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**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 08:50 AM

Hot pitchers
-- Ortiz is 1-1, 2.08 in his last two starts.
-- Beckett is 3-1, 3.24 in his last five starts. Peavy has a 2.03 RA in his last four starts.
-- Padilla has 1.69 RA in his last three starts, but 0 wins. Armas is 3-1, 2.77 in his last five starts.
-- Duke is 5-0, 2.06 in his last seven starts.
-- Dodgers are 4-1 in Weaver's last five starts.
-- Clemens is 4-0, 1.03 in his last five starts. Ohka has 3.24 RA in his last four starts.
-- Vargas is 3-1, 1.98 in his last four starts.

-- Wakefield is 4-0, 3.41 in his last four starts. Colon is 4-0, 2.75 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Tomko is 1-5, 7.11 in his last nine starts.
-- Thomson is 0-0, 6.60 in his last three starts.
-- Lidle is 1-4, 9.20 in his last six starts. Drese is 0-5, 8.76 in his last five starts.
-- Zambrano has 7.04 RA in his last three starts.
-- Marquis is 0-5, 7.12 in his last five starts.

-- Westbrook has 9.18 RA in his last three starts, but Indians won four of his last five outings. Wilson is 0-4, 12.54 in his last five starts.
-- Mays is 0-5, 8.44 in his last six starts. Franklin is 1-2, 8.10 in his last four starts.

Totals
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten San Francisco road tilts.
-- Under is 12-1 in Florida's last 13 home games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Philly home games.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Met home games.
-- 10 of last 14 Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2 in last seven Clemens starts.
-- Seven of last ten Arizona games went over the total

-- Over is 13-1-1 in last fifteen Ranger games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Franklin starts.
-- Last nine Boston games all went over the total; over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Angel games.

Hot teams
-- Braves are 21-7 in their last 28 home games.
-- Marlins won nine of last thirteen home games. Padres won six of their last eight road games.
-- Phillies won six of their last eight games. Nationals are 6-3 in their last nine road games.
-- Mets are 12-3 in last fifteen home games.

-- Twins won six of their last seven games. Seattle won its last three games, sweeping awful Royals.

Cold Teams
-- Reds lost seven of their last nine home games.
-- Pirates are 8-20 in their last twenty-eight road games.
-- Dodgers are 4-6 in their last ten road games.
-- Brewers lost six of their last nine games. Astros are
4-6 in their last ten home games.
-- Arizona lost ten of their last fourteen games. St Louis is 8-8 in its last sixteen home games.

-- Indians lost five of their last six home games. Texas lost nine of its last ten road games.
-- Red Sox are 7-10 in last seventeen road games. The Angels are 9-11 in their last twenty home games.

**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 08:52 AM

Saints @ Patriots-- New Orleans was awful last week in home loss to Seattle; they lost five of last seven summer games. Former Patriot Kingsbury could get shot to play AB late int his game, although former Indiana Firebird QB McPherson (from Florida State) is the more intriguing prospect for Haslett.

**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 08:53 AM

Minnesota Vikings-- This team, with new owner and no Randy Moss, could either make Super Bowl, or have its coach be first one fired. Culpepper can no longer just go back and hjeave ball long, assuming Moss will outjump his defenders. On other hand, the WRs will now block for running plays, something that rarely happened with #84 in the lineup. No more Randy Ratio, so Vikings can spread ball around to their many options on offense. They should still be a formidable team when they have the ball.

The offseason was spent upgrading the defense, which needs it, since they were 25th in takeaways, 30th in third down defense, 25th in red zone defense, 32nd in points allowed on foes' first drive, 31st in number of drives they started in enemy territory. As good as their offense is, it would be nice to have some help from defense, special teams now and then, and Minnesota has not gotten this. They very well might this year, and that is why they are popular sleeper pick to play in Detroit in February.

New England Patriots-- Beauty of New England was its division of labor; front office does the personnel thing, an excellent coordinator on both sides of ball, a smart coach who blends both sides, and selfless players who play at a high level in the biggest games. Well, the '05 Patriots, at least early in season, will bear no resemblance to the club that won three Super Bowl titles. This is a rebuilding year in New England, whether they like it or not.

It is wrong to use stats to discuss this team; instead, talk people, as in Weis and Crennel, both coordinators,.gone, as well as Teddy Bruschi and Ted Johnson, no longer at linebacker. No football team shrugs off losing both of its coordinators-- it will take Belichick one full year to coach the coaches, and it would take a lifetime for them to get to the level of the two departed men. A huge problem.

Brady will be used to call much of the offense, I would think, as Belichick has not listed an offensive coordinator. He is too smart to take too much of the load himself, so he will pass it off onto a QB who can handle it. It has not been a good idea to go against the Belichick Patriots, but they are vulnerable right now, and early in season, they will take some lumps. Look out later in year, but this has to be a transitional year in Foxboro, where the coaching staff is being rebuilt, moreso than the roster of players.

New Orleans Saints-- I think it is significant that this Saint squad won last four games to finish 8-8 last year, holding foes to 15.3 ppg. This is it for both Brooks and Haslett on Bourbon Street; team dumped Delhomme, a Cajun, who led rival Panthers to Super Bowl, so since '98, other three teams in NFC South have been to Super Bowl. The team is also rumored to be for sale, with Red McCombs possibly moving them to San Antonio. New Orleans is not wealthy for an NFL city; the Saints need a good '05, if they are to remain in the French Quarter.

Aaron Brooks is starting to resemble Jeff Blake; a decent deep passer, but inaccurate as hell on shorter passes that move chains. Saint defense was on field for 1,067 plays, third-most in league, too damn many. Brooks needs to grind out some drives, shorten game, so defense can stay fresh through whole game. Saint defense forced 4th-most fumbles in league, so they have Haslett's toughness, but now they need a passing game to compliment running of McAllister, and maybe the Saints can march into playoffs

New York Giants-- Coughlin in second season now, and Eli is the QB (he better stay healthy, because his backups are horrible), so optimism high for Big Blue team that was 5-2 last year, before reality set in, and team lost eight in a row before ending year with win over Dallas. Giants were +12 in turnovers when they were 5-2; rest of season, in a 1-8 finish, they were minus-8.

Simply put, if Giants are to win half their games, they have to improve when ball is in either red zone. Giants were 30th in third down conversions last season, so they need Eli to connect with Shockey and Burress to move chains more, and improve field position- they were 28th in both plays run and red zone offense, 29th in first drive points, so they need to be more aggressive with Eli early in game, rather than sitting back, now that he has some experience. Giant defense could also be better, as they were 30th in red zone defense last year.

New York Jets-- Jets started out 5-0 last year, then lost three of four, then won three in row before 1-3 finish that put them on road in playoffs. OC Hackett was sacked, so frontrunners in Big Apple will focus on Herm if things go sour this season. Jets averaged just 11.5 ppg in going 0-4 vs Patriots the last two years. Hard to have a dynasty in your division and be consistent playoff team.

Jets are dependent on defense that forces turnovers (2nd in turnover margin last year, 2nd in least giveaways, 8th in takeaways) in three of last four years. Gang Green D was on field for sixth-fewest amount of plays last year. Adding of Heimerdinger as offensive guru has Jet offense back in shotgun; now all they need is line to keep Pennington healthy, because Fiedler is the backup, and he just got Wannstedt fired in Miami.

Oakland Raiders-- Addition of Randy Moss makes them the #1 apparel seller, and gives them an awesome passing game, with RB Jordan coming in from Jets, Oakland will light up the scoreboard. Raiders were 2-6 in first half last season, allowing 30+ points during five-game loss streak, so they better improve their defense, too. Raiders were dead last in forced fumbles, 30th in takeaways, 29th in giveaways, 29th in turnover margin. That number needs to improve, or it won't matter how many points they score.

Raiders ran second-least plays in NFL, and their defense was on field for the most. Oakland will never be a team that controls ball, but if offense scores more points, and defense can get off field by forcing turnovers, this is team that could be a sleeper in AFC. Raiders also had the #32 red zone defense. More takeaways would lessen amount of times they have to defend their end zone. No matter, if defense doesn't get better, Moss will still think he is on the Vikings, except in a warmer climate.

Philadelphia Eagles-- Eagles reached their second Super Bowl last year, then had to deal with fact that they could not run hurry up offense because QB McNabb was sick or exhausted, depending on whom you believe. Losing a Super Bowl has created problems in recent years, and the contract situations of many players, with selfish Owens in the forefront, makes Reid's job that much more ticklish.

Obviously, this is an excellent team that has played in last four NFC title games, the last three at home. They were 15-4 last year, and two of four losses were meaningless games they didn't try to win. They came out of chute fast in '04, winning first seven games, covering first five. It will be interesting to see if the Super Bowl hangover effects them. In reality, the biggest enemy the Eagles have in the NFC is themselves.

Pittsburgh Steelers-- Steelers lost their QB and a game at Baltimore in Week 2, then never lost again until playoffs, riding rookie QB Roethlisberger- they went 11-3 against spread in his 14 regular season starts. Pitt defense gave up 16 or less points in six straight games, and beat Philly and Patriots in consecutive weeks, when both hadn't lost a game. Only once in Big Ben's starts did Steelers rush ball for less than 120 yards; they allowed more than 107 yards on ground once in his fourteen starts. .

Steeler defense was only on field for 882 plays, least in NFL, because they ran ball so well; as usually, they were terrific on first drives, but were poor on offense in the red zone (29th) and on drives starting 80+ yards from paydirt (28th). In short, when Steelers had to throw ball to move chains, they didn't do so well, which is part of reason why Burress was allowed to bolt to Giants for more money. Cowher has his team close to top in AFC, but he needs Big Ben to raise his level of play, if they want to play in Detroit in February.

St Louis Rams-- Turnovers. Miscues. Delay penalties and horrible special teams play. These are hallmarks of Martz Madness, as well as maddening habit for brilliant offensive play which erases a lot of the mistakes. Last year, Rams slipped to 8-8, were lucky to make playoffs, luckier still to beat Seattle in Wild Card, then got their butts kicked by Atlanta in the second round. All in all, a disappointing season. Things need to get better.

There is hope. Replay reviews were better last year, and this spring, the Rams actually practiced special teams, a first in the post-Vermeil era. A new RT was drafted, and Marshall Faulk will now be rationed wisely, to make most of his pass catching skills, giving running load to Jackson, another wise move. But that damn turnover ratio just has to get better (they were tied for last in takeaways, last in giveaways, ugly statistics).

Rams were 21st in NFL in first drive points allowed. As good as offense is, if Rams can get early stop, they can play downhill rest of game. Personnel changes addressed defense in the offseason, and Archuleta's improved health should help. Lovie Smith was obviously a tough act to follow, as head of the defense, but Rams started just eight drives in enemy territory, a horrible fact. Coach Marmie better come up with more turnovers this year or else there will be a lot of new coaches in Rams Park in 2006.

San Diego Chargers-- Dream season last year for Bolts, who drafted young QB Rivers, but had such a good year that he never got to play, and may never, at least not for Chargers. San Diego was 3-3 after tough 21-20 loss in Atlanta, but never lost again until day after Christmas, in OT at Indy. A butchered field goal cost them their home playoff game against the Jets, but it was a great season.

Chargers led league in red zone offense, 1st drive defense and were second in 1st drive scoring margin; they were 8th in takeaways, 3rd in giveaways, 4th in TO margin. At one point during season they won five games in a row as an underdog. One red flag is that San Diego was third in NFL, recovering 58.7% of all fumbles (27 of 46) in their games, meaning the ball bounced their way more than a few times in '04. Sometimes, those things even out in the coming seasons, so San Diego could slide a little in '05.

San Francisco 49ers-- Niners beat Arizona twice in OT last year, both by 31-28 scores; they were 0-14 in their other games, thats how bad they were. 49ers were 2-8 against spread in last ten games, as only one of their last nine losses was by less than ten points. Which is why the club cleaned house in the offseason. Not sure why they gave Mike Nolan the keys to the car, but they have.

Here is part of the mess he has to clean up: last in black zone (80+ yard drives) defense, 31st in turnover margin, 31st in giveaways, 27th in takeaways, 27th in first drive scoring margin, 26th in first drive yards, 27th in 3rd down conversion offense, 23rd in defense, 31st in its red zone offense. All in all, they were terrible. The first big thing for Nolan to decide will be how quickly to play Alex Smith, the rookie QB. Anything other than a last place finish will be a pleasant surprise on Candlestick Point.

Seattle Seahawks-- 2004 was disaster for Seattle, even though they won NFC West; they allowed their star RB to lose the rushing title by a yard, then lost home playoff game to St Louis; they were 0-3 vs Rams, blowing 28-10 lead at home in final 5:35 of regular season meeting, then losing 23-12 at Dome, when they scored just six points in three drives that started in Ram territory. In the playoff tilt their pass into the end zone on game's final play failed.

Seattle was 3-0 and very hot, but after their bye in Week 4, they lost three straight games, and were 6-7, with only one win (42-27 at 49ers) by more than seven points.

Oddly, Seattle was 2nd in NFL in scoring in both red and green zone drives, but in critical spots, they failed; their defense was just 29th in third down stops, and their QB has been bit of disappointment. For 2005, Holmgren will need to mend fences with Alexander, find a way to beat both the Rams and improved Cardinals, and score more in the red zone, when the game is on the line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-- Gruden started out 0-4 a year ago, as they failed to score TD on offense in the first two games of season; after rallying with 5-3 stretch, the roof fell in again, and Bucs lost last four games, allowing 25.3 ppg, very un-Buclike. They were 1-7 on road, winning at Superdome in Week 5. Bucs were 20th in takeaways, 24th in giveaways, so that has to improve. Everything has to improve, actually; this was a bad team in 2004.

Bucs were well-prepared (7th in first drive margin) but were poor offensively after that, as they still struggle to find QB Gruden is content to work with. They were 23rd in red zone scoring, 23rd in black zone and 22nd in green zone, so at no point did offense excel, except somewhat on first drives (T9th, pts). Buc defense is still strong, but not like in the Dungy days. People are frontrunners, and there are grumblings that Gruden won Super Bowl, but with Dungy's players. Stay tuned.

Tennessee Titans-- Tennessee went for it on fourth down 27 times last year (12-27, 44%), six more times than any other team; they used three onside kicks in game vs Indy, as Fisher showed he had no faith in his defense to shut down Colt offense that scored 82 points in pair of wins over Titans. At 5-11, Tennessee never won two games in a row, and held only one team below 100 yards rushing in second half of season.

They were 25th in third down conversions, as absence of McNair hurt; he missed seven games (2-5) and it remains a question whether he will ever play full season again. The tank job pulled by defense (allowed 39.2 ppg over last 5 games, yielding 20 TD's on 60 drives, does not bode well for this season, as salary cup pain hitting Titans this year. They were 29th in black zone (drives of 80+ yards) def. last year, allowing 47 points on 21 such drives. Not good.

Washington Redskins-- Skins were 2-8 last year when they allowed more than 10 points; they are terrific on the defensive side of ball (2nd in 3rd down defense, 1st in first drive defense (yards)- only four of 15 foes ran ball for 100+ yards against them), but not good on offense, as neither Brunell or Ramsey proved capable QB, and this spring's drafting of Campbell further muddles the picture.

To say game has passed Gibbs by is stupid; Washington was fifth in league in points scored on first drive of game, first in yards allowed- they outscored foes 55-37 on the first drive, so they were well-prepared team. The thing that may have changed most for Gibbs is how much more selfish today's player is (free agency). Skins were 1-5 in the division, losing pair of three-point decisions to Dallas. Second place is best they can hope for this season.

**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 01:41 PM

Thursday, 8/18/2005

SAN FRANCISCO (53 - 66) at CINCINNATI (54 - 66) - 12:35 PM
BRETT TOMKO (R) vs. RAMON ORTIZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 17-10 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CINCINNATI is 130-153 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 21-16 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CINCINNATI is 128-152 (+5.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ORTIZ is 9-3 (+7.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 72-69 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-66 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-45 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 15-12 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 803-638 (+99.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
TOMKO is 6-0 (+7.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 35-49 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 21-36 (-19.8 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-2 (+3.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.6 Units)

BRETT TOMKO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
TOMKO is 2-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 6.32 and a WHIP of 1.681.
His team's record is 3-5 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

RAMON ORTIZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ORTIZ is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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SAN DIEGO (59 - 60) at FLORIDA (62 - 57) - 7:05 PM
JACOB PEAVY (R) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 57-59 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 27-32 (-11.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN DIEGO is 59-60 (-7.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 15-3 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 12-6 (+12.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 16-6 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in road games in August games over the last 2 seasons.
PEAVY is 15-2 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 4-9 (-7.9 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent this season.
FLORIDA is 29-33 (-13.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
FLORIDA is 62-58 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 4-11 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
FLORIDA is 74-65 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 59-58 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 40-39 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 47-43 (-5.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BECKETT is 14-18 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 4-1 (+3.6 Units) against FLORIDA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

JACOB PEAVY vs. FLORIDA since 1997
PEAVY is 2-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 2.18 and a WHIP of 1.016.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
BECKETT is 3-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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WASHINGTON (63 - 56) at PHILADELPHIA (64 - 56) - 1:05 PM
RYAN DRESE (R) vs. COREY LIDLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-23 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 62-53 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 46-36 (+15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 29-25 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 63-55 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-6 (+0.7 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

RYAN DRESE vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DRESE is 1-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 10.56 and a WHIP of 2.608.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

COREY LIDLE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LIDLE is 4-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.971.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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PITTSBURGH (51 - 69) at NY METS (61 - 58) - 7:10 PM
ZACH DUKE (L) vs. VICTOR ZAMBRANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 25-12 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
NY METS are 28-13 (+16.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 23-17 (+15.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 33-34 (+6.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

ZACH DUKE vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

VICTOR ZAMBRANO vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.20 and a WHIP of 0.800.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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LOS ANGELES (54 - 65) at ATLANTA (69 - 51) - 7:35 PM
JEFF WEAVER (R) vs. JOHN THOMSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 54-65 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LOS ANGELES is 1-13 (-11.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 54-65 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 68-51 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 40-18 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 13-1 (+12.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 68-51 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 51-33 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 31-12 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
LOS ANGELES is 75-62 (+12.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 112-100 (+9.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WEAVER is 20-13 (+14.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 (-0.1 Units) against LOS ANGELES this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

JEFF WEAVER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
WEAVER is 3-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.93 and a WHIP of 1.011.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

JOHN THOMSON vs. LOS ANGELES since 1997
THOMSON is 0-3 when starting against LOS ANGELES with an ERA of 5.50 and a WHIP of 1.168.
His team's record is 1-5 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.3 units)

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MILWAUKEE (59 - 62) at HOUSTON (64 - 56) - 8:05 PM
TOMOKAZU OHKA (R) vs. ROGER CLEMENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 13-29 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 40-20 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 40-20 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 59-61 (+0.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 21-33 (-14.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-1 (+4.3 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

TOMOKAZU OHKA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
OHKA is 0-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 7.72 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

ROGER CLEMENS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
CLEMENS is 3-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 1.43 and a WHIP of 0.909.
His team's record is 4-2 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

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ARIZONA (56 - 65) at ST LOUIS (76 - 44) - 8:10 PM
CLAUDIO VARGAS (R) vs. JASON MARQUIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 106-172 (-65.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 38-52 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 64-112 (-47.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 29-54 (-31.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 108-176 (-67.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 26-42 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 182-105 (+32.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 50-23 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 137-83 (+24.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 75-44 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 25-23 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 3-10 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
ST LOUIS is 38-36 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MARQUIS is 10-14 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 20-29 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 10-16 (-16.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 5-14 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 42-49 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 15-19 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 6-13 (-13.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 13-17 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 9-18 (-19.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-1 (+3.3 Units) against ARIZONA this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

CLAUDIO VARGAS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
VARGAS is 0-3 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 7.72 and a WHIP of 1.393.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
MARQUIS is 0-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.050.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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

TEXAS (57 - 62) at CLEVELAND (64 - 56) - 12:05 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. JAKE WESTBROOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 49-42 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 139-125 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 50-42 (+9.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 78-67 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 147-134 (+20.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 27-31 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-19 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 27-31 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-17 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-8 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. TEXAS since 1997
WESTBROOK is 1-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.02 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-4 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

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

SEATTLE (52 - 67) at MINNESOTA (63 - 57) - 8:10 PM
RYAN FRANKLIN (R) vs. JOE MAYS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 76-114 (-29.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 80-114 (-22.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 115-166 (-39.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 13-27 (-12.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 47-90 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 111-83 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 145-102 (+31.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
MAYS is 7-15 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MAYS is 4-12 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-3 (+0.1 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

RYAN FRANKLIN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
FRANKLIN is 1-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.441.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

JOE MAYS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
MAYS is 1-5 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 5.70 and a WHIP of 1.767.
His team's record is 1-5 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+3.7 units)

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

BOSTON (69 - 49) at ANAHEIM (69 - 51) - 10:05 PM
TIM WAKEFIELD (R) vs. BARTOLO COLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 31-37 (-17.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 70-51 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 66-45 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ANAHEIM is 53-33 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ANAHEIM is 53-32 (+14.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ANAHEIM is 33-19 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BOSTON is 64-40 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 48-25 (+17.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLON is 8-16 (-14.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against ANAHEIM this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. ANAHEIM since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 4-7 when starting against ANAHEIM with an ERA of 5.28 and a WHIP of 1.448.
His team's record is 5-8 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-7. (-1.8 units)

BARTOLO COLON vs. BOSTON since 1997
COLON is 7-10 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 10-15 (-8.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-10. (+4.1 units)

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

WASHINGTON (63 - 56) at PHILADELPHIA (64 - 56) - 1:05 PM
TONY ARMAS (R) vs. VICENTE PADILLA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 4-16 (-10.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-23 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 28-26 (+6.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 29-25 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 63-55 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 62-53 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 46-36 (+15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-6 (+0.7 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

TONY ARMAS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ARMAS is 5-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.306.
His team's record is 6-4 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.7 units)

VICENTE PADILLA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
PADILLA is 1-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.21 and a WHIP of 1.403.
His team's record is 2-6 (-6.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.6 units)

**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 03:30 PM

Thursday, August 18th

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots, 8:00 EST FOX
New Orleans - 10-2 ATS away off an ATS loss
New England - 5-1 Under off a win

**Spark** · 08-18-2005, 03:31 PM

NEW ORLEANS (0 - 1) at NEW ENGLAND (1 - 0) - 8/18/2005, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games in August games since 1993.
NEW ENGLAND is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.

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

**bsa** · 08-18-2005, 06:40 PM

Cocktail ?

SPARK IM TRYING TO MEET FOR A DRINK YOU SAID SOON WHEN BUD. THANKS

Announcement

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