THE SPORTS ADVISORS THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 NFL PRESEASON Jacksonville (0-2, 0-1-1 ATS) at Philadelphia (0-2 SU and ATS) Michael Vick will make his Eagles debut when Philadelphia hosts the Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. Vick, who hasn’t participated in an NFL game since 2006, is expected to play with the first-team offense, both at quarterback and in the “wildcat” formation, sometime in the first half. Coach Andy Reid didn’t spell out how long Vick would be on the field, only that he wouldn’t play in the fourth quarter. Reid did say his first-stringers, including No. 1 QB Donovan McNabb, will play three quarters tonight after playing most of the first half in last week’s 23-15 loss at Indianapolis as 3½-point road favorite. Also, backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, who has been sidelined with an injury, will see his first preseason action as he leads the offense in the fourth quarter tonight. Jacksonville has dropped its first two exhibition games by a combined four points, losing 12-9 at Miami as a three-point road underdog then falling 24-23 to Tampa Bay last week as a three-point home favorite. Because this is the team’s third game in 11 days, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said his starters, including QB David Garrard, won’t be on the field very long tonight, though he wasn’t specific beyond that. Once Garrard departs, look for veteran backup Todd Bouman to take over, followed by rookie Paul Smith. Philadelphia has now lost three straight August contest (0-3 ATS) dating to Week 4 of last year. The Eagles, who have had just one winning preseason in Reid’s decade-long tenure as coach, are just 1-3 SU and ATS in their last four preseason home games, including a 27-25 loss to New England as a three-point favorite two weeks ago. The Jaguars are looking to avoid their first losing preseason since Del Rio took over as coach in 2003. Despite the loss in Miami in Week 1, they’re still 5-2 SU and 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven exhibition road games, and they’re 3-0-1 ATS in their last four as a preseason pup. Finally, Jacksonville has won and covered three straight Week 3 games in August. The over is 12-6 in Jacksonville’s last 18 preseason games, but three of its last four on the road have stayed low. The Eagles have topped the total in nine of their last 11 preseason contests, including both this year. ATS ADVANTAGE: JACKSONVILLE and OVER St. Louis (1-1 SU and ATS) at Cincinnati (1-1 SU and ATS) The Bengals likely will be without starting quarterback Carson Palmer once again when they host the Rams, who also will be missing their top passer when they visit Paul Brown Stadium. St. Louis fell 20-13 to Atlanta as a 2½-point home underdog a week ago, with starting QB Marc Bulger on the sidelines nursing a broken pinkie on his throwing hand. With Bulger out of this one, the Rams again turn to veteran Kyle Boller who will lead the first-team offense through the entire first half and possibly into the third quarter. Behind Boller are rookie Keith Null and veteran Brock Berlin, who are competing for the No. 3 job. Palmer injured his ankle in a Week 1 loss at New Orleans and sat out last Thursday’s game at New England, which Cincinnati won 7-6 as a 6½-point road underdog. He won’t play tonight, leaving the starting QB chores to J.T. O’Sullivan, who has completed 79 percent of his passes with two TDs and no picks this month. Coach Marvin Lewis didn’t reveal how long his starters will play, but expect Palmer’s brother, Jordan, to see action under center in the second half. St. Louis dropped to 4-8 ATS in its last 12 as an underdog with last week’s loss to Atlanta, and despite upsetting the Jets in New York in Week 1, the Rams are just 4-11 SU and 5-10 ATS in preseason roadies since 2002. Cincinnati has been the picture of preseason mediocrity since Lewis took over in 2003, splitting 26 games while going 14-12 ATS. Last year, the Bengals went 0-2 SU and ATS at home in August, and they’re 1-3 SU and ATS the last four years in Week 3 dress-rehearsals. The Bengals have now stayed under the total in four consecutive preseason games, but the “over” is 3-0 in the Rams’ three exhibition road contests since the start of last year. ATS ADVANTAGE: CINCINNATI Miami (2-0, 1-0-1 ATS) at Tampa Bay (1-1 SU and ATS) The Dolphins gun for their sixth consecutive preseason victory when they head up state to face the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay held on for a 24-23 win at Jacksonville on Saturday, cashing as a three-point underdog. Veteran quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown, who are locked in a battle for the No. 1 job, are each slated to play about 1½ quarters tonight, both with the first-string offense. Rookie coach Raheem Morris said Leftwich will get the start followed by McCown, who threw two TD passes against the Jaguars. Rookie Josh Freeman will play the fourth quarter. Miami swept its two preseason home games, beating Jacksonville 12-9 as a three-point favorite and Carolina 27-17 last week as a 2½-point chalk, moving to 5-0 SU and ATS in exhibition play since a 17-6 home loss to Tampa Bay in coach Tony Sparano’s debut last August. Sparano said QB Chad Pennington will start tonight and play until midway through the third quarter, with the majority of the remaining starters finishing the quarter. Chad Henne will replace Pennington and finish the game, leaving rookie QB Pat White without any reps under center. The Buccaneers are on a 7-3 SU and ATS run in preseason action, they’re 9-3 (8-4 ATS) in their last 12 at Raymond James Stadium in August and they’ve cashed in four straight as a preseason chalk. On the downside, Tampa Bay is just 1-4 SU and 1-3-1 ATS in Week 3 over the last five summers. However, the one victory came in Miami in 2007 when the Bucs topped the Dolphins 31-28 as a two-point underdog. The Dolphins scored outright upsets in their two preseason road tilts last year, and they’re 4-1 ATS as an underdog in August since 2007. The visitor has won the last three meetings in this annual preseason rivalry (3-0 ATS), and the Bucs are 5-1-1 ATS in the last six August clashes. The over is 7-2 in Tampa Bay’s last nine exhibition contests (2-0 this year). Conversely, the under is 7-2 in Miami’s last eight in August, with last week’s high-scoring affair against Carolina snapping a 5-0 preseason “under” stretch. Finally, the under is 6-2 in the last eight preseason matchups between these teams. ATS ADVANTAGE: TAMPA BAY and UNDER AMERICAN LEAGUE Chicago White Sox (63-64) at Boston (73-53) The Red Sox send rookie Junichi Tazawa (2-2, 3.57 ERA) to the mound at Fenway Park looking to complete a four-game sweep over the White Sox, who counter with lefty John Danks (11-8, 3.85). Boston got two homers from David Ortiz on Wednesday, including a walk-off shot in the ninth that curled around Pesky Pole to give the Red Sox a 3-2 win. Boston has won eight of the last nine meetings with Chicago at Fenway Park and 14 of the last 17 clashes overall. As a team, the White Sox are on slides of 5-16 on the road, 2-12 on the road against right-handed starters, 16-40 on the road against winning teams and 1-6 against A.L. East squads. Boston is riding streaks of 7-2 overall, 13-2 as a favorite, 46-16 against the A.L. Central, 38-16 as a home chalk and 36-15 on Thursdays. Danks has been sharp lately, going 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA in his last three starts. On Saturday he held the Orioles to one run on three hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-1 victory, and over his last three outings he’s allowed just four runs in 21 2/3 innings. Chicago is 0-3 in his three career outings against Boston, including a 5-1 loss last year when he allowed two runs in seven innings. However, the White Sox are 6-1 in Danks’ last seven outings against A.L. East opponents. Tazawa is making just his fourth career start, but was magnificent on Saturday against the rival Yankees, blanking them through six innings as the Red Sox got the easy 14-1 win. He’s enjoyed Fenway so far, going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA. When Danks takes the hill, Chicago is on “under” runs of 10-4 overall, 8-2 on Thursdays, 5-1 when he’s on the road and 5-2 when he’s a ‘dog. As a team, the White Sox are on a plethora of “under” streaks that include 12-4 on the road, 15-6-1 against winning teams, 5-1 against the A.L. East, 7-1 overall and 9-1 on the road against right-handers. On the opposite side, Boston is riding “over” runs of 11-3 at home, 5-1 on Thursdays, 4-0 against southpaws, 14-4 as a favorite and 8-3 against teams with losing road records. Finally, the under has been the play in this series in five of the last seven overall and 10 of the last 15 in Beantown. ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON
Mighty Quinn Mighty split with the Indians and Tigers Wednesday. Today it's the Marlins. The surplus is 1,450 sirignanos.
Hondo August 27, 2009 Hondo's four-pronged deficit-reduction plan turned into a total disaster last night as he went quadruple-draino with the Tigers, Rangers, White Sox and Nats to end the day with a debt of 710 sains. Tonight, he's taking a wild stab in Atlanta -- 10 units on poor Richard and the Pods over Los Bravos.
Scott Ferrall MLB FREE PICKS FOR THURSDAY PICKS ARE IN ALL CAPS AND RANKED IN ORDER OF CONFIDENCE ( ) Houston (Moehler) ST. LOUIS (CARPENTER) -320 (1) Oakland (Cahill) ANGELS (SANTANA) -180 (2) WHITE SOX (DANKS) +105 (3) Boston (Tazawa) Run Totals Kansas City / Seattle OVER 8 ½ Texas / Yankees UNDER 9 ½ San Diego / Atlanta UNDER 8
NFL DUNKEL Week 3 Jacksonville at Philadelphia The preseason continues Thursday night with the Eagles hosting the Jaguars Philadelphia is the pick (-7) according to Dunkel, which has the Eagles favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-7). Here are all of this week's preseason picks. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Game 251-252: Jacksonville at Philadelphia Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 120.617; Philadelphia 130.164 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 9 1/2; 45 Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 7; 37 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-7); Over Game 253-254: St. Louis at Cincinnati Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 120.205; Cincinnati 119.684 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 38 Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 2 1/2; 35 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+2 1/2); Over Game 255-256: Miami at Tampa Bay Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.040; Tampa Bay 123.858 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 32 1/2 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 35 Dunkel Pick: Miami (+2 1/2); Under
NFL LONG SHEET Week 3 Thursday, August 27 JACKSONVILLE (0 - 2) at PHILADELPHIA (0 - 2) - 8/27/2009, 7:00 PM Top Trends for this game. JACKSONVILLE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in a road game where the total is between 35.5 and 38 points since 1993. JACKSONVILLE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field since 1993. Head-to-Head Series History There were no past matchups in this series during this time period. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST LOUIS (1 - 1) at CINCINNATI (1 - 1) - 8/27/2009, 7:30 PM There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game. Head-to-Head Series History There were no past matchups in this series during this time period. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIAMI (2 - 0) at TAMPA BAY (1 - 1) - 8/27/2009, 8:00 PM There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game. Head-to-Head Series History TAMPA BAY is 2-0 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons TAMPA BAY is 2-0 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons 1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NFL SHORT SHEET Week 3 Thursday, 8/27/2009 JACKSONVILLE at PHILADELPHIA, 7:00 PM ET JACKSONVILLE: 7-0 ATS Away in Preseason Week 4 PHILADELPHIA: 1-7 ATS in non-conf games ST LOUIS at CINCINNATI, 7:30 PM ET ST LOUIS: 1-9 ATS off a home loss CINCINNATI: 16-8 Over as favorite MIAMI at TAMPA BAY, 8:00 PM ET FOX MIAMI: 5-1 ATS playing with 6 or less days rest TAMPA BAY: 26-11 Under as favorite
The Gold Medal Club 24k (1-0) 18K (4-6) 14K (2-2) 253 St.Louis@ 254 Cincinnnati 7:30 pm PLAY ON 254 Cincinnnati -2.5 24K
Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bets Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks (-4, 171) The Western Conference's top team meets its hottest team when the Mercury visit the Sparks Thursday night. Los Angeles is rolling, winning six straight games while posting a 5-1 ATS record in that span. The return of veteran forward Lisa Leslie has supplied the Sparks with some needed energy. And now that MVP Candace Parker appears to have her groove back, L.A.’s dominance in the paint is the backbone of a late-season push. The Sparks have out-rebounded every opponent during this streak by an average of over 10 boards per game. In their most recent win, Los Angeles pulled down 35 rebounds with 20 of those coming from Leslie and Parker. "I was just like, 'These girls, they can't stop us inside,"' Leslie told reporters after Tuesday’s win over Chicago. "I got a chance to really look and see where those open spots were and I was able to get back in. They weren't doing a very good job of boxing out, so I knew just keep crashing the boards." Pick: Los Angeles Connecticut Sun at Seattle Storm (-4.5, 144.5) Injured Connecticut forward Asjha Jones is close to returning but will not make it back from an Achilles’ injury in time to shut down Storm forward Lauren Jackson. The 6-foot-5 Aussie, along with reserve center Janell Burse, is a handful down low. Seattle is one of the best inside shooting teams in the WNBA, posting a field goal percentage of over 43 percent. Jackson is averaging almost 20 points and over seven rebounds per game this season. In their most recent contest, the Sun were able to slow down the Storm’s frontcourt and held Jackson to just 12 points on 3-of-16 shooting. However, a lot of that defense came from Jones, who had two blocks and four fouls in the 64-53 Connecticut win on August 13. Without her, the Sun face a towering Storm team that has extra motivation outside of avenging that loss two weeks ago. Seattle can clinch a playoff spot with a win Thursday and trail the Western-leading Phoenix Mercury by two games. Pick: Seattle
Wunderdog Game: Miami at Tampa Bay (Thursday 8/27 8:00 PM Eastern) Pick: Game Total UNDER 36 -110 The Dolphins and Bucs meet in a long-standing preseason rivalry that has seen 23 games played, with Miami holding the advantage at 14-9. These teams are both still exploring starting QB's which should be the key to both teams' seasons. These teams historically have played defensive battles in these games. The last 12 played have seen the under go 10-2, and the winning team had 17 or less points in nine of the ten that went under. There is added reason to believe these teams will play low scoring here, besides the history. These teams meet during the regular season and it isn't likely they are going to tip their hand or show anything special. Instead, they should keep things basic and conservative. In addition the Bucs are 26-11 UNDER the past 15 years in the preseason when instilled as a favorite. I like this one to go UNDER the total.
WNBA Basketball Picks DUNKEL Phoenix at Los Angeles The Mercury look to build on their 9-2 ATS record in their last 11 games when playing with 3 or more days of rest. Phoenix is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Sparks favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+4). Here are all of today's picks. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST Game 601-602: San Antonio at Indiana Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 108.899; Indiana 115.102 Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 6; 147 Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 7; 150 Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+7); Under Game 603-604: Atlanta at Detroit Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 112.980; Detroit 118.186 Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 5; 172 Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 3 1/2; 167 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-3 1/2); Over Game 605-606: Connecticut at Seattle Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 108.306; Seattle 115.739 Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 7 1/2; 140 Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 4; 144 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-4); Under Game 607-608: Phoenix at Los Angeles Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 113.734; Los Angeles 115.867 Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 2; 182 Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 4; 171 Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+4); Over
Today's MLB Picks DUNKEL Cincinnati at Milwaukee The Reds look to take advantage of a Milwaukee team that is 2-6 in its last 8 games as a favorite. Cincinnati is the pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+145). Here are all of today's picks. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST Game 901-902: NY Mets at Florida Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Redding) 14.372; Florida (Sanchez) 15.277 Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 8 1/2 Vegas Line: Florida (-220); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Florida (-220); Under Game 903-904: Cincinnati at Milwaukee Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Lehr) 14.822; Milwaukee (Bush) 14.394 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-155); 9 Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+145); Over Game 905-906: Houston at St. Louis Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Moehler) 14.743; St. Louis (Carpenter) 16.807 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-320); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-320); Under Game 907-908: Washington at Chicago Cubs Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Martin) 14.313; Cubs (Wells) 15.496 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-220); No Run Line Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-220); N/A Game 909-910: LA Dodgers at Colorado Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Padilla) 15.430; Colorado (De La Rosa) 16.339 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 11 Vegas Line: Colorado (-145); 10 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-145); Over Game 911-912: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Happ) 15.219; Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.928 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-195); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+185); Under Game 913-914: San Diego at Atlanta Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Richard) 14.995; Atlanta (Vazquez) 14.374 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-250); 8 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+230); Over Game 915-916: Arizona at San Francisco Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Petit) 14.293; San Francisco (Martinez) 15.327 Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-135); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-135); Under Game 917-918: Texas at NY Yankees Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Nippert) 16.958; NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.068 Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-230); 10 Dunkel Pick: Texas (+220); Under Game 919-920: Cleveland at Baltimore Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Laffey) 16.944; Baltimore (Hernandez) 15.702 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8 1/2 Vegas Line: Baltimore (-125); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115); Under Game 921-922: Chicago White Sox at Boston Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.479; Boston (Tazawa) 15.227 Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+110); Under Game 923-924: Kansas City at Seattle Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davies) 14.629; Seattle (Fister) 15.779 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Seattle (-145); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-145); Under Game 925-926: Oakland at LA Angels Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Cahill) 14.016; LA Angels (Santana) 15.569 Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-175); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-175); Under
Brandon Lang Thursday's Selections ... NOTE: Lots of travel today in Scotland, with lots of filming. 9 am to 9 pm to be exact. Going to be a long day, so nice to get the winning night last night to take into today. It's amazing sometimes the difference between a winning day and losing day. Good breaks, bad breaks. They all equal out at the end of the year. Looked dead in the Giants game last night until Bengie Molina bailed me out. Sometimes you need a big win like that to keep things going. Momentum in every facet of life is an incredible equalizer. When you have it, everything seems to go your way more than it goes against you, and I most certainly have had more of it the last 6 winning weeks. I made some changes back in July how I approach things and it has most certainly paid off. Just sticking to my gameplan, executing it to perfection and it all adds up to a possible 7 straight winning weeks. Need another winning day today. Nothing more and nothing less. 5 DIMER - CLEVELAND INDIANS - They were good to me yesterday, and I will gladly ride them again today behind Laffey. Now I used Laffey 2 Sunday's ago as a free pick winner and he delivered a nice underdog win at Minnesota. His next start out I rode the UNDER between he and Fister and he delivered for me again 4-3. Now I come back with him on the road at Baltimore and as a added incentive, he is from the Maryland area so pitching for family and friends should be an added bonus. Bottom line is Laffey has just been solid his last 10 starts allowing more than 3 earned runs just twice, and has won 2 of his last 3 on the road over the aforementioned Twins and Mariners. Hernandez has been struggling a bit giving up 14 earned his last 15 1/3 innings and he has gone 1-4 in the process. We all know one of the worst teams in all of baseball the 2nd half of the season is the Baltimore Orioles while the Indians continue to play well and win, as evidenced by their 24-14 mark the last month. I will go to the well one more time with Laffey tonight at a very good value price. I'm riding the Indians. CLEVELAND INDIANS (Laffey over Hernandez) 5 DIMER - CHICAGO WHITE SOX - Living on borrowed time. That is all I can say about rookie Tawaza of the Red Sox. He shut out the Yankees for 6 innings his last start but it wasn't so much him as it was the Yankees not being able to get the big hit with men in scoring position. How does 0-8 suit you for the pinstripers in that game? In fact, it has been a common theme with this kid as major league hitters are 2 for 22 with men in scoring position against him. So the question is how do you break through? Glad you asked. You do it with veteran hitters, a veteran lineup trying to avert a 4-game road sweep as the White Sox are trying to do tonight. Danks is just the kind of guy to get them there and also breakthrough against Boston who has beaten him 3 in a row. He comes in pitching very well giving up 4 earned over his last 21 2/3 innings. Folks, this is a big game for Chicago as they are 4 1/2 games back of the Tigers in the Central and off a tough loss last night, I look for the White sox to rebound with Danks and get to this rookie early and often. Chicago is the play. CHICAGO WHITE SOX (Danks over Tazawa) 5 DIMER - ST. LOUIS-CINCINNATI UNDER - I just don't see these two teams getting over the total tonight. You have the # 1 defenses playing well into the 3rd quarter and both starting QB's sitting on the bench with injuries. So it's up to guys like Kyle Boller, J.T. O'Sullivan, Brock Berlin and Carson Palmer's younger brother Jordan. I was so impressed with the Bengals defense at New England last week holding the Patriots to just a touchdown and head coach Lewis is preaching defense like never before. At home in this preseason game I look for him to unleash as impressive a defense for the home crowd as they have seen in quite sometime. Defense wins championships and the Bengals have a pretty good defense as you will see again tonight. Rams new head coach Spagnola is all about the defense and tonight is a good matchup for his defense and a great opportunity for him to find out just where they are at. With the quarterbacks in this game less than average and both defenses ready to get after it, I am rolling with the Under in a smash mouth defensive battle. Ride the Under. ST. LOUIS-CINCINNATI UNDER (Sanchez over Davis) FREE SELECTION - SEATTLE MARINERS
The Sports Investing Professional - Thursday Yesterday's Recap - Bad bullpen. Although that could be said for 90% of MLB. Todays Play(s) - The prices are still and will be insane until the end of the season. Let's go runline on a team with a good bullpen for a change. MLB - St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 -130 Moehler / Carpenter 1,300.00 / 1000.00 May The Ball Bounce Your Way, The Sports Investing Professional Twitter: tsipro Record (38-23) +$4,784
Sam Clayton 20 DIME - ROCKIES Big bounce back spot for Colorado as they look to win the series rubber match and draw even closer to the Dodgers in the NL West standings. Los Angeles has seen their once impressive division lead shrink to three games and they've fallen into a slight rut as of late. Meanwhile, the Rockies haven't skipped a beat and they keep on winning, having notched a 'W' in 52 of their last 75 games. Yes, the offense looked dead last night against Randy Wolf, but it's no secret that this group doesn't stay down for long. Thanks to excessive research, I found out that since Jim Tracy took over, Colorado is 5-2 in games following a 0 or 1 run output, and in the five wins, they've averaged 6 runs per game. That sounds like a mouthful and I usually hate statistics like that, but the proof is in the pudding. You might be able to contain Colorado's bats one game, but it rarely happens twice in a row. The biggest reason for my selection today though is the pitching matchup. Los Angeles, desperate for a fifth starter trots out Vicente Padilla, who hasn't pitched since August 5 with the Rangers before being cut. Padilla is an average pitcher, sure, but he was trimmed from the roster because he wasn't getting the job and he's a nutcase (irrelevant but true). Since the All-Star break, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA and he's allowed 5 runs or more in three of his last five starts. More importantly though, he has been absolutely lit up against left-handed hitters (.319 BA vs LHB) and luckily for Colorado, their lefties have been tearing it up in the month of August. You have to believe that Jim Tracy will adjust and play Carlos Gonzalez (.381 BA in Aug.) and/or Seth Smith (.318) to go along with regulars Todd Helton (.310) and Brad Hawpe (.269). Even new centerfielder Eric Young is hitting .375 with three hits in eight at-bats. Parlay those numbers with the band box that is Coors Field and you've got a great chance that Padilla could be chased very quickly. Jorge de la Rosa gets the call for Colorado and he's been on an absolute tear the past two months. The southpaw is 6-1 with a 3.80 ERA in the second half and he's 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA his last three outings. Jorge has allowed three runs or less in 9 of his last 11 starts and I like the way he matches up against the Dodgers lineup. Being he's a lefty, Furcal and Hudson flip around to the right side (where they are less threatening). His blazing fastball and sharp breaking ball have been neutralizing left-handed hitters all year, which doesn't bode well for Ethier and Loney. And most importantly, the Dodgers' No. 3 and 4 hitters -- Either and Ramirez -- are hitting .195 and .244 respectively against southpaws this season. Whew. I hope your brain hasn't exploded with all these intangibles. Colorado is 8-2 their last 10 and they've won 9 of 13 at Coors Field. I'm very confident that they use home field advantage to the fullest and knock off the Dodgers, losers of 6 of their last 11 games. I'm rolling with the hotter bats and the much hotter pitcher, not to mention fading the swine flu (chuckle). Play the Rockies.
Insider Sports Report 4 Star Philadelphia Phillies - 1 1/2 RL 3 Star Seattle Mariners 3 Star Over 37 Jags/Eagles
charlie nfl x. miami @ tampa bay under 37, rams @ bengals under 34 & jacksonville+7'. (500* 3 team rd robin). mlb. dodgers+135 (30*) mlb. boston-125 (20*) mlb. kansas city+140 (20*) mlb. giants-140 (10*) mlb. baltimore-120 (10*) free play
4 Unit Play. #918. Take the New York Yankees -1.5 Runs (-111) over the Texas Rangers (Thursday @ 1:05pm). Good luck, IC
Dave Malinsky 4* #918 NY YANKEES Run Line over TEXAS Yankee Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Texas pitching staff so far this week ? the steady Kevin Millwood got racked for five runs in 5.2 innings, the excellent current form of Derek Holland got turned around into six runs in six innings last night, and in the only appearance from first-rate closer Frank Francisco he was tagged for two runs in a single inning. Overall the Yankees have scored 18 runs, including drawing 11 walks and hitting four home runs. So what happens now that the Rangers have to reach back to the bottom of their rotation? We see a long afternoon coming, and with the markets actually helping us with this one in the early trading, New York will be available in a pick?em range with the Run Line as the method. Some of that move is understandable, based on the 4-2/3.95 that Dustin Nippert shows since being called up in July, but that is not who he is. In 141.2 innings prior to this season he had worked to an uninspiring 6.42 count, and it just becomes a matter of time before the current numbers move towards that level ? a guy that lacks good control, and gets too many of his outs in the air, is going to find it difficult to deal with this class of offense on the road. And having averaged just 5.1 innings per start, it will bring the inconsistent Texas middle relief corps firmly into play. We could also say that some of the early market trading was against A. J. Burnett, since the last time the public saw him he was being belted around by the Red Sox. But there was no cause for alarm there. Burnett has been crushed on both outings at Fenway this season, but following the first he responded to lead the Bronx Bombers to a win over the Angels, and he has bounced back well all season. Burnett has had five starts in which he has allowed five runs or more, and after the first four followed up with a 1.98 over 27.1 frames, with the Yankees winning all four of those games, by a collective 28 runs. Note that he is one pitcher that is not bothered at all by the short porch in right field, since he throws hard enough to prevent the ball from being pulled, and in working to a 3.39 over 12 starts from this mound he has led the Yankees to a 10-2 mark in those games, out-scoring the opposition by 36 runs. The latter stages are also in good hands, with Mariano Rivera completely rested and no fatigue rating of significance anywhere. 3* #926 L.A. ANGELS over OAKLAND A game that we project into the -240 to -260 range has been set far short of that plateau here, a case of some stale numbers impacting market perceptions. It means that we have plenty of room to step in as we get behind the Ervin Santana resurgence, although at this range the investment rate must be altered because of the outlay. The gap between the Angels and A?s is every bit what the 20.5 games in the standings shows, with the Angel offense holding a commanding advantage of 152 runs, a major defensive edge (in a development we would have thought impossible early in the season, Oakland is now threatening Washington for the bottom of our charts), and Santana brings much more to the table than Trevor Cahill. But with Santana?s full-season ERA sitting at 6.13, and Cahill at 4.86, the last point is not in evidence, and that sets this up well for us. Santana was brought back into the rotation before he was fully healthy, and as such had some truly ugly early moments. But we see him being back to full strength now, and the current 3-0/2.57 over this last three starts carries more weight with us than anything else he has done this season. The last time he worked from this mound was a sparkling complete-game shutout vs. Tampa Bay, and he followed that up with back-to-back road wins to build his confidence even higher. Now he faces an opponent that he has absolutely dominated, with a 10-1 lifetime mark that includes a 3-0/1.29 the past two seasons, and while the faces are changing a lot in the Oakland clubhouse these days, those that are still around to not bring much for this matchup ? holdovers Bobby Crosby, Mark Ellis, Adam Kennedy, Kurt Suzuki and Jack Cust are a 13-96 lifetime against him (.135), with 22 strikeouts and the stunning total of just one rbi. Meanwhile this will be the third go-round for Cahill against the Angels, and while his 4.66 ERA for the first two is not disastrous, take a closer look ? he allowed 20 base-runners in 9.2 innings but only got tagged with five earned runs, and he sported an unholy ratio of nine walks vs. only one strikeout in those games. He does not match up well at all here, and with the team behind him just getting swept in Seattle, despite the fact that Ichiro did not play, and the Mariners sent Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Lucas French to the mound, it tells us that the visitors bring an awfully weak package to this table.
Destroy The Book Sports 10*fla/nym over 9 10*philly-183 7*la/col over 10 7*cleveland+101 5*laa RL 5*hou/stl under 7.5
Pigskin Prophet FREE PLAYS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS vs PHILADELPHIA EAGLES TAKE: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES A pair of angry coaches on winless teams! Jaguars (0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS) coach Jack Del Rio has run a tough camp, seemingly embarrassed by last year's 5-11 campaign. A lot of good the tough camp has done! The offense was anemic in the opener, with 66 yards rushing in a 12-9 loss at Miami. The short passing offense ended up with no TDs and 2 picks. They then lost at home to rebuilding Tampa Bay, 24-23. The offense was better, but the defense was gouged for 159 rushing yards. The QB rotation has D! avid Garrard, Todd Bouman and Paul Smith and they haven't had any kind of ground game with a weak offensive line. The lone bright spot has been WR Troy Williamson, giving the Jags something they've been missing for years: a deep threat. Williamson, a first-round bust in Minnesota, caught two deep passes from David Garrard and finished with 147 yards receiving. Del Rio is 18-8 SU/16-9-1 ATS in preseason despite this 0-2 start. Andy Reid must be one angry coach as his Eagles (0-2 SU/ATS) have looked awful in preseason, a lot of sloppy play, turnovers and penalties. They rolled up 420 yards (304 passing) against the Patriots, but lost 27-25 with 98 yards ! of penalties and lousy special teams, missing 2 FGs and allowing a pun t return for a TD. That was the same day they announced the signing of Mike Vick. Week 2 was worse, a 23-15 loss at Indy with 2 more turnovers and 12 penalties for 87 yards. Rusty? Or distracted by the Vick drama? The Eagles have good QB depth with Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb and Vick. Kolb could make his preseason debut vs. Jacksonville after sitting out the first two games with a sprained knee ligament. Vick is also eligible to play. The offensive line hasn't played together at all because four of the five have injuries: Center Jamaal Jackson was the only offensive line starter from the projected top group to take the field in Indianapolis is. But right guard Stacy Andrews might make his preseason debut here. His rehab has gone well, though he is not that far removed from the surgery. LT Jason Peters is still recovering from re-straining a quad. Given how much sub guards Max Jean-Gilles and Nick Cole have played - Shawn Andrews went down for the season in Week 2 last year - it was disappointing they didn't get better push against the Colts. Andy Reid assessed his team's pass rush as "hot and cold," in the absence of Trent Cole and Darren Howard. The Eagles already have lost starting MLB Stewart Bradley (knee). Defensive end Trent Cole, the Eagles' best pass rusher, hasn't played preseason but is expected to be ready for the opener and could even play Thursday against Jacksonville. Reid admitted that! because of injuries he didn't have as good an idea as he would like about his team: "They haven\'t played together, and I\'m worried about that. We have to get guys back so they can work a little bit together." Reid is 16-26 SU, 19-23 ATS in preseason. He has a better all around team and QB rotation against this opponent. Projected Score: Eagles 20, Jaguars 10 ST. LOUIS RAMS vs CINCINNATI BENGALS TAKE: ST. LOUIS RAMS New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo (former DC of the NY Giants) is a hard driving coach who has put the players through a rigorous training camp. The Rams (1-1 Su/ATS) lost QB Marc Bulger to a small fracture in the pinky finger of his throwing hand last week. He will miss this game, meaning Kyle Boller will start. The rotation is now Boller, Brock Berlin and rookie QB Keith Null. They rolled up 193 rushing yards in the opener, a 23-20 at the NY Jets, despite allowing 340 yards, then struggled without Bulger in a 20-13 loss to Atlanta with 283 total yards and 2 turnovers. The defense has been awful the last few years and they have a lot of roo! kies such as James Laurinaitis, DT Dorell Scott and CB Bradley Fletcher. They were gouged on the ground in Week 2, giving up 162 rush yards to Atlanta. WR Donnie Avery, the team's No. 1 wide receiver, will be out at least a month with a foot injury. When Torry Holt was released in the offseason, Avery became the top wideout on the depth chart. The No. 1 unit stayed on the field throughout the first half, a total of five series. It produced a mere field goal on four trips into Falcons territory. RB Steven Jackson picked up 10 yards on three carries, but the trio of backs fighting for the job behind him - Samkon Gado, Antonio Pittman and Kenneth Darby - produced a meager 50 yards on 24 attempts. This is the first home game of the Bengals (1-1 SU/ATS). QB Carson Palmer didn't play last week because of a right ankle injury. He is questionable for this game. QB! s J.T. O 'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer ran the show, a 7-6 win at New England. O'Sullivan completed 10 of 13 passes for 141 yards. Jordan Palmer, Carson's younger brother, went 2-for-7 for 45 yards. The running game had 173 yards and will likely run at the young St. Louis defense, which could keep the score down again. The Bengals are 2-0 under the total in preseason, scoring only 7 points in each game. TE Ben Utecht (concussion), WR Antonio Chatman (ankle) and TE Matt Sherry (shoulder) did not suit up last week. Cincy coach Marvin Lewis is 8-6 SU/9-5 ATS since 2006 in preseason. The Bengals are 1-7 ATS the last eight years in Week 3 of preseason. With two starting QBs out, don't look for much scoring. Projected Score: Bengals 14, Rams 13 MIAMI DOLPHINS vs TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS TAKE: MIAMI DOLPHINS Miami coach Tony Sporano is 5-1 SU/4-1-1 ATS in preseason (and 5-1 under the total). The Dolphins (2-0 SU/ATS) have looked sharp, with a 12-9 win over the Jaguars and a 27-17 win over Carolina. Both those were at home, so this is their first road trip. QBs Chad Pennington and Chad Henne are an excellent one-two preseason punch, while rookie QB Pat White has played a little. Miami's run defense has been great, allowing 66 yards (3.1 ypc) in the opener, then holding a strong Carolina ground game to 98 yards, just 3.8 yards per rush. The Dolphins' depth at outside linebacker is a concern: Jason Taylor has a family illness issue, Joey Porter is nursing a sore toe and Matt Roth (groin) hasn't practiced. Miami has rushed for 118 and 141 yards in two games. Tampa Bay (1-1 SU/ATS) has new looks everywhere, starting with Head Coach Raheem Morris. They have virtually no QB experience with rookie QB Josh Freeman, Josh Johnson, Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. They are off a 24-23 win at Jacksonville, but starting QB Leftwich was shaky (6-of-12, 61 yards). In the opener, they gave the Titans a run before losing 27-20, but had just 256 total yard! s. The running game has been impressive, with 138 yards (5.3 y! pc) in W eek 1 and 159 yards in Week 2 behind Kareem Huggins, B.J. Askew and Clifton Smith. Leftwich and McCown are fighting for the top job, and the coach said he will keep only 3 QBs, so someone will be out of a job. Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU/ATS the last 2+ years in preseason. Their wide outs have been below average and banged up, with Antonio Bryant (knee) and Mike Clayton (hamstring) not 100%. Tampa Bay won 7-6 in the preseason opener last August. Miami's impressive run defense and far better QB play should lead the way to a win. Projected Score: Dolphins 17, Bucs 13
Ferringo 1-Unit Play. Take #906 St. Louis (-1.5, -125) over Houston (2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take #911 Philadelphia (-1.5, -120) over Pittsburgh (7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take #914 Atlanta (-1.5, -115) over San Diego (7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take #926 L.A. Angels (-1.5, -105) over Oakland (10 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take #902 Florida (-1.5, -115) over N.Y. Mets (1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) Today's Totals 2-Unit Play. Take ‘Over’ 10.0 Chicago White Sox at Boston (7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take ‘Under’ 7.5 Houston at St. Louis (2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take ‘Over’ 9.5 Texas at N.Y. Yankees (1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 1-Unit Play. Take ‘Over’ 10.0 L.A. Dodgers at Colorado (3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) 0.5-Unit Play. Take ‘Over’ 9.0 N.Y. Mets at Florida (1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27) That's it for today.
Super Sports Group (SSG) Rangers at Yankees 1:05 p.m. (ET) 7* NYY -1.5 runline (-120) Dodgers at Rockies 3:10 p.m. (ET) 8* Dodgers moneyline +130 BEST BET 2-TEAM PARLAY, $200 to pay $620 Pirates +1.5 runline +105 Indians moneyline +100
Mr. A's Thursday, August 27th, 2009 2:15 PM EST. Houston Astros (61-65) at St. Louis Cardinals (74-54) (R) Brian Moehler (8-9) vs. (R) Chris Carpenter (14-3) Oddsmakers: St. Louis as a -280 home favorite with the total listed at 7½'over'. St. Louis Cardinals-280 Thursday, August 27th, 2009 7:05 PM EST. Philadelphia Phillies (73-51) at Pittsburgh Pirates (52-72) (L) J.A. Happ (10-2) vs. (R) Charlie Morton (3-6) Oddsmakers: Philadelphia as a -200 road favorite with the total listed at 8½ 'over'. Philadelphia Phillies -200
Tony Salinas Baseball Thursday, August 27, 2009 24* Jaguars (+7) over Eagles 7:00 PM -- Lincoln Financial Field Partly cloudy. Winds blowing from the Northeast at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 80. 25* Redsox {J.Tazawa} (-120) over Whitesox {J.Danks} 7:10 PM -- Fenway Park Partly cloudy. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70. 24* Mariners {D.Fister} (-150) over Royals {K.Davies} 10:10 PM -- SAFECO Field Mostly clear. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 80. 24* La Angels {E.Santana} (-185) over Athletics {T.Cahill} 10:25 PM -- Angel Stadium of Anaheim Mostly clear. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 85.
Wunderdog MLB | Aug 27 Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers -1½+125 The Cincinnati Reds hung in the NL Central race for awhile, but those hopes have all disappeared as this team has sunk hard and fast, thanks to a bad run of 12-28 in their last 40 games. The Reds are off of a win which has been the worst possible spot for them this season. They have turned in a .358 winning percentage on the season off a win, and that mark is now 7-21 after their last 28 wins. Against the run line they are 21-32 this season after a win. Bush has beaten the teams he is supposed to beat as the Brewers are 13-3 in his last 16 starts as a favorite. When placed as a run line favorite with odds at +135 to -190, Bush is 9-0 the past three seasons. He has pitched well enough at home for the Brewers to take command, where they are 35-16 in his last 51 home starts. I'll side with Milwaukee on the run line in this one.
Benjamin lee Eckstein After winning 2 in a row,Ben lee lost on Hump day giving it all back and then some (Vig) with the Braves -$220/Padres. For Thursday "Mr Chalk" likes the Angles -180/A's. "Mr Chalk" is 2-1 -$20 for the week and 73-51 -$880 for the MLB season.
Bob Valentino Bob Valentino THURSDAY'S 25 DIME NFL PRESEASON WINNER ... 25 DIME -- Dolphins-Bucs OVER the total
Mike Neri ****DOUBLE PLAY***** St Louis w/Carpenter -1.5 -120 2:15 EST Risk 2 Units to make 1.66 Units *****SINGLE PLAY***** Seattle w/Fister -155 10:10 EST Risk 1 Unit to make .64 Units *****SINGLE PLAY***** LA Angels w/Santana -192 10:25 EST Risk 1 Unit to make .52 Units
Randall the Handle Los Angeles +1.28 over COLORADO (3:00 PM) PINNACLE Huge value on the Dodgers here, as they’ve absolutely owned both Jorge De La Rosa and the Rockies. The Dodgers have beaten the Rocks 11 of 14 games and De La Rosa is 0-4 with a 7.99 ERA in five career starts against L.A., including 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two this season, both Rockies losses. Dodgers hitters are batting a career .379 against De La Rosa after getting a combined 42 hits against him in 117 AB’s. Kemp is 6 out of 13, Man-Ram is 3-8, Loney is 7-11 and Hudson is 3-7 with two walks. De La Rosa is hot with a 10-1 record over his last 11 starts to go along with a 3.55 ERA. However, the Dodgers will come in knowing they can hit him and he’ll come in knowing that too. Besides, this guy is a career stiff that’s having an incredible year. Guys like De La Rosa do not win 11 of 12 starts, guys like Steve Carlton and Bob Gibson do. De La Rosa has been hit hard in two of his four August starts and has also been tagged for six jacks in those four August starts. Vincente Padilla makes his Dodger debut and any pitcher going from the AL to the NL has a chance. Padilla has good stuff, he’s just a bit of a head case and therefore the Rangers let him go. He’ll want to prove himself in a big way here and one would think the Dodgers will be a little extra jacked up in support of their new pitcher. Play: Los Angeles +1.28 (Risking 2 units). Washington +1.97 over CHICAGO (1st 5 innings) (2:20 PM)PINNACLE The Cubbies simply cannot be trusted at this price. This is a team that has trouble scoring and has proven over and over and over again that they can lose to any team under any circumstance. The Cubbies have three wins in its last nine games and this series is tied 2-2 with Washington winning 15-6 in the opener and losing 9-4 last night. However, last night’s game was tied 2-2 late, as the Cubbies made Livan Hernandez look like Roy Halliday. The Nats battered Randy Wells the only time they saw him this season and they can certainly repeat that. Anyway, the Nats offense is dangerous and while the Cubbies might have an edge on the mound, they take away that advantage because of an offense that can rarely be counted on to produce. The price here definitely makes the Nats worthy of some consideration and when Harden isn’t pitching and the Cubbies are a 2-1 favorite, you can pencil me on the dog every time. Play: Washington +1.97 in the first five innings (Risking 2 units). Arizona +1.23 over SAN FRANCISCO (1st 5 innings) PINNACLE Joe Martinez makes just his fifth start and seventh appearance of the year. He has a BAA of .340 to go along with an alarming 1.77 WHIP. At home, in a pitcher’s park, Martinez has an ERA of 6.43 and a BAA of .355. This guy is a 27-yr-old, career minor-leaguer that is filling on for now and he’s not doing the job, nor should he ever be favored by this much over anyone. Despite allowing just one run in six innings Friday against the Astros, Petit was tagged with his eighth loss of the season. Petit bounced back nicely from a very poor outing his last time out. He has losses in five of his last seven starts, but has sprinkled in several nice outings in between his implosions. This guy has very decent stuff and again, he’s thrown several gems this year, including back-to-back shutouts against Pittsburgh and Philly. The chances of the D-Backs getting to Martinez first and taking a lead into the sixth is stronger than the Giants chances of getting to Petit first, thus, the five inning wager. Play Arizona +1.23 in the first five innings (Risking 2 units). Soccer August 27, 2009, 1:15pm EST UEFA - Europa League Qualifiers 2nd Leg AUSTRIA WIEN +1.43 over Metalurh Donetsk PINNACLE Austria Wien or Vienna in English went into the Ukraine a week ago and scored 2 goals, which helped them earn a 2-2 draw and score the all important away goals. Metalurh Donetsk has a lot of work to do if they are to progress in this the “NIT” if you will of European soccer as they travel to Vienna in what will be a very daunting task. They must score goals and prevent them from going in which I don’t see either happening. Domestically they are heading in opposite directions as Austria Wien is red-hot and in first place after beating Sturm Graz on the road this past weekend while Metalurh is in the middle of the Ukrainian league. Because the score in the first leg was 2-2, Austria will still have to be careful and thus will be tremendously focused and ready to beat up on Metalurh. I really can’t see Austria Wien losing here and the price is awfully good. Play: AUSTRIA WIEN +1.43 (Risking 2 units)
Premium picks from Jimmy Boyd NFL Football Premium Picks NFL | Aug 27 '09 (7:00p) Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles Jacksonville Jaguars +7½-109 at 5dimes 4* Major Thursday Night NFLX *BEST BET* on Jags +7.5 Both of these teams are 0-2 in the preseason, but a win tonight will mean much more for a Jaguars team that is coming off a very disappointing year. That's why these 7.5 points are looking mighty tasty. Rarely do you see spreads this large in the preseason and it appears the odds makers are trying to trap the public here, playing on Michael Vick's debut. But I just can't see Vick putting together a game-changing performance yet. Tonight, will basically be about getting his feet wet. The Eagles have some key guys banged up so I don't expect them to push it as they know they have a whole lot more to play for this season. The Jags are a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in the preseason in their last 4 games following two or more consecutive defeats. The Jags are also a terrific 12-2 ATS in road games in the last two weeks of the preseason since 1993, with an average margin of victory of 6.8. Take the Jags. MLB Baseball Premium Picks MLB | Aug 27 '09 (10:10p) Kansas City Royals vs Seattle Mariners Seattle Mariners -143 at 5dimes 3* Thursday Night MLB Crunch Time Bailout on Mariners -143 I'll back the Mariners at home against the ice cold Royals tonight. The Royals are just 5-16 in their last 21 meetings in Seattle and they face a Seattle club that is 5-0 in their last 5 games as a home favorite and 23-9 in their last 32 games as a favorite period. The Royals are just 3-14 in their last 17 vs. the American League West, 3-9 in Davies' last 12 starts, and 3-11 in his last 14 starts following a team loss in their previous game. The Royals have dropped their last 4 series openers and it's going to be tough for them to steal game 1 here after making the long trip out west against a good Mariners home club. Take the M's.
Fantasy Sports Gametime MLB 50* Play Florida (-220) over NY Mets (MLB PLAY) New York has lost 7 of the last 8 games and they have also lost 5 of the last 6 games as an underdog of +200 or higher. Tim Redding has lost 6 of the last 7 road games as an underdog of +150 to +250 and he is 0-1 over the last 3 starts with an ERA of 7.11. 50* Play NY Yankees (-220) over Texas (MLB PLAY) New York has won 5 of the last 7 games and they have also won 28 of the last 37 home games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs. AJ Burnett has won 6 consecutive games as a home favorite of -175 and -250 and he is 3-1 vs. Texas over his career with an ERA of 3.69.
Stardust Sports Picks Your TOP NFL Winner for Thursday is: Play on Jacksonville (+7.5) over Philadelphia 7:00 P.M. EST (10* Top NFL Play) Philadelphia has lost 7 of the last 8 pre-season games against the spread vs. AFC Conference Opponents and they have also lost 9 of the last 11 pre-season games against the spread coming off two or more consecutive OVER the totals. Philadelphia has lost 4 of the last 5 pre-season games against the spread when playing on a Thursday and they have also lost 5 of the last 7 pre-season games against the spread when playing as a favorite.
Unlocked Sports MLB 1) Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers Pick: Milwaukee -1.5 (3 units) The Brew Crew have lost the first 2 of this 3 game series versus the Reds, meaning that if they lose today they will be swept at home for only the second time this season. We don’t see this happening because the Reds are not strong enough to complete the sweep. Additionally, for what it’s worth, these teams opened a series in Milwaukee at the beginning of April. The Reds won the first two and then the Brewers came back to win the third game 9-3. Most books are listing +125 odds for Milwaukee on the runline. At this price, this play is definitely worth a shot. Lay 3 units on the Brewers runline. 2) Chicago White Sox vs Boston Red Sox Pick: Chicago (5 units) WNBA 1) Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock Pick: Atlanta ML (2 units)