8-26-14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

::handshake::

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NCAAF STAT/SHEETS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th 2014

***** NCAA College Football Week #1 Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every week during the 2014 NCAA College Football season we will analyze all of your daily football action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of StatSystems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
__________________________________________________

NCAA College Football News and Notes - Week #1

•Thursday's Matchups
--Two new starting quarterbacks in Texas A&M-South Carolina game, but Gamercocks have senior QB Thompson who has started three times, played in 14, so he has edge in experience. Post-Manziel era starts with no experience at QB for Aggies- they're 5-10-1 versus spread as road underdog since 2007. SC is 13-8 as home favorite since 2011. Both teams have four starters back on offensive line.

--UL Monroe (+2.5) won 21-19 at Wake Forest last year, outgaining Demon Deacons by 99 yards; it’s not often a BCS school visits the Sun Belt Conference. Warhawks may use transfer Thomas at quarterback- he played against Wake in 2013 when he was at NC State. Monroe is 14-12 as dog under Berry, 2-2 at home. Wake Forest has a new coach, is starting true freshman QB; they're 6-8 as road favorite over last decade.

--Tulsa won eight of last nine games with Tulane, winning last four at H.A. Chapman Stadium, all by 28+ points., but Green Wave upset them 14-7 (+3) last year. Tulsa was 3-9 in 2013 after being 29-11 the three years before that- they're 17-14 as a home favorite since 2008, have 10 starters back on defense. Tulane has lot of options at quarterback, including Joe Montana's son; they're 13-6-1 as a dog under Johnson, 5-4-1 at home.

--Boise State is 112-18 over last 10 years, 61-3 on blue turf, but they have new coach (8-5 in one year at Arkansas State); Broncos are home dog for first time since 2005- they were 4-3 as road dog under Petersen. Long road trip for Ole Miss, which has South Eastern Conference opener versus Vanderbilt next; Rebels have a senior quarterback with 26 starts, nine starters back on defense- they covered 8 of last 10 non-conference tilts. Boise has senior QB with only 5 career starts.

--Temple-Vanderbilt haven't met since 2006. Owls were 2-10 last year but 7-1 versus spread as an underdog- they've got 8 starters back on defense but lost 4 of 5 starters on offensive line. Commodores have new head coach (from Stanford), four starters back on OL, sophomore QB has 3 career starts. Temple is 15-6 as road dogs since 2008. Vanderbilt was 9-3 as home favorites in last three years under Franklin (now at Penn St).

--Third year at Washington State should yield results for Mike Leach, who has offensive line that weighs 20 pounds more per man than last season. Cougars have senior quarterback with 19 starts, but no senior starters on OL- they're 5-3 in last eight games as home favorite. Long road trip for Rutgers; they're 7-3 in last 10 tries as road dog. Knights have senior QB with 18 starts, all five starters back on OL, three of whom are seniors.

•Friday's Games
--Brigham Young lost its first road game the last four years and were favored in last two; Cougars have junior quarterback with 15 career starts- they're 8-12 as road favorites since 2008, were 0-3 during 2013. Dogs covered 12 of their last 16 games on road. Connecticut has new head coach, three QBs back from last season who all threw 125+ passes LY- since 2004, they're 19-4 versus spread (82.6%) as home underdogs. Dogs covered 16 of the Huskies last 20 home games.

--Bowling Green-Western Kentucky haven't met since 2007; both clubs have new head coaches. Hilltoppers are on 3rd coach in three years. Western Kentucky is 9-4 as a home underdog since 2009; they covered 12 of last 14 tries as underdogs, but lost 7 starters on defense, have senior quarterback with eleven career starts. Falcons are 12-3 as road favorites (80.0%) since 2007; they have 7 starters back on defense, 3 on offensive line and junior QB with 13 starts.

--Colorado won eight of last 11 games versus Colorado State; dogs are 10-6 versus spread in series, but Buffaloes last four series wins are all by 14+ points. In last year’s matchup, Buffs outgained State by 214 yards- they're 3-0 as favorites under MacIntyre, have sophomore quarterback with 7 starts. Rams have senior QB; he has 22 starts, led State to first bowl in five years in 2013 (won 48-45). CSU lost 4 starters on offensive line, is 6-7 as an underdog under McElwain.

--Tex-San Antonio is coached by Larry Coker, old Miami head coach; they are 7-5 as road underdogs last two years; this is only their 4th year as team. Roadrunners have 10 starters back on both sides of ball, but their quarterback has not started yet. Houston (-2) beat UTSA 59-28 in 2013; Cougars had +5 ratio in turnovers, yardage was even. Houston is 20-7 as home favorites since 2007, 6-4 under Levine- their sophomore quarterback started 11 games last season.

--Arizona (-10) pounded UNLV 58-13 last year, running ball for 397 yards, but RichRod has been complaining this summer about lack of quarterback. Wildcats have four starters back on offensive line to protect whoever new QB is- they're 5-6 as home favorites under Rodriguez. Rebels got to first bowl in 13 years in 2013; they've got 13 starters back, junior QB with 15 starts, 4 starters are back on OL- they are 6-2 as road dog last two years.

•Other Games- Thursday
#303 EASTERN ILLINOIS @ #304 MINNESOTA
On Thursday evening (7:00 PM EST), the Minnesota Golden Gophers will open up their 2014 season with a matchup against the Eastern Illinois Panthers from the FCS. Eastern Illinois had a strong season last year after finishing with a 12-2 overall record and an 8-0 record in the Ohio Valley conference. Their two losses came against Northern Illinois and Towson, which were both close games. They had the best offense in the FCS after gaining close to 600 yards per game and scoring 48.2 points per game.

Quarterback Jalen Whitlow, who transferred from Kentucky in the offseason, will be the starter for Eastern Illinois this year now that star quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has graduated. They still have an excellent receiver in Adam Drake, who had 1,305 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2013.

Minnesota was able to exceed most experts’ expectations last year by winning eight games and finishing with a 4-4 record in the Big Ten. They rushed for 195.2 yards per game, which was good enough for 37th in the country. They also gave up just 22.2 points per game, which put them in the top 25 in the country. The Golden Gophers should be a rush-first team again in 2014. David Cobb, who rushed for over 1200 yards last season, will be the main man again and could be a contender for the Big Ten's player of the year.

#305 HOWARD @ #306 AKRON
The Howard Bison will begin their season against a tough opponent in the Akron Zips (7:00 PM EST) on Thursday night, but they will be hoping that the many upperclassmen on their team can help them pull off the upset. Howard had a rough start to their season in 2013, but they turned it around late in the year to finish with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They are returning many of their players from last year's team, so they are expected to finish even higher in the MEAC standings.

Senior quarterback Greg McGhee should be the Bison's top offensive player once again in 2014. Last season, McGhee threw for 2,379 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also rushing for 896 yards and three more touchdowns.

Akron did pretty much what most people thought they would do in 2013 by finishing with a 4-4 record in the MAC and a 5-7 overall record. The Zips had a tough time moving the ball on offense in 2013 and they scored just 20.2 points per game. Junior quarterback Kyle Pohl, who threw for 2,438 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, will once again be tasked with leading the Akron's offense. The Zips have a decent group of defensive players, but losing three defensive lineman to graduation may keep them from being able to contend against the top MAC teams 2014.

#309 CHATTANOOGA @ #310 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Southern Conference's Chattanooga Mocs are expected to do well in the FCS this year, but they will have a tough opponent in the Central Michigan Chippewas to open up their 2014 campaign. Chattanooga was good on both sides of the ball in 2013 and finished the year with an 8-4 overall record and was 6-2 in the Southern Conference. The Mocs focused on their running game last season, led by quarterback Jacob Huesman, who had 894 rushing yards to go along with his 1,637 passing yards.

Along with a couple of the best recruits that the Mocs have ever had, they will also have quite a few of their starters from last season returning this year. Defensive lineman Davis Tull is Chattanooga's key defensive player after leading the team in tackles (52) and sacks (9) last season.

Central Michigan had a young team going into the 2013 season and, after a rough start, finished with a 6-6 record after winning their final three games. The Chippewas scored 23.3 points per game last year, while the defense surrendered 28.6 points per game. The Chippewas are expected to focus on the run in 2014 as they wait to develop their quarterbacks. They will be lead by Saylor Lavallii, who had 807 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last year. Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore and Anthony Garland will also get plenty of carries.

#311 IDAHO STATE @ #312 UTAH
On Thursday night (7:30 PM EST), the Idaho State Bengals will hope to pull off their first upset of 2014 in their opening matchup against the Utah Utes. Idaho State started off their 2013 season by winning their first two games, but they were only able to win one of their final 10 to finish with a 1-7 record in the Big Sky Conference and a 3-9 record overall. Their only conference win came against Northern Colorado, who only won one game last year.

Just about anyone who knows anything about ISU football knows that they will once again focus on their passing game in 2014. Senior quarterback Justin Arias threw for 3,547 yards and 24 touchdowns last year and broke the school record for pass attempts with 574.

Utah's fans had high hopes in 2013, but they finished with just a 2-7 record in the Pac-12 after losing five of their final six games. The Utes weren’t horrible on either side of the ball, but they didn't finish inside of the top 60 in the nation in any major statistical category. The Utes will be lead on offense by junior quarterback Travis Wilson, who had 1827 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes in 2013. Wide receiver Dres Anderson, who had 53 catches for 1,002 yards last season, is expected to be one of the better wideouts in the Pac-12 this season.

#313 CAL POLY @ #314 NEW MEXICO STATE
The New Mexico State Aggies will be hoping that they can take advantage of playing an FCS team to start the season when they take on the Cal Poly Mustangs (8:00 PM EST) on Thursday night. This will be the first time that these two teams have played each other since 1997. Cal Poly ended up in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky Conference last season and finished with 6-6 overall record. The Mustangs are expected to improve this season thanks to them having just about every key member of their team returning this year.

The best returning offensive player on Cal Poly is running back Kristaan Ivory, who rushed for 1,113 yards last season. Linebacker Nick Dzubnar, who had 112 tackles and four sacks last year, will be back to lead the defense.

New Mexico State lost its first seven games in 2013 and finished with a 2-10 record. Their defense, which gave up nearly 45 points per game, was one of the worst in the country. The one thing the Aggies had going for them last year was their passing game, which averaged 240.5 yards per game. If the Aggies want to end up near the top of the Sun Belt standings in 2014, they will need their defense to improve and their senior wide receivers to have big seasons. Jerrel Brown and Adam Shapiro, who combined for 68 receptions and 915 yards a season ago, will be the top players to watch on New Mexico State's offense.
__________________________________________________ _______

Gridiron Trends - Week #1
•NORTH TEXAS is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) when the total is between 49.5 and 56 over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was NORTH TEXAS 30.5, OPPONENT 18.4.

•BOWLING GREEN is 12-1 UNDER (+10.9 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was BOWLING GREEN 26.5, OPPONENT 18.1.

•AUBURN is 10-1 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was AUBURN 40.2, OPPONENT 24.0.

•UTEP is 0-9 (-9.9 Units) against the 1rst half line as an underdog versus the 1rst half line over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was UTEP 6.8, OPPONENT 27.9.

•VANDERBILT is 16-2 UNDER (+13.8 Units) the 1rst half total in the first two weeks of the season since 1992.
The average score was VANDERBILT 9.5, OPPONENT 10.3.

•ART BRILES is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 63 as the coach of BAYLOR.
The average score was BRILES 47.4, OPPONENT 25.0.

•BRIAN KELLY is 9-0 UNDER (+9.0 Units) in home games in the first month of the season as the coach of NOTRE DAME.
The average score was KELLY 21.1, OPPONENT 17.2.

•URBAN MEYER is 21-1 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in the first month of the season in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was MEYER 39.8, OPPONENT 14.2.

•DAN MULLEN is 25-7 (+17.3 Units) against the 1rst half line as a favorite versus the 1rst half line as the coach of MISSISSIPPI ST.
The average score was MULLEN 20.9, OPPONENT 8.2.

•JUNE JONES is 11-1 UNDER (+9.9 Units) the 1rst half total when the first half total is 31.5 or higher as the coach of SMU.
The average score was JONES 9.8, OPPONENT 17.8.

Situational Analysis - Week #1
•Play On - Road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (TULANE) - in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses, team that had a winning record last season.
(34-6 since 1992.) (85.0%, +27.4 units. Rating = 4*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (17-24)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 6.5
The average score in these games was: Team 25.3, Opponent 25.3 (Average point differential = -0.1)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 18 (43.9% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (18-3).

•Play Under - All teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 (BOSTON COLLEGE) - in the first week of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses against opponent first 2 weeks of the year, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses.
(30-6 since 1992.) (83.3%, +23.4 units. Rating = 4*)

The average total posted in these games was: 46.1
The average score in these games was: Team 19.4, Opponent 19.4 (Total points scored = 38.8)
The number of games in which this system covered the total by 7 or more points was 26 (72.2% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (2-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (8-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (22-0).

•Play On - Home favorites of 12 to 17.5 versus the first half line (NC STATE) - good passing team from last season - had a completion percentage of 58% or better, team from a major division 1-A conference against a team from a weak division 1-A conference.
(33-8 since 1992.) (80.5%, +24.2 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 15
The average first half score in these games was: Team 24.7, Opponent 3.2 (Average first half point differential = +21.5)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (3-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (20-4).

•Play Under - All teams where the first half total is 21.5 to 24.5 (BOSTON COLLEGE) - in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses, with 4 or fewer defensive starters returning, in the first month of the season.
(47-14 over the last 10 seasons.) (77.0%, +31.6 units. Rating = 4*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 23.3
The average first half score in these games was: Team 9.9, Opponent 10.2 (Total first half points scored = 20.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (7-2).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (8-3).
Since 1992 the situation's record is: (51-21).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Baseball bettors may have to PPV to watch their wagers at the book
By MARC MELTZER

Baseball bettors generally want to watch the games that they have wagers on. Actually, most gamblers in Las Vegas sportsbooks want to watch the games that they've bet.

That won't be so simple moving forward for those wagering on MLB. We may have to fight like a bench-clearing brawl to catch a specific baseball game on television screens at the book.

Most of you know that football is the most popular sport for bettors in Las Vegas. All other sports combined don't equal the amount wagered on NFL and college football. Preseason football will be taking up a screen or more on most of the remaining summer nights. You can add college football, basketball and even hockey to the list of competition for screen time when their respective seasons begin.

So, what’s a TV-starved baseball bettor to do? The answer is actually quite simple. Bet where you want to watch the game.

Many of the bigger television screens in Las Vegas sportsbooks are used for the popular games. The popular games are likely to get wagers and may draw the stray eye into the book from outside and get a few more bets. The smaller television screens are often divided up by who’s wagering on certain games.

Like all businesses in Las Vegas, the books want to keep their customers happy. The way they can keep sports bettors happy is by showing the games that they have wagers on. Generally the more money wagered on a game the larger the TV screen it will be showed on.

Even though many of the sportsbooks on the Vegas Strip are owned by either Caesars or MGM Resorts, the individual casinos are in competition with each other. This competition affects all facets of the hotels and casinos, including the book.

If you place a wager on the Mets at Marlins game at Luxor, don’t expect the sportsbook at The Mirage (both owned by MGM Resorts) to reflect that bet by showing the game on their beautiful TV screens if there are four preseason football tilts and six other baseball games with money wagered at their casino.

Even though it makes sense that a casino would cater to their customers, not many of us think about that when we walk into the book to watch a game. Since casinos don't currently monetize fantasy sports, this can be a pain to baseball bettors that have money at risk in daily or season-long fantasy leagues.

If you walk into a sportsbook only to watch a game and don’t see it up on the screens, you should always ask if the manager can put the game on a TV screen.

If they say no and you really feel strongly about your wager, it might not hurt asking if there’s a certain dollar amount you’d have to bet for them to change that. It might just work.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NCAAF STAT/SHEETS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th 2014

***** NCAA College Football Week #1 Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every week during the 2014 NCAA College Football season we will analyze all of your daily football action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of StatSystems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
__________________________________________________

NCAA College Football News and Notes - Week #1

•Thursday's Matchups
--Two new starting quarterbacks in Texas A&M-South Carolina game, but Gamercocks have senior QB Thompson who has started three times, played in 14, so he has edge in experience. Post-Manziel era starts with no experience at QB for Aggies- they're 5-10-1 versus spread as road underdog since 2007. SC is 13-8 as home favorite since 2011. Both teams have four starters back on offensive line.

--UL Monroe (+2.5) won 21-19 at Wake Forest last year, outgaining Demon Deacons by 99 yards; it’s not often a BCS school visits the Sun Belt Conference. Warhawks may use transfer Thomas at quarterback- he played against Wake in 2013 when he was at NC State. Monroe is 14-12 as dog under Berry, 2-2 at home. Wake Forest has a new coach, is starting true freshman QB; they're 6-8 as road favorite over last decade.

--Tulsa won eight of last nine games with Tulane, winning last four at H.A. Chapman Stadium, all by 28+ points., but Green Wave upset them 14-7 (+3) last year. Tulsa was 3-9 in 2013 after being 29-11 the three years before that- they're 17-14 as a home favorite since 2008, have 10 starters back on defense. Tulane has lot of options at quarterback, including Joe Montana's son; they're 13-6-1 as a dog under Johnson, 5-4-1 at home.

--Boise State is 112-18 over last 10 years, 61-3 on blue turf, but they have new coach (8-5 in one year at Arkansas State); Broncos are home dog for first time since 2005- they were 4-3 as road dog under Petersen. Long road trip for Ole Miss, which has South Eastern Conference opener versus Vanderbilt next; Rebels have a senior quarterback with 26 starts, nine starters back on defense- they covered 8 of last 10 non-conference tilts. Boise has senior QB with only 5 career starts.

--Temple-Vanderbilt haven't met since 2006. Owls were 2-10 last year but 7-1 versus spread as an underdog- they've got 8 starters back on defense but lost 4 of 5 starters on offensive line. Commodores have new head coach (from Stanford), four starters back on OL, sophomore QB has 3 career starts. Temple is 15-6 as road dogs since 2008. Vanderbilt was 9-3 as home favorites in last three years under Franklin (now at Penn St).

--Third year at Washington State should yield results for Mike Leach, who has offensive line that weighs 20 pounds more per man than last season. Cougars have senior quarterback with 19 starts, but no senior starters on OL- they're 5-3 in last eight games as home favorite. Long road trip for Rutgers; they're 7-3 in last 10 tries as road dog. Knights have senior QB with 18 starts, all five starters back on OL, three of whom are seniors.

•Friday's Games
--Brigham Young lost its first road game the last four years and were favored in last two; Cougars have junior quarterback with 15 career starts- they're 8-12 as road favorites since 2008, were 0-3 during 2013. Dogs covered 12 of their last 16 games on road. Connecticut has new head coach, three QBs back from last season who all threw 125+ passes LY- since 2004, they're 19-4 versus spread (82.6%) as home underdogs. Dogs covered 16 of the Huskies last 20 home games.

--Bowling Green-Western Kentucky haven't met since 2007; both clubs have new head coaches. Hilltoppers are on 3rd coach in three years. Western Kentucky is 9-4 as a home underdog since 2009; they covered 12 of last 14 tries as underdogs, but lost 7 starters on defense, have senior quarterback with eleven career starts. Falcons are 12-3 as road favorites (80.0%) since 2007; they have 7 starters back on defense, 3 on offensive line and junior QB with 13 starts.

--Colorado won eight of last 11 games versus Colorado State; dogs are 10-6 versus spread in series, but Buffaloes last four series wins are all by 14+ points. In last year’s matchup, Buffs outgained State by 214 yards- they're 3-0 as favorites under MacIntyre, have sophomore quarterback with 7 starts. Rams have senior QB; he has 22 starts, led State to first bowl in five years in 2013 (won 48-45). CSU lost 4 starters on offensive line, is 6-7 as an underdog under McElwain.

--Tex-San Antonio is coached by Larry Coker, old Miami head coach; they are 7-5 as road underdogs last two years; this is only their 4th year as team. Roadrunners have 10 starters back on both sides of ball, but their quarterback has not started yet. Houston (-2) beat UTSA 59-28 in 2013; Cougars had +5 ratio in turnovers, yardage was even. Houston is 20-7 as home favorites since 2007, 6-4 under Levine- their sophomore quarterback started 11 games last season.

--Arizona (-10) pounded UNLV 58-13 last year, running ball for 397 yards, but RichRod has been complaining this summer about lack of quarterback. Wildcats have four starters back on offensive line to protect whoever new QB is- they're 5-6 as home favorites under Rodriguez. Rebels got to first bowl in 13 years in 2013; they've got 13 starters back, junior QB with 15 starts, 4 starters are back on OL- they are 6-2 as road dog last two years.

•Other Games- Thursday
#303 EASTERN ILLINOIS @ #304 MINNESOTA
On Thursday evening (7:00 PM EST), the Minnesota Golden Gophers will open up their 2014 season with a matchup against the Eastern Illinois Panthers from the FCS. Eastern Illinois had a strong season last year after finishing with a 12-2 overall record and an 8-0 record in the Ohio Valley conference. Their two losses came against Northern Illinois and Towson, which were both close games. They had the best offense in the FCS after gaining close to 600 yards per game and scoring 48.2 points per game.

Quarterback Jalen Whitlow, who transferred from Kentucky in the offseason, will be the starter for Eastern Illinois this year now that star quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has graduated. They still have an excellent receiver in Adam Drake, who had 1,305 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2013.

Minnesota was able to exceed most experts’ expectations last year by winning eight games and finishing with a 4-4 record in the Big Ten. They rushed for 195.2 yards per game, which was good enough for 37th in the country. They also gave up just 22.2 points per game, which put them in the top 25 in the country. The Golden Gophers should be a rush-first team again in 2014. David Cobb, who rushed for over 1200 yards last season, will be the main man again and could be a contender for the Big Ten's player of the year.

#305 HOWARD @ #306 AKRON
The Howard Bison will begin their season against a tough opponent in the Akron Zips (7:00 PM EST) on Thursday night, but they will be hoping that the many upperclassmen on their team can help them pull off the upset. Howard had a rough start to their season in 2013, but they turned it around late in the year to finish with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They are returning many of their players from last year's team, so they are expected to finish even higher in the MEAC standings.

Senior quarterback Greg McGhee should be the Bison's top offensive player once again in 2014. Last season, McGhee threw for 2,379 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also rushing for 896 yards and three more touchdowns.

Akron did pretty much what most people thought they would do in 2013 by finishing with a 4-4 record in the MAC and a 5-7 overall record. The Zips had a tough time moving the ball on offense in 2013 and they scored just 20.2 points per game. Junior quarterback Kyle Pohl, who threw for 2,438 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, will once again be tasked with leading the Akron's offense. The Zips have a decent group of defensive players, but losing three defensive lineman to graduation may keep them from being able to contend against the top MAC teams 2014.

#309 CHATTANOOGA @ #310 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Southern Conference's Chattanooga Mocs are expected to do well in the FCS this year, but they will have a tough opponent in the Central Michigan Chippewas to open up their 2014 campaign. Chattanooga was good on both sides of the ball in 2013 and finished the year with an 8-4 overall record and was 6-2 in the Southern Conference. The Mocs focused on their running game last season, led by quarterback Jacob Huesman, who had 894 rushing yards to go along with his 1,637 passing yards.

Along with a couple of the best recruits that the Mocs have ever had, they will also have quite a few of their starters from last season returning this year. Defensive lineman Davis Tull is Chattanooga's key defensive player after leading the team in tackles (52) and sacks (9) last season.

Central Michigan had a young team going into the 2013 season and, after a rough start, finished with a 6-6 record after winning their final three games. The Chippewas scored 23.3 points per game last year, while the defense surrendered 28.6 points per game. The Chippewas are expected to focus on the run in 2014 as they wait to develop their quarterbacks. They will be lead by Saylor Lavallii, who had 807 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last year. Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore and Anthony Garland will also get plenty of carries.

#311 IDAHO STATE @ #312 UTAH
On Thursday night (7:30 PM EST), the Idaho State Bengals will hope to pull off their first upset of 2014 in their opening matchup against the Utah Utes. Idaho State started off their 2013 season by winning their first two games, but they were only able to win one of their final 10 to finish with a 1-7 record in the Big Sky Conference and a 3-9 record overall. Their only conference win came against Northern Colorado, who only won one game last year.

Just about anyone who knows anything about ISU football knows that they will once again focus on their passing game in 2014. Senior quarterback Justin Arias threw for 3,547 yards and 24 touchdowns last year and broke the school record for pass attempts with 574.

Utah's fans had high hopes in 2013, but they finished with just a 2-7 record in the Pac-12 after losing five of their final six games. The Utes weren’t horrible on either side of the ball, but they didn't finish inside of the top 60 in the nation in any major statistical category. The Utes will be lead on offense by junior quarterback Travis Wilson, who had 1827 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes in 2013. Wide receiver Dres Anderson, who had 53 catches for 1,002 yards last season, is expected to be one of the better wideouts in the Pac-12 this season.

#313 CAL POLY @ #314 NEW MEXICO STATE
The New Mexico State Aggies will be hoping that they can take advantage of playing an FCS team to start the season when they take on the Cal Poly Mustangs (8:00 PM EST) on Thursday night. This will be the first time that these two teams have played each other since 1997. Cal Poly ended up in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky Conference last season and finished with 6-6 overall record. The Mustangs are expected to improve this season thanks to them having just about every key member of their team returning this year.

The best returning offensive player on Cal Poly is running back Kristaan Ivory, who rushed for 1,113 yards last season. Linebacker Nick Dzubnar, who had 112 tackles and four sacks last year, will be back to lead the defense.

New Mexico State lost its first seven games in 2013 and finished with a 2-10 record. Their defense, which gave up nearly 45 points per game, was one of the worst in the country. The one thing the Aggies had going for them last year was their passing game, which averaged 240.5 yards per game. If the Aggies want to end up near the top of the Sun Belt standings in 2014, they will need their defense to improve and their senior wide receivers to have big seasons. Jerrel Brown and Adam Shapiro, who combined for 68 receptions and 915 yards a season ago, will be the top players to watch on New Mexico State's offense.
__________________________________________________ _______

Gridiron Trends - Week #1
•NORTH TEXAS is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) when the total is between 49.5 and 56 over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was NORTH TEXAS 30.5, OPPONENT 18.4.

•BOWLING GREEN is 12-1 UNDER (+10.9 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was BOWLING GREEN 26.5, OPPONENT 18.1.

•AUBURN is 10-1 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was AUBURN 40.2, OPPONENT 24.0.

•UTEP is 0-9 (-9.9 Units) against the 1rst half line as an underdog versus the 1rst half line over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was UTEP 6.8, OPPONENT 27.9.

•VANDERBILT is 16-2 UNDER (+13.8 Units) the 1rst half total in the first two weeks of the season since 1992.
The average score was VANDERBILT 9.5, OPPONENT 10.3.

•ART BRILES is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 63 as the coach of BAYLOR.
The average score was BRILES 47.4, OPPONENT 25.0.

•BRIAN KELLY is 9-0 UNDER (+9.0 Units) in home games in the first month of the season as the coach of NOTRE DAME.
The average score was KELLY 21.1, OPPONENT 17.2.

•URBAN MEYER is 21-1 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in the first month of the season in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was MEYER 39.8, OPPONENT 14.2.

•DAN MULLEN is 25-7 (+17.3 Units) against the 1rst half line as a favorite versus the 1rst half line as the coach of MISSISSIPPI ST.
The average score was MULLEN 20.9, OPPONENT 8.2.

•JUNE JONES is 11-1 UNDER (+9.9 Units) the 1rst half total when the first half total is 31.5 or higher as the coach of SMU.
The average score was JONES 9.8, OPPONENT 17.8.

Situational Analysis - Week #1
•Play On - Road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (TULANE) - in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses, team that had a winning record last season.
(34-6 since 1992.) (85.0%, +27.4 units. Rating = 4*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (17-24)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 6.5
The average score in these games was: Team 25.3, Opponent 25.3 (Average point differential = -0.1)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 18 (43.9% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (18-3).

•Play Under - All teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 (BOSTON COLLEGE) - in the first week of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses against opponent first 2 weeks of the year, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses.
(30-6 since 1992.) (83.3%, +23.4 units. Rating = 4*)

The average total posted in these games was: 46.1
The average score in these games was: Team 19.4, Opponent 19.4 (Total points scored = 38.8)
The number of games in which this system covered the total by 7 or more points was 26 (72.2% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (2-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (8-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (22-0).

•Play On - Home favorites of 12 to 17.5 versus the first half line (NC STATE) - good passing team from last season - had a completion percentage of 58% or better, team from a major division 1-A conference against a team from a weak division 1-A conference.
(33-8 since 1992.) (80.5%, +24.2 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 15
The average first half score in these games was: Team 24.7, Opponent 3.2 (Average first half point differential = +21.5)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (3-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (20-4).

•Play Under - All teams where the first half total is 21.5 to 24.5 (BOSTON COLLEGE) - in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 2 or more straight losses, with 4 or fewer defensive starters returning, in the first month of the season.
(47-14 over the last 10 seasons.) (77.0%, +31.6 units. Rating = 4*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 23.3
The average first half score in these games was: Team 9.9, Opponent 10.2 (Total first half points scored = 20.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (7-2).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (8-3).
Since 1992 the situation's record is: (51-21).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

National League

Nationals-Phillies
Gonzalez is 0-0, 2.25 in his last couple starts.
Hamels is 4-1, 1.80 in his last seven starts.

Nationals won 12 of their last 14 games.
Phillies are 12-6 in their last eighteen home games.

Six of last nine Washington games went over the total.

Cardinals-Pirates
Lynn is 3-0, 2.10 in his last four starts.
Cole is 3-1, 3.54 in his last five starts.

Cardinals won nine of their last twelve games.
Pirates lost nine of their last twelve games.

Over is 7-2 in last nine Cardinal games.

Braves-Mets
Wood is 2-0, 2.21 in his last three starts.
Gee is 0-5, 5.71 in his last seven starts.

Atlanta won seven of last ten games, but lost last two.
Mets lost five of their last seven games.

Last five New York games went over total.

Cubs-Reds
Wood is 0-5, 6,71 in his last nine starts.
Cueto is 5-1, 2.45 in his last six starts.

Cubs won six of their last eight games.
Cincinnati won last two games, after losing 10 of previous 11.

Six of last eight Chicago games stayed under; over is 8-3-1 in Cincinnati's last dozen games.

Dodgers-Diamondbacks
Hernandez is 1-1, 3.71 in his last three starts for LA.
Cahill is 2-0, 2.33 in his last four starts.

Dodgers won three of their last four games.
Arizona lost seven of its last nine games.

Seven of last ten Dodger games went over the total; four of last five Arizona games stayed under.

Brewers-Padres
Nelson is 0-2, 4.08 in his last three starts.
Ross is 5-5, 1.95 in his last eleven starts.

Brewers won seven of their last ten games.
San Diego lost six of its last eight games.

Four of last five Milwaukee games went over total.

Rockies-Giants
de la Rosa is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts.
Bumgarner is 2-1, 2.32 in his last four starts.

Colorado won six of its last seven games.
Giants lost last three games, are 10-24 in last 34 home games.

Seven of last eleven Colorado games went over total.


American League

Rays-Orioles
Cobb is 5-0, 1.16 in his last seven starts.
Chen is 6-1, 2.96 in his last eight starts.

Tampa Bay won four of its last five games.
Orioles lost last four games, scoring total of five runs.

Seven of last ten Baltimore games stayed under.

Red Sox-Blue Jays
de la Rosa is 1-3, 5.35 in his last six starts.
Dickey is 1-2, 5.11 in his last four starts.

Boston lost eight of its last nine games.
Toronto lost nine of its last twelve games.

Four of last six Boston games went over total.

Bronx-Tigers
McCarthy is 5-2, 2.58 in his last seven starts.
Porcello is 3-2, 2.47 in his last seven starts.

Bronx won last five games, allowing 11 runs.
Detroit won six of its last eight home games.

Seven of last ten Bronx games stayed under total.

Twins-Royals
Nolasco is 0-3, 9.20 in his last three starts
Duffy is 4-1, 3.44 in his last six starts, but has 5.68 RA in his last three.

Minnesota lost six of its last nine games.
Royals are 19-6 in last 25 games, but lost last two.

Seven of last nine Minnesota games went over totaL.

A's-Astros
Hammel is 1-5, 7.31 in seven starts for Oakland.
Keuchel is 0-2, 4.71 in his last three starts.

Oakland won three of last four games, but lost seven of last nine road games.
Astros lost four of their last five games.

Five of last six Houston games stayed under total.

Indians-White Sox
House is 2-1, 1.83 in his last four starts
Quintana is 0-3, 5.89 in his last three starts.

Cleveland won nine of its last thirteen games.
White Sox lost last six games, allowing 33 runs.

12 of last 13 Cleveland games stayed under total.

Rangers-Mariners
Martinez is 2-3, 6.18 in his last five starts.
Paxton is 3-1, 3.03 in six starts this season.

Rangers are 4-3 in their last seven games.
Seattle won 14 of its last 19 games.

Three of last four Mariner games went over the total.


Interleague games

Marlins-Angels
Eovaldi is 0-2, 7.36 in his last couple starts.
Shoemaker is 3-1, 2.66 in his last four starts.

Miami is 10-6 in its last sixteen games.
Angels won nine of their last thirteen games.

13 of last 18 Angel games stayed under the total.

Teams' record when this starting pitcher starts:
-- Lynn 17-9; Cole 12-9
-- Gonzalez 12-9; Hamels 11-12
-- Wood 7-11; Gee 6-10
-- Wood 13-13; Cueto 17-10
-- Hernandez 8-11/1-2; Cahill 4-7
-- Nelson 4-4; Ross 13-14
-- de la Rosa 15-10; Bumgarner 15-12

-- de la Rosa 6-7; Dickey 12-15
-- McCarthy 4-14/6-2; Porcello 15-9
-- Cobb 10-10; Chen 15-9
-- Nolasco 10-14; Duffy 10-10
-- Hammel 10-7/1-6; Keuchel 12-12
-- House 7-5; Quintana 9-17
-- Martinez 6-11; Paxton 4-2

-- Eovaldi 10-16; Shoemaker 10-4

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Lynn 6-26; Cole 9-21
-- Gonzalez 7-21; Hamels 3-23
-- Wood 6-18; Gee 4-16
-- Wood 7-26; Cueto 5-27
-- Hernandez 10-23; Cahill 5-11
-- Nelson 2-8; Ross 7-27
-- de la Rosa 9-25; Bumgarner 7-27

-- de la Rosa 4-13; Dickey 7-27
-- McCarthy 5-22; Porcello 8-24
-- Cobb 4-20; Chen 8-24
-- Nolasco 10-24; Duffy 4-20
-- Hammel 8-24; Keuchel 5-24
-- House 4-13; Quintana 5-26
-- Martinez 6-17; Paxton 2-6

-- Eovaldi 10-26; Shoemaker 1-14

Umpires
-- StL-Pitt-- Last four Barber games stayed under total.
-- Wsh-Phil-- Underdogs won eight of last ten Gonzalez games.
-- Mil-SD-- Under is 9-4-1 in Marquez games this season.
-- Col-SF-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Blaser games.

-- Bos-Tor-- Seven of last ten HGibson games stayed under; underdogs won five of his last six.
-- TB-Balt-- Over is 8-2-2 in last twelve Hoberg games.
-- A's-Hst-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Estabrook games.
-- Tex-Sea-- Sevem of last nine Fagan games went over.

-- Mia-LAA-- Eight of last eleven Hamari games went over.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT

***** Tuesday, 8/26/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
__________________________________________________ ___

MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #22
•Masterson Struggles Again As Sinker Misbehaves: After winning a nearly five-hour struggle the night before, the Cardinals had little Sunday for well-traveled Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jerome Willliams. Their own starter, Justin Masterson, had little or nothing for the Phillies either, and the result was a 7-1 loss that cost the Cardinals a chance to clinch a series against second-division opposition. One of the few positives was a stout relief outing by lefthanded rookie Nick Greenwood after Masterson had been peppered for five runs in three innings as he dropped to 2-2 with the Cardinals. The 2013 All-Star acquired from Cleveland has permitted four or more runs in four of his first five Cardinals starts after coming off the Indians’ disabled list, where he had landed with right knee inflammation. Masterson is slated for a start Saturday in one game of a doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis. But if that doesn’t go any better, the staff will have to reconsider his spot in the rotation in the September stretch.

It went downhill from the beginning for Masterson (6-8), who walked leadoff man Ben Revere to start the game. Revere was No. 2 in the National League batting race when the day began, but he hadn’t walked in 171 plate appearances since July 5. What followed over the next three innings was a smorgasbord of six hits, five of them singles, and two wild pitches. With his team down by five runs, manager Mike Matheny could go no longer with Masterson. “It was one of those days he didn’t have a good feel,” Matheny said. Both Matheny and Masterson contend he is close to regaining his Cleveland form and that of one starry night in Miami, when he pitched seven innings of scoreless ball, allowing three hits. “We want to see him get there as quick as possible,” said Matheny, But close rarely counts in baseball. “He’s not happy with what he’s seeing here,” Matheny said. “He came into a good situation, wanting to help us be better.”

•Pirates Send OF Polanco To Minors: The Pittsburgh Pirates sent outfielder Gregory Polanco to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. Polanco, 22, is widely considered one of the top prospects in Major League Baseball. Polanco, has a batting line of .241/.308/.349 with nine doubles, six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 64 games since being called up in June. He only has one hit in his last 30 at-bats. Travis Snider recently received more playing time at the expense of the struggling Polanco. Polanco had a batting line of .347/.405/.540 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 15 stolen bases in 62 games with Indianapolis before his promotion. Before the season, he was ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect by Baseball America. The Pirates (67-63) are five games back in the National League Central and just 1 1/2 games behind the league's second wild-card spot. Polanco is expected to be brought back up when rosters expand Sept. 1. The Pirates recalled outfielder Jose Tabata from Triple-A and activated shortstop Clint Barmes off the 15-day disabled list. The team also designated infielder Jayson Nix for assignment.

•Stanton Not Only Choice For Red Sox This Offseason: Four years ago, midway through his final spring training as manager of the Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox stood on the field before a game and joked that the only times he ever regretted his decision to retire were when he watched Jason Heyward take batting practice. Back then, Heyward was the consensus top prospect in baseball and, at age 20, the Braves’ Opening Day right fielder. He was baseball’s “Next Big Thing” before Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado or Yasiel Puig was tagged with that label, carrying the burden of impossible expectations on his broad shoulders. And now, he should be the Red Sox’ next right fielder.

For all the fantasizing — and right now, that’s really all it is — about the Sox using their inventory of prospects and a few big leaguers to pull off a blockbuster for Giancarlo Stanton, there still isn’t any indication the Marlins are ready to trade their slugging MVP candidate and the most popular pro athlete in Miami since LeBron James took his basketball and went home to Cleveland. In time, the Marlins likely will be ready to talk. After all, Stanton is headed back to arbitration and could see his 2015 salary rise to $15 million. And forking over the $200 million or more that will be required to lock up the 24-year-old to a long-term deal would be out of character for owner Jeffrey Loria.

But Stanton also isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season. With ace Jose Fernandez due to return next year from elbow surgery and an emerging group of young hitters, including outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich, it makes more sense for the Marlins to take one shot at the division crown in a winnable National League East before unloading Stanton. The Braves probably won’t wait so long before moving Heyward, who can become a free agent after next season. And they already have tipped their hand that they don’t plan to keep him long term. In February, they locked up first baseman Freddie Freeman to an eight-year, $135 million extension one day after signing Heyward for only two years and $13.3 million.

Heyward hasn’t lived up to his lofty billing, batting .262 with a .784 OPS and averaging 17 homers and 57 RBI since debuting in 2010. Two years after going deep a career-high 27 times, he has only 10 homers and a .389 slugging percentage while seemingly being miscast as a leadoff hitter for most of the season. But Heyward can still be a middle-of-the-order force, assuming he’s able to fix the holes that exist in his unorthodox swing. He just turned 25 and hasn’t even entered his prime. Why shouldn’t those years come with the Red Sox? Heyward would be the left-handed bat the Sox need to balance out an offense that suddenly has a decidedly right-handed lean thanks to the additions of Yoenis Cespedes, Allen Craig and new Cuban center fielder Rusney Castillo.

He also sees his share of pitches and doesn’t tend to rack up high strikeout totals, keeping the line moving through the heart of the batting order. And Heyward plays Gold Glove-caliber defense, making him a safe bet to handle Fenway Park’s tricky right field as well as Shane Victorino did last season. Considering Heyward is a year closer to free agency than Stanton, the Braves’ expected return figures to be less. Contractually, it’s similar to when the Red Sox gave up slugging first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, top pitching prospect Casey Kelly and then-A-ball outfielder Reymond Fuentes for Adrian Gonzalez, who was one year from free agency when they acquired him and signed him to an extension.

If the Sox are able to execute a trade-and-sign of Heyward for a package of three or four players, including a top prospect or two, it presumably leaves them with enough assets in both the big leagues and the minors to still make a deal for one of the starting pitchers they will need to rearm the top of the rotation. Now imagine a Red Sox lineup that features David Ortiz, Mike Napoli, Heyward, either Cespedes or Craig, and Xander Bogaerts batting behind table-setters Castillo and Dustin Pedroia. That’s an offense worth dreaming about. And it doesn’t even include Stanton.

•Injury Wave Crashes Over A's: Crushed 9-4 by the Angels on Sunday night, the Oakland A's fell one game behind Los Angeles in the American League West race. That wasn't even the worst news for the A's. Before the game, Oakland placed closer Sean Doolittle on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI exam revealed a strained right intercostal muscle. More bad news broke regarding John Jaso. The catcher, whose 2013 season ended July 25 because of a concussion, will go on the seven-day concussion disabled list Monday. He battled concussion symptoms since taking a hard foul ball off his mask Aug. 8 against Minnesota.

Third baseman Josh Donaldson hurt his left knee during his final at-bat Saturday night against the Angels, had an MRI exam Sunday and sat out the series finale. The MRI revealed no structural damage, and he is day-to-day. "It's just something you have to deal with," A's manager Bob Melvin said of the injuries. "Regardless, we feel like every time we take field no matter who we run out there, we feel like we're gonna win." With Doolittle, who has 20 saves, out for at least 15 days and possibly longer, A's manager Bob Melvin said he would pick a fill-in closer Monday. Right-handers Ryan Cook and Luke Gregerson are likely the top candidates.

"There are a number of guys who have experience in late-game situations," Doolittle said. "They are more than capable to figure out a way to get it done. One of the strong points of this organization is depth. It's another one of those scenarios that give guys a chance to step up. "I'm (mad), mainly because I can't be out there helping the team and going on the road with these guys." Doolittle was hurt throwing his second-to-last pitch Saturday night during his 20th save. After the game, he said he didn't believe the injury on his right side was serious, but the MRI showed enough damage to a small muscle between his ribs to land him on the DL.

Jaso said his concussion symptoms aren't nearly as bad as the ones he had last season, when he couldn't return to action. "I got hit pretty hard a while ago, and I've been kind of like muscling through the games and just kind of powering through," Jaso said. "But the symptoms kind of like escalated a little bit this past few days and got to the point where it was a little iffy if I could keep going back there behind the plate and catch. "I think we're going to give it a little bit of time to calm. It's one of those things where it takes a few days of being away from the work and being outside and straining my body and mind to let it calm down."

With Jaso headed for the DL and Stephen Vogt limited to emergency catching duty because of a lingering sore foot, the Oakland front office scrambled Sunday to fill the void. The A's landed veteran catcher Geovany Soto in a trade with the Texas Rangers for cash. Then in another deal, they acquired minor league catcher Bryan Anderson from the Cincinnati Reds for international-signing-bonus money. "He's been a starting catcher before, and he's a two-way guy," Melvin said of Soto, who will report Monday when the A's open a series at Houston. "He's not one you would say is a defensive specialist or just an offensive guy. He's able to do both. And based on the last couple years, going from an everyday role to non-everyday role, knows how to deal with that." Soto is a .248 career hitter with 92 home runs and 314 RBIs in 666 games, but he spent most of this season on the disabled list.

Around The League
--The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins completed a high-scoring series in style Sunday, with the Tigers (-138, Over/Under 9) romping to a 13-4 road victory and a split of the four-game set during Week #21. The teams went Over in all four confrontations, scoring a combined 73 runs in the series - an average of better than 18 per contest.

--Madison Bumgarner may find things a bit easier than normal (10:15 PM EST) Tuesday evening as he and the San Francisco Giants welcome the Colorado Rockies to town. Bumgarner has allowed 10 homers in 297 at-bats against members of the Rockies roster, but half have been hit by Carlos Gonzalez, who is out for the season with a knee injury.

--New York Yankees right-hander Brandon McCarthy looks to continue his hot play in the Bronx as he takes the hill (7:08 PM EST) Tuesday night against the host Detroit Tigers. McCarthy is 5-2 with a 1.90 ERA and is 3-5 Over/Under in his eight assignments since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks just prior to the trade deadline.

--New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is heating up heading into Tuesday night's series kickoff (7:10 PM EST) against the visiting Atlanta Braves. Duda hit a three-run homer, added a solo shot and drove in five runs for New York Sunday, and has racked up five homers and 11 RBIs over his past six games. The Mets has lost five of its previous six before accounting for its most runs and hits (14) since beating Philadelphia 11-2 with 15 hits July 30.

--Texas Rangers (1-5-3 Over/Under): The Rangers have one of the more interesting totals streaks going, with three pushes in a nine-game span - each a 6-3 Texas loss on a total of nine. Texas is 57-62-10 Over/Under for the season; the 10 pushes leads the American League.

--Colorado Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario (wrist) will take batting practice Monday and is expected to return to the starting lineup in the coming days. The Rockies are 12-14 straight-up, 13-10-3 Over/Under and -133 units for the season with Rosario out of the lineup.

--The Boston Red Sox have placed shortstop Xander Bogaerts on the seven-day concussion list after he was struck in the head in Friday night’s 5-3 setback versus the Seattle Mariners. Bogaerts was mired in a 1-for-23 slump prior to the injury, a stretch that dropped his average to .223 for the season.

--St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and right-hander Michael Wacha are ready for the next step in their return from the disabled list. General manager John Mozeliak said Monday morning that Molina and Wacha will report to Double-A Springfield this week to continue their rehabilitation. Molina has been on the disabled list since July 10 with a torn ligament in his right thumb that required surgery. Wacha has been on the DL since mid-June with a stress reaction in his right shoulder. Wacha will throw live batting practice with Springfield on Wednesday.
__________________________________________________ __________

Betting Notes - Tuesday

National League
•Cardinals-Pirates - 7:05 PM
--Lynn is 3-0, 2.10 in his last four starts.
--Cole is 3-1, 3.54 in his last five starts.

--Cardinals won nine of their last twelve games.
--Pirates lost nine of their last twelve games.

--Over is 7-2 in last nine Cardinal games.

•Nationals-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Gonzalez is 0-0, 2.25 in his last couple starts.
--Hamels is 4-1, 1.80 in his last seven starts.

--Nationals won 12 of their last 14 games.
--Phillies are 12-6 in their last eighteen home games.

--Six of last nine Washington games went over the total.

•Braves-Mets - 7:10 PM
--Wood is 2-0, 2.21 in his last three starts.
--Gee is 0-5, 5.71 in his last seven starts.

--Atlanta won seven of last ten games, but lost last two.
--Mets lost five of their last seven games.

--Last five New York games went over total.

•Cubs-Reds - 7:10 PM
--Wood is 0-5, 6,71 in his last nine starts.
--Cueto is 5-1, 2.45 in his last six starts.

--Cubs won six of their last eight games.
--Cincinnati won last two games, after losing 10 of previous 11.

--Six of last eight Chicago games stayed under; over is 8-3-1 in Cincinnati's last dozen games.

•Dodgers-Diamondbacks - 9:40 PM
--Hernandez is 1-1, 3.71 in his last three starts for LA.
--Cahill is 2-0, 2.33 in his last four starts.

--Dodgers won three of their last four games.
--Arizona lost seven of its last nine games.

--Seven of last ten Dodger games went over the total; four of last five Arizona games stayed under.

•Brewers-Padres - 10:10 PM
--Nelson is 0-2, 4.08 in his last three starts.
--Ross is 5-5, 1.95 in his last eleven starts.

--Brewers won seven of their last ten games.
--San Diego lost six of its last eight games.

--Four of last five Milwaukee games went over total.

•Rockies-Giants - 10:15 PM
--De La Rosa is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts.
--Bumgarner is 2-1, 2.32 in his last four starts.

--Colorado won six of its last seven games.
--Giants lost last three games, are 10-24 in last 34 home games.

--Seven of last eleven Colorado games went over total.
__________________________________________

American League
•Red Sox-Blue Jays - 7:05 PM
--De La Rosa is 1-3, 5.35 in his last six starts.
--Dickey is 1-2, 5.11 in his last four starts.

--Red Sox lost eight of its last nine games.
--Toronto lost nine of its last twelve games.

--Four of last six Boston games went over total.

•Yankees-Tigers - 7:05 PM
--McCarthy is 5-2, 2.58 in his last seven starts.
--Porcello is 3-2, 2.47 in his last seven starts.

--Yankees won last five games, allowing 11 runs.
--Detroit won six of its last eight home games.

--Seven of last ten New York games stayed under total.

•Rays-Orioles - 7:05 PM
--Cobb is 5-0, 1.16 in his last seven starts.
--Chen is 6-1, 2.96 in his last eight starts.

--Tampa Bay won four of its last five games.
--Orioles lost last four games, scoring total of five runs.

--Seven of last ten Baltimore games stayed under.

•Twins-Royals - 8:10 PM
--Nolasco is 0-3, 9.20 in his last three starts.
--Duffy is 4-1, 3.44 in his last six starts, but has 5.68 RA in his last three.

--Minnesota lost six of its last nine games.
--Royals are 19-6 in last 25 games, but lost last two.

--Seven of last nine Minnesota games went over total.

•Athletics-Astros - 8:10 PM
--Hammel is 1-5, 7.31 in seven starts for Oakland.
--Keuchel is 0-2, 4.71 in his last three starts.

--Oakland won three of last four games, but lost seven of last nine road games.
--Astros lost four of their last five games.

--Five of last six Houston games stayed under total.

•Indians-White Sox - 8:10 PM
--House is 2-1, 1.83 in his last four starts.
--Quintana is 0-3, 5.89 in his last three starts.

--Cleveland won nine of its last thirteen games.
--White Sox lost last six games, allowing 33 runs.

--12 of last 13 Cleveland games stayed under total.

•Rangers-Mariners - 10:10 PM
--Martinez is 2-3, 6.18 in his last five starts.
--Paxton is 3-1, 3.03 in six starts this season.

--Rangers are 4-3 in their last seven games.
--Seattle won 14 of its last 19 games.

--Three of last four Mariner games went over the total.

Interleague
•Marlins-Angels - 10:05 PM
--Eovaldi is 0-2, 7.36 in his last couple starts.
--Shoemaker is 3-1, 2.66 in his last four starts.

--Miami is 10-6 in its last sixteen games.
--Angels won nine of their last thirteen games.

--13 of last 18 Angel games stayed under the total.

•Incredible Stat of the Day
Baltimore Orioles Wei-Yin Chen is 12-3 in his team starts (80.0%) against the money line versus an American League team with an on base percentage .320 or worse this season. The left-hander has also logged an impressive 11-2 mark for the Orioles against AL teams scoring 4.2 or less runs per game during the campaign.

Chen has won six of seven decisions over his last eight assignments while posting a 2.98 ERA in that span. The Taiwan native struggled in his last outing against the Rays on June 28, yielding five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, and is 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against them. Ben Zobrist is 11-for-30 with a homer versus Chen, who has 109 strikeouts and 25 walks over 143 2/3 frames.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Rockies (53-76) at Giants (67-62)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 26, 2014 10:15 PM EDT


Runs came at a premium in the series opener between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. But considering Madison Bumgarner and Jorge De La Rosa's track records in this NL West rivalry, there may be a lot more offense in Tuesday night's matchup of left-handers.

The Giants (68-62) have followed three straight wins with three consecutive defeats, dropping Monday night's matchup 3-2. They had a 9-6 advantage in hits but also tied a season high with four errors, two by shortstop Brandon Crawford.

Colorado (53-77) also had six hits in seven innings against Bumgarner (14-9, 3.17 ERA) on June 15 in San Francisco before rallying for an 8-7 win. He is 2-3 with a 4.91 ERA in his last seven starts versus Colorado, and Josh Rutledge is 8 for 17 against him.

Bumgarner owns a 5.86 ERA over his last six home starts, though he pitched better in his most recent one. He held Philadelphia to one run and four hits while striking out nine and walking none over seven innings of a 5-3 loss in 10 on Aug. 15.

He has struck out 36 over 31 innings in his last four starts overall, including 12 - one shy of a career high - in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Cubs. He ended that seven-inning outing with a strikeout to strand two runners in scoring position.

"He's as mentally tough as you get," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's got a knack for making pitches when he has to."

De La Rosa (13-8, 4.21) has struggled away from Coors Field, going 1-3 with a 6.09 ERA in his last six starts, but he's coming off consecutive home wins over Cincinnati and Kansas City behind a 3.00 ERA.

The Giants have given De La Rosa problems, as he's 2-4 with a 6.14 ERA in his last 10 matchups. He left after three innings in San Francisco on June 13 due to tightness in his lower back.

The Rockies have won seven of 10 after a 6-21 stretch. Monday's victory marked the first time in team history they've won four straight at San Francisco after sweeping three games in June, which was also the last time Colorado won consecutive road games.

"It's been a house of horrors for us for a long time," manager Walt Weiss said. "It's great to see us winning some games here, some tight games, some games that in the past we used to lose, those one-run games like tonight."

Tuesday's matchup could see a relief appearance from Tim Lincecum, who has been bumped from the rotation to San Francisco's bullpen.

Lincecum is 1-3 with 9.49 ERA in his last six starts. He has a 1.00 ERA in eight career relief appearances, including the playoffs.

"He's fine," Bochy said. "He's going to work on some things. It's no problem with him."

Hunter Pence was 2 for 3 on Monday and has gone 18 for 37 with four homers and three doubles in his last 10 games against Colorado. He's 6 for 21 with two home runs and two doubles when facing De La Rosa.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

2Halves2Win

MLB COMP

1* MIL & CLE – ML PARLAY

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Free play TUES

Tigers w/ Porcello -125

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gamblers Data

Free Plays Tuesday

Mariners -1.5 +107

Cards/Pirates under 7.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

'Stros look to upend A's'

Houston and Oakland get ready to duel again Tuesday night after the Athletics notched an 8-2 victory in the opener. Lest anyone think Houston has nothing in their favor, sports handicappers would be quick to note that during August the Astros are on equal footing with A's both having identical 11-12 records. Houston 6-4 in Minute Maid Park over the span, Athletics 2-6 away from O.co Coliseum in August, Stros can't be written off. Another positive for Houston backers, Dallas Keuchel (10-9 3.12 ERA) gets the call. Although the southpaw has a 1-4 record in his last seven starts he has tossed six consecutive quality starts including his fifth complete game of the season last time out. Keuchel's counterpart on the evening will be Jason Hammel (9-10, 3.84 ERA) who has not had a good start with his new club carrying a 1-5 record in seven trips to the mound with a whopping 6.75 ERA (1-6 TSR). Taking an underdog is always a risky proposition, though in this case, the amount of supporting data in favor of Houston makes it less risky.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hondo

Hondo: Go Cats, go!

Hondo posted a near tri-sweep Monday night as he cashed with the Yankees and Phillies but lost in extra time with the uncooperative Blue Jays, which trimmed the deficit to 1,705 rozemas .

Tuesday night: Mr. Aitch will sample the Porcello at Comerica Park in Detroit — 10 units on the Tigers to grill McCarthy and the Yankees.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

WNBA | CHICAGO at ATLANTA
Play Under - Road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 after allowing 90 points or more against opponent after scoring 80 points or more
57-25 over the last 5 seasons. ( 69.5% | 29.5 units )
10-5 this year. ( 66.7% | 4.5 units )

WNBA | CHICAGO at ATLANTA
Play Against - Home teams vs. the money line (ATLANTA) terrible defensive team - allowing 77+ points/game on the season, after a combined score of 155 points or more
150-127 over the last 5 seasons. ( 54.2% | 0.0 units )
31-30 this year. ( 50.8% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | CHICAGO at ATLANTA
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the 1rst half line (ATLANTA) an excellent offensive team (>=76 PPG) against a horrible defensive team (>=76 PPG) after 15+ games, after scoring 75 points or more in 2 straight games
70-33 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.0% | 33.7 units )
12-6 this year. ( 66.7% | 5.4 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Game roundup: Phillies' Burnett ends skid
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

PHILADELPHIA -- A.J. Burnett pitched seven strong innings to snap a personal six-game losing streak on Monday night, as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 3-2.

Third baseman Cody Asche and catcher Carlos Ruiz homered for Philadelphia, which won for the fourth time in its last five games.

Third baseman Anthony Rendon and catcher Wilson Ramos hit solo homers for the Nationals, who lost for just the second time in 14 games.

Burnett, whose losing streak equaled the longest of his career, allowed one run and three hits while striking out a season-high 12. Now 7-14 this season, he earned his first victory since July 11, when he also beat Washington.


Orioles 9, Rays 1

BALTIMORE -- Delmon Young, J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning, and Baltimore banged out five homers in all to end a three-game losing streak with a victory over Tampa Bay.

The Orioles scored just four runs while being swept by the Chicago Cubs in a three-game weekend series. However, power bats awakened Monday, starting with back-to-back, third-inning homers by Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce.

It was the first time the Orioles hit both two and three in a row in the same game since coming to town in 1954.


Cardinals 3, Pirates 2

PITTSBURGH --- Matt Holliday's two-run single capped a seventh-inning rally and John Lackey pitched one-run ball over seven innings to lift St. Louis to a win over Pittsburgh.

Holliday's hit put the Cardinals ahead 3-1 and came after pinch-hitter Jon Jay's RBI single tied the game. The left fielder helped give the Cardinals their ninth win in 12 games and allowed them to draw within one game of the Milwaukee Brewers, who played a late game at San Diego, in the National League Central.

Lackey (2-1) allowed seven hits while walking one and striking out three. He has given up two earned runs or less in four of his five starts since being acquired July 31 from the Boston Red Sox in a trade.


Yankees 8, Royals 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Derek Jeter collected two RBIs in his final regular-season game at Kauffman Stadium and right-hander Michael Pineda pitched into the seventh inning as New York Yankees drubbed Kansas City.

The Yankees have won five straight, matching their longest winning streak of the season. They also won five straight in April.

Martin Prado, Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew homered for the Yankees, who have won 13 of their last 21 games. Ellsbury hit a two-run homer in the ninth and drove in three runs.

The crowd of 31,758 gave Jeter a standing ovation in the ninth and chanted "Derek Jeter" as he came to the plate. The fans continued applauding as he returned to the dugout after grounding out, and many headed out for the exits after his at-bat.


Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3 (10 innings)

TORONTO -- Yoenis Cespedes singled with two outs in the 10th inning to score the go-ahead run as Boston defeated Toronto, snapping an eight-game losing streak.

Boston was on the verge of snapping its skid before blowing a 3-0 lead in the ninth inning. A two-run double by Edwin Encarnacion against Red Sox closer Koji Uehara (6-4) capped Toronto's three-run rally.

Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz held the Blue Jays (66-65) to four hits, two walks and three runs while striking out four in 8 1/3 innings.


A's 8, Astros 2

HOUSTON -- Josh Donaldson capped a three-hit night with a critical two-run double in the ninth inning of Oakland's win over Houston at Minute Maid Park.

The Athletics scored five runs in the ninth, extending to a comfortable margin after the Astros pulled close in the eighth.

Donaldson finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a stolen base, with his double off Astros right-hander Jose Veras extending the lead to 6-2.


Marlins 7, Angels 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Journeyman left-hander Wade LeBlanc, filling the rotation spot of injured Los Angeles right-hander Garrett Richards, lasted just 3 1/3 innings and took the loss Monday.

Coupled with Oakland's win over the Houston Astros, the Angels fell into a first-place tie with the A's in the American League West.

LeBlanc (0-1) surrendered six runs on seven hits and three walks (one intentional). The Marlins finished with 11 hits in all, including three from Christian Yelich, two each from Donovan Solano and Reed Johnson, and a three-run homer from Giancarlo Stanton, his 33rd of the season.


Rangers 2, Mariners 0

SEATTLE -- Texas starter Miles Mikolas cooled down the red-hot Seattle bats with eight shutout innings.

Mikolas (2-5) earned his first win since July 21. He allowed three hits and one walk and struck out five before closer Neftali Feliz earned his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

J.P. Arencibia drove in the game's first run with a fourth-inning single, and the Rangers doubled the lead in the seventh on a fielder's choice grounder.


Rockies 3, Giants 2

SAN FRANCISCO -- Left-hander Tyler Matzek snapped a five-game losing streak with the benefit of three double plays, pitching Colorado to a victory over mistake-riddled San Francisco.

Colorado's Justin Morneau and Corey Dickerson drove in runs with sacrifice flies. The eventual difference-making run scored on a balk by Giants starter Jake Peavy, as the Rockies won for the fourth consecutive time this season at AT&T Park.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected by home plate umpire Doug Eddings for disputing a called third strike on Buster Posey in the eighth inning. It was Bochy's third ejection of the season.


Brewers 10, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO – Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez each hit a solo homer and combined for six hits and four RBIs as the National League Central-leading Brewers opened a nine-game road trip with a win over San Diego at Petco Park.

Kyle Lohse allowed one run on four hits and four walks over six innings to beat the Padres for the second time this season.

Ramirez was 3-for-5 with a double and 14th homer, driving in three runs and scoring two. Braun was 3-for-4 with his 17th homer and two runs scored. Carlos Gomez also had three of the Brewers’ 16 hits. Gerardo Parra came off the bench to drive in three runs for the Brewers.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB roundup: Rangers' Darvish likely out for season
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is probably finished for this season because of an elbow injury.

That's what Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said during a radio interview on Monday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Darvish was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 13 because of elbow inflammation, but there seems to be little chance that the Rangers will have him pitch again this season.

"By the calendar and how close to the end of the season we are, I don't know that it will allow him to pitch again," Daniels said on KRLD-FM, according to the Morning News. "I think it's critical going into next year for us to put all these injury issues and concerns behind us as we possibly can. It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me to take a risk when the MRI clearly shows there is something going on in there."

Darvish is 10-7 with a 3.06 ERA this season. He last pitched on Aug. 9, when he allowed nine hits, four walks and six runs (five earned) in just four innings against the Houston Astros.


---The Pittsburgh Pirates sent outfielder Gregory Polanco to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Polanco, 22, is widely considered one of the top prospects in Major League Baseball.

Polanco has a batting line of .241/.308/.349 with nine doubles, six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 64 games since being called up in June. He only has one hit in his last 30 at-bats.

The Pirates recalled outfielder Jose Tabata from Triple-A and activated shortstop Clint Barmes off the 15-day disabled list. The team also designated infielder Jayson Nix for assignment.


---Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, who went on the disabled list Aug. 1 with a fractured right hand, was given clearance to take dry swings after being given a CT scan. If he has no setbacks, Hosmer hopes to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week.


---New York Yankees minor league right-handed pitcher Andy Beresford and minor league first baseman Leonard Thompson received 50-game suspensions for violations of the drug policy.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said that the players tested positive for an amphetamine and were suspended as part of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Beresford is currently on the roster of Class A Charleston of the South Atlantic League. Thompson is on the roster of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Yankees.



---Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Mike Adams, on the disabled list since June 7 with an inflamed right rotator cuff, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Manager Ryne Sandberg said the plan is for Adams to pitch three times over seven or eight days, then reevaluate him.


---St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (torn ligament in left thumb) will begin working out with Double-A Springfield on Tuesday and right-hander Michael Wacha (stress reaction in right scapula) will join him Wednesday.

The plan is for Molina to play in a rehab game Wednesday while Wacha pitches live batting practice before the game.

Left-hander Tyler Lyons was recalled from Triple-A Louisville and infielder Greg Garcia optioned to Springfield, providing the Cardinals with an extra reliever after the bullpen pitched 11 innings in the previous two games.



---Houston Astros right-hander Brad Peacock completed a throwing session without complication and remains on schedule to make his next start Wednesday against Oakland. Peacock was removed from his previous outing on Aug. 22 at Cleveland after five innings with right forearm discomfort.


---Oakland Athletics catcher John Jaso was officially placed on the seven-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday with a concussion. Catcher Geovany Soto, acquired on Sunday from the Texas Rangers, replaced Jaso on the active roster.


---Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will be leaving the team to have surgery on his right knee Wednesday in Los Angeles. He hopes to be back with the team if it locks up the division title, but it's possible he wouldn't be back until the playoffs.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Giants demote Lincecum to bullpen
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum was demoted to the bullpen Monday. The question is: For how long?

In announcing that the two-time Cy Young Award winner would be replaced by Yusmeiro Petit in the rotation effective immediately, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy noted the new look will be re-evaluated after Petit's start Thursday against the Colorado Rockies.

Bochy said he believes Lincecum's recent struggles -- he has 8-1, 7-4 and 6-2 losses among his last six starts -- are mostly mechanical and can be worked out in a series of bullpen sessions. Skipping Lincecum at least once in the rotation gives him ample opportunity to space out three or four such sessions, Bochy noted.

Petit, who has retired 38 consecutive batters in relief, is assured just one start. However, it is interesting to note his second start would be Sept 2 at Colorado, and Lincecum has been particularly bad (3-6 with a 6.33 ERA) on the road.

The Rockies won the series opener between the teams Monday, taking a 3-2 win due in large part to a sloppy Giants defense that committed four errors.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mariners give Hernandez two extra days of rest
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

SEATTLE -- Lloyd McClendon's habit of shuffling his rotation to match up his best arms with playoff contenders continued Monday.

The Seattle Mariners manager pushed Felix Hernandez's next start back two days -- from Wednesday to Friday.

Rather than throwing Hernandez in Wednesday's series finale against the struggling Texas Rangers, the right-hander will get two extra days of rest -- Seattle has Thursday off -- before taking the mound Friday in the first game of a series against the Washington Nationals.

McClendon has tried to cut back on his ace's innings, and he weighed pitching matchups since before the All-Star break, but his latest move might have the longest-lasting implications. It just so happens that Hernandez's revised five-day rotation would put him in position to be available for the Tuesday after the regular season -- meaning he could pitch the one-game wild-card matchup.

The biggest factor in moving Hernandez back is to provide some kind of in-season maintenance on an arm that has already thrown 191 innings this season. McClendon has been proactive in carefully monitoring Hernandez's pitch counts and giving him extra days of rest on several occasions.

Friday would mark the 14th time this season that Hernandez starts on more than the typical four days of rest. He owns a 6-0 record and 1.83 ERA in 11 starts on five days rest and a 1-0 record and 1.38 ERA in two starts on six days or more of rest.

The Mariners have yet to name a Wednesday starter, but Triple-A Tacoma right-hander Erasmo Ramirez appears to be a likely candidate. He has already started 13 times over four stints with Seattle this season. Twice over the past five weeks, he was recalled for spot starts and sent back to the minors immediately after.

Ramirez's scheduled Tuesday start for Tacoma easily could be scratched to accommodate a start in Seattle the following afternoon.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | TAMPA BAY at BALTIMORE
Play On - Any team (BALTIMORE) terrible speed team - averaging 0.35 or less SB's/game on the season against opponent with a hot starting pitcher- WHIP <= 1.000 over his last 3 starts
217-160 over the last 5 seasons. ( 57.6% | 74.2 units )
28-28 this year. ( 50.0% | 1.0 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI
CHICAGO CUBS are 35-24 (+17.8 Units) against the money line after batting .240 or worse over a 15 game span this season.
The average score was: CHICAGO CUBS (4.3) , OPPONENT (3.6)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks Boston at Toronto The Red Sox look to follow up last night's 4-3 win in extra innings as they face a Toronto team that is 1-6 in its last 7 games as a favorite of -110 to -150. Boston is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Sox favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+120). Here are all of today's MLB picks.


TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST


Game 901-902: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 15.015; Pittsburgh (Cole) 16.125
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-135); Over


Game 903-904: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Gonzalez) 16.967; Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.442
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110); Under


Game 905-906: Atlanta at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Wood) 14.106; NY Mets (Gee) 15.322
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Over


Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wood) 15.638; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.314
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-210); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+180); Over


Game 909-910: LA Dodgers at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Hernandez) 13.816; Arizona (Cahill) 14.990
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+100); Over


Game 911-912: Milwaukee at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Nelson) 15.617; San Diego (Ross) 14.002
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line: San Diego (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+105); Under


Game 913-914: Colorado at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 15.507; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 14.662
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-190); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+165); Over


Game 915-916: Boston at Toronto (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (De La Rosa) 14.860; Toronto (Dickey) 13.775
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+120); Over


Game 917-918: NY Yankees at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (McCarthy) 15.325; Detroit (Porcello) 16.908
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Under


Game 919-920: Tampa Bay at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Cobb) 14.602; Baltimore (Chen) 15.778
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-115); Under


Game 921-922: Minnesota at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Nolasco) 16.123; Kansas City (Duffy) 15.223
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+155); Under


Game 923-924: Oakland at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Hammel) 15.674; Houston (Keuchel) 14.776
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-120); Over


Game 925-926: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (House) 15.686; White Sox (Quintana) 13.612
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+100); Over


Game 927-928: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Martinez) 16.350; Seattle (Paxton) 15.491
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-190); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+165); Under


Game 929-930: Miami at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Eovaldi) 15.607; LA Angels (Shoemaker) 14.354
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-190); 8
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+165); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Basketball Picks Chicago at Atlanta The Dream look to wrap up the series at home tonight against a Chicago team that is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing with 1 days rest. Atlanta is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Dream favored by 6. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks


TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST


Game 621-622: Chicago at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 107.215; Atlanta 112.996
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 6; 161
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 3 1/2; 157
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3 1/2); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Game of the Day: Cardinals at Pirates

St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (-134, 7.5)

The St. Louis Cardinals are strengthening their hold on the top spot in the National League wild-card race, but it's the NL Central title that they covet. The Cardinals have won nine of their last 12 and look to continue their surge toward division-leading Milwaukee when they resume their three-game series against the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The Cardinals are 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the division but own a three-game lead over San Francisco atop the wild-card standings, while the Pirates trail the Giants by 1 1/2 contests for the final playoff spot.

The Cardinals notched their 23rd comeback victory of the season in Monday's series opener, scoring three runs in the seventh inning and holding on for a 3-2 triumph. St. Louis does have some concerns at the back end of the bullpen, as closer Trevor Rosenthal gave up a ninth-inning home run by Andrew McCutchen before recording his 39th save - tied with Milwaukee's Francisco Rodriguez for the NL lead. St. Louis leads the season series 8-6.

LINE HISTORY: The LV Superbook opened the Pirates as -134 home faves with a total of 7.5.

INJURY REPORT: Cardinals - RF Shane Robinson (Doubtful, shoulder), 2B Mark Ellis (15-day DL, oblique).

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Cardinals (-178), Pirates -152)

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Everything would seem to be in place for the visitors to steal another victory tonight after taking yesterday's opener 3-2. The Cardinals will send Lance Lynn (14-8, 2.78 ERA) to the hill. Lynn has quietly been dominating of late, he's 6-2 with a very respectable 1.73 ERA over his last nine starts, which includes having won three straight, most recently holding the Reds to just four scattered hits over seven scoreless frames in his team's 7-3 victory on Wednesday. The Pirates offense has been living off the long ball of late, which doesn't bode well for Pittsburgh today as Lynn has given up just three dingers in 128 2/3's innings spanning his last 21 starts. Pittsburgh counters with Gerrit Cole (7-4, 3.69 ERA) who went seven scoreless in his team's 3-2 win over the Braves on Wednesday. While Cole has had success against the Cardinals this year, I'll still give the nod to Lynn in this matchup." Covers Expert AAA Sports.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (14-8, 2.78 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (7-4, 3.69)

Lynn has been one of the majors' best pitchers since the All-Star break, going 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA in seven starts. He has won three straight outings and was dominant last time out, holding Cincinnati to four hits over seven scoreless innings. The 27-year-old is 5-3 with a 4.88 ERA in 13 career games (11 starts) against Pittsburgh.

Cole was solid in his return from the disabled list Wednesday, holding Atlanta to two runs and five hits over seven innings, but he didn't get a decision. It was the 23-year-old's first major-league start since July 4. Cole is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in two outings against St. Louis, including a victory on April 4 in which he gave up two runs over seven frames.

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in umpire Sean Barber's last four games behind home plate.
* Cardinals are 4-0 in Lynn's last four starts.
* Over is 6-2 in Pirates' last eight vs. National League Central.

COVERS CONSENSUS: 51 percent of wagers on Covers Consensus are behind the visiting Cardinals.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ecks and Bacon

Ben lee had Np on Monday.

For Tuesday in MLB in the National League "Mr Chalk" likes the Padres -$122/Brewers.

Ben lee is 195-224-5 -$2897 through Forty Three Weeks.

"Mr Chalk" is 67-50 -$430 for the 2014 MLB season.

All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatSystemsSports
Rounding The Bases – Tuesday

#919 TAMPA BAY @ #920 BALTIMORE
TV: 7:05 PM EST, MASN2 Baltimore
Line: Orioles -1.5, +165, Total: 7.5, -110

After an uncharacteristic weekend sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the Baltimore Orioles made it clear their offense is just fine. The Orioles look to build off a five-homer explosion when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in the second contest of their four-game series. Tampa Bay’s Alex Cobb tries to extend his career-high winning streak to eight games after Baltimore collected 14 hits in a 9-1 triumph on Monday that allowed it to maintain its six-game lead in the American League East.

The Orioles managed a total of only four runs and 13 hits in three straight losses to the Cubs, but Nick Markakis snapped an 0-for-21 slump with a two-run homer to ignite the offense Monday evening. Adam Jones has been the steadiest force for Baltimore, recording at least two hits in five of his last eight contests. Tampa Bay has lost six of its last nine games and is only 4-9 against the Orioles in 2014.

PITCHING MATCHUP
•Rays RH Alex Cobb (9-6, 3.01 ERA, WHIP: 1.141) - Cobb has been especially strong in his last six starts, allowing only four runs and 30 hits over 41 innings while not surrendering a homer. The 26-year-old is 4-1 (1-1 this season) with a 1.89 ERA in six career starts against Baltimore, with the only defeat coming on June 18 as he permitted one unearned run in seven frames. J.J. Hardy is 5-for-15 with two walks against Cobb in his career.

•Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (13-4, 3.76 ERA, WHIP: 1.225) - Chen has won six of seven decisions over his last eight starts while posting a 2.98 ERA in that span. The Taiwan native struggled in his last outing against the Rays on June 28, yielding five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, and is 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against them. Ben Zobrist is 11-for-30 with a homer versus Chen, who has 109 strikeouts and 25 walks over 143 2/3 frames.

•PREGAME NOTES: Baltimore 1B-OF Steve Pearce has hit four of his career-high 15 homers this season against the Rays.... Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria, who was robbed of a three-run homer by Jones on Monday, has collected 12 RBIs in his last 11 games.... The Orioles are 16-5 in their last 21 home games and have outscored opponents 105-62 in those contests.

•KEY STATS
--BALTIMORE is 21-8 against the run line (+13.5 Units) versus an American League starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better this season.
The average score was BALTIMORE 4.6, OPPONENT 3.7.

--CHEN is 17-1 against the run line (+18.9 Units) after walking <=1 hitters each of his last 2 outings over the last 3 seasons, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the second half of the season during the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
The average score was CHEN 4.7, OPPONENT 2.9.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--Games Over The Last 3 Seasons: BALTIMORE is 30-19 (+5.4 Units) against the run line versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons. TAMPA BAY is 25-24 straight up against BALTIMORE over the last 3 seasons.

--Games This Season: BALTIMORE is 9-3 (+5.5 Units) against the run line versus TAMPA BAY this season. BALTIMORE is 8-4 straight up against TAMPA BAY this season.

--All Games at BALTIMORE Over The Last 3 Seasons: TAMPA BAY is 11-13 (-1.2 Units) against the run line versus BALTIMORE over the last 3 seasons. BALTIMORE is 12-12 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TB is 0-4 in their last 4 during game 2 of a series.
--TB is 4-9 in their last 13 Tuesday games.
--TB is 2-5 in their last 7 games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.

--BALT is 5-0 in their last 5 Tuesday games.
--BALT is 13-3 in their last 16 home games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
--BALT is 5-0 in their L5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Against - Road teams against a run line. (+1.5, -130) to (-1.5, +165) (TAMPA BAY) - poor American League hitting team (AVG <=.260) against a team with a very good bullpen (ERA <=3.33), with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.50 over his last 5 starts.
(47-18 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.3%, +40.1 units. Rating = 5*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is: (44-21 over the last 5 seasons.)
The average run line posted in these games was: Team favored by 0.2, money line price: +124
The average score in these games was: Team 4.9, Opponent 3.5 (Average run differential = +1.4)
The number of games in which this system covered the run line by 1 or more runs was 30 (46.2% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (8-3, +6.2 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (35-13, +30.4 units).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (55-32, +32.6 units).

**StatSystemsSports Prediction: Orioles 5, Rays 2

[golden contender]

Ruby Tuesday card has a 5* Totals system that has won 15 of 16 times and averages 12 runs and a rare totals system that is 9-0 since 2004 and a dominator play with an Undefeated angle. Free MLB Power Angle Play below




On Tuesday the free MLB Power Angle Play is on the LA. Dodgers. Game 909 at 9:40 eastern. The Dodgers have some nice numbers going their way tonight. LA is 7-0 as a road favorite off a home loss and has won 9 of 13 with a day off. They are also 3-0 on the road off a home loss by 5 or more runs. Arizona has struggled losing 15 of 22 as a home dog and 7 of the last 9 here in the series to LA. The Diamondbacks have Trevor Cahill on the mound making his 3rd start here vs the Dodgers. If this one is anything like the last two it will be another long night in the desert. Cahill allowed 12 runs in 8 innings here already vs the Dodgers. Hernandez goes for LA and he has 2 decent starts vs Arizona this season. Look for LA To bounce back here tonight. On Tuesday there is a 15-1 totals system that averages over 12 runs per game. There is also a secondary totals system that is 9-0 since since 2004. There is also an Undefeated Power Angle dominator side. Jump on now and cash out with the most Powerful data in the Industry. For the free play take the LA. Dodgers.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Advanced sports investments

perry’s soccer club (+1.65)

uefa champions league
145pm- nk maribor piv lasko @ celtic glasgow – over 2.5 -114

england league cup
245pm- sheffield utd @ west ham utd – under 2.5 +115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Winning Crew

MLB

50 Dime Plays:

Detroit -120
Cincinnati RL
Toronto -121

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Macaukingtips
League: EUROPE: Champions League
Match : Bate Borisov vs Slovan Bratislava
Tips : Slovan Bratislava +0.5

Getmybet
League: SCOTLAND: Insurance League Cup
Match: Hamilton vs Alloa
Tips: Over 2.5

BET4WINS
League : ENGLAND: Capital One Cup
Match : West Ham vs Sheffield Utd
Tips : Over 2.5

Goforwinners
League : EUROPE: Champions League
Match : Celtic vs Maribor
Tips : Both Teams to Score

MyPerfectBets
League : EUROPE: Champions League
Match : FC Porto vs Lille
Tips : Under 2.5

BUYFOOTBALLTIPS
League : GERMANY: 3. Liga
Match : Dortmund II vs Mainz II
Tips : Over 2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SOCCER BETTING MASTERS

Europe » Champions League » FC Porto (Por) – Lille (Fra)

Opinion; FC Porto to win

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EZWINNERS

MLB

1* (921) Twins +$140
1* (929) Marlins +$161
1* (927) Rangers +$161
1* (913) Rockies +$170

[Can'tPickAWinner]

HALL OF FAME PICKS / William Holloway

Dodgers(-120)

Dodgers have won 10 of 14 meetings with Arizona this season, and the D’backs have lost 7 of 9.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PAUL LEINER

100* White Sox -125
50* Orioles -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

J.R Stevens/SMOOTH44

(907) Chi Cubs +190

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Advanced sports investments

pj’ tennis corner (+6.40)

atp us open
y nishioka -115 p lorenzi (230pm)
a ramos vinolas -110 s groth (330pm)
j melzer -110 m granollers (11am)
p andujar +350 j sock (1230pm)

wta us open
p parmentier +166 k kanepi (11am)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EAGLE EYE SPORTS---RANDY ROSE
Your Pick: Baltimore Orioles (-107)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph
Super Pick Royals w/ Dufffy
Blue Ribbon Seattle w/ Paxton

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Clement

8* Rays -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday August 26, 2014 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

The Boston Red Sox clearly have given up at this point as they were just swept at home by the Seattle Mariners and have now lost eight straight games. And you know what? Management probably hopes the team continues to lose. It means a better draft pick and more slot money to sign those draft picks. Plus, if you finish with one of the 10 worst records in the league you don’t have to cough up your first-round pick if you sign a top-tier free agent. Keep an eye on that moving forward with those teams around that bubble number. It behooves them to lose. Here’s a look at five interesting games on Tuesday.

Red Sox at Blue Jays (-135, 8.5)

Boston won’t have shortstop Xander Bogaerts at least the rest of this week as he was put on the seven-day concussion list Sunday. He was hit in the noggin by a Felix Hernandez pitch on Friday and hadn’t played since. Yeah, I’m guessing I’d be concussed if King Felix drilled me in the head as well. David Ortiz (.265, 30 HRs, 93 RBIs) might take a game or two off as well. He left Sunday’s game with a bruised left foot and was plunked on the elbow with a pitch Saturday. This is one of those series that the Blue Jays need to sweep if they are legitimate AL East or wild-card contenders. They are going the wrong direction, however, entering this week losing 14 of 20. R.A. Dickey gets the call for Toronto. Dickey (10-12, 4.08) is 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA against Boston this season. Ortiz will want to be in there if he can be as he hits .333 with two homers and six RBIs in 18 at-bats off the knuckleballer. It’s Rubby De La Rosa (4-5, 3.69) for Boston. He’s 0-2 with a 8.10 ERA vs. Toronto.

Key trends: Boston is 1-5 in De La Rosa’s past six road starts vs. teams with a winning record. It is 1-7 in its past eight Tuesday games. Toronto has won five straight Dickey starts on Tuesday. The “over” is 5-1 in Dickey’s past six.

Early lean: Take the Jays at +155 on the runline.



A’s at Astros (+110, 8)

The A’s had quite the busy weekend. They lost star closer Sean Doolittle to the disabled list with an intercostal strain, and he might miss three weeks. Eric O’Flaherty (1.35 ERA) will serve as the temporary closer. Catcher John Jaso (.264, nine HRs, 40 RBIs) went on seven-day concussion list, and the club acquired catcher Geovany Soto from Texas. Finally, Oakland claimed Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar off waivers, but it’s not expected that the two teams will agree to a trade before Tuesday’s deadline. The Rays aren’t just going to let him go. Current A’s shortstop Jed Lowrie is in the DL with a fractured right finger. Jason Hammel (9-10, 3.84) takes the mound Tuesday for Oakland. He hasn’t been very good since coming over from the Cubs. His last start was skipped following a three-inning outing in a loss at Atlanta. The Astros pummeled him for eight runs over 4.1 innings on July 30. Houston starts lefty Dallas Keuchel (10-9, 3.12). He is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in two starts against Oakland.

Key trends: The A’s have lost five straight against left-handers. Houston is 2-8 in Keuchel’s past 10 Game 2 starts of a series. The under is 4-0 in his past four overall.

Early lean: I trust Keuchel way more than Hammel right now. Astros are good home dog value.



Indians at White Sox (-119, 8.5)

If I asked you to list the five best offensive catchers in baseball would you even consider Cleveland’s Yan Gomes? You should. Gomes is batting .284 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. Alas, the Tribe won’t have him for a bit as he was placed on the seven-day concussion list on Saturday. The Indians are hanging around the fringes of the AL Central and wild-card races, so they need Gomes back ASAP. That’s one less worry for White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (6-10, 3.25) on Tuesday as he looks to end Chicago’s six-game skid. He is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts this season vs. Cleveland. Michael Brantley is a career .467 hitter off Quintana with a homer and four knocked in. Fellow southpaw T.J. House (2-3, 3.80) goes for the Indians. He has faced the Sox once, allowing a run over 6.1 innings back in late May.

Key trends: Cleveland is 5-1 in House’s past six against teams with a losing record. Chicago is 0-6 in Quintana’s past six home starts against teams with a winning record. The under is 7-1 in the past eight meetings.

Early lean: Sox end their skid.



Rays at Orioles (-105, 8)

Baltimore probably has enough of a cushion in the AL East that it won’t matter in that regard, but I don’t like the O’s to win any playoff series now that Manny Machado (.278, 12 HRs, 32 RBIs) is done for the season. He is without peer defensively. It’s the second straight season he has had his season end because of a torn ligament in his knee. Last year the left, this year the right. Now you have to question whether this guy can stay healthy. He should be good for spring training. The O’s might try out Chris Davis at third if they don’t make a waiver trade. Wei-Yin Chen (13-4, 3.76) starts this one for the Birds. He was hit hard on June 28 by the Rays, allowing five runs and three homers over 3.1 innings. Ben Zobrist is 11-for-30 with a homer off him. Alex Cobb (9-6) outdueled David Price in his last start for the Rays, blanking the Tigers over seven innings. He allowed three earned over five innings on June 29 vs. the Orioles.

Key trends: The Rays are 5-2 in Cobb’s past seven on the road. The Orioles are 5-1 in Chen’s past six at home. The under is 6-0 in Cobb’s past six and 5-0 in Chen’s past five.

Early lean: Favorite total pick of the day: under at -115.



Cubs at Reds (-210, 7)

Chicago, coming off a sweep of Baltimore, will get back All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro from the bereavement list Tuesday. He’s hitting .284 with 13 dingers and 64 RBIs on the year. Castro is 7-for-33 with two extra-base hits in his career off Reds starter Johnny Cueto (15-7, 2.20). He beat the Cubs on July 8, allowing two runs over 6.1 innings. Cueto had won five straight starts before losing in St. Louis last time out, allowing five runs over five innings, one of his worst starts of the year. Cubs left-hander Travis Wood (7-11, 4.91) hasn’t won since June 15. He pitched in Cincinnati on July 8 and took the loss, allowing four runs over 5.1 innings. Todd Frazier is a .300 hitter off him with two homers and six RBIs.

Key trends: The Cubs have won five straight Tuesday games. They are 6-1 in their past seven against right-handed starters. The Reds are a puzzling 1-10 in their past 11 series openers. The under is 5-0 in Wood’s past five vs. Cincinnati. The Reds are 6-1 in Cueto’s past seven vs. the Cubs.

Early lean: Cueto won’t have back-to-back bad starts. Reds at -110 on the runline.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cappers Finest:

Prez: Rockies F5 +180, 2 units
Prez: Rockies +180, 3 units
Prez: Pirates -140, 2 units
Prez: Rays, +100, 2 units
Prez: Rockies, RL +1.5, -140, 2 units

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BOOKIES HUNTER

3* Cincinnati Reds RL-1.5
2* San Diego Padres ML
1* Under 7.5 - Rays vs O's

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd
2014-08-30 (4 days)


MLB Premium Picks



League
Date
Time (ET)
Matchup
Pick


MLB
Aug 26 ,2014
7:05p
[903] Washington Nationals[904] Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies -102
at bovada (http://www.bovada.lv/)


4* MLB Vegas Insider on Phillies -
The Phillies are showing great value at basically a pick'em at home with their ace Cole Hamels on the mount. Hamels has a 2.53 ERA and 1.151 WHIP over 23 starts in 2014. Hamels always seems to bring his A game against division opponents. He's got a 2.45 ERA and 1.140 WHIP versus NL East opponents this year and career 2.54 ERA and 1.062 WHIP over 30 starts against the Nationals (21-9 team record).
Washington will counter with lefy Gio Gonzalez, who is just 3-6 with 3.54 ERA over 10 road starts and 2-6 with an ugly 5.06 ERA and 1.500 WHIP over 8 starts against division opponents.
Washington has dropped each of his last 6 starts against the NL East and are just 1-5 in his last 6 road starts when listed as an underdog. Philadelphia is 5-1 in their last 6 home games against a left-handed starter, 4-1 in their last 5 home games against a team with a winning record and 4-1 in Hamels' last 6 home starts when listed as a favorite. These trends combine to form a Dynamite 82% (18-4) system in favor of the Phillies. Take Philadelphia!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

XpertPicks

TUESDAY BASEBALL




Play Toronto -130 over Boston----Top Play (Risk 5% of your Bankroll)

7:00 PM EST

Boston has lost 13 of the last 19 games when playing on a Tuesday and they have lost 33 of the last 53 games vs. division opponents. Boston has lost 46 of the last 76 games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs and they have lost 46 of the last 80 games when playing in the month of August.





Play Oakland -130 over Houston---Top Play (Risk 5% of your Bankroll)
8:00 PM EST


Houston has lost 94 of the last 147 home games and they have lost 45 of the last 69 games when playing on a Tuesday. Houston has lost 96 of the last 137 games after having lost four of the last five games and they have lost 82 of the last 119 games after scoring four runs or less in three straight games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BOB BALFE

WASHINGTON NATIONALS +105
(Gonzalez/Hamels)

The Phillies won this matchup last night, but this is not a good baseball team and most nights really stuggle to put up runs. Washington has been on a roll and no team in all of baseball has been as hot. These team has not lost 2 in a row for quite sometime and you just can’t help but feel bad for Hamels who is having a great season yet his team never gives him more than a couple runs of support. Take the Nationals.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wunderdog Sports Free Pick

MLB Game: Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles
Time: Tuesday 08/26 7:05 PM Eastern
Pick: Baltimore O’s-105 (moneyline)

The Tampa Bay Rays never gave up, even when they were 18 games under the .500 mark. It took a lot of energy to fight their way back into the race, but it appears they have run out of gas. The Rays are just 3-6 in their last nine games, and the offense has grown cold once again as they scored 2 or fewer runs in six of the nine games. Baltimore has separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the AL East, and they have handled Tampa Bay rather easily this season as they are 9-4 against this Rays team, winning last night 9-1. Tampa Bay is just 3-7 in Cobb’s last 10 starts on regular four days of rest, and the Birds have assaulted right-handed pitching to the tune of a 19-7 record in their last 26. They have also been 20-6 at home behind Chen to a total of 7 to 8.5. make the play on Back Baltimore in this one.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BeatYourBookie

TUESDAY

MLB BASEBALL


10* Play Toronto -130 over Boston (MLB TOP PLAY)

Boston is 6-13 when playing on a Tuesday
Boston is 20-33 vs. division opponents this season
Boston is 30-46 when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs


10* Play Oakland -125 over Houston (MLB TOP PLAY)

Houston is 53-94 in home games the last two seasons
Houston is 24-45 when playing on a Tuesday
Houston is 41-96 after having lost four of the last five games

=============================================

5* Play NY Yankees +130 over Detroit (MLB BONUS PLAY)
5* Play Miami +180 over Los Angeles Angels (MLB BONUS PLAY

[Can'tPickAWinner]

FantasySportsGametime

MLB Baseball

1000* Play Cincinnati -190 over Chicago Cubs (TOP MLB)

Travis Wood has lost 25 of the last 38 games vs. division opponents and he has lost 29 of the last 44 games when pitching in the 2nd half of the season.Travis Wood has lost 43 of the last 66 games when pitching as an underdog of +100 or higher and he has an ERA of 6.03 in road games this season.

================================================== ===

50* Play Seattle -170 over Texas (MLB BONUS PLAY)
50* Play Kansas City -170 over Minnesota (MLB BONUS PLAY)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kevin's Pick(s):

Two big underdog winners last night, and that makes our system plays 4-1 over their last 5 (with no higher than -109 odds). Today is by the far the busiest day of the year for me with 6 system plays going...

2 UNIT = Miami Marlins @ Los Angeles Angels - UNDER 8 RUNS (-112)
Listed Pitchers: Eovaldi vs Shoemaker
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.79 units)

2 UNIT = Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners - RANGERS TO WIN (+181)
Listed Pitchers: Martinez vs Paxton
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 3.62 units)

2 UNIT = Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox - INDIANS TO WIN (+112)
Listed Pitchers: House vs Quintana
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 2.24 units)

2 UNIT = St Louis Cardinals @ Pittsburgh Pirates - CARDINALS TO WIN (+120)
Listed Pitchers: Lynn vs Cole
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 2.40 units)

2 UNIT = Boston Red Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays - RED SOX TO WIN (+114)
Listed Pitchers: De La Rosa vs Dickey
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 2.28 units)

2 UNIT = Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles - ORIOLES TO WIN (-104)
Listed Pitchers: Cobb vs Chen
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.92 units)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kyle's Pick(s)

2 UNIT = Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds - REDS -1.5 (+107)
Listed Pitchers: Wood vs. Cueto
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 2.14 units)
The Blue Jays have Reyes, Cabrera, Bautista, and Encarnacion. All failed to get a hit until it was the 9th inning. They did tie it up, but it was more of a tease because the Jays gave it right back in the next inning, ultimately losing 4-3 in extras. It doesn't matter if it is hockey or baseball, both Toronto teams have the same syndrome.
I am looking to catch Cueto on the bounce back after he gave up 4 runs in his most recent start. That ties for his second worst start of the year. That was on the road however, where he has been strong, but not automatic like we have come to find out in Cincinnati. Cueto has a road ERA of 2.56 which is strong in its own right, but that number falls to 1.81 at home. He also possesses a WHIP of 0.82 at home compared to 1.07 away. The Cincinnati offense had a horrible stretch for awhile there, but with Brandon Philips back I think they'll be better. Considerably better? Without Joey Votto around I doubt that, however, they should do enough to give Cueto a relatively easy win here tonight. The Cubs are hitting only .227 against right-handers, they get a pretty damn good righty tonight. The Reds' hitters will have the opportunity to do well against Travis Wood, a pitcher that has been struggling mightily. He's pitched 71.2 innings on the road and has a 6.03 ERA and 1.76 WHIP to show for it. In 13 starts on the road, 10 of them he allowed more than 2 runs. I don't think it'll take much for the Reds to win and cover -1.5 because I expect Cueto to roll through this lineup. I figure if the Reds can make it to 4 runs, which I believe they will, they'll cover the number. With that said give me the Reds.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Worlds Worst Picker

Detroit
St Louis
Baltimore
Boston

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tom Barton

2* Cincinnati -180

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Robert Ferringo


2* SF -1.5 +110
2* Dodgers -115
2* Detroit -120
2* Seattle -1.5 +105
1* Angels -175

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Allen Eastman


3* Under 7.5 TB/ BAL
2* Detroit -120
2*STL Cards +120

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Rickenbach

Boston Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Ryan


Arizona

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Doc Sports


4* NYY +100
3* Houston +110
3* Angels -175

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Davis


4* Over 6.5 COL/SF
4* SF -1.5 (+110)
4* Angels -1.5 (+110)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns (0-6 past 2 days)


Padres
Phillies
Reds

[Can'tPickAWinner]

JEFFREY JAMES

Play of the Day

#908 Cincinnati Reds with Cueto moneyline -205 (7:05 edt)
I usually don’t like the big favorites in baseball but the Reds are just in too good of a spot here to miss out. Cueto is way better than Wood and the Reds have been dominant over the Cubbies at 35-13 against them over the past few seasons including 5-2 in Cincy this season. The Cubs are a horrible 17-35 when the total is 7 or less and they are 19-33 in the division. Take the Reds here as the play of the day.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RIVER CITY SHARPS

We are going back to the well tonight with the Cards. It worked for us last night and one of the things we like about tonight’s match up is Lance Lynn (14-8 2.78) on the hill for St Louis. He has been lights out lately, 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA in nine starts since surrendering a season-high six earned runs in a 9-1 loss to the Dodgers on June 28.He also does not give up the long ball, as he has allowed just three home runs in 128 2/3 innings over his last 21 starts and his 0.40 home runs allowed per nine innings is the second lowest rate in the NL behind teammate Adam Wainwright. Important fact here is that the Pirates have been living off the long ball, nine home runs have accounted for 15 of the 23 runs over the last four games for the Bucs. The Cards are 7-3 their last 10 and the Pirates conversely are 3-7 in their last 10. We see value here again and will ride the road dog. The Sharps say…

3 UNITS – ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (+119)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BONES BEST BET

ROYALS -1 -116 *5* BEST BET

Two very different teams here as we will gladly take the superior at home. The Royals have produced 4 or more runs in 7 of their past 11 games. They have also won 18 straight games when scoring more than 3 runs. The Minnesota Twins on the other hand have lost six of their last 10 games and are 14 games below .500. Pitching matchup here favors the Royals huge with Duffy having a solid season with a 2.53 ERA and a 3-1 lifetime record vs these Twins. He faces Ricky Nolasco who is a horrid 5-9 on the year with a near 6 ERA at 5.96. The Twins are 1-5 in Nolascos last 6 road starts and 1-4 in Nolascos last 5 starts overall. The Royals are 10-4 in Duffys last 14 home starts and 5-1 in Duffys last 6 starts overall. The Twins are 4-12 in the last 16 meetings in Kansas City.

MARINERS ML + ANGELS ML +144 *3*

Everyone knows how bad Texas is and how solid the Mariners have been this season but Paxton for the Mariners has been fantastic with a 1.10 WHIP and a 2.20 ERA in his 6 starts this season. Martinez for the Rangers has not faired nearly as well with a 1.59 WHIP and a 5.13 ERA.

Shoemaker has been incredible lately for the Angels and we love one of the best teams in baseball in this spot. LA has an incredible 41-24 record at home whle the Marlin are just 28-34 away from Miami.

CUBS ML +175 *1*

Even with a couple wins in a row, we do not trust the Reds and certainly want to play against them at +175 even though it is Cueto on the mound. The Cubs have turned it on sweeping Baltimore and winning 6 of 8 overall. We have faith in Wood to get the job done against a Reds team that is scoring just 2 runs per game over their past 5 contests.

DODGERS ML -110 *3*

Even money with the Dodgers on the road is a profitable bet. They are 14 games above .500 on the road this year and the Dbacks are 13 games below .500 at home. The Dodgers have won 6 of their last 10 games vs the Dbacks as well. The Dodgers have won 4 of 6 games and the Dbacks have only won 2 of 9. The Dodgers have an edge on the mound too. Hernandez has a lower ERA and WHIP than Cahill does this year.

ATHLETICS @ ASTROS OVER 8 -110 *2*
ASTROS ML +109 *2*

Hammel has been a disaster since coming over to Oakland. He 1-5 overall with a 6.75 ERA and extremely high 1.88 WHIP. In his 4 road starts for the A’s, he has pitched a total of just 18 innings, has an 0-4 record, a 9.00 ERA, and a 1.94 WHIP. One of these starts was against Houston where he pitched just 4.1 innings allowing 8 earned runs on July 30th.

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INSIDE VEGAS / Cory Kluge

3 MLB Sharp Plays

Pittsburgh Pirates-128

Arizona Diamondbacks+107

San Diego Padres -120

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GOODFELLA

Tuesday Night MLB Team Total

SEATTLE MARINERS – OVER 4 RUNS

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS

L A Dodgers -110

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GUARANTEED SPORTS PICKS

Colorado vs SF Giants – OVER 6.5

Tampa Bay vs Baltimore - UNDER 7.5

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VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER (MLB)

8-Unit play - Game of the Year — Detroit Tigers ML-120

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JASON SHARPE (MLB)

7-Unit MLB – Game of the Year — Pittsburgh Pirates ML-125

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UNDER Umpire Streakers

#911 UN 6.5 +105 MIL/SD 1.00u/1.05u
Marquez 3ov/9un L12gms 75.0%

#913 UN 6.5 -120 CO/SF 1.20u/1.00u
Blaser 7ov/12un L19gms 63.2%

#927 UN 7.5 -115 TX/SEA 1.15u/1.00u
Fagan 10ov/16un L26gms 61.5%

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Sports Cash System

extra bonus system for today:

Pittsburgh Pirates -127 over the St. Louis Cardinals (Bet Level 3) (Money Line Bet) (MLB Baseball) - Game Starts at 7:05 PM EST

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Lance lock
padres- 125

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DIY SPORTS BETTING SYSTEMS Sam Oconnel

NY Mets +130

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SpOrTs-JuNkiE

08-27-14: MLB: Nationals vs Phillies (7:05 pm est.)

$500 MLB Play: Phillies ML -104 Americasbookie <—— (Pending)

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Sportswagers

Cleveland @ CHICAGO
Cleveland +115 over CHICAGO
The White Sox have dropped six in a row. Over that span they are batting .214. Personally, I watched two of their three games in New York this past weekend and instead of being jacked up to play in the Big Apple like most teams get, the South Side looked completely disinterested. Errors, mental mistakes, poor base-running and swinging at pitches three feet out of the strike zone are all signs of a team going through the motions only. The trade of Gordon Beckham to the Angels last week sure hasn't been a lift for the South Side either, as Beckham was hugely popular in the dugout and he is a great defensive third baseman. Carlos Quintana is also trending the wrong way. Quintana has had some tremendous outings this season but all of the signs now point to a pitcher running on fumes. Santana threw 200 inning in 2012 split between the minors and majors. Last year he threw another 200 innings and this year he's already up to 161. Santana is 0-3 in his last three starts with an ERA of 4.91. His groundball rate has shown a significant decrease recently, going from 45% in the first four months of the year to 34% over his past five starts. In his last start he struck out three batters in six innings. The White Sox have lost each of Qunitana's last four starts by scores of 16-3, 4-1, 7-1 and 5-1. In all those starts he struggled miserably the second and third times through the order. Carlos Quintana is a pitcher in trouble right now pitching for a team that is also in trouble.

T.J. House has a mediocre 3.80 ERA and ugly 1.49 WHIP after 66 innings so far. As a result, he's being overlooked as just another mid to back-end rotation guy. A closer look suggests now's a good time to buy him low. His 3.43 xERA is the result of his solid command and very high groundball rate of 61%. House is beginning to figure things out quickly. His groundball/line-drive/fly-ball rate of 65%/15%/20% over his last three starts is the best profile in the majors over any three-start span this season. Furthermore, left-handed hitters have very little shot chance against him, as House has posted 8.1 K's/9 and a 67% groundball rate against lefties. In the end we're left with a motivated Indians' team with an undervalued pitcher going against a White Sox team that is playing like they can't wait for the season to end.
Our Pick
Cleveland +115 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.30)

Chicago @ CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI -1½ +121 over Chicago
Johnny Cueto is not pitching his best baseball of the season right now, as his 3.92 xERA in August is by far his worst month of the season. He will be looking to improve that statistic against the free-swinging Cubs, who are averaging over 10 strikeouts per game in the month of August. That should bode well here for Cueto, who has still struck out 43 batters over his past 44 innings and that has 191 K's overall in 193 frames. Great American Ballpark has been the place to be for Cueto, where he has gone 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 10.1 K's/9 in 13 starts. Cueto is one of the best but this one is still more about fading Travis Wood.

Wood is in terrible form, going winless over his last 12 starts, where he has only three pure quality starts while going 0-6 with a 5.45 ERA. Going on the road has been an adventure this season, as he is 4-7 with a 6.03 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 13 starts. Wood has had the same groundball/line-drive/fly-ball rate for three straight years at 35%/23%/42% and that's a profile that does not play well in hitters parks like Great American. Throw in Woods' shaky control (66 BB in 150 IP) and lack of confidence and you can see why he's a blowup risk every time he takes the hill. Seldom is it recommended to spot runs with the Reds but this is one of those games in which they figure to score plenty while giving up very little.

Our Pick
Cincinnati +115 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.42)
Our Pick
CINCINNATI -1½ +121 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.42)

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bookiemonsters

POD

NYY -105

MGs

PHI -105
ARZ +100
MIL +110

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Diamond Dog Sports

#924: Astros: +105 (5*)
Listed Pitchers: Hammel/Keuchel

#901/902: Cardinals/Pirates: Over 7.5 (+105) (3.5*)
Listed Pitchers: Lynn/Cole


#913/914: Rockies/Giants: Under 6.5 (-105) (4*)
Listed Pitchers: De La Rosa/Bumgarner

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Sports Pick Predictions

New York Yankees +100 (4 Units)
Atlanta Braves -145 (3 Units)
Pittsburgh Pirates -130 (2 units)
San Diego Padres -130 (2 Units)

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Steven Nover

Arizona Over 8

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Teddy Covers

Cleveland +116

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Sheep

Min +160 500
min +1.5 500
cubs +150 500
cubs +1.5 500
cws -150 1000

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SHAKER’S SHORTS

#904 Washington Nationals/Philadelphia Phillies – UNDER 3.5 -115 – 1st 5 Innings

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Indian Cowboy
4*-#621. Take Over 157 Chicago vs. Atlanta (Tuesday @ 7:30pm est)

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VEGAS RUNNER

NFAC Move = UNDER 4.5 and UNDER 4 MIN/KC (1st 5 Innings)

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BLACKSHEEP

Medium Margin Moves

Nationals ML
Marlins ML

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Chi SOX -160
YANKS -105

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Cappers Finest:
CoversNuggz: Yankees, ML 2 units

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purelock white sox

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HOT CHICK PICKS

Take BALTIMORE -110 to avoid the sting of the rays!

Take CLEVELAND +125 to make the sox feel pale!

Take PITTSBURGH -120 to chase the red birds away!