7-10-11

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MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Sunday Night Baseball: Mets at Giants
By Colin Kelly



New York Mets at San Francisco Giants (-160, 7)

Sunday’s primetime matchup features the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants and the NL Wildcard-chasing New York Mets in a showdown of two postseason-capable squads.

JOSE CAN’T YOU SEE

While ESPN has to be pleased about the matchup of two elite teams, it would probably be more excited if Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was on the diamond. Reyes, arguably the first-half National League MVP, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring strain on July 3.

If the Mets are missing his league-leading numbers, like a .354 batting average or a ridiculous 13 triples and 30 stolen bases, they aren’t showing it. New York is 5-1 with Reyes out of the lineup, including a 5-2 win at San Francisco in the opener of this three-game series. The Mets tagged All-Star closer Brian Wilson for a pair of runs in the decisive ninth inning.

METLIFE INSURANCE

The Reyes injury is not the only one the Mets have been dealing with. Two of their starting corner infielders, third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis, have been out since mid May. Wright is one of the cornerstones of the franchise and Davis is a great role player, but New York has hardly skipped a bit without the pair. The Mets are 27-22 with Wright out of the lineup and 30-23 with Davis out.

CAIN IS ABLE

San Francisco’s starter Sunday night is Matt Cain, who was tagged for five earned runs in an uncharacteristic outing against San Diego last time out. It was the fourth consecutive outing Cain lasted exactly seven innings.

He allowed seven hits and one walk in a 5-3 loss at home. The good news for the Giants is that Cain has been superb in bouncing back from rough outings. On May 29, after allowing five earned runs in a loss, Cain rebounded with back-to-back wins, allowing a combined two earned runs in 16 innings.

After allowing five earned runs on June 14, Cain went on a tear, allowing only one run in 21 innings of work. Then came his struggles against San Diego. Look for another bounce-back performance from Cain (7-5, 3.22 ERA) Sunday.

OFFENSE IS OFFENSIVE

The fact that the Giants remain atop their division is a testament to their excellent pitching and defense. When it comes to offense, though, the Giants are downright offensive.

They rank in the bottom third in all meaningful batting statistics, including runs per game (3.61, 27th in the league) and team batting average (.242, 25th in the league). You know your team has issues when Aubrey Huff and Pablo Sandoval are leading it in home runs with eight.

Amazingly, Miguel Tejada and his .240 BA leads the team among hitters with a minimum 279 plate appearances.

SO WE MET AGAIN

This is the second series between the two teams. In early May, the Giants took two of three from the Mets. The lone Mets win came in the series finale - a 5-2 decision with Michael Pelfrey on the bump. Pelfrey gets the nod Sunday night. In the meeting in May, Pelfrey went 7 2-3 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks.

NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS

As far as styles, the Mets and Giants couldn’t contrast more. Heading into Saturday, the Mets averaged 4.45 runs a game and allowed 4.28 runs a game. Compare that to the Giants, 3.61 runs for and 3.54 runs against. Put the Mets on the road and keep the Giants at home and the difference grows. On the road, the Mets score 4.75 runs a game and allow 4.37, while the Giants can only muster 2.86 runs a game at home while allowing 3.21 runs.

It’s no surprise that the over is 48-37-4 in Mets games and 35-49-6 in Giants games.

The Mets are 6-1 in the last seven games against the NL West and Pelfrey is 4-1 in his last five starts against the Giants, but has lost 10 of his last 11 road starts versus a team with a winning record.

The Giants are 8-3 in their last 11 against teams with winning records and Cain has won four of his last five home starts against winning teams.

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Sunday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees (12-4, 2.90 ERA)

How a talent like Sabathia was snubbed by the AL All-Star squad is beyond us – and most level-headed baseball bettors. For those handicappers who love them some extra motivation, Sabathia can prove he belongs in Arizona with another stellar outing Sunday. He’s won five straight starts and has only one loss in his last 10 trips to the bump. He’s been especially sharp in his last three outings, boasting a 0.40 ERA over 22 2-3 innings of work. The hefty lefty is 8-3 with a career 3.24 ERA versus the Rays.

Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels (9-5, 2.65 ERA)

The Halos push in the AL West has a lot to do with Haren’s current form. He’s 4-1 in his last five starts, winning three straight heading into the weekend. Over that three-game span, the right-hander has posted a 1.21 ERA, 18 strikeouts and just two walks. His most recent performance was a complete-game shutout against the Tigers in which he allowed two hits and fanned nine batters.


SLUMPING

Jeff Francis, Kansas City Royals (3-9, 4.69 ERA)

Francis isn’t adjusting well to life in the American League. The former Rockies starter is winless in his last four games, going 0-3 with a no-decision in his most recent start. Francis hasn’t been terrible, allowing just eight total runs in the past three games, but he’s received little run support or backup from the bullpen.

Ted Lilly, Los Angeles Dodgers (5-9, 4.94 ERA)

The Dodgers left-hander is 0-4 in his last four outings and has pitched into the sixth inning in only one of those starts. Lilly’s last start, which lasted six innings, came on extended rest due to elbow soreness. He’s been especially crappy at home, with a 3-6 mark and an ERA north of 5.00. He is, however, 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA versus the Padres over his career.

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HOT LINES

Sunday's Best MLB Bets

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels (-140, 6)

Aces hook up in Anaheim, with Seattle's Felix Hernandez (8-7, 3.22 ERA) facing Los Angeles' Dan Haren (9-5, 2.65 ERA).

Their overall numbers don't begin to tell the story. Haren has won back-to-back 1-0 games, allowing a total of five baserunners over 16 1-3 innings. He has a 1.80 ERA at home, where batters are hitting .162 against him.

Hernandez has struck out 134 batters in 137 innings and is holding hitters to a .229 average.

The Under is 12-2-2 in Haren's last 16 home starts, and 10-4-3 in Hernandez's last 17 road starts against winning teams.

Heading into Saturday, the teams had combined for 36 runs in seven previous meetings this season, an average of 5.1 runs.

PICK: Under


Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (-160, 7.5)

Rays starter James Shields is having a huge comeback season, but he has a very poor history against the Yankees. The Bombers have won 12 of Shields' last 16 starts against them, including a 6-2 victory on May 17.

New York also has won nine of CC Sabathia's last 10 starts. He's been virtually untouchable in his last three starts, allowing one run over 22 2-3 innings. Lifetime against Tampa Bay, he's 8-5 with a 3.24 ERA.

Sabathia says he's not bothered by his All-Star snub, but he's pitching as if he wants to prove a point. It wouldn't be wise to get in his way right now. He leads the AL with 12 wins and ranks near the top in several other categories.

The price on the Yanks is a bit steep, so shop around. Some books have had New York as low as -150.

PICK: Yankees

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LADY LUCK

Sunday's Best WNBA Bets

Chicago Sky at New York Liberty (-5.5, 152.5)

The host Liberty have won two straight and four of five. They're on a 5-0-1 ATS run.

New York's Cappie Pondexter ranks fourth in the league in scoring (18.5) and is coming off a brilliant 20-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist performance in the Liberty's 76-73 win in San Antonio on Friday. Pondexter will be looking to atone for the 4-of-16 shooting display she put on in New York's first meeting with Chicago, an 85-73 Sky win at home on June 17.

The Sky had dropped three straight, all by at least eight points, until bouncing back for a 78-65 win over Washington last Tuesday. Sylvia Fowles, the team's 6-6 center, poured in 34 points to go with 16 rebounds and now leads the WNBA at 21.9 points per game.

But Chicago had to play Atlanta on Saturday night before flying to New York, where the Liberty were waiting and resting.

PICK: New York


Tulsa Shock at Phoenix Mercury (-14, 182)

Nolan Richardson is a legend in Tulsa, where his coaching career took off.

But his style did not translate to the WNBA, and he resigned as Shock head coach after Friday's 86-78 home loss to Phoenix. When the teams meet again in Phoenix on Sunday, Shock assistant Teresa Edwards will be in charge.

Edwards, an Olympic gold medalist, will enter the basketball hall of fame next month. She's admired and respected by her players, who are sure to play extremely hard.

The Shock might be 1-10, but there is talent in Liz Cambage, Kayla Pedersen and Tiffany Jackson.

Tulsa is 6-5 ATS, just behind Phoenix's 7-4 ATS mark. The Shock, who just proved they can hang with the Mercury, should put forth an inspired effort.

PICK: Tulsa

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AFL NEWS AND NOTES
AFL Betting Preview: Rattlers-Power
By KYLE DeRIEMER



Arizona Rattlers at Pittsburgh Power (N/A)

The rough weeks keep on coming for Pittsburgh. A team that surprised everyone in their first season is coming up against tough game after tough game towards the end of the 2011 season.

After losing to Orlando last week, they now have Arizona this week and Cleveland next week. They end on Philadelphia, which despite their record, is going to be a tough game because it is a divisional game and the Power have already lost to them once.

Special teams killed the Power against Orlando and were the main reason they couldn’t pull out the win. Two times in a row, the Predators pulled in a touchdown off the net after a kickoff. They are going to need to figure a lot of things out in order to go up against the Rattlers.

“Arizona is a very solid team. We will have to play our best game to beat them,” Power Head Coach Chris Siegfried said.

Siegfried was not in the most talkative mood this week as he is completely down to business. With his team now in second in the Eastern Division and just three games left, he needs to figure out a way to get them back into the playoffs.

In no way is Pittsburgh out of the playoff scene. They are ready to take the field for every game from here till the end and do whatever it takes to win. They may have a tough schedule ahead of them; however, they are not the team to sleep on.

Watch this game on AFL Live Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh will be doing everything in their “Power” to do what only two teams have done this season: beat the Arizona Rattlers. This is going to be a good one folks!

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THE VOICE

Sunday's Best AFL Bet

Arizona Rattlers at Pittsburgh Power (N/A)

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

That cliche has been used for a long time when describing sports, and the Pittsburgh Power hope to do it this Sunday night when the league's top team, the Arizona Rattlers, comes to the Consol Energy Center.

Pittsburgh remains in the thick of the East Division title hunt and control their own destiny. A win this week over Arizona means the Power could clinch the title next week in Cleveland. Things got a little easier for the Power by virtue of the stunning win by the Philadelphia Soul Friday night over the Cleveland Gladiators.

Pittsburgh saw their own Friday Night heartache last week in a 62-54 loss to the Orlando Predators. Pittsburgh saw a 40-20 lead evaporate thanks to four unanswered touchdowns by Orlando, two of which were an AFL record two consecutive net recovery touchdowns on special teams.

Bernard Morris returned to the lineup and provided a spark to the Power offense and he will need to be on top of his game as the Power take on the 3rd best scoring defense in the AFL.

The Power offense continues to spread the ball around a group of talented receivers rather than focus on one of two primary targets. No Power receiver ranks near the top of any of the receiving categories. Mike "Joystick" Washington has been quiet the past few weeks, but this has allowed players like DJ Hall, Lonnell DeWalt and Irving Campbell to step up and perform well.

Arizona is not only strong on defense, they are also the second ranked scoring offense in the league.

Nick Davila is a strong MVP candidate, ranking in the top five in passing yardage (4449), touchdowns (101 TD), QB rating (127.88), and completion percentage (71.1%). He's also thrown just 10 interceptions on the season, the lowest amongst full time starters this year.

The Rattlers feature NFL level receiver Rod Windsor who has been terrorizing AFL secondaries all season. He has 151 catches for 1800 yards and 34 TD's. They also hope to get Trandon Harvey back from injured reserve this week. He's caught 95 catches for 1156 yards and 29 TD's despite missing a month of the season.

If their receiving corps weren't deep enough, it was announced this week that Arizona had signed AFL legend Chris Jackson who is nine catches short of 1000 for his career. The 10 year AFL vet has 13206 yards and 318 TD's in his career.

The Rattler defense features two defensive backs in the top 10 in interceptions. Marquis Floyd (9 INT) and Vince Hill (8 INT) make it very difficult for opposing offenses to develop a rhythm. They are also a big part of why Arizona leads the league in turnover margin (+28)

Arizona has a decided advantage on special teams, with Virgil Gray ranked 4th in return yards with 1393 yards and he has run six kickoffs back for touchdowns, tops in the league. They also have the leagues best extra point kicker in Fabrizio Scaccia who is converting at a 90.3% clip.

Pittsburgh's best return man Jerome Mathis remains on IR, and his replacement Jason Willis had trouble fielding the kicks last week that doomed the Power. Look for changes in who lines up deep for the Power. Paul Edinger continues to struggle making his extrra points and any losgt points against the Rattlers could prove fatal.

Overall, the Power have been playing better ball the last two weeks on defense, but this matchup will be very difficult for them. Josh lay needs to continue his strong play of late (2 interceptions in the last two games) and Lonnell DeWalt's strong Ironman play is a necessity on both sides of the ball.

This is a golden opportunity for the Power to grab the division reigns again, unfortunately I think the Rattlers have too much firepower.

I hope I am wrong.

PICK: Arizona 70, Pittsburgh 56

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Sunday's Betting Tips: Halos' Haren Looks Unstoppable

Weather To Watch

New York Mets at San Francisco Giants – A 13 mile-per-hour wind is forecast to be blowing out to straightaway center at AT&T Park. Skies will be sunny, with temperatures in the high 50s.

Who’s Hot

MLB: The Under is 12-2-2 in Angels pitcher Dan Haren’s last 16 home starts.

MLB: The Under is 8-1-1 in Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Maholm’s last 10 home starts.

WNBA: The New York Liberty are 5-0-1 ATS in its last six games.

Who’s Not

MLB: The Over is 3-11 in umpire Gary Darling’s last 14 games calling balls and strikes. He’ll call Cincinnati-Milwaukee on Sunday.

MLB: The Marlins are 2-6 in Chris Volstad’s last eight home starts.

WNBA: The Tulsa Shock are 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games against winning teams.

Injury Not To Be Overlooked

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (.295, 13 HR, 52 RBIs) did not play Saturday against the Rays due to a slight meniscus tear in his right knee. Manager Joe Girardi said A-Rod could miss a month if he decides to have surgery. That decision could come Sunday. “It’s a big part of your lineup,” Girardi said. “It’s a productive piece, it’s a guy that’s hit .300 that has home run capabilities, but if he decides to have surgery then we have to get through it, that’s all.”

Key Stat

46 – That’s how many RBIs third baseman Chipper Jones has delivered for the Braves, second-most behind catcher Brian McCann. Jones underwent surgery Saturday to fix a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The 39-year-old will be out two to three weeks.

Game Of The Day

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (-173, 7)
It’s Cole Hamels vs. Derek Lowe in the series finale matching NL East leaders.

Notable Quotable

"We're very similar. They're younger than us, but as far as big potential, they have some young hitters that have a chance to be very good. They've got depth in their bullpen. They can come at you.” – Phillies manager Charlie Manuel on the second-place Braves.

Tips And Notes

The U.S. women play Brazil in Sunday’s World Cup quarterfinals in Germany, with the Brazilians favored to advance. betonline.com pegs the Brazilians at -145 to advance, with the U.S. set at +115. That includes extra time and penalty shots. The total for regulation goals is set at 2.5, with the Under at -125 and the Over at +105.

Umpire Phil Cuzzi will be behind the plate when Detroit visits Kansas City on Sunday. The Under is 20-8-6 in Cuzzi’s last 34 games calling balls and strikes, and the home team is 21-8 in Cuzzi’s last 29 behind the plate.

The Dodgers had lost 1501 units for their backers heading into Saturday’s game, the fifth-worst performance in MLB. And the circus surrounding the team continues. The Dodgers fired legend Steve Garvey from their marketing and community-relations departments, perhaps in response to his comment stating he’d like to be part of a group to buy the club if owner Frank McCourt is forced to sell. McCourt has steered the club into bankruptcy but is trying to retain control of the franchise. Speculation abounds that MLB soon will try to take over the team and sell it.

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Today's MLB Picks
Minnesota at Chicago White Sox

The Twins look to build on their 8-2 record in their last 10 games in Game 4 of a series. Minnesota is the pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Twins favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+150). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 10
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Houston at Florida (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 14.564; Florida (Volstad) 14.265
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+105); Under

Game 953-954: Atlanta at Philadelphia (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 15.012; Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.529
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-170); Over

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Ortiz) 15.268; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.955
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); Over

Game 957-958: Colorado at Washington (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chacin) 14.487; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.287
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-140); Under

Game 959-960: Cincinnati at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Willis) 15.672; Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.436
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+120); Under

Game 961-962: Arizona at St. Louis (2:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Duke) 14.816; St. Louis (Garcia) 15.720
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-185); Over

Game 963-964: San Diego at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 16.083; LA Dodgers (Lilly) 15.224
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100); Over

Game 965-966: NY Mets at San Francisco (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.054; San Francisco (Cain) 16.484
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-160); Under

Game 967-968: Toronto at Cleveland (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Cecil) 16.099; Cleveland (Carrasco) 15.522
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+110); Under

Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.828; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 17.300
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-165); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-165); Over

Game 971-972: Baltimore at Boston (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Atkins) 12.524; Boston (Weiland) 16.189
Dunkel Line: Boston by 3 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-160); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-160); Under

Game 973-974: Detroit at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.123; Kansas City (Francis) 15.608
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+160); Over

Game 975-976: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Swarzak) 15.200; White Sox (Peavy) 14.263
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+150); Over

Game 977-978: Oakland at Texas (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Cahill) 15.349; Texas (Harrison) 14.840
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+125); Under

Game 979-980: Seattle at LA Angels (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.719; LA Angels (Haren) 15.494
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+110); Over

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WNBA Basketball Picks
Chicago at New York

The Liberty look to build on their 5-0-1 ATS record in their last 6 games overall. New York is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Liberty favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: New York (-5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 10
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST

Game : Chicago at New York (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 108.658; New York 115.590
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 7; 147
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 5 1/2; 151 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (-5 1/2); Under

Game : Tulsa at Phoenix (6:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 102.555; Phoenix 116.593
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 14; 184
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 14 1/2; 180 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+14 1/2); Over

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Arthur Ralph Sports

673- 509 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one Sun Over 10 Red Sox/Balt over the total !

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Hondo

It was another double-wipeout for Hondo last night as he went draino with the Padres and Orioles to boost the NRN (nasty red number) to 1,800 goltzes.

Today, he will close out the front nine by swinging at the deficit with the Giants and Twins -- 10 units apiece on Cain and Swarzak.

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Sunday

Angels -135

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Baseball Crusher

Play of the Day:
Rangers -150 over Athletics

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Soccer Crusher

Play of the Day:
AtleticoMG + AmericaMG OVER 2.5
This match is happening in Brazil