7-16-11

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Today's CFL Picks

SATURDAY, JULY 16
Time Posted: 7:30 p.m. EST (7/12)

Game 495-496: Saskatchewan at Hamilton (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Saskatchewan 110.504; Hamilton 110.244
Dunkel Line: Even; 46
Vegas Line: Hamilton by 2 1/2; 51 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+2 1/2); Under

Game 497-498: BC at Edmonton (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 111.976; Edmonton 117.710
Dunkel Line: Edmonton by 5 1/2; 58
Vegas Line: Edmonton by 2 1/2; 54 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-2 1/2); Over

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CFL NEWS AND NOTES
CFL: Roughriders-Tiger Cats Betting Preview
By Mike Gantor



Saskatchewan Roughriders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-2.5, 51.5)

TICATS

* The Ticats will be without Arland Bruce this week as he sits out with a knee injury. His spot in the starting lineup will be taken by Marquay Daniels who has not played since the pre-season.

* Rookie left tackle Brian Simmons has joined the injured list with veteran Belton Johnson moving back into the spot he lost to the young Simmons in training camp.

* With rookie wideout Aaron Kelly still about a week away after suffering a concussion in the season-opener, wideout Chris Williams retains a starting spot with Bakari Grant, a guy who Kelly just beat out for a spot on the roster in training camp, dressing to back Williams up.

ROUGHRIDERS

* Veteran Chris Getzlaf was unable to practise early in the week but did take part in drills Thursday and will start for the Roughriders at wideout. Had Getzlaf been unable to go, the Riders would have had some ratio issues.

* Safety James Patrick will be on the roster but is unexpected to play due to a leg injury. Western Ontario alum Craig Butler will start at safety in his place

* There were concerns that halfback Lance Frazier might not be able to play but he has overcome the bruised leg that kept him out of practice Tuesday and will start.

TICAT TO WATCH

Kevin Glenn needs to get on the same page with his receivers this week. It’s not all Glenn’s fault but as the quarterback he is the one who is getting the bulk of the blame. Offensive coordinator Khari Jones has once again tweaked his offence in order to make it easier for his players to execute it. It’s the second week in a row he has done that so if this unit doesn’t produce this week, look for more substantial personnel moves in the coming weeks.

RIDER TO WATCH

With no Rob Bagg (injured), no Andy Fantuz (signed with the Chicago Bears) and no Cary Koch (injured), the Riders receiving corps isn’t what it once was, but Weston Dressler is still with the Riders and that might be enough. Dressler caught seven passes for 139 yards and the game-winning touchdown when these two teams hooked up at Ivor Wynne last September. Darian Durant is still getting acclimated with some of his newer receivers but Dressler and Chris Getzlaf already have a tight bond with their QB.

TURF BITS

A year ago Darian Durant was renewing acquaintances with Stevie Baggs. Saturday he will have former teammates Baggs and Renauld Williams to contend with. Williams signed with Hamilton as a free agent this past off season and now sits in the middle of a Ticats linebacking trio that includes Markeith Knowlton and Jamall Johnson. Williams and Johnson are first and third in the league in tackles with 15 and 13 respectively while Baggs has two sacks already this year ... The 0-2 start by the Riders is the slowest they’ve been out of the gate since 2004. The Tabbies aren’t quite so unaccustomed to the 0-2 blues, having started the same way a year ago. Hamilton fans can take solace in the fact the Ticats went on to win Game 3 last season, defeating Winnipeg 28-17 in Hamilton ... Glenn and the Roughriders have seen plenty of each other in the 11 years Glenn has been in the league. Outside of the Montreal Alouettes who have beaten Glenn-led teams 10 times in his career, the nine wins by the Roughriders against Glenn are the most by any CFL member ... Riders running back Wes Cates needs 25 yards to become Saskatchewan’s second all-time leading rusher behind George Reed. Mike Saunders currently holds the No. 2 spot.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

* Greg Marshall made his name stopping offences in the CFL. But as a head coach in Saskatchewan his defence has given up over 40 points a game in the opening two contests of the season. Marshall won’t let this continue.

* No Arland Bruce means an opportunity for Marquay McDaniels who has been a forgotten man until this week in Khari Jones’ new Hamilton offence. McDaniels looked good in practice this week and should get an opportunity to prove himself.

* Avon Cobourne was the big ticket free agent brought in to put Hamilton’s offence over the top. So far he has combined receiving and rushing yardage of 111 yards and 73 yards respectively, in his first two games. Still waiting for him to bust out.

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CANADIAN BACON

Saturday's Best CFL Bets

Saskatchewan Roughriders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-2.5, 51.5)

Here are two teams that have potential but found ways to lose their first two games of 2011. In the case of the Riders, both losses were inflicted in front of their diehard fans at Mosaic Field in Regina.

Of course, these Roughriders lost a few key players (namely Andy Fantusz) but have had the Tiger-Cats’ number in recent history, winning with comfortable margins in both of their showdowns last year. In fact, Saskatchewan has emerged the winner in nine of its last 10 meetings with Hamilton.

Bettors can expect a high-scoring game since the over has paid in nine of the last 12 contests between these squads. The over 51.5 is probably the safest bet for this one, even if Saskatchewan will probably leave Hamilton with its first win of the year.

PICK: Saskatchewan


B.C. Lions at Edmonton Eskimos (-2.5, 54)

The Eskimos won their first two games of the season, despite having 21 new players in their 42-man roster. Last year, Edmonton beat B.C. in two of their three matchups.

The injury to DB Stanley Franks last week will weaken the Lions defense. Edmonton WR Fred Stamps has been really hot, with 212 yards on only 10 catches. The Eskimos defense gave up just 10 points against the Tiger-Cats last week. The previous week, it forced four turnovers in a win over the Riders in Regina.

Like the Stampeders, the Lions lost their first two games of the year and are already in a must-win situation. Fortunately for Wally Buono’s men, the Eskimos are depleted by injuries on both offense and defense. Running back Arkee Whitlock is out this week and so are LB Rod Davis and DT Etienne Legare.

PICK: BC

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WNBA Basketball Picks
Chicago at Atlanta

The Sky look to build on their 4-0 ATS record in their last 4 games against a team with a losing SU record. Chicago is the pick (+5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Sky favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JULY 16
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 601-602: Chicago at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 111.337; Atlanta 110.814
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 152
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 5 1/2; 157
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+5 1/2); Under

Game 603-604: Seattle at Minnesota (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 111.243; Minnesota 121.240
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 10; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 4; 149
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-4); Over

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WNBA NEWS AND NOTES
WNBA: Sky-Dream Betting Preview
By Jeff Bartl



Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream (-3.5, 158)

Sancho Lyttle’s sore back has delayed her return to the Atlanta Dream. With the Chicago Sky’s Sylvia Fowles dominating of late, it may not matter who tries to stop her.

Chicago seeks its fourth win in five games when it travels to Atlanta on Saturday night.

Fowles, the WNBA’s leading scorer averaging 20.4 points, netted 21 as the Sky (7-7) beat Tulsa 72-54 on Wednesday. The 6-foot-6 center added 13 rebounds, boosting her average to 9.8 - good for third in the league.

Fowles scored 21 points in a 71-68 loss at Atlanta on June 21, but she was held to 10 points with 12 rebounds in an 81-69 home win over the Dream last Saturday.

No matter that last performance, coach Pokey Chatman said Fowles will most always be the No. 1 offensive option.

“You know, sometimes you have to play through Sylvia,” Chatman said after Wednesday’s win. “That doesn’t mean pound the ball in there when there is five people on her. Sometimes it means reverse the ball to get the shooters wide open.

“I like how we got some deflections in the transition. And I like that we involved the entire bench to get some looks, especially going into Atlanta.”

If Lyttle returns, she’ll provide an inside presence for the Dream (3-9) to help slow Fowles. Lyttle hasn’t played since June 14, leaving to play for Spain in an international tournament. The 6-4 forward was on the bench but did not play in a 91-69 road loss to New York on Wednesday.

Regardless of Lyttle’s status, the Dream likely will need the same consistent play from Angel McCoughtry.

McCoughtry, averaging 15.5 points, was voted by the fans to start the upcoming All-Star game. She scored 17 points in the last meeting with the Sky, helping stake the Dream to a 22-10 first-quarter lead before Chicago rallied.

McCoughtry led Atlanta with 17 points Wednesday, while veteran guard Coco Miller added 15. Center Erika de Souza was held to five points.

Atlanta has lost six of eight.

“I hope we can get back on the winning track,” coach Marynell Meadors said. “We struggled, we didn’t play well at all (Wednesday) and we didn’t defend well. Those are the things we have to have. We have to come out with more intensity and more effort.”

Sky guard Epiphanny Prince scored 24 points last weekend against Atlanta and is averaging 16.6. However, Prince’s defense may be her main strength, as she’s leading the league averaging 3.1 steals after getting five more Wednesday.

“I am always aggressive in the help side,” she said. “My teammates get their hands on a lot of balls and if I can get my hand on it, I always try to pursue the steal.”

Chicago had won the previous five meetings in Atlanta before June’s loss. Prince scored only 10 points but added four steals.

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LADY LUCK

Saturday's Best WNBA Bets

Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream (-3.5, 158)

It’s safe to say the Atlanta Dream are suffering from a severe WNBA Finals hangover. A year after getting swept by the Seattle Storm in the finals, the Dream are struggling to find last season’s form and are just 3-9 to start the 2011 campaign.

Atlanta is coming off back-to-back road losses to the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty, failing to cover in each contest and dropping to a dismal 1-10-1 against the spread this summer. Scoring has been the main issue, putting up only 69 points in both those road defeats. That output is almost 10 points below the Dream’s season average.

Against Chicago last Saturday, they shot 38.4 percent from the field, were 1 for 7 from the 3-point line and coughed the ball up 24 times. Atlanta followed that with another terrible night versus the Liberty on Wednesday, shooting 40.6 percent, going 0 for 7 from beyond the arc and turning the ball over 18 times.

Chicago, on the other hand, has won three of its last four contests, including the 81-69 victory over Atlanta, improving to 8-6 ATS on the year with a 3-1 mark against the spread in that span. The Sky have won seven of the past 10 head-to-head contests with the Dream, posting an 8-2 ATS record and have covered in each of the teams’ last three meetings.

PICK: Chicago


Seattle Storm at Minnesota Ly*x (-6, 149)

For a team missing the league’s best player, the Storm have done pretty well.

Seattle, which is without center Lauren Jackson until at least the postseason, is treading water in the Western Conference, going 4-3 since the MVP opted for hip surgery earlier this month.

Even more impressive is the Storm’s fight against the spread, covering in four of those seven contests, including Thursday’s 69-66 loss to the San Antonio Silver Stars as 5-point road underdogs. Seattle fought the Silver Stars hard, with seven lead changes and five ties in the fourth quarter.

"We were in a gray area about what we should do in certain situations," Storm forward Le'coe Willingham told the Seattle Times. "A little bit of it is playing a team for the first time, but the game was right there in our grasp and we let it slip away."

Oddsmakers are once again undervaluing the fight in Seattle’s lineup Saturday. Books have pegged the reigning WNBA champs as 6-point pups in Minnesota, taking on a Ly*x squad that played in Indiana Friday night.

PICK: Seattle

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Saturday's Betting Tips: Kaymer Now Favored At British Open

Weather Watch

After two days of relatively tame conditions, more traditional British Open weather is expected to move into Sandwich, England today. An 80 percent chance of rain with winds gusting to 30 mph is forecast throughout today’s third round and unquestionably will play havoc on the field.

Who’s Hot

MLB: Opponents are hitting just .196 off Angels’ Game 1 starter Jered Weaver since June 8. Weaver has a miniscule 1.32 ERA during that stretch.

MLB: Angels Game 2 starter Ervin Santana is 13-3 with a 1.97 ERA against the A’s.

CFL: BC Lions are 4-0 in their last four games in Week 3.

Who’s Not

CFL: Hamilton Tiger-Cats are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games against Saskatchewan.

MLB: Red Sox starter John Lackey has an 8.66 ERA since May, but did throw six shutout innings in his last start, albeit against the Orioles.

WNBA: The Dream are 1-10-1 ATS this season.

Quote To Note

“One of the things I'm looking forward to is actually the bad weather. I hope it comes in." – Phil Mickelson, who is 1-under, three off the lead.

Injury To Note

Carlos Zambrano comes off the disabled list and is scheduled to start today against the Marlins. Before going on the DL with a back strain, Zambrano had surrendered five runs in his last 15 innings. He is 5-1 with a 3.01 ERA in 13 career games (11 starts) against the Marlins.

Game Of The Day

St. Louis Cardinals (-121) at Cincinnati Reds

Betting Tips

Lucas Glover and Darren Clarke share the lead at the Open Championship at 4-under-par. But oddmakers expect Glover and Clarke to fail.

Martin Kaymer heads into today’s third round as the betting favorite. Kaymer (-650), the reigning PGA Championship champion, is at 3-under, one shot off the lead. Rory McIlroy, the pre-tournament favorite, is four shots back but is the second favorite at +800.

Saskatchewan has a tendency to get involved in low scoring games on the road. The under is 56-26-1 in the Roughriders’ last 83 road games.

The Cardinals have dominated the Reds with Chris Carpenter on the mound. St. Louis is 11-2 in its last 13 games against the Reds with Carpenter on the hill.

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Today's MLB Picks
San Francisco at San Diego

The Giants look to follow up their 6-1 win last night and build on their 7-2 record in their last 9 games after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game. San Francisco is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+110). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JULY 16
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 901-902: Florida at Chicago Cubs (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Vazquez) 15.496; Cubs (Zambrano) 14.703
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); N/A

Game 902-904: Philadelphia at NY Mets (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.707; NY Mets (Niese) 15.211
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-145); Under

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at Houston (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.853; Houston (Norris) 13.463
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 2 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Houston (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+100); Under

Game 907-908: St. Louis at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.801; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.707
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-120); Over

Game 909-910: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 14.156; Atlanta (Hanson) 15.759
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-180); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-180); Under

Game 911-912: Milwaukee at Colorado (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Greinke) 14.626; Colorado (Chacin) 14.169
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+100); Over

Game 913-914: LA Dodgers at Arizona (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 14.624; Arizona (Kennedy) 15.423
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Arizona (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-130); Under

Game 915-916: San Francisco at San Diego (8:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 16.266; San Diego (Luebke) 14.358
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 2; 7
Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+110); Over

Game 917-918: NY Yankees at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 15.620; Toronto (Romero) 17.475
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 2; 7
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+130); Under

Game 919-920: LA Angels at Oakland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 15.937; Oakland (Cahill) 14.858
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 6
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-120); Over

Game 921-922: LA Angels at Oakland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.841; Oakland (Harden) 14.762
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Oakland (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-110); Under

Game 923-924: Boston at Tampa Bay (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lackey) 15.766; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.862
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-140); Over

Game 925-926: Chicago White Sox at Detroit (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Jackson) 15.873; Detroit (Scherzer) 15.531
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+135); Over

Game 927-928: Cleveland at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carrasco) 15.047; Baltimore (Simon) 12.692
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-115); Under

Game 929-930: Kansas City at Minnesota (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Francis) 15.277; Minnesota (Pavano) 16.513
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-135); Over

Game 931-932: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 16.496; Seattle (Hernandez) 13.912
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2 1/2; 5
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 6
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-105); Under

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MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Phillies At New York Mets MLB Betting Preview
By: Adam Markowitz



Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets (+127, 7)

National League East rivals lock horns in the Big Apple this weekend for a crucial series, as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the New York Mets. Saturday's clash will be the middle game of this set at Citi Field, and we have all of the MLB betting festivities covered.

This battle will get started at 1:10 p.m. (PT), and there will be regional television coverage on FOX.

The Mets are already looking like sellers as we near the trading deadline, as they shipped out closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers during th all-star break. The good news is that three of the club's top infielders – Jose Reyes, Ike Davis and David Wright – could all be coming back from injuries and be in lineup by Saturday.

New York enters Friday 11 games behind the Phils for the top spot in the NL East standings, and the distance to catch the Atlanta Braves for the NL Wild Card slot is 7 ½ games. That makes this series a "must sweep" for the Mets if they have any real shot for the postseason.

Jon Niese is going to get the call to head to the mound on Saturday afternoon. He pitched well in his last outing against the Phils, allowing just one unearned run in 6 1/3 innings in a 9-5 win here in the Big Apple. The southpaw has done relatively well for the season, going 8-7 with a 3.88 ERA.

Niese has only had one start since May 12 in which he allowed more than three earned runs, and he is definitely one of the main reasons why New York has stayed right around the .500 mark. One of his worst starts was also against these Phillies, though, when he allowed six runs in four frames and got the 'L' in an 11-0 defeat in April.

It wasn't all that long ago that Cole Hamels was thought of as the ace of the Philadelphia staff. Obviously with Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in town, the southpaw can relax just a bit. However, 2011 is a year in which he is gunning for the best stats of his career.

Hamels is 11-4 with a 2.32 ERA. He is only four wins short of his career high from 2007, and his ERA is 0.66 lower than it was last year when he posted a career high 3.06. This is the first time that his WHIP is below 1.00 in his career, and his .207 batting average against is 20 points better than he has ever seen.

The Mets have always been a tough matchup for Hamels, though. He is just 3-9 with a 4.22 ERA in his 15 starts against New York, but he did pick up the 'W' in a May 28 game at Citi Field.

Over the course of his last two starts, the Phils have given Hamels a total of 28 runs of support. Those two games mark the fourth time since May 23 in which the lefty has gotten at least nine runs of help from his lineup.

Philly enters this series having won 20 of its last 28 games. The Phils also lead the season series 6-3, including taking two out of three in Flushing in May.

Expect a hot one with minimal chance of inclement weather in the Empire State on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to be in the high-80s with relatively light winds out of the west at less than 10 mph.

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Saturday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (13-4, 2.72 ERA)

The Yankees’ hefty lefty has thrust himself to the front of the AL Cy Young race with his recent performances. Sabathia is 9-1 in his last 10 and carries a six-game winning streak into the weekend. Even more impressive is the southpaw’s scoreless streak, which has lasted 23 2-2 innings. In his most recent start, Sabathia gave up only four hits while striking out nine batters in a complete-game shutout of the Rays.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels (11-4, 1.86 ERA)

Perhaps Sabathia’s closest competition for the AL Cy Young is the Halos’ red-hot righty. Weaver got the starting nod for the American League in this week’s All-Star Game and is unbeaten in his last nine appearances, going 5-0 with a 1.27 ERA. Before the break, he limited the Mariners to just one run on six hits while sitting down six batters over nine innings of work.



SLUMPING

Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians (8-6, 4.28 ERA)

Carrasco fell on his face to end the first half of the season, giving up 11 earned runs in just seven totals innings over his past two starts. This skid comes on the heels of a solid June, in which the righthander went 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA. But to be fair to the native of Venezuela, he was up against the Blue Jays and Yankees in those losses – two of the biggest-swinging teams in the bigs.

Jeff Francis, Kansas City Royals (3-10, 4.60 ERA)

The switch to the American League continues to haunt Francis, who is tied for the third most losses in the majors heading into the weekend. The lefthander hasn’t picked up a win since June 10 but can blame his surroundings for that more than anything. Francis isn’t pitching poorly, going 0-2 with a 3.71 ERA in his last three starts. However, Kansas City’s bats have provided just 4.92 runs of support for Francis this year, which ranks 12th lowest among AL pitchers.

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HOT LINES

Saturday's Best MLB Bets

Los Angeles Angels (-106, 7) at Oakland Athletics, Game 2

Angels starter Ervin Santana has dominated the A’s throughout his career, going 13-3 with a tiny 1.97 ERA. Oakland starter Rich Harden has been money at the Coliseum, as the A’s are 29-9 in his last 38 home starts. So a pitcher’s duel would seem to be in store; hence, the relatively low total.

However, a stiff 13 mph wind is forecast to be blowing out to the power alley in right-center field. The Over is 5-0 in Harden’s last five starts vs. Angels and 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings between the Angels and A’s in Oakland.

We’re going to play Over 7 here and keep an eye on Game 1 of the doubleheader. If either team has to use its bullpen extensively in the first game of the doubleheader, this could be a big play for us.

PICK: Over 7


Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves (-169, 7)

The Braves head into the second half of the season as one of the hottest team in the majors. With Tommy Hanson on the mound, there’s no reason to believe this won’t continue.

Atlanta notched its 1,000th win Friday and are in position to pick up 1,001 when Hanson faces John Lannan today at Turner Field, where the Braves have won 11 of 12 games.

For whatever reason, the Nats really stink on Saturdays. They’ve 65 of their last 95 Saturday affairs.

Now, they’ve got to face Hanson, who is emerging as one of the top power pitchers in the entire National League.

The Braves have won all six of Hanson’s last starts and should be in good shape against up-and-down John Lannan.

PICK: Braves

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Fenimore the Great

5 Units Phil -133
4 Units Color -116
11 Units Clev -108
16 Units Texas -104
3.5 Units Pitt +113
4 Units LAD +122
5.5 Units SF +120
3.5 Units Tor +132

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soccercapper

7/16 08:30PM - Washington (USA-MLS) vs Dallas (USA-MLS) - Dallas (USA-MLS) -0.75
7/16 08:30PM - Sporting Kansas City (USA-MLS) vs Houston (USA-MLS) - Sporting Kansas City (USA-MLS) +0.25
7/17 02:45PM - USA (W-WC) vs Japan (W-WC) - Japan (W-WC) +0.25

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Arthur Ralph Sports

677- 509 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one Sat Yankees -140