7-1-11

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MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Yankees And Mets Renew Subway Series In Queens
By: Matty Simo



New York Yankees at New York Mets (+110, 9)

The Yankees have beaten the Mets four of the last five matchups.

New York Mets starting pitcher Jonathon Niese has enjoyed more success on the road than at home lately, but he is dealing with a much bigger issue as he is scheduled to pitch at Citi Field on Friday against the New York Yankees in the opener of a three-game series.

Game time is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. (PT) with television coverage provided by the YES network.

Niese (7-6, 3.67 ERA) was forced to leave his last start against Texas on Saturday early due to a rapid heartbeat but passed the tests he needed to in order to be pronounced fit to start against the Yankees. The lanky lefty, who was born the same year the Mets last won a World Series in 1986, had already proclaimed that he would not miss a start and appears to be a man of his word.

Niese pitched 5 2/3 innings against the Rangers last time out, striking out seven while issuing two walks. The only two runs he surrendered came on a pair of solo homers in a 14-5 rout.

Niese has been outstanding over his past eight starts with a 5-2 mark and 2.36 ERA, although the Mets have lost his last two outings at home. He is 3-3 in eight home starts with a 3.26 ERA, but his last three wins have all come on the road.

Meanwhile, the Yankees will also turn to a 24-year-old pitcher who has performed well recently in Ivan Nova (7-4, 4.26). The big righty from the Dominican Republic is unbeaten in his past four starts, going 3-0 during that stretch even though he served up three homers last time out against Colorado.

The Rockies managed three solo shots off Nova, who did not figure into the decision in an eventual 6-4 New York victory. Nova has been fortunate that the Yankees have averaged 8.5 runs in his last four outings. He is 3-2 on the road this season with a 3.31 ERA.

The Yankees have won four of the last five meetings with the Mets, including a 9-3 victory in which Nova started back on May 22. He allowed 11 hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings of work, but Luis Ayala earned the win in relief as the Mets gave up eight runs in the seventh inning.

The ‘over’ has cashed in the last two meetings after the ‘under’ went 7-2 in the previous nine games between the Subway Series rivals. The ‘over’ is also 7-2-1 in the past 10 games Niese has pitched and 4-2-1 in the last seven for Nova.

The weather forecast for Friday calls for sunny skies and temperatures reaching a high in the mid-80s

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HOT LINES

Friday’s Best MLB Bets

New York Yankees at New York Mets (+110, 9)

The New York Mets need to make sure they remember to take their offense with them off the plane when they arrive back in the Big Apple.

The Mets ran into a red-hot Justin Verlander on Thursday, but went crazy with their bats on their recent road trip hitting 14 runs in a couple of outings to up their average to 4.56 runs per game. They’ll need the same kind of output to keep up with the Yankees’ top-ranked attack that puts up 5.33 runs per contest.

At least for now, it doesn’t seem like Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Co. are bothered by persistent trade rumors.

The Mets expect Jon Niese to make his scheduled start after leaving his last outing with a rapid heartbeat and that’s good news to over bettors even though he’s been pretty good lately. The over is 7-2-1 in his last 10 outings.

We’re hoping for some fireworks to get the Subway Series going.

PICK: Over


Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs (+105, N/A)

The Cubs barely have a dog in this fight, having lost nine of their last 12 meetings against their crosstown rivals and that trend doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon.

The Cubs can’t get much together this year. Their offense is terrible, their pitching is spotty at best, and they haven’t been able to take advantage of home-field advantage going 18-24 at Wrigley Field.

They’ll also face Edwin Jackson, who is coming off his best start of the season. He fired seven scoreless innings against Washington while striking out eight and walking just one.

"The only thing I'm trying to improve on is consistency," Jackson told reporters. "That's the main thing."

It certainly is. If he can be half as good as he was the last time out, this line is a steal.

PICK: White Sox

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WNBA NEWS AND NOTES
WNBA: Storm-Sun Preview
By Brett Huston



Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun (-5, 149.5)

The Seattle Storm have won their last two games and got to visit the White House to celebrate their 2010 WNBA title earlier this week, but not everything has been going well for the league’s defending champions.

Hip surgery has put reigning MVP Lauren Jackson’s season in doubt, forcing the Storm to move forward with a big hole in the middle as they visit the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

Averaging 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds through five games, Jackson was hardly the dominant force that got her to third place on the league’s all-time scoring list.

That, however, didn’t lessen the potential impact for the Storm (4-2) when she went down with a torn labrum in her left hip during an 82-77 win at Tulsa on June 21.

After Seattle put the initial timetable on her return at three weeks with rest, Jackson announced Wednesday - the same day her teammates visited with President Barack Obama - she’d have surgery.

She’s expected to miss eight to 12 weeks after Thursday’s procedure. This is the third time in four seasons Jackson will have missed significant time due to injury.

“There are really two things I’m focused on right now,” coach Brian Agler told the Storm’s official website. “One is for her to be healthy. Two is our team, getting better day by day.”

Thanks to some outstanding defense, Seattle passed its first test without Jackson last Friday against Minnesota. Camille Little led the way with 16 points and the Storm held the Ly*x to 30.9 percent shooting in a 65-55 victory.

“It’s something that unfortunately we’ve done before,” Little said of playing without Jackson. “We just wanted to make sure we played well. She’s a great player and no one can take her place so we try to make sure we play well collectively.”

Seattle has a solid track record without her, though. It’s 15-9 in games Jackson has missed since 2008, as opposed to 59-25 with her in the lineup.

Jackson’s teammates play nine of their 12 July games on the road, starting at a place where they’ve never played well. The Storm have lost seven straight road games against the Sun (5-3) since a 67-65 win July 17, 2003.

Connecticut improved to 4-0 at Mohegan Sun Arena with Tuesday’s 79-76 win over Los Angeles.

Looking at Tina Charles’ stat line should be enough to scare Seattle with or without Jackson. The WNBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year had 22 points and a career-high 23 boards for her fifth straight double-double.

“Last year it was more like ‘wow,’” Charles said of tracking her accomplishments. “Now I just want to do whatever my team needs for us to win.”

Jackson missed Seattle’s most recent loss at Connecticut, 88-68 on Aug. 13, as Asjha Jones scored 19 points to lead the Sun. Charles averaged 18.5 points as the teams split the 2010 season series.

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LADY LUCK

Friday's Best WNBA Bets

Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun (-5, 149.5)

Bad news for Storm bettors – reigning MVP Lauren Jackson will be out for 8-12 weeks with the torn labrum in her hip she picked up last week. That could very easily end her season.

That means the club is going to need a lot from Sue Bird and she seems ready to handle the load.

Bird played in Russia during the WNBA offseason and joined the Storm just a few days before the season started, but she leads the club 15.3 points per game.

Even without Jackson, Seattle has some depth and can frustrate teams with its strong defense.

The Storm lead the league allowing only 68.7 points per game and should give the Sun a good run in this spot. Connecticut has dropped each of its last three against the spread.

PICK: Seattle


Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury (-6, 175)

The Mercury have never had many problems handling the Chicago Sky. They have won 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two clubs and have covered in four of the last six – including last weekend’s 86-78 win.

"We were soft," Chicago Pokey Chatman told reporters about last weekend’s game. "We lost the game because we were soft. That sums up a lot."

So does these stats about that matchup: Phoenix outrebounded Chicago 40-29 and buried 28 second-chance points.

Chicago’s only hope here is for Sylvia Fowles to go bananas, but she had 28 points and 11 rebounds in last weekend’s meeting and it still wasn’t enough.

Can’t see much changing on Friday.

PICK: Phoenix

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CFL NEWS AND NOTES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Optimistic Against Hamilton Tiger-Cats
By Dorian McLean



Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Hamilton Tiger-Cats(-9.0, 51.5)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers make their much-anticipated return to the football field Friday night, taking on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The team is currently coming off a 4-14 record, but if you asked around, many players and fans would tell you that a lot of success came last year.

The team had the CFL's No. 1 rusher in Fred Reid, who just signed a contract extension. They had the No. 1 sack leader in Phillip Hunt, who signed with the NFL in the offseason.

Veteran receiver Terrence Edwards was second overall in receiving yards, playing with four quarterbacks, and looks to add another solid year under his belt. And with Buck Pierce back at full health, the possibilities are endless.

Fourth pick overall, receiver Jade Etienne, will make his regular season debut with the Blue and Gold, along with supplemental draft pick Kito Poblah. Sophomore receivers Cory Watson and Greg Carr will both look to make impacts this year with a full season ahead of them.

As for 2010 Rookie of the Year candidate Terence-Jeffers Harris, he will look to use his new build to make him a stronger receiver and become a visible threat downfield. Meanwhile, Fred Reid looks to continue where he left off last season, at the top of the rushing list and looking to find new holes.

Defensively, the Bombers added first overall draft pick Henoc Muamba to their roster, retained the services of Jonathan Hefney and Jovon Johnson,and added new faces such as Jason Vega and Leslie Majors.

And while the team did not make a lot of changes or release many veterans, each player returning will add yet another year to his name, and the club is hoping to build off their experience from last season.

Against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Bombers have not won at Ivor Wynne Stadium since Week 15 of the 2009 season, and were 1-3 against the Cats last year. They only hold one win in Week 1, last year against Hamilton. You’d have to go back to 2003 to find their next Week 1 victory.

On the Hamilton side of the ball, the Cats have not won a Week 1 game since 2004, when they beat the B.C. Lions, and former Bomber quarterback Kevin Glenn has had his own share of troubles with Week 1 games.

The club will be looking forward to ending the long streak and will need to execute at a high level if they want to accomplish this task. Expect the ground game to be executed early, while the ball gets spread out evenly throughout the night.

Jason Vega for the Bombers will have his work cut out for him, replacing Phillip Hunt’s spot at defensive end as he attempts to distract Kevin Glenn. The club feels he is ready and will take the position head-on and keep Glenn on his toes all night.

Kickoff is slated for 5PM CST and will start the road to the grey cup.

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CANADIAN BACON

Friday's Best CFL Bets

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-9.0, 51.5)

As much as Avon Cobourne will be missed by the Alouettes, he will bring a lot to the Tiger-Cats offence with both his explosive runs and his brilliant blocks in pass protection.

The Tiger Cats have a well-balanced offence led by Kevin Glenn, who’s in full control of his skills, while offering one of the stingiest defensive squads, despite the losses of Geoff Tisdale (Calgary) and Bo Smith (retirement). Another key element is Justin Medlock, who’s probably one of the most reliable kickers in the CFL.

The biggest concern for the Blue Bombers will be the health of QB Buck Pierce. As long as he is on the field, Winnipeg will be able to compete with anyone. But the minute he gets injured, and it will happen knowing his history, it will be catastrophic, even if the likes of Huntley, Pile and Eiben can shut down any offence in this league.

PICK: Tiger-Cats 35, Blue Bombers 13


Toronto Argonauts at Calgary Stampeders (-7.5, 51)

The Toronto defense, despite all of its talent, will face a tough test against the Stampeders, especially in Calgary. Henry Burris still has a very impressive group of receivers, starting with Ken-Yon Rambo, Nik Lewis and Romby Bryant.

On the flip side, the Stampeders defense lost two key players during the offseason with the departures of cornerbacks Dwight Anderson (Alouettes) and Brandon Browner (NFL). Can Toronto QB Cleo Lemon take full advantage of this situation? That’s the big question in this game.

The fate of the Argos lies greatly on the arm of Lemon who, so far, has proven capable of good and bad decisions. He does have great weapons at his disposal, starting with exceptional players like Corey Boyd and Chad Owens. Both can also be game changers on special teams.

PICK: Stampeders 31, Argonauts 24

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Friday’s Betting Tips: Prostitution Dings Mexican Side

Who's Hot

MLB: Arizona has won seven of its last nine road games.

MLB: Boston is 82-36 in its last 116 interleague games.

WNBA: San Antonio is 7-1 against the spread to start the season.

Who’s Not

MLB: The Dodgers have won just two of their last nine meetings with the Angels.

MLB: Baltimore is 3-8 in its last 11 meetings with Atlanta.

WNBA: Seattle is 2-7 in its last nine meetings with Connecticut.

Key Stat

19 – Rafael Nadal has won 19 straight matches at Wimbledon and owns a 12-3 record in Grand Slam semifinals as he heads into his matchup with Andy Murray as a -225 favorite. Nadal is also favored to win the tournament at +125.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates – The second baseman, who leads the team with 51 RBIs, sat out Thursday’s game with a sore back and his status for Friday’s game at Washington is uncertain.

Game Of The Day

New York Yankees at New York Mets (+110, 9)

Notable Quotable

“Is Montreal ready to challenge us in this division? I think we’re the team to beat and everybody else feels the same way. If you don’t, you’re wrong.” – Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back Avon Cobourne ahead of his regular-season debut against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night. Hamilton is set as a 8.5-point favorite at home.

Tips And Notes

Mexico’s Copa America side suffered a major loss when news that eight of its players were dropped for alleged involvement with prostitutes at a team hotel. Dos Santos, Israel Jimenez, Nestor Vidrio, David Cabrera, Marco Fabian, Javier Cortes, Jorge Hernandez and Nestor Calderon are said to be the players in hot water and will also face a six-month ban in addition to their tournament ban. “The players confessed,” Hector Gonzalez Inarritu, director of team selection, told reporters. “They are very hurt, very sorry and they have said they are sorry to their fans. They are accepting the consequences.” Mexico opens the tournament Monday against Chile and oddsmakers have taken odds for the game off the board.

Mark Ellis will make his debut with the Colorado Rockies on Friday after being dealt by the Oakland Athletics a day earlier. "They want me in there every day to play second base," Ellis told reporters. "I'll go in there and just be me and go play, go do something to help the team win every day.” Ellis hit .291 last season but is off to a tough start this season with a .217 average before losing his starting job to Jemile Weeks.

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Carolina Sports Connection:

6.5 Units Seattle Mariners -130

8.05 Units Milwaukee Brewers -115

8.4 Units New York Yankees -120

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TMB Sports:

3 Units Tampa Bay -130

3 Units New York Mets +115

3 Units Boston Red Sox -130

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John Harrison

Detroit Tigers -1.5 +170

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Arthur Ralph Sports

667- 505 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one FRI Braves -165

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Phillies Thursday.

Friday it's the Yankees. The deficit is 2454 sirignanos.

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Hondo

The Giants succeded in their mission yesterday, which was to do whatever it takes to lose in Wrigley and deprive Hondo of a payday. Tonight, Mr. Aitch will throw the Metamucil fans a bone and slap the kiss of death on the Yankees -- 10 units on Nova.

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Friday 2 consecutive plus winners

Marlins +155