7-31-11

[timbob]

New Guys!

Don’t be afraid to post services if you come across any. Anything you contribute will be appreciated, and your user reputation will grow (the green dots under your name.)

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[timbob]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Sunday Night Baseball: Cubs at Cardinals
By ***** Sports



Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (-144, 8.5)

The struggling Chicago Cubs close out their three-game series against their National League Central rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, in this week’s ESPN Sunday night game.

CARDINAL RULE

The Cardinals have ruled the season series winning seven of the first eight, including a three-game sweep in early June. They took Friday's game 9-2 and Saturday's 13-5 after spotting the Cubs five first-inning runs.

DEMPSTER DIVING

Ryan Dempster (7-8, 4.89 ERA) gets the call for Chicago Sunday night. He has been another high-priced veteran disappointment for the Cubs. In his last two starts, he is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. In his only start against St. Louis this season, he was tagged for six earned runs in five innings of work in a 6-1 Cardinals win. Dempster will go up against St. Louis’ Jake Westbrook.

JAKE THE SNAKE

Westbrook (9-4, 4.86 ERA) has been one of the most deceiving pitchers in baseball. His ERA is the worst it’s been since 2002, but his record is tied for a career best. The Cardinals have given Westbrook plenty of run support this season although he hasn’t needed it lately. Westbrook allowed a total of three earned runs in his last two starts, when he went a combined 14 innings and picked up two wins. But looking back to May, he had his worst start of the year against the Cubs, surrendering five earned runs and not getting out of the third inning. It was the Cubs’ only win against St. Louis this season.

BUYER AND SELLER

The Cubs are desperately trying to slash payroll and move high-priced veterans while the Cardinals have moved all in as they desperately try to win this year due to the uncertainty surrounding Albert Pujols after 2011.

The Cubs have already parted ways with Kosuke Fukudome, and Carlos Pena is being shopped around. There are plenty of takers for Aramis Ramirez and Cubs GM Jim Hendry would love to unload the terrible contracts belonging to Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano.

The Cardinals are in the Heath Bell sweepstakes and they mortgaged their future by parting ways with 24-year-old centerfielder Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson. St. Louis also was close to acquiring shortstop Rafael Furcal. It’s safe to say that the Cubs and Cardinals are certainly in two completely different mindsets right now.

PRIMETIME DIFFERENCE

This game marks both teams' second appearance on Sunday Night Baseball this season. The Cubs lost 5-1 at Boston in their previous appearance while the Cardinals shut out the Reds in St. Louis 3-0. In that game, Westbrook went six scoreless innings only allowing only three hits.

THE BIG PUMA

Keep an eye on the status of Lance Berkman. He aggravated his right shoulder Tuesday and has missed four straight starts. Despite having 56 less at-bats than Albert Pujols Berkman leads Pujols in batting average (.286 vs. 280), home runs (27 vs. 24) and RBIs (69 vs. 66). The St. Louis lineup is a whole different animal with the Big Puma in it.

WHAT’S BREWING AHEAD

Against the fifth-place Cubs, the Cardinals may be looking ahead to a huge three-game series in Milwaukee starting Monday. The Cardinals moved within one game of the Brewers after Saturday afternoon's win.

NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS

- The Cubs have the seventh-best team batting average (.261) but rank 21st in runs scored (3.93 per game).

- The Cubs rank in the bottom four in baseball in team ERA (4.64), team WHIP (1.47), quality starts (43) and errors (91).

- The Cubs and Cardinals rank 28th and 29th in MLB in stolen bases respectively.

- The Cubs are 6-23 in their last 29 road games.

- The Cardinals are 10-4 in their last 14 vs. teams below .400.

- The Cubs are 1-6 in Dempster’s last seven starts in St. Louis.

- The Over is 8-2 in last nine meetings between Chicago and St. Louis.

[timbob]

Sunday's Streaking And Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels (14-4, 1.79 ERA)

If Weaver doesn’t win the American League Cy Young, Halos fans can probably blame that pesky West Coast bias. With the 6-foot-7 righty’s starts taking place in the wee hours of the night, the majority of baseball fans haven’t seen his performances. That’s a damn shame, since Weaver has won five straight outings and hasn’t suffered a loss since May 18. His stuff has been invisible in July, boasting a 1.19 ERA over those five outings. Weaver goes toe-to-toe with Tigers ace Justin Verlander on Sunday.

Vance Worley, Philadelphia Phillies (7-1, 2.02 ERA)

Guess which Philly starter had the best numbers in July? Nope, not Cole, Doc or Cliff. The young right-hander Worley is emerging as a dominant fourth starter for the Phillies, taking the place of Roy Oswalt in the rotation. Worley has won five straight starts and carries a slim 1.23 ERA this month, with his most recent outing possibly being his best. He allowed two runs on three hits over nine innings, picking up a win over the defending World Series champs Tuesday.


SLUMPING

Kyle Davies, Kansas City Royals (1-9, 6.75 ERA)

Another day, another Royals pitcher finds their way into the slumping section. Davies is terrible, with his only win coming way back on April 13. However, the righty showed some signs of life in his most recent outing. After notching losses in eight straight starts, Davies managed to steal a no-decision last Monday. He gave up one run on six hits over six innings in a thrilling 3-1 extra-innings victory against the Red Sox. He takes on the Indians Sunday, bringing with him a 3-7 record and 6.75 career ERA versus Cleveland.

Brett Myers, Houston Astros (3-11, 4.66 ERA)

With a dismal record and an anaphylactic ERA swelling like it got stung by a bee, Myers has nothing to lose - which is why his pitching is improving. Despite going winless since June 17, the right-hander has been solid in his last three starts. Sure, he’s 0-2 in that span, but has posted a respectable 3.43 ERA over those 21 innings of work. And to add to Myers’ turnaround, he’s done it all on a tender hamstring. This doesn’t mean bettors should run out and take the Astros Sunday (Myers is still on the slumping end of this article), but perhaps the Under might be a smart wager. Houston has played below the total in seven of Myers' last 10 appearances.

[timbob]

WNBA Basketball Picks
Atlanta at Connecticut

The Dream look to take advantage of a Connecticut team that is coming off a 69-58 loss to Indiana and is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games following a SU defeat. Atlanta is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Sun favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 31
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 601-602: Minnesota at San Antonio (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 120.836; San Antonio 114.760
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 6; 164
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 4; 161 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-4); Over

Game 603-604: Atlanta at Connecticut (5:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 110.443; Connecticut 112.484
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 2; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 4 1/2; 160
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4 1/2); Under

Game 605-606: Los Angeles at Indiana (6:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 106.442; Indiana 114.079
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 7 1/2; 146
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 9; 149 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+9); Under

[timbob]

Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever (-9, 151)

The Los Angeles Sparks travel to Indiana to play the Fever at 7:00 PM on Sunday, July 31, 2011. Indiana is the favorite in this matchup, laying points here at home. The Total has been posted at Over/Under .

When looking at the last 21 games in this series, we can see the home team has won 14 games compared to 7 wins for the road team. Average points scored per game for the home team in the Los Angeles/Indiana series is 73.8 ppg while the vistor has put up 67.4 ppg, creating an average margin of victory of 6.4 favoring the home team.

The average Total points scored spanning the last 21 games between the Sparks and the Fever is 141.2 per game.

Now let's take a look at the series history in this exact situation, with Los Angeles as the road team and with Indiana as the home team.

When looking at the last 11 games in this series while Indiana has been the home team, we can see the Fever have won 6 games compared to 5 wins for the Sparks. Average points scored per game by Indiana in this situation is is 73.4 ppg while Los Angeles has put up 71.5 ppg, creating an average margin of victory of 1.9 favoring the .

The average Total points scored spanning the last 11 games between the Sparks and the Fever is 144.9 per game.

Can the Los Angeles Sparks Cover the Spread?

This season the Los Angeles Sparks have played 49 games, averaging 77.8 points per game, while allowing 80.9 points per game. This has led to a season record of 19-30. Let's have a closer look at recent Los Angeles Sparks results.

This season the Los Angeles Sparks have played 26 games on the road, averaging 75.0 points per game, while allowing 81.0 points per game. This has led to a season record of 7-19. Let's have a closer look at recent Los Angeles Sparks results on the road.

Can the Indiana Fever Cover the Spread?

This season the Indiana Fever have played 50 games, averaging 76.8 points per game, while allowing 72.7 points per game. This has led to a season record of 32-30. Let's have a closer look at recent Indiana Fever results.

This season the Indiana Fever have played 25 games here at home, averaging 77.9 points per game, while allowing 71.2 points per game. This has led to a season record of 18-7. Let's have a closer look at recent Indiana Fever results when playing at home.

[timbob]

LADY LUCK

Sunday's Best WNBA Bets

Minnesota Lynx at San Antonio Silver Stars (2.5, 162)

The top spot in the Western Conference is on the line when Minnesota (12-4) visits San Antonio (11-5) on Sunday. This is their first meeting of the season.

The Lynx are on fire, having won and covered five straight, including Friday’s 92-67 dismantling of Seattle as 7.5-point favorites. Seimone Augustus (16.3 points) is shooting 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. She leads four players averaging in double figures.

Minnesota is outscoring its opponents by more than nine points a game, easily the biggest margin in the league.

San Antonio is a fine team that has won and covered three of its last four. But the Silver Stars recently lost standout rookie Danielle Adams to a sprained foot, and their lack of depth will hurt against the loaded Lynx.

Lay the small number.

PICK: Minnesota


Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever (-9, 151)

The Sparks have gone 2-8 SU and ATS in their last 10, and now they travel to face a Fever squad that has covered five of their last six home games.

Indiana, on a three-game win streak, is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 Sunday games.

The Fever came out of the All-Star break with renewed intensity and were able to sweep a two-game road trip. On Friday, Shannon Bobbitt’s floating layup at the buzzer lifted Indiana to a 61-59 win in Washington.

Leading the Eastern Conference at 13-6, the Fever won’t have a letdown at home.

PICK: Indiana

[timbob]

Today's MLB Picks
LA Angels at Detroit

The Tigers look to bounce back from yesterday's 5-1 loss and build on their 10-1 record in Justin Verlander's last 11 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Detroit is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 31
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: San Francisco at Cincinnati (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 15.061; Cincinnati (Cueto) 15.370
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-160); Over

Game 953-954: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Karstens) 15.545; Philadelphia (Worley) 15.322
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+180); Under

Game 955-956: Florida at Atlanta (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Nolasco) 14.608; Atlanta (Hanson) 15.455
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-165); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-165); Over

Game 957-958: NY Mets at Washington (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 15.086; Washington (Zimmermann) 14.480
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+110); Under

Game 959-960: Houston at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 15.097; Milwaukee (Narveson) 14.854
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+165); Under

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 13.564; St. Louis (Westbrook) 15.543
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-150); Over

Game 963-964: Colorado at San Diego (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Nicasio) 14.462; San Diego (LeBlanc) 15.457
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8
Vegas Line: San Diego (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-125); Over

Game 965-966: Arizona at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Saunders) 15.541; LA Dodgers (De La Rosa) 14.876
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+100); Under

Game 967-968: LA Angels at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 14.890; Detroit (Verlander) 15.990
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 5
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130); Under

Game 969-970: Texas at Toronto (1:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 15.873; Toronto (Morrow) 15.225
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Texas (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-125); Over

Game 971-972: Kansas City at Cleveland (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davies) 15.386; Cleveland (Carmona) 14.364
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+125); Under

Game 973-974: Baltimore at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Arrieta) 13.995; NY Yankees (Garcia) 16.221
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-190); 10
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-190); Over

Game 975-976: Boston at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Miller) 15.796; White Sox (Buehrle) 16.149
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115); Under

Game 977-978: Minnesota at Oakland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 16.037; Oakland (McCarthy) 14.967
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+125); Over

Game 979-980: Tampa Bay at Seattle (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Price) 15.624; Seattle (Vargas) 14.341
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-120); Over

[timbob]

HOT LINES

Sunday's Best MLB Bets

San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds (-165, 8.5)

Johnny Cueto takes the hill for the Reds on Sunday, and that’s bad news for the Giants.

Cueto has been almost untouchable, posting a 1.88 ERA in 15 starts. Opponents are hitting .202 against him.

When Cueto faced the Giants in San Francisco on June 9, he tossed seven scoreless innings. He struck out eight, walked two and allowed four hits. Of course, that was before San Fran added a big bat in Carlos Beltran.

The Giants’ Barry Zito is under pressure to deliver a good outing Sunday after being knocked around in his last two starts.

The Under was 7-1 in San Fran’s last eight games heading into Saturday night’s action.

PICK: Under


Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (-110, 7.5)

In their last seven games with Colorado before Saturday, the Padres had scored a total of 16 runs.

San Diego’s offense has been hurt by injuries and slumps, like Ryan Ludwick going 2-for-25 from the All-Star break through Friday.

Now San Diego must face Juan Nicasio, who has an impressive 0.92 WHIP and 2.75 ERA over his last three starts.

The Padres counter with Dustin Moseley. He hasn’t pitched terribly, but the team has won just five of his 20 starts.

PICK: Colorado

[timbob]

Sunday's Betting Tips: Tigers Roll Behind Verlander

Who's Hot

AL: The Tigers are 13-3 in Justin Verlander’s last 16 starts.

NL: The Dodgers are 7-2 in their last nine Sunday games.

WNBA: The Under is 7-1-1 in San Antonio’s last nine games.

Who’s Not

AL: The A’s are 0-7 in Brandon McCarthy’s last seven starts following a quality start in his last appearance.

NL: The Under is 4-11 in Jordan Zimmerman’s last 15 home starts for the Nationals.

WNBA: Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last six games against winning teams.

Key Stat

1,582 – Though they’re third in the NL Central, the Pirates had won their backers 1,582 units entering Saturday’s action. They’ve been the most profitable bet this season.

Injury Not To Be Overlooked

Rangers shortstop Nelson Cruz is experiencing tightness in his left quadriceps and might not return to the starting lineup until Tuesday’s game at Detroit. Cruz, hitting .262 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs, was available to pinch-hit this weekend.

Notable Quotable

"You can never have enough cover corners. That helps your pass rush, and when you have an opportunity to add the players we added, we just thought we had to add those guys." – Eagles general manager Howie Roseman after the team signed top corner Nnamdi Asomugha and traded for another Pro Bowl corner, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie.

Tips And Notes

Albert Haynesworth’s much-heralded arrival in New England got off to a slow start. He missed the first two practice sessions. The massive defensive lineman passed his physical but perhaps not a conditioning test. “He’s not quite ready to practice yet," coach Bill Belichick said. "When he’s ready, he’ll be out there.”

Fighting to stay atop the AL Central, the Tigers acquired starter Doug Fister from Seattle on Saturday. Fister is 3-12, but he has gotten the worst run support in MLB. He has a fine 3.33 ERA and a WHIP of 1.17.

Umpire Bruce Dreckman will be behind the plate when the White Sox host the Red Sox on Sunday. The Over is 7-2-1 in Dreckman’s last 10 games calling balls and strikes. And the home team is 12-4 in Dreckman’s last 16 games behind the plate.

[timbob]

Arthur Ralph Sports

687- 515 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one SUN over 8 Wash Nationals over the total

[timbob]

Hondo

The three knockdown rule was in effect last night, so Hondo, who hit the canvas with the White Sox, Pi rates and Padres, ended up with a KO that boosted his bulbous deficit to 1,845 groats.

Today, Mr. Aitch will keep the trifectas rolling with The Good Weaver, Mr. Wilson and everyone's favorite Niese -- 10 units apiece on the Angels, Rangers and Metamucils.

[timbob]

Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:
Mariners + Rays UNDER 7
Still playing: Athletics -140 over Twins

[timbob]

Gamblers Data

Free Play SUNDAY

Tampa Bay -125

[timbob]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit - very late - with the Indians Saturday night.

Sunday it's the Indians yet again. The deficit is 2,627 sirignanos.

[timbob]

Sportsbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Mariners + Rays UNDER 7