Thursday 8-30-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Handicapped by The Walker Group at Charles Town
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 2 - Maiden Special Weight - 4.5f on the Dirt. Purse: $23000 Class Rating: 63

FOR ACCREDITED WEST VIRGINIA-BRED MAIDENS, TWO YEARS OLD. WEIGHT, 120 LBS.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 3 SCOTTISH MAN 4/1

# 2 CHARITABLE ROSE 6/1

# 5 BOOTSIE BOY 2/1

SCOTTISH MAN is my choice. Casey has a solid win percent of 31 in baby races. This racer enters today's contest on Lasix. This group gives this trainer an edge with a very strong two year old. CHARITABLE ROSE - Might be right there at the finish based on formidable results of the trainer with juveniles. Casey has a very good shot every time he puts a 2 year old on the track. BOOTSIE BOY - Look for a strong pace improvement from this pony who enters with second time Lasix today. He has a good opportunity here as trainer, Casey, has sharp win rate with horses going this distance. Overall, this conditioner has been money-making at this distance/surface.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Delaware Park - Race #5 - Post: 3:15pm - Maiden Special - 8.3 furlongs on the Turf. Purse: $34,000 Class Rating: 64

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#2 SUMMER VOW (ML=8/1)
#10 TULA (ML=3/1)


SUMMER VOW - This horse is for real on the grass. TrackMaster turf fig in last race at Delaware Park was tops in this group. This is the only real stalker in the race. Trainer Pecoraro moves this animal down in the class scale to face a lower level today. Look for a solid performance at this level. Is ranked totally highest in earnings per race entered. A strong effort in this field can add to that total. TULA - The jockey/trainer tandem of Vargas and Motion has a strong return on investment together. Rider hops right back atop after getting to know the race horse by riding in the last race. That's always a good sign. The last time I saw this horse was at Delaware Park in a race with a class figure of 71. Dropping considerably in class rating today puts her in a solid position in this event. Last out on July 18th was a good tune-up for today. Got respectable betting action in that one, but finished third. Will do better in this race.

Vulnerable Contenders: #7 SURPRISE AGAIN (ML=4/1), #5 MONKEYS UNCLE (ML=5/1), #8 DANCE FOR DADDY (ML=6/1),

SURPRISE AGAIN - Almost certainly won't make much of an impact this time around. MONKEYS UNCLE - Don't figure that this pony is worth 5/1 in this race.



STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Bet on #2 SUMMER VOW to win if we can get at least 3/2 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [2,10]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
2 with 10 with [1,5,8] Total Cost: $3

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by Top Horse Analytics at Del Mar

08/30/18, DMR, Race 4, 3.33 PT
1M [Dirt] 1.33.01 MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT. Purse $60,000.
FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLDAND UPWARD
$1 Exacta / $2 Quinella / .50 Cent Trifecta /$2 Rolling Double - $1 min. Rolling Pick Three / $1 Superfecta (10-cent min.) - .50 Cent Late Pick 5 (Races 4-8) / $2 WPS Parlay
Best in race - (J)ockey (T)rainer (S)peed (F)inish (E)arnings (W)orkouts (L)ead (C)loser
Top Horse Win Percent 29.73, $1 ROI 0.81, For Race Category MSW_MCLM Dirt
Rating Pgm# Horse Name M/L Jockey Trainer FLAGS
100.0000 9 Stonegate 6-1 Baze T Sadler John W. T
098.9823 3 Aggressivity 5-1 Talamo J Ellis Ronald W. SWC
098.9706 8 Air Strike 5/2 Prat F D'Amato Philip J
098.3499 1 Irish Spirit(b+) 12-1 Conner T McCarthy Michael W.
098.1644 4 Pleasant d'Oro 3-1 Roman E A Callaghan Simon FE
097.8243 10 Trojan Spirit(b+) 12-1 Van Dyke D Gallagher Patrick
095.1427 5 Spirit Mission 10-1 Desormeaux K J Hess. Jr. Robert B.
094.8374 7 Holly Blame(b-) 12-1 Blanc B Lobo Paulo H.
094.2803 6 Caribbean (AUS) 8-1 Pereira T J Shirreffs John A. L
089.5529 2 Northrndancrsghost 30-1 Payeras E Perez Santos R.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes - Race 7

EXACTA * TRIFECTA * SUPERFECTA (10 Cent Minimum) * DAILY DOUBLE(Races 7-8)


SO $10,000 • 1 Mile 40 yards • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 80 • Purse: $15,300 • Post: 3:52P
FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $5,000 OR LESS IN 2017 - 2018 OR OPTIONAL CLAIMING PRICE $10,000. THREE YEAR OLDS, 120 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE JULY 30 ALLOWED 2 LBS. SUCH A RACE SINCE THEN ALLOWED 4 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000 (RACES WHERE ENTERED FOR $7,500 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED IN ALLOWANCES).
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Basic Race. This race has a mixed pace scenario. Check on scratches of any of the Front-runners (to look for a lone Front-runner). * KEY ANGLES * I'M A GOOD LOOKER: Horse's win percentage at today's distance(sprint or route)/surface (d irt or turf) is at least 50. Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. KIM: Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. NOT ABOUT THE NAIL: Horse has a TrackMaster "+" designation or an "L" designation. Horse has the highest average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. SAIGON TIMES: Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating.
6
I'M A GOOD LOOKER
8/5

5/1
2
KIM
2/1

6/1
5
NOT ABOUT THE NAIL
8/1

7/1
3
SAIGON TIMES
4/1

8/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
6
I'M A GOOD LOOKER
6

8/5
Front-runner
81

75

88.2

73.8

70.8
3
SAIGON TIMES
3

4/1
Front-runner
80

81

67.2

69.0

60.0
5
NOT ABOUT THE NAIL
5

8/1
Alternator/Stalker
76

72

70.0

80.4

72.9
4
SOCIAL MOBILITY
4

6/1
Alternator/Stalker
80

69

58.8

64.8

57.3
2
KIM
2

2/1
Trailer
84

83

54.2

78.8

74.8
1
FLORIA TOSCA
1

12/1
Trailer
78

71

48.8

48.0

38.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Penn National - Race #5 - Post: 7:49pm - Maiden Claiming - 6.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $15,200 Class Rating: 67

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#4 GLADIATOR HEIST (ML=5/2)
#6 COWBOY JUNCTION (ML=2/1)


GLADIATOR HEIST - The rest of the field may trail this racer all the way around the track. Trainer Synnefias moves this animal to a lower class rank to face much lower class horses. Look for a sharp race this time out. Have to forget about that last race on the grass. This gelding should do better hitting the dirt in today's race. COWBOY JUNCTION - A thoroughbred coming back this quickly after a solid effort is a good signal. Trainer Houghton moves this horse down the class scale to face a less competitive field. Look for a strong race in this race. This gelding is clearly on the improve with speed figures of 28, 48, 62 last 3 out.

Vulnerable Contenders: #5 SMARTER THAN US (ML=3/1), #1 BOYS OF QUEENS (ML=7/2),

SMARTER THAN US - This gelding hasn't had any recent success in short distance contests. Tough to bet on him in this contest. Once you've got at least ten races at the racing venue and still have no wins, its tough to break through for a victory. Last effort was too strong. Not too far of a reach to expect a 'performance bounce' this time around. BOYS OF QUEENS - This steed has not finished first here today in 12 starts. Little chance he wins today. The speed rating in the last race doesn't fit very well in this event when I look at the class figure of today's race. Mark this horse as a questionable contender.

Top HatGUEST COMMENTARY: The Brain - GLADIATOR HEIST - Some may pass on this one given his lackluster effort at Monmouth Park in last race. But that was on the soft turf. Be wary of this equine today.





STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Play #4 GLADIATOR HEIST to win if you can get odds of 8/5 or more

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [4,6]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
None

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Presque Isle Downs
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 7 - Optional Claiming - 8.3f on the Dirt. Purse: $31000 Class Rating: 93

FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON $9800 THREE TIMES OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, STARTER, OR STATE BRED OR WHICH HAVE NEVER WON FOUR RACES OR WHICH HAVE NOT WON TWO RACES OTHER THAN CLAIMING IN 2018 OR CLAIMING PRICE $62,500. THREE YEAR OLDS, 117 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE JULY 30 ALLOWED 3


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 1 ARTESIAN 5/1

# 3 LADY OAK (IRE) 8/1

# 2 POINT SYSTEM 8/5

My pick in this race is ARTESIAN. Displays the look of a lucrative play, averaging a solid 90 Equibase speed fig which is one of the best in this field. Must be given a chance based on the respectable speed figure garnered in the last contest. She has strong class ratings, averaging 98, and has to be considered in this event. LADY OAK (IRE) - Wismer has her trained strongly to break quickly out of the starting gate. With a nice class fig average of 93, has one of the most competitive class advantages in this field. POINT SYSTEM - Garnered a solid speed figure last time out. With better than average trips to the winner's circle, Morales ought to have this filly in excellent position to win the race.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Remington Park
Remington Park - Race 4

Exacta / Trifecta (.50 Cent Minimum) / Superfecta (.10 Cent Minimum) Pick 3 (Races 4-5-6) (.50 Cent Minimum)


Claiming $20,000 • 6 Furlongs • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 97 • Purse: $23,650 • Post: 8:22P
FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 120 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE JUNE 30, 2018 ALLOWED 3 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $20,000. OKLAHOMA BRED CLAIMING PRICE $25,000. (RACES WHERE ENTERED FOR $15,000 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED IN ALLOWANCES).
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Lone Front-runner. MINEFIELD is the Lone Front-runner of the race. * KEY ANGLES * HE'S SO ZAZZY: Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. MI NEFIELD: Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse's average winning distance is within half a furlong of today's distance (within 50 yards if a Quarter Horse race). ITSALLABOUTYOU: Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. BAJAN CASH: Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. Horse's average winning distance is within half a furlong of today's distance (with in 50 yards if a Quarter Horse race).
7
HE'S SO ZAZZY
5/2

5/1
5
MINEFIELD
10/1

6/1
9
ITSALLABOUTYOU
2/1

6/1
4
BAJAN CASH
12/1

10/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
5
MINEFIELD
5

10/1
Front-runner
95

90

79.4

88.6

76.1
7
HE'S SO ZAZZY
7

5/2
Stalker
101

95

67.4

96.2

92.7
1
ARCH CAT
1

4/1
Stalker
92

86

58.0

88.1

78.6
9
ITSALLABOUTYOU
9

2/1
Alternator/Stalker
98

96

68.4

89.2

85.7
3
BUBBAS DIXIE
3

5/1
Trailer
90

86

70.4

77.2

65.2
8
STAR'S VALENTINO
8

20/1
Trailer
98

88

51.8

82.0

71.0
4
BAJAN CASH
4

12/1
Trailer
97

89

48.4

89.8

81.3
2
WESTERN SWING
2

30/1
Alternator/Non-contender
94

84

65.0

83.4

69.9
6
FUSAICHI FLAME
6

15/1
Alternator/Non-contender
99

86

50.2

84.0

69.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by Top Horse Analytics at Saratoga

08/30/18, SAR, Race 10, 6.17 ET
6 1/2F [Dirt] 1.13.04 MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT. Purse $75,000.
FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLDAND UPWARD FOALED IN NEW YORK STATE AND APPROVED BY THE NEW YORK STATE-BRED REGISTRY
Exacta, Trifecta (.50), Super (.10)
Best in race - (J)ockey (T)rainer (S)peed (F)inish (E)arnings (W)orkouts (L)ead (C)loser
Top Horse Win Percent 18.92, $1 ROI 0.58, For Race Category MSW_MCLM Dirt
Rating Pgm# Horse Name M/L Jockey Trainer FLAGS
100.0000 2 Dark Ops 8-1 Ortiz J L Englehart Jeremiah C. L
099.7330 6 Legion Storm(b+) 8-1 Alvarado J McLaughlin Kiaran P.
099.3533 1A Ready to Escape 4-1 Rosario J Baker Charlton
099.1141 10 Bourbon N Rye 10-1 Castellano J Hennig Mark A.
097.4883 3 Triton's Song 15-1 Bravo J Englehart Chris J. J
097.4432 1 Light the Posse 4-1 Luzzi M J Baker Charlton FEC
097.3763 13 Tenency 15-1 Franco M Englehart Chris J. W
097.2884 12 Chasindamoney 15-1 Saez L Serpe Philip M. S
096.9185 7 Suas(b+) 7/2 Ortiz. Jr. I Rodriguez Rudy R.
096.1334 8 Lem Me Tel Ya 15-1 Carmouche K Levine Bruce N.
095.4752 5 Wild Road 10-1 Leparoux J R Stewart Dallas
095.4703 9 San Juan Diego 10-1 Cancel E Moquett Ron
095.4094 11 Santo Antonio 10-1 Santana. Jr. R Rodriguez Rudy R.
092.6906 4 Unsullied(b+) 30-1 Lezcano J Quick Patrick J.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Patriots vs. Giants Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The New England Patriots aren't likely to have a whole lot of competition in the AFC East unless something rather catastrophic happens. And even if it does, the division isn't exactly deep. But their standard is much higher, as it is always "Super Bowl or bust."

The New York Giants hope they can provide the principal competition for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, and if a few things fall right for them, they can make it happen. They did well to change the atmosphere, and one of the things they did was bring in a big-impact running back and not a "quarterback of the future."

So these teams, who have a nasty history that includes two Super Bowl victories on the part of the Giants, will tangle at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Thursday night.

TV: 7 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Giants -2.5. O/U: 38.5.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS: The Pats lost their third game of the pre-season to the Carolina Panthers 25-14. In the process, Tom Brady got in his last work before the regular season opener, completing 12 of 18 passes for 102 yards.
One big key to New England's success this season is going to revolve around Sony Michel's ability to step in and be a dual-purpose back, and he may eventually elevate himself to being a featured back. Michel was taken next-to-last in the first round out of Georgia but suffered a knee injury, which had the potential to set him back. But he has returned to practice and impressed the staff, including his position coach, Ivan Fears, who says "It looks like he's going to be what we expected to be." He'll be in the rotation for certain in Week 1. And while Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill don't have as much upside as Michel, they have a chance to get a lot of playing time in the backfield. It might come down to who produces this week. Gillislee had some modest numbers (35 rushing yards, one catch) last week, while Hill sprained an ankle. Shaq Mason, who has been a starting right guard for most of the last three seasons, has signed a five-year contract extension that is worth $50 million, with $23.5 million of it guaranteed. The Pats suffered a big blow in the last couple of weeks when offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, another of their first-round draft choices from Georgia (like Michel) sustained a torn Achilles and is out for the season.



ABOUT THE GIANTS: In a game that was less contentious than it has been in recent years, the Giants scored a 22-16 victory in the "Snoopy Bowl" against the Jets last week. Eli Manning is apparently ready to go, as he threw for 188 yards. Jhurell Pressley, signed on August 20, led the team with 71 yards on the ground and is making a bid for a roster spot. He was in camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 when Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator there. After Saquon Barkley, Big Blue is planning on backing him with veteran Jonathan Stewart, along with Wayne Gallman. So catching on in some way is Pressley's objective, and he'll have a chance in the pre-season finale. And by the way, Barkley, who has been bothered with a hamstring and kept out of action as a precaution, is participating in 7-on-7 drills. There is no reason to believe he should not be ready for the season opener. Olivier Vernon, who was signed for big money a couple of years ago, then has underwhelmed, should be available for the season opener, though he has a high ankle bruise. Vernon has had 15 sacks in the last two seasons, but defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who has re-positioned Vernon in his 3-4 alignment, would like to see more.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Odell Beckham Jr. finally signed his contract extension. It's for five years and $95 million, with a massive $65 million guaranteed. He is now the highest-paid receiver ever.

2. James Bettcher, who was brought on board by new coach Pat Shurmur as defensive coordinator, has switched the alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4. This is the kind of thing that often necessitates some awkward moves, mostly for defensive ends who now have to become outside linebackers.

3. The Patriots are the -700 favorites to win the AFC East, and they are also +500 to capture Super Bowl 53. The Giants are +425 to win the NFC East, and +2000 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Giants 17, Patriots 14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colts vs. Bengals Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The Indianapolis Colts come into the 2018 season with an awful lot of optimism, because they expect to have their Pro Bowl quarterback behind center. And they are taking every measure to make sure that he's ready when the bell rings.

The Cincinnati Bengals were simply flat last season because their offense did not perform. Is there any reason to believe things might be different this season? That is a legitimate question.

The Colts and Bengals will meet up on Thursday night in a game that will not include a lot of starters but will go a long way toward determining who may be kept on board to play reserve or special teams roles. It takes place at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

NFL Football Previews and Predictions

TV: 7 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Bengals -2.5 (-115) O/U: 34.

ABOUT THE COLTS: Of course, since everybody's eyes are on Luck, there has been a lot of unrest about a minor foot injury that he had suffered. But even though the team did concede that it was going to sideline him for a while, he did return to practice on Monday. Luck will not play in this final pre-season game, but the Colts, very mindful of wild speculation, are insisting that he will indeed be ready to play in the regular season opener. One of the fundamental concerns about the Indianapolis offense was being able to put together enough of a running game, and because there were no major moves made in the off-season, Marlon Mack was expected to be part of that. But Mack may not be ready for Week 1, as he sits out with a hamstring injury. The Colts are in such a situation that Christine Michael, a journeyman who has been largely forgotten about, is actually the guy taking the first-team reps while Mack is out. If Frank Reich, entering his first season as head coach, wants to truly protect Luck, one of the ways he can do it is to at least be able to present the threat that the Colts are going to move over land. Speaking of protecting Luck - and hamstring injuries - Anthony Castonzo, who some people consider one of the best left tackles in the NFL, is obviously hoping to be able to play in the season opener, and Reich would not want to have to go to the alternative, Le’Raven Clark, if he doesn't have to. Naturally, part of the off-season initiative was to solidify the left side of the offensive line, which included drafting Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, and having Castonzo healthy.



ABOUT THE BENGALS: The Bengals hope that what they saw from John Ross last Sunday was a harbinger of things to come. Ross, who was drafted in the first round last season but contributed almost nothing, caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton, beating Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis in the process. Ross set a record for the fastest 40-yard time in the NFL Scouting Combine but proved not ready to play in the league, even when healthy. This might be a do-or-die year for him, and unquestionably Cincinnati can use some people who are able to take some attention away from AJ Green on the other side. By the way, Green caught four passes last Sunday, including the touchdown, and every sign is that he is in mid-season form at the moment. Of course, if Cincinnati's going to make some kind of a comeback offensively (they were ranked last in the NFL in 2017), will have to get a Pro Bowl-caliber season out of Andy Dalton, who has proven capable of it before. Dalton was 11 for 16 last week in the 26-13 win against Buffalo, with 180 yards and two touchdowns. He has given every indication that will produce much better this season. Last year he did have 25 TD passes and a dozen interceptions. Coming into the final game, the battle is for the backup QB job. Jeff Driskel went four of seven for 75 yards last week, while Matt Barkley was 9-16 for 112 yards and an interception. Bengals Owner. GM Mike Brown opened up the pocketbook to the tune of $110 million to sign defensive linemen Geno Adkins and Carlos Dunlap to contract extensions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mack led the Colts in rushing last season, with 358 yards on the ground, and added 225 in receptions. No other Indianapolis running back in camp right now had triple digits in either of those categories in 2017.

2. Interestingly enough, these teams will turn around play each other in the regular season opener, scheduled for a week from Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. So would stand to reason that they wouldn't show each other much of the playbook.

3. The Bengals are +700 to win the AFC North and +8500 to win the Super Bowl. Indianapolis is +500 to be the AFC South champ and +5500 for Super Bowl honors.

PREDICTION: Bengals 20, Colts 14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dolphins vs. Falcons Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The Miami Dolphins stripped away several of their veteran players in the off-season, and now they have to rely on the health of their starting quarterback. There are a lot of holes in this team, and they must be addressed before they are going to be considered real contenders in the AFC East.

The Atlanta Falcons would like to return to the Super Bowl, where they were a couple of seasons ago, and for that to happen their offense needs to get turbo-charged again. Maybe the addition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley will contribute toward that happening, but they also need Devonta Freeman, part of their dual-purpose backfield, to stay injury-free.

The Dolphins and Falcons lock horns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday night at 7 PM ET.

See all the Pro Football Predictions

TV: Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Pick'em. O/U: 36.5.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS: One of the things Miami fans didn't necessarily want to see out of Ryan Tannehill, who was returning to the lineup after more than a year and a half out of it, is an issue with "ball security." Yet there he was, fumbling twice last Saturday in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tannehill didn't do too badly by the numbers, completing 11 out of 16 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, but that has been the story of his career – pretty good numbers, but not enough in the way of victories to show for it. Neither of his fumbles resulted in a turnover, but that was just his good luck. Coming into the season opener, you've got to be at least a little bit concerned with how sharpies going to be, having missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Devante Parker, the former first-round draft choice, has not been cleared to catch footballs yet, as he continues to recover from a finger injury. He would be considered questionable at the moment to go in the season opener, and if he can't make post, look for Danny Amendola, acquired in the off-season, to get his snaps. If Parker is ineffective due to this injury, that puts the Miami receiving corps in rough shape since obviously, Jarvis Landry has a new address these days (Cleveland). It appears as if coach Adam Gase is not interested in putting too big a burden on Kenyan Drake in the Dolphin backfield. He is going to do everything in his power to see that 35-year-old Frank Gore, who has returned "home" after a lot of years in San Francisco and Indianapolis, splits carries with him.



ABOUT THE FALCONS: Giorgio Tavecchio, a kicker who has just been cut by the Oakland Raiders, was picked up by the Falcons, presumably for the purpose of playing in this pre-season finale. Matt Bryant is aging (43), and maybe they don't want to take a chance on him. Tavecchio gets a chance to play and maybe impress someone enough to catch on somewhere else. But with David Marvin (who will punt Thursday), the Falcons now have three kickers with them, and at least one of them will have to go. Brandon Fusco, a member of the San Francisco 49ers last season, has been named the starting right guard by head coach Dan Quinn. Fusco has 80 NFL starts to his credit, and he beat out Wes Schweitzer to get to the first team. There has been some level of continuity with the Falcons on the offensive line, as four of the five starters who helped this team reach the Super Bowl two seasons ago are still with the team. One plus for Fusco is that he spent last season in a Kyle Shanahan offense, and the Falcons have not changed things appreciably on offense since Shanahan left Atlanta (and the coordinator position) for San Francisco. Calvin Ridley, the first-round draft pick who looked so outstanding two weeks ago, dropped three passes in Saturday's loss against Jacksonville. So yes, before getting overly excited with the rookie as a perfect complement to Julio Jones, he's going to have his moments of difficulty. Dan Quinn is now 4-11 against the spread in pre-season action as an NFL head coach.

EXTRA POINTS

1. These teams met last season. The Dolphins, who went into the game as a 13.5-point underdog, overcame a 17-0 halftime deficit and emerged with a 20-17 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Jay Ajayi had 130 yards on the ground, but he's no longer in Miami. Kenyan Drake did not play.

2. Marvin Hall, battling for the last Atlanta roster spot as a wide receiver, has caught two passes in the NFL, and one of them was a 40-yard TD from Matt Ryan against the Dolphins last October.

3. The Falcons are +150 to be the champions of the NFC South and +1800 to win the Super Bowl, which will be held in their building this season. The Dolphins are +700 to capture the AFC East crown and +8500 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Dolphins 19, Falcons 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jets vs. Eagles Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The New York Jets may yet begin their "new era" with a new quarterback earlier than expected, although curiously, their head coach has not given the aggressive The Apple press the heads-up on whether that is going to happen. Maybe there is something about this pre-season finale that will help this thing come to a conclusion.

The Philadelphia Eagles certainly don't want their own quarterback situation to become muddled, and so that means a very low-risk policy. This is a team with some reason to believe it can contend well into the future, and we saw last season that they can perform even if their starting quarterback is out of action.

These clubs will come together for the final exhibition on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field in the City of Brotherly Love.

National Football League Preseason Previews

TV: Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Jets -3.5 (-115). O/U: 36

ABOUT THE JETS: Head coach Todd Bowles has been adamant that he's making no decision on who the starting quarterback will be until after the last pre-season game. Perhaps this means that Teddy Bridgewater will get some snaps and an opportunity to either solidify his position on the depth chart or allow the Jets to showcase him in a trade. Bridgewater completed 11 of 15 passes last week against the Giants, while Sam Darnold was 8-16 for 86 yards. It should be mentioned that Darnold has been taking most of the snaps with the first team in practice, and reports are that many of the things the Jets have looked for out of him, he has delivered. So maybe the plan to have Josh McCown keep the seat warm for the time being will go out the window. But that has not been decided yet. Bowles also said that some of his starters may play in this game as well, although he did not specify which ones they were or how long they could be in the game. The Jets are obviously not satisfied that Elijah McGuire will be recovered from his foot surgery in time to make the season opener, and in fact, they may wind up to placing him on an injured reserve list that will keep him out for the first eight games of the season. So they have taken the step of signing Charcandrick West, a solid veteran who had been cut by the Kansas City Chiefs in a cost-cutting move. West can run from scrimmage and catch passes, and he is good for backfield depth. The team is still awaiting word on how the NFL is going to deal with disciplinary situations involving wide receiver Robby Anderson and linebacker Dylan Donahue. Both may get suspended, but the league has taken much longer than expected to finish their review of each situation, and that has left management in something of a quandary as far as personnel movement is concerned.



ABOUT THE EAGLES: What's really interesting about this game is the fact that both of these coaches are holding out a decision as to who will start at quarterback in the opener until Friday at the earliest. Of course, with the Eagles' situation, it's more related to injuries and recovery. Carson Wentz has not even been cleared for full contact, so obviously would be foolish for Doug Pederson to make the call on his availability. Both Wentz and Nick Foles have been splitting up the first-team snaps in practice, so either one of them should be sharp enough when the bell rings. Naturally, neither one of them is going to be put in harm's way either. But keep in mind that the defending Super Bowl champs go into action earlier than everyone else, as they've got the first Thursday night game against the Atlanta Falcons. We know that Nate Sudfield can handle things behind center, but the real intrigue is going to come from somebody who is fifth on the depth chart. Christian Hackenberg never saw the field in the regular season for the Jets, although they had taken him in the second round out of Penn State. He was much maligned and lost the respect of the staff. After getting cut loose, he was then cut by the Raiders and wound up with the Eagles. And Pederson will put him on the field in what could present a very interesting dynamic. "If I get the chance to play on Thursday," Hackenberg says, "I’m looking forward to seeing how it all translates to the field. Being here, it’s been good for my game and for me." The 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year may be a candidate to stick around on the practice squad.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hackenberg has played for the Jets AGAINST the Eagles in the last two pre-season finales, completing 21 of 53 passes for 159 yards. He is slightly below 50% accurate in two years of pre-season play, with four interceptions - three of which were returned for touchdowns.

2. Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery is expected to miss the first two games of the regular season with a shoulder injury. But he is coming off the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list this weekend.

3. The Eagles are priced at +850 to defend their Super Bowl title, and they are the -170 favorites to capture the NFC East. The Jets are +1100 to win the AFC East, and +8500 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Jets 21, Eagles 16

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Browns vs. Lions Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of what they feel is an exciting rebuilding project, but they really need a coach who knows what he's doing to make the thing complete, and there are critics who are not sure whether they have that at the moment.

The Detroit Lions went through some controversy not long after the hiring of their own head coach, but so far it looks as if it is full steam ahead, and last week's result had to be pretty encouraging.

Now the Lions, who were somewhat embarrassed by the New York Giants in their last game at Ford Field, return home for the preseason finale against the Browns.

Find all the NFL Previews and Predictions

TV: 7 PM ET, NFL Network. LINE: Browns -2 (-120). O/U: 35

ABOUT THE BROWNS: There has been some criticism of head coach Hue Jackson because he has not had Baker Mayfield on the field with first-team starters. That won't change this Thursday night, but Mayfield will start the game anyway. The difference, of course, is that he'll be working with second and third-team players. And so the question is, why? And those things may have been asked about Jackson when he put Tyrod Taylor back into last week's game after getting injured. Various pundits have suggested that Jackson should be fired. Josh Gordon has been the center of some speculation during this training camp, and his situation has come under either even closer scrutiny because of the fact that Cleveland is the subject of this year's "Hard Knocks" documentary series on HBO. Gordon, who had gone to Florida to seek some help emotionally and with his substance abuse, has been cleared by the league to practice, and if he's close to 100%, is going to be a major contributor. But there was enough doubt about all of this that the Browns sat down with Dez Bryant to discuss a contract. Gordon came back to practice but had a little bit of a hamstring issue which limits his activity. Tight end David Njoku, a first-round pick last year, has a load of potential and could be ready for a breakout season. Now he is nursing an ankle injury, and the team is very optimistic that he'll be just fine for the season opener. And the fact that he is working to the side and not sidelined completely is a good sign of that.



ABOUT THE LIONS: The team found itself down 27-6 in the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but then things started to turn. The Lions started to edge back with Matt Cassel behind center against Tampa Bay's "twos" and there was an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown by Brandon Powell. Jake Rudock made the comeback complete when he took the team on a last-minute touchdown drive after the Bucs tried to sit on the ball, and Detroit emerged with a 33-30 victory. Cassel went 7-11 for 60 yards, while Rudock was 9-12 for 58 yards. And this issue of who will fill the backup role has probably not been resolved just yet. Rudock has some things in his favor; namely a 72% completion rate and 94.5 passer rating in this pre-season. But Cassel has the experience advantage, obviously, and even if he got cut he would get picked up by somebody else. Luke Willson, who came over from the Seattle Seahawks with the idea that he could become the team's #1 tight end, suffered a knee injury that forced him to leave the game with Tampa Bay, and he could have lost some ground, but got back to practice on Monday. Ameer Abdullah was the Lions' starting tailback last year, but with a new commitment to the run, the team added LeGarrette Blount and draft pick Kerryon Johnson, which made him expendable. So Matt Patricia is giving him extra playing time in this finale in an attempt to give him a chance to do enough to stick with the roster. Abdullah fumbled twice against the Giants a couple of weeks ago.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Can the Browns improve from a place-kicking standpoint? Zane Gonzalez, who made only 75% of his field-goal attempts last year, is sticking around, despite a challenge from Ross Martin. The Browns made that obvious when they cut Martin on Tuesday.

2. Defensive end Robert Ayers, with the Buccaneers the last two seasons, was signed on Monday and then suddenly cut on Tuesday, without much of an explanation as to why.

3. The Lions are +500 to win the NFC North and +3500 to win Super Bowl 53. The Browns are +700 to win the AFC North and +5500 for the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Lions 21, Browns 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Redskins vs. Ravens Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

Most people who follow the Washington Redskins are well aware that coach Jay Gruden’s bread-and-butter is the short passing game. So after losing Kirk Cousins in free agency, if Alex Smith can give them some continuity at the quarterback spot, this team might offer something for the Philadelphia Eagles to think about in the NFC East.

The biggest story in the Baltimore Ravens' camp this season has been that of their rookie quarterback, a former Heisman Trophy winner who they moved up in the draft to pick. Lamar Jackson may not be completely ready to shoulder the burden that comes with running an NFL offense, but when he's in the game, all eyes are on him.

The Redskins and Ravens, neighbors in the Mid-Atlantic region, will meet up on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

TV: 7:30 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Ravens -6.5 (-115). O/U: 35.5.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS: The Redskins may have lost 29-17 to the Denver Broncos last week, but Adrian Peterson has them some reason for hope as far as their running game is concerned. In one half of football, he gained 56 yards. And head coach Jay Gruden gave him eleven carries, so he wasn't fibbing earlier in the week when he told reporters he would give A.P. some action. We're still not sure what this all means, and we are relatively certain that at his age, there is no future in the NFL for him as a feature back. But he can play some kind of role with the team and remember that this is a club that has suddenly had to deal with the injury absence of a rookie ball-carrier (Derrius Guice) who they were counting on heavily. Could he actually be the starter for Washington? Well, he may be a better alternative right now for the 'Skins than either Rob Kelley or Samaje Perine, and if the intention is to keep Peterson around through the final cuts, we have to wonder if maybe one of those other two could become a casualty. Perine is in some peril in that regard, since he has an ankle injury and had to sit out against Denver. Perhaps there is something in the final pre-season game that will help team brass make a decision. Chris Thompson, who fits in more as a third-down back and has been kept out of pre-season action as he recovers from a broken leg, is going to have a roster spot. And Gruden wants to assure people that tight end Jordan Reed, who has been kept out of the pre-season, will indeed be on track to play in the season opener.



ABOUT THE RAVENS: There was no question on the part of many observers that Lamar Jackson was going to have to polish himself up quite a bit to be able to become a starting quarterback in the NFL. He was a little uneasy in the pocket, although his feet give him a chance to get out of almost any situation. Through the first two games, Jackson completed just 42% of his passes. But he was much more effective last week, as he went 7-for-10 for 98 yards and ran for 39 more. He had both a rushing and passing touchdown, and the Ravens won easily. He is currently listed #2 on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, although one cannot discount the impressive showing Robert Griffin III has made in camp. Right now the Ravens are showing holdovers in the backfield, with Alex Collins, Buck Allen, and Kenneth Dixon. Is that enough for them to play any kind of power football this season? Don't forget that Flacco averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt in 2017. Perhaps we underrate Collins, the former Arkansas standout; he had 973 yards (4.6 ypc) last season. Head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg were hoping to be tight end-heavy in the offense this season. That may still be the case, but they'll have to start off without first-round draft pick Hayden Hurst for about a month as he deals with surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. Jaleel Scott, a wide receiver who was drafted in the fourth round, is on injured reserve with a rather severe hamstring injury. He was not coming around as fast as the Ravens hoped he would anyway. Harbaugh is now 28-15 ATS in the pre-season, and Baltimore has covered its pre-season finale in each of the last four seasons.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Baltimore linebacker Kamalei Correa, who played high school ball with former Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, will now reunite with him as the Ravens traded him to Tennessee on Tuesday. He was picked in the second round out of Boise State in 2016 but only brought back a sixth-round pick from the Titans.

2. Placekicker Kaare Vedvik, who has been impressive in camp as an undrafted free agent, isn't going to unseat Justin Tucker with the Ravens, but will invariably wind up somewhere else, as a number of teams are just waiting for him to get cut, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.

3. The Redskins are +425 to win the NFC East, and +5000 to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens are priced at +300 in the AFC North and +3500 to be Super Bowl champions.

PREDICTION: Ravens 23, Redskins 13

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Panthers vs. Steelers Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The Carolina Panthers appear ready to go for the 2018 season, and most observers believe that if Greg Olsen stays healthy, Christian McCaffrey carries the ball more and Cam Newton responds to his new O-coordinator, they can take a trip back to the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through a little of their training camp drama surrounding All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell, but those situations will resolve themselves. The Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, have been a pretty consistent proposition and there is little question that they'll be playoff contenders once again.

The Panthers and Steelers get together on Thursday night at Heinz Field in the preseason finale.

TV: 7:30 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Steelers -2.5 (-115). O/U: 36.5.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS: There was an interesting story on the Sports Illustrated website about the influence new Carolina offensive coordinator Norv Turner was going to have over this offense and in particular quarterback Cam Newton. And the opinion was that the presence of Turner was probably going to benefit Newton a number of ways, including allowing him to emphasize downfield passing a little more. Remember that Newton has a strong arm, but isn't the most accurate thrower in the world, so expecting him to be a trigger man for some version of the West Coast offense is not realistic. Of course, having the consistent running game very much a part of any success Carolina is going to have. McCaffrey will be a great check-down receiver, but will also have his chance to demonstrate he can run between the tackles home. And CJ Anderson, who has played his previous NFL career in Denver, is thought to be an upgrade over aging Jonathan Stewart. The Panthers are obviously happy about their 25-14 victory over the Patriots last week, but as far as the situation involving Newton's backup is concerned, it's still so there doesn't seem clear. Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke both threw for 46 yards last week, and between them and Kyle Allen, they'll all get another chance to shine against Pittsburgh.



ABOUT THE STEELERS: Joshua Dobbs is going to get the start for the Steelers at quarterback against the Panthers. The second-year man from Tennessee is the fourth different QB to start again during this pre-season, and interestingly enough, Mike Tomlin indicated that it is possible that his team could keep four quarterbacks coming out of the exhibition schedule. On Thursday night, Landry Jones might also play, in addition to rookie Mason Rudolph. Certainly, Dobbs has some upside, as he is one of those "dual-purpose" types, who is smart enough to understand aeronautical engineering, so the NFL playbook is obviously a snap. He was the fourth-round draft pick last season, but with Jones having had some starts under his belt and Rudolph somebody the Pittsburgh management feels as some upside, there's a tendency to look at Dobbs as the one who could be the "odd man out." Le'Veon Bell denied a story that he would be reporting to the team on Labor Day. The All-Pro running back, who is not signed his franchise tender, is, by all accounts, in shape, and according to offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, will have a regular workload in the season opener if and when he decides to come back aboard.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Panthers' new owner, David Tepper, who paid a record $2.2 billion for the team, is already talking about doing some things that former owner Jerry Richardson would not have done; namely, include a new uniform combination with black helmets, and construct an indoor practice facility.

2. Taylor Heinicke will start at quarterback for Carolina on Thursday night and will play a quarter. He spent time under current Panthers' offensive coordinator Norv Turner when both were with the Minnesota Vikings. Garrett Gilbert will play the second quarter, with Kyle Allen taking over after halftime.

3. The Panthers are priced at +225 to win the NFC South and +2500 to win Super Bowl 53. The Steelers are the -300 favorites to win the AFC North and +850 to emerge as Super Bowl champions.

PREDICTION: Steelers 20, Panthers 14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jaguars vs. Bucs Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

Not that many people expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the quantum leap they did last season, but it gives you an indication as to what can be accomplished through defense, a running game and conservative play that minimizes mistakes. But they have to hope that they can get something dynamic out of Blake Bortles without having to pay for it with interceptions and fumbles.

The Tampa Bay Bucs hope that they don't have to start behind the eight-ball, so to speak, as they will miss quarterback Jameis Winston for the first three games in an extremely competitive division (NFC South) that had three teams in the playoffs last year. But the talent is there, at least on the offensive side, to take some opponents to the wire.

The Jaguars and Bucs do battle on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium in the finale for both teams in this NFL pre-season.

TV: 7:30 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Bucs -1.5. O/U: 35.5.

ABOUT THE JAGS: The Jaguars suffered a big blow in the receiving corps when Marqise Lee, who suffered a knee injury against the Atlanta Falcons last week, was placed on injured reserve. He will not be available this season, and that may, on the surface, make it look like Jacksonville is a little thin at the wide receiver position, with Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook, both of whom were rookies last year, joining Dante Moncrief. The Jags have to get some kind of production out of DJ Chark, the second-round draft pick out of LSU. And from listening to head coach Doug Marrone, who said he is "comfortable" with his team's situation, they won't be adding a veteran. It is unclear whether defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, who sustained a pectoral injury, will be ready for the regular season opener. An original report said he had returned to practice on Monday, but indeed he had not. Another defensive lineman and Dante Fowler is the subject of trade rumors, especially after you suspended by the team for fighting. He also has a one-game suspension at the start of the regular season. It is a virtual certainty that he won't be with the team next year (they didn't exercise an option for 2019), but says he feels good from a physical standpoint: “Physically, I feel really good. My knee is really good. I feel faster than I’ve ever been, more explosive, jump higher than I’ve ever been."



ABOUT THE BUCS: It was a very disappointing result for the Buccaneers against the Detroit Lions last time out, but at least they were able to show some mastery with their first unit. The Bucs led 27-6 in the third quarter before Detroit started to mount a comeback. By this time, James Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick were both out of the game. Winston threw for 60 yards in what will be his last pre-season action, and in fact, his last action until Week 4 since he is suspended for the first three games. Wide receiver Mike Evans was being monitored after taking a blow to the back in the game that caused him to be removed, and that is one guy Tampa Bay cannot afford to be without. There has to be some concern at the running back position, as Charles Sims was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. The options are not overly attractive; Peyton Barber is going to be the feature back as it stands now. It really should have been second-round draft pick Ronald Jones from USC, but Dirk Koetter and his offensive staff have been sorely disappointed with what they've seen from him in camp. The top three quarterbacks will sit for the Bucs in the preseason finale, including Ryan Griffin, who is going to start the season as the #2 man. So Austin Allen, who played his college ball at Arkansas, may go the entire way for Tampa Bay.

EXTRA POINTS

1. With 322 yards on the ground last season, Blake Bortles is the Jags' second-leading returning rusher.

2. The aforementioned Fitzpatrick, who will start the first three games for the Bucs, passed for 1103 yards and seven TD's with three interceptions last year. He had previously spent two seasons with the New York Jets, and in 2015 he got close to leading the Jets to the playoffs.

3. The Jaguars are priced at +150 to win the AFC North, and +1700 to be crowned Super Bowl champions. The Buccaneers are +950 to win the NFC South and +5500 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Jaguars 19, Bucs 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bills vs. Bears Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

It's not often that you have a genuine battle to see who will start at quarterback coming down to the last game of the preseason, but that's exactly the situation for the Buffalo Bills as they enter their finale. And it may turn out that a youngster who experienced one of the most embarrassing outings of 2017 could wind up the opening day starter.

Of course, if you follow the NFL at all, you know that the Bills have a good idea who their quarterback of the future is. So do the Chicago Bears, who made the commitment to Mitchell Trubisky, with first-year head coach Matt Nagy accepting the responsibility of bringing him along.

The Bills and Bears will meet up on Thursday night at Soldier Field, and it's likely we won't be seeing a lot of starters in the game.

TV: 8 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Bears -3 (-105). O/U: 36.5.

ABOUT THE BILLS: The original plan was for AJ McCarron, who had been languishing as a backup in Cincinnati, to assume the starting job in Buffalo until Josh Allen, the first-round draft pick out of Wyoming, was ready to play. Forgotten in this whole scenario was Nathan Peterman, who made a start in place of Tyrod Taylor against the Los Angeles Chargers last season and threw five interceptions in the first half. Well, this is basically what happened – McCarron has suffered an injury to his shoulder (first reported as a broken collarbone) and he's been held out of action. There is a little bit of mystery surrounding this, but the bottom line is that he won't play Thursday night. Allen threw for just 34 yards last week and had to leave to be evaluated for a concussion. Then Peterman came in and completed 16 out of 21 passes with 200 yards in the second half. Head coach Sean McDermott has indicated that he doesn't really have any problem at all starting Peterman in the season opener, but whoever takes snaps a is going to be working with a tattered offensive line. That's one of the reasons the team has been careful with running back LeSean McCoy (1138 yards last year), who is nursing a groin injury.



ABOUT THE BEARS: So will the Bears' first-round draft pick, linebacker Roquan Smith out of Georgia, hit the field for some pre-season action before the real thing starts? Well, on Tuesday, Nagy said that Smith probably wouldn't play. But this would not affect his ability to be involved in the regular-season opener September 9 against the Green Bay Packers. What would probably happen is that he would be operating under a snap count. Smith held out for three weeks, making him the last first-round NFL pick to sign a contract. Not only is Nagy not going to play his starters against Buffalo, he held almost all of them out last week against Kansas City. That was an unconventional move, but remember that the Bears have played an extra pre-season game, having participated in the Hall of Fame Game against Baltimore, which kicked off the season. As for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, he is getting busy putting together a game plan for Green Bay. And the starters on both sides of the ball are occupied with preparations for the Packers, as we imagine is the case with the coaching staff. Kevin White, who came to the Bears as a first-round draft pick but has been felled by injuries for a good part of his tenure, caught his first TD pass last week - a 29-yarder off the arm of backup QB Chase Daniel. "It's just the beginning," says White. Meanwhile, Javon Wims, who arrived this season as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia, had 114 yards receiving against the Chiefs. The Bears may wind up with some depth at the receiver position after all.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bears released veteran guard Earl Watford, who had been a starter in Arizona but had difficulty hooking on after that, having been cut by Jacksonville before coming to the Windy City. Watford was quickly signed by Cleveland.

2. Adam Shaheen, a second-year tight end who could be one of Chicago's top red zone targets, suffered an ankle injury against Kansas City, but Nagy said that he would not have to go on injured reserve. The expectation is that the Bears are going to start the season with four tight ends on the roster.

3. The Bills are priced at +950 to win the AFC East and +6600 to win the Super Bowl. The Bears are +700 to bring home the bacon in the NFC North and +8500 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Bills 21, Bears 16

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cowboys vs. Texans Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

When the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans get together in the pre-season, it isn't necessarily an all-out "Battle for the Lone Star State." But there's always a little pride on the line, even if it is mostly second and third-stringers participating since the respective fan bases probably care a great deal.

For the Texans, this season is about getting healthier, as injuries ruined them last year. Quarterback Deshaun Watson and defensive end JJ Watt have a chance to be contributing from the start, and that could make a world of difference.

The Cowboys have a big void in the middle of the offensive line to deal with, and that could be an ongoing issue for them throughout the season. But if Ezekiel Elliott can stay on the field, they can figure out a way around it.

The Cowboys and Texans will meet at NRG Stadium in Houston for the pre-season finale.

TV: 8 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Texans -4 O/U: 34.

ABOUT THE COWBOYS: Right guard Zack Martin, who suffered a knee injury, has been practicing and is considered to be a good possibility to make a post for Week 1. That's great news for the Cowboys, who are going to be without center Travis Frederick for a while. Joe Looney will replace Frederick for as long as it takes, but he may be held out of Thursday's game so as not to risk injury to him and put the Dallas offensive line even further in a hole. Frederick is going to team meetings and watching practice, as he continues to receive treatment for Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Any timetable for his return is very uncertain. Is there a battle between Cooper Rush and Mike White for the backup job behind Dak Prescott? The Cowboys probably feel a little awkward about having a rookie in that position, but White, who set records at Western Kentucky, has been impressive. Some of the scouts who saw him at the combine felt as if he was about as NFL-ready as anybody. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the first-round draft pick out of Boise State, will miss his third pre-season game with a strained groin, and there is some doubt as to whether he will be in the lineup for the opener against the Carolina Panthers. He was not ticketed to be a starter at middle linebacker anyway; Jaylon Smith, who has been impressive coming off the knee injury that eliminated his rookie season, is #1 on the depth chart over there.



ABOUT THE TEXANS: There is no question that the Texans are going to be healthier than they were last season when they placed more people on injured reserve than any other team. But that does not mean they are completely free of injury. Running back D'Onta Foreman, who suffered an Achilles injury last year and is still recovering, had to be put on the reserve/PUP list, which means that he will not be available for the first six games of the season. The Texans were not one of those teams that went out and got a lot of backfield help in the off-season, so what they are going to be left with are Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue. And is that enough? Foreman, who had been a 2000-yard rusher for the Texas Longhorns, could have given that position group some flexibility. An encouraging sign is that Deshaun Watson came out of the pre-season in one piece, and now the Texans can have him from the start of the season. Watson did not have a big outing against the Rams last week, throwing for just 15 yards and being intercepted. Seantrel Henderson, who will be the starting right tackle, had a non-cancerous cyst removed and should be good to go for the season opener against the New England Patriots. Pass rusher Whitney Mercilus, who got All-Pro recognition two years ago but had a pectoral muscle tear that sidelined him for the most part last season, is on target to play against New England, even though he has been dealing with a hamstring injury. And JJ Watt, who broke his leg last season, returned to the field and looked just fine against the Los Angeles Rams last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kellen Moore, the Cowboys' new quarterback coach, spent six seasons in the NFL, and in 2015 he threw for 435 yards, becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to get beyond 400 yards.

2. Will Fuller has been a curious case for the Texans - burning speed, bad hands. The Notre Dame alumnus has been beset with hamstring issues but head coach Bill O'Brien, who says "Will's doing good," indicates there isn't any real reason he wouldn't be expected to play the season opener.

3. The Cowboys are priced at +375 to win the NFC East and +2000 to win the Super Bowl. The Texans are +175 to be the AFC South champions and +1700 to win Super Bowl 53.

PREDICTION: Texans 21, Cowboys 13

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rams vs. Saints Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

The Los Angeles Rams pulled an incredible coup last season when they hired Sean McVay to be their head coach, and they immediately became one of the most dangerous offenses in football. This season you can expect much of the same, and maybe even a little more. But his defense that's the place they could have made even bigger strides as they've upgraded just about everywhere.

The New Orleans Saints made some strides on defense last season themselves, but they know they have a ways to go in that department. And as far as moving the football is concerned, as long as Drew Brees has it in his hands, this team has a chance to score

When the Rams and Saints get together, you know there is going to be the potential for a lot of fireworks. Unfortunately, that's not going to be the case when they meet up on Thursday night, and the respective teams' starters are not a factor. The Superdome will host the pre-season finale for both teams.

TV: 8 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Saints -4. O/U: 36.5.

ABOUT THE RAMS: The management went out and hired the youngest head coach in league history, and whereas Jeff Fisher the not have this team going in the right direction, Sean McVay appeared to have all the right answers. Jared Goff made a great turnaround in his sophomore season, tossing 28 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions, and Cooper Kupp became a legitimate go-to wide receiver, with 62 catches. No offensive renaissance could have been accomplished, however, without the wizardry of Todd Gurley, who had 1305 rushing yards and 788 through pass receptions, scoring 17 touchdowns overall. The question may be what this team will do if he does not duplicate what he did last season. Brandin Cooks was pretty dangerous when he played for the Saints and was a little more for New England last season, but now he's just been added to the arsenal in Los Angeles. The Rams were smart to have hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips last season; he took his 3-4 scheme and helps the Rams improve enough to make the playoffs. However, we are looking at the possibility of tremendous steps forward this season, because the Rams have put together a genuine "shutdown" duo at corner, with Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. If those two guys can handle receivers one-on-one, it frees up the rest of the secondary to snuff out any other offensive threats. Ndamukong Suh will be somewhere on that defensive line, and so will Aaron Donald, sooner or later. The problem with Donald is that he is holding out, looking for a better contract, just as he did last season, but this time around the Rams are in a little better position to deal with his absence.



ABOUT THE SAINTS: Apparently the Saints did not feel as if Taysom Hill or Tom Savage were ready to assume the backup position to Brees, so they made a deal with the New York Jets to acquire Teddy Bridgewater, who has missed the better part of the last two seasons with a knee injury. Bridgewater, originally a first-round draft pick by Minnesota, led the Vikings to the playoffs and found himself rewarded with a Pro Bowl berth in his second season. But everyone is by now familiar with the gruesome knee injury he suffered during 2016 training camp that changed his life. He looked pretty good in camp and during the pre-season games for the Jets, but there wasn't really a place for him, with Sam Darnold and veteran Josh McCown on hand. The Saints were hoping Cam Meredith would bounce back better from last year's ACL injury, especially as they had signed him to a contract that contained $5.4 million in guarantees. But he has not caught a pre-season pass so far, although from a health standpoint he says that "I feel like I'm starting to come around and feel like myself." At press time, it was expected that the Saints would sign a contract with wide receiver Tanner McEvoy, who has played all over the place, including the quarterback position in his days at the University of Wisconsin and some safety for the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he spent the last two seasons. As you may have guessed, he's also played plenty on special teams as well.

EXTRA POINTS

1. If you recall, Donald held out last season as well and did not come into the fold until one day before the season began. So he missed that first game, a romp over the Indianapolis Colts, playing for the first time in Week 2.

2. In three seasons with the Saints, current Los Angeles wide receiver Brandin Cooks caught 215 passes from Drew Brees, with 27 touchdowns, and he had back-to-back seasons of 1138 (2013) and 1173 yards (2016).

3. The Rams are -155 to win the NFC West and +800 to win the Super Bowl. The Saints are +125 to be champions of the NFC South and +1300 to emerge as Super Bowl champions.

PREDICTION: Saints 20, Rams 14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vikings vs. Titans Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 29th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

Have the Minnesota Vikings taken the final step toward becoming a Super Bowl team? That is what they hope they've done with the free-agent acquisition of Kirk Cousins. What might make for smoother sailing in the NFC North, however, is a defensive unit that might just be the best in the NFL. So understandably the Vikings are brimming with confidence at the moment.

The Tennessee Titans have new uniforms and maybe a new attitude under head coach Mike Vrabel. They obviously weren't too bad last season, as they reached the playoffs. Marcus Mariota has upside, as he is bound to do better, statistically speaking, then he did in 2017. The next step would be beating out Jacksonville and Houston in the AFC South.

The Vikings and Titans will meet on Thursday night at 8 PM ET at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

TV: 8 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Titans -1. O/U: 35.5.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS: The key to the Vikings' success on offense this year is likely to be the synergy between Cousins and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who took the place of Pat Shurmur, who left to become head coach with the New York Giants. Cousins had built his career with strong relationships with his coordinators, and one of them was Sean McVay, currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. Minnesota may not have a lot of depth that the receiver spot, but their front-line people are very strong. Adam Thielen caught underpasses last season, then Stefon Diggs provides a big-play element. Will Dalvin Cook be able to make a full recovery from his knee injury and become one of the most explosive feature backs in the league, as a lot of people are predicting? If so, that makes Minnesota pretty hard to stop. You know, it's interesting that Mike Zimmer, the head coach, gets all the credit for the defense going almost from last to first in the league, but one person who deserves a lot of credit is George Edwards, who is actually in his fifth year as the defensive coordinator. How good were they in 2017? Well, let's put it this way – they allowed fewer yards and fewer points than any other team in the NFL. And if Mike Hughes, the first-round draft pick, is as good as advertised, this unit gets even better.



ABOUT THE TITANS: Tennessee had an offense designed to be heavy on the run under Mike Mullarkey, who termed it "exotic smashmouth." With Vrabel, there'll be a little more of an effort to get things going through the air. Mariana had 13 touchdown passes and 50 interceptions, so naturally, some improvement is needed there. It would also help of right tackle Jack Conklin, easily one of the best in his position in the NFL, could be healthy and play the full schedule. The Titans a going to depend a lot more on Derrick Henry, the former Heisman Trophy winner, but what they get with Dion Lewis, the former New England Patriot, is a running back who is a premier pass catcher out of the backfield. There is a new offensive coordinator, as Greg Lafleur, who helped Sean McVay transform the Rams from the 32nd-ranked scoring offense to #1, has been hired. His special project is Mariota, and truth be told, he has a lot to work with. They will need to get something better out of the receiving corps, as there were not many significant moves made in that direction in the off-season. Keep in mind that Dick LeBeau, the Hall of Famer and defensive innovator, is no longer on the scene, but Dean Pees, who was the coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, maybe in a position to upgrade a unit that ranked 13th in the NFL, giving up 328 yards per game last season. One big positive for Tennessee's stop unit is that these guys can really get after the quarterback (fifth in the league in sacks), and they have addressed defense in the draft as well, taking linebacker Rashaan Evans in the first round and defensive and Harold Landry of Boston College in the second. Landry, by the way, looks like he might be able to get past his recent ankle injury more quickly than anticipated.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Titans are 9-1-2 ATS in their last dozen regular-season games at Nissan Stadium.

2. The Vikings have covered 22 of their last 29 games at home.

3. Minnesota is -105 to win the NFC North and plus +850 to emerge victorious in Super Bowl LIII. Tennessee is +250 to be the AFC South champions, and +3500 to win the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Vikings 21, Titans 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Central Florida Knights vs. Connecticut Huskies Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in NCAAF

Central Florida may be hard-pressed to match its magical undefeated 2017 season, but the Knights begin a new campaign Thursday night at Connecticut in an American Athletic Conference battle expecting to make noise again. Junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who was eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, leads the way for 23rd-ranked UCF and former Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel takes over as coach.

"Every quarter or every phase of our offseason has gotten better and better," Heupel, who replaced Scott Frost after he moved on to Nebraska, told reporters. "There's a little bit of uneasiness, naturally, when you go into a new phase because they don't know exactly what to expect. ... and they've transitioned really well." Milton threw for 37 touchdowns and ran for another eight last season as the Knights averaged a nation-best 48.2 points, capped by a 34-27 Peach Bowl victory over Auburn, and he still has plenty of weapons to use against an inexperienced UConn defense. Coach Randy Edsall begins the second season of his second stint with the Huskies and needs to replace nine starters on defense, but has told reporters this freshman class may be the best he has ever had at UConn. The Huskies' offense is more seasoned with senior David Pindell taking over full time at quarterback after he passed for more than 200 yards in the last three games of 2017, including 201 against UCF.


TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: UCF -23

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (2017: 13-0): Missouri finished in the top 10 in the nation for total offense last year under Heupel, a former Oklahoma quarterback, and Milton should prosper despite losing his top receiver Tre'Quan Smith to the NFL. Junior All-Conference center Jordan Johnson anchors the offensive line for the Knights, who return sophomore Otis Anderson and junior Adrian Killins Jr. (790 rushing yards) at running back along with junior receiver Dredrick Snelson (46 catches, 695 yards, eight TDs). New defensive coordinator Randy Shannon must replace some key people, but senior linebacker Pat Jasinski (104 tackles) and senior safety Kyle Gibson (four interceptions) are back to lead.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (2017: 3-9): Edsall told reporters of Pindell: "He seems a lot faster, looks a lot faster than what he was a year (ago). Not a guy that talks a lot, but the kid is really respected, and he's a hard worker." The Huskies return their top rusher in sophomore Kevin Mensah (561 yards, four TDs), but redshirt freshman Zavier Scott from Texas was listed as the starter on this week's depth chart. Senior Hergy Mayala (43 catches, 615 yards, seven TDs in 2017) keys the receiving corps that includes five players (also tight end Aaron McLean and wideouts Keyion Dixon, Quayvon Skanes and Tyraiq Beals) who registered at least 30 receptions last season.


EXTRA POINTS

1. UCF WR Tre Nixon is added to the mix after transferring from Ole Miss where he spent two seasons - one as a redshirt.

2. UConn sophomore CB Tyler Coyle is the top returnee on defense after recording two interceptions and 67 tackles in 2017.

3. The Knights have won three of the five previous meetings, including a 49-24 triumph last year in Orlando, Fla.

PREDICTION: UCF 48, UConn 21

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New Mexico State Aggies vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview and Predictions

NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
Minnesota failed to reach a bowl game in 2017 for the first time in six years and seek a bounce back campaign under second-year head coach P.J. Fleck, a quest that begins at home Thursday against New Mexico State. The Golden Gophers won three non-conference games to begin last season before faltering in Big Ten play, and he will be leaning on several young players as the program looks to rebuild.

Included in that lot is true freshman Zack Annexstad, who beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan for the starting quarterback job. "Unbelievable competition," Fleck told reporters. "It was the hardest decision I've had to make as a head football coach. Both tremendous individuals." The Aggies will be battle-tested after playing one of the first games of the college football season Saturday against Wyoming, but they'll have a quick turnaround following the 29-7 loss. They were outgained 449-135 and didn't score until Matt Romero threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Drew Dan with just 76 seconds remaining.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Minnesota -20

ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE (0-1): Romero, a junior college transfer who won the quarterback job in a competition with four others this spring, completed 16-of-27 passes for 140 yards and the one score. "It is going to be a process with the quarterback position and I like the way he rebounded tonight," head coach Doug Martin told reporters of Romero, who was replaced briefly in the second half. "He had a tough night and he came back and made some throws at the end and as an offense, we did not have any turnovers tonight, which is always good." The Aggies had eight yards of offense at halftime and 93 of their 135 total yards came on the garbage-time TD drive.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (2017: 5-7): Annexstad is one of four freshman quarterbacks on the roster, which makes Minnesota one of three schools in the country - along with Kentucky and Nebraska - to have a quarterback crew with zero passing attempts at the collegiate level. Their key target will be junior wideout Tyler Johnson, who led the team with 677 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last year. Senior running back Rodney Smith is two years removed from a 16-TD campaign and enters the year needing 195 rushing yards to become the seventh player in program history to reach 3,000.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Gophers went the final 123-plus minutes of last season without scoring.

2. Dan had two catches for a game-high 60 yards in the opener.

3. The Aggies won the first matchup between the teams at Minnesota in 2011. The Gophers were victorious in a rematch at New Mexico State in 2013.

PREDICTION: Minnesota 28, New Mexico State 10

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview and Predictions

NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
Northwestern looks to build off a successful 2017 season when it kicks off the new campaign on the road against Purdue on Thursday. The Wildcats are coming off a 10-win season, which culminated in a Music City Bowl victory, and their hopes of posting another double-digit win total rests squarely on the health of senior quarterback Clayton Thorson, who is a game-time decision for the opener after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.

Northwestern owns the nation's current longest winning streak by a Power 5 team at eight games and aims to extend its run by beating Purdue for the fifth straight time. There's reason for optimism in West Lafayette as well after the Boilermakers finished last season with a winning record for the first time since 2011. Head coach Jeff Brohm flirted with a few high-profile openings in the offseason, but his decision to return for a second year bodes well for the offense, which returns nine starters, including quarterbacks David Blough and Elijah Sindelar as the Boilermakers search for their first win over Northwestern in eight years. "This year is a challenging schedule and opening up with Northwestern at home is a great opportunity for our football team," Brohm told reporters." We're excited that the expectations have risen but I think our players will respond."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Purdue -2.5

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (2017: 10-3): Thorson threw for 2,844 yards and 15 touchdowns before tearing his ACL in the bowl win against Kentucky and will be backed up by walk-on T.J. Green, who could make his first career start if Thorson is not medically cleared to play on Thursday. Jeremy Larkin averaged six yards a carry last season and will shoulder the load at running back as he replaces Justin Jackson, who was drafted by the San Diego Chargers after leaving Evansville as Northwestern's leading all-time rusher. "We're fully aware of the challenge that we have ahead of us," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters. "We're playing an incredibly well coached, outstanding football team on the road."

ABOUT PURDUE (2017: 7-6): Blough was the starter before suffering a season-ending ankle injury on Nov. 4 while Sindelar threw for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns despite playing the final three games with a torn ACL, and both players are expected to share snaps in the season opener. Wide receiver Jackson Anthrop led the team with 47 receptions last season and should see his role expand with the departures of Anthony Mahoungou and Gregory Phillips while Markell Jones is coming back for his senior year after leading the team in rushing (566 yards) for the third consecutive season. Linebacker Markus Bailey, who recorded 89 tackles and seven sacks last season, and defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal will be tasked with providing stability to a defense which returns just four starters.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Northwestern has won six of the last seven meetings with Purdue.

2. The Boilermakers are 7-27 in Big Ten play since the start of 2014.

3. The Wildcats are 10-2 in season openers under Fitzgerald.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 24, Purdue 23

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Tulane Green Wave Preview and Predictions

NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
Tulane took steps forward under coach Willie Fritz last season, enough to earn the coach a contract extension and higher expectations heading into the 2018 season. Fritz and his squad will have a chance to get off to a strong start when they host Wake Forest in the season opener on Thursday night.

The Green Wave continued to adapt to Fritz's triple-option offense last season but struggled on the defensive end, where they were torched for averages of 436 yards and 29.2 points. "We've got a better understanding of what we're doing in the 3-4 defense," defensive coordinator Jack Curtis told the team's website. "We're playing with a lot of young guys, so you've got to get them playing hard, lined up. ... We've cleaned up a lot, we've studied in the offseason and I think we'll be much-improved." The Demon Deacons had similar issues last season with averages of 444 yards and 26.3 points allowed and made a big effort to bring in different players along the front seven with this year's freshman class. "Physically, what we recruited in the front seven as true freshmen is different than what we've had in the past," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson told reporters. "These guys are (in terms of), height, weight, speed, better than what we've brought in before. Whether they become the players that these other guys did, who knows?"

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Wake Forest -7

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (2017: 8-5): The Demon Deacons let their offense lead them to eight wins and a 55-52 victory over Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl last season, but they lost senior quarterback John Wolford (3,192 yards, 29 TDs, six INTs, 683 yards rushing). Clawson held an open competition in camp and freshman Sam Hartman came out on top over sophomore Jamie Newman. "He's comfortable back there in the pocket, I've never seen anything like it. He's able to anticipate throws that, at his age, I haven't seen from any quarterback that's ever come in here," senior receiver Alex Bachman told the Winston-Salem Journal. "...The kid just comes in (and) he's able to play well beyond his years, for sure."

ABOUT TULANE (2017: 5-7): The Green Wave run a triple-option offense but lost 60 percent of a rushing attack that ranked 20th in the nation at an average of 231.5 yards last season with leading rusher Dontrell Hilliard (1,062 yards, 12 TDs) and others gone. Junior Darius Bradwell (411 yards) is the leading returning running back, and Tulane could have 12 or more rushers get carries, including quarterbacks. "The older guys have done it before and they know what the expectation is," running backs coach Jamaal Fobbs told the team's website. "They're continuing to tweak and sharpen and just becoming better overall football players. The younger guys are coming along but having to learn it as they go. They're working hard and going 100 miles per hour, and they're going to help us this year. The depth is a good problem to have."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Tulane returns senior QB Jonathan Banks, who threw for 1,797 yards in 2017 while finishing second on the team with 592 rushing yards.

2. Wake Forest QB Kendall Hinton and TE Thomas Cole are suspended for the first three games of the season for a violation of team rules.

3. Former LSU quarterback Justin McMillan announced his transfer to Tulane on Friday and will be eligible to play immediately as a graduate transfer.

PREDICTION: Tulane 35, Wake Forest 32

[Can'tPickAWinner]

UC Davis Aggies vs. San Jose State Spartans Preview and Predictions in NCAAF

NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 By Brad Mullins for Scores And Stats
by Brad Mullins Scores & Stats on 08/29/2018

San Jose State must get a win in this first game of the season. Last season was a mess and the road to glory doesn’t get a bit easier after the UC Davis game when they go on the road to face Oregon and Washington! What they do, they must do quickly and urgently. There is simply no football time to waste. The Spartans lost the first game of the 2017 season in San Jose by a final score of 42-22 to the USF Bulls. They won the next game over Cal Poly but went on to lose ten games in a row before pulling off an upset win over the Wyoming Cowboys.

The UC Davis Aggies were not a whole lot better than San Jose State and finished last season with a 5-6 mark and on the way to 5-6, they lost to some really bad teams! Here is the deal; if you are a proud football program you never want to lose to Weber State! Not only did they lose that game, they lost to the tune of a 41-3 drubbing! The Aggies did not have one notable win. Give the Spartans credit for finding a way against Wyoming.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Stadium (Local) LINE: (not yet posted)

ABOUT UC DAVIS (2017 3-8): In 2017 the Aggies had the third best offense in all of college football! Amazingly enough they only managed five wins on the season and they were beaten by some stinkers. What this means—the defense failed them miserably. UC Davis needs to start this season out with defense first and the offense second or they will get hammered in more than a few games. Just as Baker Mayfield will tell you, offense goes a long way, but without a solid defensive plan of attack, you are dead in the water. This group struggled to find defense against some very meaningless teams, such as a 47-27 loss at home to Southern Utah, or worse yet, a loss to Sacramento State, 52-47. The offense can handle their business with returning QB Jake Maier who threw for 3,700 yards and 26 TD’s, but with no defense or at least an effort, they will be lucky to win five games again!

ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE (2017 2-11): The Spartans have a lot to prove and 2nd-year head coach-Brent Brennan has a lot more to prove. Coaching a football program of this caliber just might be over Brennan’s head! Time will certainly tell and the great thing for Brennan is the fact that he has many return players that now have a reasonable amount of playing time and experience. However, just like UC Davis, this thing does not get one bit easier as time goes on. Washington and Oregon are pretty much-guaranteed losses, so, if Brennan plans to make any splash whatsoever, he must win this one against UC Davis. With eight starters coming back on offense, the Spartans should find a way to squeak one out. Quite possibly the offense can pick up where the defense failed them last year, and against a very bad team in the Aggies.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UC Davis must win every quarter, or they have no shot, their defense is that bad!

2. The Spartans must win every quarter, or they have no shot, their defense is nearly that bad!

3. Look for UC Davis to light it up early and make this a shootout, this one will be high scoring.

PREDICTION: San Jose State 48, UC Davis 40

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 30th August 2018 by Gracenote
Christian Yelich is tormenting Cincinnati pitching and he aims for his third straight strong outing when the visiting Milwaukee Brewers close the series against the Reds on Thursday. Yelich matched the franchise record of six hits while hitting for the team's first cycle in seven years in Wednesday's wild 13-12, 10-inning victory.

Yelich had two homers and five RBIs in Tuesday's series opener before going deep again Wednesday and driving in three more. Jesus Aguilar hit the go-ahead homer in the 10th - his 30th of the season - and Mike Moustakas was 4-for-6 with a homer and three RBI to help Milwaukee win for the sixth time in its last nine games to maintain possession of the National League's second wild-card spot. Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez hit his 30th homer in Wednesday game, one of five the Reds belted during the slugfest. Billy Hamilton is 6-for-10 in the series for Cincinnati after going 4-for-5 with a homer on Wednesday.

TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Wade Miley (2-2, 2.32 ERA) vs. Reds LH Cody Reed (0-1, 3.68)

Miley is winless in his past four starts and received a no-decision against Pittsburgh in his last turn when he gave up two runs and 10 hits over five innings. The 31-year-old is 2-2 in six road starts while posting a 2.12 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Miley defeated the Reds on May 2 when he allowed one run and three hits over six innings and stands 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA in eight career outings against Cincinnati, including a 4-0 mark in five starts at Great American Ball Park.

Reed is making his second start of the season after giving up five runs (three earned) and four hits over three innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 9. The 25-year-old made a start against the Brewers on Aug. 14, 2016 when he was torched for six runs and five hits in one-plus innings. Reed has fared much better in seven career relief appearances against Milwaukee by allowing one run and six hits over 7 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 1B Joey Votto (right leg) is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list prior to Thursday's game.

2. Yelich is the eighth player in Milwaukee franchise history to hit for the cycle and the first since George Kottaras on Sept. 3, 2011.

3. Cincinnati placed LHP Amir Garrett (foot) on the 10-day DL and activated RHP Jackson Stephens (knee) off the same list.

PREDICTION: Brewers 8, Reds 7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
The Minnesota Twins would need a magical run to even get back into striking distance of a playoff spot, but they can clinch the season series against a team likely heading to the postseason when they visit the Cleveland Indians on Thursday afternoon. Eddie Rosario recorded three hits and an RBI as the Twins rallied for a 4-3 win Wednesday to even the season series at nine wins apiece with one game left.

Minnesota, which made the playoffs as a wild card last year, trails first-place Cleveland by 13 games in the American League Central and won for the first time in five games Wednesday after being outscored 27-6 in the previous four. Jake Odorizzi gets the call in the rubber match of the season series for the Twins and he will face fellow right-hander Mike Clevinger, who has not suffered a defeat since July 28. The Indians lost for the fifth time in seven games after coughing up two leads Wednesday, but are still 10 games over .500 since July 25 at 21-11. Cleveland's All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is 7-for-16 in his last three games and is batting .316 with 15 runs scored, six homers and 15 RBIs this season against Minnesota.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, Facebook-Watch

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (5-8, 4.38 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (9-7, 3.30)

Odorizzi suffered a hard-luck loss against Oakland last time out, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk over a season-high seven innings. It was the first quality start since July 22 for the 28-year-old Illinois native, but he owns a season-best 3.51 ERA in August. Lindor is 6-for-14 with three doubles and two homers versus Odorizzi, who is 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in four starts against Cleveland in 2018.

Clevinger is unbeaten in his five outings during August, recording two victories along with four quality starts and registering a 2.70 ERA. The best start this month for the 27-year-old Jacksonville, Fla. native came against Minnesota on Aug. 8 when he gave up one run over seven innings in his second no-decision versus the Twins this year. Joe Mauer is 5-for-14 against Clevinger, who is 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA over nine appearances (six starts) versus Minnesota.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland LHP Andrew Miller (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and LHP Tyler Olson got recalled Wednesday.

2. Mauer joined Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killebrew as the only Twins to score 1,000 runs with one on Wednesday.

3. Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion is 5-for-14 with a homer, five RBIs and three walks during a four-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Twins 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
J.A. Happ's fortunes changed in a big way after the New York Yankees acquired the veteran left-hander from Toronto in late July. Happ owns a 5-0 mark with a 2.37 ERA in five starts with the Yankees heading into Thursday's opener of a four-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers, who have been outscored 34-10 en route to losing five in a row.

New York rookie Gleyber Torres has been pretty good in his own right of late, going 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 4-1 setback to the Chicago White Sox to give him 17 hits to go along with eight runs scored and six RBIs since Aug. 16. The Yankees had won eight of nine before dropping two of three to the White Sox to fall 7 1/2 games behind Boston in the American League East. Detroit's Mikie Mahtook homered and drove in two runs in Wednesday's 9-2 setback to Kansas City to extend his hitting streak to six games, during which he has gone deep three times and scored five runs. The 28-year-old has failed to get going against nearly all Yankees pitchers, going 4-for-43 with 18 strikeouts overall and 0-for-3 in a small sample size versus Happ.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (3-9, 4.82 ERA) vs. Yankees LH J.A. Happ (15-6, 3.80)

Liriano, who hasn't tasted victory since April 28, fell to 0-4 with a 6.88 ERA in four starts this month on Aug. 22 after allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of an 8-2 setback to the Chicago Cubs. The 34-year-old Dominican has struggled to keep the ball in the park of late, with five homers permitted this month. Aaron Hicks (4-for-7) and Brett Gardner (6-for-18) have gotten their licks in on Liriano, who owns a 4-4 mark with a 3.34 ERA in 12 career encounters (10 starts) versus New York.

Happ improved to 5-0 in pinstripes after permitting two runs on five hits while striking out nine in six innings of a 10-3 win over Baltimore on Saturday. The 35-year-old didn't fare as well while pitching for the Blue Jays in a pair of starts against Detroit, as he yielded four runs in a no-decision on June 2 and seven on 10 hits in a 9-1 romp on July 1. Nicholas Castellanos is a blistering 11-for-19 against Happ, who is 3-2 with a 4.83 ERA in 10 career appearances versus the Tigers.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York OF Giancarlo Stanton is 2-for-26 in his last seven games.

2. Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said SS Jose Iglesias' condition is "not good" as the latter is expected to undergo an MRI on his abdomen on Thursday.

3. Gardner is 1-for-13 in his last four games overall.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Tigers 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 30th August 2018 by Gracenote
The St. Louis Cardinals have won nine consecutive series, a streak that is in jeopardy going into the rubber match of a three-game series with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The Cardinals managed five hits and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in dropping a 2-0 decision to the Pirates on Wednesday after winning the series opener.

St. Louis has been shut out five times this year and three of them have come against Pittsburgh, which utilized four pitchers in the five-hitter. The setback Wednesday left the Cardinals 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central division. Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco had RBI singles Wednesday to lead the way for the Pirates, which won for just the fourth time in their last 15 games. A pair of right-handers both with five wins and identical ERAs meet in the series finale when Pittsburgh turns to Joe Musgrove opposite John Gant for St. Louis.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (5-7, 3.56 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH John Gant (5-5, 3.56)

Musgrove had a string of five straight quality starts come to an end Friday at Milwaukee, which got to him for four runs in four innings. He had a 2.12 ERA over those previous five outings, including seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 18. The 25-year-old opened his season May 25 with seven scoreless innings in a win against the Cardinals.

Gant lasted a season high-tying seven innings while allowing one run in a no-decision at Colorado on Saturday. It marked the seventh time in his last eight starts that he has yielded two earned runs or fewer. The one outlier in that stretch was a rocky outing at Pittsburgh on Aug. 3, when the 26-year-old was reached for six runs and eight hits in four frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter was removed from Wednesday's game in the fourth inning due to a stomach issue.

2. Polanco is 13-for-36 with seven RBIs over his last nine games.

3. St. Louis placed INF Jedd Gyorko (groin) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled OF Adolis Garcia from Triple-A Memphis.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Pirates 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 30th August 2018 by Gracenote
The Chicago Cubs are in the midst of playing 23 games in 23 days through Sept. 12, and the Atlanta Braves will have played 38 contests in 37 days when they reach that date. But even though the two teams - who meet in Atlanta on Thursday to make up an early-season rainout - face a challenging grind as August evolves into September, neither squad is complaining as the matchup pits the National League's top two teams record-wise in a potential playoff preview.

Chicago actually played more than one game Wednesday by concluding Tuesday's suspended game against the Mets with a 2-1 victory in 11 innings, before getting crushed in a 10-3 loss in the regularly scheduled contest as manager Joe Maddon rested several of his regular starters. The defeat snapped a season-best seven-game winning streak, and the Cubs begin play Thursday 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place St. Louis in the NL Central sparked by first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who in 14 games since Aug. 15 is hitting .434 with five homers, 11 RBIs, 10 runs scored and six doubles. The Braves waited out two rain delays totaling 1 -hour, 47 minutes but fell 8-5 to Tampa Bay, and carry a 3 1/2-game advantage over Philadelphia in the NL East into Thursday's third game of a four-team, nine-game homestand. Third baseman Johan Camargo finished 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the first for the Braves, who went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position in losing for just the third time in their past nine games.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, WGN (Chicago), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.62 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (10-8, 2.67)

Montgomery is expected to come off the disabled list (left shoulder inflammation) and make his first appearance since an Aug. 11 relief stint against Washington. The 29-year-old has made 13 starts since May 28 in helping to fill in for injured starter Yu Darvish, posting a 3.08 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in those outings. Montgomery, who gave up one run on 12 hits over 11 1/3 innings across his first two August starts, pitched two innings of scoreless relief against the Braves on May 15.

Foltynewicz struggled in July as he allowed four runs or more in four consecutive starts, but he has returned to All-Star form in August. The 26-year-old has posted a 1.38 ERA in five starts this month, allowing five earned runs across 32 2/3 innings with eight walks and 36 strikeouts. Foltynewicz, who began Wednesday fourth in the NL in ERA and sixth in strikeouts (169), struck out 10 in five innings while surrendering one unearned run against the Cubs on May 15.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago 2B Daniel Murphy is hitting .355 with two homers, five RBIs and six runs scored in seven games since being traded from Washington.

2. Atlanta bolstered its bench for the stretch drive before Wednesday's game, acquiring C Rene Rivera from the Angels and 1B Lucas Duda from Kansas City in separate deals.

3. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman is 3-for-27 in his past seven games, dropping his batting average from .321 to .310.

PREDICTION: Cubs 6, Braves 5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
Angels vs. Astros Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 08/29/2018

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander has fallen off the pace in the American League Cy Young race but will try to remain perfect against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Verlander has won each of his four starts while compiling a minuscule 1.61 ERA against the Angels this season.

Houston opened its 10-game homestand by taking two of three from hard-charging Oakland, winning Wednesday's rubber match on Tyler White's walk-off homer in the ninth inning. "It felt like kind of a heavyweight battle," said Astros manager A.J. Hinch after his team opened a 2 1/2-game lead over the Athletics atop the American League West and improved to 7-1 in its last eight games. Houston also has won seven of the past eight meetings against the Angels, who will arrive at Minute Maid Park having lost nine of 11 - including a three-game sweep by the Astros last weekend. Albert Pujols, who is 10-for-36 lifetime against Verlander, is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Andrew Heaney (7-8, 4.25 ERA) vs. Astros RH Justin Verlander (13-8, 2.72)

Heaney has labored through five starts in August, posting a 1-2 record and 6.67 ERA after he was knocked around for five runs and eight hits over six innings in a loss to Houston on Friday. It's a marked decline from last month when he was 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in five starts and beat the Astros with six innings of one-run ball. Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel are both 1-for-9 against Heaney.

Verlander was 9-2 through the middle of June but is 4-6 over his last dozen starts despite winning his last two, including six innings of three-run ball against the Angels on Saturday. The long ball continues to be a thorny issue for the 35-year-old, who has yielded 15 home runs over his last eight turns. Angels center fielder Mike Trout has struggled in his career versus Verlander, going 4-for-32.

WALK-OFFS

1. Bregman is 19-for-40 during a 10-game hitting streak.

2. Angels INF David Fletcher has hit safely in three straight and 11 of his last 13 games.

3. Astros 2B Jose Altuve struck out four times in a game for the first time in his career Wednesday and has whiffed in six of his last nine at-bats.

PREDICTION: Astros 5, Angels 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
The Boston Red Sox saw their high-octane offense kick it up a notch, igniting for 11 runs on 12 hits -- including five for extra bases (four doubles, triple) -- in the seventh inning on their way to a season sweep of Miami. The Red Sox hope that offense travels well Thursday in the opener a four-game series against the host Chicago White Sox (52-80), who took two of three from the club in June.

Eduardo Nunez joined Mookie Betts with three hits and three runs scored as Boston rode its most productive inning of the season in a 14-6 romp on Wednesday. Nunez is 11-for-27 with five RBIs and as many runs scored during a seven-game hitting streak, although he went 1-for-8 as the Red Sox mustered just six runs against Chicago from June 8-10. Boston received an assist from the White Sox on Wednesday, as the latter's 4-1 triumph over New York allowed the Red Sox to take a 7 1/2-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the American League East. Ryan LaMarre, who homered to highlight his three-hit, four-RBI performance on Wednesday, went 3-for-7 with two runs scored in a series against Boston earlier in the season while he was still with Minnesota.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (15-7, 4.18 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (10-9, 5.85)

Porcello lost for the third time in four starts on Saturday while allowing three runs in five innings of a 5-1 setback at Tampa Bay. The 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner also fell short in his last outing against Chicago on June 10, taking the loss after permitting three runs (two earned) and walking three in six frames of a 5-2 setback. Avisail Garcia is 7-for-20 versus Porcello, who owns an 11-9 mark with a 4.30 ERA in 24 career encounters with the White Sox.

Giolito won his third straight start and improved to 5-1 in his last eight trips to the mound on Saturday after yielding one run on three hits in seven innings of a 6-1 romp over Detroit. "It was definitely the best fastball command I've had all season. Warming up in the bullpen, I was hitting both sides of the plate super consistently," the 24-year-old said. Giolito, who will face Boston for the first time this season, has recorded three consecutive quality starts and four in his last five outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Boston 2B Ian Kinsler has four multi-hit performances in his last six outings.

2. Chicago 2B Yoan Moncada has six hits, six RBIs and four runs scored in his last six games.

3. The White Sox announced a special online charity auction in honor of Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, who went on medical leave to focus on his treatment after recently being diagnosed again with cancer.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, White Sox 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 08/29/2018

The Seattle Mariners are slumping and in danger of falling out of postseason contention, but they have a chance to climb back into the race when they open a four-game series at the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night. The Mariners have dropped nine of their last 14 and trail Oakland by 5 1/2 games for the American League's second wild card.

Seattle has scored only six runs during a three-game skid and absorbed a costly two-game sweep in San Diego, the worst team in the National League. Mariners shortstop Jean Segura, batting a team-leading .317, had to exit Wednesday's loss after fouling a ball off his shin and is listed as day-to-day. Oakland had a chance to pull within a half-game of first-place Houston in the American League West but lost to the Astros 5-4 on a walk-off homer Wednesday to drop 2 1/2 games off the pace. Athletics slugger Khris Davis is mired in a 1-for-24 slump with 12 strikeouts over the past six games but he is 3-for-4 with a homer off Wade LeBlanc, Seattle's scheduled starter.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (7-3, 3.92 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Frankie Montas (5-3, 3.75)

LeBlanc did not factor in the decision last time out at Arizona on Saturday despite yielding one run on four hits over six innings, marking his fourth quality start in seven appearances since the All-Star break. He surrendered three homers in a loss to the Los Angels Dodgers in his previous turn - the third three-homer game in a span of eight starts. LeBlanc pitched four-innings of three-hit ball versus Oakland on May 3.

Montas will be summoned from Triple-A Nashville to make his first start since July 29, when he lasted 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and eight hits in a loss at Colorado. He was hit hard in three straight starts at Nashville, permitting 16 runs over 14 2/3 innings, before tossing five innings of one-run ball on Saturday. Montas has made four home starts, compiling a 2-2 record and 4.01 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle is 7-5 versus the Athletics this year and has won 20 of the past 28 meetings in Oakland.

2. Athletics 3B Matt Chapman has multiple hits in five of his last seven games, doing 13-for-32.

3. Mariners LHP James Paxton (forearm) is expected to come off the disabled list to start Saturday's game.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Mariners 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
Rockies vs. Padres Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 08/29/2018

The Colorado Rockies begin a 23-game stretch against the National League West when they kick off a four-game series against the Padres in San Diego on Thursday. Colorado is one-half game behind first-place Arizona in the NL West and is also in the thick of the wild-card race, one game behind Milwaukee for the second and final spot.

"It's going to be fun," Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez told reporters after hitting a two-run homer in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. "It's going to be a big month ahead of us and every team in this division. We're going to face each other a lot and it's going to be a long stretch facing division rivals. We're excited and ready for the challenge." Gonzalez (.294, 15 home runs, 56 RBIs) is a big part of Colorado's success, going 11-for-26 with four RBIs during a six-game hitting streak and batting .323 since the All-Star break. The Padres (52-83) completed a two-game sweep of Seattle 8-3 on Wednesday as rookie Luis Urias, the No. 32 prospect in all of baseball entering 2018 according to Baseball America, recorded his first three major league hits in his second game. The Rockies' German Marquez tries for his seventh straight quality start and 10th in 11 outings and opposes rookie Eric Lauer, who returns after a stint on the disabled list with a strained left forearm.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; FS San Diego, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (11-9, 4.21 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Lauer (5-7, 5.30)

Marquez earned a no-decision after allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine in seven shutout innings of Colorado's 9-1 victory over St. Louis on Saturday. The 23-year-old Venezuelan is 6-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last 10 starts, lowering his ERA by 1.32. Eric Hosmer is 3-7 with a home run while Wil Myers is 2-for-10 with five strikeouts against Marquez, who is 2-2 with a 5.14 ERA in seven games (five starts) versus San Diego - 0-1, 2.25 in two turns this season.

Lauer struggled in three starts after the All-Star break, going 0-2 and yielding 14 runs over 11 innings before sustaining the injury while earning a no-decision in San Diego's 5-3 loss to San Francisco on July 30. The 23-year-old Ohio native and 25th overall pick in the 2016 draft was solid in eight starts prior to the break, going 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA. Lauer was hit hard in his major league debut, permitting seven runs (six earned), six hits and four walks in three innings of an 8-0 loss at Colorado on April 24.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rockies have a minus-13 run differential while Arizona is plus-84 and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are one game behind in the NL West, plus-127.

2. Padres CF Manuel Margot (.253) is 8-for-16 in his last five games after going 3-for-4 with a home run and double Wednesday.

3. Colorado has won nine of the 15 meetings in 2018, including four of six in San Diego, as it tries for its third straight season series victory over the Padres.

PREDICTION: Padres 3, Rockies 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 08-30-2018 in MLB

MLB Previews 30th August 2018 by Gracenote
Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 08/30/2018

The suddenly hot Los Angeles Dodgers look to post a season-best sixth consecutive victory when they open a crucial four-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. The Dodgers have outscored their opponents 34-13 during the winning streak to move within one game of the first-place Diamondbacks in the National League West.

Cody Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal and Manny Machado all hit solo homers in Wednesday's 3-1 triumph over the Texas Rangers as Los Angeles remained 1 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL's second wild-card spot. "I think we're cooking as a whole team right now," Bellinger told reporters. "It's just a matter of producing on the field. It's just a matter of time until the talent takes over." Arizona salvaged the finale of a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants by recording a 3-1 win Wednesday to move a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies. Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock is 3-for-28 over the last eight games but has tormented the Dodgers this season by batting .348 with seven homers, four doubles and 12 RBIs in 12 games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (3-2, 4.73 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (6-4, 3.50)

Ray has received seven consecutive no-decisions and is 0-2 over his last 10 turns. The 26-year-old allowed one run and five hits and struck out seven over five innings against the Seattle Mariners in his last outing. Ray is 2-0 with an 0.89 ERA in his last three starts against the Dodgers and is 6-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 13 career outings against Los Angeles.

Hill is 0-5 in seven starts against Arizona since joining the Dodgers - including 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in two 2018 outings - and stands 1-6 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 career turns against the Diamondbacks. The 38-year-old defeated the San Diego Padres in his last turn when he gave up two hits and struck out eight over six scoreless innings. Hill is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA over his last seven starts and has allowed two or fewer runs in six of them.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Diamondbacks are 8-4 versus Los Angeles this season, including 3-2 at Dodger Stadium.

2. Struggling Los Angeles RHP Kenley Jansen (heart issues) is expected to be available for closing duties Thursday, though manager Dave Roberts opted to use RHP Kenta Maeda to close out Wednesday's win.

3. Arizona had three runs on 16 hits in the three-game series with the Giants and had gone 25 innings without a run until RF Steven Souza Jr. led off the third inning Wednesday with his first homer since Aug. 5.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Thursday, August 30


National League
Brewers (74-60) @ Reds (57-76)
Miley is 0-1, 4.71 in his last four starts; over is 6-2 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 6-4, 4-2 away
5-inning record: 4-5-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-9

Reed allowed five runs in three IP (73 PT) in his only ’18 start, back on April 9. Team in his starts: 0-1, 0-0 home
5-inning record: 0-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-1

Brewers are 6-3 in their last nine games; they’re 16-16 vs vs lefty starters- over is 6-1 in their last seven games. Cincinnati lost six of its last seven games; they’re 17-15 vs vs lefty starters- under is 8-5 in their last 13 games.

Pirates (65-68) @ Cardinals (74-59)
Musgrove is 1-3, 3.48 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Team in his starts: 6-9, 2-4 away
5-inning record: 6-8-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-15

Gant is 2-1, 1.99 in his last four starts; under is 4-3 in his home starts. Team in his starts: 4-9, 2-5 home
5-inning record: 6-3-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Pirates lost six of their last eight games; four of their last six road games went over. St Louis is 16-4 in its last 20 games; over is 7-6 in their last 13 home games.

Cubs (78-54) @ Braves (74-58)
Montgomery is 1-1, 2.82 in his last four starts; his last three stayed under. Team in his starts: 6-7, 3-4 away
5-inning record: 6-7 Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-13

Foltynewicz is 3-1, 1.93 in his last five starts; under is 5-1 in his last six. Team in his starts: 12-13, 6-6 home
5-inning record: 11-8-6 Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-25

Cubs won seven of their last eight games; they’re 3-6 in last nine road series openers. Under isi 7-1-1 in their last nine road games. Atlanta lost five of its last six home games; they’re 12-9 in home series openers. 19-19 vs vs lefty starters- under is 10-2 in their last 12 games.

Diamondbacks (72-61) @ Dodgers (72-61)
Ray is 0-0, 4.34 in his last seven starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six road starts. Team in his starts: 7-10, 5-4 road
5-inning record: 9-5-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-17

Hill is 4-0, 2.55 in his last seven starts (over 5-2). Team in his starts: 9-9, 3-4 home
5-inning record: 6-9-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-18

Arizona lost four of its last six games; they’re 24-20 vs vs lefty starters—seven of their last nine games stayed under. Dodgers won their last five games; they’re 1-4 in last five home series openers, 28-21 vs vs lefty starters- over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 games.

Rockies (72-60) @ Padres (52-83)
Marquez is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three starts; his last six starts stayed under. Team in his starts: 14-11, 8-4 road
5-inning record: 11-11-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 16-25

Lauer is making his first start since July 30; he is 0-2, 11.45 in his last three starts (over 2-0-1). Team in his starts: 5-13, 3-6 home
5-inning record: 7-9-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-18

Colorado is 8-4 in its last 12 games, 15-7 in road series openers, 25-21 vs lefty starters- under is 8-4 in their last 12 games. San Diego won three of its last four home games; they’re 3-18 in home series openers. Four of their last five games went over.

American League
Twins (62-70) @ Indians (75-57)
Odorizzi is 1-1, 4.21 in his last five starts; his last four stayed under. Team in his starts: 12-15, 4-9 away
5-inning record: 11-11-5 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-27

Clevinger is 2-0, 2.70 in his last five starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 11-15, 6-7 home.
5-inning record: 7-12-7 Allowed run in 1st inning: 8-26

Twins lost four of their last five games; under is 7-3 in their last ten road games. Cleveland lost five of its last seven games; under is 8-3 in their last 11 home games.

Detroit (52-81) @ New York (84-49)
Liriano is 0-4, 9.00 in his last four starts; under is 7-4 in his last 11. Team in his starts: 7-14, 3-10 away
5-inning record: 7-10-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-21

Happ is 5-0, 2.37 in his five starts for New York (over 3-1-1). Team in his starts: 5-0, 4-0 home.
5-inning record: 5-0 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-5

Tigers lost their last five games; they’re 16-17 vs vs lefty starters- over is 4-2 in their last six road games. New York won five of its last seven games; they’re 26-10 vs vs lefty starters- their last five games stayed under.

Angels (64-69) @ Astros (82-51)
Heaney is 1-2, 6.67 in his last five starts; over is 6-2 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 12-12, 4-8 away
5-inning record: 7-11-6 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-24

Verlander is 2-2, 6.98 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 16-12, 5-10 home.
5-inning record: 18-6-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 7-28

Angels lost their last six games; they’re 9-13 in road series openers. Over is 8-5 in their last 13 games. Houston won eight of its last ten games; they’re 9-7 vs lefty starters, 10-11 in home series openers- over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Astros are 7-1 since Altuve got back in the lineup.

Red Sox (92-42) @ White Sox (53-80)
Porcello is 1-3, 6.26 in his last four starts; over is 13-7 in his last 20 starts. Team in his starts: 17-10, 9-6 away
5-inning record: 17-9-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 7-21

Giolito is 3-0, 3.32 in his last three starts; over is 5-1 in his last six home starts. Team in his starts: 14-12, 4-8 home.
5-inning record: 8-15-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 9-26

Red Sox are 5-6 in their last 11 games, 13-9 in road series openers. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Chicago is 11-4 in its last 15 games, 8-13 in home series openers. Under is 4-1 in their last five games.

Mariners (74-59) @ A’s (80-54)
LeBlanc is 1-1, 4.57 in his last four starts; under is 6-2 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 14-7, 5-5 away
5-inning record: 12-6-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 7-21

Montas is making his first start since July 29; he is 1-2, 6.00 in his last five starts. Team in his starts: 7-3, 2-2 home.
5-inning record: 4-5-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-10

Mariners are 5-9 in their last 14 games; they’re 12-10 in road series openers. Under is 5-2 in their last seven road games. A’s are 19-8 in their last 27 games; they’re 26-18 vs lefty starters, 12-9 in home series openers— four of their last six games stayed under.

______________________________

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 8/29
Ariz 34-23-10……33-22-10……..67-45
Atl 30-28-10…..32-23-9………62-51
Cubs 25-26-13……32-28-9…….57-54
Reds 21-40-4……25-31-10….…46-71
Colo 33-23-14……33-23-8……65-47
LA 34-23-8…….31-25-14……66-48
Miami 23-33-9…..27-28-15…….50-61
Milw 26-33-9…..34-25-7…….60-58
Mets 31-30-5……26-27-15…..57-55
Philly 26-26-15…..34-21-10……60-47
Pitt 29-28-7……29-27-13……..58-55
StL 34-25-10……28-30-6………62-55
SD 20-39-10……22-34-9…….42-73
SF 29-30-12…..27-24-13……56-54
Wash 29-28-13..…29-25-10……58-53

Orioles 18-37-12……21-37-11……39-73
Boston 32-23-14……41-18-6……..73-41
W Sox 23-40-6…..…20-35-10……43-75
Indians 27-27-13……41-16-9……..68-43
Det 21-35-9…..…30-30-11.……51-65
Astros 37-18-15……33-20-12…….70-37
KC 20-38-8…….27-32-10…..47-70
Angels 28-27-11……28-32-8……56-59
Twins 20-35-11……32-31-8…..52-66
NYY 33-21-11……41-21-7………74-41
A’s 26-32-11……28-25-12…..54-57
Seattle 32-29-9……29-24-14…….61-51
TB 30-26-12……31-25-9……60-50
Texas 22-35-8…..25-37-7…….47-72
Toronto 18-37-11…23-30-15……41-66

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total- 8/29)
Ariz 28-66…….25-66…..…53
Atl 21-67……27-64………48
Cubs 12-64……..22-66……..34
Reds 15-66……..16-68……..31
Colo 22-69…….24-64.…….46
LA 22-65……..25-68..…..47
Miami 14-65……..19-69…….33
Milw 23-67…..…25-68…….48
Mets 27-65……..21-68……48
Philly 16-67……..21-66……37
Pitt 15-64……..19-70…….34
StL 23-69……..20-64…….43
SD 19-70……..19-66…….38
SF 13-69………21-67..…..34
Wash 25-70……..19-64……..44

Orioles 19-67……..20-68………39
Boston 19-68……25-66………44
White Sox 19-68……16-64…….35
Clev 18-66…….28-65……..46
Detroit 20-65……..20-69….…40
Astros 20-69…..…15-65………35
KC 16-66..…….21-67…….37
Angels 17-64…..….18-68…….35
Twins 15-64………15-68…….30
NYY 15-65……..28-68………43
A’s 18-71…..…..18-65…….36
Seattle 26-68………21-67…….47
TB 21-68..……20-64…….41
Texas 10-65……19-68…….…29
Toronto 17-66………14-67….….31

Interleague play- 2018
NL @ AL– 71-67 NL, favorites +$100
AL @ NL– 68-56 NL, favorites -$167
Total: 139-123 NL, favorites -$67

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Thursday, August 30

Trend Report

Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 10 games at home
Cincinnati is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee


Minnesota Twins
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Indians
Cleveland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Cleveland is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing Minnesota
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota


Detroit Tigers
Detroit is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
Detroit is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
New York Yankees
NY Yankees is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games
NY Yankees is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games at home
NY Yankees is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
NY Yankees is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Detroit
NY Yankees is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
NY Yankees is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit


Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
St. Louis is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh


Chicago Cubs
Chi Cubs is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Chi Cubs's last 21 games
Chi Cubs is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Chi Cubs is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games when playing Atlanta
Chi Cubs is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Chi Cubs is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Atlanta's last 11 games
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Atlanta is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs


Boston Red Sox
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Chi White Sox
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chicago White Sox
Chi White Sox is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Chi White Sox is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
Chi White Sox is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Chi White Sox is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Boston
Chi White Sox is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing Boston
Chi White Sox is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Chi White Sox is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games when playing at home against Boston


Los Angeles Angels
LA Angels is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Angels is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
LA Angels is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Angels is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Angels is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Houston
LA Angels is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Angels's last 14 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Astros
Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Houston is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games at home
Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing LA Angels
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 14 games when playing at home against LA Angels


Seattle Mariners
Seattle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Seattle is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Seattle's last 11 games on the road
Seattle is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Oakland
Seattle is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing Oakland
Seattle is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Seattle is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland Athletics
Oakland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Oakland is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games
Oakland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Oakland is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Oakland's last 14 games at home
Oakland is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Seattle
Oakland is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing Seattle
Oakland is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Seattle
Oakland is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle


Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games when playing LA Dodgers
Arizona is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 9 games when playing LA Dodgers
Arizona is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
LA Dodgers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games
LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games
LA Dodgers is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games at home
LA Dodgers is 8-17 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Arizona
LA Dodgers is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games when playing Arizona
LA Dodgers is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona


Colorado Rockies
Colorado is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Colorado is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Colorado's last 17 games
Colorado is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing San Diego
Colorado is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Diego Padres
San Diego is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
San Diego is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
San Diego is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
San Diego is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games at home
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing Colorado
San Diego is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB
Weather Report

Thursday, August 30

http://i64.tinypic.com/jh7ygl.jpg
http://i68.tinypic.com/294o0fb.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/o9nvkg.jpg
http://i68.tinypic.com/oi985j.jpg

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, August 30


Milwaukee @ Cincinnati

Game 951-952
August 30, 2018 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Miley) 12.196
Cincinnati
(Reed) 15.736
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 3 1/2
13
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-130
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(+110); Over

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis

Game 953-954
August 30, 2018 @ 7:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Musgrve) 15.761
St. Louis
(Gant) 17.967
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-120); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta

Game 955-956
August 30, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Mntgmry) 16.656
Atlanta
(Fltynwcz) 14.852
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-135
8
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+115); Over

Arizona @ LA Dodgers

Game 957-958
August 30, 2018 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Ray) 15.841
LA Dodgers
(Hill) 18.088
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-135); Under

Colorado @ San Diego

Game 959-960
August 30, 2018 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Marquez) 16.091
San Diego
(Lauer) 15.064
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
( );

Minnesota @ Cleveland

Game 961-962
August 30, 2018 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Odorizzi) 16.163
Cleveland
(Clevnger) 13.514
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-210
9
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+180); Under

Detroit @ NY Yankees

Game 963-964
August 30, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Liriano) 14.369
NY Yankees
(Happ) 12.934
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-300
9
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+250); Under

LA Angels @ Houston

Game 965-966
August 30, 2018 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Heaney) 14.984
Houston
(Verlnder) 18.370
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-230
8
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-230); Over

Boston @ Chicago White Sox

Game 967-968
August 30, 2018 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Porcello) 16.261
Chicago White Sox
(Giolito) 15.068
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-200
9
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-200); Under

Seattle @ Oakland

Game 969-970
August 30, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(LeBlanc) 16.240
Oakland
(Montas) 14.684
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+115); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Thursday's Diamond Notes
Kevin Rogers

Hottest team: White Sox (7-3 last 10)

Yes, the White Sox are going nowhere towards the playoffs this season. However, Chicago is saving its best baseball for late in the season as the Sox are coming off five consecutive series victories. The latest series win was a solid performance by taking two of three from the Yankees in New York with both victories coming as a +200 underdog or higher. The worst part is in the lone loss, Chicago squandered a 4-0 lead and lost on a walk-off homer on Tuesday, which prevented the Sox from a season-high five-game winning streak.

The task doesn’t get easier as Chicago returns home tonight to battle Boston. Granted, the White Sox did grab two of three matchups at Fenway Park back in June, as Boston heads to Chicago trying to snap a four-game road losing streak. Since the All-Star break, Chicago has won seven of eight starts made by right-hander Lucas Giolito, while the right-hander is coming off three consecutive road wins in his past three outings.

Coldest team: Angels (2-9 last 11)

Both Western divisions in baseball are top-heavy this season as three teams have a shot to make the playoffs in the AL West and NL West. However, the Angels aren’t part of that mix as they have won only two of their last 11 games since sweeping the Padres in mid-August. In the last seven games, Los Angeles has picked up one victory against three potential playoff squads (Houston, Colorado, and Arizona), while veteran slugger Albert Pujols was lost for the season after undergoing knee surgery.

The Angels travel to the Lone Star State to face the Astros tonight for the start of a four-game set. Andrew Heaney hasn’t had much luck on the road for the Halos this season, as L.A. owns a 4-8 record in his 12 away starts, although the Halos are 3-1 in his past four road outings. The only good news for the Angels tonight is they face Justin Verlander, who is winless in his last four home assignments.

Hottest pitcher: J.A. Happ, Yankees (15-6, 3.80 ERA)

The Yankees acquired plenty of arms at the trade deadline to help themselves for a potential run in the playoffs. Happ won 10 starts as a member of the Blue Jays before getting dealt to New York, but the southpaw has been electric since his move to the Bronx by compiling a 5-0 record in five starts. In those five outings, Happ has allowed a total of eight earned runs, while four of those wins have come at Yankee Stadium. Happ will get the ball at home tonight as a heavy favorite against the Tigers, but Detroit got the best of Happ in two wins earlier this season when he pitched for Toronto.

Coldest pitcher: Joe Musgrove, Pirates (5-7, 3.56 ERA)

The former Astros’ hurler went through a stretch after the All-Star break by tossing at least seven innings in five of six starts. However, that streak came to an end when he lasted only four innings in an extra-innings loss to the Brewers last Friday. The Pirates have lost four of Musgrove’s last five starts, including three defeats by one run each. Musgrove faces the Cardinals tonight in a rubber match at Busch Stadium as the right-hander defeated St. Louis earlier this season at home by tossing seven scoreless innings in an 8-1 blowout.

Biggest OVER run: Red Sox (6-2-1 last nine)

Boston’s offense scored a total of two runs in the final two losses of a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay last weekend. The Red Sox rebounded in a huge way by crossing home plate 22 times in a two-game home sweep of the Marlins. Boston dropped an 11-spot in the seventh inning in last night’s 14-6 blowout of Miami, the 17th time this season the Red Sox have scored double-digit runs. The Red Sox travel to Chicago to face the streaking White Sox as Rick Porcello takes the mound for Boston. The UNDER has hit in three of Porcello’s last four road outings, while Porcello lost to the White Sox earlier this season as a -220 home favorite, 5-2.

Biggest UNDER run: Yankees (5-0 last five)

New York is coming off probably its worst home series of the season after losing two of three to the White Sox in the Bronx. For the exception of a late rally in Tuesday’s walk-off win, the Yankees produced three runs in the two losses, which is in stark contrast to scoring 27 runs in last weekend’s four-game sweep of the Orioles. The Yankees draw another below .500 squad tonight as the Tigers invade the Bronx looking to snap a five-game skid. Detroit has scored two runs or less in four straight games, while New York’s offense could wake up as Tigers’ pitching has given up at least six runs in five consecutive contests.

Matchup to watch: Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers

One game separates the top three teams in the NL West with two days remaining in August. Arizona and Los Angeles are both coming off road wins last night as the two squads start a crucial four-game series at Dodger Stadium tonight. The D-backs remained in first place by edging the Giants, 3-1, while the Dodgers held off the Rangers in Arlington to pick up their second consecutive sweep.

Robbie Ray takes the ball in the opener for Arizona as the southpaw has amazingly picked up a no-decision in seven consecutive starts. The D-backs are 2-8 in Ray’s last 10 starts dating back to the start of July, while not lasting past the sixth inning nine times in this stretch. Ray has not faced the Dodgers this season, but Arizona won four of his six starts against Los Angeles in 2017, including two victories at Chavez Ravine.

Rich Hill counters for the Dodgers, as the southpaw tossed six scoreless innings against the Padres his last time out in an 11-1 home blowout. Los Angeles has compiled a 5-2 record in Hill’s seven starts since the All-Star break, but Hill has been torched by Arizona in two outings this season by allowing 14 hits and 12 earned runs in nine innings of work. The D-backs have won five of the last nine matchups with the Dodgers, as these teams meet for one more series in Phoenix in late September.

Betcha didn’t know: The Athletics have won seven of their last nine home series openers as they welcome in the Mariners tonight. Oakland dropped two of three to Houston and face a Seattle squad mired in a mini slump after getting swept at San Diego in a two-game series. Mariners’ starter Wade LeBlanc was money in the bank at home until losing his last two starts at Safeco, but Seattle has won each of LeBlanc’s last three starts on the highway.

Biggest public favorite: Yankees (-300) vs. Tigers

Biggest public underdog: Cubs (+114) at Braves

Biggest line move: Pirates (+115 to +100) at Cardinals

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, August 30


Colorado @ San Diego

Game 959-960
August 30, 2018 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Marquez) 16.091
San Diego
(Lauer) 15.064
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-145
8
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-145); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 30

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MILWAUKEE (74 - 60) at CINCINNATI (57 - 76) - 12:35 PM
WADE MILEY (L) vs. CODY REED (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 21-31 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-16 (-10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 74-60 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 76-73 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 16-10 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 62-53 (+16.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
REED is 0-12 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 10-5 (+3.4 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.5 Units)

WADE MILEY vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
MILEY is 4-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.42 and a WHIP of 1.220.
His team's record is 6-2 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-2. (+3.7 units)

CODY REED vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
REED is 0-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 54.00 and a WHIP of 8.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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PITTSBURGH (65 - 68) at ST LOUIS (74 - 59) - 7:15 PM
JOE MUSGROVE (R) vs. JOHN GANT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 32-44 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 20-45 (-20.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 20-6 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
ST LOUIS is 36-22 (+10.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-24 (+10.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 26-21 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 117-109 (-35.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 49-50 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 55-54 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 10-12 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 8-7 (-0.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

JOE MUSGROVE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
MUSGROVE is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

JOHN GANT vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
GANT is 0-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 7.30 and a WHIP of 1.460.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (78 - 54) at ATLANTA (74 - 58) - 7:35 PM
MIKE MONTGOMERY (L) vs. MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1773-1816 (-264.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 56-51 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1309-1353 (-205.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
ATLANTA is 74-57 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 37-26 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 35-22 (+12.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ATLANTA is 37-31 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 13-2 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 (+2.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

MIKE MONTGOMERY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
MONTGOMERY is 1-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 0.818.
His team's record is 1-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
FOLTYNEWICZ is 0-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.625.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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ARIZONA (73 - 60) at LA DODGERS (72 - 61) - 10:10 PM
ROBBIE RAY (L) vs. RICH HILL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 21-33 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARIZONA is 167-132 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 38-29 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ARIZONA is 22-11 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 79-58 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 26-17 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 95-71 (+13.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 72-61 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 14-21 (-18.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season.
LA DODGERS are 35-33 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 49-51 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 30-27 (-13.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 52-43 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HILL is 9-12 (-11.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 8-4 (+5.9 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

ROBBIE RAY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
RAY is 6-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.98 and a WHIP of 1.169.
His team's record is 8-6 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-5. (+4.1 units)

RICH HILL vs. ARIZONA since 1997
HILL is 1-7 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 5.95 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 3-10 (-12.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.6 units)

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COLORADO (72 - 60) at SAN DIEGO (52 - 83) - 10:10 PM
GERMAN MARQUEZ (R) vs. ERIC LAUER (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 9-6 (+0.5 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.4 Units)

GERMAN MARQUEZ vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
MARQUEZ is 2-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.419.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

ERIC LAUER vs. COLORADO since 1997
LAUER is 0-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 3.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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MINNESOTA (62 - 70) at CLEVELAND (75 - 57) - 1:10 PM
JAKE ODORIZZI (R) vs. MIKE CLEVINGER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 23-41 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 6-18 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in road games in day games this season.
MINNESOTA is 147-148 (+1.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 375-389 (+45.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 52-52 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 75-57 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 21-23 (-17.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-27 (-23.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -250 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 57-42 (-12.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVINGER is 11-15 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CLEVINGER is 3-8 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-9 (+4.3 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.5 Units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
ODORIZZI is 1-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.89 and a WHIP of 1.609.
His team's record is 2-6 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.8 units)

MIKE CLEVINGER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
CLEVINGER is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.64 and a WHIP of 1.416.
His team's record is 3-3 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

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DETROIT (53 - 80) at NY YANKEES (84 - 49) - 7:05 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. J.A. HAPP (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 117-178 (-42.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 2-20 (-16.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 this season.
DETROIT is 19-46 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 7-29 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
LIRIANO is 13-5 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAPP is 11-22 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+0.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
LIRIANO is 4-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.484.
His team's record is 4-7 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.6 units)

J.A. HAPP vs. DETROIT since 1997
HAPP is 3-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.02 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 3-6 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.6 units)

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LA ANGELS (64 - 69) at HOUSTON (82 - 51) - 8:10 PM
ANDREW HEANEY (L) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 64-69 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 27-36 (-14.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 30-38 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 20-41 (-18.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 16-16 (-17.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -250 this season.
HOUSTON is 35-30 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 19-17 (-20.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 25-27 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-15 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 10-18 (-28.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 23-23 (-25.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-14 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 20-16 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
VERLANDER is 5-10 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 44-41 (-27.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 3-9 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 3-7 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 3-6 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 8-4 (+2.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

ANDREW HEANEY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HEANEY is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.32 and a WHIP of 1.065.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
VERLANDER is 12-8 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.05 and a WHIP of 1.042.
His team's record is 13-10 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 16-5. (+10.3 units)

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BOSTON (92 - 42) at CHI WHITE SOX (53 - 80) - 8:10 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. LUCAS GIOLITO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 10-19 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 16-11 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-41 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
GIOLITO is 14-12 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GIOLITO is 12-6 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 92-42 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 43-16 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 20-7 (+11.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 75-28 (+33.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 64-27 (+23.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PORCELLO is 92-50 (+25.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-1 (+3.6 Units) against BOSTON this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
PORCELLO is 11-9 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.36 and a WHIP of 1.312.
His team's record is 15-9 (+5.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-11. (+0.2 units)

LUCAS GIOLITO vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (74 - 59) at OAKLAND (80 - 54) - 10:05 PM
WADE LEBLANC (L) vs. FRANKIE MONTAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 172-213 (-57.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 97-167 (-51.7 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
OAKLAND is 80-54 (+31.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 36-25 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 39-26 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 340-278 (+56.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 48-35 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 33-20 (+19.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 74-59 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 40-34 (+5.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 36-31 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SEATTLE is 17-12 (+7.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 51-35 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 52-37 (+16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 33-24 (+6.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 34-35 (+4.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LEBLANC is 14-7 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LEBLANC is 12-6 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-5 (+1.6 Units) against OAKLAND this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.7 Units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. OAKLAND since 1997
LEBLANC is 2-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.146.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

FRANKIE MONTAS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Diamond Trends - Thursday
Vince Akins

SU Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Indians are 18-0 SU since the start of the 2012 season as a home 140+ favorite after they lost by one run and it is post All-Star break.

SU Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Mariners are 0-14 SU in the first game of a series with no rest as a road dog off a road game in which they did not hit a home run and it is post All-Star break.

Hitter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Reds are 0-14 SU as a home dog off a game as a dog in which Scooter Gennett had multiple hits.

Starter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Dodgers are 11-0 OU with Rich Hill as a favorite when he went 6+ innings and allowed fewer than six hits in his last start.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Thursday, August 30


Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

Streaking: J.A. Happ, New York Yankees (15-6, 3.850 ERA, $753)

It's was certainly no secret that the major issue with the Yankees' roster (other than some missing bodies due to injury) was their starting rotation. Well, what a boost they've gotten from the addition of J.A. Happ from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

Since putting on the pinstripes, Happ owns a team win/loss record of 5-0, an ERA of 2.37, and a WHIP of 0.9231.

Happ looks to keep it rolling this evening at Yankee Stadium as a huge -310 favorite against Francisco Liriano and the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Slumping: Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers (3-9, 4.82 ERA, $-559)

Francisco Liriano, another former Blue Jays' starter, comes in to tonight's outing with a team win/loss record of 3-9 on the season. Some of that can certainly be associated with the fact that he pitches for the rebuilding Detroit Tigers, but he has also really struggled with his personal stats of late. In Liriano's last three starts he is 0-3 with an ERA of 8.25, a WHIP of 2.25, and an opponent's on-base percentage of .443.

Liriano has the difficult assignment of trying to beat his ex-teammate, J.A. Happ, and contain the Yankees in The Bronx tonight as a +280 underdog.


Pitcher's Wind At Progressive

The weather forecast is calling for a 12-14 mile per hour wind blowing in from right-center field for this afternoon's game between the Twins and Indians in Cleveland. This is great news for today's starting pitchers, Jake Odorizzi and Mike Clevinger.

While Odorizzi's numbers are exactly awe-inspiring, he has been better on the road this season with an ERA of 4.01 and a WHIP of 1.35 away from Target Field. Clevinger has been dynamite in his last two starts at Progressive Field, allowing only one run in 13 innings of work.

With the wind blowing in and Clevinger's recent form at home, the Under on Minnesota's team total is worth a look at 3.5 (-115) and perhaps a sprinkle on the full game Under at 8.5 (-105).


YARR!!! More Unders

The Pirates and Cardinals will wrap up their three-game series this evening in St. Louis. The first two games of their mid-week set went Under the closing total and six of their last eight head-to-head encounters have cashed for Under bettors.

The Under has hit in 12 of the Pirates' last 16 games overall and seven of the Cards' last nine contests have finished Under the closing number.

Joe Musgrove gets the road start for the Pirates and he has been very tidy away from home with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP this season. His only career start against the Cardinals was back in May when he held them scoreless for seven innings in an eventual 8-1 victory.

Cards' starter John Gant is also in very good recent form with a very nice 1.99 ERA over his last four starts and owns a 3.35 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in seven starts at home this season.

With all of these stats, and the fact that Mike Winters and his huge 64.4 strike percentage on the season will be behind the plate, it makes sense to look at Under 8 (-115) for the full game and Under 4.5 (-130) for the first five innings.


An Insulting total?

Most times, when you see a total of 8.0 or lower, you expect to see a fairly decent pitching matchup on the board. And no offense to Robbie Ray and Rich Hill in tonight’s D-backs-Dodgers game, but they aren’t show stoppers by any means.

Ray has failed to find the magic he had last year with a 4.73 ERA and Hill has a 3.50 ERA, but rarely pitches more than six innings. Yes, this number is about a pair of lineups that are what some would call inconsistent.

However, both have a penchant for hitting home runs off south paws, which both Hill and Ray are. Plus, the Dodges bullpen has been iffy of late. Lastly, the Over has cashed the last seven times these two NL West rivals have met in L.A. We think the number is a little low for teams so talented. Look at the Over 7.5.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

R and R Totals

NFL NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/NEW YORK GIANTS ‑105 o38

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Picks 2 Play

NFL BALTIMORE RAVENS ‑6.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pure Lock

NFL MIAMI DOLPHINS ‑105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Monster Sports Picks

MLB MILWAUKEE BREWERS ‑135

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Power Play Wins

NFL JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS +1.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Total Winner Sports

NFL PITTSBURGH STEELERS ‑2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Team Underground

NCAA Football MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS ‑21.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tommy King Wins

NCAA Football TULANE GREEN WAVE +7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Top Dog

MLB ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS +120

[Can'tPickAWinner]

First Half Sports

NFL PITTSBURGH STEELERS ‑2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MVP Lock Club

NFL PITTSBURGH STEELERS ‑2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wise Guy Insider

NFL DALLAS COWBOYS +4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

VIP Sports Lock Club

NFL DALLAS COWBOYS +4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pinnacle Sports Picks

NFL BALTIMORE RAVENS ‑6.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Best Sports Capper

NFL PITTSBURGH STEELERS ‑2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Valley Sports

NFL TENNESSEE TITANS ‑1

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Cole Faxon Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-F | Central Florida vs Connecticut
Play on: Central Florida -23 -110 at GTBets

FREE PLAY on Central Florida -23 -110

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Sal Michaels Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-F | Central Florida vs Connecticut
Play on: OVER 73 -110

Free Play on Central Florida vs Connecticut over 73 -110

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Jimmy Boyd Aug 30 '18, 8:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-F | Northwestern vs Purdue
Play on: UNDER 51½ -110

1* Free Pick on Purdue/Northwestern UNDER 51.5
The total has been set way too high for Thursday's rare Big Ten season opener that has Purdue hosting Northwestern. The Wildcats won last year at home by a final score of 23-13 and that contest didn't even come close to the total of 50.5.
This one won't either, as I look for both offenses to struggle to get going. Northwestern has 7 starters back on defense and will feature one of the best front 7's in the Big Ten. While Purdue will return 9 starters on offense, they only averaged 25.2 ppg last year.
One of the big reasons people will be drawn to the OVER is the fact that the Boilermakers only have 4 starters back on defense. The thing to keep in mind is it wasn't so much the talent as it was the coaching when it came to Purdue's big turnaround on defense last year.
The Boilermakers had 7 or more defensive starters return in each of the previous 3 seasons before Brohm and DC Nick Holt came to down. All 3 times they gave up 31+ ppg, including 38.3 in 2016 with 8 starters back. Holt basically took that same defense that was atrocious in 2016 and they gave up 20.5 ppg.
I'm not saying Purdue will be as strong on defense as they were a year ago, I just don't think the drop off will be as significant as some think. At the same time, Purdue's defense should benefit from this being a home game played under the lights, as Ross-Ade Stadium figures to be electric. Take the UNDER!

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Bobby Conn Aug 30 '18, 8:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-F | Northwestern vs Purdue
Play on: UNDER 52 -115

1* Free Play on Northwestern/Purdue under 52 -115

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Info Plays Aug 30 '18, 8:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-F | Northwestern vs Purdue
Play on: Northwestern +2½ -105 at GTBets

1* Free Play on Northwestern +2½ -105

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Totals Guru Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-F | Central Florida vs Connecticut
Play on: UNDER 74 -105

Free Total Annihilator On Central Florida vs Connecticut under 74 -105

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Jack Jones Aug 30 '18, 10:05 PM in 5h
MLB | Mariners vs A's
Play on: Mariners +130 at MyBookie

Jack’s Free Pick Thursday: Seattle Mariners +130
It’s now or never for the Seattle Mariners. They are 5.5 games behind the A’s for the final wild card spot in the American League. Now they have a four-game series here against the A’s with an excellent opportunity to make up some ground.
I’ll back Wade LeBlanc as an underdogs in Game 1 of this series tonight. LeBlanc is 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.139 WHIP in 21 starts this season. He has never lost to the A’s, going 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.146 WHIP in four career starts against them.
Frankie Montas is 5-3 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.457 WHIP in 10 starts this season for Oakland, including 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.459 WHIP in four home starts. He comes in scuffling a bit having given up 6 earned runs and 17 base runners over 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts.
The Mariners are 19-7 in LeBlanc’s last 26 starts, including 10-1 in his last 11 starts when working on 4 days’ rest. Seattle is 20-8 in its last 28 meetings in Oakland. Bet the Mariners Thursday.

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Kenny Walker Aug 30 '18, 8:10 PM in 3h
MLB | Angels vs Astros
Play on: Astros -226 at GTBets

Free Pick on Astros

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Doug Upstone Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NFLX | Patriots vs Giants
Play on: Giants -2½ -105 at pinnacle

On Thursday night in Week 4 of the NFL Preseason, Play Against favorites like ATLANTA, PITTSBURGH and the N.Y. GIANTS, who are an average passing team (185-230 PY/game), against a poor passing defense (230-265 PY/game). In the last 24 preseasons, these teams are a dismal 3-22 ATS.

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Ross Benjamin Aug 30 '18, 7:35 PM in 2h
MLB | CHC vs ATL
Play on: UNDER 8½ -107

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John Martin Aug 30 '18, 7:35 PM in 2h
MLB | Cubs vs Braves
Play on: Braves -123 at GTBets

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Atlanta Braves -123
I’ll get behind the Atlanta Braves and Mike Foltynewicz tonight over the Chicago Cubs. Foltynewicz has been excellent in his five August starts, going 3-1 with a 1.38 ERA in 32 2/3 innings with 36 strikeouts. He faced the Cubs earlier this season on May 15th and pitched 5 innings with 10 strikeouts without allowing a single earned run. The Cubs are 1-5 in Mike Montgomery’s last six starts. Give me the Braves.

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Marc Lawrence Aug 30 '18, 8:00 PM in 3h
NFLX | Rams vs Saints
Play on: Rams +4 -109 at GTBets

Play - L.A. Rams (Game 121).
Edges - Rams: 8-2 ATS preseason away off a home game … Saints: 0-15 SU Thursdays preseason; and 0-4 ATS Game Four preseason; and 0-4 SUATS 2nd home game of the preseason … With that we recommend a 1* play on the Rams. Thank you and good luck as always.

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Dave Price Aug 30 '18, 7:15 PM in 2h
MLB | Pirates vs Cardinals
Play on: Cardinals -109 at BetPhoenix

Dave’s Thursday Free Play:
1* on St. Louis Cardinals -109
The Key: I like the price we are getting with the St. Louis Cardinals at home today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals are the team in contention while the Pirates are basically eliminated from the postseason. St. Louis starter John Cant is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his last 4 starts, yielding just 5 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings. The Cardinals are 20-6 in their last 26 games overall, including 16-5 in their last 21 games following a loss. The Pirates are 1-4 in Musgrove’s last 5 starts. The Cardinals are 36-15 in their last 51 home meetings with the Pirates. Take St. Louis.

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Mark Wilson Aug 30 '18, 8:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-F | Northwestern vs Purdue
Play on: UNDER 52 -115

Free Play on Northwestern vs Purdue under 52 -115

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Dustin Hawkins Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-F | New Mexico State vs Minnesota
Play on: Minnesota -21 -110 at Bovada

Free Play on Minnesota -21 -110

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Vic Duke Aug 30 '18, 10:00 PM in 5h
NFLX | Raiders vs Seahawks
Play on: Seahawks -3 +105 at 5Dimes

Raiders/Seahawks 10:00: Fourth NFL Pre-Season week a crapshoot and should tread lightly; after all, teams need to sharply cut down their rosters and many on the field today won't be playing on their respective team when the season starts. With that said, there are some trends that cannot be ignored. Seattle, which has struggled in the win column all pre-season, has a history of winning in Week 4 (11-1 ATS) while Oakland, coming off a win, does not at 1-10 ATS. Pete Carroll likes to go into the regular season on a winning note and has the 12th man Century Link Field advantage to help. The Raiders' offense has been sloppy most of the pre-season with fumbles and penalties and don't see the rookies cleaning it up tonight. Seattle the call.

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Brandon Lee Aug 30 '18, 10:10 PM in 5h
MLB | Diamondbacks vs Dodgers
Play on: Dodgers -135 at 5Dimes

10* FREE MLB PICK (Dodgers -135)
I'll gladly take my chances here with the Dodgers as a small home favorite against the Diamondbacks on Thursday. LA is red-hot right now, as they enter tonight's contest having won 5 straight and will have Rich Hill on the mound, who has a strong 3.00 ERA and 0.889 WHIP over his last 3 starts. Arizona on the other hand has just 2 wins in their last 6 games. Robbie Ray will be on the mound for the Diamondbacks and they are just 1-7 in Ray's last 8 starts overall and 0-5 in his last 5 vs a team with a winning record. Give me the Dodgers -135!

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Steve Janus Aug 30 '18, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-F | New Mexico State vs Minnesota
Play on: New Mexico State +21½ -110 at MyBookie

1* Free Sharp Play on New Mexico State +21½ -110
My money is on New Mexico State to cash in a winning ticket as a big dog against the Gophers on Thursday. I believe we are seeing a big overreaction with this line after how bad the Aggies looked in their opener this past Saturday against Wyoming. Minnesota went from being a 18-point favorite to laying over 3 touchdowns. As bad as the offense was for New Mexico State in the opener, that Wyoming defense is no joke. I think the offense will be much better in this one. I also think the Aggies defense could give the Gophers offense trouble, as they will be starting a true freshman at quarterback. You also can't underestimate the advantage of having already played a game against an opponent that is playing for the first time. Look for New Mexico State to keep this closer than expected. Bet the Aggies +21.5!