8-26-13

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US Open betting: Opening day preview
By JAY PRIMETOWN

Monday, August 26 kicks off the opening day of tennis' final Grand Slam of the year in Flushing Meadows, NY. While defending men's champion Andy Murray doesn't kick off his title defense until Tuesday, defending women's champion Serena Williams will begin her charge to repeat on opening day. Here are some matches to watch on opening day at the US Open:

Serena Williams vs. Francesca Schiavone: The defending champion and top player in the world enters the US Open having made the finals in her last three tournaments; all on hard courts. Williams did lose her last match to rival Vika Azarenka and should be able to take out the frustrations of that loss on the clay court specialist Schiavone.

Ryan Harrison vs. Rafael Nadal: The most in form player in men's tennis Rafael Nadal looks to win his 2nd US Open as he opens up against American Ryan Harrison. Nadal has won two straight tournaments (including a win over Novak Djokovic in the process) and has yet to lose a match on hard courts this year. One of those wins was over Harrison at Indian Wells. Harrison played Nadal well in the first set losing in a tiebreak prior to succumbing to Nadal's relentless pressure in the second set. Can the American give Nadal a scare in New York?

Kirsten Flipkens vs. Venus Williams: The top matchup of Day 1 pits 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens against two time US Open Champion Venus Williams. This is a battle of styles as Williams is a power player while Flipkens is a crafty player who uses a lot of slices. Flipkens beat Williams early this summer in Toronto in a 3 set match. However, it needs to be noted that Williams has never lost in the opening round of the US Open in 14 previous appearances.

Jelena Jankovic vs. Madison Keys: Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic has had a solid summer losing in her last two tournaments to eventual finalists in Sorana Cirstea (Toronto) and Vika Azarenka (Cincinnati). Jankovic is a good hard court player having made the finals here in 2007 and has made the semifinals in two of the biggest tournaments on the calendar (Indian Wells and Cincinnati) this year. Keys, an 18-year-old American, has struggled this summer with injuries and has been unable to get into a rhythm and string together consecutive victories. Keys has big time power and if her game is on could make for a competitive match. Otherwise, Jankovic will outclass her in straight sets.

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US Open men's preview: Djoker the fave, but Rafa sizzling
By JAYPRIMETOWN

Over the last two years, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Great Britain’s Andy Murray have emerged as the sport’s two best hard court players. However, it is the greatest clay court player of all time who is grabbing all of the headlines heading into this year’s US Open.

Buoyed by consecutive US Open Cup Series titles in Montreal and Cincinnati, Spain’s Rafael Nadal is the hottest player in tennis. Nadal is undefeated on hard courts this year with a record of 15-0 including titles at the prestigious Indian Wells tournament in California in March as well as Montreal and Cincinnati.

Nadal, +290 to win the tournament, has a solid track record at the year’s final major. While he withdrew from the tournament in 2012 due to injury, he had previously made the semifinal or better in 4 consecutive years. Furthermore, he won the tournament in 2010 and lost to Djokovic in the final in 2011.

Novak Djokovic is the oddsmakers’ favorite at +190 and is looking to improve on his incredible run of 13 consecutive Grand Slam semifinal appearances. Djokovic has made the final each of the last 3 years and will be tough to beat.

Defending US Open Champion Andy Murray is sitting at a generous +365. Murray has had an excellent 12 months having won his first two major titles and has had success against Djokovic having won 5 of their last 10 meetings.

Darkhorses include the hard hitting Jerzy Janowicz (+11500) and Milos Raonic (+12500). American John Isner (+10500) has made the final in 3 of 4 hard court events this summer and can certainly make a deep run looking for his first grand slam title with the home crowd behind him.

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Premier League betting: Monday's EPL cheat sheet

Needless to say, Monday's match is a big one. Even at this early stage of the season. Two of the favorites for the Premier League title square off at the hallowed grounds of Old Trafford.

Manchester United v Chelsea (+150, +240, +200)

Why bet Man United: The Red Devils picked up right where last season's championship winning run ended. United thrashed a quality Swansea City side by a score of 4-1 in Wales. As long as Dutch striker Robin Van Persie is up front, United will be a tough beat. Last season's top scorer bagged a pair of goals to get new boss David Moyes off to a flying start.

Key players out/doubtful: Javier Hernández, Nani, Ashley Young, Darren Fletcher

Why bet Chelsea: Jose Mourinho is always a thorn in the side of United. The Special One only lost two out of 10 matches versus United in his first tenure as boss of Chelsea. In their opener versus Hull a week ago, the Blues looked good throughout, but certainly weren't dominant. Chelsea has defeated United 14 times in the Premier League. No club has had better success versus the Red Devils.

Key players out/doubtful: David Luiz, Juan Mata

2012-13 fixture result: Manchester United 0, Chelsea 1

Key betting note: The two clubs met five times in all competitions in 2012-13. Chelsea won three times, with United winning one.

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Monday's American League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Monday's American League games:

Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals (+110, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is 0-4 in his last five starts and surrendered eight runs over 5 2/3 innings in his last encounter with the Royals.

Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay OF Matt Joyce is 11-for-30 with two home runs and seven RBIs against Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out toward center field at 11 mph.

Key betting note: Kansas City is 12-1 in Guthrie's last 13 home starts against a team with a winning record.


New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays (-107, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes is 0-5 in his last eight starts, including a no-decision in his last meeting with Toronto six days ago.

Hot batting stat: New York OF Alfonso Soriano has homered twice in nine career at-bats against Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 10-2 in Toronto's last 12 games against the American League East.


Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers (-165, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez has allowed just one home run in 70 1/3 innings at Comerica Park.

Hot batting stat: Miguel Cabrera has a double and a homer in his only two at-bats against Athletics righty A.J. Griffin.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with a 35 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow from right to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 10-1 in Griffin's last 11 starts against teams with winning records.


Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox (-150, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer has recorded four straight quality starts since entering the rotation July 31.

Cold batting stat: Houston OF Chris Carter is 2-for-20 with 14 strikeouts over his last six games.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: Chicago is 2-8 in its last 10 games against opponents who scored two or fewer runs in their previous game.


Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners (+117, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Mariners left-hander Joe Saunders is 4-9 with a 6.17 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rangers.

Hot batting stat: Texas 2B Ian Kinsler is 11-for-33 with four home runs against Saunders.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with a 40 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 11-0 in Seattle's last 11 games as a home underdog.


** Odds, probable starters and weather forecast as of 8:34 p.m. ET Sunday.

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Monday's National League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Monday's National League games:

Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals (-110, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Reds right-hander Mike Leake is 2-4 with a 5.77 ERA in seven starts and one relief appearance against St. Louis.

Cold batting stat: Cardinals OF Carlos Beltran is just 2-for-18 in his career versus Leake.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: Cincinnati is 13-3 in its last 16 Monday games.


Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets (+114, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler has surrendered five runs over his last three starts, a span of 19 innings.

Hot batting stat: New York OF Marlon Byrd is a .357 career hitter in 28 at-bats against Phillies starter Cliff Lee.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with a 45 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 13-3 in Lee's last 16 starts against the National League East.


San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies (-158, 10.5)

Hot pitching stat: Giants left-hander Barry Zito has enjoyed plenty of success in his career against the Rockies, going 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 22 starts and two relief appearances.

Cold batting stat: Members of the San Francisco roster are hitting a collective .246 with zero home runs in 61 at-bats against Rockies starter Juan Nicasio.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with a 30 percent chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: The over is 7-1 in Nicasio's last eight home starts against a team with a losing record.


San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (-110, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Arizona right-hander Brandon McCarthy has dropped five straight starts and has been particularly bad in his last two turns, allowing 11 runs over eight innings in that span.

Hot batting stat: Diamondbacks OF A.J. Pollock broke out of a prolonged slump Sunday against Philadelphia, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with a 35 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: Arizona has lost seven of its last nine games against division foes.


Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers (-110, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA over his last five starts.

Hot batting stat: Cubs SS Starlin Castro is 4-for-12 with three walks in his career against Greinke.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s under cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 3 mph.

Key betting note: The Dodgers have won seven straight meetings.


** Odds, probable starters and weather forecast as of 8:39 p.m. ET Sunday.

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White Sox rewarding bettors over past nine games

Don't look now, but the Chicago White Sox are cashing in for backers after a torrid nine-game stretch.

The Pale Hose defeated the Texas Rangers 5-2 Sunday to take two of the three-game series and improve to 8-1 over the past nine ball games.

Any $100 bettor would be up $991 if they had wagered on the South Siders in each of their previous nine ball games.

They were favored just once in those wins. They defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-5 back on August 17 as -125 faves.

White Sox pitching has been sparkling during their eight victories posting an ERA of 2.04 in those wins.

The Sox open a three-game series at home versus the Houston Astros Monday. Chicago is currently a -150 fave in Monday's opener.

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Wheeler is 2-0, 2.37 in his last three starts.
-- Nicasio is 1-0, 3.78 in his last three starts.
-- Ross is 3-2, 2.23 in his last five starts.
-- Greinke is 4-0, 0.94 in his last four starts. Arrieta is 1-0, 3.71 in three starts for the Cubs.

-- Sanchez is 4-1, 1.71 in his last seven starts.
-- Oberholtzer is 3-1, 1.69 in four starts this season. Rienzo is 1-0, 3.86 in five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Leake is 1-1, 6.65 in his last four starts. Lyons is 0-4, 8.03 in his last five starts, last of which was July 30.
-- Lee is 0-4, 4.85 in his last six starts.
-- Zito is 0-3, 10.07 in his last five starts.
-- McCarthy is 0-4, 6.98 since coming off the DL.

-- Griffin is 0-2, 4.24 in his last four starts.
-- Hughes is 0-5, 6.30 in his last eight starts. Dickey is 0-1, 4.50 in last three.
-- Hellickson is 0-4, 8.06 in his last five starts. Guthrie is 0-3, 6.63 in his last three starts.
-- Saunders is 1-4, 9.50 in his last six starts. Blackley allowed two runs in four IP (66 PT) in his first '13 start.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Leake 5-25 (1 of last 7); Lyons 2-7
-- Lee 10-24; Wheeler 4-12 (0 of last 5)
-- Zito 8-22 (5 of last 10); Nicasio 11-24 (4 of last 5)
-- Ross 4-9; McCarthy 5-15 (1 of last 8)
-- Arrieta 2-8; Greinke 7-21 (3 of last 6)

-- Griffin 3-26; Sanchez 6-22
-- Hughes 8-24 (3 of last 3); Dickey 6-27 (0 of last 7)
-- Oberholtzer 1-4; Rienzo 0-5
-- Blackley 0-1; Saunders 8-26
-- Hellickson 10-26 (3 of last 5); Guthrie 7-26 (1 of last 6)

Totals
-- Three of last four Cardinal games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 10-3-1 in last fourteen Philadelphia games.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Colorado games.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Arizona games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Dodger games.

-- Four of last five Oakland games went over the total.
-- 10 of last 14 Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Seattle home games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Tampa Bay games stayed under total.

Hot teams
-- Reds won 10 of their last 15 games. St Louis won seven of its last nine.
-- Phillies won six of their last eight games.
-- Giants won three of their last four road games.
-- Padres won three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers are 46-12 in last 58 games, 4-4 in last eight.

-- Detroit won six of its last eight games.
-- Bronx won six of its last eight games.
-- White Sox won eight of their last nine games.
-- Texas won 19 of its last 25 games, but lost last two.
-- Tampa Bay won eight of its last eleven games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost six of their last eight games.
-- Colorado lost six of its last nine games.
-- Diamondbacks lost five of their last seven games.
-- Cubs lost 15 of their last 22 games.

-- Oakland is 5-7 in its last 12 games.
-- Blue Jays lost 12 of their last 17 games.
-- Astros lost four of their last six games.
-- Mariners lost their last three games, outscored 14-2.
-- Kansas City lost nine of their last twelve games.

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Today's MLB Picks

Cincinnati at St. Louis

The Reds look to build on their 8-3 record in Mike Leake's last 11 road starts. Cincinnati is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110). Here are all of today's picks.


MONDAY, AUGUST 26
Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST


Game 951-952: Cincinnati at St. Louis (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 15.774; St. Louis (Lyons) 14.782
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110); Over


Game 953-954: Philadelphia at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 15.837; NY Mets (Wheeler) 14.140
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-130); Under


Game 955-956: San Francisco at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 14.965; Colorado (Nicasio) 14.408
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 12
Vegas Line: Colorado (-160); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+140); Over


Game 957-958: San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Ross) 14.019; Arizona (McCarthy) 15.552
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-140); Under


Game 959-960: Chicago Cubs at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Arrieta) 13.484; LA Dodgers (Greinke) 15.838
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-260); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-260); Under


Game 961-962: Oakland at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Griffin) 15.995; Detroit (Sanchez) 15.466
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+150); Over


Game 963-964: NY Yankees at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Hughes) 15.301; Toronto (Dickey) 13.925
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Over


Game 965-966: Houston at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Oberholtzer) 14.674; White Sox (Rienzo) 16.476
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-150); Under


Game 967-968: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Blackley) 15.877; Seattle (Saunders) 13.167
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Texas (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-135); Under


Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 15.383; Kansas City (Guthrie) 16.342
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+100); Over

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Free Plays are 1084-817 (57 + %) over the last 5 1/2 years !

Free winner MON: Texas -145

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Gamblers Data

Free Plays Monday

Astros/White Sox under 8.5

Reds/Cards over 8.5

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Cappers Access

Reds -110
Dodgers(RL) -1.5(-130)

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Baseball Crusher
Seattle Mariners +131 over Texas Rangers
(System Record: 71-7, won last game)
Overall Record: 71-71-2

Soccer Crusher
Quilmes + San Lorenzo UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in Argentina
(System Record: 446-15, lost last game)
Overall Record: 446-383-59

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Joe Wiz

Free Play Monday Cubs/Dodgers Under 7

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bookiemonsters
137-87 run

13-4-1 run last 18 plays

pod tigers game over 8

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StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets

MLB OAKLAND at DETROIT

Play Against - Road underdogs with a money line of +150 or more (OAKLAND) below average hitting team (AVG <=.265) against an excellent starting pitcher (ERA <=3.20) -AL, with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.20 or better on the season (AL)
82-22 over the last 5 seasons. ( 78.8% 41.1 units )
13-9 this year. ( 59.1% -3.4 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends™ - FoxSheets

MLB CINCINNATI at ST LOUIS

CINCINNATI is 32-8 (+22.5 Units) against the money line revenging a loss vs opponent as a home favorite over the last 2 seasons.

The average score was: CINCINNATI (4.9) , OPPONENT (3.2)

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River City Sharps

MLB Play

7:05 PM Oakland Athletics vs Detroit Tigers
OVER 8 -115
3 UNITS​

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PAUL LEINER

100* Rangers -140

50* Diamondbacks -145

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Teddy Covers

10* Cardinals over

10* Padres

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"Mr Chalk" 2013 MLB Season

Ben lee lost on Sunday with the "Chalkest" game on the board the Reds -$190/Brewers.

For Monday "Mr Chalk" is starting out the week with the "Chalkest" game on the board the Dodgers -$250/Cubs.

"Mr Chalk" is 84-49 +$825 for the 2013 MLB season.

Ben lee likes Manchester United +$120/Chelsea for $50 and the Draw +$220 for $50.

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Spreitzer
triple dime St Louis ML
double dime Texas ML

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ras va +3

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TMC Sports Advisors

EARLY BETS

Kansas City +1.5 -150

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Kelso

15 rangers

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See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities
By JASON LOGAN

Spot bets are a classic handicapping practice that have proven profitable no matter what sport you’re betting. Whether it’s a team looking past this week’s opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots.

Lookahead spot

Week 1 of the college football season has featured some close calls for BCS contenders in recent years, and this week’s slate of games will be no different. One potential stunner could come when the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners host the UL Monroe Warhawks as 23.5-point favorites Saturday. The Sooners are trying to budge their way to the front of the crammed Big 12 and have a huge game against West Virginia, which could help determine the final pecking order, in Week 2.

The Warhawks, who return 17 starters – including dual-threat QB Kolton Browning - and will contend for the Sun Belt crown, have a taste for early upsets. They started Arkansas’ 2012 tumble with a Week 1 upset and covered in three straight versus the Hogs, Auburn and Baylor to open last season. The 23.5 points are an awful lot with OU potentially looking past UL Monroe in the opener.

Letdown spot

The Montreal Alouettes can breathe a little easier after a thrilling come-from-behind win over the BC Lions last week. The Als earned just their third win of the summer and the first since firing head coach Dan Hawkins, despite missing veteran QB Anthony Calvillo as well as many other key players to injury.

That victory takes a lot of pressure off GM/interim coach Jim Popp but sets Montreal up for a big fall when it travels to Toronto September 3. The Als will likely send rookie QB Tanner Marsh out as the starter after a surprise showing versus the Lions, hoping for a repeat performance. The Argonauts spanked the Als 38-13 as 2-point road faves in early August, limiting Calvillo to 16-of-30 passing for 202 yards and an interception.

Schedule spot

The Connecticut Sun have a West Coast road trip at the worst possible time. The team has lost four straight and has just one win in its last eight outings, posting a depressing 2-6 ATS mark in that stretch. The Sun play three in a row against Western Conference foes, starting in Los Angeles Tuesday, then heading to Seattle and Phoenix before the month is through.

Connecticut is just 3-9 ATS on the road with plenty of that damage coming versus the West, who have dealt Sun backers a 2-7 ATS count this season. The Sun are scoring an average of 68.1 points away from home – almost six points less than as hosts – and have averaged 67.2 points in losses compared to a lofty 82.0 points in their seven wins.

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Northcoast Early Bird Play
140-79 last 15 years
N. TEX -14.5 vs Idaho

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Kevin
MLBPredictions

2 UNIT = San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies - ROCKIES TO WIN (-147)
Listed Pitchers: Zito vs Nicasio
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.36 units)

The Giants enter this game 58-72 on the season and 25-37 on the road. Colorado is 61-71 on the year and 36-27 on the season. Southpaw veteran Barry Zito will get the start tonight for the Giants and he is having a very rough season. He is 4-9 on the year with a 5.63 ERA, .318 OBA and 1.72 WHIP. On the road he is an awful 0-7 with a 9.45 ERA, .404 OBA, and 2.30 WHIP. In 7 appearances (3 starts) since the All Star break he is 0-2 with a 10.26 ERA, and in his latest start he went just 3.2 innings giving up 7 hits and 6 earned runs at home vs Boston. The Rockies will counter with Juan Nicasio who is 7-6 on the season with a 4.79 ERA. Despite being a hitters friendly park, Nicasio has excelled at home going 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA over 10 starts this year, with batters hitting just .212 against him. Take note that the Giants are just 8-22 in their last 30 games as a road underdog, 1-6 in Zito's last 7 starts, and 1-9 in his last 10 road starts. The Rockies are 6-1 in their last 7 home games, and 5-1 in Nicasio's last 6 starts vs divisional opponents. Colorado has won 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Giants at home. We will lay the chalk here on Colorado at home vs the Giants with Zito on the mound, who has been just awful on the road this year and overall as of late.

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Wunderdog Sports Free Pick

Game: San Francisco at Colorado (8:40 PM Eastern)
Pick: San Francisco +138 (moneyline) at 5Dimes

Barry Zito is back in the rotation, and he worked seven scoreless innings here earlier in the season, and has proven he can hold down this Rockies' attack. Nicasio owns a 3.38 ERA vs. the Giants in three starts this season. The Rockies have been brutal facing left handed pitching, where they are just 25-54 in their last 79, and they have failed to win six straight times behind Nicasio on regular four days rest. Zito has gotten redemption following an ugly start where he failed to last four innings, as the Giants are 7-1 in his last eight in this spot. The Giants add to their 38-16 mark in the last 54 meetings. Play on San Francisco.

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HONDO Monday

Hondo wrapped up Wipeout Weekend by suffering a pair of crushing defeats with the Rangers and Diamondbacks that ballooned the deficit to a whopping 1,575 nuxhalls.


Tonight, Mr. Aitch hopes to begin his latest in a series of comebacks with Leake, the favorite pitcher of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden – 20 units on the Reds to prevail over their Arch enemy.

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Scott Rickenbach 8* Over Easy

Tampa Bay/Kansas City Over

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LT Lock for Monday
Toronto Blue Jays

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tom freese

tex rangers

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Sportswagers NFL Season Total: Steelers




http://www.sportswagers.ca/graphics/icons/logo_1.pngSeason Win Total
Pittsburgh Steelers under 9 +110

The Steelers have not only been a perennial playoff team since 1970, they are also one of the most popular teams in the NFL because of their stability, outstanding pedigree and more playoff appearances and regular seasons wins than any other team over the past 43 years. Even today, a generation later, images endure of those great Steelers teams from the 1970s. Terry Bradshaw connecting with receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. The Steel Curtain of Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White and L.C. Greenwood holding the high-powered Minnesota Vikings offense to 119 total yards in Super Bowl IX. Franco Harris making the “Immaculate Reception.” All those legendary players, plus more recent stars such as Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu, deserve credit for the Steelers’ record six Super Bowl championships but so does the Rooney family, for creating one of the NFL’s model franchises. The best sign of that leadership is stability in the coaching ranks — the Steelers have had only three coaches, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin, since 1970 and that’s precisely where we will start.
Art Rooney simply doesn’t have his dad’s touch. Much as Steelers fans loved the Chief, he didn’t have a green thumb for producing winning football teams. Dan was the magic for this franchise and although Art II has been running the team for years on paper, Dan was still overseeing the operation until he took the ambassadorship. Things have deteriorated since Art II has been completely in charge. Art II and Mike Tomlin have a knack for choosing players in the draft that are china dolls, ready to be broken. The Steelers offensive line is in serious trouble. Mike Adams is awful with no end in sight. Mike Pouncey is grossly overrated and Marcus Gilbert is overwhelmingly unremarkable. There’s no veteran depth there, either. Tomlin has dismantled a pretty good O-line. Max Starks starts in San Diego, Willie Colon starts with the Jets and Doug Legursky starts in Buffalo. Getting rid of seasoned veterans is never a good idea, at least not without having suitable replacements and without a strong O-Line, Ben Roethisberger turns into a mediocre QB at best. The Steelers defense may be decent but they will be on the field more than ever because of an offense that has very little. This team got old right before our eyes and the sad part is the Steelers didn’t do a great job of bringing in younger players. Pittsburgh has little team speed, no bruising running backs, a lack of talent in the receiving corps, where there just is no replacing Mike Wallace and again, a brutal offensive line. The Steelers are in a stronger division, top to bottom and their talent level has deteriorated.
Let’s keep in mind that the Steelers defense feasted two years in a row on some really bad teams. They had the easiest strength of schedule for any playoff team in 2011. The team lived an illusion in 2011 and the illusion became reality in 2012. In 2013, Pittsburgh is worse but their schedule is not. Looking over the Steelers schedule, we see two likely wins, in Week 6 against the Jets, although that game is in New York and in Week 10 at home against the Bills. Other than that, there are no gimmes. The last seven games of the season see the Steelers playing Detroit, at Cleveland, at Baltimore, Miami, Cincinnati, at Green Bay and finally closing out the season at home versus the Brownies. The first four games see the Steelers playing Tennessee, at Cincinnati, Chicago and at Minnesota. Pittsburgh will not win all of those, that’s for certain and it would not surprise one bit to see them get off to a 1-3 start or even a 0-4 start. Additionally, this is all predicated on a healthy roster but these aging players will not play 16 games, as Troy Polamalu and Big Ben get injured every season for a number of games. It says here that the Steelers have little to no chance of winning 10 games and going over this number. We’re suggesting that the Steelers end up going 6-10, 7-9 or 8-8 because this team in in total decay but the number does not reflect that. Pittsburgh’s pedigree and popularity has this total at nine. Its talent level should have it at 7 and that allows us to take full advantage of a bad number.

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Sportswagers MLB
Today's Free Picks for Aug 26, 2013





http://www.sportswagers.ca/graphics/icons/logo_5.pngSan Diego @ ARIZONA
San Diego +117 over ARIZONA

The Diamondbacks are coming off an exhausting series against the Phillies that left the rotation in shambles and that took a toll on every player in that dugout. Saturday’s marathon 19-inning game that lasted close to seven hours was followed up by an early afternoon game yesterday in which the D-Backs lost 9-5. Yesterday ended a 10-game road swing for the Snakes and they figure to be just as exhausted today as they were yesterday after Saturday’s grueling marathon. Since coming off the DL, Brandon McCarthy has started four games and the D-Backs have lost them all by scores of 10-7, 6-2, 4-1 and 4-0. McCarthy’s longest outing over that span was 5.2 innings and his ERA over that same stretch is 6.98. In two of those starts he didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. McCarthy’s strikeout rate is weak with just 55 K’s in 86 innings. At home he has one win in seven starts with a BAA of .297. McCarthy took a scary line drive off his head last September that ended his season. He was average then and he’s been worse since. The impact of three DL stints in two years for the same shoulder may afford McCarthy less margin for error. This is a guy to avoid, especially when spotting a tag.
You would be hard pressed to find a pitcher in the majors that has pitched better than San Diego’s Tyson Ross over the past month. Since re-joining the starting rotation on July 23, Ross has pitched 40 innings and has 42 K’s with just 12 walks issued, a 0.90 WHIP, a 2.10 ERA and an elite groundball rate of 58%. As a prospect in the Oakland system and even as a starter with the A's, Tyson Ross had the fastball and heavy sinker to excel as a big leaguer. What always seemed to be his downfall was a lack of control and shaky command but Ross has finally appeared to figure things out. He has emerged with his top-tier strikeout groundball levels. As a pooch against an exhausted Arizona squad and a struggling Brandon McCarthy, Ross is as live as they come.


Our Pick
San Diego +117 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.34)





http://www.sportswagers.ca/graphics/icons/logo_5.pngSan Francisco @ COLORADO
COLORADO -1½ +132 over San Francisco

Barry Zito had a respectable first month of the season in terms of results but his skills were brutal then, just like they are now. He survived on luck in April but it’s been all downhill from there. In August, Zito's been working primarily out of the bullpen but now he's back in the rotation and we can only be thankful, as it allows us to fade this stiff a few more times before his contract runs out at the end of this year. He’ll never pitch again in the majors after this season because his skills are a train wreck out there. Zito's last start was a predictable disaster against the Red Sox in which he lasted 3.2 innings and allowed six earned runs. That was at pitcher friendly AT&T Park. On the road this season, Barry Zito is 0-7 with an ERA of 9.45 and that’s over nine starts and 11 road appearances. The Rockies are a different team at home, where they are first in the NL in several key offensive categories that include team batting average (.282), runs scored (329) and OPS (.790). Zito’s BAA on the road is .404 and there is only one way this outing can turn out for him and it’s not good.
After showing some promise last season, Juan Nicasio has taken a step back this year. He's brought his ERA down, but his skills are worse. That said, he is a different pitcher at home where he has thrown 54 innings with 48/18 K/BB, 6 HR allowed and 3.95 ERA. However, this wager has nothing to do with backing Nicasio and everything to do with fading the worst starting pitcher in the major leagues. If Zito were in the minors, he’d be the worst starting pitcher there too.


Our Pick
COLORADO -1½ +132 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.64)





http://www.sportswagers.ca/graphics/icons/logo_5.pngN.Y. Yankees @ TORONTO
TORONTO/N.Y. Yankees over 9 +107

Phil Hughes is an interesting subject. Here’s a guy that has a rough 5.79 ERA and 1.36 WHIP at Yankee Stadium compared to a nifty 3.67 ERA and 1.21 WHIP on the road. What’s so interesting about that is Hughes’ skills at Yankee Stadium have actually been better than they’ve been on the road. Those home and away numbers, according to his xERA, which is a true measure of skills, should actually be reversed. What we can expect from Hughes down the stretch is regression on the road to match his numbers at home. Over his last five starts covering 23 innings, Hughes has a 1.87 WHIP and a 7.43 ERA. Hughes has also allowed an alarming 23 jacks over 131 innings this season and that spells trouble at this venue. In two starts here since 2012, Hughes has posted an ERA of 12.46.
The Blue Jays are playing for nothing. They’ve had a miserable year and were just swept in a four-game set in New York for their 12th loss of the season versus the Yankees in 13 attempts. The Blue Jays are sick of losing to this visitor. The only gratification they can get from this lost season is a strong showing in this series in an attempt to make life just as miserable for the Yankees. The Blue Jays will leave nothing on the table in this series and they have the bats to do some serious damage, even without Jose Bautista. They will score some runs in this series and they are not likely to be fooled by Phil Hughes. Then there’s R.A. Dickey. Dickey cannot keep the ball in the yard at the Rogers Center. In just 82.1 innings at home, Dickey has allowed 19 bombs. The Yankees are sure to go deep once or twice in this game, just like every other opponent has against Dickey this year. The Blue Jays are actually a tempting proposition today, spotting 1½-runs and taking back +180. However, one, three run jack by the Yanks and that makes the 1½-runs difficult to overcome. These two pitchers today both can’t keep the ball in the park. Both also have an atrocious history here and nothing suggests this one will be any different.

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Mitch Wilson

Dog Of The Day: Yankees

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Jimmy Boyd 8/26 & Updated Records


5* (MLB) Detroit Tigers ML -164

4* (MLB) Tampa Bay Rays ML -119

3* (MLB) Colorado Rockies ML -157

MLB TOTAL 165-164 -23 Units
26-23
44-42
95-99

PRESEASON NFL TOTAL 5-4 +2 Units
0-0
0-0
5-4

AUGUST TOTAL 32-28 +10 Units
7-3
4-4
21-21

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rbi sports
astros

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Bookieshunter

3* Rangers

2* Under 9 Yankees/BJays

1* Over 8 Athletics/Tigers

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Dr. Ed Meyer MLB Money Line Mon, 08/26/13 - 8:10 PM
double-dime bet - 965 HOU (+141) vs 966 CWS

MTi's FORECAST: HOUSTON 3 Chicago 1

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9xSports

(MLB) 9:40PM ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS-120

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TMC Sports Advisors

Dodgers -1.5 -120

Astros/Chicago Under 8.5

Rockies -140

Oakland/Detroit Over 8.5

Free Pick

Padres +110

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Betting First Look with Marco D'Angelo

NFL
ST LOUIS RAMS SEASON WIN TOTAL
UNDER 7.5

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Bob Balfe

NEW YORK YANKEES +105
(Hughes/Dickey)

The Yankees are not crushing teams with their bats, but they are winning playoff like low scoring games Toronto is not really hitting the ball well themselves so in a close game you have to favor New York in this spot. These are key games for them to win if they want to have a shot at the postseason. Take New York.

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Bankroll Sports

Free Pick
2* Astros/White Sox - Over 8.5

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Betting Line Moves

Toronto -110 FH

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SB Professor Late MLB Picks

964. Toronto Blue Jays -114
954. New York Mets +121

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All Sports Capper

20* St. Louis Cardinals -105
10* Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners over 8.5

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Sports-Junkie

BetThisPick

6-2 L/8
38-26-2 L/66
68-52-3 L/123

$500 MLB Play: Padres ML +110 vs Arizona

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Cleveland Insider

MLB
2.5* Mets +1.5 (-140) 350/250
2* Phillies/Mets under 7 (-125) 250/200
1* Mariners +1.5 (-130) 130/100
1* Rangers/Mariners under 8.5 (-110) 110/100

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Bankroll full card

10* det -175
5* st louis -120
4* toronto -110
3* cubs/lad under 7
2* astros/wsox over 8.5

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Stu Jordan

TB Rays

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John Johnson

Dodgers -1.5

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CHRIS JORDAN

100 Tigers run line

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Seabass Report for Monday:
100 OVER San Francisco
50 Cincinnati
50 Yankees
50 OVER Texas

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Sports Unlimited

cincinnati

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Bill Obrien

Risking 5 units Detroit/Oakland over 8.5

Risking 2 units St Louis/Cincy over 8.5

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Larry Ness 10* Run Line Rout Dodgers Run Line

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Anthony Redd
75 dime MLB total
Giants/Rockies over 10.5