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StatSystemsSports
Inside The Huddle Monday
#431 CLEVELAND @ #432 WASHINGTON
Line: Redskins -2, Total: 41
Johnny Manziel is already the headlining the marquee. "Johnny Football" and his Cleveland Browns will put a period on Week #2 of the NFL's preseason action (8:00 PM EST) on Monday night when they visit the Washington Redskins. Last week, the Browns opened the preseason with veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer as the starter but all eyes were on Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner out of Texas A&M.
Hoyer completed 6-of-14 passes for 92 yards in a 13-12 loss at Detroit before being replaced by Manziel, who was drafted by Cleveland with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of May's draft. Manziel connected on 7-of-11 passes in his debut for 63 yards and showed off his top-tier movement skills by adding an additional 27 rushing yards. "They both did some things more suited to their skill set," said Browns first- year coach Mike Pettine when talking about his QBs.
Manziel is expected to split first-team reps with Hoyer this week against the Redskins. "It'll be exciting. There's a lot about Johnny Football that's exciting to watch," Washington coach Jay Gruden said when asked about facing Manziel. "All we're going to do is focus on ourselves though moving forward -- what we're going to do, how we're going to prepare." Gruden, another first-year head coach, got his first victory last week with a 23-6 win over New England.
The Redskins outgained the Patriots, 387-270, including a 177-63 advantage in rushing yards. Washington had eight different players register a rushing attempt, led by rookie sixth-round pick Lache Seastrunk, who posted team and game highs in carries (12) and rushing yards (63). "It was great. It was an exciting experience coming out of the tunnel, seeing all the fans here," Gruden said. "It was something I will always remember." The Skins' starting offense -- led by quarterback Robert Griffin III -- opened the game with an 11-play drive that resulted in a field goal. "We came out and did what we wanted to do," said Griffin. "Got the starters in and out and had an effective drive. We got some points and almost had a touchdown."
StatSystemsSports.net has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:
--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 15 times, while the underdog covered the spread 6 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 19 times, while the underdog won straight up 4 times. 13 games went over the total, while 5 games went under the total. *No EDGE.
--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 30 times, while the underdog covered first half line 25 times. *No EDGE. 18 games went over first half total, while 8 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.
•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (CLEVELAND) - after scoring 14 points or less last game against opponent after allowing 8 or more passing yards/attempt in their last game.
(48-18 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.7%, +28.2 units. Rating = 3*)
The average first half total posted in these games was: 19
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.4, Opponent 12.6 (Total first half points scored = 23)
The situation's record this season is: (2-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (25-7).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (85-47).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (188-116). -
Baseball Crusher
Oakland Athletics -145 over Atlanta Braves - pending
Los Angeles Angels -118 over Boston Red Sox
(System Record: 80-0, won last 4 games)
Overall Record: 80-55
Rest of the Plays
Kansas City Royals -145 over Minnesota Twins
Pittsburgh Pirates -112 over Atlanta Braves
Seattle Mariners -139 over Philadelphia PhilliesComment
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Soccer Crusher
Atletico Rafaela + Lanus OVER 2
This match is happening in Argentina
(System Record: 623-21, lost last 2 games)
Overall Record: 623-512-90Comment
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D-Backs winless behind Nuno since trade with NY
Stephen Campbell
Since coming to the Arizona Diamondbacks from the New York Yankees in a trade last month, life in the desert has not been kind to Vidal Nuno. The D-Backs are winless in their last seven games with Nuno on the bump.
The 27-year-old gets the ball once again when Arizona visits the Washington Nationals in D.C. Monday. Jordan Zimmerman will counter for the Nats.
Washington is currently heavy -194 faves with an O/U of seven, per BetOnline.Comment
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Halos, Wilson not getting it done on the road
Stephen Campbell
Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson has not enjoyed life on the road as of late. The Halos have dropped all seven of Wilson's last seven outings, but they'll get a chance to turn that around when Wilson gets the ball against the Boston Red Sox in Beantown Monday.
BetOnline currently lists the Angels as -118 faves on the moneyline with an O/U of nine.Comment
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Mets, Colon cruising against lesser competition
Stephen Campbell
The New York Mets have been dominating clubs with losing records with Bartolo Colon on the bump, winning six out of the 41-year-old's last seven starts against teams with losing records.
Colon gets the nod when New York hosts the lowly Chicago Cubs Monday afternoon. The Mets are presently -120 faves with a total of seven, per BetOnline.Comment
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Under trending when these clubs meet
Stephen Campbell
When the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox meet, low totals tend to follow. The Under is 12-3-2 in the last 17 meetings between the two clubs through Sunday.
They'll renew acquaintances in the Windy City Monday. BetOnline presently has the ChiSox as -166 favorites with an O/U of seven.Comment
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This team is getting dominated against LHP at home
Stephen Campbell
Left-handed pitching has caused headaches for the Minnesota Twins' offense at Target Field in recent games, evidenced by the Twins winning just one out of their last seven games against southpaws at home.
Lefty Jason Vargas will be on the hill for the Kansas City Royals when they take on the Twinkies in Minnesota Monday. BetOnline currently lists the Royals as -145 faves with a total of 8.5.Comment
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GC: MLB Play
Monday night Double Perfect NFL Play on ESPN Headlines the card tonight along with a pair of 5* MLB Plays. One is from a powerful totals system that averages nearly 12 runs the Other from a Dominator system with a Perfect Never lost series angle. Sunday we cashed big Tonight we start the week big. Free Early MLB system Play below.
The free MLB Nooner on Monday is on the NY. Mets. Game 902 at 12:10 eastern. The Mets have some solid edges on their side today. All home teams are 14-2 since 2004 at home with a total of 8 or less if the are off a 1 run home dog loss and scored 2 or less runs on 4 or less hits, vs an opponent like the Cubs that scored 2 or less runs in a road favored win. The Cubs are 2-19 as a road dog with a total that is 8 or less off a 1 run road win. Colon and Hendricks should be a good pitching match. However the Mets have the statistical indicators on their side and the Cubs are 14-35 in any game where the total is 7 or less. Make it the Mets here in the finale. Jump on and Start the week big tonight as we have a Double Perfect Monday night Football Side on ESPN and a Pair of Powerful MLB 5* System plays. One from a Tremendous totals system that averages nearly 12 runs and has a 31-6 Angle. The other from a dominator system with a Perfect 100% series angle. Get on all 3 now and put the power of this award winning data on your side. For the free play take the NY. Mets. GCComment
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STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT
MONDAY, AUGUST 18th 2014
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Monday, 8/18/14 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.
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MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #21
•Cardinals Recall Carlos Martinez From AAA Memphis: As first relayed by MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, the Cardinals have recalled right-hander Carlos Martinez from Triple-A Memphis, optioning lefty reliever Kevin Siegrist in a corresponding 25-man roster move. Martinez will pitch out of the bullpen initially, but he was being utilized as a starter at Memphis — and threw 10 1/3 scoreless innings in his two-week stay there — so the 22-year-old could also be an option for the St. Louis rotation down the stretch.
Shelby Miller has struggled mightily in two straight outings and newcomer Justin Masterson has been blown up in two of his first three starts. Miller has already spent some time in the bullpen this season. Siegrist was one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in 2013 — posting a 0.45 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings — but he has struggled with forearm issues in 2014 and hasn’t been nearly as effective.
•Scioscia: Hamilton 'Not The Same': Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia expressed some frustration over struggling outfielder Josh Hamilton, despite beating the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Hamilton, 33, starred for the Rangers before signing a free agent contract with the Angels prior to the 2013 season and his play has slipped since then. This season, Hamilton is batting .266 with just eight home runs, including .216 in the second half. He has batted .189 in 53 at-bats this month. He did miss some time earlier this season with a thumb injury.
"Josh is not the same that we saw when we were looking at the other dugout," Scioscia said. "He's not in the batter's box with the confidence we know he has. He's not attacking the ball like he can. He's working hard to try to find it ... but we need him to do what he's capable of doing, or close to that." Hamilton was 2-for-9 with seven strikeouts the first two games of this series against his former team. Hamilton signed a five-year, $125 million contract after his monster 2012 season with the Rangers in which he batted .285 with 43 homers and 128 RBIs. He won the American MVP award in 2010.
•Michael Wacha Throws Off Mound For First Time Since June: There are still quite a few hurdles to leap over, but Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha looks to be progressing toward a mid-to-late September return. According to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wacha threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, mixing in four or five changeups to a mostly fastball-focused workout.
It was Wacha’s first time throwing off a mound since he was shut down in late June because of a stress reaction in his right shoulder. “It felt good to get back out there on the mound,” the 23-year-old told reporters. “Arm felt great. It was 30 pitches. Pretty light throws but I’m happy with it.” Wacha, a first-round pick in 2012, owns an outstanding 2.79 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 in 155 innings since making his major league debut in mid-2013. He won MVP honors in last year’s NLCS at the age of 22.
•Yankees C Brian McCann Returns From Concussion: The New York Yankees have activated catcher Brian McCann from the seven-day concussion list and optioned catcher Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The moves were made before Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. McCann was hurt during a game on Aug. 8 against Cleveland. Romine appeared in one game after being called up the next day. Also, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka felt fine and threw on level ground one day after throwing 25 pitches in his first bullpen session Saturday since going on the disabled list July 9 with a partial ligament tear in his right elbow. Tanaka, whom the Yankees hope can avoid surgery and return next month, will have another mound session in the next few days.
•David Ortiz Hits HRs 400, 401 In Red Sox Uniform, Ties Career High In RBI: David Ortiz's career with the Boston Red Sox has moved into elite territory. Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night. Big Papi joined Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski as the only players to hit 400 homers while playing with the Red Sox. Ortiz did it with his drive into the first row of the center-field seats in the third inning. "It's an honor to be mentioned with those legends that were with the Red Sox," he said. "When you come to this organization to play, you're not expecting to be mentioned with those guys."
The left-handed slugger has joined a class that features two of the greatest players to wear a Boston uniform. "He's in rare company with those two other guys he's linked to," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. After his 400th, Ortiz hooked his other homer around the Pesky Pole in right field in the fifth. He has 459 home runs in his career, which started with Minnesota. He then lined a two-run double into the gap in front of the Green Monster in the eighth. He left to a standing ovation for a pinch runner, tipping his helmet as the crowd gave him a curtain call.
"David Ortiz is a Hall of Famer. He's about as good as it gets in this game," Astros manager Bo Porter said. Williams hit 521 homers, and Yaz had 452. Both spent their entire careers with the Red Sox. Chris Carter hit a solo homer and added a sacrifice fly for the Astros, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. A day earlier, Houston earned the franchise's first win in Fenway Park after going 0-8. The Red Sox trailed 6-3 before scoring four in the sixth. Ortiz's second homer off starter Brad Peacock sliced it to 6-5, and Daniel Nava's sacrifice fly tied it. Jackie Bradley Jr. had a sacrifice fly off Josh Fields (2-6) to push Boston ahead.
•Avisail Garcia Has 2 Hits In Return: Four months after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Chicago White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia was activated from the disabled list Saturday and batted cleanup in the team's 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Garcia's reinstatement was the highlight of a bevy of roster moves the White Sox made Saturday. In order get Garcia off the 60-day disabled list and back on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated left-hander Charlie Leesman for assignment. The White Sox also placed right-handed reliever Javy Guerra on the bereavement list and put outfielder Moises Sierra on the 15-day DL. They recalled left-hander Eric Surkamp from Triple-A Charlotte. Surkamp allowed two hits in a scoreless inning.
Garcia was supposed to form the nucleus of a new-look White Sox offense with rookie first baseman Jose Abreu, but barely one week into the season, the July 2013 acquisition from the Detroit Tigers was injured while making a diving catch at Colorado. The right-handed Garcia hurt himself when his left elbow hit the ground, forcing the energy into his left shoulder and causing the injury. The original diagnosis was for Garcia to return for spring training in February, although the White Sox were fine with him playing in winter ball. That return date was later adjusted to September, and when Garcia continued to make progress in his rehab, it was moved up even further.
"I've been working hard doing everything right to come back this year," Garcia said before the game. "Everything is going well. I feel great. I'm playing tonight and I just thank God for everything." In 13 rehab games at Triple-A Charlotte, Garcia batted .340 with three doubles, a home run and three RBIs. In eight games with the White Sox this season, he was batting just .267, but had started to heat up with a two-homer game the day before he was injured. "It's nice," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think one situation (Sierra's injury) kind of sped it up a little bit but it's nice to have him back. He's ready to go. I know he's excited and we're excited to have him back. It was a long road for him to go from where he was earlier in the year of getting hurt and all the work he's put in. We're glad it's today."
Although Garcia won't be prohibited from diving to make catches in the outfield, the White Sox have recommended that he go feet-first whenever possible. Other than that, he won't have any restrictions. "No, he's just ready to play," Ventura said. "That's part of when you're ready to activate him is that you have to let him just play. You don't want any restrictions on him. There is no idea of resting him or doing anything like that. He will get as much playing time as he can handle."
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Betting Notes - Monday
National League
•Cubs-Mets - 12:10 PM
--Hendricks is 3-0, 1.61 in his last three starts.
--Colon is 3-2, 3.12 in his last five starts.
--Cubs lost 13 of their last 19 road games.
--Mets lost six of their last eight home games.
--Under is 8-2-1 in Cubs' last eleven games.
•Braves-Pirates - 7:05 PM
--Santana is 5-0, 2.93 in his last six starts.
--Worley is 3-1, 2.97 in his last five starts.
--Braves won four of last five games, but lost last eight on road.
--Pittsburgh lost its last five games, allowing 28 runs.
--Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Pittsburgh games.
•Diamondbacks-Nationals - 7:05 PM
--Nuno is 0-3, 5.34 in his last six starts.
--Zimmerman is 2-0, 2.02 in his last four starts.
--Arizona lost five of its last seven games.
--Nationals won nine of their last eleven games.
--Five of last seven Arizona games stayed under.
•Reds-Cardinals - 8:15 PM
--Leake is 2-4, 3.72 in his last six starts.
--Masterson is 2-1, 6.00 in his last three starts.
--Cincinnati lost seven of its last nine games; they lost a twinbill yesterday.
--St Louis won four of its last five games.
--Four of Reds' last five games went over the total.
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American League
•Angels-Red Sox - 7:10 PM
--Wilson is 2-2, 10.09 in his last seven starts.
--Workman is 0-5, 7.62 in his last five starts.
--Angels won four of their last five games.
--Red Sox won six of their last nine games.
--Five of last six Angel games stayed under total.
•Royals-Twins - 8:10 PM
--Vargas is 1-0, 1.29 in his last couple starts.
--May allowed four runs in two IP (7 walks, no K's) in his only start.
--Royals won 15 of their last 18 games.
--Minnesota lost seven of its last eleven games.
--10 of last 14 Kansas City road games stayed under.
•Orioles-White Sox - 8:10 PM
--Norris is 2-0, 2.60 in his last three starts.
--Sale is 4-1, 1.84 in his last eight starts.
--Baltimore won 17 of its last 25 games.
--White Sox are 1-7 in game following their last eight wins.
--Seven of last nine Norris starts stayed under.
Interleague
•Mariners-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Elias is 2-1, 2.49 in his last four starts.
--Williams is 1-1, 7.63 in three starts this season.
--Mariners won 10 of their last 12 games.
--Phillies lost seven of their last nine games.
--Six of last nine Elias starts stayed under total.
•Incredible Stat of the Day
The Seattle Mariners are a perfect 7-0 all time in games at Philadelphia. The Mariners own a 7-2 edge in the overall series (77.7%) and swept a three-game set in its only previous trip to Citizens Bank Park in 2003. The Mariners have won 10 of 12 and are yet to allow five runs in a game this month, posting an Major League Baseball best 1.89 ERA in 15 contests. 26-year-old Roenis Elias gets the call to continue the strong pitching.
Elias threw five no-hit innings with one walk and six strikeouts for Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday and will be recalled. The left-hander, who had been sent down for a short start to limit his innings, is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA over his last four big league starts. His 134 2/3 innings pitched rank second among rookies. In three interleague starts, Elias is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. He'll now face a slumping team in Philadelphia which has dropped seven of nine after Sunday's 5-2 loss in San Francisco.Comment
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NFL Football Trends
NFL Preseason Betting Trends for Monday, 8/18/14
Cleveland at Washington, 8:00 ET
Cleveland: 6-3-1 Under after scoring 14 or less points
Washington: 8-2 ATS home favoriteComment
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Football frenzy can chop block even the best baseball bettors
By MARC MELTZER
We’re hitting one of the most distracting times of the year for baseball bettors. It’s easy to become a little misguided right now, so it’s important to see the forest between the trees.
Football is the most profitable sport for both land-based and online casinos but that’s not much of a distraction for the baseball bettor. The distraction comes from the inundation of football into life from everywhere else.
If you’re a sports fan and a gambler like me, you follow a lot of sports website, writers, prognosticators and bettors on Twitter and Facebook. Some of these outlets are around throughout the year, betting and writing about whatever sport is happening at the time. However, many of these people go away when football is in the offseason. It's easy to forget that they exist.
Football brings bigger ratings for television outlets, more page views for websites and more picks sold by handicappers. Just like sportsbooks, these people all make a lot of money over the next six months. This is their time to shine. It’s also baseball bettors’ time to look the other way.
It’s easy for MLB fans and bettors to get caught up in statistics. That’s a major part of what makes baseball betting fun and profitable. The football guys are catching up to baseball statheads (call them sabermetricians if you want) and throwing out random, and often meaningless, statistics all day and night. The information may be fun and even useful, but this clutter can very easily get in the way of reading MLB information that you’ve found useful.
It may be time for other people to get ready for football but it’s time for baseball bettors to increase focus on the major leagues and stay the course of what has hopefully made this season successful.
This has been a profitable year in baseball for me and I don’t want any of these football clowns getting in the way of more profit. Sure, I want useful information for all sports that I bet, but I want it when I have time for it.
This has really been a breakout year (2013 into 2014) for sports media and I’ve had to adjust my ways of consuming it all. In a vacuum, there’s way too much sports information out there and that’s great. It can also be overwhelming. As much as the sports fan inside me enjoys reading about college and NFL football statistics and historical information, I don’t need that right now.
Baseball is my focus because that’s what’s paying me today. I’d much rather read 3,000 words on Brandon McCarthy’s current pitch regression or changes since he joined the Yankees than a similar-sized article about the San Diego Chargers’ ATS potential for next season. There’s a place for the Chargers information but that’s not my priority. Baseball is still my priority.
I’ve segmented my online life into different sports and different people so that I don’t get lost in the forest of sports information. I want to read about football but segmenting my information intake allows me to do that on my schedule - not anyone else's.
It’s easy to see a juicy headline and want to read the information. That’s how I end up in a “Sanchize” hole reading about how Mark Sanchez will be great with the Eagles. I don’t need that when there’s a baseball game I can research.
My time for sports betting is limited and I need to make sure I’m using it properly. For me, that’s focusing on the bets at hand.
I’m easily distracted so focusing my sports media on baseball is more important for the rest of the year than it’s been for the past few months where I could spend a little time just reading random news at a leisurely pace.
Leisure is gone, so focus must increase. Betting baseball is the best. Don’t let the football people that just came out of the cave get in the way of that.Comment
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Monday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
Mariners at Phillies – 7:05 PM EST
Probable Pitchers:
SEA: Elias (9-9, 4.14 ERA)
PHI: Williams (2-5, 6.43 ERA)
Previous series recap: Seattle grabbed two of three at Detroit, capped off by Sunday’s 8-1 blowout as short underdogs. The Phillies return home following a dreadful 1-4 West Coast swing that ended with a 5-2 defeat at San Francisco on Sunday. Philadelphia’s lone victory on that trip came in extra innings at AT&T Park on Friday, as the Phillies have lost six of their last seven road contests.
What to watch for: The Phillies have struggled in interleague play this season, posting a 4-10 record, but Philadelphia pulled off a three-game sweep of Houston in its past IL series at home. The Mariners are making their first trip to Philadelphia since 2003, while the M’s took two of three from the Phillies in their previous series at Safeco Field in 2011.
Braves at Pirates – 7:05 PM EST
Probable Pitchers:
ATL: Santana (12-6, 3.66 ERA)
PIT: Worley (5-2, 2.51 ERA)
Previous series recap: The Braves rebounded from a horrific stretch to start this month by sweeping the AL West-leading Athletics at home. Atlanta won three consecutive games for the first time since late July when the Braves captured the final three contests against the Padres. The Pirates head home after getting swept at Washington, while dropping the final two games to the Nationals in walk-off fashion.
What to watch for: Pittsburgh owns a solid 15-5 record in home series openers this season, while the Pirates have won 13 of their past 17 games at PNC Park. The Braves have dropped five of Ervin Santana’s last six starts on the road, as Atlanta looks to snap an eight-game skid on the highway. The Pirates and Braves are meeting for the first time this season, as the home team won six of seven meetings in 2013.
Angels at Red Sox - 7:10 PM EST
Probable Pitchers:
LAA: Wilson (9-8, 4.71 ERA)
BOS: Workman (1-6, 4.45 ERA)
Previous series recap: The Angels lost the series finale at Texas on Sunday, 3-2, as the Rangers scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to snap a nine-game skid against Los Angeles. The Red Sox split a four-game home set with the Astros, as Boston fell behind 7-0 in Sunday’s 8-1 defeat as a -125 home favorite.
What to watch for: Los Angeles is riding an 8-2 run to the ‘under’ the last 10 games, while its past four contests have been decided by one run apiece. The Red Sox won two of three in Anaheim earlier this month with the lone loss coming in 19 innings. Boston is 4-1 in its past five in the home underdog role, while C.J. Wilson is winless in his last seven road starts for the Angels.
Orioles at White Sox – 8:10 PM EST
Probable Pitchers:
BAL: Norris (10-7, 3.75 ERA)
CHW: Sale (10-2, 2.01 ERA)
Previous series recap: The Orioles avoided a sweep by knocking off the Indians as +120 underdogs on Sunday, 4-1, while limiting Cleveland to just two hits. The White Sox finished off a wild series with the Blue Jays by holding off Toronto, 7-5 on Sunday, as six of those runs came in the opening inning. Chicago took two of three meetings over the weekend, as the Sox are just 4-7 in their last 11 home contests.
What to watch for: Baltimore beat Chicago two of three times at Camden Yards in late June, which included a late rally against the Sox bullpen in the series opening 6-4 win by the O’s. Chicago owns a 9-3 record in Chris Sale’s 12 starts at U.S. Cellular Field this season, but he dropped his past home outing as a -225 favorite against Texas. The Orioles have cashed the ‘under’ in five consecutive road games, while Baltimore is 4-1 in Bud Norris’ past five away starts.
Reds at Cardinals – 8:15 PM EST
Probable Pitchers:
CIN: Leake (9-11, 3.59 ERA)
STL: Masterson (6-7, 5.58 ERA)
Previous series recap: The Reds split a four-game set with the Rockies at Coors Field, which included Cincinnati squandering a four-run lead in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 10-9 defeat in the opener of a doubleheader. The Cardinals remain at home after grabbing three of four from the feisty Padres, capped off by a 7-6 victory on Sunday as -200 favorites.
What to watch for: St. Louis has compiled a 6-3 record against Cincinnati this season, which includes a 2-1 mark at Busch Stadium. The Reds are 2-5 in Mike Leake’s past seven trips to the mound, but the right-hander did toss eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 triumph at St. Louis in April as a +130 underdog. Since mid-June, the Cardinals have put together a 7-3 record in their past 10 home series openers, while posting an 8-3 mark in their last 11 home contests against division foes.Comment
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WNBA Betting Recap - 8/11-8/17
By Joe Williams
League Betting Notes (from Monday, Aug. 11 through Sunday, Aug. 17)
-- 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.Comment
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