one DNF there.

99 CARL EDWARDS, Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: After dropping two places following Indianapolis, Carl Edwards remained in eighth place for the second consecutive week. He trails series leader Jeff Gordon by 139 points (was 114 behind prior to Pocono), is 15 points behind the sixth-place tie of Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson, and leads ninth-ranked Clint Bowyer by one point.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 9 career starts, 0 wins, four top-5, six top-10s, 1 pole. Best career finish: Third in 2009. Finished fourth in this race last year, and was 14th in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Edwards would love to give himself an early 35th birthday present (he's born on August 15th) in the 10th start of his Sprint Cup career at Watkins Glen. "This is a race that I've been looking forward to all year," Edwards said. "I love road racing and coming off the win at Sonoma we feel like this is a great opportunity for our team to go get some bonus points and have a little more fun before the Chase starts. The Nationwide win at the Glen was huge for me a couple years ago and we've been real close there in the Cup Series."

LOOKING BACK: Edwards had a race he likely would rather forget about, finishing 29th, three laps off the lead lap, this past Sunday at Pocono.

ETC.: Edwards has completed a perfect 100 percent (814) of 814 total laps contested in nine career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 12.9 and average finish is an excellent 8.8. He has zero DNFs there.

15 CLINT BOWYER, Toyota

Team: Michael Waltrip Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: After two weeks in 10th place, Clint Bowyer moved up one spot to ninth place following Pocono. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 140 points (the same as prior to Pocono), is one point behind eighth-ranked Carl Edwards and leads 10th-ranked Kyle Busch by six points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 8 career starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 3 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Fourth in 2012. Finished sixth in this race last year and was a career-best fourth in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Bowyer is still looking for his first win of 2014 and his first career win at Watkins Glen (to go along with his one win at the other road course, Sonoma). Here's his thoughts on Sunday's race: "I don't know that I'm that great (on road courses), but I do enjoy them. Sonoma is a little better for me than Watkins Glen but we've had some decent finishes the past few years. I'm not really sure why. You've really got to have everything go right on the road courses. You can't make dumb mistakes, dive bomb someone and crash, take yourself out of the race. I think we can get a good finish, we just have to have everything go right and not do something that takes us out of the running for a good finish."

LOOKING BACK: Bowyer had an excellent run Sunday at Pocono. While he didn't lead any laps, he was in the top 10 for most of the day and finished strong with a fourth-place showing.

ETC.: Bowyer has completed a near-perfect 99.9 percent (721 laps) of the 722 total laps contested in eight career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is 17.2 and average finish is 14.4. He has zero DNFs there.

18 KYLE BUSCH, Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: After climbing two spots, from eighth to sixth, after Indianapolis, Kyle Busch lost the most ground among drivers in the top 10 after Pocono, falling four places in the standings, from sixth to 10th place. He trails points leader Jeff Gordon by 146 points, is six points behind ninth-ranked Clint Bowyer and leads 11th-ranked Kevin Harvick by three points.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: 9 career starts, 2 wins, 4 top-5s, 8 top-10s, 1 pole. Best career finish: First in 2008 and 2013. Finished first in this race last year and was seventh in the 2012 race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Busch has become an outstanding road course racer at Watkins Glen, finishing in the top 10 in all but one of his nine starts there (his first effort, in 2005, he finished 33rd). He seeks his third win there this Sunday: "I love Watkins Glen. I enjoy the road courses - both of them - but more so Watkins Glen. I just have a better feel for that place, whatever it is that allows me to do so well there, and so I'm excited about getting to Watkins Glen and hopefully being able to get that monkey off our back in that Nationwide Series there and bring home a trophy. I've not won at that place in Nationwide, yet. And, to carry on our Cup success there that we've had over the last few years and sweep the weekend."

LOOKING BACK: Busch had one of his worst showings of the season at Pocono, suffering engine failure and retiring after just 23 laps, ultimately finishing 42nd out of 43 drivers.

ETC.: Busch has completed a perfect 100 percent (814 laps) of the 814 total laps contested in nine career starts at Watkins Glen. His average start there is an outstanding 7.1 and his average finish is an equally outstanding 8.1. He has zero DNFs there.

4 KEVIN HARVICK, Chevrolet

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 11th, only three points out of the top 10. Has clinched a spot in the Chase with his two victories so far in 2014.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: One win and six top-10 finishes in 13 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Harvick feels one of the keys to running well at Watkins Glen is "to get your car good under braking so you can make passes during the race. Usually where you can gain the most time is in the braking zones," adds Harvick. "As the race goes on turn one becomes more of an issue because it's downhill and the brakes start to get worn out. The wheel hop becomes easier to start happening as the race goes on."

LOOKING BACK: Harvick kept the pressure on during the final three laps of the race, but he was unable to get by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and ended up second at Pocono. "This hasn't been one of my best tracks, but I just have to thank all my guys on this Mobil 1 Chevy for putting us in position to at least pull some strategy there," said Harvick. "I made a lot of mistakes (including speeding on pit road) today and they made up for it with a fast race car."

ETC.: Harvick believes the team's performance at Pocono "was very important" in the team's quest for the Sprint Cup championship. "I think last week was the kind of the same way," added Harvick. "I think that it's just trying to get yourself ready for the last 10 weeks, to know that you're not going to win every race, you're going to have days like today where you have to scramble, you're going to have practices where your car is off, you're going to have things that are going to go wrong. On the days when things are right, you need to capitalize on them and win the race. On those days like today, being able to scramble and get a good finish to get something out of a day. Today we were able to accomplish that and hopefully this a good sign of things to come."

42 KYLE LARSON, Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

WHERE HE STANDS: 12th, 16 points out of the top 10. Would make the Chase if the Chase for the Championship began this week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Will make his Sprint Cup debut.

LOOKING AHEAD: Larson said, "I'm looking forward to racing back on a road course this weekend. Even though I haven't done a lot of road course racing I really like racing on those courses. Our Target Chevy was good at Sonoma, which isn't too similar to Watkins Glen, but I think we should have another competitive Chevy this weekend." Larson will also compete in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at the Glen. "That will help a lot for the Cup race," adds Larson.

LOOKING BACK: After winning his first Sprint Cup pole position, Larson had high hopes for Sunday. But he never led a lap and ended the afternoon in 11th place. "Not the finish we were hoping for today," said Larson. "We had pretty good speed today, but struggled at times down the long straightaways. We fell back early in the race, and it was hard to pass out there to get positions back. We did a good job of racing towards the front, but the late cautions didn't help out. If the race had stayed green there at the end, we would have had a much better finish I think. Still a good points day, so that's a plus. We'll keep working hard the next several weeks for a win and a spot in the Chase."

ETC.: In winning the pole at Pocono, Larson became the first graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity initiative to accomplish that feat at the sanctioning body's highest level. Of Japanese-American heritage, Larson previously became the first D4D competitor to win a NASCAR Touring Series championship, the K&N Pro Series East title in his first year competing under the D4D banner - 2012. Larson won the Rookie of the Year Award a year later in the Nationwide Series and leads the Rookie of the Year standings in the Sprint Cup Series this year. Larson has one win in the Truck Series and two in the Nationwide Series. His best finish in the Cup series is a second at Auto Club Speedway in March.

16 GREG BIFFLE, Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 13th, 21 points out of the top 10. Gained three spots last week. Would make the Chase if the Chase for the Championship began this week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Three top-10 finishes in 11 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Biffle said, "Road racing presents a tough set of scenarios. You have to be careful with the gear box, the braking and staying on the race track. So those are three challenges of road racing to start with. I like Watkins Glen and I've been fairly successful there, even won in the trucks and had some good finishes (in Cup). I like that track and I'm looking forward to this weekend."

LOOKING BACK: Excellent pit strategy vaulted Biffle into the lead with 25 laps to go. And he led the next 11 laps before getting passed by eventual winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Biffle ended the day in fifth spot after running outside the top 18 for most of the afternoon. "We had a 20th-place car and got track position and drove our butt off," said Biffle. "We did everything we could. We had a good strategy there and we might have been able to sneak one (a win) out. If that second caution wouldn't have come out for Kurt (Busch hitting the wall), we might have had a prayer to try and steal one, but, overall, it was a great day for this 3M team."

ETC.: Biffle said, "I think it's pretty obvious for all of us that this has been one of our tougher seasons for our whole organization. It seemed like we were really far behind, or we were up until this point, and we really shed some light on where our whole organization was when we did a Michigan test prior to Indy, and found what I'm gonna call a tremendous amount of speed in our race cars. This season felt like it's been three years, the first six months, how hard we've worked trying to close the gap, but it feels like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. I feel like we're in a much, much better situation going into these next five races than we have been so far."

5 KASEY KAHNE, Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 14th, only one point out of a spot in the Chase.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Best finish in 10 starts is 13th which he accomplished a year ago.

LOOKING AHEAD: Kahne said he likes Watkins Glen "a lot. I really like racing there. It's been difficult for me. I enjoy trying to figure it out, and there are times in that race where we are pretty fast. Watkins Glen is a tough track, and we've had a little trouble there in the past. Hopefully, I'll be able to turn everything around this weekend because we're close to making the Chase."

LOOKING BACK: For much of the race, it looked as if the pit strategy employed by crew chief Kenny Francis would result in a top-three finish for Kahne. But three caution flags in the final 43 laps eliminated those hopes. Instead, Kahne had to be content with a 10th-place finish at Pocono. "I felt like throughout three-quarters of the race we had a ton of speed," said Kahne. "I was happy with my Farmers Insurance Chevy. We struggled at the end on the different restarts. I would get a good one and then a not-so-good one on the next. We still had a decent car though, and I'm happy about that."

ETC.: Kahne knows this is a crucial weekend in his bid to make the Chase. "After that come Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, Richmond - all those tracks we have won at and ran really well at. I look forward to each one of them and I feel like we can definitely still make the Chase (with a win at one of those tracks). We just need to get through this weekend without any problems."

3 AUSTIN DILLON, Chevrolet

Team: Richard Childress Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 15th, only two points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost two spots last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Will be making his Sprint Cup debut. Best finish in two Nationwide Series starts was 12th.

LOOKING AHEAD: Dillon admits, "Road courses have never been my strong suit. But I am actually really looking forward to going to Watkins Glen after our team's performance at Sonoma in June. Sonoma was fun. It made me realize that road course racing can be fun and it got me excited for Watkins Glen. The race to the Chase is on, so my whole team is going into the race motivated to perform."

LOOKING BACK: Dillon seemed headed for a top-10 finish when he got moved out of the groove on the final restart with three laps remaining. He ended up 15th. "This finish definitely does not show how good our American Ethanol Chevrolet was today, so I'm a bit disappointed," said Dillon. "We just got used up on the final restart. There were some guys with newer tires behind us. We're going to keep digging to make it into the Chase. I'm proud of this RCR team. They deserved a better finish."

ETC.: Dillon ended Toyota's 12-race winning streak in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series by driving his Chevrolet to a win Saturday at Pocono. "Anytime you can get a NASCAR win, it's huge," said Dillon. "I watched my brother (Ty) at Indianapolis get a win last week (in the Nationwide Series) and that really rejuvenated me I feel like. I attribute some of what Ty did last week to running well this week. I'm jacked up and wanting to get a Cup win now."

27 PAUL MENARD, Chevrolet

Team: Richard Childress Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 16th, 28 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost one spot last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Best finish in 10 starts is 12th.

LOOKING AHEAD: Menard feels it is "really hard to pass" at Watkins Glen. "Obviously the harder it is to pass the more track position means, so you try to get all you can on the restarts. At a place like Watkins Glen, there are better passing opportunities than somewhere like Sonoma (the other road course on the schedule). It has really high speeds and the setup is a lot different than you would run at Sonoma, which all makes for an interesting weekend."

LOOKING BACK: Menard's hopes for a spot in the Chase were damaged Sunday at Pocono when he was involved in a 13-car accident with 43 laps to go. "We had a good Certain Teed/Menards Chevrolet and Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) made a good call to get us on a different pit strategy," said Menard. "This is not how we wanted to end our day for sure, but I'm proud of the work the guys did to get the car back out there." Menard ended up 33rd.

ETC.: Menard realizes that time is running out in his bid to earn a spot in the Chase. And he feels Watkins Glen this weekend is a real wild card in the chase to make the Chase. But he also believes "you see more wrecks and things like that at Sonoma, whereas at Watkins Glen, you can get by a guy if you're faster than him. The points just add up and the more competitive the Sprint Cup Series gets, the more each weekend matters."

9 MARCOS AMBROSE, Ford

Team: Richard Petty Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 17th, 49 points out of a spot in the Chase. Gained two spots last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Two wins and five top-three finishes in six races.

LOOKING AHEAD: Ambrose knows this weekend is his best bet to win a race this year and qualify for the Chase. "Obviously, I'm very comfortable at a road course, and I just love Watkins Glen," said Ambrose. "I love the area, the track and going to victory lane there. I know what I need at this track as far as the setup of the car, the feel of the car, and it's something I can communicate back to Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief). I don't need to a lot of direction and can really tell the guys what adjustments to make so we have a good car on Sunday. We just always feel like we're capable of being up front and competing for the win."

LOOKING BACK: After struggling during the first half of the race, Ambrose rallied in the final 50 laps to finish 14th. "If you had asked me at the start of the day would I take a top-15 finish, I would have said yes," said Ambrose. "But it was just a little frustrating there at the end. We had some issues (the car got stuck in third gear and Ambrose was forced to pit during the final caution for repairs), and we let a few spots go. But we'll keep digging and keep working on it."

ETC.: Ambrose realizes that pit strategy is always a main ingredient in determining which team wins a road course race. "Even if you have the best car, which does help, nothing is handed to you," said Ambrose. "You need the best strategy, good pit stops and have everything fall in place. It takes a whole team, more than just the driver to win."

55 BRIAN VICKERS, Toyota

Team: Michael Waltrip Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 18th, 51 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost one spot last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Only one top-10 finish in nine starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Vickers has run well at Sonoma since joining Michael Waltrip Racing, but things have not gone as well at the other road course - Watkins Glen. But Vickers hopes this is the year that "we show how good our MWR cars can be at the Glen, too. We need a good run after Pocono. We need to get back on the right track. Hopefully, we can do that this weekend."

LOOKING BACK: Vickers' hopes of making the Chase were all but wiped out when he was involved in a 13-car accident at Pocono. "It's tough because everyone on this Aaron's Dream Machine team just did an awesome job today," said Vickers. "We had a really good car. Just really fast and handled great through the corner. I thought we had a shot at a great finish." Instead, Vickers ended up 37th.

ETC.: After the first race at Pocono, Vickers was in good shape in his bid to make the Chase. But after the second race at Pocono, his chances of being part of the Chase for the Championship are not very good. "Our luck the last few weeks has not been very good," said Vickers. "We've had good cars, but like on Sunday, things just don't go our way. Hopefully all of our bad luck is behind us and we can put together five good finishes in these next five weeks. We've got some tracks in that run where we feel we can win a race at."

14 TONY STEWART, Chevrolet

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 19th, 53 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost one spot last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Five wins (a track record) and 10 top-10 finishes including seven top-five's in 14 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Stewart said, "We've had a lot of success there. When you've won five races, it gives you confidence that you know how to win (there), and know what you have to do to get to victory lane. I know what I feel I need when we get there. It's just a matter of going out and practicing and putting yourself in that position."

LOOKING BACK: Stewart's hopes of earning a spot in the Chase took a real hit Sunday at Pocono when he was involved in the 13-car accident with 43 laps remaining. Stewart came to a stop with his rear wheels on top of Paul Menard's hood. "It wasn't where we wanted to end up by any means," said Stewart after his 36th-place finish. "I tend to end up on Paul a lot," added a laughing Stewart. "Car wise our cars tend to end up on top of each other for some reason. I think this is the second time I've landed on top of him. This time at least we weren't looking windshield in at each other."

ETC.: The wreck at Pocono has left Stewart with little hope of making the Chase based on his spot in the point standings. Making up 53 points in five races is possible, but not probable. So that means he must win one of those five remaining races left before the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship begins. His best bet for a win may be this weekend at Watkins Glen since has more wins there than anyone.

1 JAMIE MCMURRAY, Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

WHERE HE STANDS: 20th, 54 points out of a spot in the Chase.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Two top-10 finishes in 11 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: McMurray said, "Comparing the two road courses that we race at, Watkins Glen is so much faster than Sonoma. I don't think there are any guarantees that we will be good at Watkins Glen just because we were good at Sonoma. The biggest difference between the two tracks is that Watkins Glen is much faster and you can really hustle the car, rather than just having to finesse things. Pit strategy will usually play a big part of the race at the Glen."

LOOKING BACK: McMurray finished seventh at Pocono for his sixth top-10 finish of the season. "This was a really solid race weekend for our team," said McMurray. "Keith (Rodden, crew chief) called a really good race on the pit box. We were on a different pit strategy than a lot of teams, but we put ourselves in position for a top-10 finish. I'm really proud of all the guys on this Bad Boy Buggies team for the effort this weekend. We need to try and keep this momentum going these last few weeks leading into the Chase."

ETC.: Car owner Chip Ganassi will receive the inaugural Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for outstanding contributions to motorsports on Thursday at the International Motor Racing awards dinner. NASCAR President Mike Helton and McMurray will be among the individuals speaking during the award ceremony. Ganassi's teams have won 17 championships in his 24 years of ownership. He recently was named one of the "50 most influential people in the auto industry" by Complex Magazine.

11 DENNY HAMLIN, Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 21st. Will make the Chase as a result of his Talladega win.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Four top-10 finishes in eight starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: All four of Hamlin's top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen came in his first four starts at the road course. His luck in recent years has been "all bad. But hopefully we will turn things around this weekend," said Hamlin. "Kyle (Busch, his teammate) has been real good at the Glen. So we know the JGR cars can run up front. We just need our luck to turn around at that place."

LOOKING BACK: Despite getting sideways to trigger a 13-car accident, Hamlin was able to rally in the final 20 laps to finish ninth at Pocono. It was the first race for interim crew chief Mike Wheeler as Darien Grubb begins his six-race suspension for the rules violation discovered after the Indianapolis race. "He (Wheeler) did a really good job," said Hamlin. "Good communication and we were on the same strategy as far as what I was thinking and what he was thinking, so that was good. Really pretty seamless for the most part."

ETC.: When asked to describe that happened that got him sideways on lap 117 at Pocono to trigger the multi-car wreck, Hamlin replied, "I was in the middle lane and I got stuck three-wide. Just the guys getting runs and guys that can accelerate much faster than what we can and so that put me three-wide in the middle. The 15 (Clint Bowyer) was right on my door and it sucked me around and I was just hanging on at that point and I think it was mayhem from everyone checking up from behind. Like I said, I just got sucked around."

43 ARIC ALMIROLA, Ford

Team: Richard Petty Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 22nd. Will make the Chase as a result of his Daytona win in July.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Best finish in three starts is 18th.

LOOKING AHEAD: While Almirola is not noted as being a road racing expert, he feels "I got a lot better at the Watkins Glen test last week. I've never been that great at road courses, but out of the two road courses we race, I've always run a lot better at Watkins Glen than Sonoma. I had a really good test up there. I got to look at some of my data and Marcos' (Ambrose, his teammate) data and learned some things. I'm excited about going to Watkins Glen."

LOOKING BACK: Almirola got caught up in the 13-car accident with 43 laps to go, and as a result, he finished 35th at Pocono. "Honestly, I don't know what happened there," said Almirola. "I saw smoke and I saw one car make a hard right into the fence and I knew that they were wrecking. I just tried to aim for the middle and hope for the best. I was behind (Brad) Keselowski and there were cars inside of us, so I couldn't turn left. I was on the brakes as hard as I could, and I got creamed from behind and pushed into the wreck."

ETC.: Thanks to the Petty Family Foundation and car owner Richard Petty, 98-year-old Henry Jakes of Murfreesboro, Tn., fulfilled one of his bucket list - spend a day with Petty. After arriving at the Petty Museum, Jakes lobbied Petty and the staff to be the "official greeter" for the day. Jakes was given a tour of the museum where Petty told stories about the various cars he won in during his illustrious career. The day ended with dinner with Petty. "We just sort of talked and showed him everything we had here," said Petty. "He smiled the entire time."

41 KURT BUSCH, Chevrolet

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 23rd. Will make the Chase because of his Martinsville win.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Finished ninth a year ago for his fifth top-10 finish in 13 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Busch is another driver who believes the difference between Sonoma and Watkins Glen is like night and day. "Sonoma is a track where the corners are a lot slower and you're struggling to put the power down. It's pretty much the opposite of that situation when racing at Watkins Glen. It's still a road course, but the differences are pretty big. Watkins Glen has wide, sweeping, fast corners where it's not as tough to put the power down like it is at Sonoma. It's (the Glen) also just more of a momentum race track."

LOOKING BACK: Crew chief Daniel Knost elected to put Busch on a different pit cycle than many of his competitors and it resulted in Busch leading three times for 30 laps. But Busch's victory aspirations were damaged when the caution came out with 43 laps to go for a 13-car accident. Still, he was in running for a top-10 finish when a flat tire sent him into the wall with only seven laps remaining. As a result, Busch ended up 13th. "The crew did a good job repairing the damage and keeping me on the lead lap," said a dejected Busch. "So we were able to salvage a top-15 finish, but we were headed for a much better day if things had gone right for us. Just not our day."

ETC.: Busch had two wins and a third-place finish in three Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen. Busch hopes to carry that success over to Sunday this weekend. "The balance I've found in the Nationwide car is a dominant type of balance," said Busch. "But, I've struggled a little with the Sprint Cup car trying to do two things - one is getting the car to cut the corners the same way, and the other is the fuel mileage game that always comes into play with the Cup car. I've never really been able to gamble on the Cup races. This time around, with us virtually locked into the Chase, we will be on the positive side of gambling on fuel."

13 CASEY MEARS, Chevrolet

Team: Germain Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 24th, 103 points out of a spot in the Chase. Gained two spots last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Only one top-10 finish in 10 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Mears feels "Watkins Glen is another chance for us to do well. Last year, we had a brake issue in qualifying and had to start 30th, but we were able to race our way to the front and finish 12th. We are looking forward to getting to Watkins Glen on Friday."

LOOKING BACK: After running in and out of the top 10 for much of the afternoon, Mears ended the day in 12th place. "We had a solid day and everyone on the Geico team did a nice job and Bootie (Barker, crew chief) made some good calls that put us in position to have a strong finish," said Mears. "After two bad races, this is exactly the type of finish we needed. We were strong all day and it felt good to run up front and be competitive."

ETC.: Mears began the week by testing at Atlanta. "That just shows the commitment on the part of Germain Racing and everyone involved," said Mears. "Everyone is determined to get better. Everyone is determined to run up front on a regular basis. We had a strong run at Pocono, and we hope to have another one this weekend."

47 A J ALLMENDINGER, Chevrolet

Team: JTG Daugherty Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 25th, 113 points out of a spot in the Chase. Lost two spots last week.

WATKINS GLEN RECORD: Will be seeking his fourth straight top-10 finish.

LOOKING AHEAD: Allmendinger agrees "Watkins Glen is just a fast road course. Most of the corners are high speed. It's a fun course because of that. At Watkins Glen, it's important to get a good overall balance. If you are a little tight, you are not going to get through the esses very well and through the high speed stuff very well. If you are loose, you are going to cook the rear tires. You are constantly looking to find rear grip to not burn the rear tires off it."

LOOKING BACK: Allmendinger's hopes of a top-15 finish ended on lap 117 when he was involved in a 13-car accident. Allmendinger ended the day in 34th place. "We were having a decent day," said Allmendinger. "We were far better than we were in the first Pocono race and at Indianapolis last week. We had good speed. There was no way you could miss it (the multi-car wreck). I saw it happen and there was just nowhere to go."

ETC.: Crew chief Brian Burns leaves little doubt that he believes this could be the weekend his team heads to victory lane for the first time. "Obviously, with our driver we have focused on the two road courses," said Burns. "We had a car that could have won Sonoma. After our Watkins Glen test, we feel better about this track and we have made a lot of gains. We were fortunate to test with some really competitive teams and it was nice to walk away having the best car there. We have high expectations. We know if we do everything right, the cautions fall our way and we have no bad luck we have the car to beat. That's a good feeling going into the weekend."

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:40 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Saskatchewan at Winnipeg
The Roughriders (3-2 SU) head to Winnipeg on Thursday night to face a Blue Bombers team that is 0-5-1 ATS in its last 6 games versus a team with a winning record. Saskatchewan is the pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Roughriders favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+1). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Game 121-122: Saskatchewan at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Saskatchewan 119.311; Winnipeg 116.144
Dunkel Line: Saskatchewan by 3; 48
Vegas Line: Winnipeg by 1; 53 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+3); Under

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8

Game 123-124: Edmonton at Montreal (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 112.882; Montreal 112.070
Dunkel Line: Edmonton by 1; 52
Vegas Line: Edmonton by 5; 46
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+5); Over

Game 125-126: Hamilton at BC (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hamilton 113.847; BC 123.979
Dunkel Line: BC by 10; 46
Vegas Line: BC by 7; 49 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BC (-7); Under

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Game 127-128: Ottawa at Calgary (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 101.448; Calgary 121.975
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 20 1/2; 42
Vegas Line: Calgary by 13; 46 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-13); Under

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 7

Thurday, August 7

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SASKATCHEWAN (3 - 2) at WINNIPEG (5 - 1) - 8/7/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 23-39 ATS (-19.9 Units) in August games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 114-74 ATS (+32.6 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 2-2 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 3-1 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, August 8

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EDMONTON (4 - 1) at MONTREAL (1 - 4) - 8/8/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 68-96 ATS (-37.6 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
EDMONTON is 46-69 ATS (-29.9 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HAMILTON (1 - 4) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (3 - 3) - 8/8/2014, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Saturday, August 9

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OTTAWA (1 - 4) at CALGARY (4 - 1) - 8/9/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
OTTAWA is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) in road lined games since 1996.

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

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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 7

Saskatchewan (3-2) @ Winnipeg (5-1)-- Roughriders won 37-9/38-14 in first two games since their bye, outscoring teams 60-13 in first half. Spunky Winnipeg already has couple of wins by one point- they haven 't had their bye yet. Riders won five of last six series games, but lost here as 9-point favorites LY; under is 9-4-1 in last 14 series games- they have ten takeaways in their three wins, one in two losses. Bombers scored 23+ points in each of its five wins, but the Roughriders allowed total of 23 points in last two games. Underdogs covered five of last seven series games, including last four played here.

CFL

Week 7

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Trend Report
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Thursday, August 7

8:30 PM
SASKATCHEWAN vs. WINNIPEG
Saskatchewan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Saskatchewan is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Winnipeg is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing Saskatchewan
Winnipeg is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan

Friday, August 8

7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. MONTREAL
Edmonton is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Edmonton's last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

10:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 6 games
British Columbia is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton

Saturday, August 9

7:30 PM
OTTAWA vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Ottawa's last 15 games
Ottawa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
Calgary is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:41 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Chicago at Minnesota
The Lynx host a Chicago team that is 1-11 ATS in its last 12 games versus Western Conference opponents. Minnesota is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Game 651-652: Phoenix at San Antonio (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 120.452; San Antonio 108.508
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 12; 166
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 7; 159
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-7); Over

Game 653-654: Chicago at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 110.376; Minnesota 120.603
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 10; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 7 1/2;/156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-7 1/2); Over

Game 655-656: Atlanta at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 109.995; Seattle 108.777
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 155
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 5 1/2; 150 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+5 1/2); Over

WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 7

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PHOENIX (24 - 4) at SAN ANTONIO (13 - 16) - 8/7/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in August or September games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PHOENIX is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games this season.
PHOENIX is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-6 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-6 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (13 - 16) at MINNESOTA (23 - 6) - 8/7/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) against Western conference opponents this season.
CHICAGO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MINNESOTA is 43-27 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 23-8 ATS (+14.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

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

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ATLANTA (17 - 11) at SEATTLE (10 - 20) - 8/7/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 93-64 ATS (+22.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.
SEATTLE is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-1 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 4-1 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, August 7

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Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Phoenix's last 18 games on the road
Phoenix is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix

10:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Seattle's last 11 games at home

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WNBA

Thursday, August 7

Formerly strong team becoming wasteland for bettors

The Phoenix Mercury were looking like guaranteed money for bettors not long ago, but after a stunning 11-0 run against the spread, the money has dried up. The Mercury have now lost three-straight ATS for bettors.

The Mercury are seven-point road favorites against the San Antonio Stars Thursday.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:42 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Cleveland at Cincinnati
The Indians look to bounce back after dropping the last two to the Reds and come into tonight's contest with a 4-0 record in Homer Bailey's last 4 starts against Cleveland. Cleveland is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Indians favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115). Here are all of today's MLB picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Game 951-952: NY Mets at Washington (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (deGrom) 16.722; Washington (Zimmermann) 18.265
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-145); Under

Game 953-954: San Francisco at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Peavy) 14.539; Milwaukee (Peralta) 16.985
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-135); Under

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Hendricks) 14.309; Colorado (Flande) 13.414
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-110); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-110); Under

Game 957-958: Miami at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Flynn) 15.322; Pittsburgh (Volquez) 13.849
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+110); Under

Game 959-960: Detroit at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 17.677; NY Yankees (Greene) 15.195
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Over

Game 961-962: Baltimore at Toronto (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Gonzalez) 15.433; Toronto (Happ) 16.893
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-110); Under

Game 963-964: Minnesota at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pino) 16.433; Oakland (Lester) 15.512
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-250); 7
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+210); Over

Game 965-966: Chicago White Sox at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Carroll) 16.311; Seattle (Elias) 14.767
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+150); Over

Game 967-968: Houston at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (McHugh) 14.422; Philadelphia (Hernandez) 13.311
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+110); Under

Game 969-970: Cleveland at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (House) 16.804; Cincinnati (Bailey) 14.774
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2; 6
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115); Under

Game 971-972: Boston at St. Louis (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Workman) 15.102; St. Louis (Wainwright) 16.775
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-200); Under

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Guthrie) 13.675; Arizona (Nuno) 15.563
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-110); Under

Game 975-976: LA Dodgers at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Ryu) 17.899; LA Angels (Wilson) 16.431
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+105); Over

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:43 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, August 6

Marlins-Pirates
Flynn is making first '14 start; he was 0-2, 8.50 in four starts LY.
Volquez is 0-1, 7.47 in his last three starts.

Miami lost five of its last seven games.
Pirates are 15-4 in their last 19 home games.
Six of last seven Pirate games went over the total.

Mets-Nationals
deGrom is 5-0, 1.04 in his last five starts.
Zimmerman is 1-0, 1.29 in his last couple starts.

Mets lost three of their last four games.
Washington is 5-6 in its last eleven home games.
Under is 6-2 in last eight deGrom starts.

Giants-Brewers
Peavy is 0-2, 5.54 in two starts for the Giants.
Peralta is 4-0, 2.05 in his last four starts.

Giants won five of their last seven games.
Milwaukee won seven of their last ten home games.

Under is 5-2-1 in last seven San Francisco road games.

Cubs-Rockies
Hendricks is 2-1, 1.33 in his last three starts.
Colorado is 0-5 when Flande starts (0-3, 6.07).

Cubs won six of their last nine games.
Colorado lost eight of its last ten games.

Last three games at Coors Field went over the total.

Tigers-Bronx
Porcello is 2-0, 2.17 in his last four starts.
Greene is 0-1, 5.74 in his last three starts.

Detroiit lost five of its last six road games.
Bronx won 12 of its last 19 games.

Under is 10-2-1 in Detroit's last thirteen road games.

Orioles-Blue Jays
Gonzalez is 1-1, 2.86 in is last five starts.
Happ is 1-1, 1.96 in his last three starts.

Orioles won 11 of their last 16 games.
Toronto lost four of its last five games.

Four of last five Gonzalez starts stayed under the total.

White Sox-Mariners
Carroll is 0-1, 5.00 in his last three starts.
Elias is 1-1, 2.25 in his last three starts.

White Sox lost four of their last five games.
Mariners won three of their last four games.

Seven of last eight White Sox games went over the total.

Twins-A's
Pino is 0-1, 4.66 in his last three starts.
Lester is 3-1, 1.85 in his last six starts.

Minnesota is 8-4 in its last dozen road games.
A's are 18-6 in their last 24 home games.

Under is 14-7-1 in last 22 Oakland home games.

Astros-Phillies
McHugh is 1-6, 4.87 in his last seven starts.
Hernandez is 3-0, 2.20 in his last four starts.

Houston lost six of their last eight road games.
Phillies won five of their last six home games.

Over is 10-5 in Houston's last fifteen road games.

Indians-Reds
House is 2-1, 3.80 in his last four starts.
Bailey is 1-1, 1.88 in his last six starts, but Cincy bullpen lost his last four.

Cleveland lost seven of its last nine road games.
Reds won five of their last seven home games.

Five of last six Bailey starts stayed under the total.

Red Sox-Cardinals
Workman is 0-4, 7.83 in his last four starts.
Wainwright is 1-2, 6.88 in his last three starts.

Boston lost 11 of its last 14 games.
Cardinals won four of their last six games.
Five of last six Boston road games stayed under.

Royals-Diamondbacks
Guthrie is 2-3, 7.92 in his last five starts, but won his last two.
Arizona lost all five Nuno starts (0-2, 3.68).

Royals won six of their last seven games.
Arizona lost four of its last five games.

Five of last seven Arizona games went over the total.

Dodgers-Angels
Ryu is 3-0, 2.42 in his last four starts.
Wilson is 1-1, 14.00 in his last five starts.

Dodgers won nine of their last twelve games.
Angels are 29-9 in their last 38 home games.

Under is 14-7-1 in last twenty-two Angel games.

Teams' record when this starting pitcher starts:
-- deGrom 7-8; Zimmerman 13-9
-- Peavy 5-16; Peralta 13-8
-- Hendricks 3-1; Flande 0-5
-- Flynn 0-0; Volquez 12-9

-- Porcello 14-7; Greene 3-2
-- Gonzalez 9-9; Happ 10-6
-- Pino 5-3; Lester 13-8/1-0
-- Carroll 4-8; Elias 10-12

-- McHugh 6-10; Hernandez 8-11
-- House 6-4; Bailey 9-13
-- Workman 2-7; Wainwright 16-6
-- Guthrie 12-10; Nuno 6-8/0-5
-- Ryu 13-8; Wilson 10-10

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- deGrom 2-15; Zimmerman 1-22
-- Peavy 4-21; Peralta 4-22
-- Hendricks 3-4; Flande 0-5
-- Flynn 0-0; Volquez 6-21

-- Porcello 8-21; Greene 1-5
-- Gonzalez 4-18; Happ 2-16
-- Pino 0-8; Lester 6-22
-- Carroll 4-12; Elias 6-22

-- McHugh 9-16; Hernandez 9-20
-- House 3-10; Bailey 6-22
-- Workman 6-9; Wainwright 3-22
-- Guthrie 7-22; Nuno 7-19
-- Ryu 2-21; Wilson 5-20

Umpires
-- Mia-Pitt-- Six of last eight Fairchild games stayed under.
-- NY-Wsh-- Niine of last eleven Iassogna games stayed under.
-- SF-Mil-- Four of last five Porter games went over the total.
-- Chi-Col-- Last seven Guccione games stayed under total.

-- Det-NY-- Underdogs won 13 of last 15 Wegner games.
-- Balt-Tor-- Underdogs are 7-6 in last thirteen Reyburn games.

-- Hst-Phil-- Six of last seven Barry games stayed under.
-- Clev-Cin-- Eight of last eleven Little games stayed under.
-- Bos-StL-- Last five Cederstrom games went over total.
-- KC-Az-- Under is 9-2-1 in Randazzo games this year.
-- LA-LAA-- Road team won eight of last eleven Knight games.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:43 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:35 PM
NY METS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Mets's last 11 games on the road
Washington is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing NY Mets
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against NY Mets

1:05 PM
DETROIT vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Detroit

2:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. MILWAUKEE
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing at home against San Francisco

3:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Colorado's last 17 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Houston is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Miami is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Miami
Pittsburgh is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Miami

7:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CINCINNATI
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games at home
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland

7:15 PM
BOSTON vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

9:40 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Kansas City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games at home
Arizona is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Kansas City

10:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing Oakland
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. LA ANGELS
LA Dodgers are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games
LA Dodgers are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games

10:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Chi White Sox are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

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

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 08:43 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 7

Thursday afternoon's must read weather update

There is a couple of games on tap Thursday afternoon with weather you should keep your eye on before you place your wagers.

The Detroit Tigers travel to Yankee Stadium to face the Yankees, where there will be a nine mile per hour wind blowing out to the short porch in right field. There is also a 12 percent chance of rain.

At Coors Field in Colorado, the Rockies host the Chicago Cubs, where there is a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. There is also a 21 percent chance of rain.

Pirates' 3B Pedro Alvarez, questionable Thursday

Alvarez has been placed on the bereavement list and has missed the last two games. He is questionable to return for Thursday against the Marlins.

Top-flight pitcher struggling against this team

Homer Bailey is quietly producing another solid year in Cincinnati, but he is facing one of his worst enemies in the Cleveland Indians Thursday. Bailey and the Reds have lost their last four games against the Tribe.

During those starts, Bailey has been chased before pitching four innings twice while allowing six hits per contest.

This umpire is sight to behold for travelling teams

Road-weary MLB teams have been taking to the field feeling a little better with Gary Cederstrom calling balls and strikes. The road team has gone 12-3 in Cederstrom's last 15 games behind home-plate.

That's good news for Boston Red Sox backers as he'll be behind the dish when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium Thursday.

Find out which pitcher is on fire for his club

New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom has come into his own his season, and as a result bettors backing the Mets are profiting in a big way. In the 26-year-old's last five outings, the Mets are a perfect 5-0.

He'll get the ball when New York visits the Washington Nationals in D.C. Thursday. The Nats are -139 faves on the moneyline with an O/U of seven.

Team in need of win sees helpful umpire

The Toronto Blue Jays are falling out of the American League East title picture and need a win over the Baltimore Orioles to keep pace. Luckily for the Jays, D.J. Reyburn will be behind the plate.

The Blue Jays are 5-0 in their last five games with Reyburn calling balls and strikes.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 09:09 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 7

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NY METS (54 - 60) at WASHINGTON (61 - 51) - 12:35 PM
JACOB DEGROM (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 47-68 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ZIMMERMANN is 36-13 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 67-73 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 15-7 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 23-15 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY METS are 67-73 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 101-95 (-20.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 29-30 (-10.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-2 (+2.9 Units) against NY METS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

JACOB DEGROM vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. NY METS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 5-5 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.30 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 11-6 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-10. (-4.2 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (62 - 52) at MILWAUKEE (62 - 52) - 2:10 PM
JAKE PEAVY (R) vs. WILY PERALTA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PEAVY is 5-17 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
PEAVY is 1-10 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
PEAVY is 1-7 (-8.0 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)
PEAVY is 4-15 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PEAVY is 3-11 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
PEAVY is 1-8 (-8.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 61-48 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PERALTA is 10-2 (+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)
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-52 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 33-22 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-3 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-52 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 21-12 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 19-13 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-8 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 64-85 (-32.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 18-30 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
PEAVY is 3-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.54 and a WHIP of 1.177.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-3. (+3.9 units)

WILY PERALTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
PERALTA is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.23 and a WHIP of 1.646.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (48 - 64) at COLORADO (45 - 68) - 3:10 PM
KYLE HENDRICKS (R) vs. YOHAN FLANDE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 114-161 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 207-283 (-85.9 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 52-80 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 114-161 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 675-677 (-156.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-15 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 45-68 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 6-19 (-16.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 45-68 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 30-49 (-19.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 49-68 (-22.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 17-25 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 4-2 (+1.9 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

KYLE HENDRICKS vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

YOHAN FLANDE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
FLANDE is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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MIAMI (55 - 58) at PITTSBURGH (60 - 53) - 7:05 PM
BRIAN FLYNN (L) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 157-124 (+26.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 87-54 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 155-123 (+24.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 44-30 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 87-56 (+20.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 41-35 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 352-396 (+47.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-2 (+0.8 Units) against MIAMI this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.2 Units)

BRIAN FLYNN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. MIAMI since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 5-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 1.95 and a WHIP of 1.324.
His team's record is 6-0 (+6.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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DETROIT (62 - 49) at NY YANKEES (59 - 54) - 1:05 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. SHANE GREENE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 160-124 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 56-49 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 156-121 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 13-3 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 2 seasons.
PORCELLO is 32-16 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against DETROIT this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.1 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
PORCELLO is 3-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.381.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-3. (+0.7 units)

SHANE GREENE vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

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BALTIMORE (64 - 49) at TORONTO (61 - 54) - 7:05 PM
MIGUEL GONZALEZ (R) vs. J.A. HAPP (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 61-54 (+5.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 34-19 (+13.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 27-20 (+8.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 41-32 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HAPP is 9-2 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 65-49 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 35-24 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 41-29 (+20.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 23-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 28-19 (+11.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BALTIMORE is 47-28 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 32-17 (+17.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BALTIMORE is 30-20 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 16-8 (+11.2 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
TORONTO is 6-6 (-0.2 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.2 Units)

MIGUEL GONZALEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
GONZALEZ is 4-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 0.974.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (-0.5 units)

J.A. HAPP vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HAPP is 1-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 1.565.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

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MINNESOTA (51 - 61) at OAKLAND (69 - 44) - 10:05 PM
YOHAN PINO (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 69-44 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 141-82 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 280-207 (+63.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 67-40 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 101-67 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 175-121 (+45.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 105-77 (+26.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 124-73 (+30.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
LESTER is 10-2 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 35-18 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 20-8 (+11.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 51-61 (+2.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 60-78 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 55-70 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 36-42 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 28-30 (+6.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

YOHAN PINO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

JON LESTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
LESTER is 2-4 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.55 and a WHIP of 1.354.
His team's record is 4-5 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.5 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (55 - 60) at SEATTLE (59 - 54) - 10:10 PM
SCOTT CARROLL (R) vs. ROENIS ELIAS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 113-153 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 61-94 (-24.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 55-60 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 40-34 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 10-15 (-14.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 64-76 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 141-178 (-51.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 64-76 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 19-24 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 14-22 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 24-38 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-33 (-11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SEATTLE is 9-17 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

SCOTT CARROLL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

ROENIS ELIAS vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
ELIAS is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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HOUSTON (47 - 67) at PHILADELPHIA (51 - 63) - 7:05 PM
COLLIN MCHUGH (R) vs. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 44-101 (-41.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 13-46 (-23.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 4-23 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 92-189 (-52.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 205-233 (-42.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 147-168 (-46.7 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-33 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-31 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-33 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-24 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-26 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 56-68 (-21.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HERNANDEZ is 8-19 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

COLLIN MCHUGH vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 0.917.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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CLEVELAND (57 - 57) at CINCINNATI (58 - 56) - 7:10 PM
T.J. HOUSE (L) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 29-54 (-21.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-42 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 149-128 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 143-122 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 347-374 (-96.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.2 Units)

T.J. HOUSE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

HOMER BAILEY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
BAILEY is 2-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 6.55 and a WHIP of 1.573.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-1. (+4.9 units)

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BOSTON (50 - 63) at ST LOUIS (60 - 52) - 7:15 PM
BRANDON WORKMAN (R) vs. ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 50-64 (-26.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 46-55 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 36-45 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 32-43 (-18.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 23-28 (-10.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 24-33 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 132-83 (+28.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 81-43 (+29.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WAINWRIGHT is 70-31 (+27.1 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 21-5 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 18-24 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

BRANDON WORKMAN vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. BOSTON since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 0-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (59 - 53) at ARIZONA (49 - 65) - 9:40 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. VIDAL NUNO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 145-129 (+5.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 32-26 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 66-59 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 22-13 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 14-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GUTHRIE is 31-24 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 28-16 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 31-21 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 49-65 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 48-59 (-18.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 23-35 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 46-57 (-22.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 49-65 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 32-46 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 18-27 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
NUNO is 2-10 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
NUNO is 2-10 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
NUNO is 1-8 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GUTHRIE is 0-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 18.92 and a WHIP of 3.904.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

VIDAL NUNO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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LA DODGERS (65 - 50) at LA ANGELS (67 - 46) - 10:05 PM
HYUN-JIN RYU (L) vs. C.J. WILSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 31-33 (-11.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 67-46 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 32-14 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 79-63 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 26-9 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 35-23 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 25-14 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
RYU is 34-19 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
RYU is 25-12 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 10-17 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 135-127 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 61-80 (-23.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

HYUN-JIN RYU vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
RYU is 1-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.222.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

C.J. WILSON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
WILSON is 0-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.542.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 11:04 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 7

NY Mets at Washington, 12:35 ET
Degrom: NY METS 23-15 in day games
Zimmermann: WASHINGTON 24-15 OVER against division opponents

San Francisco at Milwaukee, 2:10 ET
Peavy: SAN FRANCISCO 19-13 in road games after a win
Peralta: MILWAUKEE 18-30 in home games in day games

Chicago Cubs at Colorado, 3:10 ET
Hendricks: CHICAGO CUBS 20-15 in road games against left-handed starters
Flande: COLORADO 49-68 after a win

Miami at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Flynn: MIAMI 35-20 OVER after a loss
Volquez: PITTSBURGH 19-11 OVER at home with a money line of -100 to -150

Detroit at NY Yankees, 1:05 ET
Porcello: DETROIT 16-24 in road games after scoring 2 runs or less
Greene: NY YANKEES 13-3 in home games in August

Baltimore at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Gonzalez: BALTIMORE 29-11 after a loss by 4 runs or more
Happ: TORONTO 45-51 when the money line is -100 to -150

Minnesota at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Pino: MINNESOTA 9-2 OVER after a game where their bullpen blew a save
Lester: 21-6 TSR as a home favorite

Chicago White Sox at Seattle, 10:10 ET
Carroll: CHI WHITE SOX 29-55 after a loss by 2 runs or less
Elias: SEATTLE 25-15 after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games

Houston at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
McHugh: HOUSTON 19-7 UNDER in road games after one or more consecutive overs
Hernadnez: 38-18 UNDER in home games in the second half of the season

Cleveland at Cincinnati, 7:10 ET
House: CLEVELAND 14-24 on the road when the money line is +125 to -125
Bailey: CINCINNATI 14-7 after 2 or more consecutive overs

Boston at St Louis, 7:15 ET
Workman: BOSTON 15-23 after having lost 2 of their last 3 games
Wainwright: 70-31 TSR after a loss

Kansas City at Arizona, 9:40 ET
Guthrie: 20-12 TSR when the money line is +125 to -125
Nuno: 2-10 TSR in home games

LA Dodgers at LA Angels, 10:05 ET
Ryu: 22-12 TSR when the money line is +125 to -125
Wilson: 16-5 OVER after a loss

TSR = Team Start Record

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 11:14 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 7

This ump has been trending towards the home team

It seems the home team has been getting the benefit of the call when Dan Iassognas has been behind home plate.

The home team is 8-1 in Iassognas' last nine games when he is calling balls and strikes and that is where he will be when the New York Mets visit the Washington Nationals Thursday afternoon.

The Nationals are currently listed as -143 home favorites.

Tigers' 1B Miguel Cabrera, doubtful Thursday

Cabrera is not expected to play Thursday against the Yankees as he will be given a routine day off.

Nationals' 3B Ryan Zimmerman, mid September

Zimmerman is on the 15-day disabled list with a Grade 3 right hamstring strain. He has started rehabbing the injury and is hopeful to return in mid-September.

Rockies' SS Troy Tulowitzki, mid August

Tulowitzki has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left hip flexor strain. He has begun taking part in batting practices and is aiming to return around the middle of August.

WNBA

Thursday, August 7

Worst home bet taking their court Thursday

Sometimes a bad team can still provide value for bettors, this is not one of those cases. The Seattle Storm, who are last in the WNBA, sport a league worst 4-10 record against the spread at home.

Seattle will host the Atlanta Dream as five-point home dogs Thursday.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 11:14 AM

CFL

Week 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Roughriders at Blue Bombers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+2.5, 54.5)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' league-best offence may meet its match Thursday night when the Saskatchewan Roughriders come to town in the opening game of Week 7 in the CFL. The West Division-leading Blue Bombers are coming off back-to-back road wins over BC and Hamilton following a one-sided loss to Edmonton in mid-July, but will need to be wary of a Roughriders team that has reeled off 75 points in consecutive wins over Toronto and Ottawa. The first meeting of the season between division rivals will pit Saskatchewan's potent running game against the Blue Bombers' stout rush defence.

The Roughriders average a league-best 125.6 rushing yards per contest, though they finished with just 88 in a 38-14 trouncing of the Redblacks in their last contest Saturday in Ottawa. Winnipeg won its second straight game - 27-26 victory over host Hamilton on July 31 - after suffering its only loss 26-3 in Edmonton on July 17. The Blue Bombers have allowed the third-fewest yards on the ground per game (94.8), but averages a league-worst 73.8.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: Books opened this as a Pick, but that has moved to Saskatchewan -2.5. The total is up to 54.5 after opening at 53.5.

INJURY REPORT: Roughriders - WR Taj Smith (Out, legal issues). Blue Bombers - SB Cory Watson (Questionable, hamstring)

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (3-2, 3-2 ATS): Saskatchewan will be relying on a not-so-secret weapon in what is a pivotal early-season showdown with the division leaders. Running back Will Ford has been sensational for the Roughriders, scoring five touchdowns in two games since joining the club after spending the previous two seasons with the Blue Bombers. Ford, who was an East Division all-star last season but was cut earlier this year without appearing in a game, had a pair of one-yard TD runs to lead last week's rout of Ottawa.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-1, 5-1 ATS): Winnipeg has been the surprise of the CFL season, already surpassing its win total from a season ago and coming into Thursday's game on a high following last week's thrilling last-second win over the Tiger-Cats. But first-year coach Mike O'Shea isn't ready to plan any parades. "We still have a lot of room for growth," O'Shea told the Winnipeg Sun over the weekend. "To be where we're at right now, it's good so far. But there's still a lot of room to grow."

TRENDS:

* Under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.
* Roughriders are 2-6 ATS in their last eight meetings in Winnipeg.
* Roughriders are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games in August.
* Over is 4-1 in Blue Bombers last five Thursday games.

CONSENSUS: 52.97 percent of wagers on Consensus are backing the Rough Riders.

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

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 11:17 AM

Seven things every NFL bettor must watch this preseason

Those back-to-school commercials you’ve been watching over and over again on television for the last month are sending a subtle message to those of us gearing up for the 2014 NFL season: It’s time to start studying.

With the preseason now underway and the first game of the regular season scheduled to kick-off four weeks from Thursday, here are some key storylines to follow as you begin to gear up for another year of battling the sportsbooks.

Robert Griffin III’s knee

Robert Griffin III’s blown-out knee suffered during the 2012 Wildcard Round coupled with a 3-13 record (5-11 ATS) the following season have many prognosticators down on the Redskins this year, who boast a season win total of just 7.5 and Super Bowl odds of a staggering 60/1.

With a new head coach in Jay Gruden and another vertical threat in wideout DeSean Jackson, the Skins could be an early “Play On” team in 2014 thanks to favorable prices, assuming Griffin’s knee is back to 100 percent.

Tony Romo’s back

Focus should be paid to the December back surgery undergone by 34-year-old quarterback Tony Romo, who completed just 63.9 percent of his passes last season (worst since 2009). Romo is no spring chicken and is no longer backed-up by capable veteran Kyle Orton, who was replaced by Cleveland castoff Brandon Weeden this offseason.

The current Dallas win total is eight wins, but the Boys opened as dogs in just five of their first 15 games. Fading Dallas could offer significant value this season if Romo can’t get back to 100 percent.

Efficiency of Ryan Fitzpatrick

Bettors looking for an edge need to completely disregard Houston’s 2-14 tank job from a year ago and focus instead on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s ability to move the sticks and protect the football. The nine-year veteran doesn’t have a strong arm, which was a problem that was exacerbated by the cold temperatures and strong winds in Cincinnati and Buffalo.

However, the Texans have a retractable roof and play six road games that will take place either indoors or in a warm weather city, giving Fitzpatrick his best chance yet for success. This team has the potential to bounce back in a hurry, but it will all come down to Fitzpatrick’s ability to play smart football.

Manziel vs. Hoyer

This is the most important training camp battle to watch because it will have an interesting effect on Cleveland’s pointspreads early in the season. Brian Hoyer is an experienced, capable starting quarterback. But the five-year veteran doesn’t move the needle - even if he’s a better choice.

Manziel, however, has legions of fans around the country who will be more than willing to back that fandom with cash at the window, quite possible inflating Cleveland spreads. There will be more value betting Hoyer early on than Manziel.

Carolina’s offense

The Panthers posted a 12-4 SU and 9-6-1 ATS mark last season, leading many to the assumption that this team is finally ready to take the next step. But the offseason saw the departure of 53.4 percent of quarterback Cam Newton’s 2013 completed passes.

If Newton can’t find a way to move the sticks with his ragtag collection of receivers, the result will come in the form of more three-and-outs and more time on the field for the defense. Should that be the case, Carolina could be susceptible to fourth-quarter comebacks thanks to an exhausted stop unit.

Mike Wallace

It was just over a year ago that the Miami Dolphins dumped a five-year, $60 million contract on free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, who responded by catching 73 passes for 930 yards and five scores (career low) last season.

That production failed to meet the price tag, which is part of the reason why Miami ranked 27th in total offense and 26th in scoring in 2013. If the Dolphins can’t get Wallace heavily involved in the offense as quickly as possible, head coach Joe Philbin could be on his way out the door.

Chicago defense

It’s no secret that this offense can put up the points but it was the defense that served as the team’s primary weak spot last season.

Offseason upgrades in the form of pass rushers Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen, the return of a healthy Charles Tillman and the first-round selection of CB Kyle Fuller are all reasons why this team could be a serious contender in 2014. But the defense needs to come together sooner rather than later for the Bears to turn that dream into a reality.

**Udog** · 08-07-2014, 11:17 AM

NFLX
Dunkel

Week 1

San Francisco at Baltimore
The Harbaugh brothers kick-off the preseason by facing each other as the 49ers travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens on Thursday night. Baltimore is the pick (-1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Ravens favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-1 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Game 251-252: Indianapolis at NY Jets (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indianapolis 121.683; NY Jets 120.315
Dunkel Line: Indianapolis by 1 1/2; 33
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 3; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indianapolis (+3); Under

Game 253-254: New England at Washington (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New England 126.926; Washington 123.975
Dunkel Line: New England by 3; 34
Vegas Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (+1 1/2); Under

Game 255-256: San Francisco at Baltimore (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 123.496; Baltimore 127.289
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 4; 32
Vegas Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 35
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-1 1/2); Under

Game 257-258: Cincinnati at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 122.448; Kansas City 126.741
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 4 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-1 1/2); Under

Game 259-260: Seattle at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 123.201; Denver 126.355
Dunkel Line: Denver by 3; 42
Vegas Line: Seattle by 1; 37
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1); Over

Game 261-262: Dallas at San Diego (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.355; San Diego 120.599
Dunkel Line: Even; 33
Vegas Line: San Diego by 3; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+3); Under

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8

Game 263-264: Miami at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 118.670; Atlanta 124.729
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 6; 42
Vegas Line: Atlanta by 2 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-2 1/2); Over

Game 265-266: Buffalo at Carolina (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 122.521; Carolina 118.676
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 4; 33
Vegas Line: Buffalo 1 1/2; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-1 1/2); Under

Game 267-268: Tampa Bay at Jacksonville (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 116.743; Jacksonville 120.518
Dunkel Line: Jacksonville by 4; 32
Vegas Line: Jacksonville by 1; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville (-1); Under

Game 269-270: New Orleans at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 120.253; St. Louis 126.409
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 6; 44
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 3; 38
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-3); Over

Game 271-272: Philadelphia at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 122.284; Chicago 120.337
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 2; 35
Vegas Line: Chicago by 2; 39 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+2); Under

Game 273-274: Oakland at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 121.818; Minnesota 120.861
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 43
Vegas Line: Minnesota by 3; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+3); Over

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Game 275-276: Cleveland at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 117.331; Detroit 125.739
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 8 1/2; 34
Vegas Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 38
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-2 1/2); Under

Game 277-278: Pittsburgh at NY Giants (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 120.116; NY Giants 124.605
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 4 1/2; 33
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 2 1/2; 36 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BY Giants (-2 1/2); Under

Game 279-280: Green Bay at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Green Bay 123.981; Tennessee 121.292
Dunkel Line: Green Bay by 2 1/2; 40
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 2; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (+2); Over

Game 281-282: Houston at Arizona (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 124.306; Arizona 121.677
Dunkel Line: Houston by 2 1/2; 34
Vegas Line: Arizona by 2 1/2; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+2 1/2); Under

Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/7 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/7 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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