8-27-11

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NFL NEWS AND NOTES
NFL Preseason Odds: Full Saturday Primer
By Sean Murphy


New York Jets at New York Giants (+2.5, 35)

Jets head coach Rex Ryan was adamant this week that he wants to see more out of his running game against the Giants.

"I'd like to see us be able to establish our run game a little more," Ryan said. "Obviously, this will be a huge test for us going against the Giants defense."

Gang Green will welcome RB Shonn Green and RG Brandon Moore back to the field this week. Both will likely be used sparingly, but the rest of the Jets starters are expected to work into the third quarter after playing the entire first half last week.

Tom Coughlin has indicated that his starters will play most of the first half on Saturday. He’s giving them a bit of a break given that it’s a short week after dismantling the Bears this past Monday night.

Don’t be surprised if both teams hold a little back given they’ll face each other for real on Christmas Eve.


Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills (-2.5 36)

The Jaguars will be focused on sharpening their offense after a sloppy performance, albeit a winning one, against the Falcons last week.

"I guess I look at that as our team is tuning up, it's not just David Garrard. It's not any one player,” head coach Jack Del Rio said, “I think as a football team we need to begin to play as a team and play better football and have it all come together for us and with an eye on the opener, yes, no question. But I think just like last week we saw some encouraging signs. I think this week we need to see more of them throughout our football team in all three phases."

Jacksonville’s first unit is expected to see action into the third quarter this week. Blaine Gabbert will once again take the majority of the snaps with the second-team offense after starter David Garrard exits.

Bills head coach Chan Gailey has been fairly tight-lipped when it comes to playing time here in the preseason. He has stated that Fred Jackson will be the team’s starter at running back, and has also hinted that his first-unit will see more action than they have in the last two weeks, but that’s it.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyler Thigpen will once again share duties under center after a lackluster effort in Denver last Saturday.


Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5, 36)

Off to an 0-2 start, Atlanta will give its starters their most extensive action of the preseason on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“In terms of the amount of snaps that they are going to play, I don’t know that we’ve sat down and decided,” head coach Mike Smith said. “But we want to keep those (starting) units in there and get them as many exposures as possible.”

After not game-planning for either of their first two matchups, the Falcons will be hitting the film room for this week’s game.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t downplaying the importance of the third preseason game, particularly for guys fighting for roster spots. His starters are expected to play into the third quarter, but Tomlin has yet to decide on how his QB rotation will shake down after Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich. Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon both remain on the roster.


Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4, 36.5)

The Dolphins offense is off to a fast start, scoring 48 points in back-to-back wins over the Falcons and Panthers.

That doesn’t mean they’ll be easing off the gas on Saturday, however. Miami starters are likely to play into the third quarter against the Bucs. Starting QB Chad Henne threw 24 passes last week, and should see another heavy workload this week.

The Bucs were embarrassed by the Patriots on their own home turf last week, but they remain confident heading into Saturday’s showdown with the Dolphins.

Raheem Morris hasn’t officially stated how long his starters will play, but WR Mike Williams has hinted that they’ll see at least a half of action.

"We get to play more plays this week, at least the whole first half,'' Williams said. “The last game, we knew we were on limited reps. It was hard getting into a rhythm, knowing you only had 12 or 13 plays.''


Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (+3, 35.5)

The Texans have been one of the league’s most impressive teams so far this preseason. Their offense lit up Reliant Stadium last Saturday, and they’ll get a chance to do the same in San Francisco this week, as Matt Schaub and the rest of their starters are likely to play into the third quarter.

That leaves the bulk of the second half snaps to backup QB Matt Leinart.

49ers first year head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t a believer in using the third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

He’ll use his starters sparingly in the first quarter, instead electing to give his backups plenty of time to hone their skills.


New England Patriots at Detroit Lions (+4, 44.5)

New England’s starters will see at least a half of action on Saturday. Even after two blowout wins, don’t count on Bellichick to call off the dogs against the Lions.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson returned to practice on Thursday, but remains a game-time decision for Saturday’s game. RB Jahvid Best has been officially ruled out.

If you consider head coach Jim Schwarz’s track record, the rest of the Lions starting unit will likely play into the third quarter. The focus will be on improving defensively after a poor showing in Cleveland last week.


Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (-3, 37)

Playing on a short week, and being on the road for a second consecutive game, Bears head coach Lovie Smith will take a cautious approach when it comes to his starters playing time on Saturday. If the first-unit plays into the second half, it will come as a surprise.

With that being said, there’s obviously plenty of work to be done after back-to-back less than impressive performances against the Bills and Giants. If there’s no improvement, there will be plenty of restless fans in the seats at Soldier Field next week.

Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck took a big hit against the Rams last week, but is expected to start Saturday’s game. He and Jake Locker will handle at least the first three quarters against the Bears, with Hasselbeck taking all of the snaps with the first-team offense.


Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings (+1, 37)

The Cowboys will begin the road portion of their preseason schedule in Minnesota on Saturday. We can expect to see plenty from the starters, likely playing into the third quarter.

Head coach Jason Garrett puts a lot of stock in preseason results, so he was understandably upset with last week’s sloppy effort against the Chargers.

"We live in reality," Garrett said. "There were some things that happened that exposed us. There were a number of mental mistakes. We need to play better. There were some good things that happened, but there were a lot of things that need to be addressed."

There’s a heated battle for the number two quarterback spot ongoing in Minnesota. Christian Ponder and Joe Webb are competing, and should see the bulk of the action under center again on Saturday.

Leslie Frazier has been one the conservative side when it comes to starters playing time this preseason. He has indicated that his first-team offenses and defenses will play at least the first quarter on Saturday.


Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos (-4.5, 37.5)

Pete Carroll says there’s no QB controversy in Seattle.

He continues to back up the play of Tarvaris Jackson, who once again struggled last week, completing 11-of-21 passes for 75 yards. Jackson, along with the rest of the Seahawks starters, will once again play the majority of the first half, and possibly even into the third quarter on Saturday.

The big news out of Broncos camp this week was that Tim Tebow had been dropped to third on the QB depth chart behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn.

With that being said, John Fox stated this week that Tebow would see more playing time in at least one of the Broncos final two preseason games.

"Kyle has had 19 passes, Brady's had 30 and Tim's had nine," Fox said. "So in fairness to Tim, we need to get that total up whether that's this week or next week."


San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals (+3, 40.5)

Philip Rivers and the rest of the Chargers starters played into the second quarter last week, and should see more extensive action here in Week 3.

Norv Turner has traditionally used his first-unit into the third quarter in the third preseason game, and while he hasn’t made it official this week, that remains the expectation.

Billy Volek will spend the majority of the second half under center, with Scott Tolzien possibly getting only a series in mop-up duty.

The Cardinals continue to work on getting Kevin Kolb acclimated with the offense, so no surprise that he’s expected to play the entire first half and a series or two in the third quarter on Saturday.

Playing for only the third time in 17 days, the Cardinals can afford to give their starters a fairly heavy workload.

Arizona signed QB Brodie Croyle this week, waiving former BYU standout Max Hall. That still leaves four quarterbacks on the roster, with Richard Bartel and John Skelton rounding out the quartet.

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BANG THE BOOK

Saturday's Best NFL Bets

New York Jets at New York Giants (+2.5, 35)

The Meadowlands will surely be burning up with animosity on Saturday night, as NFL betting fans from the Empire State and the Garden State will love this clash between their hometown teams, the New York Jets and the New York Giants.

Head Coach Rex Ryan knows that this is a huge game for the psyche of his offense. He is expected to let QB Mark Sanchez quarterback at least through the end of the first half, and likely through the start of the third quarter as well, and he could be in for a big game. Sanchez hooked up with his newest target, WR Plaxico Burress for a TD in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and we wouldn’t be shocked if these two did some more damage again this week. Still, this is going to be the last chance to get on the same page with WR Derrick Mason as well, and there are still lingering questions remaining about this offensive line, which hasn’t done all that well with the first teamers out there in the preseason. Do expect to see a lot of time for QB Greg McElroy as well, as he really is progressing nicely here in the preseason and should have his hands wrapped tightly around that second QB job behind Sanchez. McElroy threw for 208 yards and a score against the Houston Texans two weeks ago, and he came back and went 6-of-9 for 59 yards and a TD against the Bengals last week.

Meanwhile, the Giants are going to hope to pick up where they left off last week against the Chicago Bears. They dropped a whopping 41 points on the board and accounted for 380 yards of offense, 97 yards of which came on an electrifying run by RB Da’Rel Scott. RB Brandon Jacobs looks great, as do the other backups on this team, but we are waiting to see a little bit more out of starter RB Ahmad Bradshaw. For as well as the New York offense has played, QB Eli Manning just doesn’t feel like he has quite figured it out yet. He only went 8-of-16 for 78 yards last week against the Bears, and he only threw for 36 yards in the first preseason game as well. Even though Eli already has a ring to his name, we know that he is always under scrutiny in the Big Apple, and especially with one of his former favorite targets, Burress, sitting on the other sideline, there will be plenty of opportunities for the media hounds to make his life a living hell if he doesn’t play up to par against the stout Jets’ defense.

New York Jets @ New York Giants Pick: There’s more on the line here for the Giants than the Jets, and we tend to think that that is going to be the determining factor in this one. Give the boys in blue the slight nod, especially as short underdogs in a game that could be very tight and come down to the wire.

PICK: Giants +2.5


San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals (+3, 40.5)

The San Diego Chargers were expected to dominate the AFC West last year, but they went just 9-7 and missed the playoffs. The Arizona Cardinals were a disaster last season as they went from quarterback to quarterback looking for someone to give them decent production. Both teams have made some nice pickups in the offseason, but the Chargers are definitely the team with higher expectations. Who will come out on top in this preseason tilt?

How could a team possibly finish first in the NFL in total offense and total defense without making the NFL playoffs? The Chargers managed to do exactly that last season. What was the primary reason? Horrific special teams play absolutely crushed the Chargers on a weekly basis. It’s hard to imagine a special teams unit playing worse than San Diego did last year. Untimely turnovers were a problem for this team last season as well. Vincent Jackson will be back in action this year, and that will be huge for this offense. Phillip Rivers has established himself as one of the NFL’s top five quarterbacks. Ryan Matthews appears to have the stuff to be a star, and the Chargers will need him to stay healthy. Cory Liuget and Takeo Spikes were two big offseason acquisitions for the defense.

Arizona made a big splash when they went out and got Kevin Kolb. Kolb is now firmly entrenched as their starting quarterback. Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the best receivers in the league, and now he has someone who can get him the ball on a consistent basis. Todd Heap is certainly past his prime, but he could the Cardinals offense as well. Arizona absolutely needs a big season from running back Chris Wells. Wells has a lot of potential, but he has yet to realize that potential in the NFL. The biggest problem for the Cardinals offense will likely be the offensive line. This is a unit that has been dominated for the last couple years. If they don’t improve this season, the Cardinals will likely struggle offensively once again. Arizona drafted Patrick Peterson, who I think could turn out to be the best player in this year’s draft. This Cardinals defense isn’t that bad, but they need the offense to pick up some first downs and keep them off the field more often.

Both of these teams are 1-1 in the preseason thus far. Week three of the preseason is typically the week where most teams keep their starters in the longest. Since we’ll likely see the first teamers for quite a while here, I like the Chargers to cover the spread.

PICK: Chargers -3

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Today's NFL Picks
Dallas at Minnesota

The Cowboys look to bounce back from their 20-7 loss to San Diego last week as they travel to Minnesota tonight. Dallas is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Cowboys favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-1). Here are all of this week's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Time Posted: 9:00 a.m. EST (8/26)

Game 261-262: NY Jets at NY Giants (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 123.375; NY Giants 118.706
Dunkel Line: NY Jets by 4 1/2; 40
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 2 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (-2 1/2); Over

Game 263-264: Jacksonville at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 118.477; Buffalo 121.587
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 3; 31
Vegas Line: Buffalo by 1; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-1); Under

Game 265-266: Atlanta at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.812; Pittsburgh 120.437
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 41
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 3 1/2; 36
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+3 1/2); Over

Game 267-268: Miami at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.714; Tampa Bay 124.179
Dunkel Line: Even; 39
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 4; 37
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+4); Over

Game 269-270: New England at Detroit (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New England 127.525; Detroit 120.329
Dunkel Line: New England by 7; 42
Vegas Line: New England by 4; 44 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-4); Under

Game 271-272: Chicago at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 120.969; Tennessee 121.176
Dunkel Line: Even; 39
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 3; 37
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3); Over

Game 273-274: Dallas at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 121.097; Minnesota 118.142
Dunkel Line: Dallas by 3; 34
Vegas Line: Dallas by 1; 37
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-1); Under

Game 275-276: Houston at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 125.672; San Francisco 120.239
Dunkel Line: Houston by 5; 38
Vegas Line: Houston by 3; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-3); Over

Game 277-278: Seattle at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 119.327; Denver 126.402
Dunkel Line: Denver by 7; 36
Vegas Line: Denver by 4; 37 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4); Under

Game 279-280: San Diego at Arizona (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 128.320; Arizona 122.672
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 5 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: San Diego by 3; 40 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-3); Under

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Football Crusher
Play of the Day:

Bears +3 over Titans

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Arthur Ralph Sports

703- 526 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one Sat: Jacksonville + 2 1/2

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GoodFella

NFLX
1.5 UNITS on the JETS/GIANTS UNDER 36.5
2 UNITS on the TEXANS -2.5

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WUNDERDOG (NFLX)

Game: New England at Detroit (Saturday 8/27 8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Game Total OVER 44 -110

Bill Belichick marches to the beat of a different drummer. He is not concerned about what the other team does. He has an agenda, and his teams have a tendency to execute it to perfection. The Patriots were on the offensive all of last year, and have picked up right where they left off, averaging 39 points per game in their first two preseason outings. This isn't out of the ordinary as Belichick and his coveted Patriots have averaged 28.5 ppg in their last 10 preseason games. In those games, the average points scored has topped 48. The Lions finally have a healthy QB and some solid weapons on offense, and haven't been shy in showing them off as they averaged 31 ppg in their first two games. Going back to last year, their average has been over 30 ppg in their last five, with all five games playing OVER. This one looks like a shootout in Motown, so the OVER gets the call.

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Cappers Access
Jets -2-
Bears +3
Yankees(RL) -1.5

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CFL NEWS AND NOTES
CFL Betting Notes: Alouettes-Stampeders Preview
By David Schwab


Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders (-1) Over/Under (55)

In a matchup of two of the best teams in the league, they each come into this game with identical 5-2 records SU and 4-3 records ATS. Montreal is 2-1 both SU and ATS on the road this season and Calgary is 1-2 SU and ATS in three home games.

These two split their two-game series last season with each winning at home. The Stampeders rolled over Montreal 46-21 in early October as three-point favorites and just 10 days later, the Alouettes flipped the script with a 46-19 romp as 3½-point favorites. The total went ‘over’ in both of these games.

This series has remained tight over the past few seasons with each team winning five of 10 SU. The Alouettes have won three of the last four meetings SU and ATS overall, but the series is tied at two games apiece both SU and ATS in the last four meetings in Calgary. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of the last six games overall and in the last four at McMahon Stadium. Montreal running back Brandon Whitaker leads the CFL with 566 yards rushing on 85 carries. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo is second in passing yards with 2,095, but has just 55 more yards than Calgary quarterback Henry Burris.

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CANADIAN BACON

Saturday's Best CFL Bet

Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders (-1, +55)

You can’t get better a coaching matchup in the CFL than the Als’ Marc Trestman trying to outwit Stamps coach John Hufnagel. And you can’t find better QB matchup than Anthony Calvillo vs. Henry Burris.

Both teams are coming off a bye week which only makes all of this more exciting. MLB Juwan Simpson is back after nursing a knee injury but DB Brandon Isaac is doubtful and could be replaced by Milt Collins.

The Alouettes are now rolling in full gear and their defense was merciless two weeks ago against the Eskimos. It won’t be any different even in the hostile environment of Calgary.

Expect Montreal RB Brandon Whitaker to challenge the Stampeders’ run defense Calgary focusing in on stopping the Als’ passing attack.

PICK: Montreal

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Today's CFL Picks
Montreal at Calgary

The Stampeders look to build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 August games. Calgary is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Stampeders favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-1). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Time Posted: 8:00 p.m. EST (8/23)

Game 493-494: Montreal at Calgary (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 116.673; Calgary 118.638
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 2; 51
Vegas Line: Calgary by 1; 55
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-1); Under

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WNBA NEWS AND NOTES
WNBA: Dream - Fever Preview
By Associated Press


Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever (-5.5, 157.5)

The Atlanta Dream created some breathing room in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a key win their last time out.

Atlanta's path to the postseason, however, could prove treacherous with three of its remaining seven games coming against the East-leading Indiana Fever.

Two of those come in a vital home-and-home series that begins Saturday night when the Dream visit Conseco Fieldhouse.

Angel McCoughtry put Atlanta (14-13) up for good on a pair of free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining Tuesday as the Dream defeated Chicago 83-80. The victory created further separation between themselves and the fifth-place Sky for the final playoff spot in the conference.

"This game was definitely huge. But we know that every single one is important," coach Marynell Meadors said. "The opportunity is there we just need to secure our position."

Atlanta could find itself in the postseason for a third consecutive year if McCoughtry, who ranks among the league leaders with an average of 20.5 points, continues to excel. The All-Star forward scored 22 on Tuesday and will be looking for a season-best fifth consecutive 20-point effort.

"Everybody says all of the attention is on me but it's really about teammates. They get me open and get rebounds," McCoughtry said. "I need to lead my team and keep my composure. I'm an emotional player but I want to show all of my toughness and help build my team up through adversity. That's what I really want to do."

McCoughtry's teammates stepped up during an 84-74 win over Indiana (19-8) on July 19. Lindsey Harding scored 19 and Erika de Souza had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to pick up McCoughtry, who was held to 15 points and shot 5 of 14.

The Dream, however, will likely need McCoughtry at her best Saturday, as the home team has won the last nine games in this series. Indiana is 12-2 at Conseco and has won five straight there by an average of 21.0 points.

Tamika Catchings scored 13 points and Katie Douglas snapped out of her recent funk with 15 as the Fever defeated Washington 83-51 on Sunday. Douglas had averaged 6.0 points over her previous three games - 6.8 less than her season mark.

"You're just going to have up and down moments and thankfully I was able to get on track tonight," said Douglas, who also struggled against Atlanta last month, scoring four points and going 1 of 8 from the field.

"I was just happy we were able to have such a big win and I think we were doing some great things on the defensive end and on the offensive end. When we start playing well on both ends of the floor, we're a hard team to beat."

Indiana, holding opponents to a conference-best 71.3 points per game, is battling Minnesota for the top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Fever and Dream conclude their home-and-home set Tuesday night at Philips Arena. The teams close out the season Sept. 11 with a matchup at Indiana.

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LADY LUCK

Saturday's Best WNBA Bets

Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever (-5.5, 157.5)

Whether Angel McCoughtry likes it or not, she’s the key to the Atlanta Dream’s success every time they take the court.

McCoughtry averages 20.5 points and 2.5 steals per game to pace the club and has managed at least 20 points in four straight games, helping the club to three wins over that stretch.

"Everybody says all of the attention is on me but it's really about teammates. They get me open and get rebounds," McCoughtry said. "I need to lead my team and keep my composure. I'm an emotional player but I want to show all of my toughness and help build my team up through adversity. That's what I really want to do."

If Atlanta’s going to punch its postseason ticket, it’ll have to keep beating up on the East-leading Fever. Three of the Dream’s last seven games are against Indiana and the Dream have covered in nine of their last 10 matchups with Indiana overall.

The Dream had four players score in double figures in an 84-74 win over the Fever last month, helping Atlanta bettors to the pay window as a 2.5-point home underdog.

We like the Dream to at least keep this one close.

PICK: Atlanta

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WNBA Basketball Picks

Atlanta at Indiana
The Dream look to build on their 9-1 ATS record in the last 10 meetings between the two teams. Atlanta is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST
Game 601-602: Atlanta at Indiana (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 113.619; Indiana 115.450
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 4 1/2; 158
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2); Over

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HOT LINES

Saturday's Best MLB Bets

Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (-225, 7.5)

Chris Carpenter needs a little help from his offense. Despite allowing just seven runs over his last four starts, the Cardinals are 2-2 over that stretch.

The last time he was on the hill, the veteran was mowing down Dodgers up until the ninth inning. St. Louis had a 1-0 lead and Carpenter had chalked up seven strikeouts before he hit the leadoff batter in the ninth and was promptly pulled by manager Tony LaRussa.

The bullpen came on and allowed the Dodgers to complete a 2-1 comeback victory.

"It's a tough one, no question," Carpenter told reporters after the game. "Absolutely. Tough loss. We had a chance to start a nice homestand and we weren't able to pull it off."

Luckily for Cardinals bettors, the veteran righty has owned the Pirates over his career. The Cardinals have won 14 of their last 16 matchups with Pittsburgh with Carpenter on the hill.

At this price, we won’t bother with a St. Louis bet, but the under looks tasty.

PICK: Under


Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers (-200, 8)

It’s pretty hard to bet against the Brewers these days. They had won 24 of their last 29 games heading into Friday night’s action, opening up a huge 9.5-game lead over the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.

Their bats have been booming and their pitching staff looks primed to push the team to a long playoff run.

But you might want to look at the underdog Cubs on Saturday.

Chicago sends Ryan Dempster to the hill and in another lost year for Cubs bettors, he has been one bright spot. Chicago is 16-11 in his starts this season and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last six outings.

Call us crazy, but we like the value here.

PICK: Cubs

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MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Florida Marlins Face Roy Halladay, Phillies
By: Jeff Grant


Florida Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies (N/A)

The Florida Marlins will be in the eye of a hurricane Saturday in playing a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Game 1 will begin at 10:05 a.m. (PT) and the nightcap’s first pitch is expected at 4:05 p.m.

Hurricane Irene is expected to pound the Eastern seaboard over the weekend and has caused league officials to schedule three twinbills across the majors.

Philadelphia is likely to extend its current six-game lead in the National League East standings, winning five of six home meetings over Florida, including a four-game sweep from June 14-16. The Phillies outscored the Marlins by a 25-6 margin in that set.

Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.56 ERA) has been a destructive force to opposing teams the entire season and will be looking to improve upon his 8-2 record and 2.32 ERA in 14 home starts. He has issued just eight free passes and registered 102 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings.

The right-hander will be making his 13th daytime appearance of the 2011 campaign, producing a 9-1 mark and 2.38 ERA. He will enter the contest with a dominating 71-28 record and 3.26 ERA in 131 career appearances (124 starts) under the sun.

Halladay has garnered a winning 4-3 mark and 2.47 ERA in nine lifetime starts versus the Marlins, including a 5-4 no-decision effort on this mound on June 15 (7 IP, 4 ER). Bettors will definitely need to be aware of the Phillies 21-4 record in Halladay’s last 25 starts versus NL East opponents.

Florida just split a home doubleheader against Cincinnati on Wednesday at Sun Life Stadium and enjoyed a day off before traveling up the coast. The Marlins will be aiming to snap a five-game losing streak on the road. Despite their recent struggles away from home, the Marlins have still compiled a 12-7-2 series mark when playing at an opponents’ venue.

Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 4.01 ERA) will be making his third consecutive road start and brings in a winning 4-3 record and 3.89 ERA in 13 appearances away from South Florida. The right-hander has struggled since the All-Star break, posting a 1-4 record and 5.05 ERA in eight starts compared to a 6-2 mark and 3.58 ERA in 18 starts before the Midsummer Classic.

Sanchez will be facing the Phillies for the 15th time in his career, entering with a 3-7 record and 5.67 ERA, including three no-decision efforts this year. Over those appearances, he has allowed nine runs and 16 hits over 17 innings of work. The 27-year-old will want to pitch carefully to Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, who is hitting .484 with seven RBIs in 31 career at-bats against him.

Florida has yet to announce a Game 2 starter. Philadelphia is expected to throw southpaw Cliff Lee, who has won his last five starts, while also bringing in a perfect 2-0 mark and 2.77 ERA in four lifetime outings versus the Marlins.

Weather forecasts suggest showers in the area around 11:00 a.m. (PT) and moving into periods of rain starting later in the afternoon and lasting throughout the weekend. Winds will be blowing out of the east at 10-20 mph.

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Saturday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers (19-5, 2.28 ERA)

With a fat slate of Saturday games, there is a lot to choose from and while we try to avoid the obvious at times in this space, we can’t ignore Verlander here. The big righty is looking for his 20th win of the season against the Twins and could become the first Tigers pitcher to reach that mark since Bill Gullickson accomplished the feat in 1991.

Verlander has won his last seven starts, giving up more than three runs only once during the streak.

Ivan Nova, New York Yankees (13-4, 3.97 ERA)

There are a lot of questions about the Yankees’ starting rotation right now, but nobody’s worried about Nova. He has won his last five starts since getting the call to the big club and bounced back from a rotten outing against Kansas City to blank the Twins over seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out five. Having won his last nine decisions overall, he could break Whitey Ford’s team record for most consecutive wins by a rookie on Saturday.


SLUMPING

Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles (1-6, 8.92 ERA)

Matusz has been dreadful on the bump lately, dropping each of his last six outings. He has allowed at least four runs in each of those and is getting hammered by the long ball. The lefty has served up 10 taters during the skid and has struck out only 25 batters compared to 15 walks in 36 1/3 innings of work this season.

Joe Saunders, Arizona Diamondbacks (8-11, 3.98 ERA)

Saunders hasn’t won a decision this month and has allowed 14 runs over his last three trips to the hill. In his last start, he gave four runs over six innings while walking three in a 4-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. The big inning hurt him again in that one.

“He had trouble throwing the ball over the plate,” manager Kirk Gibson told reporters of Saunders. “He pitched pretty good until the seventh and then we kind of fell apart.”

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Hondo

Hondo, who has declared a state of emergency in HondoNation because of his raging sea of debt, lost with the Angels last night but scored big time with the Marlins to lower the NRN (nasty red number) to 2,365 broglios.

Tonight, Mr. Aitch will do some Dempster-diving with the Cubs and also bother Harang for some help -- 20 units apiece on the Cubs and Padres.

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Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Dbacks -155 over Padres

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Sportsbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Dbacks -155 over Padres

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Today's MLB Picks
Pittsburgh at St. Louis

The Pirates look to bounce back from last night's 5-4 loss and take advantage of a St. Louis team that is 1-4 in its last 5 games after scoring 5 runs or more in the previous game. Pittsburgh is the pick (+190) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 1 1/2. Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 903-904: Colorado at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Millwood) 17.226; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 17.082
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-145); Under

Game 907-908: Washington at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Detwiler) 14.044; Cincinnati (Leake) 14.492
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-145); Over

Game 909-910: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 14.214; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 16.462
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-200); Under

Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Lincoln) 15.487; St. Louis (Carpenter) 14.198
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-230); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+190); Over

Game 913-914: San Diego at Arizona (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Harang) 14.398; Arizona (Saunders) 15.984
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Over

Game 915-916: Houston at San Francisco (9:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 15.421; San Francisco (Surkamp) 14.220
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.336; Toronto (Perez) 14.263
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-115); Under

Game 923-924: Oakland at Boston (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Godfrey) 17.108; Boston (Bedard) 16.317
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 925-926: Detroit at Minnesota (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 16.590; Minnesota (Pavano) 12.472
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 4; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200); Under

Game 927-928: Kansas City at Cleveland (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Duffy) 14.838; Cleveland (Carmona) 13.978
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+140); Over

Game 929-930: LA Angels at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.844; Texas (Wilson) 15.211
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 931-932: Chicago White Sox at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.733; Seattle (Pineda) 15.319
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-110); Under

Game 933-934: Florida at Philadelphia (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Sanchez) 13.930; Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.454
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-280); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-280); Over

Game 935-936: Oakland at Boston (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Moscoso) 16.222; Boston (Lester) 17.110
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

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Saturday’s Betting Tips: 49ers May Sit Starters Down

Weather To Watch

Hurricane Irene has forced the postponement of Saturday and Sunday’s matchups between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves as well as the New York Giants-New York Jets preseason NFL matchup. The Giants and Jets will play Monday night instead.

Who’s Hot

NFL: The New England Patriots have won their first two preseason games, outscoring their opposition 78-26.

MLB: The Chicago White Sox are 20-8 in their last 28 meetings with Seattle.

WNBA: The Dream have covered the number in nine of their last 10 matchups with the Fever.

CFL: Montreal has covered in three of its last four meetings with Calgary.

Who’s Not

NFL: Jacksonville has allowed 60 points combined in preseason play, the most in the league through two games.

MLB: The under is 3-13-2 in San Diego’s last 18 road games.

WNBA: The under is 0-5-1 in Atlanta’s last six overall.

CFL: The under is 6-14-1 in Calgary’s last 21 contests overall.

Key Stat

1 – Wolves, who sit tied atop the English Premier League table with Manchester United and Man City after winning their first three matches, have just one win in their last 18 meetings with Aston Villa. Wolves are set as +255 underdogs with Aston Villa favored at +105 and the draw at +215 on Saturday.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Johnson returned to practice Thursday after missing last week’s game with a sore shoulder, but is still considered a game-time decision Saturday against New England. The Lions are set as 4-point home underdogs.

Game Of The Day

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings (1, 37)

Notable Quotable

“I know we haven’t talked about (a trade). I don’t see it getting to that level. I just think he is going to be here. It is not like he’s not under contract. If they can’t work something out he has a two-year contract to honor.” – Tennessee head coach Mike Munchak about running back Chris Johnson’s holdout status. The Titans are set as 3-point home favorites Saturday against Chicago.

Tips And Notes

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh says he’s pretty confident in his first-stringers at this point in camp and will likely take Alex Smith and the starters out of Saturday’s game against Houston early – maybe even after a single series. He left the door open to putting them back in the game for some more plays later on, but it’s clear the backups are his main focus. “The idea of playing some of our twos and threes more in this game is also the way that we’re leaning going into this ball game, not so much the traditional way of playing the starters for three quarters like has been historically done in the third preseason game,” Harbaugh told reporters

If you’re hoping to see a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Saturday night against Atlanta, you might end up disappointed. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pittsburgh plans to use the game to showcase Dennis Dixon, who is currently listed No. 3 on the depth chart behind Big Ben and Charlie Batch. However, Batch isn’t expected to play against the Falcons, so Dixon, who’s in a contract year, could see a lot of snaps. Oddsmakers have the Steelers listed as 3-point home favorites.

Montreal Alouettes outspoken defensive back Dwight Anderson returns to his old stomping ground Saturday as his club visits the Calgary Stampeders. Anderson has been uncharacteristically quiet this week about playing his former team, but that isn’t fooling the Stamps. "He's going to try and give his coaching staff and players a little insight into what we do, having practiced against us for so many years,'' Stamps quarterback Henry Burris told reporters. "Hopefully, we'll have enough wrinkles to throw him off.” Calgary is set as a 1-point home favorite in the battle between the two 5-2 teams.

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Fantasy Sports Gametime

Play Philadelphia (-290) over Florida GAME 1 (Top Play of the Day)

Roy Halladay has won 23 of the last 27 games as a favorite of -200 or higher and he has also won 21 of the last 25 games vs. NL East Division Opponents. Roy Halladay has won 7 of the last 8 games when playing on a Saturday and he is 9-1 in day games this season with an ERA of 2.38.


Play Milwaukee (-200) over Chicago Cubs (Bonus)

Play Boston (-270) over Oakland GAME 1 (Bonus)


50* Play Calgary (-1) over Montreal

Calgary has won 5 of the last 6 games and they have also won 9 of the last 10 home games as a favorite of seven points or less. Calgary has covered the spread in 9 of the last 10 games when the line posted is between +3 to -3 and they are averaging over 33 points a game on offense over the last three games.

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MLB Write Up

Hot pitchers
-- Halladay is 4-1, 2.98 in his last six starts.
-- Karstens is 4-0, 2.27 in his last seven road starts. Carpenter is 2-0, 2.12 in his last four starts.
-- Gallardo is 3-2, 2.57 in his last six starts. Dempster is 3-1, 3.09 in his last five starts.
-- Detwiler has a 2.89 RA in five starts this season.
-- Harang is 3-0, 4.98 in his last four starts.

-- Lester is 3-2, 2.72 in his last six starts. Moscoso is 2-1, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Niemann is 4-1, 2.61 in his last five starts. Perez shut the A's out for six innings in his first 2011 start.
-- Verlander is 7-0, 2.56 in his last seven starts.
-- Carmona is 1-0, 1.88 in his last couple starts.
-- Santana is 5-1, 1.99 in his last seven starts. Wilson is 3-0, 1.37 in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Sanchez is 1-3, 6.00 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 1-2, 5.87 in his last five starts. Millwood is 1-1, 4.50 in three starts for Colorado.
-- Leake is 1-2, 5.33 in his last four starts.
-- Saunders is 0-3, 7.04 in his last four starts.
-- Myers is 0-7, 5.91 in his last eleven starts. Surkamp was 10-4, 2.02 in 22 starts in the AA Eastern League; this is his big league debut.

-- Bedard is 0-3, 4.91 in four starts for Boston. Godfrey is 1-1, 5.82 in three starts this year, last of which was June 23.
-- Pavano is 0-4, 6.29 in his last seven starts.
-- Duffy is 0-4, 8.03 in his last five starts.
-- Danks is 1-3, 6.27 in his last six road starts. Pineda is 1-2, 5.88 in his last seven starts.

Totals
-- Over is 10-2 in Phillies' last twelve home games.
-- Under is 9-2 in Washington's last eleven road games.
-- Last seven games at Miller Park stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-2 in Cardinals' last ten home games.
-- 12 of San Diego's last 16 road games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Dodgers' last ten home games.
-- Seven of Giants' last nine home games stayed under total.

-- Over is 9-2-1 in last twelve Bronx games.
-- Over is 6-3 in Toronto's last nine home games.
-- Five of Cleveland's last seven games went over the total.
-- Over is 9-1-1 in Oakland's last eleven road games.
-- Six of Angels' last seven road games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-3-2 in Detroit's last fifteen road games.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven games at Safeco Field.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won four of their last six home games.
-- Reds won five of their last six home games.
-- Milwaukee won 19 of its last 22 home games.
-- Padres won five of their last seven games. Arizona won last four games, allowing total of three runs.
-- Colorado won five of its last six games. Dodgers won six of their last eight games.

-- Orioles won their last five games, outscoring foes 36-9.
-- Tampa Bay won seven of its last ten games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last nine games. Oakland won seven of its last ten games, scoring 36 runs in their last four.
-- Angels won six of their last seven games.
-- Tigers won seven of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost six of their last eight road games.
-- Nationals lost their last four games, outscored 18-6.
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.
-- Cardinals lost seven of their last 11 games. Pirates lost seven of ten.
-- Giants lost seven of their last eleven games. Astros lost five of six. .

-- Toronto is 5-7 in its last twelve home games.
-- Bronx Bombers lost three of their last four games.
-- Cleveland lost six of its last eight games. Royals lost eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Twins lost their last six games, outscored 35-5.
-- Seattle lost seven of its last ten games. White Sox are 3-5 in their last eight games.

Umpires
-- Fla-Phil-- Underdogs are 9-5 in last fourteen O'Nora games.
-- Atl-NY-- PPD rain
-- Colo-LA-- Road team won the last six Knight games.
-- Pitt-StL-- Favorites won eight of last nine TWelke games.
-- Chi-Mil-- Six of last nine Hallion games went over the total.
-- Wsh-Cin-- Over is 8-3 in last eleven West games.
-- SD-Az-- Underdogs are 9-4 in last thirteen Carlson games.
-- Hst-SF-- Over is 12-7 in last nineteen Randazzo games.

-- A's-Bos-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Hudson games.
-- NY-Balt-- PPD rain
-- TB-Tor-- Home team won seven of last nine Tschida games.
-- Det-Min-- Last four Dreckman games stayed under the total.
-- KC-Clev-- Visitor won seven of last eight Estabrook games.
-- LA-Tex-- Under is 9-2 in last eleven Cousins games.
-- Chi-Sea-- Under is 12-3-1 in last sixteen Eddings games.

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David Banks
Mon 0 - 1
Tue 1 - 0
Wed 1 - 0
Thu 0 - 1
Fri 1 - 0
New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions
A pair of undefeated teams are all set to go under the CBS National spotlight on Saturday night when Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots invade the Motor City to lock horns with the upstart Detroit Lions; kick-off from Ford Field is scheduled for 8:00 ET.
Has there been a more impressive team in the preseason than the defending AFC East champion New England Patriots? Without QB Tom Brady even taking a snap in their Week 1 opener, the Pats made a mockery of their contest with Jacksonville racking up a total of 476 yards en route to smashing the Jaguars 47-12. Then last week, Brady got his first live game action in and led New England to a pair of scoring drives; he finished up throwing for 118 yards and two TD passes. Former LSU standout Stevan Ridley has shined thus far rumbling for 148 yards and three tuddies the L/2 weeks.
Not to be outdone by tonight’s opponent, the Lions have lit the scoreboard up en route to covering their first two games of the exhibition season. Quite like New England did in Week 1, Detroit simply took advantage of a Cincinnati outfit with numerous holes en route to blowing the Bengals out 34-3. They then followed it up with an impressive come from behind 30-28 outright road win and cover as 2.5-point dogs at Cleveland last week. Matthew Stafford has completed 71 percent of his passes for 156 yards and three TDs thus far, with backups Drew Stanton, Shaun Hill and Zac Robinson all taking care of business when getting their reps in.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick enters Saturday night’s tussle having won 56.7 percent of his preseason games coached and covered the spread at a 35-26-6 ATS clip. New England is 4-1 SU but just 2-2-1 ATS its L/5 preseason road battles. Detroit is 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in preseason home games played under the HC Jim Schwartz regime. Overall, the Lions are 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS under his watch in the exhibition season, as well as a perfect 2-0 SU & against the closing number in the preseason versus AFC East opposition.
PICK: Patriots/Lions OVER

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EasyBaseballBetting
Our systems say to go for:

Blue Jays (+107),
Twins (+181),
Royals (+149),
Rangers (0).

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Paul Leiner

250* Rays -120

NFLX

100* Dolphins +3.5
50* Jets -2.5

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Defeat Your Bookie

Jhonny Palumbo

3* OVER 8.5 - A´s / Red Sox

Mat Earlson

6* Tampa Bay Rays ML -120

2* Kansas City Royals ML +150

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Pro Tech Sports

MLB - 5* Colorado +126

NFL - 10* San Diego -2.5

NFL - 5* Pittsburgh -3

NFL - 5* Miami +3

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John Harrison

Pats/Lions OVER

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JOE WIZ DAILY FREE PICK

Under 37 bet. Houston and San Francisco

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SPORTS WAGERS

Tampa Bay –1 +110 over TORONTO

If you don’t have the option of laying one run you can comfortably lay 15 cents in this one with TB. The Rays took the opener last night 6-1 and have now won 12 of its past 16 games. They catch a completely different looking Jays team than the one we saw about a month ago when Toronto was playing some exciting baseball and winning games. Colby Rasmus is on the 15-day DL. Adam Lind has been seeing BB’s for a month and his average is now down to .250. Both Aaron Hill and John MacDonald were traded and Rajai Davis is also out. The Jays now have a line-up that features Mike McCoy, Kelly Johnson, Eric Thames, Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia among others. It’s rookies and while one or two in a line-up is exciting, this current Blue Jays line-up is a wealth of inexperience and you can add today’s pitcher Luis Perez to that list. Perez has made 30 appearances this season and just one start and it was a good one in Oakland that Toronto won 1-0. He has been a groundball machine so far in the majors, which tracks with his minor league scouting report, which said his "87-92 mph sinking fastball induces an inordinately high number of grounders." However, his lefty-righty splits have been extreme: he has held LHB to a .228 BA while RHB have hit .308 against him and that plays into the Rays strength, as Tampa Bay is loaded with righties and have won 24 of 38 games v southpaws. Jeff Niemann struggled with a back issue early in the season. Now healthy, Niemann had a great July and an even better August. Over his last five starts covering 38 innings, Niemann has struck out 36 while walking 10. He’s also posted a 2.61 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. His groundball % is rising (53% over the past two months) and if you dismissed him early in the season, now's the time to take another look. The Jays offense has been simply awful for all of August and things don’t figure to get better here. Play: Tampa Bay –1 +110 (Risking 2 units).


DENVER –5 over Seattle

Kyle Orton and the Broncos offense will play into the third quarter in this one and so will Tavares Jackson and the Seahawks offense. That’s a good thing for Broncs bettors because Orton has been sharp with the first unit, scoring on four of nine possessions and hitting 63% of his passes. The Seattle starters have yet to score, getting shut out in San Diego in two times on the field, then getting shut out in the first half against the Vikings last Saturday night. In fact, the Seahawks offense is a complete mess. They have a weak offensive line that can’t protect Jackson and Jackson with protection isn’t very good. Without it, he has no shot. The third week of preseason is the closest thing to the real thing that we see until the season begins and this edition of the Seachickens is troubling. They have no passing game, no protection and a weak defense. In years past they could count on Matt Hasselbeck to keep them competitive. Tavares Jackson is a huge step down in class. For the Broncs, this is a team with a new attitude under John Fox. They want to play defense and they want to establish the run. They’re getting sharper with each passing preseason quarter and Fox will really try to instill some strong confidence in them with one final “dress rehearsal” and they couldn’t have handpicked a better team to get “sharper” against. The Broncos are confident already and it can only get better here. Play: Denver –5 (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).


CALGARY –1 over Montreal

The Als have had the easiest schedule in the league by a wide margin with games against all the dregs, not once but twice. They’ve played SASK twice, the Argos twice, B.C., Hamilton and two weeks ago they played a depleted and reeling Eskies club. Despite that they still have two losses and the only team they’ve played with a .500 record is the TiCats, which they lost to. The Als are simply not as strong as advertised with a defense that can get shredded and the Stamps are more than capable of ripping them apart. The Stamps have won three in a row and five of six. They’re scoring at will with 99 points over their past three games. The scary thing is the Calgary hasn’t even hit their stride yet, especially at home and this is a game that it could all come together. Montreal is dangerous on offense and will likely score some points. That’s not the problem with them. Their problem is keeping Calgary from scoring and thus far the Als have not proven that they can stop anyone and this is by far their toughest assignment to date. Underlay. Play: Calgary –1 (Risking 2.16 units to win 2).

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JTGPicks
Flat bet system TO WIN 100 dlls

Detroit -201

Cincinnati -147

Milwaukee -190

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MARKET SQUARE EXPERTS
By hrc staff
Categories: VIP Access

Rotation: 278
Pick: Broncos
Line: -4

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MLBPredictions
Kevin

Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox - ATHLETICS +1.5 (+110)

(Note: I'm risking 2 units to win 2.20 units)

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Todays Picks

Arizona Diamondbacks ML -140

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Northcoast

3 Jax +3 -120
3 Miami +3.5

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Jeff Benton
Saturday's Action
30 Dime baseball selection on the Rays as they continoue their weekend series with Toronto at the Rogers Centre. At the time I releose this winner, the odds have Tampa Bay -120 across the board both here in Vegas and offshore. Note that when placing your action, you must list Niemann and Perez as the starting pitchers. Both must start, or this play is VOID!

10 Dime NFL preseason blowout winner is the Denver Broncos at home minus the points over the Seattle Seahawks. At the time I release this winner your way, Denver is -5 across the board both here in Vegas and offshore.

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SHARP MOVES

UNDER 8.5 - Chicubs / Milwaukee

Oakland A´s ML +230

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Winning Points

MLB TOTALS -- SATURDAY

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

10:10 pm
***BEST BET
OVER 8
Colorado at LA Dodgers
Milwood vs. Billingsley
Dare we suggest going Under in each of the Oakland-Boston games today as they try to squeeze in two games so everyone can get the heck out of there day earlier than scheduled and avoid being swept into the Atlantic Ocean? Too bad yesterday’s Under at Fenway didn’t go as planned, because it creates hesitation. But there is a boomerang situation for Colorado’s Kevin Millwood, who held the Dodgers to 3 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings of work on Sunday. Tonight, he goes right back out there against the same team. The Dodgers are fast learners, as they demonstrated against Josh Collmenter earlier this season. Millwood was a relative stranger to them despite being a 14-year veteran, because he was making only his third MLB start this season and had been in the American League for a few years. Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers has walked 17 batters in his last five starts. He was the losing pitcher against Millwood in the 5-3 game from Sunday and he, too, figures to suffer from the recent exposure.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

DETROIT (Verlander) -200 over MINNESOTA (Pavano)

The Tigers chalked up another win vs. the Twins last night, pushing their record in head to head
play to 10-3 (+$630). They've taken command in the AL Central (8-3, +$555 in their last 11)
and they send the league's best pitcher to the mound tonight. Justin Verlander has been great
this year (+$875, 2.28 ERA in 28 starts) and he should have no trouble dispatching a Minnesota
team that is only 36-54 vs. righties (-$1300 with 3.6 runs per game). Carl Pavano has been a bust
in 2011 (4.54 ERA) and the Twins are heading to the division basement. We'll lay the big price here.

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Khaliagent Sports Free Trial: 49-37 +2.74 units

Milwaukee brewers -185 (medium bet to win 3 units)

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GoodFella | MLB Money Line

dime bet 921 TAM (-108) Hilton vs 922 TOR

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Gambling Geeks

Saturday, August 27th:
BIG: UNDER 7.5 Minnesota/Detroit, 4:10pmET
MED: LA Dodgers -150 ov Colorado, 4:10pmET

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Benjamin lee Eckstein "Mr Chalk"

"Mr Chalk" 2011 MLB Regular Season

Ben lee lost again (2 in a row) on Friday with the "2nd "Chalkest" game that was on the board the Phillies -$210/Marlins.

For Saturday "Mr Chalk" likes the Indians -$150/Royals.

"Mr Chalk" is 85-54 -$259 for the 2011 MLB regular season.

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DAQsports
08/27/11

Yesterday: (0-1) -100 units, AUGUST: (61-38) +401 units

Today's selections:

MONEYLINE:
Tigers -193,
White Sox -104,
Cardinals -230,
Brewers -185

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wunderdog

Game: Oakland at Boston (12:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 2 units on Oakland +235 (moneyline) (risk 2 to win 4.7)
Pick: 3 units on Game Total UNDER 8.5 -105 (risk 3 to win 2.9)

The Oakland A's are playing what could be their best baseball of the season. They did get embarrassed by the Yankees in their series finale allowing 22 runs, but still managed to win their first series in the Bronx since 2007. They now are in Boston, where they laid one on the Sox last night by a 15-5 score. The A's may be 25-41 on the road this season, but over their last nine vs. winning teams they are 7-2. Guillermo Moscoso has pitched as good as Jon Lester with an ERA of 3.28 which is quite comparable to that of Lester's 3.16 ERA for the season. Moscoso doesn't carry the same clout as Lester but he has matched him pitch for pitch, indicating a tight and low-scoring game. Couple that with the A's playing their best road baseball of the season and they are truly under-valued here. The Red Sox have played six straight UNDER as a chalk of -201 or higher, and behind Lester they are 37-18-4 if they allowed 5+ runs in their previous game, and have now gone 11 straight without going over the total when Lester pitches on grass. Take Oakland and play on the UNDER in game one.
Game: Oakland at Boston (5:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 2 units on Oakland +230 (moneyline) (risk 2 to win 4.6)

The Red Sox are apt to start players that normally don't start, to rest a few everyday players in the second game of a doubleheader. Oakland has been a poor road team all season, but right now are playing better than they have on the road in a few years. They just took two out of three against the Yankees where they hadn't won a series since 2007, and have a leg up on Boston taking the first game in a 15-5 laugher. They are 25-41 on the road this season, but have now gone 7-2 in their last nine on the road vs. a winning team - all played this month. They have now won four straight on the road vs. left-hand pitching, and the Sox likely to rest starters in game two, has resulted in them going 1-4 in their last five in the second game of a doubleheader. Take Oakland in GAME 2.

1-5 -12.1* Fri. (Season 331-336-5 -71.5*)

[timbob]

VIKING SPORTS


3* San Francisco 49ers +3
2* Miami Dolphins +4'
2* Arizona Cardinals +3

[timbob]

PhD Picks

Cleveland -149
Cincinnati -147
Texas -153

[timbob]

JEFF SCOTT SPORTS

4 UNIT PLAY
BOSTON -1.5 (-125) Over Oakland: Well you have to feel that the Sox will be pumped up for this one, after getting destroyed last night by the A's. The A's are just 12-29 in their last 41 games in boston and they are 1-6 in their last 7 games as a dog of 201 or greater, plus they are 0-4 in their last 4 games 1 of a doubleheader. Boston is 22—3 in Lester's last 25 games a s a favorite of 201+, and they are 44-16 in his last 60 home starts overall. Normally the Sox do well in home games with Lester on the mound, but they are just 5-5 this this. They are 4-1 vs the RL in his 5 team home wins this year and in his 4 team wins vs the A's. In his career, they are 4-0 vs the RL. Let's also note the Lester is 6-0 with a 1.55 ERA in day games and the Sox have outscored their opponents by 4.63 rpg in those games. Guillermo Moscoso is just 2-5 with a 3.80 ERA on the road, while in his last 3 starts on the road he is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA. Boston is clearly the better team here, with the much better starter and they have the added motivation of being blown out last night, so I look for them to return the favor today.

3 UNIT PLAYS
Boston/Oakland over 8.5: The Over Machine known as the the Oakland A's rolls on. The Over is 34-12-5 in their last 51 games overall and 25-4-4 in their last 33 games on grass, plus 16-3-2 in their last 21 road games. For the Sox the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games at home vs a team wityh a road winning pct of less than .400, plus the Over is now 10-0-1 in the last 11 meetings between these teams in Boston. After getting blown out last night by 10 runs you might actually see this Boston team get the Over on their own. Boston comes in averaging 5.86 rpg and hitting .276 in their last 10 games. They also score 5.56 rpg and hit .293 at home. The A'zs offense is back on track as they have averaged 5.7 r5pg and have hit .267 over their last 10 games, plus in 4 games played here this year they have put up 8 rpg. They have scored just 3.92 rpg on the road this year, but in their last 17 away from home they have averaged 6.11 rpg. Neither pitcher has given up much of late, but I see the offenses (especially Boston's) taking control of this game and giving us 10+ runs.

POWER ANGLE PLAY
Chicago -102 over SEATTLE: The Sox are still in the playoff race (barely), so I expect them to be fully focused in this one as they know they can't absorb too many losses the rest of the way and still expect to make the playoffs. John Danks gets the ball for the Sox today and he has has been solid of late, going 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA in his last 10 starts. He has struggled on the road overall this year, but in his last 3 away starts he has gone 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA. John has also pitched well vs Seattle, as he is n5-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 10 career starts vs them, while in 5 starts at Safeco he is 2-2 with a very nice 2.29 ERA The Mariners are a team that struggles to score tuns at home as they have averaged just 3.26 rpg at Safco and they have hit lefties at just .236 at home as well. The Sox offense does score 4.14 rpg ion the road and in their last 10 games they have averaged 4.2 rpg. Ok not great numbers, but they will be taking on a struggling Michael Pineda, who is 1-2 with an ERA of 7.94 in his last 7 starts. He has pitched well at home this year, but in his last 3 home starts he is 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA. The Sox still have something to play for and behind Danks they will make sure they don't fall any further behind in the AL Central race. POWER ANGLE FOR THIS PLAY--- The Chicago White Sox are 17-3 since June of 2009 as a dog when they won by 1 run in their starters last start and that starter had a WHIP of at least 0.75 in that start.

2 UNIT PLAY
Cincinnati/ Washington Under 9: Ross Detwiler has been solid in his last 5 starts for the Nats this year with a solid 2.63 ERA. Overall this Nationals staff has done well of late with a 2.79 ERA in their last 10 games and they should be able to hold down a Reds offense that has put up 4.6 rpg in their last 10 games. Mike Leake does not come in in great form, with a 5.12 Era in his last 3 starts, but in his last 3 at home he has a 2.25 ERA and in 3 career starts vs the Nats he has a 3.00 ERA. Mike will be facing a Nats offense that comes in averaging just .247 and scoring just 2.7 rpg in their last 10 games. I think that the pitching in this one will keep the score down, plus we note that the Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. Reply With Quote
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today 08:54 AM

[timbob]

RICHIE CARRERA

Detroit -200 over MINNESOTA 5 Dimes (Risk 10)

We are laying some serious 2 to 1 on the road, but with the way that Justin Verlander is slinging it, there is little doubt that we will come away on the right side of this one. Hurricane Irene knocked out my other potential play today.

[timbob]

JOHN CHANG

---Start Time 7:10 PM EST---
Chicago Cubs (+175, list Dempster) over MILWAUKEE BREWERS, 5 dimes
Even with the the momentum clearly on the side of Milwaukee, the Cubbies are in a decent spot to steal a win, especially with Dempster heading to the bump. It all comes down to the situation and the value, and I like both in this spot.

---Start Time 4:10 PM EST---
ST LOUIS CARDINALS -1.5 (-110) over Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 dimes
The Buccos season is lost, and they probably won't have too much spring in their step during this 3rd game of a four game stretch with the Cards at Busch. St. Louis has already taken the first two games, and now they are sending the nearly unhittable Chris Carpenter to the hill. Carpenter has been throwing gems lately, and he's got a seriously effective record against the Buccos in his career. I expect a comfortable win for the home team.

---Start Time 4:10 PM EST---
Detroit Tigers/MINNESOTA TWINS under 7.5 runs, 5 dimes
One soon-to-be legendary pitcher. One effective pitcher. Two teams showing a trend of going under the total over the past week. A Minnesota Club that is averaging under 1 run over the last 6 games. Sounds like a nice recipe for the under.

[timbob]

RANDY BRUCE

MLB: *5 dimes each
Tampa Rays ML -120
Chicago White Sox ML -110

[timbob]

JACK HOWARD

MLB:

San Diego/Arizona Under 9.5(+100) 5 Dimes

Oakland(+240) Over Boston 5 Dimes

Pittsburgh/St. Louis Over 7.5(-110) 10 Dimes

[timbob]

PLS Team

Arizona / San Diego Over 40.5

Detroit / New England Over 44.5

Houston / San Francisco Over 36

Tennessee / Chicago Under 37

[timbob]

Jim Feist - Jim Feist's Preseason Game of the Year - Saturday!

(277) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (+6.0, ov36.5)
(278) DENVER BRONCOS (-6.0, un36.5)
Saturday, Aug 27 2011, 06:00 PM PST

Preseason Game of the Year: Denver Broncos.
Seattle has a lot of problems under Coach Pete Carroll. With Matt Hassellbeck gone, QB Tarvaris Jackson is the starter, Charlie Whitehurst the backup -- two guys they overpaid for in money and draft picks. They have problems on the offensive line and have not played well: The starters fell behind the Chargers 10-0 at the half, then last week they laid an egg at home in a 20-7 loss to Minnesota. Seattle is 2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS in preseason under Carroll. They run into a Denver (1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS) team that has a new coach in John Fox, the former Carolina coach. New coaches want to play well at home and Denver did last week, winning by 14 points. The QB rotation is experienced/versatile, with QB Kyle Orton the starter and Brady Quinn. The Broncos starting offense and defense will play into the third quarter Saturday against Seattle. This is the second straight home game for Denver and they looked sharp last week, a 24-10 win over Buffalo, leading 24-3 in the third with Quinn and Orton completing 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards, 2 TDs and no picks. The home team holds all the cards against the thin and disorganized visitors. Play the Broncos!

[timbob]

Harry Bondi

NFL PRESEASON
TAMPA BAY (-3.5) over Miami
7:30 p.m. EST

The Dolphins are off to a 2-0 start and will come into this game with "a little shit in their necks" as they have been reading and hearing about how good they have looked in the early going of the preseason. That's exactly the type of team you want to "go against" in the preseason, especially with a team that's as marginal as Miami. Tampa Bay ran into a buzz-saw last week and got embarrassed in front on the home crowd when it got manhandled by a New England team that was clicking on all cylinders. Look for the Bucs to try and make amends for that loss tonight at home as QB Josh Freeman welcomes back two of his best weapons -- Arrelious Benn and Kellen Winslow -- both of whom sat out the first two preseason games. The defense also welcomes back starting cornerback Aqib Talib. Lay the short number with the Bucs.

[timbob]

Tony Bravo

5* Detroit Tigers
St. Louis Cardinals
Texas Rangers

[mikefortino]

ATS

12-Denver
5-OVER 44.5 New England/Detroit
4-Dallas

[timbob]

ATS LOCK

12-Denver -4 ov Seattle 9:00
5-OVER 44.5 New England/Detroit 8:00
4-Dallas -1 ov Minnesota 8:00

5-Tampa Bay even ov Toronto 1:05
4-Cincinnati -135 ov Washington 7:10

[timbob]

Baseball Prophet

POD - Marlins/Phillies over 7.5

[timbob]

Kelso

50-unit NFL Pre-season Upset Game Of Year Jacksonville Jags

[timbob]

Allen Eastman

5-Unit MLB GAME OF THE WEEK
DETROIT TIGERS UNDER 7.5 -130

[timbob]

Guss Johnson

15 units NE Patriots -3.5

[timbob]

SPARTAN

Courtesy Winner

Seattle ML

[timbob]

ROBERT FERRRINGO

1-Unit Play. Take #906 Philadelphia (-1.5, -135) over Florida

1-Unit Play. Take #931 Chicago White Sox (-105) over Seattle

1.5-Unit Play. Take #936 Boston (-1.5, -130) over Oakland

2.5-Unit Play. Take #925 Boston (-1.5, -135) over Oakland

Note: This is a doubleheader chase. If Game 1 of this doubleheader is a winning bet for us you DO NOT make the second bet. If Game 1 is a loser, then make the second wager. We basically need one ass-kicking out of the Red Sox today in order to get paid.

Today's Totals

3-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 7.5 Florida at Philadelphia

1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 7.0 Chicago at Seattle

1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 8.0 Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee

1-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 9.0 Washington at Cincinnati

[timbob]

Jhonny Banks

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON TORONTO +113

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON L.A. DODGERS -135

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON PITTSBURGH +1.5 -109

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON MINNESOTA +1.5 +111

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON KANSAS CITY +1.5 -139

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON WASHINGTON +1.5 -153

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON MILWAUKEE -190

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON ARIZONA -146

500 DIME MLB HIGH ROLLER ON CHICAGO WS -102

[timbob]

chris jordan

600 NE patriots - 3 or 4

300 clevland indians (RUN LINE)

100 LA Dodgers

[timbob]

Sports N´Profits

Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers over 36 @ 730PM

New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions over 45 @ 8PM

Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings under 37 @ 8PM

[timbob]

Don Wallace Sports - FREE PLAY
(273) DALLAS COWBOYS (-1 ov37)
(274)MINNESOTA VIKINGS (+1 un37)
Saturday, Aug 27 2011, o7:00 PM CST
Take (273) DALLAS COWBOYS
Cowboys head man Jason Garrett will be looking for a much sharper performance out of his team's offense after the Cowboys committed three turnovers against San Diego, with the Chargers converting those miscues into 10 points.Quarterback Tony Romo hit on 8-of-12 attempts in about 1 1/2 quarters worth of work for Dallas, but managed only 58 yards and was intercepted once. One bright spot for the Cowboys was the performance of Felix Jones, with the talented running back rushing for 56 yards on only seven carries. He may be backed up on Saturday by veteran Tashard Choice and rookie third-round pick DeMarco Murray, both of whom have yet to play this preseason due to injuries but resumed practicing this week. The all-time preseason series between the Cowboys and Vikings is deadlocked at 5-5-1, with Dallas drawing even by virtue of a 35-31 decision at the Metrodome in 2009. The teams have met twice since, the 2009 NFC Divisional Playoff ,were Minnesota rolled to a 34-3 victory.The Vikings also bested Dallas by a 24-21 score at home during Week 6 of last year's regular season. Saturday's tilt will be the first game held at the Metrodome since the facility's roof collapsed during a massive snow storm last December, forcing the Vikings to play their final two home games of the 2010 season in alternative venues. This not quite a play for me. However, I do look for the Cowboys to execute and put together a strong performance.

[timbob]

Jim Hurley

SD CHARGERS over 41
arizona +3
preseason game of year atl falcons +3

[timbob]

Jason Sharpe


MLB
Colorado +120
Tampa Bay -130

[timbob]

Northcoast

3 Jax +3 -120
3 Miami +3.5

Also seeing:
Pro Play Minny.

[timbob]

Stan Sharp | NFL Side Sat, 08/27/11 - 8:00 PM ¯Û
double-dime bet 273 DAL -1.0 (-110) Bodog vs 274 MIN Analysis: ‚Stan is Betting DALLAS in NFL action today. Stan notes that the player match ups and rotation strongly favor Dallas in this game. Yes it is Minnesota's first home game of the season but right now Dallas' first unit has a edge over Minnesota's first unit but when they get to second string players and beyond tonight Dallas has a huge talent edge. Stan has Dallas winning by 7-10 points.

TAKE DALLAS as STAN'S RARE TRIPLE DIME GAME

[timbob]

Power Play Wins

Power Plays Of The Day

NFL: Broncos -4

MLB: Dodgers -137 (Billingsley)

[timbob]

MATT RIVERS
Saturday's Selections ...

Your winners are: 200,000♦ Winner # 3 in a Row is in the NFL preseason, and it comes on the underdog Miami Dolphins plus the points as they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In baseball my 50,000♦ Bonus Best Bet is to take the Tampa Bay Rays with Niemann as the small road favorite against the Toronto Blue Jays with Perez. Remember, both listed pitchers must start, or no action on the release.

[timbob]

SCOTT DELANEY

Today's winner...
Make note, my 20-Dime Winner for this tonight is on the Denver Broncos, in their preseason game with the Seattle Seahawks in the Mile High City. It is imperative to look for the most attractive line tonight with the price being -4-1/2 at most Vegas sports books and offshore books.

[timbob]

SEAN MICHAELS

Saturday
25 Dime Play on Arizona and Joe Saunders against San Diego and Aaron Harang. As with all my baseball selections, you must note both scheduled starters or the play would be void. Here in Vegas - and at the majority of books offshore - the Diamondbacks are currently a -150 chalk as of 6:15 AM Vegas time.

[timbob]

CHUCK O'BRIEN
Saturday's Selection

Your 30 Dime NFL winner is on the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS in their Week 3 Preseason clash with the Buffalo Bills. As I go live with this selection, the line I am seeing is Jacksonville +125 at both Las Vegas and offshore sportsbooks.

BREAKDOWN: The headline cracked me up, as it read "Buffalo getting down to business vs. Jaguars." Really?!? With what army? The Bills are going to be lucky to avoid becoming this season's laughingstock of the league, if the Chiefs don't beat them to the punch. And while this is supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season, the Bills come into this one with the possibility of being without as many as four starters, including rookie defensive end Marcell Dareus, who has a bruised calf and sore ankle, and veteran linebacker Shawne Merriman, who has been dealing with a sore groin.

The list goes on, and even include Roscoe Parrish, but the fact is, the Bills may have ended their season before the exhibition campaign behgan. I bring up Parrish because I'm still baffled by the the team's trade to Baltimore, which saw Lee Evans become a part of Joe Flacco's offense. What the Bills were thinking, I have no clue, but it wasn't about winning, cause Evans was their biggest offensive threat. So while coach Chan Gailey must make his difficult roster decisions soon, he's and the upper brass made dumbest - and costliest - already.

I'm more intrigued with the Jaguars, who will play their much more talented starters well into the third quarter, and though they'll still be sans Marcus Jones-Drew, I like the approach coach Jack Del Rio has taken this preseason - a much more organized one than Gailey, or Kansas City coach Todd Haley. Forget the lockout, and forget the fact this team was humbled in the preseason opener, 47-12, observing the methodical approach Del Rio has taken with his team, I'm impressed and just may become a believer about this so-called improved defense.

Week 1 - they faced the Patriots. Week 2 - they faced the Falcons, and won 15-13. Now they take on the hapless Bills, who have scored 13 points total, losing at Chicago, 10-3, and at Denver, 24-10. The pass rush improved last week, despite being the lone NFL team without a sack this preseason; that should change this week.

Jacksonville is going to win this game boys, mark my words. It's a given. Play the Jags on the moneyline!

[timbob]

Al DeMarco
Saturday


15 dime play on the Denver Broncos as the home favorite agannst Seattle. As I release this play at 4:00 AM Pacific, the Broncos are currentdly a solid -5 in Vegas and offshore. However, you might still find a -4 1/2 out there. As you know, I'm a firm believer in buying the half-point when the line crosses 3, 4, 7 and occasionaloy 10. But in this case, if you get Denver at -4 1/2 do NOT buy the insurance. Why? Because if I like them at -5, I certainly like them at -4 1/2; the half-point is of no consequence. And as you will see below, I like them by a much wider margin anyway.

It's the perfect storm for Denver tonight as they host struggling Seattle in the third game of the preseason, the game where starters - including quarterback Kyle Orton - are expected to play into the third quarter. The Broncos' signal-caller, who missed some practice time this week because of a child being born, has squelched trade talk and discussion over whether he would lose his job by completnng 63% of his preseason passes following a strong 10-of-13, 135-yard, 1-TD effort against Buffalo in a 24-10 home win last week.

The Broncos, who opened up a 14-3 half-time lead against the Bills last week, watched Brady Quinn have a strong game (10-for-16, 130 yards, 1 TD) in relief of Orton. But for tonight's game, it's expected that Tim Tebow, who had just two passes attempts versus Buffalo but shared first-team reps with Quinn during Orton's absence this week, will be the first quarterback off the bench.

Orton, Tebow and possibly Quinn will be facing a Seattle defense with some major injury concerns. Two starters, MLB David Hawthorne and strong safety Kam Chancellor, are out. Cornerback Walter Thurmond, expected to compete for a starting job but sidelined most of training camp with a high ankle sprain, is questionable. Meanwhile, starting defensive end Chris Clemons, who had a team-leadding 11 sacks last year, will be seeing his first action, albeit limited, of the preseason after recovering from ankle surgery.

Denver's new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is in the midst of installing a much more aggressive, attacking unit. It paid dividends against the Bills, who weren't able to stretch the field vertically. Tonight it faces a Seattle offense that's yet to score with expected starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson at the helm.

Jackson, the former Viking, is 14-for-26 this preseason for 88 yards despite the additions of WR Sidney Rice and TE Zach Miller. Problem is Seattle's offensive line is struggling for consistency and cohosiveness. Starting LT Russell Okung remains out with an ankle injury while the team is starting rookies at right guard and tackle.

Back-up Charlie Whitehurst, who might see a series or two with the first-stringers, has played well this preseason and is coming off a 14-for-19, 97-yard outing in last week's 20-7 home loss to Minnesota. However, he's accumulated most of his passing stats against back-ups playing for the Chargers and Vikings so far.

Another concern for Seattle's attack: top running back Marshawn Lynch is out with an ankle injury.

Denver's Orton should be able to exploit Seattle's defensive woes caused by injury and a weak pass rush. But key tonight will be the Broncos establishing a strong ground game. They ran for 126 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry against a weak Buffalo stop unit last week. But Knowshon Moreno (6 carries, 28 yards), Brandon Minor (6 for 24) and Lance Ball (7 for 20) were productive. Look for Moreno and power back Willie McGahee (5 carries, 6 yards vs. Bills) to get more totes versus a Seahawk defense that allowed Minnesota to run for 142 yards and average 5.3 yards a pop last week.

Final projected score: Denver 27, Seattle 17

[timbob]

VikingSportsPlays NFL 8.27.11

Dolphins to win +155
**
Dolphins +4'
Cardinals +3
49ers +3

[timbob]

Bankroll Sports

*10 Arz Cards +3

*5 Dolphins +3.5 ... *5 Pirates/Cards Under 7.5

[timbob]

Usa Cappers

*10 Broncos -5.5

*8 Sd/Arizona Over 41

*8 Rockies /Dodgers Under 8

[timbob]

Joseph D'Amico

Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers
Play: Houston Texans -4

Both teams fell short of expectations last year. Houston comes into this matchup 2-0 both SU and ATS while San Fran is 1-1 both SU and ATS. The 49ers made a coaching change to Jim Harbaugh that will pay off in the end. However, not here. The new coach will not put his stars in harms way in exhibition play. There is a lot of pressure in the Bay Area to improve this upcoming season. Overall, San Francisco scored just 20 total points in their 2 pre-season contests. I don't see anything changing here against a Houston squad that "HAD TO" improve on their bottom tier defense from a year ago. The Texans stop unit looked sharp, holding the Jets to 16 points and the saints to 14 points in exhibition play. The QB situation at this point looks stronger for Houston. They have a strong receiving corps and several key RBs. Not to mention Arian Foster. Take Houston.

[timbob]

Bob Balfe

Pittsburgh Steelers -3

The Steelers defense is 100% back from last year. This is a unit that was awesome and got all the way to the Super Bowl. I expect them only to get better. Atlanta is a great team and this game, without a doubt, could be a Super Bowl preview. At the end of the day, the Steelers have a great defense and are at home. Take Pittsburgh.


Lions / Patriots Over 44.5

This seems like a sucker bet and who knows - it could be because it is the preseason, but I just can't get over how well the Patriots have played this preseason. The Lions are no longer the worst team in the NFL and I believe, one day, Matthew Stafford will get himself a Super Bowl ring. The Lions will have a great offense if they can stay healthy. Look for both teams to put up enough to push this over the total. Take the Over.


San Diego Chargers -3

They say that week 3 of the preseason is almost like a regular season game. San Diego was the best team in the NFL last year in both offense and defense. This team is known for slow starts, but I think they are so good this year that they will come flying out the gates. Arizona is a new-look team and they are going to hit their bumps in the road before they get on the same level as this San Diego team. Take the Chargers.


Chicago White Sox -102

The Mariners have a great young pitcher who has a bright future in Michael Pineda. However, he does give up the long ball a lot - which should be the difference in this game. Seattle does not put up many runs and, against Danks, should struggle again tonight on offense. Take the White Sox.

[timbob]

Bruce Marshall

Padres at Diamondbacks
Pick: Diamondbacks-1.5

It looks like the Arizona Diamondbacks have found some traction once more. After the season seemed to be unraveling with a 6-game losing streak, the D-backs have now won 4 in a row and go for five straight tonight at Chase Field against visiting San Diego. Arizona starter Joe Saunders put the clamps on the Padres June 26 at Petco Park, limiting them to 1 run on 6 hits in a complete-game 6-1 win. And with the San Diego offense on the blink once again, we doubt starter Aaron Harang gets bailed out with the sort of run support that has benefited him this season. Run Line prices in the +135 range seem good value for Arizona. Play Diamondbacks on Run Line

[timbob]

Sammy P MLB
10* TB = W
15* STL -1.5

[timbob]

Teddy Covers

10*Tigers RL-115

10*Texans -3

[timbob]

Kelso bases

25 UNITS SD Padres +135
15 UNITS Texas Rangers -155
10 UNITS Cleveland Indians -150
3 UNITS Chicago White Sox +100
3 UNITS Colorado Rockies +123

[timbob]

Sean Higgs

Play Selected Point Spread: 3.5/-110
Taking the FALCONS here. Steelers rolled out their big game last week vs the Eagles. I can't really seem them paying much attention here. The Falcons though are winless. I look for a strong outing vs the Super Bowl runner-ups. Atlanta will bring a complete game here while Pitt won't nearly be as hardpressed to produce a win. 5* ATLANTA FALCONS


Play Title 10* Dallas Cowboys
Play Selected Point Spread: -1.0/-110
Taking the COWBOYS here as our Top Rated 10* MoneyBomb. This is about as close to playing of the regulars as you get in preseason. Game 3 allows the starters to get a full half and then some of reps. We have a huge edge here with Romo and the 'Boys. McNabb still learning the playbook with Minny. Vikes starters have yet to score a TD. Also, in McGee the Cowboys have a guy coming in who isn't some novice. He has thrown the ball well this summer and, added with last years development looks like a capable backup. For the Vikes, we will see the rookie Ponder, plus Webb. Heres a newsflash Minny Fans.. You guys are rebuilding. Even with McNabb and AP. 10* Pre-Season GOY DALLAS COWBOYS

[timbob]

gold sheet

miami +3 over tampa bay

[timbob]

MMA Professor

Luiz Cane (-200) over Stanislov Nedkov
Spencer Fisher (+200) over Thiago Tavares
Forrest Griffin (+225) over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

[timbob]

MARC LAWRENCE

2* NFLX Atlanta Falcons

[timbob]

MIKE BLAKE'S PICKS FOR TONIGHT NFLX
BOTH PICKS NFLX

3* (7:30 PM EST) 3* ATLANTA

5* (8:00 EST) 5* DETROIT LIONS + 4 POINTS vs NEW ENGLAND PATS nflx game of the year play

HE SAID THIS: DETROIT WINS GAME. THIS PLAY IS BACKED BY A SYSTEM THAT
IS 25-6 . SPECIFIC UNDER DOGS COMING OFF 2 STRAIGHT WINS. DETROIT WILL
WANT THIS GAME MORE WITH BACK UPS IN 4TH QTR. DETROIT WINS.

[timbob]

JLB SPORTS INFO (JLB4422 ON TWITTER)

8:05 PM-PICK #1:
FREE PICK:**MLB** GOLD DIGGER (4 Units)
*FREE PREVIEW* LA ANGELS -ML (+150)


8:05PM PICK #2:
**NFL** (6 Units) GOLD DIGGER!
*MEMBERS PICK* DETROIT LIONS & PATRIOTS UNDER 45 (-110)

[timbob]

Books Biggest Exposure

MMA - All Favorites,,, books hope for 1 or 2 dogs.

MLB - Kansas City Royals ML - Wiseguys Money

NFLX - Denver Broncos, Heavy bets on the side by Public Money

Houston Texans - Public Money & Wiseguys Money

Pittsburgh - Public Money

New England - Public Money
Detroit - Wiseguys Money

Over/Under on NE/DET When the number hit 45 came accion from Wiseguys & Betting Syndicates on the UNDER.

"Biggest Steam Play" - Atlanta Falcons

[timbob]

ATS WINNERS

5* 1st half chargers -1

4* over 37 sea / denver

4* over 44.5 ne / detroit

4* miami +4

3* atlanta +3.5

[timbob]

Robert Ferrringo

1.5-Unit Play. Take #272 Tennessee (-3) over Chicago

1-Unit Play. Take #278 Denver (-4) over Seattle

2-Unit Play. Take #279 San Diego (-2.5) over Arizona
Note: This is my NFL Preseason Game of the Year.

1.5-Unit Play. Take #281 New Orleans (-4.5) over Oakland

This Week's Totals:

1-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 36.0 Jacksonville at Buffalo

1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 37.0 Dallas at Minnesota

1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 36.0 Miami at Tampa Bay

0.5-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 44.5 New England at Detroit

[timbob]

Jhonny Banks


500 DIME NFL HIGH ROLLER ON PITTSBURGH -3.5

500 DIME NFL HIGH ROLLER ON NEW ENGLAND -4

500 DIME NFL HIGH ROLLER ON CHICAGO +3

500 DIME NFL HIGH ROLLER ON HOUSTON -3

500 DIME NFL HIGH ROLLER ON DENVER -4.5

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Handicappster

3* "Diamond Play" OVER 37 Seattle / Denver

5* "Diamond Play" OVER 44.5 New England / Detroit

3* Miami Dolphins +3

3* Atlanta Falcons +3

MLB

3* OVER 7 Chicago White Sox / Seattle

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Mike and Mike Sports

25* Buffalo Bills -2.5

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VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER

3 Unit Play. #913 Take Under 9 ½ -120 San Diego at Arizona

2 Unit Play. #914 Take Arizona -145 over San Diego

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SPORTS BROKERS LV

BIG GAME* MLB* Milwaukee Brewers M/L
REGULAR* MLB* Seattle Mariners M/L
REGULAR* MLB* SD Padres M/L
TOTAL* MLB* Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago Cubs UNDER 8

BIG GAME* NFL* Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3
REGULAR* NFL* Atlanta Falcons +3
TOTAL* NFL* Chicago Bears-Tennessee Titans OVER 37

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JIMMY BOYD
5* Buffalo Bills
4* Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3* Chicago White Sox

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Sports Betting Champ
2 - 0 yesterday

3* Star pick: Milwaukee Brewers

1* Star pick: Arizona Diamondbacks

1* Star pick: Cleveland Indians

1* Star pick: Texas Rangers