8-12-11

[timbob]

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[Mr. IWS]

NFL PRESEASON NEWS AND NOTES
NFL PreSeason Friday: What Bettors Need to Know
By Nick Parsons

Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions -4.5 (35)
STARTER REPORT

Bengals: Cincinnati will start rookie Andy Dalton at quarterback against the Lions on Friday with veteran Bruce Gradkowski coming on after the first quarter and Carson Palmer’s little brother Jordan and rookie Dan LeFevour sharing mop-up duties.

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis is leaning towards keeping the first unit on longer than usual; “We haven’t had all the offseason work that you normally would have,” Lewis said. “So I think we need to play together as a football team on both sides of the ball.”

Lions: Detroit is already down a few key offensive players because of injuries but head coach Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan are both talking about the need to play aggressive in the preseason.

“We’re not going in there being conservative in any way and not doing anything because we’re worried about lacking numbers,” Linehan told MichiganLive.com on Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t know how much guys are going to play – we make that decision tomorrow – but guys are getting ready to play a game.”

Often injured QB Matthew Stafford will lead the Lions’ first string offense on Friday and Shaun Hill is expected to take over afterward with Drew Stanton and Zac Robinson following Hill.

Thing To Remember: The Lions were the best team against the spread last season at 12-4 and they were just as profitable in the preseason going 3-1 ATS.


Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons -2.5 (33)
STARTER REPORT

Dolphins: Don’t expect much time on the field for players at the top of Miami’s depth chart. Fins coach Tony Sparano didn’t say specifically how long his starters would play but stressed that the priority in the first preseason game will be to assess rookies and players on the cut bubble.

“I can’t afford to keep a group out there too long without getting some of these young players evaluated,” Sparano told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I need to make sure these players get evaluated because as we get going here into the next couple weeks I really can’t waste that kind of time.”

Embattled QB Chad Henne will take the reins of the first team offense while former Panthers signal caller Matt Moore will lead the second group out. Undrafted rookie Pat Devlin and one-time Patriots player Kevin O’Connell will share quarterback duties in the second half.

Falcons: Atlanta isn't giving reporters much on its player rotation plans for the game against Miami, but Falcons coach Mike Smith did say his first goal is to win on Friday, and seeing good technique from his players.

QB Matt Ryan takes the field first with the rest of the offensive starters and will be followed by Chris Redman, John Parker Wilson and Adam Froman.

Things To Remember: The under is 8-4 in Atlanta’s preseason games since Mike Smith became head coach.


Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins PK (33)
STARTER REPORT

Steelers: Roethlisberger is expected to see a few snaps before giving way to Byron Leftwitch, Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says the quarterback depth chart behind Roethlisberger isn’t set in stone and could change by the season opener.

Expected to sit this one out are Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and wideout Emmanuel Sanders.

Redskins: Washington is staging an open competition at QB between fifth-year pro John Beck and the much-maligned Rex Grossman. Grossman will start on Friday but Beck is questionable to play because of a nagging groin injury.

If Beck can’t go, free-agent pickup Kellen Clemens will receive snaps after Grossman and Ben Chappell will close out the day. Safeties LaRon Landry, Atogwe Oshiomogho will sit out due to injury, as will tight end Chris Cooley.

Things To Remember: Mike Shanahan is 44-28 straight up in the preseason, by far the best record among active coaches.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 at Kansas City Chiefs (32.5)
STARTER REPORT

Buccaneers: Head coach Raheem Morris plans to give his first unit a lot of playing time; “I want to try to get him 20 plays or so, about a quarter, maybe a quarter and a half,” Morris said of his QB Josh Freeman. “A little bit more than you normally would.”

Josh Johnson follows Freeman while Rudy Carpenter and Jonathan Crompton will finish off the quarterbacking duties.

Chiefs: The Chiefs' main concern in the preseason is to determine whether either rookie Ricky Stanzi or Tyler Palko can be relied on at quarterback should starter Matt Cassell go down with an injury. Head coach Todd Haley didn’t reveal his playing time plan for Friday’s game but he did say Stanzi and Palko would get a lot action against the Bucs.

Things To Remember: No Week 1 preseason line has moved more than this game. Oddsmakers opened with the Chiefs as short home faves but sharp bettors grabbed the Bucs early pushing the line to Tampa Bay -2.5.

One possible reason for the pointspread swing: KC is 4-23-1 ATS in its last 28 preseason games and 0-7-1 ATS since Todd Haley became the club’s head coach.


San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints -3 (35.5)
STARTER REPORT

49ers: First year head coach Jim Harbaugh told the San Jose Mercury News that he plans to play his starters about 20 snaps in Friday’s game against the Saints. At the same time, he said he wants to give all four of his quarterbacks some time on the field.

Harbaugh also can’t stop gushing about rookie QB Colin Kaepernick, who right now sits No. 2 on the team’s depth chart behind Alex Smith. McLeod Bethel Thompson is the only other signal caller on the Niners' roster at this point.

WR Michael Crabtree will not play due to injury but the real injury concern comes more on the other side of the ball for San Fran. The Niners have three dinged up cornerbacks and will be starting rookie DB Chris Culliver against New Orleans.

Saints: The New Orleans Times-Picayune hints QB Drew Brews will play the first before giving way to backup Chase Daniel.

The paper also suggested Daniel would play all of the second quarter and some of the third. That would leave third-string QB Sean Canfield to play the last quarter and a half for the Saints.

Notable absentees are Marques Colston and Tracy Porter because of injury.

Things To Remember: The Saints averaged 30.5 points per game in the preseason last year and the over went 4-0.

[Mr. IWS]

BANG THE BOOK

Friday's Best NFL Bet

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 at Kansas City Chiefs (32.5)

On Friday night, two teams that are coming off of successful regular seasons from a year ago collide in NFL preseason betting action, as the Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This is going to be an interesting season for the Bucs. Last year, we knew that this was a young team that had a heck of a lot to prove, and the squad really couldn’t go anywhere but up. Little did we know that they were going to end up going 10-6 and right on the verge of the postseason in a year in which 6-10 would have probably been considered a triumph. Head Coach Raheem Morris had his team playing well last preseason without all that much experience, as Tampa Bay finished 2-2 and outscored its foes 64-61 in the four games. A young defense is mostly returning from a year ago, and there are definitely some promising rookies joining the fold as well. It’s the offense that has caught our attention in this one, though. All three quarterbacks on this roster are back from last preseason. We know that QB Josh Freeman probably won’t be all that busy, though he is still more or less learning on the job. Instead, QB Josh Johnson, a man who played well at times last preseason, will be in the saddle for probably at least half the game. QB Rudy Carpenter threw for 391 yards and three TDs against just one pick last preseason, and he will definitely be a man to watch as well in the second half of this one.

Things didn’t look good on paper for the Chiefs last preseason, especially knowing that QB Matt Cassel threw for just 293 yards with three scores and two picks, modest numbers to say the least. Now, he is going to have some relatively inexperienced signal callers behind him doing the majority of the work, and we really don’t have all that much confidence in either QB Ricky Stanzi or QB Tyler Palko. A questionable offensive line will definitely have its hands full with the Tampa Bay front seven, but if there is time, expect to see plenty of WR Jonathan Baldwin as he gets more accustomed to his new offense. This unit only put up 59 points in the entire preseason last year, perhaps a sign that General Manager Scott Pioli was taking a page out of the playbook of his old team, the New England Patriots, showing very, very little to the competition in games that really don’t mean all that much.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs Pick: That being said, Tampa Bay feels like it has a desire to win this one, while Kansas City doesn’t. Even if the Chiefs do come out and win this one, we just don’t see them scoring even 20 points in doing so, making an 8+ point victory very, very unlikely. As we like to do quite often in the preseason, we’ll stick with a teaser and take Tampa Bay +7.5 w/ Under 41 at Bookmaker Sportsbook for our NFL picks in the preseason.

PICK: Tampa Bay & UNDER

[Mr. IWS]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
San Francisco Giants At Florida Marlins MLB Betting Preview
By: Dave Consolazio


San Francisco Giants at Florida Marlins (+110, 7)

Both teams will be looking to break out of slumps Friday night when the San Francisco Giants visit the Florida Marlins in the opener of their three-game series. Florida has lost seven straight games (-7.15 units) and San Francisco has lost 10 of its last 13 (-9.50 units). Something has to give in this weekend series.

Right-handers Matt Cain and Ricky Nolasco hit the mound for Game 1 at Sun Life Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. (PT).

All of the pressure is on the Giants, who are jostling for the lead in the NL West standings and trying to defend their world title; the Marlins are only playing for pride.

San Francisco (64-54) has lost four straight series, and with their loss last night to Pittsburgh and Arizona’s win over Houston, the Diamondbacks took a half-game lead in the NL West. There is still plenty of time for San Francisco to right the ship, but they can’t keep letting winnable series (like this one) slip away.

Matt Cain (9-8, 3.00 ERA) took the hard-luck loss in his last trip out to the mound, giving up just one earned run over eight innings with eight strikeouts but coming away with the loss anyway. Lack of run support is par for the course for Cain; in his 24 starts this season, the Giants have scored over three runs only seven times. Not surprisingly, they are 7-0 in those games.

Cain is 3-1 in eight career starts against Florida with a tidy 3.31 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. The one loss came this season on May 24, when he gave up four runs over six innings and was bested by Ricky Nolasco.

Florida (55-62) has been an incredibly streaky team this year. This seven-game losing streak comes at the heels of a three game winning streak. Entering Thursday 13.5 games behind in the Wild Card race, the Marlins will have to start stringing wins together now to keep their ultra-slim playoff hopes alive.

Ricky Nolasco (8-8, 3.86 ERA) has been sharp of late, allowing two earned runs or less in seven of his last eight starts. The Marlins are just 4-4 over that stretch (-0.40 units), letting some quality starts go to waste due to lack of run support.

Nolasco has dominated San Francisco in five career starts (despite just a 3-2 record), posting a 1.72 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP against them. In his win over Matt Cain on May 24, he allowed just one run over 8 1/3 innings.

Florida swept the three-game series these two teams played in late May in San Francisco. The total went ‘under’ in two of the three games.

The Marlins have struggled at home with a record of just 24-39 (-21.51 units). San Francisco is 29-29 (+0.22 units) on the road.

Hanley Ramirez (shoulder injury) is out for Florida, and Carlos Beltran (wrist) is doubtful for San Francisco.

The weather Friday is expected to be hot with a chance of thunderstorms. Saturday’s projected starters are Tim Lincecum and Javier Vazquez.

[Mr. IWS]

Friday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

Cole Hamels (13-6, 2.53 ERA), Philadelphia Phillies

You want to know why the Phillies are going to win over 100 games this season? Well, for one thing, Cole Hamels – who’d be ace on 2/3 of the teams in the majors – is the No. 3 starter in their rotation.

The former World Series MVP picked up the win in a complete game against the Giants in his last start, allowing just one run in the process. The under is 4-0 in Hamels’ last four outings and the southpaw hurler has walked just three batters compared to 26 strikeouts over that stretch.

Ervin Santana (8-8, 3.21 ERA), Los Angeles Angels

This flame-throwing righty might be the hottest pitcher in baseball right now. He was showing signs of figuring it out on the mound even before throwing that no-no against the Indians in the last week of July.

The Angels are 7-1 in his last eight starts and the under is 9-0-2 in his last 11 trips to the bump. Santana is on an eight-game, quality start streak and carries a 1.57 ERA over that stretch.

SLUMPING

David Price (9-10, 3.89 ERA), Tampa Bay Rays

The Price isn’t right. He can’t be. We’re talking about one of the best arms in baseball and his team has won just one of his last six starts.

He didn’t make it past the fifth inning in his last outing, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. The problem has to be location of his pitches. The big lefty surrender 14 walks and eight long balls in his last six outings.

C.J. Wilson (10-5, 3.35 ERA), Texas Rangers

Wilson pitched much better in his last appearance than he had in his previous two trips to the hill but the Rangers are still 0-4 in his last four outings. The over is also 6-1-1 in Wilson’s last eight turns in the rotation.

[Mr. IWS]

HOT LINES

Friday’s Best MLB Bets

Chicago Cubs at Atlanta Braves (-135, 8)

By now, Dan Uggla’s hitting streak is impossible to ignore. Forget the fact that the guy is still hitting just .224 on the year - he’s had at least one hit in 31 straight games.

He’s doing everything to get on base, too. Uggla now leads the team with 24 home runs and if you’re wondering what this streak means to him, you obviously haven’t seen the way he’s been beating out infield grounders right now.

The 31-game streak ties Rico Carty (1970) for the longest streak in franchise history and overtakes Los Angeles’ Andre Ethier for the longest in MLB this season.

"It's a cool thing," Uggla told reporters after he picked up three hits in Atlanta’s 6-2 win over Florida on Wednesday. "This is an awesome organization and to have some kind of record...it's real special."

We can’t see Carlos Zambrano shutting down Uggla or the rest of the Braves.

PICK: Braves


San Francisco Giants at Florida Marlins (+110, 7)

Both the Giants and Marlins begin this series without the services of two of their major playmakers.

After picking up Carlos Beltran for the stretch drive at the trade deadline, the Giants now expect the dynamic outfielder to miss at least the weekend after hurting his wrist last weekend. That looks like the best-case scenario at this point.

Word out of San Francisco on Thursday was that Beltran had a cortisone shot in his injured wrist and a stint on the DL was a possibility.

Meanwhile, the Marlins have already put shortstop Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) on the 15-day DL. Ramirez has had a down year, but this isn’t exactly what the Fish need right now after dropping seven straight games.

"We need him," manager Jack McKeon told reporters. "The difference in our ballclub, whether he's hitting like he used to or not, he's still a guy that they fear and a guy who can break loose at any time."

PICK: Giants

[Mr. IWS]

WNBA NEWS AND NOTES
WNBA: Liberty-Mystics Preview
By Associated Press


New York Liberty at Washington Mystics (3, 150)

Some strong defensive play has keyed the New York Liberty's success this month. The only time in August the team wasn't at its best defensively came at Washington.

The visiting Liberty look for a better defensive effort when they try to avoid losing to the Mystics for the second time in a week Friday night.

New York (13-9) has won three of four this month, allowing 60.0 points and 35.7 percent shooting in victories over Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle. It's a significant improvement on the 76.5 points and 43.4 percent shooting opponents have recorded against the Liberty this season.

New York held Seattle to 30.9 percent from the field and won 58-56 on Tuesday after the Storm missed three shots in the final 20 seconds.

"This is why we practice defense," said Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter, who scored 19 points and made the go-ahead layup with 41 seconds remaining. "It's what we do. It's not going to change. We know that at the end, if anything prevails, its going to be our defense."

That was not case Saturday at the Verizon Center, however, as the Mystics shot 50.0 percent and set a season high for points in regulation in a 91-81 win over New York.

Pondexter had 21 points and Plenette Pierson added 20 as the Liberty shot 43.9 percent, but the poor effort at the defensive end was too much to overcome. New York was held to fewer than 60 points for the fourth time this season Tuesday, but won for the second time in less than a week when doing so.

Pondexter scored 19 points in New York's 75-71 home victory over the Mystics on July 28.

Though Washington (4-15) might have some confidence after last weekend's win over the Liberty, they will be trying to bounce back from their second last-second loss in three games.

Prior to beating the Liberty, the Mystics lost 61-59 to Indiana on July 29 thanks to a Shannon Bobbitt buzzer-beater. Atlanta's Sancho Lyttle did them in Tuesday when her 13-footer with less than a second left gave the Dream a 72-70 win at Washington.

"It hurts when you keep losing games like this,'' said Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne, who had 23 points Tuesday and 20 versus Washington last weekend. "I guess it's going to give us a great hunger to win the next one.''

Guard Matee Ajavon scored 17 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter against the Dream but the Mystics lost for the fifth time in six games. Ajavon, who matched a career-high with 32 points against the Liberty on Saturday, has averaged 26.3 and 51.9 percent shooting the last three games since scoring seven points at New York last month.

[Mr. IWS]

LADY LUCK

Friday's Best WNBA Bets

New York Liberty at Washington Mystics (3, 150)

If there’s one thing you can count on from the New York Liberty lately, it’s an aggressive defense. It might not always shut down its opposition, by the Liberty take pride in pressuring the ball.

They have won three of their four games this month and allowed an average of 60 points per game in those wins. New York held Seattle to just 30.9 percent fielding in their latest win, a 58-56 victory that failed to get its supporters to the pay window as a 4.5-point favorite.

Still, under bettors had to love cashing in on five of New York’s last six games.

"This is why we practice defense," Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter told reporters after Tuesday’s win. "It's what we do. It's not going to change. We know that at the end, if anything prevails, it’s going to be our defense."

That’s what we like to hear, Pondexter.

PICK: Under


Minnesota Ly*x at Chicago Sky (5, 149.5)

The Ly*x are looking to get back to their winning ways after losing for the first time in 10 games on Tuesday. Their supporters could use a payday at this point too.

While Minnesota still leads the league with a 16-5 straight up record, the club has now dropped four of its last five against the spread, moving the club to 12-9 against the number.

Tuesday’s 85-80 loss at Phoenix may be the slap back to reality that the Ly*x needed. Phoenix was tougher than Minnesota, outrebounding the Ly*x and nearly doubled their free-throw attempts.

"Phoenix is a tough opponent,” Seimone Augustus told reporters. “Tonight felt like a playoff atmosphere. The fans did a great job of being behind their team and they executed down the stretch. That's the difference in the game."

Chicago’s another team that’s pretty tough at home, boasting an 8-4 record against the number in front of its hometown fans, but we like the Ly*x to get back on track.

PICK: Minnesota

[Mr. IWS]

CFL NEWS AND NOTES
CFL: Stampeders-Roughriders Preview
By Sports Network


Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders (+3.5, 49)
CALGARY (4-2) AT SASKATCHEWAN (1-5)
DATE & TIME: Friday, August 12, 9:00 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: A battle between West Division rivals ensues on Friday as the Calgary Stampeders pay a visit to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium.

Saskatchewan has had a rough go of it in the first third of the 2011 season, scoring a league-low 112 points, while at the same time giving up a league- high 184 points. With those figures in mind, it should come as no surprise that the club is tied with British Columbia for last place in the division standings with just a single win to show for their efforts.

Last week, the Roughriders scored just a single point outside of the second quarter when they tallied 10, en route to the 24-11 loss against the Lions on the road. Quarterback Darian Durant, who tossed a 13-yard scoring strike to Chris Getzlaf late in the first half, converted 25-of-36 passing for 236 yards, but he was also sacked three times and was credited with only 27 yards rushing in the outing. Durant spread the ball around to eight different teammates, but that still that wasn't enough to throw off the Lions.

As for the Stamps, already 2-1 against opponents from the same division, they are in sole possession of second place in the standings at 4-2 and are within striking distance of the Edmonton Eskimos, who have lost just one of their six games thus far.

Calgary's defense showed up in the second half against Hamilton in Week 6, holding the visitors scoreless as the Stamps bounced back from a 20-13 deficit at the break to claim a 32-20 win after 60 minutes of action. From an offensive standpoint, Henry Burris connected on 27-of-39 passing for 341 yards and a score for the Stampeders, with Nik Lewis again playing a prominent role with his game-high seven receptions for 87 yards.

One of the more productive receivers thus far in the CFL, Lewis has a league- best 34 catches for 476 yards and a score and has now caught passes in 128 consecutive games, which is second only to Geroy Simon who is up to 148 straight games now.

Not only is Lewis piling up the stats right now, so is Burris who moved into the eighth spot all-time in CFL passing yardage as he advanced beyond Tom Clements (39,041 yards). Burris has attempted more passes than any other quarterback this season (226) and has managed to connect on 62.4 percent of those tries for 1,742 yards which is second only Montreal's Anthony Calvillo. Unfortunately for Burris, who has thrown for at least 4,200 yards in each of the previous seven seasons, he has had some issues with his accuracy thus far and has already tossed five interceptions against only seven TDs.

Burris played one full season with Saskatchewan back in 2000, throwing for 4,647 yards and 30 TDs, but he completed just 53.5 percent of his attempts and had a career-worst 25 INTs, so the Roughriders have had a close-up look at what his potential can be and how he can be rattled in the pocket.

Durant doesn't have nearly the pedigree that Burris has after so many years in the CFL, but the troubles with the Roughriders reach far beyond the quarterback and just the offense right now. In fact, head coach Greg Marshall recently told a radio station that the current players on the roster are their own worst enemies. Too many missed opportunities, dropped passes, failed kicks and poor defensive coverage have doomed Saskatchewan far too often and it is beginning to wear on the players who know that they can do so much more if they simply eliminate some of their mistakes.

After six games, Saskatchewan is second-to-last in the league in turnover margin with a minus-five, and the pass defense is near the bottom in allowing 81 first downs through the air. The Roughriders are controlling the ball for only slightly more than 23 minutes per game, so it is understandable that the group is dead last in terms of overall offense with a mere 1,888 yards.

Wes Cates has been a decent producer coming out of the backfield for the Riders, with his 217 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries, but he was a late scratch for the squad last week, as he continues to deal with an ankle injury, and that left Hugh Charles as the top ball carrier with his nine attempts for 42 yards against BC. Charles is averaging just under six yards per carry in 2011, but for his career he has almost as many fumbles (four) as he does TDs (five) so he's not exactly a step in the right direction for Saskatchewan.

Calgary has won two straight meetings in this series, including a 22-18 decision in Regina two weeks ago which pushed the Stamps to 114-87-9 in the regular-season series dating back to 1945. Familiar foes for more than half a century, the clubs will meet two more times this season with Calgary hosting both matches in October.

Saskatchewan's offense just isn't getting the job done, and the defense for the Riders has been nothing to write home about either, which amounts to what should be another win for the Stamps if they keep from making too many mistakes.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Calgary 31, Saskatchewan 23

[Mr. IWS]

ANADIAN BACON

Friday's Best CFL Bet

Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders (+3.5, 49)

According to DE Luc Mullander, who was acquired by the Als from the Riders earlier this week, team morale is at an all-time low in Saskatchewan. Mullander admitted on Twitter that he’s stunned by the contrast in attitudes between Regina and Montreal.

Even at home, with the support of the greatest fans in CFL, the Roughriders are more vulnerable than ever against the Stampeders, who have regained their poise, unity and confidence after a slow start to the season.

And let’s not forget that even when the Stamps lost, they been dominant in the fourth quarter. Ken-Yon Rambo may return after missing last week’s game against Hamilton with an Achilles injury. But with or without Rambo, Henry Burris has the tools to pick apart the Roughriders secondary.

The acquisition of WR Dallas Baker (from the Alouettes in return for Mullander) will give another prime target for QB Darian Durant, but the Roughriders still lack depth in too many key positions.

PICK: Calgary

[Mr. IWS]

Friday’s Betting Tips: ‘Skins Set To Improve Shanahan Trend

Who’s Hot

MLB: Milwaukee is 41-14 in its last 55 home games.

NFL: The Detroit Lions were an NFL-best 12-4 against the spread last season and were 3-1 against the number in preseason play.

WNBA: New York is 14-6 against the spread in its last 10 games against Washington.

CFL: The over is 8-2-1 in Calgary’s last 11 road games.

Who’s Not

MLB: The under is 3-21-4 in Oakland’s last 28 games.

NFL: Kansas City is a woeful 4-23-1 against the spread in its last 28 preseason games.

WNBA: Los Angeles is just 2-8 against the spread in its last 10 games.

CFL: Saskatchewan is just 1-5 straight up and against the spread in its last six overall.

Key Stat

20 – The Philadelphia Phillies finally enjoyed a day off Thursday after playing 20 games in 20 days. The Phillies went into that brutal stretch four games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East but after winning 16 of those contests, sat 8 ½ games ahead of the Braves heading into Friday’s action.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Rory McIlroy – McIlroy apparently injured his right wrist while hitting a shot on the third hole of the opening round of the PGA Championship. He had the wrist taped and continued to play on to an even-par 70. Oddsmakers have him set at +1575 to win the tournament.

Game Of The Day

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (-175, 7.5)

Notable Quotable

“I’m excited because I think we have a lot better competition. Last year, we kind of knew who our guys were a little. We were trying to figure out our team and stuff. The depth wasn’t there. We have better depth this year and there’s going to be some competition there from the first quarter all the way to the fourth.” – Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan about his offense heading into Friday’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh. Rex Grossman will start at quarterback after saying his club was “ready to take over the NFC East” earlier this week. Grossman’s competition for the starting job, John Beck, will likely sit out Friday with a groin injury. The Redskins are set as a pick ‘em at home against Pittsburgh and Washington head coach Mike Shanahan is known for his preseason dominance, piling up a 44-38 straight up record.

Tips And Notes

The Detroit Lions could be without No. 1 wideout Calvin Johnson when they open up preseason play Friday at home as 4.5-point favorites against the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson sat out Thursday’s practice with a left ankle injury but said later that he was “fine.” The team currently lists him as questionable.

The Calgary Stampeders will have wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambon back in the lineup Friday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders even though he has been hobbled by an Achilles injury. Rambo has missed two games so far this season after pulling in 72 catches for 1172 yards and eight touchdowns last year. The Stamps are set as 3.5-point road favorites in Saskatchewan.

[Mr. IWS]

Today's CFL Picks

Calgary at Saskatchewan

The Stampeders look to take advantage of a Saskatchewan team that is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 home games. Calgary is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Stampeders favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST (8/10) Game 493-494: Calgary at Saskatchewan (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 115.665; Saskatchewan 108.504
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 7; 52
Vegas Line: Calgary by 3 1/2; 49
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3 1/2); Over

[Mr. IWS]

WNBA Basketball Picks

Minnesota at Chicago

The Lynx look to build on their 10-1 ATS record in their last 11 games against the Eastern Conference. Minnesota is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5). Here are all of today's picks.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST Game 651-652: New York at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 110.984; Washington 112.640
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 145
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3 1/2; 150
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3 1/2); Under Game 653-654: Minnesota at Chicago (8:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 120.961; Chicago 110.737
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 10; 151
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 5; 149 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5); Over Game 655-656: Phoenix at Los Angeles (10:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 112.182; Los Angeles 110.442
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 2; 175
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 4; 183
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+4); Under

[Mr. IWS]

2011 Preseason Picks

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
Time Posted: 11:00 a.m. EST (8/7) Game 265-266: Pittsburgh at Washington (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 124.320; Washington 119.504
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 5; 37
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 33
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-1); Over Game 267-268: Tampa Bay at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 120.662; Kansas City 119.170
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 35
Vegas Line: Pick; 33
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay; Over Game 269-270: San Francisco at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 124.633; New Orleans 129.440
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 5; 35
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 3; 36
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3); Under

[Mr. IWS]

Today's MLB Picks

Chicago Cubs at Atlanta

The Cubs look to build on their 6-0 record in their last 6 games as an underdog. Chicago is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Cubs favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120). Here are all of today's picks.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST Game 951-952: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Hernandez) 14.705; Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.388
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-280); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-280); Over Game 953-954: San Francisco at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.789; Florida (Nolasco) 15.551
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-105); Under Game 955-956: San Diego at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Latos) 14.789; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 16.000
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-115); Under Game 957-958: Chicago Cubs at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 15.323; Atlanta (Minor) 15.293
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); Over Game 959-960: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.143; Milwaukee (Greinke) 16.300
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-210); Over Game 961-962: Colorado at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Cook) 16.993; St. Louis (Lohse) 15.850
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130); Under Game 963-964: NY Mets at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Gee) 14.802; Arizona (Kennedy) 15.875
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Under Game 965-966: Houston at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Norris) 15.185; LA Dodgers (Eovaldi) 14.368
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+120); Over Game 967-968: Minnesota at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 15.211; Cleveland (Masterson) 14.713
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+145); Over Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Price) 16.146; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 17.438
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-175); Under Game 971-972: Detroit at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Penny) 14.092; Baltimore (Simon) 14.955
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-105); Over Game 973-974: LA Angels at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.211; Toronto (Morrow) 14.840
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+105); Under Game 975-976: Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 14.678; White Sox (Stewart) 15.328
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-140); Under Game 977-978: Texas at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 15.033; Oakland (McCarthy) 16.259
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+110); Over Game 979-980: Boston at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lackey) 16.333; Seattle (Beavan) 15.561
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-145); Over