8-22-14

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::clap::

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Today's CFL Picks Montreal at Winnipeg The Alouettes head to Winnipeg this week to face a Blue Bombers team that is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 home games. Montreal is the pick (+7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Bombers favored by only 4. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+7 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks. FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST (8/19) Game 291-292: Montreal at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 105.318; Winnipeg 109.414 Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 4; 46 Vegas Line: Winnipeg by 7 1/2; 50 Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+7 1/2); Under

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Doc Sports
1* Bears +7

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Vegas Sports Informer
2* Lions -3

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Robert Ferringo
2* Lions -3

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Game of the Day: Alouettes at Blue Bombers

Montreal Alouettes at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-7, 49.5)

The Montreal Alouettes have a chance to halt their five-game losing streak when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday. Winnipeg looks vulnerable after losing its last two games, while Montreal desperately needs a victory to turn around its floundering season. West Division teams are 20-3 against the East in 2014, but the Blue Bombers allowed 38 points in a loss to the Toronto Argonauts in Week 8.

Winnipeg’s defense allowed 360 rushing yards over its last two contests, which bodes well for an Alouettes' offense without a reliable option at quarterback. Alex Brink is expected to get the start for Montreal, which will likely lean heavily on running backs Brandon Whitaker and Tyrell Sutton. Drew Willy will be under center for the Blue Bombers, who need to avoid adding to their league-worst turnover ratio and force the Alouettes to score touchdowns on offense.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Bombers as 7-point home faves for the matchup. The total opened at 50.5.

INJURY REPORT: Alouettes - QB Troy Smith (Six-game IR, undisclosed).

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The Bombers have certainly regressed since their hot start to the season but I'm not sure the betting marketplace has made the necessary adjustment. Montreal has played better in consecutive weeks, against two of the league's best teams in the Eskimos and Riders. Not a bad spot for the Als here if their offense can finally show up." Covers Expert Sean Murphy.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (1-6): Brink has not thrown a touchdown pass since 2012, but Troy Smith is on the six-game injured list and Tanner Marsh has thrown for 17 yards in 2014. Wide receiver Duron Carter returned a missed field goal for a touchdown in a rare kick-returning appearance last week, but starting kick returner Larry Taylor could be available to return from a knee injury. Defensive end John Bowman is setting the pace on defense with a team-leading seven sacks.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-3): Willy is second in the league with 2,158 passing yards, while slotback Clarence Denmark is one of only two players in the league with more than 500 receiving yards. Slotback Nick Moore has been practicing with the team and is expected to return to the lineup on Friday after missing time with a foot injury. Defensive end Greg Peach is two sacks shy of tying his career-high of six, set in 2009 and matched in 2012.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Winnipeg.
* Alouettes are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Blue Bombers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games in August.
* Under is 6-0 in Alouettes last six road games.

COVERS CONSENSUS: Sixty percent of wagers on Covers Consensus are backing the Blue Bombers.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

AFC East NFL betting preview: New England's division to lose
By SEAN MURPHY

The AFC East is likely the Patriots to lose again this year, but they could get a serious push from at least two of their three division rivals.

Covers Expert Sean Murphy breaks down the best ways to wager on the AFC East and gives a season win total pick for each of its members heading into the new NFL campaign:

New England Patriots (2013: 12-4 SU, 8-8 ATS)

Odds to win division: 1-3
Season win total: 10.5

Why bet the Patriots: Injuries played a major role in the offense’s hiccups a year ago, but all indications are that Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson will be at full speed to open the new campaign. The defense should be better with the additions of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, adding to an already underrated core. And of course the Pats are still led by a guy by the name of Tom Brady.

Why not bet the Patriots: Is Brady’s production on the decline or was last year an aberration? The running game seemingly loses key pieces on a yearly basis, with LeGarrette Blount the most recent defector. Who can plug the hole and relieve some of the pressure on Brady? The offensive line has its share of questions that will need to be addressed before the start of the season.

Season win total pick: Under 10.5

Buffalo Bills (2013: 6-10 SU, 8-8 ATS)

Odds to win division: 8-1
Season win total: 6.5

Why bet the Bills: Change is once again in order in Buffalo, and that’s not a bad thing. Sammy Watkins should add some electricity to the offense, which head coach Doug Marrone wants to move at an even faster pace this season. The defense has a new coordinator in Jim Schwarz, and he brings a new scheme to a unit that is loaded with talent but hasn’t been able to reach its potential.

Why not bet the Bills: Is E.J. Manuel the right quarterback to lead the offense? He showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie season, but when he went down to injury, Thaddeus Lewis didn’t represent a major drop-off. The running game needs to be more consistent, but C.J. Spiller has yet to prove that he can take a pounding for 16 games. The margin for error is slim and we’ll see if the Bills respond favorably to the pressure.

Season win total pick: Over 6.5

Miami Dolphins (2013: 8-8 SU, 9-7 ATS)

Odds to win division: 5-1
Season win total: 8

Why bet the Dolphins: Despite having key pieces in place, the Dolphins offense stunk a year ago, but should be vastly improved under the guidance of new coordinator Bill Lazor in 2014. The Fins defense helped pick up the slack and could be even better this year. That’s a scary prospect for the rest of the AFC East. If the offensive line shows even moderate improvement, the Fins will take a leap forward.

Why not bet the Dolphins: Fixing the offensive line will be easier said than done. That unit will likely remain a work in progress when the games start to count. Ryan Tannehill has a lot of upside but he’s by no means an elite quarterback at this stage of his career. Unless the ground game can take off, Tannehill will continue to be placed in tough situations on a regular basis.

Season win total pick: Over

New York Jets (2013: 8-8 SU, 9-6-1 ATS)

Odds to win division: 8-1
Season win total: 7

Why bet the Jets: A little quarterback competition never hurt anyone, and the Jets offense should benefit from the battle between Geno Smith and Michael Vick. New York had an offense-heavy draft, picking guys that can step in and perform right away. The addition of Eric Decker gives it a legitimate red zone target while Chris Johnson joins the backfield. The defense should be formidable up front.

Why not bet the Jets: The secondary has a number of holes and will get picked on regularly out of the gate. Is the presence of Decker enough to strike fear in the hearts of opposing pass defenses? It’s hard to believe that Rex Ryan is still at the helm given the turmoil this team has gone through, and you have to wonder whether the clock is still ticking on his tenure in New York. In a tough division, the Jets may not have quite enough in the tool box to keep pace.

Season win total pick: Under 7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Angels face unfriendly territory this weekend
Justin Hartling

The Los Angels Angels are about to play some of the most important games of the season when they challenge the Oakland Athletics this weekend. Unfortunately for the Angels, they are playing at O.co Coliseum where they are 3-7 in the past 10.

The Angels have been outscored 55-48 during those games, however; 25 percent of their offense (12 runs) came in one game.

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Pitcher has dominated team for his entire career
Justin Hartling

The Milwaukee Brewers will send Yovani Gallardo to the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is a great sign for the Brewers. In Gallardo's 14 career starts at home against the Pirates has seen the Brewers go 12-2.

Gallardo has only given up 28 runs, average of two runs per game, while striking out 97 batters, average of just under seven a game.

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Two teams meet that have failed to create runs
Justin Hartling

The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals are set to clash in a weekend series, but don't be surprised with a lack of offense. In the past seven meetings between the two clubhouses the over/under record is 6-0-1.

The seven games have seen a combined 29 runs for an average of 4.1 runs per game.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cellar-dweller not happy to face next opponent
Justin Hartling

The Houston Astros are having yet another sub-par year and it will be hard for them to turn it around when they travel to Cleveland this weekend. The Astors have dropped their last six contests against the Cleveland Indians, all at Progressive Field.

The Astros have been outscored 41-15 and have yet to pass three runs in their past four against the Tribe.

[golden contender]

Huge Friday card has 3 big 5* NFLX Sides All from Preseason Systems cashing 95% or better long term. Some have Multiple systems and angles. NFLX Sides 36-18 the last few seasons. In MLB There is a 18-1 Blowout system that wins by 3 runs on average and 91% Totals system. Thursday sweeps going 3-0.



The Free NFLX System Play is on Carolina. Game 255 at 7:30 eastern. The Panthers are 5-0 ats vs the AFC and the Patriots are 0-6 to the spread the past few seasons in week 3 and have failed to cover 7 of the last 10 vs NFC Teams. The Patriots apply to a system in Preseason games that plays against home teams that are off a home win that scored 30 or more points and allowed 10 or more, if the opponent has 1 or more wins. The Patriots should have a much tougher time against a solid Carolina defense than they did last week against a Philadelphia team that could not stop them. These two played one of the more entertaining games of last season in a game that went right down to the wire with Carolina holding off the Patriots on last play in the end zone. This should be a tight game especially in the first 3 quarters as Game threes of the Preseason are the dress rehearsal for the opener. We will take the Points and Back Carolina tonight. Start the weekend Big with the Most Powerful data in the industry, There are 3 Big 5* NFLX Power Systems all cashing over 95% long term. In MLB There is a huge Blowout system that has won 18 of 19 times and a Powerful totals system that average 11.5 runs. GC Swept the Board on Wednesday cashing all 3 Games in NFLX And MLB. Jump on. For the free play take The Carolina Panthers. GC

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StatSystemsSports
Inside The Huddle Friday

NFL Preseason Betting News And Notes - Week #3
•Increased Flags Has Created Unheard Of Precedent For Bookmakers: Through two weeks of the National Football League preseason we have seen an average of 23.7 penalties per game, which is nearly double the amount we've seen last season (12.7 penalties). That has caused Bookmakers to have to adjust rather quickly to the new reality of the NFL. There has been 229 flags thrown on the defense through two weeks that has resulted in first downs for the offense per the New Orleans Times-Picayune. With an increase in opportunities for offenses, an increase of points scored is to be expected and books know that. For the first time in recent memory all the NFL action this week is working off a total that is 40.0 or higher.

The first week of preseason action saw teams score an average of 36 points per game while going over in just three of the 16 confrontations. In contrast, the second week of preseason action saw the Over/Under go 10-6 (62.5%) with an average of 47.5 points per game. The total for the Thursday night matchup featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles is currently 48.5. This trend may not be ending anytime soon either as NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino has said "We're not going to change how we're calling the games once the regular season starts."

•Rams Decide To Let Pead Go: In a bit of a surprise, the Rams listed running back and special teams player Isaiah Pead as waived/injured on Wednesday. Pead, a second-round draft choice (50th overall) in 2012, suffered a torn ACL to his left knee while returning a first-quarter kickoff Saturday in the team’s 21-7 loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers. At the end of a 33-yard return, it appeared Pead’s foot got caught in the turf while he attempted to make a jump-cut. There was no contact on the play. The Rams’ decision to put Pead on waivers allows any other team in the league 24 hours to claim the third-year pro. But that’s not likely given his injury status and 2014 salary ($757,100).

The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Pead starred at the University of Cincinnati, earning the Big East offensive player of the year award as a Bearcats senior. But he never reached that level in St. Louis. In two seasons with the Rams, he made one start and played in 25 games, rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries while catching 14 passes for 94 yards. In addition, he returned 14 kickoffs for 350 yards. Pead was suspended for last season’s opener for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse but came on last season to earn a spot as a core special teamer.

•Practice Squads Will Expand: The National Football League and the NFL Players Association have agreed to expand practice squads from eight to 10 players for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. That could be significant for a young Rams squad that appears to be deeper than it has been in past seasons. “It gives us an opportunity to develop two additional players," head coach Jeff Fisher said. “And everybody else, too. It adds players to the pool, the developmental pool, which will be good. Gives us some flexibility as far as decisions are concerned." All 32 teams in the NFL will be required to cut down to a 53-man roster on August 30th. Released players will go through waivers and may be claimed by any NFL squad. Following the waiver period, teams will be able to sign unsigned players to their practice squads. The NFL cutdown from 90 to 75 players is Tuesday, Aug. 26.

•Ball On Track For Season Opener: Montee Ball participated in practice Wednesday in a limited capacity, continuing to regain strength after an appendectomy. He won't play Saturday, but his progress suggests he's on track for the season opener. He won't know until he takes that first hit. "There was no hesitation to return because there was no pain," said Ball, who is going to experiment with playing lighter after losing weight during this process. "I am here to play football, not sit on the sideline." That's where receiver Emmanuel Sanders spent his time. He is proceeding cautiously with a right quadriceps injury.

He worked with the trainer Wednesday and is unlikely to start versus the Houston Texans on Saturday. He's looking at the big picture, and doesn't want to create a nagging injury. Top draft pick Jadeveon Clowney of the Texans didn't finish practice, leaving with a half-hour remaining with an undisclosed injury. His helmet collided with a Broncos offensive player before he exited. The Texans' linebacker watched the rest of practice from a tent, removing his shoulder pads. He has been a limited participant in the preseason as he recovers from sports hernia surgery performed in June.
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#253 JACKSONVILLE @ #254 DETROIT
Line: Lions -3, Total: 44.5

Rookie Blake Bortles will continue his push for Jacksonville's starting quarterback spot when the Jaguars visit the Detroit Lions in Week #3 of preseason action. Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley had planned to take things slowly with Bortles, the third overall pick in May's draft, by using veteran Chad Henne as a bridge until the Central Florida product is ready. And that still seems like the plan but Bortles has played so well in the preseason that he is pushing to play sooner rather than later.

The Jaguars fell in Chicago last week, 20-19, due to two late touchdowns by the Bears but Bortles excelled when he was in the game, finishing up 11-of-17 for 160 yards. Henne started under center and Jacksonville got field goals of 49 and 25 yards from Josh Scobee, while a fumble recovery on a kickoff led to the 6-yard scoring catch by Marqise Lee for a 13-0 lead after one quarter. Henne finished the game 12-for-17 for 130 yards, while Bortles came in led the Jags to a 43-yard Scobee field goal on his first drive to give the team a 16-7 lead at the break.

By Monday Bortles got a handful of reps with the first-team offense in practice and he is scheduled to get some work with the starters in Detroit. "As I was sitting back there I thought it was really good for (Blake) to go against the ones like that to get a feel for the speed, to get a feel for the rush," Bradley said. "Sitting back there and watching it, I just felt like that was good for him."

The Lions are also coming off a late-game setback last week in Oakland when Matt McGloin's 19-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler with six seconds left lifted the Raiders to a 27-26 win. Matthew Stafford completed 9-of-10 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns for Detroit. George Winn added a touchdown on the ground and Golden Tate caught three passes for 41 yards and a score.

The Lions and Jaguars will be squaring off for only the second time in preseason action with the lone previous meeting taking place in 1995 when Detroit defeated Jacksonville 19-3 at the Pontiac Silverdome. "As you all well know, the third week of the preseason, typically most teams will treat it as if they're preparing for a game in the regular season," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "You won't be able to do everything, because some of the rules dictate otherwise, but you can get as close as you possibly can. It is extremely important, because of the fact."

•KEY STAT: JACKSONVILLE is 14-1 ATS (+12.9 Units) after 2 consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better since 1993.
The average score was JACKSONVILLE 28.2, OPPONENT 15.8.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 22 times, while the underdog covered the spread 18 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 26 times, while the underdog won straight up 15 times. 2 games went over the total, while 2 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 48 times, while the underdog covered first half line 35 times. *No EDGE. 4 games went under first half total, while 3 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Home teams against the 1rst half total (DETROIT) - in non-conference games, after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better against opponent after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers.
(24-7 over the last 10 seasons.) (77.4%, +16.3 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19.1
The average first half score in these games was: Team 14.3, Opponent 10.6 (Total first half points scored = 25)

The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-3).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (13-6).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (30-24).
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#255 CAROLINA @ #256 NEW ENGLAND
Line: Patriots -5.5, Total: 45.5

After two straight weeks of joint practice sessions with their preseason opponent in advance of the game, the New England Patriots will go it alone this week in preparation for the all-important third preseason game with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Tom Brady was 8-of-10 for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his preseason debut last week as New England defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 42-35.

Second-round draft choice Jimmy Garoppolo completed 6-of-12 passes for 72 yards and a pair of scores in relief of Brady, while Kenbrell Thompkins caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. "(We'll) try to build off what we did and move into some situational stuff for Carolina, where we would normally be for a regular season work week," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "We're still working on a lot of things that we just need to work on."

Newton also took the field for the first time in 2014 last week and finished 4-of-9 for 65 yards as Carolina beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-16, in the Tar Heel State. Newton had left ankle surgery in March and was held out of his team's first exhibition game against Buffalo the prior week. Jonathan Stewart carried the ball four times for 26 yards and two touchdowns, while first-round rookie wideout Kelvin Benjamin caught two passes for 41 yards for the Panthers.

The most famous Patriots and Panthers meeting came in Super Bowl XXXVIII, when New England came out on top, 32-29. Last season, the clubs clashed on "Monday Night Football" in Carolina, with the Panthers winning 24-20.

•KEY STAT: NEW ENGLAND is 13-0 against the 1rst half line (+13.0 Units) after allowing 30 points or more last game since 1993.
The average score was NEW ENGLAND 12.7, OPPONENT 5.7.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 10 times, while the underdog covered the spread 8 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 16 times, while the underdog won straight up 3 times. 2 games went over the total, while 1 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 28 times, while the underdog covered first half line 22 times. *No EDGE. 3 games went over first half total, while 0 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Against - Road underdogs of 2 to 6 points versus the first half line (CAROLINA) - off a non-conference game, after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers against opponent after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better.
(46-21 over the last 10 seasons.) (68.7%, +22.9 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 2.7
The average first half score in these games was: Team 14, Opponent 7.8 (Average first half point differential = +6.2)

The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (11-4).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (24-9).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (104-81).
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#257 NY GIANTS @ #258 NY JETS
Line: Giants -1, Total: 43

The annual Empire State preseason battle will take place in the Garden State as usual when the New York Jets play the host against their co-tenants at MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants. This year's battle, the 46th consecutive preseason that the two teams have squared off, takes on a little added significance because both will enter unbeaten. The Giants improved to 3-0 in exhibition play when Ryan Nassib's 4-yard touchdown pass to Corey Washington with 55 seconds left capped a ferocious fourth-quarter comeback as Big Blue pulled out a 27-26 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Giants put up 27 unanswered points in the final 10 1/2 minutes to erase a 26-0 deficit and stay unbeaten this preseason, with both Nassib and fellow backup quarterback Curtis Painter throwing for touchdowns during the rally. Nassib finished 11-of-15 for 158 yards to help offset another rough effort from starter Eli Manning, who hit on just 1-of-7 throws for six yards on four stalled New York possessions. "He was gutsy, he was competitive," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said of Nassib. "The way he hung in there, he moved a little bit in the pocket, which is something that normally is not associated with us. And so the threat of him coming out of there, I think, helped us. And then when he did step up in the pocket, he made some nice plays down the field."

The Jets, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 last week when Clyde Gates caught a 17- yard score from Michael Vick early in the fourth quarter as Gang Green grabbed a 25-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Gates' score put the Jets on top 23-17 1 1/2 minutes into the fourth quarter, and IK Enemkpali blocked a Kevin Huber punt with the ball going out of the end zone to give the Jets a safety on Cincinnati's ensuing possession. Geno Smith played the first half of the game under center for the Jets and went 10-of-13 for 98 yards with an interception.

He also had four carries for 20 yards and a score, leading the team to two touchdowns and a field goal during his time under center. "(It's) coming together fine," Smith said when talking about his team. "We've done some good things. I really like the balance that we have showcased. We have to get better in the passing game. We have to be more precise, and a lot sharper than we have been, and then continue to fine tune things, the small things, the details, and I think we'll be fine."

The Jets lead their preseason series with the Giants, which began in 1969, 24-20-1. Last year, the Jets beat the Giants in overtime, 24-21.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 13 times, while the favorite covered the spread 9 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 12 times, while the underdog won straight up 11 times. 5 games went under the total, while 2 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 20 times, while the favorite covered first half line 13 times. *No EDGE. 6 games went under first half total, while 3 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team versus the 1rst half total (NY JETS) - after allowing 5.5 or less passing yards per attempt last game against opponent after allowing 5.5 or less passing yards/attempt in 2 straight games.
(32-11 over the last 10 seasons.) (74.4%, +19.9 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19.3
The average first half score in these games was: Team 12.3, Opponent 11.7 (Total first half points scored = 24)

The situation's record this season is: (0-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (9-4).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (17-4).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (58-29).
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#259 OAKLAND @ #260 GREEN BAY
Line: Pacers -7, Total: 44

The Green Bay Packers return home to Lambeau Field for a rare preseason matchup with the Oakland Raiders. The Packers, who haven't met Oakland in exhibition play since 2001, evened their practice-game record at 1-1 last week when Aaron Rodgers completed 11- of-13 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in his 2014 preseason debut as Green Bay defeated the St. Louis Rams, 21-7. Rodgers, along with running back Eddie Lacy and wide receiver Jordy Nelson, were healthy scratches in Green Bay's first preseason game.

Lacy returned to carry the ball five times for 25 yards and added two receptions for 22 yards, while Nelson had a touchdown catch called back due to a penalty. "We practiced our up-tempo offense and to be able to come out and execute it at this stage of the game is great," Lacy said. "It will be tough for opponents to keep up and be able to beat us." Randall Cobb caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown and tight end Andrew Quarless had four receptions for 58 yards in the triumph.

The Raiders also rebounded last week when Matt McGloin's 19-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler with six seconds left lifted Oakland over the Detroit Lions 27-26. Darren McFadden had eight rushes for 27 yards and a score for the Raiders, while Matt Schaub went 8-for-13 with an interception in two series before being removed. McGloin was 7-for-15 passing for 114 yards and Butler finished with four catches for 74 yards. "There are a lot of things we have to learn from," said Oakland head coach Dennis Allen, "but it's a lot better to do that after a win."

Oakland rookie quarterback Derek Carr suffered a concussion during the game, leaving with under six minutes left after taking a hard shot from Detroit's Larry Webster on a pass attempt. The 2014 second-round pick played well prior to the injury, engineering three scoring drives and completing 9-of-16 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Carr, currently second on the Raiders' depth chart behind veteran Matt Schaub, will have to pass the league's concussion protocol in order to play this week.

This will be the ninth time the Packers have played the Raiders during the preseason. It will be the third time in nine contests that the two clubs have met at Lambeau Field. Three contests have taken place in Oakland, and one each in Los Angeles, Canton, Ohio and Milwaukee.

•KEY STAT: GREEN BAY is 15-5 OVER (+9.5 Units) the 1rst half total as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points versus the first half line since 1993.
The average score was GREEN BAY 12.2, OPPONENT 9.9.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 7 times, while the favorite covered the spread 4 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 9 times, while the underdog won straight up 2 times. 2 games went over the total, while 1 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 13 times, while the favorite covered first half line 12 times. *No EDGE. 5 games went under first half total, while 3 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams versus the 1rst half total (OAKLAND) - after playing a game at home against opponent after a 2 game road trip, after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread.
(24-4 over the last 5 seasons.) (85.7%, +19.6 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19.1
The average first half score in these games was: Team 11.8, Opponent 13 (Total first half points scored = 24.8)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (11-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (40-18).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (76-37).
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#261 CHICAGO @ #262 SEATTLE
Line: Seahawks -7, Total: 45

The Chicago Bears will play their first of two road preseason contests in just under a week's time when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks (10:00 PM EST) on Friday. The Bears improved to 2-0 in the preseason last week when Senorise Perry's 5- yard touchdown run with 50 seconds left lifted Chicago to a hard-fought 20-19 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ka'Deem Carey scored on a 1-yard run earlier in the fourth quarter and Brandon Marshall caught a 4-yard score from Jay Cutler in the second quarter for the Bears, who opened the preseason with a win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cutler finished 7-for-9 for 75 yards during his time on the field while Jordan Palmer guided the Bears on their two fourth quarter scoring drives for the win.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, looked as dominant as ever last week as Russell Wilson ran for a pair of touchdowns during Seattle's 41-14 drubbing of the San Diego Chargers. Wilson completed 11-of-13 passes for 121 yards and added 31 yards rushing on four carries for Seattle. Robert Turbin carried the ball 12 times for 81 yards and a score and Percy Harvin caught four passes for 31 yards in the triumph.

The Bears and Seahawks will be meeting for the fourth time in the preseason with all four meetings coming in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle owns a 2-1 advantage with Chicago's lone win coming in 1976, the Seahawks' inaugural NFL season.

•KEY STATS: SEATTLE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after a win by 21 or more points since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 25.5, OPPONENT 16.5.

--SEATTLE is 10-1 against the 1rst half line (+8.9 Units) in home games after allowing 14 points or less last game since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 15.5, OPPONENT 6.3.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 3 times, while the underdog covered the spread 1 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 4 times, while the underdog won straight up 0 times. 0 games went over the total, while 0 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 13 times, while the underdog covered first half line 8 times. *No EDGE. 2 games went over first half total, while 0 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play On - Home favorites of 2 to 6 points versus the first half line (SEATTLE) - after gaining 7 or more passing yards/attempt last game against opponent after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins.
(31-10 over the last 10 seasons.) (75.6%, +20.7 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 2.7
The average first half score in these games was: Team 13.8, Opponent 6.4 (Average first half point differential = +7.4)

The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (8-4).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (16-5).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (71-40).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's NFL Picks Oakland at Green Bay The Packers split their first two preseason contests on the road, losing at Tennessee (20-16) in the opener and winning at St. Louis (21-7) last week.. Tonight, Green Bay returns home to Lambeau Field to host the Oakland Raiders. Green Bay is the pick (-7) according to Dunkel, which has the Packers favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (-7). Here are all of this week's NFL preseason picks.


FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST (8/20)


Game 253-254: Jacksonville at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 119.913; Detroit 119.628
Dunkel Line: Even; 40
Vegas Line: Detroit by 3; 44 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville (+3); Under


Game 255-256: Carolina at New England (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 120.647; New England 127.834
Dunkel Line: New England by 7; 41
Vegas Line: New England by 5 1/2; 45 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-5 1/2); Under


Game 257-258: NY Giants at NY Jets (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 123.112; NY Jets 120.310
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 3; 38
Vegas Line: Pick; 42 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants; Under


Game 259-260: Oakland at Green Bay (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 117.593; Green Bay 127.752
Dunkel Line: Green Bay by 10; 39
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 7; 43 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (-7); Under


Game 261-262: Chicago at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 123.063; Seattle 114.292
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 4; 49
Vegas Line: Seattle by 7; 45
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+7); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Basketball Picks Chicago at Atlanta The Sky head to Atlanta tonight to open up their playoff series against a Dream team that is 0-8 ATS in its last 8 games versus Eastern Conference opponents. Chicago is the pick (+3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Dream favored by only 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks


FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST


Game 605-606: Chicago at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 108.840; Atlanta 110.371
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 148
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 3 1/2; 155 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3 1/2); Under


Game 607-608: Los Angeles at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 111.036; Phoenix 123.664
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 12 1/2; 150
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 10 1/2; 156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10 1/2); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks LA Angels at Oakland The Angels head to Oakland tonight to open up a big AL West series and come into the contest with an 18-4 record in their last 22 games against division opponents. LA is the pick (+140) according to Dunkel, which has the Angels favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+140). Here are all of today's MLB picks.


FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST


Game 9-1-902: St. Louis at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 17.778; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 14.698
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 3; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-175); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-175); Over


Game 903-904: San Francisco at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Hudson) 14.756; Washington (Fister) 17.320
Dunkel Line: Washington by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-160); Over


Game 905-906: Atlanta at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 16.228; Cincinnati (Latos) 13.193
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 3; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-125) 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+105); Under


Game 907-908: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Locke) 16.112; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.298
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; ;7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+130); Under


Game 909-910: Miami at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Alvarez) 16.409; Colorado (Morales) 14.986
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Miami (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-135); Under


Game 911-912: San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Despaigne) 15.456; Arizona (Collmenter) 13.465
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Arizona (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100); Under


Game 913-914: NY Mets at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 15.412; LA Dodgers (Haren) 13.869
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+120); Over


Game 915-916: Houston at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Peacock) 13.212; Cleveland (Carrasco) 16.533
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 3 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-210); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-210); Over


Game 917-918: Chicago White Sox at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 14.554; NY Yankees (Greene) 16.295
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-180); Under


Game 919-920: Tampa Bay at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Smyly) 14.612; Toronto 16.998
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 2 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-135); Under


Game 921-922: Seattle at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 16.108; Boston (Kelly) 13.574
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-170); Over


Game 923-924: Kansas City at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Ventura) 14.339; Texas (Lewis) 15.201
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+125); Over


Game 925-926: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Ray) 14.879; Minnesota (Milone) 16.428
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-110); Under


Game 927-928: LA Angels at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santiago) 15.271; Oakland (Gray) 13/962
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+140); Under


Game 929-930: Baltimore at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Gausman) 16.504; Cubs (Arrieta) 14.235
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 2 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-120); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+100); N/A

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Betting Recap - 8/11-8/17
By Joe Williams

League Betting Notes

Favorites went 7-2 straight up
Favorites went 5-4 against the spread (ATS)
Home teams posted a 5-4 SU record
Road teams posted a 5-4 ATS record
The 'under' went 7-2

Team Betting Notes

The 'under' went 18-8 in the final two weeks of the WNBA regular season.

Phoenix (29-5) set a WNBA record with its 29th victory of the regular season in the finale in Seattle (12-22). The Mercury was on fire in the win-loss column, but they wrapped up the regular season just 2-7 ATS over their final nine.

The Mercury will meet Los Angeles (16-18) in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. LA won two of the final three games, with that only loss coming against Phoenix. The Sparks were 3-0 ATS in the final three, and the 'under' cashed in 12 of the final 17 games of the regular season.

Phoenix went 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in five regular season meetings against Los Angeles.

Minnesota (25-9) will likely give Phoenix its biggest run for the money, but they must get by San Antonio (16-18) first. The Lynx went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS against the Stars this season, dropping the final meeting in San Antonio by a 92-76 score on Aug. 15.

Atlanta (19-15) held on for the top seed in the East, but they definitely tumbled down the stretch. The Dream won just four of their final 14 regular season games after a 15-5 start. They're face Chicago (15-19) in Round 1 of the playoffs.

The Sky went 7-5 SU in its final 12 games, and they were 6-5-1 ATS during the span. The constant was the 'under', which went 15-6 in the final 21 games.

In head-to-head meetings this season, the Sky went 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS against the Dream, winning and covering both meetings at home.

Indiana (16-18) and Washington (16-18) will meet in the first round, with the Fever as the two-seed. In a strange twist, the visitor won and covered in each of the four regular season meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

National League

Cardinals-Phillies
Wainwright is 2-2, 5.46 in his last four starts.
Kendrick is 0-1, 5.87 in his last four starts.

Cardinals won seven of their last eight games.
Phillies lost eight of their last twelve games.

Last five Cardinal games went over the total.

Giants-Nationals
Hudson is 0-3, 5.14 in his last five starts.
Fister is 6-1, 1.96 in his last eight starts. .

Giants lost five of their last seven road games.
Nationals won their last 11 games; five of last six were walk-offs.

Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven Washington home games.

Braves-Reds
Minor is 2-3, 6.04 in his last five starts.
Latos is 2-0, 2.70 in his last four starts.

Braves won six of their last seven games.
Reds lost six in row, nine of last ten games.

Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Cincinnati games

Pirates-Brewers
Locke is 2-0, 3.57 in his last three starts.
Gallardo is 3-1, 1.60 in his last five starts.

Pirates lost seven of their last eight games.
Brewers won five of their last six games.

Over is 4-1-1 in last six Pittsburgh games.

Marlins-Rockies
Alvarez is 3-0, 1.23 in his last three starts.
Morales is 0-2, 4.91 in his last four starts.

Marlins won eight of their last twelve games.
Colorado won three of its last four games.

Five of last seven Colorado games went over total.

Padres-Diamondbacks
Despaigne is 1-3, 7.01 in his last five starts.
Collmenter is 0-2, 7.71 in his last five starts.

Padres lost three of their last four games.
Arizona lost its last six games, scoring 11 runs.

Four of last five Despaigne starts went over.

Mets-Dodgers
Niese is 2-4, 5.45 in his last six starts.
Haren is 0-3, 13.50 in his last three home starts.

Mets lost six of their last nine games.
Dodgers lost six of their last nine home games.

Over is 6-1-1 in Mets' last eight road games.


American League

Astros-Indians
Peacock is 0-3, 12.46 in his last five starts.
Carrasco is 2-0, 0.00 (12 IP) in his last two starts.

Astros lost eight of their last twelve road games.
Cleveland won seven of its last ten games.

Five of last six Peacock starts went over total.

White Sox-Bronx
Danks is 0-2, 8.18 in his last four starts.
Greene is 1-0, 2.41 in his last three starts.

White Sox lost four of their last five games.
Bronx lost seven of its last ten games.

Four of last five Chicago road games stayed under.

Rays-Blue Jays
Smyly is 1-1, 2.25 in three starts for Tampa Bay.
Stroman is 5-1, 1.62 in eight home starts.

Rays lost four of their last five games.
Toronto lost six of its last eight games. .

Under is 9-2-1 in last twelve Tampa Bay games.

Mariners-Red Sox
Hernandez is 5-2, 1.75 in his last ten starts.
Kelly is 0-1, 5.29 in three starts for the Red Sox.

Mariners won 11 of their last 15 games.
Boston lost its last five games, scoring nine runs.

Under is 10-2-1 in last thirteen Hernandez starts,

Royals-Rangers
Ventura is 2-1, 3.16 in his last four starts.
Lewis is 2-4, 3.99 in his last six starts.

Royals won 17 of their last 21 games.
Texas lost five of its last seven games.

Five of last seven Royal games went over the total.

Tigers-Twins
Ray is 0-3, 10.13 in his last three starts.
Milone is 0-1, 11.05 in two starts for the Twins.

Detroit lost 11 of its last 15 road games.
Minnesota lost four of its last five games.

Three of last four Milone starts stayed under total.

Angels-A's
Santiago is 0-0, 2.35 in his last five starts (Angel bullpen 1-4).
Gray is 0-4, 5.70 in his last four starts.

Angels won eight of their last nine games.
Oakland lost eight of its last ten games.

Seven of last eight Angel games stayed under.


Interleague games

Orioles-Cubs
Gausman is 3-1, 3.23 in his last five starts.
Former Oriole Arrieta is 0-1, 1.26 in his last two starts.

Baltimore won 12 of its last 16 games.
Cubs are 5-7 in their last twelve home games.

Five of last six Baltimore games stayed under.

Teams' record when this starting pitcher starts:
-- Wainwright 18-7; Kendrick 11-14
-- Hudson 14-9; Fister 14-4
-- Minor 9-10; Latos 5-7
-- Locke 8-6; Gallardo 12-13
-- Alvarez 16-7; Morales 7-10
-- Despaigne 5-5; Collmenter 13-8
-- Niese 12-11; Haren 12-13

-- Peacock 6-12; Carrasco 3-3
-- Danks 11-14; Greene 5-2
-- Smyly 6-12/1-2; Stroman 7-7
-- Hernandez 17-9; Kelly 3-4/2-1
-- Ventura 12-11; Lewis 10-12
-- Ray 1-4; Milone 9-7/1-1
-- Santiago 5-12; Gray 15-10

-- Gausman 9-4; Arrieta 11-8

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Wainwright 3-25; Kendrick 6-25
-- Hudson 5-24; Fister 5-18
-- Minor 6-19; Latos 1-12
-- Locke 7-14; Gallardo 7-25
-- Alvarez 6-23; Morales 3-17
-- Despaigne 3-10; Collmenter 9-22
-- Niese 7-23; Haren 12-25

-- Peacock 7-18; Carrasco 2-6
-- Danks 7-25; Greene 1-7
-- Smyly 7-21; Stroman 3-14
-- Hernandez 3-26; Kelly 4-10
-- Ventura 6-23; Lewis 8-22
-- Ray 1-5; Milone 8-18
-- Santiago 4-17; Gray 7-25

-- Gausman 3-13; Arrieta 5-19

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Angels (75-50) at Athletics (74-51)


Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 22, 2014 10:05 PM EDT


Mike Trout may be slumping, but the Los Angeles Angels are rolling.

Given Trout's recent history at Oakland Coliseum, he could catch fire too Friday night as the Angels look to extend their advantage in the AL West when they open a three-game series with the Athletics.

The Angels (76-50) own a two-game edge over Oakland (74-52) and have won eight of nine after their first four-game sweep in Boston since 1962. Los Angeles' pitchers own a 2.70 ERA over the last nine games and Matt Shoemaker held the Red Sox hitless for 6 2-3 of his 7 2-3 innings in Thursday's 2-0 victory.

Though Trout's 89 RBIs rank third in the majors, he's 5 for 36 in that 8-1 stretch and 9 for 57 (.158) over his last 14 games with 20 strikeouts.

However, he's batting .357 over his last 10 games in Oakland with six home runs and 16 RBIs and homered in his lone game there this year.

These clubs haven't met since the Angels took two of three in Anaheim from June 9-11. Oakland totaled one run in each of its losses after tallying 26 runs in a three-game home sweep from May 30-June 1.

The Athletics (74-52) have lost eight of 10 with their starters posting a 5.08 ERA. All but one of those losses came on the road, though, so a return home should prove favorable. Oakland is a major league-best 35-14 at home since May 7.

Sonny Gray (12-7, 2.99 ERA) has lost four straight starts with a 4.94 ERA. Previously he had only lost consecutive starts once through his first 31 career outings.

Gray gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-3 road loss to Atlanta on Saturday. It marked the second time in three outings he failed to complete at least six innings after doing so in 20 of his previous 22 games.

He beat the Angels in a 6-3 home victory on June 1, allowing three runs in 6 2-3 innings. He didn't factor into the decision in his only other start against Los Angeles, yielding a run over six innings in a 2-1 victory on Sept. 17.

Trout is 1 for 4 versus Gray, though the lone hit was a home run.

Los Angeles will counter with Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.46). The left-hander is undefeated over his last 11 appearances - eight starts - with a 2.45 ERA, though he also has just three victories in that span. The Angels have lost his last three outings, but have supplied him with just five runs of support over 17 1-3 innings.

He yielded a run and four hits over six innings of Los Angeles' 3-2 defeat at Texas on Sunday. Santiago was in line for the victory before Huston Street's blown save.

"There's no doubt about his ability to throw strikes and I think he's commanding counts better," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been keeping guys off-balance. He's been pitching good baseball."

Santiago is 1-0 in three starts versus Oakland, allowing two earned runs over 19 1-3 innings. He didn't receive a decision in either matchup this year while yielding eight hits in 13 innings

Josh Donaldson is 3 for 20 over his last six games and 1 for 8 versus Santiago.

Howie Kendrick, who went 5 for 9 over the last two games against Boston, is 3 for 7 against Gray. He has also hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games at Oakland with nine RBIs.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

2Halves2Win

MLB COMP

MIA @ COL

1* Rockies +1.5 RL

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Free play FRI

Nationals w/ Fister -160

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT

***** Friday, 8/22/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
__________________________________________________ ___

MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #21
•Orioles Following In Footsteps Of Red Sox: The Boston Red Sox proved last season that a team can win a World Series without anyone having a monster season. The Baltimore Orioles not only are poised to succeed the Red Sox as American League East champions this season -- their nine-game bulge over the Toronto Blue Jays is the largest of any of the major leagues' six division leaders -- but are reminiscent of last year's Boston team in that none of their players are serious candidates to win the MVP or Cy Young awards. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz leads the major leagues with 33 home runs and has driven in 86 runs. However, his chances of winning the MVP are hurt by his .258 batting average in 123 games, not playing in the outfield regularly and being suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball late last season while playing for the Texas Rangers because of his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.

"You can definitely draw some parallels between our club and last year's Red Sox," Orioles closer Zach Britton said. "It's the same kind of thing where you have a different hero every night." The Orioles lead the major leagues in home runs and have seven players with at least 12. Yet beside Cruz, center fielder Adam Jones (24) and first baseman Chris Davis (21) are the only two with more than 13. Furthermore, the Orioles do have a regular with a higher batting average than right fielder Nick Markakis' .292. "We have a lot of depth and a lot of balance up and down the lineup," Markakis said. "We have a lot of guys who know how to put together a good at bat and we have the type of power where we can strike quickly."

The Orioles have three starting pitchers with double-digit wins in Wei-Yin Chen (13-4, 3.76 ERA), Bud Norris (11-7, 3.69 ERA) and Chris Tillman (10-5, 3.55 ERA). The rotation has been solid enough to allow manager Buck Showalter to demote Ubaldo Jimenez, who was signed to a four-year, $50-million contract as a free agent in spring training, to the bullpen with his 4-9 record and 4.83 ERA in 20 starts. Britton, once considered an ace-caliber starting pitching prospect, has been a revelation since being called on early in the season to replace Tommy Hunter as closer. Britton has converted 27 of 30 save opportunities with a 2.04 ERA in 56 games.

"I'm as surprised as anyone," Britton said. "I never expected to get the chance and I'm happy I've been able to have some success. It's a nerve-wracking job but it's a special kind of feeling when you get that last out." The Orioles have also been able to overcome adversity. All-Star catcher Matt Wieters played in just 26 games before his season ended with Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery, and third baseman Manny Machado, currently on the disabled list, has been limited to 82 games because of knee injuries. "This club is a lot like the city. It's a very proud club," Showalter said. "Everybody here's had their nose bloodied, and you've got a choice. You either keep moving forward or you quit. Our guys definitely aren't quitters."

•Giants' First Baseman Brandon Belt Hopes To Play Again This Season: Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday that he expects Brandon Belt to play again this season. During an appearance on 95.7 The Game, the first baseman said the same. "I'm definitely planning on playing this season," Belt said while on "The Wheelhouse." I'm definitely planning on being there when we go to the playoffs." Belt has missed 22 games because of a concussion he suffered when hit by a teammate's throw last month. He told 95.7 The Game that his main problem right now is keeping his eyes focused. Belt came out of a game in Milwaukee earlier this month because he was dizzy and his vision was blurry.

Giants doctors believed there was something wrong with his vestibular system, a diagnosis confirmed Monday by concussion specialist Dr. Mickey Collins. The Giants have been concerned because Belt suffered a serious concussion while playing for the University of Texas in 2009. He was hit in the head by a pitch and was knocked out, but he was cleared to play the next day and the final three weeks of that season. Much more is known about concussions five years later, and the Giants will be cautious with Belt. Belt said on 95.7 that Dr. Collins is "100 percent sure" Belt will recover from this concussion.

"We're just not exactly sure when that's going to be because these things are unpredictable," he said. Belt will do rehab work to try and improve his vision and will go back to Pittsburgh in three weeks to see if he can get cleared by Dr. Collins. The Giants already are thinking about ways that they can get Belt some live action at their facility in Scottsdale, assuming he is cleared to resume baseball work sometime next month. Asked if he expects to have Belt back in late September, Bochy nodded. "I do," he said. "But part of that is I'm hoping, and that's for his sake, too."

•Angels Lose Richards For 6-9 Months With Knee Injury: Angels right-hander Garrett Richards sustained a torn patellar tendon in his left knee during a nasty tumble Wednesday night and will undergo season-ending surgery next week. Richards' knee buckled when he was covering first base during a game against the Boston Red Sox. He was treated on the field for 10 minutes before being carted off on a stretcher. The expected recovery time from the surgery is six to nine months, which could extend into the start of the 2015 season. The loss of Richards is a big blow for the first-place Angels in their bid to win the American League West title and reach the postseason. Richards, having an ace-like season with a 13-4 record and a 2.61 ERA in 26 starts, went down in a heap covering first base in a game against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park and suffered what manager Mike Scioscia called at the time "a significant injury."

"It's a tough night," said Scioscia, whose team entered Thursday's play leading the Oakland Athletics by 1 1/2 games in the AL West with seven games between the teams coming up the next two weekends. "I can't tell you how bad we feel for Garrett and how hard he's worked.... This is a tough night for us." The 26-year-old Richards is the second member of the Angels' rotation to go down: Left-hander Tyler Skaggs underwent Tommy John elbow surgery earlier this season. Scioscia made it clear that the show must go on and the Angels rallied from three runs down and routed the Red Sox 8-3 on Wednesday night -- with six relievers finishing the game after Richards left for Massachusetts General Hospital in the second inning.

Around The League
--Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez readily admits his team does not have a true leadoff hitter. However, Gonzalez has also learned that the offense functions best when right fielder Jason Heyward is at the top of the batting order. The Braves are 41-35 when Hayward bats first, 19-17 when center fielder B.J. Upton leads off and 6-9 when anyone else hits at the top of the order. Heyward doesn't look the part of a leadoff hitter at 6-feet-5, 245 pounds. Yet his .352 on-base percentage is solid for a leadoff man and he has hit nine of hit 10 home runs while batting in the No. 1 hole. Heyward is having a great season in the field with a major league-leading 32 defensive runs saved, a metric developed by Baseball Info Solutions.

--Free agent outfielder Rusney Castillo is ready to follow in the footsteps of such recent Cuban defectors such as Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu and make an immediate impact in the major leagues, according to scouts who watched the 5-foot-9, 205-pounders showcase last month in Miami. Castillo will need to sign within the next 10 days in order to be able to participate in the postseason as players must be with their organizations by Aug. 31 in order to be eligible. The feeling among major league executives is either the Detroit Tigers or San Francisco Giants will win the bidding, which could top $50 million, because both have an immediate need for offensive help as they chase postseason berths.

--The San Francisco Giants were furious that their game against the Cubs at Chicago on Tuesday night was originally called after 4 1/2 innings and a 4-hour, 14-minute rain delay, pinning them with a 2-0 loss. San Francisco protested the umpires' decision on the basis that the Wrigley Field grounds crew did not cover the infield quick enough, causing the field to become unplayable. Major League Baseball upheld the protest Wednesday and the game resumed Thursday afternoon. This is the perfect opportunity for MLB to abolish the archaic rule in which a game becomes official after five innings. All games should be played to a nine-inning conclusion.

--The Los Angeles Angels, looking to bolster their infield depth for a run at an American League playoff berth, acquired second baseman Gordon Beckham from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in exchange for cash or a player to be named. Beckham is batting .221 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs in 390 at-bats this year. He is a career .244 hitter in six seasons with the White Sox. The 27-year-old veteran is expected to back up second baseman Howie Kendrick and third baseman David Freese with the Angels. Beckham is in the second year of arbitration eligibility and is making $4.18 million this season. He is due to become a free agent after the 2015 season.

--The Chicago Cubs placed struggling right-hander Edwin Jackson on the 15-day disabled list with a lat strain and put shortstop Starlin Castro on the bereavement list Thursday. To take their spots on the roster, the Cubs called up left-hander Zac Rosscup and infielder Logan Watkins from Triple-A Iowa. Castro will be out a minimum of three days and as long as a week after he left the team because of a family emergency. The struggling Jackson has a 6-14 record with a 6.09 ERA this season. In his last outing on Wednesday, he gave up seven earned runs against the San Francisco Giants in 2 2/3 innings.
___________________________________________

Betting Notes - Friday

National League
•Cardinals-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Wainwright is 2-2, 5.46 in his last four starts.
--Kendrick is 0-1, 5.87 in his last four starts.

--Cardinals won seven of their last eight games.
--Phillies lost eight of their last twelve games.

--Last five Cardinal games went over the total.

•Giants-Nationals - 7:05 PM
--Hudson is 0-3, 5.14 in his last five starts.
--Fister is 6-1, 1.96 in his last eight starts. .

--Giants lost five of their last seven road games.
--Nationals won their last 11 games; five of last six were walk-offs.

--Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven Washington home games.

•Braves-Reds - 7:10 PM
--Minor is 2-3, 6.04 in his last five starts.
--Latos is 2-0, 2.70 in his last four starts.

--Braves won six of their last seven games.
--Reds lost six in row, nine of last ten games.

--Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Cincinnati games

•Pirates-Brewers - 8:10 PM
--Locke is 2-0, 3.57 in his last three starts.
--Gallardo is 3-1, 1.60 in his last five starts.

--Pirates lost seven of their last eight games.
--Brewers won five of their last six games.

--Over is 4-1-1 in last six Pittsburgh games.

•Marlins-Rockies - 8:40 PM
--Alvarez is 3-0, 1.23 in his last three starts.
--Morales is 0-2, 4.91 in his last four starts.

--Marlins won eight of their last twelve games.
--Colorado won three of its last four games.

--Five of last seven Colorado games went over total.

•Padres-Diamondbacks - 9:40 PM
--Despaigne is 1-3, 7.01 in his last five starts.
--Collmenter is 0-2, 7.71 in his last five starts.

--Padres lost three of their last four games.
--Arizona lost its last six games, scoring 11 runs.

--Four of last five Despaigne starts went over.

•Mets-Dodgers - 10:10 PM
--Niese is 2-4, 5.45 in his last six starts.
--Haren is 0-3, 13.50 in his last three home starts.

--Mets lost six of their last nine games.
--Dodgers lost six of their last nine home games.

--Over is 6-1-1 in Mets' last eight road games.
____________________________________

American League
•Astros-Indians - 7:05 PM
--Peacock is 0-3, 12.46 in his last five starts.
--Carrasco is 2-0, 0.00 (12 IP) in his last two starts.

--Astros lost eight of their last twelve road games.
--Cleveland won seven of its last ten games.

--Five of last six Peacock starts went over total.

•White Sox-Yankees - 7:05 PM
--Danks is 0-2, 8.18 in his last four starts.
--Greene is 1-0, 2.41 in his last three starts.

--White Sox lost four of their last five games.
--New York lost seven of its last ten games.

--Four of last five Chicago road games stayed under.

•Rays-Blue Jays - 7:05 PM
--Smyly is 1-1, 2.25 in three starts for Tampa Bay.
--Stroman is 5-1, 1.62 in eight home starts.

--Rays lost four of their last five games.
--Toronto lost six of its last eight games. .

--Under is 9-2-1 in last twelve Tampa Bay games.

•Mariners-Red Sox - 7:10 PM
--Hernandez is 5-2, 1.75 in his last ten starts.
--Kelly is 0-1, 5.29 in three starts for the Red Sox.

--Mariners won 11 of their last 15 games.
--Boston lost its last five games, scoring nine runs.

--Under is 10-2-1 in last thirteen Hernandez starts,

•Royals-Rangers - 8:05 PM
--Ventura is 2-1, 3.16 in his last four starts.
--Lewis is 2-4, 3.99 in his last six starts.

--Royals won 17 of their last 21 games.
--Texas lost five of its last seven games.

--Five of last seven Royal games went over the total.

•Tigers-Twins - 8:10 PM
--Ray is 0-3, 10.13 in his last three starts.
--Milone is 0-1, 11.05 in two starts for the Twins.

--Detroit lost 11 of its last 15 road games.
--Minnesota lost four of its last five games.

--Three of last four Milone starts stayed under total.

•Angels-Athletics - 10:05 PM
--Santiago is 0-0, 2.35 in his last five starts (Angel bullpen 1-4).
--Gray is 0-4, 5.70 in his last four starts.

--Angels won eight of their last nine games.
--Oakland lost eight of its last ten games.

--Seven of last eight Angel games stayed under.

Interleague
•Orioles-Cubs - 2:20 PM
--Gausman is 3-1, 3.23 in his last five starts.
--Former Oriole Arrieta is 0-1, 1.26 in his last two starts.

--Baltimore won 12 of its last 16 games.
--Cubs are 5-7 in their last twelve home games.

--Five of last six Baltimore games stayed under.

•Incredible Stat of the Day
Red Sox's Joe Kelly is 13-5 in his team starts (72.2%) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record, including an outstanding 12-3 mark in the second half of the season over the last two seasons.

Kelly ran into his first spot of trouble since joining Boston on Sunday, when he was reached for seven runs in four innings to suffer a loss against Houston. The former Cardinal issued six walks in that turn and has allowed 13 free passes in 17 innings with the Red Sox. Kelly has never faced Seattle, and that beating against the Astros marked his first assignment against an American League opponent this season.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

'Dress-Rehearsal'

The third full week of NFL preseason football continues Friday with five on tap, followed by ten running Saturday through Sunday. Preseason results don’t count for anything in the end, but any NFL head coach would be concerned if his team went winless during the preseason. That said, the six winless teams at this juncture should play with a lot more urgency during dress-rehearsal week. NFLx sports bettors thinking of siding with these winless teams in WK-3 do so at some risk as they're a vig losing 17-17 ATS the past five years split between 10-12 ATS wearing a home jersey, 7-5 ATS on the road. NFLx sports bettors thinking of siding with the undefeated need to be cautious with home teams as they're 2-7 ATS while roadies are a profitable 14-8 ATS. In looking at how squads have done overall in what is the closest thing to a regular season game teams play in August. The Saints (7-0), Seahawks (10-2-1), 49ers (6-1), Eagles (7-2) have been some of the best bets recently while Patriots (0-6), Chiefs (2-9-1), Dolphins (2-7-1) have some of the worst stretches vs the betting line.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hondo

Hondo’s faith in Kluber was shaken Thursday when he failed to achieve in Minnesota, where the Indians fell to the Twins to increase the accounts payable to 1,470 petrocellis.

Friday night: Mr. Aitch expects Kelly to be a hero against King Felix — 10 units on the Sawx.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL Preseason Point Spreads and Picks
By: Mike Wilkening

Got a few minutes for football on Friday night? Well, Raiders-Packers at Lambeau Field beckons.

Seriously, it does.

Of Friday’s five exhibition games, Raiders-Packers (8 p.m. ET, CBS) looks like the biggest mismatch. And that makes it compelling, because this is the time for handicappers to learn whether we’ve correctly assessed the 32 NFL teams. August is for learning; October is for sitting back and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

So let’s talk Raiders-Packers.

For starters: the Packers — 7-point favorites in this game — ought to be able to handle Oakland if their first-stringers play anywhere close to their best.

On the other hand, the Raiders bolstered their roster in free agency. They should be better this season.

We know what to expect from the Packers’ offense. But how will their defense fare against the Raiders’ offense? The Raiders’ passing game doesn’t look like one of their strengths. If the Packers can’t pressure slow-footed Oakland quarterback Matt Schaub . . . well, that won’t be a good look (and it surely will please those who take OVER 45 in this preseason contest).

Similarly, if the Raiders’ starters are flat-out overmatched in their last major preseason test, then that will be a big-time red flag. Oakland looks likely to be an underdog in most of its games. We need to know whether the Raiders will fight or fall.

For the record, the Packers are 5-3 overall and 4-4 against the number in penultimate preseason games since Mike McCarthy became head coach in 2006, per Covers.com data. The OVER and UNDER have each cashed four times apiece.

The Raiders are 1-1 in third exhibition games under Dennis Allen, with both contests going OVER.

The Linemakers’ lean: One of our guys in Vegas has a pick on the side, another likes the total.

Green Bay knows what it has in Aaron Rodgers, and coming off a win last week in St. Louis, its focus is on the regular season. Oakland, on the other hand, has been respectable this season but is still trying to integrate Matt Schaub. Allen, says Kenny White, has the Raiders close to where he needs them to be, while the Packers are quite comfortable ahead of the regular season. Kenny takes the Raiders plus the points.

Micah Roberts, meanwhile, recommends the UNDER, as we don’t expect Rodgers to play more than a few series, and both teams will try to work on their defenses.

Raiders and the UNDER are our plays.

Here’s a look at the rest of Friday’s card. The historical point spread data is from Covers.com, while the lines cited are the Las Vegas consensus as of Thursday evening. For updated spreads and totals, visit our live odds page.

Jacksonville at Detroit (-3.5, 44.5)

The Jaguars have a compelling QB situation, with rookie Blake Bortles making a case to start sooner than later with his promising play. Bortles will get some first-team snaps on Friday night, but Chad Henne will start.

Both teams are 2-0 against the spread in the preseason. The UNDER has cashed in both Jaguars exhibition games.

Carolina at New England (-5.5, 45.5)

The offense merits a close look in the final major tune-up for the Panthers, who were 24th in yards per play through two preseason games. Quarterback Cam Newton figures to see his most extended action of the summer.

Interestingly, the Patriots are just 6-8 straight-up in next-to-last preseason games in Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach.

New York Giants at New York Jets (pick 'em, 42.5)

The Giants are 3-0 straight-up and against the spread in the preseason, but quarterback Eli Manning is 7-of-16 for 49 yards in that span. Well, at least the Big Blue backers are happy.

The Jets are 3-2 straight-up against the Giants in exhibition play in Rex Ryan’s tenure, alternating wins (2009, 2011, 2013) with losses (2010, 2012).

Chicago at Seattle (-7, 45)

There are no exhibitions for the Seahawks, just battle royales. The defending NFL champions have won their last six preseason home games dating to 2011, outscoring opponents 171-53 in this span.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated Thursday that star running back Marshawn Lynch will play. That simply adds to the challenges for the Bears, who are playing their first exhibition road game of the summer.

The OVER has cashed in four of six exhibition games in Marc Trestman’s tenure as Bears coach.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | KANSAS CITY at TEXAS
Play On - Home underdogs with a money line of +125 to +175 (TEXAS) stranding 6.9 or less runners on base per game on the season, after 3 straight games with no home runs
39-27 over the last 5 seasons. ( 59.1% | 28.1 units )
2-5 this year. ( 28.6% | -2.4 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | SEATTLE at BOSTON
SEATTLE is 20-9 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in Road games on the road when the total is 7 to 7.5 this season.
The average score was: SEATTLE (5.1) , OPPONENT (3.3)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gamblers Data

Free Plays Friday

SF/Washington Under 7

Brewers -160

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Baseball Crusher
Washington Nationals -150 over San Francisco Giants

Tampa Bay Rays +117 over Toronto Blue Jays
Detroit Tigers -105 over Minnesota Twins
San Diego Padres +107 over Arizona Dbacks
Tampa Bay Rays +117 over Toronto Blue Jays Detroit Tigers -105 over Minnesota Twins San Diego Padres +107 over Arizona Dbacks

Soccer Crusher
Cruzeiro + Gremio OVER 2 - Brazil pending
Tigre + Racing Club UNDER 2
This match is happening in Argentina

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Robert Ferringo:
1-Unit Play. Take #259 Oakland (+7) over Green Bay (8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22)
1-Unit Play. Take #261 Chicago (+7) over Seattle (10 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22)
2* Over 43.5 OAK / GB

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns

Houston vs. Cleveland - August 22, 2014 - 7:05 PM
Pick: Your pick will be graded at Bookmaker (http://www.bookmaker.eu) @ Over 8.5 -120
Expert: Ben Burns
Evaluation: Aug 22 - 7:05 PM
Reason For Pick:
9* Best Bet OVER Astros/Indians

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CFL

Week 9

Montreal (1-6) @ Winnipeg (5-3)-- Bombers (+3) won 34-33 at Montreal in Week 3, even though they were outgained by 105 yards- that game started Als on 5-game losing streak. Winnipeg won three in row, five of last six series games with visitor winning five of last six meetings. Alouettes scored total of 24 points in losing all three road games, by 21-36-5 points (1-2 as road underdog); five of their last seven visits here went over total. Montreal was outscored 64-20 in first half of their last four games. Bombers lost last two games after 5-1 start; they're 1-1 as home favorites, winning first two home games by 24-8 points, losing last two at home.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations – FoxSheets

WNBA | LOS ANGELES at PHOENIX
Play Under – Home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 off 2 consecutive wins against division rivals, playing with 3 or more days rest
55-24 since 1997. ( 69.6% | 28.6 units )
3-1 this year. ( 75.0% | 1.9 units )

WNBA | CHICAGO at ATLANTA
Play On – Home favorites vs. the money line (ATLANTA) off a loss against a division rival, in August or September games
243-86 since 1997. ( 73.9% | 0.0 units )
7-2 this year. ( 77.8% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | LOS ANGELES at PHOENIX
Play Under – Road teams where the first half total is greater than 65.5 after a game where they covered the spread, with a winning percentage of between 45-55% after 15 or more games
139-78 since 1997. ( 64.1% | 53.2 units )
14-4 this year. ( 77.8% | 9.6 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PAUL LEINER

100* Chicago Bears +7
100* Dodgers -140
50* Orioles -115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RICH SPORTS

(NFLX)

3* Carolina Panthers+6
2* Chicago vs Seattle - Over 45

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EZWINNERS

MLB

2* (903) Giants +$135
2* (905) Braves -$105
2* (911) Padres -$105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Friday's Preseason Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider

Week 2 Recap: The home teams started strong last week by winning the first five games, but the road clubs rebounded by going 6-5 in the final 11 contests. The 'over' went 10-6 last week, while the 'over' cashed in last night's Eagles/Steelers contest to kick off Week 3 of the preseason.

Jaguars at Lions (-3, 44½)

2014 Preseason Records:
JAX: 1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS
DET: 1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS

Preseason review: The Jaguars have played a pair of low-scoring affairs, while squandering a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter of a 20-19 setback at Chicago last Thursday. Jacksonville managed to cover as three-point underdogs, but the Jags have scored just 35 points in its first two exhibition games. The Lions are coming off consecutive one-point decisions, as Detroit lost in the final seconds at Oakland last Friday, 27-26 as three-point ‘dogs.

Last preseason meeting: First preseason meeting ever

Panthers at Patriots (-5½, 45½)

2014 Preseason Records:
CAR: 1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS
NE: 1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS

Preseason review: New England outlasted Philadelphia, 42-35 as two-point favorites last week in Tom Brady’s preseason debut, as all six quarterbacks that played each threw at least one touchdown pass. The Panthers cruised past the Chiefs, 28-16 in their second preseason contest at home, one week after falling to the Bills. Carolina has cashed the ‘over’ in five of its past six home exhibition contests.

Last preseason meeting: Patriots beat Panthers, 24-7 as one-point road underdogs in 2007.

Expert Analysis: Pat Hawkins - The Panthers under head coach Ron Rivera have proven over the last two seasons that they take the "dress rehearsal" preseason game very seriously going 2-0 last two seasons. Meanwhile, the Pats under Bill Belichick have gone 0-6 in the last six dress rehearsal games. Look for the Carolina defense to be strong limiting Brady and Company as the Pats treat this game as just a warm-up.

Giants at Jets (PK, 42½)

2014 Preseason Records:
NYG: 3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS
NYJ: 2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS

Preseason review: The Giants have won their three exhibition games by a combined nine points, while erasing a 26-0 deficit in a 27-26 victory over the Colts. The Jets are also unbeaten in the preseason, as New York rallied from 14 points down in the third quarter to stun Cincinnati, 25-17 as three-point underdogs.

Last preseason meeting: Jets beat Giants, 24-21 in overtime as one-point road favorites in 2013.

Expert Analysis: The Gold Sheet - The Giants, despite their 27-26 fluke win last week at Indianapoils last week, continue to struggle with their new offense, which was scoreless for the first three quarters until Indy played its deep reserves. This is a Jets "home" game tonight in East Rutherford, and they should have the majority of the fans. These preseason Giants-Jets games have always been more meaningful to the Jets against the more established Giants. This year, the Jets are deeper at RB and sounder on defense than the Giants.

Raiders at Packers (-7, 44)

2014 Preseason Records:
OAK: 1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS
GB: 1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS

Preseason review: The Raiders have looked clunky through two preseason games, losing at Minnesota in the opener, 10-7, while rallying to top Detroit at home, 27-26 last Friday, but failed to cover each time. The Packers put together a solid effort in a 21-7 triumph at St. Louis last Saturday, racking up 386 yards on offense, while cashing as 2½-point road underdogs.

Last preseason meeting: Raiders beat Packers, 24-13 as five-point home favorites in 2001.

Bears at Seahawks (-7, 45)

2014 Preseason Records:
CHI: 2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS
SEA: 1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS

Preseason review: The Bears hit the road for the first time this preseason after coming off a pair of close home wins over the Eagles and Jaguars. Chicago erased deficits in each win, including coming back from a 28-17 hole against Philadelphia in a 34-28 victory in the opener. The Seahawks saw their eight-game preseason winning streak come to an end in the opener at Denver, but Seattle rebounded in a huge way by dominating San Diego, 41-14 last week as six-point home favorites.

Last preseason meeting: Seahawks beat Bears in overtime, 29-26 as one-point home underdogs in 2006.

Expert Analysis: Bruce Marshall - Pete Carroll's team looks to have rebounded quickly from its opening loss at Denver with a characteristic solid exhibition romp past San Diego last Friday. That marked the 10th SU win in 11 preseason games and 11th cover in 12 exhibitions for Carroll. Moreover, only one of those ten Seahawks wins was by a single-digit margin, and even that was by seven points and a spread cover last August at Green Bay. We'll stick with recent preseason history and ride with Seattle once more.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Advanced sports investments

perry’s soccer club (-1.15)

germany – 2nd bundesliga
1230pm- tsv 1860 munchen @ 1. Fc heidenheim – over 2.5 -105

france – ligue 2
2pm- tours fc @ ac ajaccio – over 2 -140
2pm- ajaccio gfco @ clermont foot – under 2 -107

brazil – serie b
845pm- vasco da gama rj @ icasa ce – under 2.5 -130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ADVANCED SPORTS INVESTMENTS

PJ’ TENNIS CORNER (+3.85)
ATP – WINSTON-SALEM OPEN @ WINSTON SALEM, NC
3PM- Y LU -190 vs L ROSOL

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB betting cheat sheet: Diamondbacks limp home

Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for the weekend’s major-league action:

Unders Galore

Thursday was the most profitable Under day of the season, with teams combining to go 0-8-1 O/U. Only two teams – Atlanta and San Francisco – scored more than four runs, while the Braves, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals all recorded shutouts.

Diamondbacks Limp Home

The Arizona Diamondbacks (-121, 8.5) return home Friday for their series-opening tilt with the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks went 2-8 on their 10-game road trip through Cleveland, Miami and Washington, scoring just 21 runs on the entire trip en route to a 4-6 O/U mark.

Lester’s Home-Field Advantage

Jon Lester should have a decided upper hand Saturday as he and the Oakland Athletics face fellow lefty C.J. Wilson and the visiting Angels. Lester is 7-4 with a 1.88 ERA and a 3-10 O/U mark in home starts this season, while Wilson is 3-6 with a 5.22 ERA on the road.

Sale Owns Yankees

Best of luck to the Bronx Bombers on Sunday, as they tangle with Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox. Sale is 3-0 with a 0.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31 2/3 career innings versus the Yankees, and tossed six innings of one-hit, 10-strikeout ball against them earlier this season.

Pitching Notes

* Felix Hernandez will look to start a new streak of impressive starts Friday as he and the Seattle Mariners (-180, 7) face the host Boston Red Sox. Hernandez went just five innings in his last start, ending his streak of outings with seven or more innings and two or fewer runs allowed at 16.

* Jordan Lyles has an impressive string on the line Saturday as he leads the host Colorado Rockies into a showdown with the Miami Marlins. Lyles has racked up five consecutive overs – going 1-0 with four no-decisions over that span – and is 11-4 O/U for the year.

* Stephen Strasburg has had plenty of success against San Francisco as he and the Washington Nationals entertain the Giants on Sunday. Strasburg is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four career starts versus the Giants, including an impressive win as a -127 favorite back in June.

Hitting Notes

* The Mariners may have some trouble containing David Ortiz. The Boston Red Sox slugger has been red-hot over the past seven days, going 12-for-21 with four home runs and eight RBIs – and he’s the only one hitting well for Boston, which has dropped five straight.

* It could be a long Saturday for Rays outfielder David DeJesus. He’s hitting just .179 with two doubles and a homer in 78 career at-bats versus Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle, who gets the call in the second game of the series.

* John Jaso will look to end his struggles versus Jered Weaver when the Athletics and Angels do battle Sunday. Jaso has just one hit in 17 career at-bats against Weaver, though he has drawn five walks – the most of any Oakland hitter versus Weaver.

Totals Streak

Baltimore Orioles (1-5-1 O/U): Solid pitching has been the catalyst for the Orioles’ four-game winning streak; they’ve allowed just seven runs during that stretch, which was capped by a sweep of the host Chicago White Sox. Baltimore is 54-68-3 O/U for the year.

Prop of the Day

Bettors may want to take a chance on the Miami Marlins prevailing by exactly one run Friday night in Colorado (+600). The Marlins have played one-run games in nine of right-hander Henderson Alvarez’s last 14 starts – and won all nine.

Injury Notes

* The Angels have lost starter Garrett Richards for the rest of the season with a torn patellar tendon. Richards was one of the best value plays in the majors this season, racking up $1,060 as the Angels went 19-7 in his 26 starts.

* The Dodgers are expected to have shortstop Hanley Ramirez (oblique) back in the lineup Sunday afternoon against the Mets. Ramirez has missed the last 12 games with the injury; Los Angeles is 6-6 SU, 5-7 O/U and -131 units in his absence.

Weather Watch

* Wind at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington will blow in from right field at 9 mph for Friday’s game between host Texas (+134, 9) and Kansas City. Teams averaged 8.19 runs and 1.85 homers in 27 games under similar conditions in 2013, slightly below stadium averages.

* A 9 mph wind will blow in from center field Saturday when the Red Sox host the Mariners. Teams averaged just 1.57 homers while batting a paltry .227 in seven games with the wind blowing in from center a year ago – well below Fenway Park averages.

** Odds, stats, weather forecasts and probable pitchers as of 9:45 a.m. ET Friday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RIVER CITY SHARPS

While the Pirates are trying to stay in touch with the NL wildcard, they find themselves travelling to an unfriendly place as they open up a series with the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. The big problem for the Pirates is that the Brewers have absolutely owned the Pirates in Milwaukee and really overall. This season, the Brewers are 5-1 at Miller Park vs. Pittsburgh and since 2007, the Brewers are 53-13 at home vs. the Pirates! Tonight the Pirates give the ball to lefty Jeff Locke, who has struggled on the road and vs. the Brewers over his career. He will be opposed by Yovani Gallardo, who was absolutely brilliant in his last win over Clayton Kershaw and the LA Dodgers. While the Pirates did get a win Wednesday over the Braves, they have been struggling mightily over the last couple of weeks. They are 1-7 in their last eight games vs. teams with a winning record and 0-4 in Locke’s last four road starts. Milwaukee is playing good baseball as they lead the NL Central, going 10-4 in their last 14 games as a home favorite and a perfect 6-0 in the last six series openers. Gallardo is going to give the Brew Crew another solid effort and the Milwaukee domination of the Bucs continues tonight. The Sharps say…

3 UNITS – MILWAUKEE BREWERS (-130)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NEWSLETTER Major League Baseball Prediction From Doc’s Sports

Take ‘Over’ 8.5 – San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22)
We should see runs aplenty in Friday night’s matchup in Arizona. First and foremost, we have two starting pitchers that are overrated in my book. Odrisamer Despaigne comes in with a 3.28 ERA, but that’s extremely deceiving. First of all, half of his starts have been in pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego. But even beyond that, Despaigne has a horrid 37-23 K/BB ratio and he’s been fortunate with a low BABIP of .269 thus far. As a result, we’re going to see Despaigne getting knocked around a little bit before this season ends. Chase Field is much less forgiving for pitchers, so there’s a good chance he gets roughed up a little bit tonight. For the Diamondbacks, right-hander Josh Collmenter toes the rubber. His numbers aren’t terrible, but a 4.31 ERA and 1.30 WHIP are certainly nothing to get excited about. He did work out of the bullpen a little bit and that generally is much easier work than facing hitters multiple times in the same game. I’ve never liked Collmenter’s stuff very much as he doesn’t throw hard and relies too much on deceiving hitters and hitting the corners of the plate. He was able to get by like that over the first few years of his career, but hitters are finally catching up with him. The Padres have been swinging the bats better than anyone else in the NL since the All-Star break, so no reason for that to end tonight. This one has all the makings of a slugfest, so we’ll sit back and tally the runs as they cross the plate. Take the over here.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NEWSLETTER NFL Preseason Prediction From Jason Sharpe

Take #254 Detroit (-3) over Jacksonville (7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22)
The Detroit Lions love to impress their loyal fan base and they will usually try to do so by putting on a good show when at home in the preseason. Look no further than the fact the Lions are 12-1 in their last 13 preseason home contests. Not only do the Lions usually win these meaningless contests but will do so in very strong fashion usually as their winning margin has been by an average of 12 points per victory during this stretch.

Last year the Lions won their Week 3 preseason game at home by a 40-9 score. The one before that was a 34-10 home win in the week three preseason home game back in 2011. In 2010 the Lions also played at home in week three and scored 35 points in that game as well meaning the last three times in this spot they’ve averaged 36 points per game and scored 34 or more points in each one. This is obviously a franchise looking to entertain their fan base here in what is considered by many the so called “dress rehearsal” contest for NFL teams.

Jacksonville is a team in rebuilding mode. The Jaguars went 4-12 last year in what was head coach Gus Bradley’s first season. The goal right now for the Jaguars is to try and restore some pride and excitement back into what was not only a very bad but also boring football team last year. The Jaguars scored the fewest points in the NFL last season and because of that they made it a point to go out and take the first quarterback in this year’s 2014 NFL draft by grabbing Blake Bortles. Developing Bortles seems to be priority number one for them this preseason as Bradley stated he will let Bortles play with the first team this week against Detroit despite the fact he will not be their opening day starter. A move like this proves that is that Jacksonville is concerned more about Bortles getting some quality playing time over them winning this meaningless game here. Take Detroit minus the points

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NEWSLETTER NFL Preseason Prediction From Robert Ferringo

Take ‘Under’ 45.5 - Carolina at New England (7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22)
There is just never any telling what Bill Belichick is going to do with his starters in the preseason. He could play Tom Brady for an entire game. He could play him one series. He could not play him at all. With a fierce Carolina pass rush on tap this week I think that Belichick will protect his star player. Also, the Patriots offense got a lot of work in last week against the run-run-run Philadelphia system. The Panthers defense looked really good last week against Kansas City and I expect the Panthers to play full bore in this game. Carolina knows what it is: a team that runs the ball and plays great defense. They aren’t going to find the going too easy against an improved Patriots defense. But I also don’t see Carolina trying to get too creative to score points in this one. The Panthers have gone ‘over’ in both of their preseason games this year. But I don’t see that trend continuing. They are 1-3 against the total in Weeks 3 and 4 the last two years and I think that this one will go ‘under’.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DIY SPORTS BETTING SYSTEMS / SAM OCONNEL

Pittsburgh Pirates at +135

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFLPredictions/Kevin

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks – SEAHAWKS -7 (-105)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

INSIDE VEGAS / CORY KLUGE

4 MLB Sharp Plays

Cinncy -113

Philly +155

SanFran +135

Colorado +115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Orioles cashing for bettors in Gausman's road starts

The Baltimore Orioles are 5-1 in starting pitcher Kevin Gausman's previous six starts away from Oriole Park.

That's the spot he'll be in as the O's visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field as +100 road dogs Friday afternoon.

Orioles' wins at Tampa Bay (+136), Boston (+119), Oakland (+136), Seattle (+174), Washington (+127) and Cleveland (+116) have supplied bettors with plenty value in the right-hander's road starts.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA

Friday, August 22

Over tickets cash in first day of playoffs

The WNBA postseason began with the Over posting a perfect 2-0 record Thursday evening.

In the East, the Indiana Fever defeated the Washington Mystics 78-73 to eclipse the closing total of 141 by 10 points. Meanwhile in the West, the closing total of 155.5 didn't stand a chance as the Minnesota Lynx and San Antonio Stars combined for 172 points with the Lynx winning 88-84.

The other semifinals begin Friday as the Chicago Sky visit the Atlanta Dream with a total of 155, while the Phoenix Mercury host the Los Angeles Sparks with a total of 157.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Thunderstorms in the forecast for these parks Friday
Andrew Avery

Thunderstorms could be on tap at a few stadiums which could impact your Major League Baseball bets Friday.

According to Daily Baseball Data, there is a 50 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms hitting Nationals Park in Washington as the Nationals host the San Francisco Giants.

There looks to be a good chance of rain leading up to gametime in Phiadelphia. Forecasts predict a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms in the hours prior to the start time, but that should subside shortly thereafter as the Phillies host the St. Louis Cardinals.

Forecasts are also calling for a 60 percent possibility of thunderstorms in Denver as the Rockies host the Miami Marlins.

Finally, Cincinnati could be hit some rain as well as forecasts are calling for a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms by the start of the game between the Reds and the visiting Atlanta Braves.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Flags continue to fly in Week 3 opener
By ANDREW AVERY

Referees continued to toss flags at a fast and furious pace in the Thursday night matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. There were 27 more penalties accepted in the game, which is still greater than the 23.7 penalties per game rate that games have seen through the first two weeks of the preseason.

As we featured yesterday, the incredible amount of penalty flags littering fields league-wide forced oddsmakers to adapt when setting totals for Week 3 of the preseason schedule. For the first time in recent memory, all the NFL action this week is working off a total that is 40.0 or higher.

The Steelers-Eagles opened with a total of 50, but closed at most shops at 48.5. Regardless the number, the two teams combined for 52 points, aided by the 202 yards that came from the 27 penalties.

Friday sees five games on the board, including the Jaguars at Lions (44.5), Panthers at Patriots (45.5), Giants at Jets (42.5), Raiders at Packers (43.5) and Bears at Seahawks (45).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Daily wager with Weekend Warrior - 8.22.14 August 22, 2014 6:49 AM by Mark Mayer

NFL Football Preseason Week 3

262 Seattle Seahawks -7½: First game at home for Seahawks since NFC championship. Look for a heavy dose of the 12th Man against Chicago. Seattle covers at home whether it counts or not.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFLPredictions

Kevin
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks – SEAHAWKS -7 (-105)


Kyle's pick
Jaguars vs. Lions Pick
PICK = OVER 44.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sportswagers

Houston @ CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND -1½ +114 over Houston

Brad Peacock has been just plain awful over the past month, with a 10.50 ERA in his past four starts. A 21% hr/f rate indicates some bad luck but he's contributed plenty to his own undoing with a BB/K split of 12/14 over his last 18 innings covering four starts. That high hr/f is also the result of a high fly-ball rate and that’s what you often get with fly-ball pitchers. The Indians .731 home OPS ranks 4th in the AL and it shows that they have the firepower to ruffle Peacock's feathers in this outing. We also love the fact that the Astros are coming off a four-game set in New York and while playing the Yankees isn’t what it used to be, playing in New York is still exciting, especially for young teams like the Astros.

Meanwhile, Carlos Carrasco has made just six starts this season. Carrasco opened the season in the rotation with disastrous results, allowing 17 runs in 22 innings. He did not make it past the sixth inning in any of his first four starts. A subsequent demotion to the pen straightened him out, where in 26 relief appearances covering 43 innings, Carrasco thrived with 39 K’s, 9 BB and a 2.30 ERA. In two starts since being reinserted into the rotation, Carrasco surrendered five hits and zero runs in 12 innings combined against the Yanks and Baltimore. He didn’t walk a single batter while striking out nine. He also posted an elite 55% groundball rate, an elite 13% swing and miss rate and an elite 14% line-drive rate. Carrasco has nasty stuff and now his confidence at this level has never been higher. Everything points to an easy victory by the Tribe and that’s how we’ll play it.

Our Pick:
CLEVELAND -1½ +114 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.28)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sportswagers

N.Y. Mets @ LOS ANGELES
N.Y. Mets +120 over LOS ANGELES

Diagnosed with a partially torn rotator cuff last season, Jonathan Niese took six weeks off to rest/rehab and then he returned in the second half to put together a career-best run. Niese could be on the same path this year, as he returned from the DL in late July and he’s once again showing signs of getting stronger. Niese has struck out 12 batters over his last two starts, covering 13 innings. Niese’s solid command, strong groundball tilt and consistent history presents potential reward and this year his groundball rate is one of the best in the business at 55%. He’ll now face a Dodgers team that struggles against LHP, with their .683 OPS 12th in the NL.

Forget Niese for a second because this one is more about fading Dan Haren again. We faded him last weekend against Milwaukee and he didn’t make it past three innings after allowing six hits and five runs. It took Haren 74 pitches to get nine outs and he also walked three batters. Had Hyun-Jin Ryu not got injured, Haren would not be in the rotation. The Dodgers were so concerned about his ineffectiveness that they went out and traded for Kevin Correia, a move the Twinkies are still celebrating over. Haren’s groundball/line-drive/fly-ball split of 27%/27%/46% is enough to scare away even the biggest optimists. His swing and miss rate has been in decline for three straight years and it’s not getting any better. He’s been tagged for 10 jacks at Dodger Stadium in just 63 frames and as the innings pile up that number is in more danger. Dan Haren has one foot in the gutter and should the Dodger make the playoffs, you won’t see him anywhere near the mound. The Dodgers are praying he gives them five innings of decent service tonight but even they know that’s a stretch. Haren has lost it and while anything is possible in one game, he’s a huge risk as the chalk.

Our Pick
N.Y. Mets +120 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.40)

-Show League-NFLNHLMLBNBANCAAFNCAABSoccerCFLMMA

Baseball Season 2014



Range
W
L
P
+/- (Units)


Yesterday
2
0
0.00
+4.94


Last 30 Days
40
33
0.00
+31.29


Season to Date
180
195
0.00
+26.12

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Montreal @ WINNIPEG
Montreal +7½ -115 /+255 over WINNIPEG

We’re going to split this up and play a half unit on the Alouettes to win outright and 2.5 units on them to cover the number. As bad as the Als have been with just one win in seven games, they’re getting closer and one can just sense that they’re on the verge of a big game and a big win. That probably should’ve happened last week in Saskatchewan when they gave the Riders a big scare as 13-point dogs. That was the game Alex Brink took over from Troy Smith and went 19 for 31 for 187 yards in poor conditions. At least Brink moved the chains and he now has that full game under his belt. Montreal’s defense looks in fine shape and they still have one of the best offensive weapons in the league in Brandon Whitaker. Whitaker figures to get a ton of work against the Bombers soft defense. Overall, the Als have played consecutive games against B.C., Toronto, Edmonton and Saskatchewan and they take a step down here when facing a team that is very beatable right now. In fact, with Troy Smith at QB, Montreal scored 33 points against the Bombers back on July 11 but Winnipeg pulled a rabbit out of its hat and scored in the final seconds to win it, 34-33. That was probably the game we should have realized that Winnipeg could be a team in trouble.

The Bombers were crushed in Toronto last game while being outgained by almost 200 yards and surrendering nearly 500 yards of total offense. Over their past two games, Winnipeg has been outgained on the ground by a disturbing 250 yards. Drew Willy is not getting better each week. In fact, he’s getting worse. Willy is under constant pressure and as a result, he’s throwing the rock up for grabs. Winnipeg’s overall defense, pass protection and offense are all headed in the wrong direction, which is a poor recipe for spotting points. Winnipeg is just 2-2 at home and in Week 2 they were just a 4-point favorite over Ottawa. In Week 4 at Invesco Field, the Bombers were a 2-point choice over Edmonton and were buried by 23 points. Incredibly, the last time that Winnipeg was favored by 7 points or more was way back in October of 2011 when they were an 8-point favorite over the Argonauts and lost outright, 27-22. In 18 games last season, the Bombers were never favored. Winnipeg is not a team to be spotting significant points with. Montreal’s stock is still low after posting a 1-6 record to this point and because of its inability to score points. However, The Als are actually improving while the Bombers are regressing badly but this number does not reflect that. We’re calling the upset.

Our Pick
Montreal +7½ -115 (Risking 2.8 units - To Win: 2.43)

CFL 2014
CC
CFL 201FL 2014

Range
W
L
P
+/- (Units)


Yesterday
0
0
0.00
0.00


Last 30 Days
5
7
0.00
-4.59


Season to Date
14
12
0.00
+3.79

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chase Diamond

20* Minnesota

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ecks & Bacon (aka Chalk) for August 22, 2014

Washington Nationals -145

While we respect Tim Hudson for a long and distinguished Major League career, Doug Fister has been absolutely PHENOMENAL for the Nationals as they continue to rack up Ws. How phenomenal? ZERO is the key word. Fister has not allowed an earned run the last three times out, and we don't even need the STINKIN' calculator to tell us that it's a 0.00 ERA! He has won six of his last seven decisions, and if Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright or Johnny Cueto should falter down the stretch, Fister might say hello to CY! Looking over at Hudson, he has NOT won a game since July 19, and has managed ONLY ONE win in his last 11 outings. And if you're interested in his most recent work, it AIN'T pretty (21 hits, 10 earned runs, 15 innings for a 6.00 ERA). Gonna drop half a Benjamin on Washington.

And for all my baseball fanatics, we're leaning on the Yankees this evening.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NorthCoast 3* Lions -3

comp Play Over Raiders/Packers 43

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PAUL LEINER

NFLX 1500* 3-0
1000* 3-0

1000* Patriots OVER 45

100* Chicago Bears +7
100* Dodgers -140
50* Orioles -115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Daily wager with Weekend Warrior - 8.22.14 August 22, 2014 6:49 AM by Mark Mayer

NFL Football Preseason Week 3

262 Seattle Seahawks -7½: Second game at home for Seahawks since NFC championship. Look for a heavy dose of the 12th Man against Chicago. Seattle covers at home whether it counts or not.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pro Football Play of the Day - 8.22.14 August 22, 2014 6:35 AM by GT Staff

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots at 4:30 p.m.

Even though this is dress rehearsal week 3 in the NFL we will need to bet against the Patriots and the money as the Pats have gone 0-8 in their last eight preseason games when favored by more than three points.

255 Carolina Panthers +5½

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GamingToday's Consensus Picks - 8.22.14 August 22, 2014 6:26 AM by GT Staff

NFL Football Preseason Week 3

253 Jacksonville Jaguars +3: The last 15 times in preseason that the Jags have faced a NFC team on the road they have gone 14-1.

258 New York Jets +1: In the battle for New York we will side with the Jets even though the money has come on the Giants as the Giants have not been a giant in week 3 of preseason losing the last six years in week 3.

MLB Baseball

903 San Francisco Giants +150: Great dog bet here as we go for the double five system play as the Nationals have won ten straight games.

905 Atlanta Braves +105: Atlanta fighting it out for the division while the Reds have packed it in in the NL Central.

922 Boston Red Sox +160: Both our five plays yesterday let us down but we will take a shot with the big dog Red Sox as they are home with a five game losing streak.

927 Los Angeles Angels +150: Huge series for the Angles here in Oakland, we like this dog play as the Angles are really playing good and getting some good pitching, they try to win their fifth straight game.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ecks and Bacon


Ben lee had Np on Thursday.

For Friday in MLB in the National League "Mr Chalk" likes the Nationals -$150/Giants.

Ben lee is 1-2 -$100 for week forty three 191-223-5 -$3062

"Mr Chalk" is 65-49 -$455 for the 2014 MLB season.

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

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Clement

8* Tigers +100

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indian Cowboy

3* -Twins -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dave Aquiro

MLB Handicappers

Mike: (11-5) - Cincinnati

John: (9-6) - Seattle

Jim: (10-5) - Seattle

BD: (10-4) - Cleveland

Tom: (7-0) - Baltimore

Tex: (9-2) - Washington

Len: (4-1) - none

Brian: (2-1) - Baltimore

Ernie: (2-2) - San Diego

Alb: (0-1) - Milwaukee

Today's Other Selections

NFL:Seattle -7, raiders/packers over 44

WNBA: none

CFL: Montreal +7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gavazzi NFL (5-1 on 3% or higher, Eagles win last night)

2% Strong Opinion Only Oakland Raiders +7.5 (no writeup)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gavazzi

4% Yankees ML -180
4% Royals Run Line +135
3% Orioles ML +105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Esquire Sports

Detroit Lions -3 ($500)

Yes you read that right. Normally we rank our top preseason picks at $100 but if you look at our past records you will see that we start to raise the betting amount come week 3 and 4 of preseason. Last year we raised to $2,000 - we may do that next week, it all depends.

It's been reported that the Jaguars are NOT going to have their starting QB in this game for very long, they want their rookie Blake Bortels to play for most of this game VS Detroit's first team defense. This will be the FIRST time Bortels plays against an NFL team's first team defense. As for Detroit the report is that Calvin Johnson will be unleashed this week. (Apparently, he's a leashed dog, or something) The points will be there, especially with the WR'ing core that Detroit has this season.

Play this game and DO NOT pass it up. Detroit should and will control most of this game. Look for early points from Detroit's offense and look for their first team defense to get to Jaguars rookie QB Bortels. The pass rush will be active tonight!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cappers Finest:

CoverzNuggz: Jax +4 (bought 1)

CFPrez: [907] Pirates @ Brewers OVER 8 -109 *5.45u to win 5u*

CFPrez: [913] Mets ML +127 *3u to win 3.8u*

CFPrez: [922] Red Sox RL +1.5 -115 *2u*

CFPrez: [922] Red Sox ML +160 *2u to win 3.2u*

CFPrez: [905] Braves ML +100 *2u*

CFPrez: Parlay (2 units to win 12.76), : 1st 5, RedSox, 1st 5, Mets, 1st 5, Atl/Reds Over 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bookieshunter

3* NYM/LAD over 7.5
3* TORONTO
2* WASHINGTON
2* CINCY REDS

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chase Diamond

20* Minnesota

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dominic Brando's Inner Circle Friday

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Total: HOUSTON/CLEVELAND (PEACOCK/CARRASCO) OVER 8.5/+105 (7:05 PM ET)

Analysis: Our top MLB Total on the Friday card comes from Cleveland (our model sets this number going over 10). Peacock and Carrasco will yield plenty of opportunities for both teams (combined ERA over 9.5 with a total record of 5-10 on the season). Houston enters off an afternoon road shutout at Yankee Stadium, but their bats will come back alive tonight against a SP that has very little business being on a MLB roster (Astros 32 runs in previous five games before yesterday’s gem by Brandon McCarthy). Similar situation for the Tribe, who enter tonight off a silent afternoon road loss (1 run yesterday) after having scored 12 runs in the previous two games. BATS AWAKEN ON BOTH SIDES TONIGHT as we take advantage of a weak 8.5 number and put our investment on the over!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: LOS ANGELES DODGERS (ACTION/HAREN) -130 over New York Mets (10:10 PM ET)

Analysis: WE LOVE the Dodgers in this spot tonight, entering with momentum after the huge Josh Turner HR that saved the night B8 last night vs SD. Expect LA to respond tonight as the bright lights of NYC come to visit. The Mets are just 3-6 in their last nine games and typically struggle on the West Coast including 0-4 L4 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are 13-3 against left-handed pitchers and catch Jonathon Niese at an opportune time tonight (entering 2-5 in his last seven starts as a road underdog and just 1-7 on the road against .500 or better teams). The Dodgers have won six of seven games against the Mets and it continues tonight. VALUE at -130, jump on the better team in a perfect spot!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: SAN DIEGO PADRES (DESPAIGNE/COLLIMENTER) +105 over Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET)

Analysis: We isolate the Padres as our top underdog on the Friday MLB Card! We catch a very live dog coming into the desert tonight, swinging their best bats of the season (and the best offense in the National League since the ASB. SD is the top hitting team in the NL and they are third in MLB in batting average (.267) during that time. Before getting their hearts broken last night vs Clayton Kershaw, the Pads had 68 hits and 35 runs in their previous 7 games! On the flip side, offense has disappeared for the DBacks, who have hit only .239 since the ASB (scoring ONLY 14 RUNS/45 HITS OVER THEIR LAST 7 GAMES). Paul Goldschmidt is out for the year, and the offense has responded in miserable fashion - we expect that to continue tonight! DBacks SP Josh Collimenter enters tonight with a 6.46 ERA in his last 3 starts. San Diego is 8-3 vs sub .500 teams since the ASB and enters off a very feisty series at Dodger Stadium. We move with complete confidence on San Diego as our top Friday Dog!

CFL Gridiron Club Friday Inner Circle Side: MONTREAL ALOUETTES +8/-120 over Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8:35 PM ET)

Analysis: Do not let the record differential in tonight’s game deceive you. Winnipeg escaped with a 34-33 victory at Montreal early this season, but the Blue Bombers were out gained by 105 yards. Winnipeg is also only 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 home games. Our model sets this number in the 3.5-4 range, and we will JUMP on what we judge to be a clear overlay/value spot with a live dog in Montreal. Be sure to play at +8 on the half point buy if necessary. We expect a continued run of success with our CFL plays. Take the points and expect the Alouettes to be more than ready for this one tonight!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BigBetTiger
NFL

(256) NE PATRIOTS -5.5 (-110)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Worlds Worst Picker

Orioles

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Frank Patron

Must Win 50,000 Unit Preseason
Game of the Year

Under 42.5 Points Giants / Jets

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bob Balfe

New England patriots -6
NY Jets -1
Detroit Lions -3
GB Packers -7
Chicago Bears +7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SPORTS ATARI

MLB PLAY OF THE DAY!

Seattle Mariners -1 -142

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GOODFELLA

Friday Night MLB Team Total

SEATTLE MARINERS OVER 4 RUNS (-125) & 4.5 +100/+105 is fine too, if you can’t get the 4.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns' NATIONAL LEAGUE MLB PERSONAL FAVORITE
ATLANTA

Ben Burns' AMERICAN LEAGUE MLB PERSONAL FAVORITE
TORONTO

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Spreitzer’s NFL-X Friday Tapout! 35-13 Run!

Bears

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dominic Brando's Inner Circle

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: TORONTO BLUE JAYS (ACTION/STROMAN) -125 over Tampa Bay Rays (7:05 PM ET)
Analysis: We are backing the short price of the home favored Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Tampa Bay enters having dropped 2/3 in a very tight series to Detroit (having scored ONLY ONE RUN in their last 18 innings). Combine the limp Tampa Bay bats with what we target to be a strong showing from Stroman tonight (who enters 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 8 HOME STARTS YTD!) and we have a very nice opportunity with the Blue Jays in this spot. The Rays enter having lost 4 of 5 overall, and while Toronto has struggled, their power hitting right handed bats figure to match up perfectly with Rays LHP Smyly in this one (whose teams currently hold only a 6-12 record in his 18 starts YTD). Nice opportunity at an affordable number means we pull the trigger on a value home team in this matchup tonight!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: MINNESOTA TWINS (RAY/MILONE) -105 over Detroit Tigers (8:10 PM ET)
Analysis: While the Tigers have historically performed well at Target Field (winning 21 of the past 30 match ups at Minnesota), there is significant strength in our position with the Twins tonight. The public is pounding Detroit to the tune of nearly 70% in this one DESPITE the fact that Detroit enters with Miguel Cabrera not at 100%, having lost 11 of their previous 15 road games AND getting shut out yesterday afternoon. Tough spot to rely on Tigers SP Ray, a young arm in the pressure of a pennant race (on the road), entering at 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA in this last 3 starts (Tigers are 1-4 in his 5 starts). Milone, despite his awful performance in his Twins debut (in a rain soaked MESS which cannot be relied on as a true indicator of what to expect tonight), has historically CONTROLLED the Detroit offense with a career ERA of only 2.15 (plus a career 1.22 WHIP vs Detroit!). Despite not playing well recently, the Twins enter off yesterday’s upset win over the Tribe and Corey Kluber - carry some legit momentum into tonight vs Ray, who has not lasted more than 5 innings in ANY of his last 3 starts. Twins also hold the extra advantage of seeing Ray for a 2nd time around this season, and we expect Minnesota to come out feisty in this one. -105 brings tremendous value to the table, and we will steam into this one feeling pretty confident that the public is backing a false road favorite.

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: ATLANTA BRAVES (MINOR/ACTION) -105 over Cincinnati Reds (7:10 PM ET)
Analysis: Let’s call it how we see it here. The Cincinnati Reds are not only a pretty bad baseball team these days, but their nightly effort (slash INTEREST) is at an alarming low level. On the contrary, the maddeningly inconsistent Atlanta bats have exploded in recent days to the tune of 43 RUNS over their past 7 games including an 8-0 blowout win in last night’s series opener. Cincinnati stands at 2-11 in their last 13 games including SIX losses in a row (outscored 15-3 in their past two games). Conversely, the Braves must attempt to keep pace with baseball’s hottest team (the Washington Nationals) and have responded by winning 6 of their past 7 entering tonight. Minor is in good recent form (lasting 13 2/3 Innings in his last 2 starts allowing only five total ER vs the Dodgers and A’s). Minor’s last 3 starts vs Cincinnati have yielded 2 wins but more importantly, only 7 ER in 20 innings pitched vs Cincy). While Matt Latos always gives the Reds a fighting chance, it won’t be enough tonight (note his elevated 3.9 home ERA) vs a surging Braves squad who smells blood in the water. We will ride once again with the visitor at a perfect value price knowing deep down, that the home team may have already quit on themselves and their season. Easy call no matter the result, the ATL at -105!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: LOS ANGELES DODGERS (ACTION/HAREN) -130 over New York Mets (10:10 PM ET)
Analysis: WE LOVE the Dodgers in this spot tonight, entering with momentum after the huge Josh Turner HR that saved the night B8 last night vs SD. Expect LA to respond tonight as the bright lights of NYC come to visit. The Mets are just 3-6 in their last nine games and typically struggle on the West Coast including 0-4 L4 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are 13-3 against left-handed pitchers and catch Jonathon Niese at an opportune time tonight (entering 2-5 in his last seven starts as a road underdog and just 1-7 on the road against .500 or better teams). The Dodgers have won six of seven games against the Mets and it continues tonight. VALUE at -130, jump on the better team in a perfect spot!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Total: HOUSTON/CLEVELAND (PEACOCK/CARRASCO) OVER 8.5/+105 (7:05 PM ET)
Analysis: Our top MLB Total on the Friday card comes from Cleveland (our model sets this number going over 10). Peacock and Carrasco will yield plenty of opportunities for both teams (combined ERA over 9.5 with a total record of 5-10 on the season). Houston enters off an afternoon road shutout at Yankee Stadium, but their bats will come back alive tonight against a SP that has very little business being on a MLB roster (Astros 32 runs in previous five games before yesterday’s gem by Brandon McCarthy). Similar situation for the Tribe, who enter tonight off a silent afternoon road loss (1 run yesterday) after having scored 12 runs in the previous two games. BATS AWAKEN ON BOTH SIDES TONIGHT as we take advantage of a weak 8.5 number and put our investment on the over!

MLB Diamond Club Friday Inner Circle Side: SAN DIEGO PADRES (DESPAIGNE/COLLIMENTER) +105 over Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET)
Analysis: We isolate the Padres as our top underdog on the Friday MLB Card! We catch a very live dog coming into the desert tonight, swinging their best bats of the season (and the best offense in the National League since the ASB! In fact, they are the top hitting team in the NL and they are third in MLB in batting average (.267) during that time. Before getting their hearts broken last night vs Clayton Kershaw, the Pads had 68 hits and 35 runs in their previous 7 games! On the flip side, offense has disappeared for the DBacks, who have hit only .239 since the ASB (scoring ONLY 14 RUNS/45 HITS OVER THEIR LAST 7 GAMES). Paul Goldschmidt is out for the year, and the offense has responded in miserable fashion - we expect that to continue tonight! DBacks SP Josh Collimenter enters tonight with a 6.46 ERA in his last 3 starts. San Diego is 8-3 vs sub .500 teams since the ASB and enters off a very feisty series at Dodger Stadium. We move with complete confidence on San Diego as our top Friday Dog!

CFL Gridiron Club Friday Inner Circle Side: MONTREAL ALOUETTES +8/-120 over Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8:35 PM ET)
Analysis: Do not let the record differential in tonight’s game deceive you. Winnipeg escaped with a 34-33 victory at Montreal early this season, but the Blue Bombers were out gained by 105 yards. Winnipeg is also only 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 home games. Our model sets this number in the 3.5-4 range, and we will JUMP on what we judge to be a clear overlay/value spot with a live dog in Montreal. Be sure to play at +8 on the half point buy if necessary. We expect a continued run of success with our CFL plays in week 9. Take the points and expect the Alouettes to be more than ready for this one tonight!

NFLX Gridiron Club Friday Inner Circle Total: CAROLINA/NEW ENGLAND OVER 44/-130 (7:30 PM ET)
Analysis: Our model lays this total near 47.5/48, and in the third dress rehearsal, we expect to see the Patriots move the ball consistently in the first half. Cam Newton is expected to see extended playing time tonight as Carolina focuses on an underperforming offense through the first two games (ranked 24th in yards per play entering tonight). While the Panthers D has yielded only 20 (to a listless Bills squad) and 18 to a depleted Kansas City attack, we expect New England to post in excess of 27+ tonight with Brady leading the way (entering off the Pats 42 point showing last week vs Philadelphia). On the flip side, while the Panthers offense pails in comparison to Chip Kelly’s attack, take note that the New England defense has allowed a 2 game combined total of 57 POINTS entering tonight (23 of which came to a struggling Washington Redskins attack in the NFLX opener). Forced to predict tonight’s range, we look for New England (at home) to come out on top, somewhere in the 28-20 range. We are investing OVER 44 (on the buy), and targeting a first half in the 27/28 range.

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POWERPLAYWINS

Today's Power Plays Of The Day Are

1 Unit Detroit Lions -3 (NFL)
1 Unit Green Bay Packers -7 (NFL)
1 Unit Kansas City Royals -140 (Ventura)
1 Unit Seattle Seahawks -7 (NFL)
1 Unit L.A. Dodgers -130 (Haren)

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Tony the sports betting "Champ"

Today's system bet is:

Cincinnati {B} bet - This is an official MLB system bet that passes all the filters of the system!

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Jeff Clement

10* Washington

7* Atlanta/Cincinnati UNDER 7.5 (+101)

8* Milwaukee -140

7* Chicago Bears +7 (+105)

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SHAKER’S SHORTS

#910 Colorado Rockies Team Total OVER 4 -125

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BONES BEST BET

NATIONALS -1 -103 *4* BEST BET
10 in a row for Washington have to keep riding them while they are red hot. The Nationals are an incredible 14-4 in Fister’s starts this season, and he has allowed 0 ER in each of his past 3 starts (0.89 WHIP). Hudson has struggled for the Giants of late and owns a 6 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP over his last 3 starts.

RED SOX TT UNDER 3 -125 *2*
Just once since June 13th have the Mariners allowed more than 4 runs when King Felix takes the hill. The Red Sox offense has been non-existant of late scoring just 1.8 runs per game over their past 5 – not a good stat heading up against King Felix.

ANGELS ML +147 *2*
We’ve been riding these guys for awhile now and they continue to cash in. The Athletics Sonny Gray has had 3 consecutive starts not up to his standards as he is 0-3 over this stretch with a 6.48 ERA and owns an extremely high 1.92 WHIP. Angels starter, Hector Santiago has 2 starts against these A’s this season where he has pitched a total of 13 innings allowing just 1 run.

BREWERS ML -143 *3*
The Pirates are 11 games below .500 on the road and have lost 7 of 8 overall. The Brewers have been playing great baseball winning 5 of their last 6. Gallardo has given up 1 earned run or less in 4 of his last 5 starts. Locke has given up 4 runs or more in 3 of his last 5 starts. He has also struggled on the road with a 1.42 WHIP. The Brewers have also won 7 of the last 9 meetings this year.

ORIOLES ML -104 *4* [2:20 pm et]
Huh? Plus money on the Orioles today against a inferior Cubs team? Looks like a trap game here but we are ready to fall into it. Orioles have won four straight games and are 21 games above a .500 record. The Orioles offense has really been killing it, producing four or more runs in eight of their last 11 games. Kevin Gausman gets the nod, and he’s 7-4 with a 3.70 ERA. The opposite is holding true for the Cubs as they have produced three or less runs in 12 of their last 14 games. The Orioles are 5-1 in Gausman’s last 6 road starts and 4-1 in Gausman’s last 5 starts overall. Arrieta is nice for the Cubs here this afternoon but we don’t think it matters here, take the much better team at a great price.

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KLProdigyPicks

MLB

WASHINGTON NATIONALS ML
TAMPA BAY RAYS ML
SAN DIEGO PADRES ML
ATLANTA BRAVES ML

NFL Preseason

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -6

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Friday’s Week 3 NFL preseason primer

With the NFL preseason officially past the halfway mark, many teams will be giving their first-team offenses one final practice run before using the final game to evaluate existing positional battles. Here’s a look at Friday’s slate of games:

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots (-5.5, 44.5)

* Expect to see Panthers quarterback Cam Newton look for Kelvin Benjamin plenty against the Patriots, after the rookie wide receiver had two catches for 41 yards last week against Kansas City and nearly hauled in a long pass for a touchdown. Head coach Ron Rivera is reportedly expected to play the starters less than he did against the Chiefs.

* Patriots head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t share Rivera’s view on playing time heading into the third game of the preseaon; he’s expected to give Tom Brady and the rest of the starters at least one half of action, and likely more. Keep an eye on running back Steven Ridley, who fumbled last week and is on a short leash due to problems hanging on to the ball last season.

New York Giants at New York Jets (EVEN, 42.5)

* The Giants are a mess at left tackle going into the game, with starter Will Beatty expected to see just 20 snaps in his recovery from a broken leg and backups Charles Brown and James Brewer both expected to miss the game. It’s just the latest in a series of concerns for the Giants’ fledgling first-team offense, which has looked dreadful through the first three exhibition games.

* Word out of New York is that the quarterback competition between incumbent Geno Smith and newcomer Michael Vick remains close, meaning either player could make a convincing case for the starting job with a strong showing Friday. The Jets own a 24-20-1 advantage in the all-time preseason series between the teams, including a 24-21 overtime triumph a year ago.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions (-3, 44.5)

* The quarterback situation in Jacksonville remains up in the air, though rookie Blake Bortles has only had to face opponents’ second- and third-team defenses and will likely see more of the same in Detroit. The center position remains a major concern for the team, with Mike Brewster struggling and no one on the roster stepping up amid his stumbles.

* Superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson will finally make his preseason debut for the Lions after completing his recovery from offseason knee and finger surgeries. Detroit will also welcome back defensive end Ziggy Ansah, whose return from a shoulder injury should bolster a defensive line that has managed just one sack through the first two games.

Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers (-7, 43.5)

* Friday’s game marks the return to Green Bay of big-play receiver James Jones, who joined the Raiders in the offseason following seven seasons with the Packers. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson anticipates Matt Schaub and the rest of the first-team offense getting extensive work in Green Bay, playing at least the entire first half and likely a good portion of the third quarter.

* Green Bay’s first-team offense has been sensational through the first two preseason games, gaining 230 yards and 12 first downs while scoring 17 points in just 32 plays. Aaron Rodgers and Co. should feast on Oakland’s suspect first-team defense, which has allowed opposing quarterbacks to go 14-for-16 for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the first two games.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (-7, 45)

* The Bears are expected to show off new wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who signed with the team last weekend; it isn’t clear whether he’ll line up with the first-team offense or get his reps in the second half. Chris Williams will return to kick return duties after missing last week’s game against Jacksonville; a good showing Friday could land him the starting role for Week 1.

* The Seahawks are hoping to get a more extensive look at wide receiver Percy Harvin, who played just one snap in the first preseason game but had four catches on five targets for 31 yards against San Diego last week. – Safety Kam Chancellor is still recovering from offseason hip surgery, but is said to be close to 100 percent and may see action Friday.

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Arthur Ralph's
Super Pick Brewers w/ Gallardo -145
Trophy Plays NFL NE Pats -5, Oak Raiders + 7

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Gabriel DuPont

My 40 Dime Winner is the OVER in the preseason clash for the Snoopy Trophy, between the Giants and Jets. As I release this play at 10:30 am pacific, I see the line being 42.5 points.

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Scott Delaney

50 Dimer

My 50 Dime Winner for tonight is on the New England Patriots in their preseason clash with the Carolina Panthers. As I release this game at 12:30 p.m. eastern, I see the line on the game is Patriots -5.5.

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Brandon Lang

40 dimer

My 40 Dime selection is the Seahawks over the Bears The current line on this game is -7 in Vegas and offshore. Be sure to shop around for the best line available.

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JEFF BENTON

50 DIMER

50 Dime winner going out for this Friday is the Over between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots. At 8:00 am eastern time, the total stands at 45 1/2 points both in Vegas and offshore.

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Anthony Redd

50 dimer

50 Dime selection on the Carolina Panthers against the New England Patriots. As I release this play at 5:45am Pacific here in Vegas, the line on the Panthers is +5 1/2 in Vegas and offshore.

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Brad Wilton

50 dimer

Friday winner is a 50 Dime release on the Atlanta Braves with Minor over the Cincinnati Reds with Latos. At 6:00 am Vegas time, the Braves are +105. Keep in mind, both listed pitchers must start, or no action on this release.

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TRACE ADAMS

1000 STAR

For Friday, Top-Rated 1000♦ is the Miami Marlins with Alvarez over the Colorado Rockies with Morales. At 9:30 am eastern time, the Marlins are -135 both in Vegas and offshore. Both pitchers must start, or NO action on this release.

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CRAIG DAVIS

50 DIMER

50 Dime Winner for Friday is Chicago Bears plus the points at the Seattle Seahawks. At 10:00 am eastern time, the Bears are +7 point dogs in Vegas and offshore. Special Note: If your line is +7 or +6 1/2, I want you to buy the half-point up on the Bears.

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SEAN MICHAELS

100 DIMER

100 dime release on Detroit in the first half at home against Jacksonville. The first half line is Lions -3 as of 12:30 PM my time Friday afternoon here in Vegas.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dan The Man


Your Friday winner is a 40 Dime Play on the Carolina Panthers plus the points at the New England Patriots.


At 4:30 am Vegas time, the Panthers are +5 1/2 point underdogs. As always, shop around to make sure you get the best price possible.

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David Banks

Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers

This would probably be considered a mismatch if it were a regular season
game, but it is still Week 3 of the 2014 NFL preseason when the Oakland
Raiders (1-1, 0-2 ATS) visit the Green Bay Packers (1-1, 1-1 ATS) at historic
Lambeau Field Friday night at 8:00 ET on CBS. Not much is expected from the
Raiders this season, but even though they failed to cover the spread last week,
they did rally back from a couple of 13-point deficits for a thrilling 27-26
win at home over the Detroit Lions on a touchdown pass by Matt McGloin with
six seconds left. The Packers are favored to win the NFC Central this year
and they also come off of their first win of this preseason, in their case a
covering 21-7 win over the Rams in St. Louis.

With this being the third week of preseason, this is the week that most
teams play their starters for at least one full half. In the Raiders case
though, they have several positional battles going on, including the offensive
skill positions of running back and wide receiver. Free agent signee Maurice
Jones-Drew is trying to hold off incumbent Darren McFadden, who for the time
being is the healthiest he has been in several years after participating in
the Oakland off-season workout program for the first time, for the starting
running back spot, while Rod Streater is the only wide receiver that appears
"safe" in a starting role with as many as four other receivers all battling
to determine their playing times and rotations. That means that it would
not at all be surprising to see the Oakland starters play into the third
quarter and the Raiders can be expected to give a spirited performance with jobs
on the line. Also quarterback Matt Schaub can now be expected to relax as
the Raiders officially named him the Week 1 starter for the regular season. He
should get extended reps with first round draft pick Derek Carr having
mop-up duty for this game.

Now obviously the Green Bay starters are the more talented group here, but
the Packers have more of a veteran corps besides second-year running back
Eddie Lacy and the only starting positional battle they may have is at tight
end. Thus do not expect the Packer starters to play with any sense of urgency
while getting their work in, and unlike the Raiders, the first half could
be the last you see of the Green Bay starters unless Coach Mike McCarthy
possibly gives them one series in the third quarter, although that hardly seems
necessary with a veteran team. And Aaron Rodgers could be an exception in
that he may not play much more than one quarter. That is because there is
still a close battle going on for the Green Bay back-up quarterback job between
Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien, which is further incentive to get Aaron
Rodgers out of there as soon as he has gotten his sufficient work in to better
evaluate the back-up situation.

The Packers are currently rather large seven-point favorites for this
contest, and all preseason favorites or -7 or more are just 9-17, 34.6 percent
ATS since 2001! PICK: OAKLAND RAIDERS+7

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MADDUX SPORTS

10* Colorado +120
10* NY Mets +120

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Ultra Sports

NFLX

CAROLINA +6.5

Chicago +7.5

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Dr. Ed Meyer | MLB Money Line

dime bet - 913 NYM (+126) vs 914 LOS

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Teddy Covers

10* NYG

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Sheep

All 1000 units

TB/TOR OVER 8* Op.Or.
SEA/BOS OVER 7
SEA/BOS OVER 3.5 F5
CWS +0.5 F5
NEW ENGLAND -6

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Steve Fezzik

NFL

2 units Jets

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Chris James Sports

7-0 last 7

Royals -131
Marlins -130
Angels +140

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BigBaseballBets

8/22
Brewers under 8.5
Mariners over 7.5
Giants +135
reds -107

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Sports Cash System

extra bonus system for today:

Miami Marlins -131 over the Colorado Rockies (Bet Level 2) (Money Line Bet) (MLB Baseball) - Game Starts at 8:40 PM EST

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Trev Rogers

San Diego/ Arizona OVER 8.5 (+103)

Detroit/ Minnesota OVER 9 (-110)

Kansas City/ Texas OVER 8.5 (-120)

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OC Dooley

2 Units Twins +100

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Pat Hawkins

Carolina

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Anthony Michael

Chicago Bears +7

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MLB Odds and Picks
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews

LAS VEGAS -- In the next 10 days, we’re going to find out just how tough the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A’s really are as the teams with the two best records in baseball square off for seven games. It all starts tonight at Oakland for a three-game set with the A's Sonny Gray as a -152 favorite against the Halos' Hector Santiago.

The Angels currently have a two-game lead on Oakland in the AL West after chasing them earlier this summer when the A’s were mowing through both leagues with little resistance. The Angels were waiting for that moment when the A’s might experience a little hiccup, and when it happened, L.A. took full advantage of the opportunity.

Surprisingly, that moment came when the A’s made the deadline trade to better themselves by acquiring big-game starter Jon Lester from Boston in exchange for slugger Yoenis Cespedes. That gave Oakland one of the best starting rotations in baseball. How in the world could the Angels hang around after that?

Since the trade, the A’s have gone 8-11 and have been held to three runs or less in 13 of those games. They’re currently on a run of losing eight of their last 10 while the vaunted rotation has had a lousy 5.08 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Angels have put together a great run by going 12-7 since the A’s trade, including winning eight of their last nine games. They had some terrible news when Garrett Richards went down with a season-ending knee injury Wednesday night. Losing their best pitcher could be a moment for lapse by the Angels -- especially when his replacement, Wade LeBlanc, takes the mound Monday vs. Miami.

Could it be that maybe the injury will serve as some kind of battle cry, where every player on the team knows they have to take their game to another level to make up for the huge loss of Richards?

The two teams haven’t met since early June, when the Angels took two of three at home, but overall the A’s have won six of nine. Oakland swept the Angels in the only three-game set played at the Coliseum in May.

The A’s are -175 favorites to win the series, and while the numbers add up because of the pitching matchups, it doesn’t really make sense because of how differently these two are playing. The Angels are doing everything right, despite not hitting the ball well (Mike Trout is hitting .158 in his last 14 games). Meanwhile, the A's are feeling immense pressure of failing now that they're considered an elite team for the first time since the early 90s.

By the way, Trout has hit .357 with six homers and 16 RBIs in his last 10 games at Oakland. The Angels are 12-7 on Fridays this season and 55-33 (+15 units) against righthanders, but are only 26-30 when playing against winning teams.

Santiago has pitched well in his last eight starts, but hasn’t gotten a lot of run support. Gray has lost his last four starts, while posting a 4.94 ERA. Let’s go with the Angels at +142 to get the win tonight, and while we're at it, we might as well take the series at +155.

Let’s take a look at the weekend pitching matchups:

Friday: Hector Santiago (3-7) vs. Sonny Gray (12-7) 10:05 p.m. (ET)
Saturday: C.J. Wilson (10-8) vs. Jon Lester (13-8) 9:05 p.m.
Sunday: Jared Weaver (13-7) vs. Scott Kazmir (14-5) 8:05 p.m.

Friday's picks:

Angels (Santiago) +142 at A's
Giants/Nationals UNDER 7 (+105)
Royals (Yordano Ventura) -138 at Rangers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Blue Jays are 10-0 since May 15, 2014 when their starter went less than four innings in his last start for a net profit of $1044.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

When Yovani Gallardo starts the Brewers are 16-0 since June 24, 2010 as a 140+ favorite after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1600.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

The Dodgers are 25-6 since June 27, 2013 as a 130+ favorite it is the first game of the series. 11-6 this season.

CHOICE TREND:

The Astros are 0-19 since July 31, 2011 as a road 140+ dog after a loss in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $1900 when playing against.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

When Kevin Gausman starts the Orioles are 10-1 since June 13, 2013 vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $1101.

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Diamond Dog

NFLX

#253/254: Jaguars/Lions: Over 44.5 (-110) (2*)

MLB

#922: Red Sox: +175 (2.5*)
Listed Pitchers: Hernandez/Kelly

#924: Rangers: +135 (2*)
Listed Pitchers: Ventura/Lewis

#927/928: Angels/Athletics: Over 7.5 (-105) (4*)
Listed Pitchers: Santiago/Gray

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Locksmith Sports

NFL:
New York Jets -1 -110 2*

MLB:
New York Mets +119 1*

Philadelphia +145 1*

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Allen Eastman
7* Dodgers

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EXECUTIVE

PRE-SEASON

150 Jacksonville

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Primetime Sports Picks For 08/22/14


5 Unit --> Cincinnati (Latos) -125 over Atlanta (Minor)
3 Unit --> Seattle (Hernandez)/Boston (Kelly) OVER 7
3 Unit --> Jacksonville/Detroit UNDER 44.5 (NFL)

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BLACKSHEEP ‏

Medium Margin Moves

Over 43 – NYG vs NYJ
Under 9 – KC vs TEX
Atlanta Braves RL+1 1/2

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VEGAS RUNNER

Confirmed TRUE Steam Moves

MLB LAA +140, SEA -175, & ATL -105

NFLX DET -3 & NYJ -1.5

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WAYNE ROOT

MILLIONAIRE NFLX
oakland

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Mike Davis

Padres 7 unit

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Doc 7* Mia MLB

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Mike Neri Sports – Late Service

NFLX
3* 256 New England -6 7:30 EST
3* 258 NY Jets -1.5 7:30 EST

MLB
914 LA Dodgers w/Haren -130 10:10 EST – Risk 1 Unit to make .77 Units

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LT LOCK


Jacksonville +3

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Kyle Hunter
MLB
Detroit

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SPORTS INSURANCE ADJUSTERS
MLB




5***** St. Louis RL -1.5 Even




Seattle RL -1.5 -110




Kansas City RL -1.5 +115

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Exodus to Black

MLB
Colorado+115

NFL
New England-6

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tom law
under padres