9-17-13

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

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

Lookahead spot

The Cleveland Browns may be one of the few teams in the NFL the Minnesota Vikings can overlook after starting the season 0-2. The Vikings, who are 4.5-point favorites hosting the Browns in Week 3, could be busy planning and packing for their trip to “Jolly Ole” England to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4.

While team arrangements are handled by the front office, plenty of players will be more than distracted this week, lining up tickets and travel plans for friends and family or making sure things are sorted out at home before jumping the pond. Don’t think this off-field business distracts from on-field play? The last 12 teams to play in London (2007-2012) are a combined 5-7 SU and 4-8 ATS in the week previous to making the trip to England.

Letdown spot

The wheels have fallen off the “Johnny Football” hype wagon after the Texas A&M Aggies’ 49-42 loss to Alabama Saturday. The Aggies hung tough with the Crimson Tide, but couldn’t pull off the comeback in the end. This game was the "be-all and end-all" for the Aggies’ BCS title hopes, leaving them seriously deflated – like their BCS odds (20-1 to 100-1) – for Week 4’s date with SMU.

The Mustangs attempt to kick their state rivals while they’re down Saturday, opening as 28.5-point underdogs. SMU QB Garrett Gilbert is no stranger to Texas A&M, having faced the Aggies during his time at Texas and won't be overwhelmed by a BCS opponent. The Mustangs have the big-play ability to keep this one closer than the spread indicates, averaging 352.5 passing yards and facing an Aggies defense with some looming question marks.

Schedule spot

The opening leg of the Champions League slate makes for a busy week for many of Europe’s top soccer clubs. Not only will teams take the field Tuesday and Wednesday, but must turn around for respective league games on the weekend. The Arsenal Gunners have perhaps the toughest schedule this week.

Arsenal drew what many have dubbed the “Group of Death” for the Champions League and faces the feisty French club Marseille Wednesday (+140 to win). The Gunners are limping into this match with Olivier Giroud hurting and Santi Cazorla out of action. Following Wednesday, Arsenal is back on the pitch at Stoke Sunday. Stoke is picking up steam after a win over West Ham and a 0-0 draw with Manchester City.

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Tuesday's Champions League cheat sheet

The Champions League group stage begins Tuesday and all eyes of Manchester United fans will be on David Moyes as the new Red Devils boss makes his CL group stage debut against some stiff competition. United face a tricky group that features Leverkusen, Real Sociedad and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Manchester United v Bayer Leverkusen (-138, +275, +450)

Why bet United: The Red Devils are coming off a Premier League victory over Crystal Palace, but a draw and a loss preceded the win. The early start to the season may not be up to snuff for some United supporters, but the club is still finding its feet under Moyes. Wayne Rooney should be good to go against the German side as he put in a full 90 minutes versus Palace. United has performed well against Leverkusen in CL, winning two and drawing two in the last four meetings.

Key players out/doubtful: Darren Fletcher, Rafael, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones

Why bet Leverkusen: Manager Sami Hyypia knows the English game well having plied his trade at Liverpool for many years. He has his Leverkusen side in sparkling form as they sit third in a very tough Bundesliga having won four of the opening five matches. The club may have lost Andre Schürrle to Chelsea in the transfer window but still feature goalscoring threats Stefan Kießling and Sidney Sam. Also in the side is the newly acquired Son Heung-Min (formerly of Hamburg) who is a very talented and tricky player on the ball.

Key players out/doubtful: Lars Bender, Niklas Lomb, Dominik Kohr

Key betting note: There have been over 2.5 goals in five of Leverkusen's previous six matches in Champions League.

Galatasaray v Real Madrid (+550, +320, -175)

Why bet Galatasaray: The Turkish side could very well be hosting Real at just the right time. Madrid are a banged-up side with defensive woes and is coming off a draw against Villareal in La Liga. It is tough for any club, large or small, to come out of Istanbul with a positive result of any kind. Madrid can attest to that having lost there 3-2 in last season's Champions League.

Key players out/doubtful: Hamit Altintop

Why bet Madrid: With all of the above said, these are Los Merengues after all. Any side that boasts an attack featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco, Karim Benzema and fancy new-signing Gareth Bale (who scored on his debut) is going to cause havoc for any back four. They have three wins and the one draw in their first four matches in La Liga but there could be some concern over the fitness of Bale. Fear not if the Welsh star does not start, however. They have Argentine dynamo Angel Di Maria just in case.

Key players out/doubtful: Xabi Alonso, Raphael Varane, Álvaro Arbeloa, Marcelo, Fábio Coentrão

Key betting note: Madrid and Galatasaray have scored over the 2.5 goal total in their last five meetings in all competitions.

Tuesday's other matches with odds:

Real Sociedad v Shakhtar Donetsk (+138, +230, +230)
FC Copenhagen v Juventus (+900, +375, -250)
Bayern Munich v CSKA Moscow (-550, +700, +1800)
Viktoria Plzen v Manchester City (+475, +280, -143)
Olympiakos v PSG (+300, +240, +110)
Benfica v Anderlecht (-200, +350, +650)

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NFL odds: Week 3 opening line report
By JASON LOGAN

Oddsmakers are spreading it on thick in Week 3 of the NFL season, thanks to some lopsided matchups on schedule.

The NFL’s top two teams – Denver and Seattle – take on two of its worst – Oakland and Jacksonville – forcing oddsmakers to pile on the points. The Broncos opened as high as -16.5 hosting the Raiders Monday night while the Seahawks are as high as -20 welcoming the Jaguars to CenturyLink Field Sunday.

“These numbers are made to keep the games equal,” Peter Korner, founder of the Nevada-based service The Sports Club, tells Covers. “You treat them just like any other game on the schedule. They just are what they are.”

Double-digit spreads are rare in the parity of the NFL, and two-touchdown chalk is like finding two prizes inside a box of cereal. But getting an NFL spread in the 20-point range is like seeing Big Foot riding a Unicorn through the Lost City of Atlantis. It’s pretty rare.

The 2011 Indianapolis Colts were 20.5-point underdogs visiting the New England Patriots in Week 13 of that season. The Manning-less Colts put up a good fight, losing 31-24 with QB Dan Orlovsky at the helm.

“At this level of points, it will reduce some of the money on this game because people won’t want to get involved,” says Korner, who originally sent out Jacksonville as a suggested 16-point underdog. “I think people will take Jacksonville on a flyer and hope they get a touchdown or two.”

As for the Oakland-Denver matchup, early action has actually taken this spread down a bit, dropping the line from Broncos -16.5 to -14 as of Monday morning. Denver has been impressive in its first two wins, blowing out the Ravens and Giants, while Oakland narrowly lost to the Colts in Week 1 and defeated the Jaguars this past Sunday.

“We’re sending this out trying to overcompensate for the favorite,” says Korner, who sent out a suggested line of Denver 16. “What has Denver done to make us think they won’t play Oakland any different? They’ve done everything right and have clobbered their first two opponents. What’s not to like about Denver.”

“I don’t know how this made it to a Monday Night Football game,” he says. “An old rivalry like this isn’t going to attract people with the way things are going. But having a pointspread on a game like this will attract people. Even if it is this big.”

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 50)

The return of the Walrus - goo goo g'joob - headlines the Thursday nighter, with new Chiefs coach Andy Reid coming back to Philadelphia.

Korner says that while the Eagles are running a different offense and defense, Reid still knows their players better than any coach in the league. He had his oddsmakers suggesting this spread as low as Philadelphia -1.5 before sending out Eagles -3.

“You have to figure Kansas City has the edge,” he says. “There is an incentive for Kansas City’s players to play for their coach. That’s worth more than the Eagles playing against one man. The Chiefs look strong and have a great shot of winning this game. They're something new and more of a mystery to Philadelphia. I don’t see it going to -3.5.”

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins (-1, 44)

Oddsmakers are buying into Miami’s 2-0 start to the season, making them home favorites against the Falcons Sunday. The Dolphins knocked off Indianapolis on the road in Week 2 and Korner admits he wasn’t giving Miami much credit to start the season.

“We had it around -2.5 for Miami,” he says. “Atlanta is a capable team but they match up well against each other. You’re basically looking at home-field advantage with this one. (The Dolphins) kind of snuck up on me. My thoughts are much different now.”

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NFL Top 6: Big futures moves entering Week 3

With two weeks of the NFL season in the books, several teams have seen their odds of winning the Super Bowl altered dramatically. A fast start for a handful of teams has improved their forecast, while others who have opened poorly are now longer odds to win it all.

Here are six teams whose title odds have changed the most (odds courtesy Las Vegas' LVH Superbook):

Moving up the board

Miami Dolphins (Week 1: 40-1; Week 2: 30-1; Week 3: 20-1)

Miami has opened the season with back-to-back road victories over Cleveland and Indianapolis, thanks in large part to the exploits of second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Texas A&M product has thrown for 591 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing better than 65 percent of his attempts. With Brian Hartline and Charles Clay joining Mike Wallace as part of a versatile vertical attack, expect the Dolphins' improved offense to get even better.

The Dolphins are early one-point favorites for Sunday's home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

Kansas City Chiefs (Week 1: 50-1; Week 2: 40-1; Week 3: 25-1)

Hail indeed! The Chiefs are easily the most surprising success story after two weeks, already matching their win total from all of last season. Opening against the sad-sack Jacksonville Jaguars certainly helps - but Kansas City built off the momentum of that 28-2 drubbing to stifle the Dallas Cowboys en route to a 17-16 triumph. Stout defense has been the biggest factor, with the Chiefs entering Monday second in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed per game (54).

Kansas City is listed as a three-point underdog for its Thursday night showdown in Philadelphia.

Oakland Raiders (Week 1: 500-1; Week 2: 300-1; Week 3: 200-1)

The Raiders aren't suddenly Super Bowl contenders - their odds are still among the worst in the league - but back-to-back strong games have provided hope for a respectable season. Like the Chiefs, Oakland benefited from playing the Jaguars in Week 2, but looked just as strong in a narrow loss to Indianapolis the week before. Running back Darren McFadden and QB Terrelle Pryor key a rush attack averaging a league-best 198.5 yards per game.

Oakland has a major challenge Monday night, sitting as 14.5-point underdogs against Peyton Manning and the host Denver Broncos.


Moving down the board

Minnesota Vikings (Week 1: 60-1; Week 2: 100-1; Week 3: 200-1)

A year ago, Adrian Peterson's near-record rushing performance and a passable defense was enough to carry the Vikings into the post-season. Through two games in 2013, Peterson is holding up his end of the bargain - but the defense isn't close to doing the same. The Vikings have surrendered 65 points in consecutive losses to Detroit and Chicago, getting gashed both on the ground (26th in yards allowed per game) and through the air (25th).

The Vikings are presently five-point favorites for Sunday's tilt with the visiting Cleveland Browns.

Dallas Cowboys (Week 1: 20-1; Week 2: 25-1; Week 3: 40-1)

It wouldn't be an NFL season without turmoil in the Lone Star State. The Cowboys did just enough to escape with a Week 1 win over the New York Giants, then laid an egg against the team with the worst record in the league a season ago. Tony Romo has been just ordinary at quarterback, but that hasn't been the issue; the Cowboys can't run the ball (27th in yards per game) and are having problems against opposing QBs (24th in passing yards allowed per game).

Dallas has been installed as a four-point favorite for Sunday's showdown with the visiting St. Louis Rams.

Washington Redskins (Week 1: 30-1; Week 2: 40-1; Week 3: 50-1)

As Robert Griffin III goes, so go the Redskins' title chances - and aside from some garbage time in a Week 2 loss to Green Bay, RGIII has been stuck in neutral. He has already thrown five interceptions - just two fewer than he had all of last season - and has only nine carries for 25 yards after piling up 815 rushing yards in his rookie season. The Washington defense has also been to blame, surrendering 71 points in losses to the Eagles and Packers.

Washington is listed as a one-point favorite for Sunday's home game against the Detroit Lions.

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SDL SPORTS

5* Pirates
3* Phillies
3* Brewers

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LA Syndicate Top Plays

Mets +115
Diamondbacks/Dodgers Under 8
Rays/Rangers Over 8.5

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Roark is 2-0, 1.50 in two starts this season. Garcia allowed one run in six IP in his first '13 start.
-- Petit is 3-0, 2.36 in four starts. Wheeler is 3-3, 2.66 in his last seven.
-- Estrada is 1-0, 2.18 in his last three starts.
-- Kelly is 5-1, 2.31 in his last six starts.
-- Greinke is 6-0, 1.44 in his last eight starts. Corbin is 1-1, 2.51 in his last couple starts.

-- Leake is 2-0, 1.35 in his last couple starts. Lyles is 3-1, 3.58 in his last five.

-- Pettitte is 3-0, 2.84 in his last six starts. Dickey is 3-0, 3.81 in his last four.
-- Sanchez is 7-0, 2.53 in his last ten starts. Feldman is 3-1, 1.78 in his last five.
-- Hellickson is 1-0, 2.53 in his last couple starts.
-- Quintana has a 2.78 RA in his last four starts.
-- Kluber is 2-0, 2.08 in his last three starts.
-- Gray is 2-1, 2.29 in his last three starts. Richards is 3-0, 2.89 in his last three.

Cold pitchers
-- Haren is 1-2, 7.71 in his last four starts. Minor is 0-2, 4.95 in his last three.
-- Flynn allowed nine runs in eight IP in two MLB starts. Halladay has a 5.48 RA in four starts since coming off the DL.
-- Stults is 0-6, 6.33 in his last ten starts. Locke is 1-2, 7.71 in his last five.
-- Samardzija is 0-1, 8.66 in his last three starts.
-- Nicasio is 1-1, 5.06 in his last three starts.

-- Maurer is 0-5, 9.45 in his last six starts.
-- Dempster has a 6.05 RA in his last seven starts.
-- Tepesch is 1-2, 7.49 in his last seven starts.
-- Pelfrey is 0-2, 13.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Ventura is making MLB debut; he was

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Flynn 0-2; Halladay 7-11 (6 of last 6)
-- Garcia 0-1 Minor 11-29 (5 of last 10); Roark 1-2 Haren 6-27
-- Stults 9-30 (0 of last 4); Locke 6-28
-- Petit 1-4; Wheeler 5-16 (1 of last 9)
-- Samardzija 7-30 (1 of last 11); Estrada 4-18 (1 of last 6)
-- Kelly 1-13; Nicasio 12-28 (4 of last 6)
-- Greinke 8-25; Corbin 6-29 (1 of last 7)

-- Leake 7-29; Lyles 7-21

-- Maurer 4-11 (1 of last 5); Sanchez 9-26 (4 of last 6)
-- Pettitte 10-27 (0 of last 6); Dickey 7-31 (1 of last 11)
-- Feldman 8-27 (3 of last 4); Dempster 8-27 (1 of last 8)
-- Tepesch 3-18; Hellickson 11-29 (3 of last 5)
-- Pelfrey 11-27 (4 of last 7); Quintana 11-30 (3 of last 6)
-- Kluber 3-21 (0 of last 7); Ventura 0-0
-- Richards 5-14 (4 of last 4); Gray 3-7

Totals
-- Five of last six Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Met games stayed under the total.
-- 10 of last 11 Atlanta games stayed under the total; 11 of last 15 Washington games went over..
-- Seven of last ten San Diego games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Colorado games.
-- Five of last seven Arizona games went over the total.

-- Seven of last ten Houston games stayed under the total.

-- Seven of last nine Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Bronx games.
-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Baltimore games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Tepesch starts.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Cleveland games.
-- 11 of last 15 Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Angel games.

Hot teams
-- Phillies won seven of their last ten games.
-- Washington won ten of its last twelve games.
-- Giants won six of their last eight games. Mets won three of last four.
-- Pirates won six of their last eight games. San Diego won seven of last ten.
-- Brewers won four of their last five games.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last ten games.
-- Diamondbacks won four of their last five games.

-- Reds are 9-5 in their last fourteen games.

-- Detroit won five of its last six games.
-- Red Sox won eight of their last ten games.
-- Tampa Bay won four of its last five games.
-- Kansas City won eight of its last ten home games. Indians won nine of their last thirteen games overall.
-- A's won eight of their last ten games; Angels won nine of last twelve.

Cold teams
-- Miami lost nine of its last eleven games.
-- Braves lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Cubs are 11-23 in their last 34 games.
-- Colorado lost nine of its last thirteen games.
-- Dodgers lost nine of their last eleven games.

-- Houston lost nine of its last eleven home games.

-- Mariners lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Blue Jays lost five of their last six games. Bronx lost last three games, allowing 22 runs.
-- Orioles lost four of their last six games.
-- Texas lost 10 of its last 11 games.
-- Twins lost nine of their last twelve games; White Sox lost 15 of last 18.

Umpires
-- Mia-Phil-- Four of last five Eddings games went over the total.
-- SD-Pitt-- Home teams won five of last six Everitt games.
-- Chi-Mil-- Over is 12-3-1 in last sixteen Kellogg games.
-- StL-Col-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Barksdale games.
-- LA-Az-- Road team won last eight Drake games; six of his last nine games stayed under the total.

-- Cin-Hst-- Seven of last ten Hudson games went over the total.

-- Sea-Det-- Nine of last eleven Hallion games stayed under total.
-- Tex-TB-- Home team won six of last seven Gonzalez games.
-- Min-Chi-- Five of last six TBarrett games stayed under total.
-- Cle-KC-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Culbreth games.
-- LA-A's-- Six of last eight Darling games went over the total.

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bookiemonsters

146-98-2 run

22-15-3 run last 40 plays

pod orioles game under 9.5

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Baseball Crusher
San Francisco Giants -118 over NY Mets
(System Record: 78-7, lost last game)
Overall Record: 78-87-2

Soccer Crusher
America Mineiro + Icasa OVER 2.5
This match is happening in Brazil
(System Record: 455-15, lost last game)
Overall Record: 455-394-61

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Tuesday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Tuesday's American League games:

New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays (-107, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Blue Jays right-hander R.A. Dickey is 3-0 in his last four starts, including a 6 1/3-inning gem in a 5-2 win over the Yankees on Aug. 26.

Hot batting stat: New York OF Alfonso Soriano is 4-for-12 with a pair of homers and six RBIs in his career against Dickey.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 15-3 in Toronto's last 18 games against a division foe.


Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers (-270, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Brandon Maurer is 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA and seven home runs allowed in 32 2/3 road innings as a rookie.

Cold batting stat: Seattle 1B Justin Smoak is hitless with three strikeouts in six all-time at-bats versus Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with clear skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: Detroit is 7-0 in Sanchez's last seven starts on five days' rest.


Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (-140, 9.5)

Cold pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Scott Feldman was lit up in his previous start against Boston, allowing four runs on six hits over five innings en route to a 7-3 loss back on July 27.

Cold batting stat: Baltimore slugger Chris Davis has just two hits, including a homer, with six strikeouts in 11 at-bats against Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with clear skies. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: Boston is 9-1 in Dempster's last 10 starts.


Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays (-140, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson has won just one of his last eight starts, giving up four or more runs four times in that span.

Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 4-for-6 with one home run in his career against Rangers starter Alexi Ogando.

Weather: Dome.

Key betting note: The under is 13-2-2 in Hellickson's last 17 starts against the American League West.


Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals (-123, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Indians right-hander Corey Kluber was sensational in his previous start against the Royals, limiting them to three hits while fanning eight over 7 2/3 innings of a 3-0 victory.

Cold batting stat: Kansas City 1B Eric Hosmer and DH Billy Butler are a combined 2-for-24 with eight strikeouts against Kluber.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with a 65 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow out to left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-1 in Kluber's last six road starts against teams with winning records.


Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox (-130, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey has dropped back-to-back decisions, surrendering 13 runs over nine innings in that span.

Hot batting stat: White Sox 1B Paul Konerko is 5-for-8 with a double and two RBIs against Pelfrey.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: Minnesota is 3-13 in Pelfrey's last 16 starts as an underdog.


Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics (OFF, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray is 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA and 30 strikeouts in four road starts.

Cold batting stat: The six active Angels hitters who have faced Gray are a collective 0-for-6 against him.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s under clear skies. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: The over is 7-1-1 in the Angels' last nine Tuesday games.


Interleague

Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros (-156, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Reds right-hander Mike Leake is 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA and just six home runs allowed in 94 road innings this season.

Hot batting stat: Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto has five hits, including two doubles and a homer, in seven at-bats against Astros starter Jordan Lyles.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Houston is 4-24 in Lyles' last 28 starts against teams with winning records.


** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 11:43 p.m. ET Monday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tuesday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Tuesday's National League games:

Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (Game 1) (OFF, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Dan Haren is coming off one of his best outings of the season, allowing one hit over six shutout innings en route to a 3-0 triumph over the New York Mets.

Hot batting stat: Washington C Wilson Ramos has dominated the all-time matchup with Atlanta starter Mike Minor, going 6-for-8 with a homer against him.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Atlanta is 12-2 in Minor's last 14 starts against teams with winning records.


Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies (-163, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay has a 5.06 ERA and 14:14 walk-to-strikeout ratio in four starts since coming off the disabled list.

Hot batting stat: Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton is 7-for-22 with a pair of home runs in his career against Halladay.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with clear skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The Phillies are 9-1 in their last 10 games as a favorite.


San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates (-170, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Pirates lefty Jeff Locke allowed a run on three hits over seven innings in his last start, a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Hot/Cold batting stat: Pittsburgh OF Marlon Byrd is 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI all-time versus Padres starter Eric Stults.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Padres are 1-7 in Stults' last eight road starts.


Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (Game 2) (-125, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Nationals rookie right-hander Tanner Roark threw four scoreless innings in his only previous meeting with Atlanta, allowing one hit while striking out six.

Hot/Cold batting stat: Nationals OF Denard Span is just 2-for-18 in his career against Braves right-hander Freddy Garcia.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: Washington has won five consecutive Tuesday games.


San Francisco Giants at New York Mets (+111, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler is 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA in seven home starts in 2013.

Cold batting stat: Members of the San Francisco roster are just 2-for-19 with five strikeouts against Wheeler.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with clear skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: New York is 3-13 in its previous 16 games following an off-day.


Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers (-135, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija is 3-3 with a 5.09 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break.

Hot batting stat: Chicago SS Starlin Castro is hitting 6-for-15 with two doubles and a triple against Brewers starter Marco Estrada.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Milwaukee is 13-3 in Estrada's last 16 starts versus a division foe.


St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies (+123, 10)

Hot pitching stat: Cardinals right-hander Joe Kelly is 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA in five starts and 12 relief appearances on the road.

Cold batting stat: Members of the Colorado roster are a collective .222 with six strikeouts in 18 at-bats against Colorado starter Juan Nicasio.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: The Rockies are 2-10 in their last 12 Tuesday games.


Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks (-110, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke is 6-1 with a 1.90 ERA and .217 opposition batting average in 11 second-half starts

Cold batting stat: Los Angeles OF Andre Ethier has just one hit and five strikeouts in 11 all-time at-bats against Arizona starter Patrick Corbin.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s under clear skies. Wind will be calm.

Key betting note: The under is 8-1-1 in Corbin's last 10 games against teams with winning records.


** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 11:47 p.m. ET Monday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

NY Yankees at Toronto

The Yankees look to build on their 6-2 record in Andy Pettitte's last 8 road starts against the Blue Jays. New York is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Yankees favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Garcia) 15.442; Washington (Roark) 14.398 Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Washington (-125); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+105); Over

Game 953-954: Miami at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Flynn) 13.167; Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.215 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 2; 7 Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-170); 8 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-170); Under

Game 955-956: San Diego at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 14.553; Pittsburgh (Locke) 15.988 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-170); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-170); Over

Game 957-958: San Francisco at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Petit) 14.597; NY Mets (Wheeler) 15.578 Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 6 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 7 Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+105); Under

Game 959-960: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Samardzija) 15.566; Milwaukee (Estrada) 14.656 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 7 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); Under

Game 961-962: St. Louis at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Kelly) 15.896; Colorado (Nicasio) 14.306 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 11 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 10 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-140); Over

Game 963-964: LA Dodgers at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Greinke) 15.316; Arizona (Corbin) 14.437 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Arizona (-120); 8 Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+100); Over

Game 965-966: Seattle at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Maurer) 13.753; Detroit (Sanchez) 16.106 Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Detroit (-270); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-270); Under

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.705; Toronto (Dickey) 14.827 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 10 Vegas Line: Toronto (-120); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+100); Over

Game 969-970: Baltimore at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Feldman) 15.319; Boston (Dempster) 17.788 Dunkel Line: Boston by 2 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Boston (-140); Under

Game 971-972: Texas at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ogando) 13.836; Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 15.604 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2; 9 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-140); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-140); Over

Game 973-974: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pelfrey) 14.813; White Sox (Quintana) 13.914 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-140); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+120); Under

Game 975-976: Cleveland at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Kluber) 16.933; Kansas City (Ventura) 15.727 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Kansas City (-125); 8 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+105); Over

Game 977-978: LA Angels at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Richards) 15.056; Oakland (Gray) 16.733 Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 979-980: Cincinnati at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 15.935; Houston (Lyles) 14.390 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-170); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-170); Over

Game 981-982: Atlanta at Washington (1:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 15.717; Washington (Haren) 14.888 Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Free Plays are 1097-825(57% +)over the last 5 1/2 years !

Free winner TUES Red Sox -140

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Gamblers Data

Free Plays Tuesday

LA Dodgers -105

Brewers -140