6-26-14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Woods returns to action Thursday in Maryland
By: Freddy Wander - StatFox


Quicken Loans National
Tees Off: Thursday, June 26th
Congressional Country Club – Bethesda, MD

Odds to Win Tournament

Golfer Odds

Tiger Woods 10-to-1
Jason Day 25-to-2
Jordan Spieth 14-to-1
Justin Rose 15-to-1
Keegan Bradley 22-to-1
Brandt Snedeker 25-to-1
Bill Haas 30-to-1
Jason Dufner 30-to-1
K.J. Choi 30-to-1
Gary Woodland 30-to-1
Webb Simpson 30-to-1
Brendon Todd 35-to-1
Billy Horschel 40-to-1
Hunter Mahan 45-to-1
Marc Leishman 45-to-1
Ryan Palmer 50-to-1
J.B. Holmes 55-to-1
Charley Hoffman 55-to-1
Aaron Baddeley 55-to-1
Brendon De Jonge 60-to-1
Carl Pettersson 65-to-1
Ben Martin 70-to-1
Nick Watney 70-to-1
Patrick Reed 70-to-1
Brian Harman 70-to-1
Kevin Chappell 70-to-1
Brendan Steele 70-to-1
Charles Howell III 70-to-1
Robert Garrigus 75-to-1
Matt Every 85-to-1
Erik Compton 85-to-1
Pat Perez 85-to-1
Bo Van Pelt 85-to-1
Rory Sabbatini 95-to-1
8 Golfers 100-to-1
2 Golfers 110-to-1
10 Golfers 130-to-1
2 Golfers 150-to-1
14 Golfers 170-to-1
David Lingmerth 180-to-1
Scott Stallings 200-to-1
14 Golfers 220-to-1
3 Golfers 240-to-1
17 Golfers 250-to-1


The PGA Tour takes its skills to Maryland for the Quicken Loans National this weekend, as the players are coming off an exciting tournament in the Travelers Championship where Kevin Streelman shot two consecutive 64’s to finish with a one-shot victory over Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi. This tourney is fairly new and has been hosted by Tiger Woods and his foundation since it started in 2007 while formally being sponsored by AT&T. Last year, veteran Bill Haas dominated this par-71, 7,569-yard course, shooting a 68 or better in each of his final three rounds and finishing 12-under; three strokes better than runner-up Roberto Castro. The big news this week is the return of Woods, who is a two-time winner at this tournament and has seen his world ranking drop to fourth during his injury absence. Woods will light a fire under the rest of the players on tour this week, so let’s take a look at a few guys who could take him head-on at his own tournament and come away with a victory.


Golfers to Watch

Justin Rose (15/1): Rose has not played in this tournament since 2011, but he won it back in 2010 and followed that up with a solid 15th-place finish the next year. He has played in just 12 PGA events this year, finishing in the top-10 five times, but failing to crack the top-3 yet. He’s had an impressive scoring average (70.02, 18th on tour) while also being amazing out of the sand (61.1%, 5th on tour). Rose is due for a big performance and is playing on a course that he has won on before.
Jason Day (25/2): Day has placed in the top-25 in his past three tries at this tournament and the 7th-ranked player in the world has five like finishes in seven tourneys this year; including one victory and one runner-up performance. He has an amazing scoring average of 69.57 so far this season, and looks poised to grab his third career PGA Tour victory very soon.

Brandt Snedeker (25/1): Snedeker is another player who has positive experiences in this tournament, finishing in the top-16 three different times; including an 8th-place showing here last year. He has not been having his best season in 2014, but recently placed ninth at the U.S. Open and followed that up with an 11th-place finish last week at the Travelers Championship. The six-time winner on the PGA Tour has too much pedigree and experience to not grab a win sometime in the near future.

Bill Haas (30/1): Haas was the victor here last season and had placed in 34th in each of the previous two seasons. The 32-year-old has made the cut in every event he has finished already this year while finishing in the top-10 three times. He has used his amazing ability to save from the sand (60.8%, 8th on tour) to keep him in contention most weekends, and Haas should be a solid bet to be near the top of the leaderboard at week’s end as he looks to repeat his Quicken Loans National title.

Brian Harman (70/1): Harman has been having the best season of his young career as he currently ranks 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings while already having seven top-25 performances in 22 starts this year. He placed 6th in the St. Jude Classic earlier this month and has been one of the best par-3 performers this year, scoring a birdie or better 16.5% of the time (12th on tour). Harman has never won on the PGA Tour, but with a fairly weak field this weekend, he has a good chance to pay off in a big way.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nats call up Hill from Syracuse's rotation
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE


MILWAUKEE -- After burning through six pitchers to cover 10 innings Tuesday night in Milwaukee, the Washington Nationals selected right-hander Taylor Hill from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

A sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, Hill is 9-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 15 games for Syracuse this season and leads the International League in innings pitched.

"Taylor has been pitching really well as a starter; he gives us that length that we need," manager Matt Williams said. "We don't know how long we are going to need length, either."

Hill was slated to start for Syracuse on Wednesday but will work out of the bullpen with the Nationals. He did just that against the Milwaukee Brewers, making his major league debut in the fifth inning Wednesday and working 3 1/3 innings while giving up two runs on five hits.

"I'm not going to go and blow guys away; it's not who I am," said Hill, who added he was watching a movie when his minor league manager called to tell him about his promotion at 2 a.m. "I just want to be able to throw strikes, give my team a chance to win. It sounds weird, but my goal is to see the least amount of time ... on the mound. The (less) time I'm out there, the more time we are going to be on offense. It also translates to us not giving up runs, too, especially me."

To make room for Hill on their 40-man and 25-man rosters, the Nationals designated veteran infielder Greg Dobbs for assignment.

"You never want to lose someone like Dobber," Williams said. "That was kind of the only option we have. He is a pro. He is a good teammate, professional player. He also knows how to work; he also knows how to prepare. Unfortunately, that's the move we have to make."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

An improved Carroll returns to White Sox rotation
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

BALTIMORE -- Even though right-hander Scott Carroll began the season in the rotation, he didn't view his recent role in the bullpen as a demotion.

Instead, he used the time to work on his cutter and embraced the opportunity to help the team win. Now, Carroll will get another opportunity to regain his spot in the rotation when he starts Thursday against Toronto. He is replacing the struggling Andre Rienzo, who will now work as a reliever.

"I looked at it as an opportunity to help the ball team win," Carroll said. "There's a lot of good arms in the bullpen. I looked at it as an opportunity to come in and eat up some innings. It was another feather in my cap to show I was devoted to do both ends. I think it helped me."

Carroll started five games to open the season and went 1-3 with 6.15 ERA. Manager Robin Ventura then decided Carroll could develop more consistency working as a reliever. The decision worked as Carroll was much more effective. He went 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA in six relief appearances and held lefties to a .158 average.

He began to have much confidence with his cutter and that made the biggest difference.

"The stuff I'm featuring now in my repertoire is a lot more aggressive," Carroll said. "I've been able to get both righties and lefties out consistently because they can't just defend against the sinker. I think (the cutter) is a great weapon for me. I'm looking to get out there in the starting role and help the team win."

Despite relishing his time in the bullpen, Carroll is ready to be back in the rotation. He is looking for more success this time around.

"I am ready for this opportunity again," Carroll said. "I'll look to get back into my comfort zone. I'm looking forward to it."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

Cincinnati at San Francisco

The Reds open up a series in San Francisco tonight and come into the contest with a 7-1 record in their last 8 games as a road underdog. Cincinnati is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Miami at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Koehler) 16.692; Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.674 Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-165); 7 Dunkel Pick: Miami (+145); Over

Game 953-954: NY Mets at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Matsuzaka) 13.104; Pittsburgh (Worley) 17.765 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 4 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-160); 8 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-160); Under

Game 955-956: Washington at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Fister) 15.643; Cubs (Wood) 14.274 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Washington (-135); No Run Total Dunkel Pick: Washington (-135); N/A

Game 957-958: Colorado at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Friedlich) 13.621; Milwaukee (Peralta) 16.418 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 3; 8 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-210); 9 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-210); Under

Game 959-960: St. Louis at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 16.153; LA Dodgers (Beckett) 17.395 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-125); 6 1/2 Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+105); Over

Game 961-962: Cincinnati at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 16.020; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 13.713 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+100); Under

Game 963-964: Minnesota at LA Angels (3:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Nolasco) 16.468; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.605 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+170); Over

Game 965-966: Chicago White Sox at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Carroll) 15.101; Toronto (Happ) 16.811 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Toronto (-170); 10 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-170); Under

Game 967-968: Detroit at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 15.333; Texas (Martinez) 13.175 Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 9 Vegas Line: Detroit (-140); 10 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-140); Under

Game 969-970: Atlanta at Houston (2:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 14.330; Houston (Cosart) 15.881 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-140); 8 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+120); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Basketball Picks

Atlanta at San Antonio

The Stars play host to an Atlanta team that is 6-18 ATS in its last 24 road games. San Antonio is the pick (+1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Stars favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 601-602: Atlanta at San Antonio (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 113.948; San Antonio 114.587 Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1; 167 Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 161 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+1 1/2); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs

The opening matchup of a four game series between Chicago and Washington is today’s baseball betting focus. NL Central basement dwelling Cubbies look to Travis Wood in the opener. The lefty leading the club in wins is coming off a loss to the Pirates moving the mark to 7-6 with a 4.55 ERA over 15 starts (8-7 TSR). On the other side of the pitching matchup is Doug Fister who is having a strong season with his new club. Fister coming off a very strong start against Braves tossing 8 innings of shutout ball in a victory has allowed two or less runs in seven of his nine starts putting together a solid 7-2 team start record for his efforts. Taking a road favorite can be a perilous road in baseball betting, but today’s MLB pick appears to have enough in it's favor to counteract such concerns. Fister's last start was a dominating one, and he certainly knows how to follow up a strong performance with another stellar effort. When allowing two or less runs in his previous start, the Nationals are 3-1 in his subsequent appearance on the mound. Nationals have also thrived following a team loss the previous day handing the ball to Fister as they're 4-1 with the right-hander. Stick with Washington knowing Nationals are 8-4 in road series-openers, 6-3 on the road of late vs a southpaw starter, 8-3 last eleven meeting, 5-2 last seven trips into Chicago.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

WNBA | ATLANTA at SAN ANTONIO
Play Under - Road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 after one or more consecutive overs, good team - outscoring their opponents by 3+ points/game
212-131 since 1997. ( 61.8% | 67.9 units )
5-4 this year. ( 55.6% | 0.6 units )

WNBA | ATLANTA at SAN ANTONIO
Play On - Home teams vs. the money line (SAN ANTONIO) revenging a loss where opponent scored 75 or more points, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite
24-7 over the last 5 seasons. ( 77.4% | 0.0 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | ATLANTA at SAN ANTONIO
Play Under - Road teams where the first half total is greater than 65.5 with a winning record on the season, in May, June, or July games
375-240 since 1997. ( 61.0% | 111.0 units )
10-12 this year. ( 45.5% | -3.2 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Phillies Notes: Cliff Lee ready to face hitters

The Phillies have pegged Friday as the day for Cliff Lee to face hitters in a simulated game, which is essentially batting practice at full speed.

Lee, on the disabled list since May 20 with an elbow strain, is ready to graduate to facing some hitters after throwing for almost two weeks on flat ground and in the bullpen.

Depending on how Lee checks out after his session Friday, he could throw to hitters again or be ready for a minor-league rehab start. He is expected to return to the Phillies’ rotation by the all-star break, provided all continues to go well in his rehab.

• The Phillies will play a doubleheader against Atlanta on Saturday. Roberto Hernandez lines up to pitch one of the games. The Phils are expected to add a pitcher from Triple A Lehigh Valley for the other game. It could end up being right-hander Brad Lincoln, who has been starting for the IronPigs.

Manager Ryne Sandberg said he expects to know who will start by Thursday.

• Outfielder Grady Sizemore, signed to a minor-league deal on Tuesday, will join the Lehigh Valley club on Thursday.

Sizemore has not played in 10 days, since he was let go by Boston. He may need to work out for a day or two before being activated. Once he’s ready, he will play regularly as Phillies officials evaluate him to determine whether he can help at the big-league level.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CFL

Week 1

Not lot of information to go on yet, but we've got some info look at, as the CFL kicks off its season this weekend:

Toronto (0-0) @ Winnipeg (0-0)-- Argonauts won seven of last eight series games, winning all three meetings LY by 16-6-15 points (2-0-1 vs spread); six of last nine series games went over the total. Toronto won its last four visits here, by 5-19-16-6 points. Underdogs are 6-2-1 vs spread in last nine series games, also 6-2-1 in last nine played here. Winnipeg is just 9-27 SU the last two years. Argonauts were 6-2-1 vs spread on the road LY.

Montreal (0-0) @ Calgary (0-0)-- Montreal was 7-2 vs spread on road this year, but that was with CFL legend Calvillo (now retired) at QB. Stampeders won five of last six series games, sweeping the series LY, 22-14/38-27; Alouettes lost their last four visits here by 25-7-28-11 points. Six of last eight series games went over total, including six of last seven played here. Six of nine Calgary home games LY went over the total.

Edmonton (0-0) @ BCLions (0-0)-- Lions' QB Lulay (shoulder) isn't expected to play in this opener. British Columbia won eight of last nine series games, with last five wins by average score of 26-18 (4-1 vs spread). Eskimos lost six of last seven visits here, dropping last three by 20-10-14 points. Three of last four series games went over total. Edmonton is just 11-25 SU the last two years, but went 6-3 vs spread on road LY.

Hamilton (0-0) @ Saskatchewan (0-0)-- Rematch of LY's Grey Cup game that Roughriders won 45-23 (-7) on this field; Riders won seven of last nine series games, winning all three last year by 37-12-22 points (3-0 vs spread). TiCats are 1-11 in last dozen visits here, losing last two 37-0/45-23. Five of their last seven visits here went over the total. Riders won Grey Cup LY after going 3-6 in second half of regular season- they covered four of last five vs TiCats.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Thursday, June 26

Dodgers' SS Hanley Ramirez, questionable Thursday

Ramirez is dealing with shoulder irritation and has missed the last two games. He is questionable to return on Thursday against the Cardinals.


Blue Jays' RF Jose Bautista, questionable Thursday

Bautista has a Grade 1 hamstring strain and has missed the last three games. He is questionable to return on Thursday against the White Sox.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Free Play THURS:

Braves -125

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Thursday's Late Tips
By Kevin Rogers


Cardinals at Dodgers

Probable Pitchers:
STL: Wainwright (10-3, 2.08 ERA)
LAD: Beckett (5-4, 2.28 ERA)

The opener of this four-game set at Dodger Stadium features a pair of World Series champion pitchers on the mound. Adam Wainwright has been dominant in 13 of his 15 starts this season for St. Louis, including tossing eight innings and allowing just one earned run against the Phillies in a 4-1 triumph last Saturday as a -150 home favorite. The Cardinals have won each of Wainwright’s last four road starts, while the right-hander has given up two earned runs or less in 12 of 15 outings.

The Dodgers counter with Josh Beckett, who has turned things around since a miserable season in 2013. Beckett is coming off four straight quality outings, while limiting the light-hitting Padres to four hits in seven scoreless innings of his previous start, a 4-2 road victory. Los Angeles has struggled to put up victories with Beckett at Chavez Ravine, compiling a 2-6 record, including three straight losses at home to the Diamondbacks, White Sox, and Pirates.

St. Louis continues a 10-game road trip through the NL West after taking two of three games from Colorado. On Wednesday, the Cardinals rallied from a 5-1 deficit to stun the Rockies, 9-8, which included four runs in the final two innings. The Redbirds improved to 6-2 in their last eight road series finales, while winning their fifth game in their past six games overall.

The Dodgers are back home following a 4-2 road trip, capped off by a 5-4 victory at Kansas City on Wednesday as a heavy +150 underdog. Since dropping the final two games at Cincinnati earlier this month, Los Angeles is riding a 9-3 hot stretch the last 12 contests, while winning five of its past six games at Chavez Ravine.

These two teams are meeting for the first time since last October’s National League Championship Series, when the Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers in six games to win the pennant. In Wainwright’s lone start against the Dodgers in that series, the Cardinals were blanked, 3-0, as St. Louis dropped two of three games at Dodger Stadium in the NLCS.

Reds at Giants

Probable Pitchers:
CIN: Leake (5-6, 3.59 ERA)
SF: Vogelsong (5-3, 4.13 ERA)

The Giants avoided a sweep to the Padres on Wednesday, but had a larger than normal celebration as Tim Lincecum tossed his second career no-hitter. The win snapped an unusual five-game losing skid at AT&T Park for San Francisco, who was swept by Colorado at home less than two weeks ago. Now, the Giants will try to get on a winning track against a Reds’ team that is continuing their road trip following a victory last night.

Cincinnati grabbed two of three games at Wrigley Field, including last night’s 4-1 win over the Cubs as -140 road favorites. The Reds played for the third straight game without second baseman Brandon Phillips, who is suffering from a bruised heel and is questionable for tonight. Cincinnati has surged above .500 thanks to a 10-4 run over the last 14 games, while putting together a solid 9-3 record the past 12 contests on the highway.

Ryan Vogelsong will look to duplicate Lincecum’s effort, but obviously facing a much tougher lineup than San Diego. The right-hander hasn’t put together a quality start in his last three trips to the mound, but snapped a two-start winless streak in a 6-4 victory at Arizona in his past outing last Saturday as a short underdog. Vogelsong has failed to win in his last two home starts, allowing a total of nine earned runs in 11 innings of work against Colorado and Washington.

Mike Leake rebounded from several shaky starts by shutting down the Blue Jays in his previous outing, 11-1, while scattering four hits and one run in eight innings of work. Leake was racked the last time he faced the Giants at the Great American Ballpark, allowing five earned runs in five innings of a 6-1 defeat earlier this month. The Reds have performed well with Leake on the mound when pitching on the road, winning each of his last three away starts.

The Giants won two of three meetings with the Reds at the Great American Ballpark from June 3-5, as San Francisco completed a successful road trip with series victories over Cincinnati and St. Louis. Last season, the Reds won three of four games at AT&T Park, as this series has been dominated of late by the road squads.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | WASHINGTON at CHICAGO CUBS
Play On - All favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (WASHINGTON) below average hitting team (AVG <=.255) against an average starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 5.20) -NL, ice cold hitting team - batting .225 or worse over their last 15 games
57-20 over the last 5 seasons. ( 74.0% | 30.5 units )
2-5 this year. ( 28.6% | -3.6 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | ST LOUIS at LA DODGERS
LA DODGERS are 40-16 (+22.4 Units) against the money line after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: LA DODGERS (4.5) , OPPONENT (3.1)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Paul Leiner

100* Tigers -135
50* Giants -115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BASEBALL33

USA: MLB
San Francisco Giants – Cincinnati Reds
San Francisco Giants
Odd: 1,88