9-1-11

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday's Best NFL Bet

Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers (-2, 37)
While the Green Bay Packers were the 2010 Super Bowl champions, Kansas City had a very strong season in their own right going 10-6 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They will try and build on that success and attempt to repeat as AFC West champions in 2011.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t exactly looked sharp this preseason, losing all three games and getting outscored 70-23 in the process. Matt Cassel has looked a bit rusty thus far, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and yet to throw a touchdown strike. Jamaal Charles has hardly seen the field, carrying the ball just six times. Jackie Battle has been the one carrying the load this preseason, rushing the 34 times, but amassing just 112 yards and with a fumble. Dwayne Bowe has been semi active in the offense over the past two games getting 12 targets, but has caught just four passes for 54 yards. Bowe had over 1100 yards receiving in a pass attack that had just 3100 yards last year, and the next highest receiving total by a wide out was 200 by Chris Chambers. The Chiefs are likely to once again be a run first squad, having ranked first in the league last year with 164 yards a game. The Kansas City defense recently suffered a blow to their receiving depth, losing Brandon Siler for the year with a torn Achilles.

Green Bay has done much better this preseason than strong teams historically do, winning two of the three games including the last two. Aaron Rodgers shredded the Colts defense in the last preseason game, completing 19 of 23 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Jermichael Finley has looked fully healthy and was on the same page as Rodgers in the victory, catching four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. The starting running back spot is still up in the air and it will likely be a time share between Ryan Grant and Starks, but Grant was recently asked to take a pay cut if he wanted a roster spot so the Packers must have a lot of faith in Starks after his strong postseason performance. The Green Bay defense that ranked second in scoring last year have struggled this preseason, allowing 69 points in three games.

Kansas City appears very uninterested this preseason, and they won’t be out to prove anything in week four either. This week is the toughest to predict with starters expected to see only limited action. But the Packers have the advantage on every string of the team, so they should be in good shape to win a third straight.

CORY'S PICK: Packers -4.5


Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (+2, 40)

The Buffalo Bills host the Detroit Lions in their final preseason games of 2011.

Since the final preseason game generally is about the second and third string players, while we are going to be covering them, they aren’t going to get nearly the attention of the first three games or of course a regular season game simply because of the lack of information surrounding them.

The Buffalo Bills have looked decent in the preseason and they played out game three and got some luck going their way as a normally dependable Josh Scobee missed a game winning field goal try for the Jaguars allowing Rian Lindell to kick the game winner in overtime. Of course the Bills have to happy about the win but at the same time concerned that they had to battle back just to get to overtime after leading 17-0 at one point. I’m not expecting to see Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, or C.J. Spiller much if at all in this one so it will be the same players that watched the lead get away from them and then battle back. This is more the Tyler Thigpen battle with Levi Brown for the backup spot and defensively we’ll see Kelvin Sheppard and Joshua Nesbitt as the Bills see exactly how their depth chart looks when they open the season.

The Detroit Lions blasted the New England Patriots last week and it’s going to give the Lions some confidence as the expectations are sky high headed into the season. Unfortunately for the fans paying full price to watch this one live they are going to see any of the Lions high priced players especially those who have had injury problems in the past like Matthew Stafford and Jahvid Best. Calvin Johnson, Ndamakong Suh, and Corey Williams will be among those watching this from the sidelines as Drew Stanton, Titus Young, Zac Robinson, Ian Johnson, and Mike Bell battle it out on the field. It’s actually Detroit’s battle for running back spots which could be the most interesting angle of this game.

Of all preseason games week four are the toughest to pick followed by week one just because we aren’t sure what we are going to see and picking NFL football against the spread is one of the toughest things in all of sports handicapping and where the sports books make their living. As we see Buffalo’s second string and beyond, we see lousy run defense and with Detroit’s battles a RB we’ll see plenty of running the ball so the Lions would be the choice if I were to play this one.

MITCH'S PICK: Lions -2

[Mr. IWS]

CFB NEWS AND NOTES
CFB: UNLV at Wisconsin Preview
By Christian Alexander


UNLV Rebels at Wisconsin Badgers (-35, 56)

After a summer full of NFL lockout talk, it sure is nice to get back to football…college football that is. Hard to believe the 2011 season is just days away but I couldn’t be more ready. Seriously, the women’s World Cup was exciting but I’m ready to move on.

Speaking of exciting, the programming gods at ESPN started the season with a fumble for this Thursday night opener. UNLV at Wisconsin? A 35 ½-point spread? What? Were the rights to the New Hampshire-Toledo game out of their price range?

I suppose we should just look at the bright side. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who transferred to Madison after three seasons at N.C. State, has been the talk of college football recently. There are a number of folks who think that Wilson, who started 36 games for the Wolfpack, could be the piece the Badgers need to make a run at the BCS Championship.

Prior to Wilson’s announcement, quarterback did figure to be somewhat of a question mark for coach Bret Bielema. Gone was Scott Tolzien, an underappreciated signal caller who completed over 72 percent of his passes and went 21-5 in two seasons as a starter in Madison. Wisconsin knew it had plenty of offense returning with six starters back, especially with the electric running back combo of James White and Montee Ball but the addition of Wilson should add a dimension that makes this offense especially dangerous.

The other side of the ball is a bit of a different story for the Badgers. True, Wisconsin does return six starters on defense but the five they lost include critical pieces such as defensive end J.J. Watt and cornerback Niles Brinkley.

Any complaints from Bielema would just be minor quibbles, especially after the gift of Wilson fell into his lap. UNLV coach Bobby Hauck can only dream of having the “problems” that his counterpart at Wisconsin is facing this season. Hauck, who compiled an 80-17 record in seven seasons at Montana, including a trip to the I-AA title game three times, is in the midst of a full blown rebuilding project in Sin City.

The last time the Rebels had a winning season was back in 2000, when John Robinson led the program to an 8-5 record. That type of season must seem a long way off for Hauck, who suffered through a 2-10 season during his maiden voyage in Vegas.

But Hauck seems to be rebuilding the right way – by giving plenty of experience to younger players. In fact, UNLV has 23 freshmen and sophomores on their two-deep heading into this Thursday night. Eventually that talent will mature and the experience and growing pains will pay dividends.

Those growing pains will be on full display this Thursday night in Madison. The Rebels, who return seven starters on offense and four on defense, have added some nice junior college transfers including LB Princeton Jackson, CB Ken Spigner and S Dre Crawford. Those three should help fill some gaping holes on a defensive unit that surrendered nearly 40 points a game last season.

On offense, signal caller Caleb Herring picked up some decent experience last year by appearing in eight of UNLV’s 13 games. That playing time should serve him well in 2011 as should the talents of sophomore RB Tim Cornett and WRs Phillip Payne and Marcus Sullivan.

If the defense can take a step in the right direction – actually two or three steps would be best – then this team might be a bit more competitive than the experts are predicting. UNLV’s current season win total is sitting at 2½ victories.

Being competitive this Thursday might be asking a bit much, however.

A QUICK LOOK AT THURSDAY NIGHT GAMES:

Miss. State (-29) at Memphis: Yikes, another large number. Bulldogs return a lot of talent on offense, including an improving QB in Chris Relf and dangerous RB Vick Ballard. Memphis has only won three games over the past two years and that might not improve much this season. Larry Porter is installing a new offense and there should be a number of “learning experiences” in this one.

Wake Forest at Syracuse (-6.5): The ‘Cuse executed quite the turnaround last season, improving from 4-8 in 2009 to 8-5 last year. However, some key players from last year are gone so it remains to be seen if additional improvement can be made in 2011. Wake’s defense was a disaster last year, allowing 35.8 points a game. Coach Grobe made that area a priority in the off-season and I anticipate a much tougher team this fall.

Bowling Green at Idaho (-7): Dave Clawson is still getting things turned around for the Falcons. He will be helped by having seven starters back on both offense and defense. Idaho will have to deal with a new QB for the first time since 2006 as Nathan Enderle finally used up all his eligibility. Look for senior Brian Reader under center for the Vandals.

Kentucky (-19) at Western Kentucky: Kentucky’s offense was decimated by graduation and there will be new faces at all the skill positions. The Hilltoppers were just 2-10 in 2010 but return senior RB Bobby Rainey who will no doubt be the workhorse of this offense. This game will be played in Nashville.

[Mr. IWS]

BANG THE BOOK

Thursday's Best CFB Bet

UNLV Rebels at Wisconsin Badgers (-35, 56)

The UNLV Rebels, out of the Mountain West, open their 2011 football season against the No.11 Wisconsin Badgers from the Big Ten this upcoming Thursday night at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Kick-off is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

This game will be a major test for a UNLV program that is coming off a 2-11 record overall and a 0-4 record straight-up in non-conference play. Rebel head coach Bobby Hauck enters his second season at the helm of a team that has not had a winning record since 2000.

This team was so bad last season that it ranked near the bottom of Division IA in almost every major category. It was ranked 110th in scoring with an average of 18.4 points a game and 116th in points allowed; giving up an average of 39.7 point a game. It appears that Hauck will go with Caleb Herring as the starting quarterback against the Badgers, but do not be surprised if junior college transfer Sean Reilly sees some action in this game as well.

Wisconsin is coming off an 11-2 record overall and a Big Ten title, but its season ended on a sour note with a 21-19 loss to TCU as a 3.5-point underdog in the Rose Bowl. The Badgers opened their season against UNLV last season and came away with a 41-21 victory as a 20.5-point road favorite. The total went well over the 55-point line.

If Wisconsin is going to make another run at not only a Big Ten title, but a BCS title as well, it has to hope that quarterback Russell Wilson can play like he did last season when he threw for over 3,500 yards for the NC State Wolfpack. He will be taking over as the starter for Joe Budmayr, who is currently out with swelling in his throwing elbow that could end up being a season-ending injury.

Look for the Badgers to rely on a running game that features James White and Montee Ball, who combined for close to 2000 yards rushing last season as a way to help ease Wilson into the starting role.

The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of UNLV’s last 10 games overall and in six of its last nine games as an underdog. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of Wisconsin’s last 10 games overall and in 20 of its last 27 games as a favorite. While the Badgers should cover the spread, the best bet in this game could actually be the ‘over’.

PICK: Wisconsin

[Mr. IWS]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Red Sox, Yankees Finish MLB Betting Series
By: Michael Robinson


New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-215, 9.5)

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have their third straight pitching mismatch, at least on paper, as they finish their 3-game set on Thursday night.

First pitch from venerable Fenway Park will be at 7:10 p.m. (ET). The Don Best odds screen will release the figures shortly.

Boston (82-52) and New York (81-52) are fighting for the AL East title, with the loser almost definitely getting the wild card. The Red Sox have a half-game lead, with the winner likely facing Detroit in the opening round instead of Texas, a favorable scenario.

The Yanks won 5-2 as 136 road betting favorites in Tuesday’s opener behind ace CC Sabathia. He allowed 10 hits, but just the two runs over six innings. He got the win after going 0-4 in his first four Boston starts this year.

New York is still just 3-10 against Boston this season, 3-4 at Fenway. The Bronx Bombers have strangely lost all six home meetings.

The Wednesday night game is still pending and had Josh Beckett going against Phil Hughes. Beckett was sporting a 1.95 home ERA heading in, with his team 9-2 in his Fenway starts. Boston was a 160 favorite with a total of nine runs.

Boston’s co-ace Jon Lester (14-6, 3.09 ERA) is pitching on Thursday. He’s 3-0 in his last three starts, allowing exactly one run each time and pitching 19 total innings (1.42 ERA). Two of them were at home against Oakland and Tampa Bay.

The 27-year-old left-hander has a higher ERA (3.44) at home than away (2.84). However, that’s mostly due to a couple of bad starts in May. The ‘under’ is 5-1 in Lester’s last six home starts (2.23 ERA).

Lester is 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three starts against New York this year. The one at home was August 5, allowing three earned runs over six innings in a 3-2 loss. Boston had won his prior five Yankees starts.

New York is 28-13 against a lefty starter this year and 13-5 in its last 18 road games versus a southpaw.

A.J. Burnett (9-11, 5.31 ERA) will pitch for the visitors, much to the dismay of Yanks fans. His ERA has ballooned his last two starts at Minnesota and Baltimore, 16 earned runs over a combined 6 2/3 innings. He had an 11.91 ERA in five August outings overall.

The 34-year-old right-hander is trying to avoid being left off the playoff roster. Going to Fenway where he has a 10.61 ERA in six starts since joining New York likely won’t help matters.

His one start against Boston this year was at home, seven earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in June (11-6 loss).

Burnett has a 6.85 road ERA this year. The ‘over’ is 5-0-1 in his last six road starts. New York is 1-9 in his last 10 road starts against a team with a winning record.

Boston is just 9-9 at home in its last 18 games. The ‘under’ is 6-2 in its last eight at home, scoring just 3.5 runs per game.

New York has won three straight games (all away) and is 13-6 in its last 19 road games.

Boston is still missing slugger Kevin Youkilis (back injury), who could return Friday. New York’s Alex Rodriguez (thumb) was out Tuesday and likely the series. Catcher Russell Martin (toe) was questionable for Wednesday.

Alfonso Marquez will call balls and strikes. Neither team has fared well recently with him behind home plate. Boston is 2-6 in the last eight and New York 1-6 in the last seven.

Weather should be clear and in the 60s. Boston will start another big home series Friday against Texas. New York will return home against Toronto.

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKERS

Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers (15-8, 3.37 ERA)

The Brewers have won each of Gallardo’s last three starts as he’s allowed only three earned runs over that stretch while striking out 25. He struck out 10 and didn’t give up an earned run in a 6-4 win over the Cubs in his last outing and he’s 9-1 with a 2.45 ERA at Miller Park this season.

Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox (14-6, 3.09 ERA)

Lester has been lights out over his last three starts, compiling a 1.42 ERA while giving up only nine hits and booking three wins.

“The two before this one had a few too many walks,’’ Lester told reporters after holding the A’s to one earned run while walking two in a 9-3 win. “I think if I can minimize those, like today, it was pretty good and I was able to attack the zone and stay pretty consistent with it.”

SLUMPING

Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals (3-8, 5.55 ERA)

The Royals have dropped each of Duffy’s last five starts, including a 8-7 loss to Cleveland last week in which he gave up four runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking two. Even though he has pitched seven innings only his last six outings, Kansas City plans to shut him down after two or three more starts to preserve his arm for next season.

A.J. Burnett, New York Yankees (9-11, 5.31 ERA)

If Burnett bombs again on Thursday against the Red Sox, he could be on his way to the bullpen. He has allowed 16 runs over his last 6 2/3 innings on the mound and has served up 25 home runs already. Basically, if the Yanks hadn’t had so many doubleheaders recently, he probably won’t still be starting.
"We'll deal with it when we're in a position to deal with it," Yankees GM Cashman told reporters of the situation. "When we have to make a decision, we'll have to make a decision. Obviously, he's not pitching well."

[Mr. IWS]

HOT LINES

Thursday's Best MLB Bets

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers (-160, 9.5)

When you’ve been around as long as Tigers manager Jim Leyland, you know a thing or two about taking a team down the stretch in the regular season.

His Tigers pulled out another win Thursday afternoon by putting three runs on the board in the eighth inning in a 5-4 win over Kansas City. Wilson Betemit, the former Royal, delivered the big blow with an RBI double in the eighth.

"People wonder why I play so many different lineups, but that's what you have to do when you want to win a division," Leyland told reporters. "You don't win unless you get contributions from everyone, and you have to play them so that they are ready to make a play when you need them."

The win, combined with another White Sox loss, moved the Tigers to six games in front in the AL Central division. They could build on that against Danny Duffy and the Royals.

PICK: Detroit


Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves (-225, 7.5)

The Washington Nationals might not be all that far away from a really exciting team.

They have a bunch of young studs getting ready to break into the bigs and management is finally making some solid moves to bring in some veterans. Picking up Chien-Ming Wang may not be the worst decision either.

Wang is 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in six starts for the Nats after missing about two years with a shoulder injury. He isn’t overpowering anyone with only nine strikeouts compared to 10 walks, but that never was his game anyway.

"I felt today that the sinker had good movement. I kept it down," Wang told reporters after allowing one earned run over six innings in a no-decision against Cincinnati. "Location is good. I can throw the ball more easily. The shoulder feels better. The biggest problem is the release point. I think I can get a good release point."

We didn’t think he had a chance to get back to where he was before, but we like what we’re seeing. At this price, we'll take a flier on the Nats.

PICK: Washington

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday’s Betting Tips: Favored Badgers Riding Over Trend

Who’s Hot

NCAAF: Syracuse is on a 7-2 run against the spread in its September games.

NCAAF: The over is 20-7 in Wisconsin’s last 27 games as a favorite.

NFL: The Detroit Lions are the talk of the preseason heading into Thursday’s matchup at 3-0 straight up, but while the club’s defense is getting all the attention, the offense leads the league with 98 points through three games.

MLB: Philadelphia is 20-7 in its last 27 road games.

Who’s Not

NCAAF: Memphis is 2-5-1 against the spread in its last eight overall.

NCAAF: The under is 3-9 in Kentucky’s last 12 overall.

NFL: The Kansas City Chiefs have scored a league-low 23 points while going winless through three preseason games to date.

MLB: Florida is 5-17 in its last 22 as an underdog.

Key Stat

28 – Wisconsin has won 28 consecutive non-league games straight up heading into Thursday’s meeting with UNLV. The Badgers are set as big 35-point favorites at home to the Runnin’ Rebels.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Cody Ross, San Francisco Giants: X-rays on Ross’ hand came back negative after he was hit by a pitch Wednesday and the team is hopeful he will be able to play on Friday when the Giants resume play against the rival Diamondbacks.

Game Of The Day

UNLV at Wisconsin (-35, 56)

Notable Quotable

"I'm very excited to be getting out there again. Playing against a team like Mississippi State and them being ranked is huge for us. Plus being on national television gives us a chance to show everyone what we're capable of and what we can do." Memphis senior defensive end Frank Trotter on his club’s opener Thursday against Mississippi State. The Tigers are set as big 30.5-point home underdogs.

Tips And Notes

The Texas Rangers will activate third baseman Adrian Beltre from the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Beltre has been sidelined with a hamstring injury on July 22. He had a setback earlier this month when he aggravated the injury. In his first season with the Rangers, Beltre is batting .276 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs in 100 games.

UNLV defensive backs Michael Johnson and Corbin Brown are currently set as questionable for Thursday’s game against Wisconsin. Last season the Runnin’ Rebels allowed 227.8 passing yards per game, good for 77th in the nation. Wisconsin, meanwhile, with Jon Budmayr out with his elbow injury, North Carolina State transfer Russell Wilson will take the snaps.

According to an ESPN report, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster could be out three or four weeks with his hamstring injury. Foster tweeted a shot of his MRI and ESPN medical analyst Michael Kaplan claims Foster tore “some of the muscle fibers, we'll call it Grade 1 to 2. There's a fair amount of swelling and bleeding on the MRI, so this is real. ... It's gonna be a couple weeks at least. If you get him back too soon, he's at a high risk of re-rupture. I think they're gonna go a little slow with him." Houston is a 3.5-point underdog at Minnesota on Thursday.

[Mr. IWS]

Vegas Hot Sheet

Syracuse -6

[Mr. IWS]

Hondo

What a night for the Reverse Hondo Brigade! Mr. Aitch performed his patented triple-draino maneuver last night, getting flushed with the Cubs, Yankees and A's to push the debt to a whopping 3,065 whitakers.

Tonight, Mr. Aitch is looking for a payday with a Ray -- 20 units on Niemann to mess up Texas.

[Mr. IWS]

Gamblers Data

Free Play Thursday

Red Sox -1.5 +102

[Mr. IWS]

Today's MLB Picks

Philadelphia at Cincinnati

The Phillies look to follow up last night's 3-0 win and build on their 7-0 record in Vancy Worley's last 7 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in the previous game. Philadelphia is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Phillies favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Philadelphia at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Worley) 16.101; Cincinnati (Leake) 14.105 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 2; 8 Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-135); Under

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Milwaukee (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Dickson) 15.127; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 16.066 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-180); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-180); Over

Game 955-956: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Wang) 14.331; Atlanta (Hudson) 15.697 Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-210); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-210); Over

Game 957-958: Florida at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Hensley) 15.453; NY Mets (Batista) 13.883 Dunkel Line: Florida by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: NY Mets (-115); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Florida (-105); Under

Game 959-960: Oakland at Cleveland (12:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gonzalez) 14.352; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.080 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Cleveland (-110); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-110); Under

Game 961-962: Kansas City at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Duffy) 16.121; Detroit (Turner) 15.239 Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 10 1/2 Vegas Line: Detroit (-165); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+145); Over

Game 963-964: Toronto at Baltimore (12:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Perez) 15.445; Baltimore (Hunter) 14.714 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Toronto (-120); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-120); Under

Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.427; Boston (Lester) 18.064 Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Boston (-200); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Boston (-200); Over

Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.116; Texas (Wilson) 15.288 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Texas (-150); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+130); Under

Game 969-970: LA Angels at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.385; Seattle (Furbush) 14.742 Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-160); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-160); Over

Game 971-972: LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh (4:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Eveland) 16.552; Pittsburgh (Lincoln) 13.846 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

[Mr. IWS]

Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Rangers -155 over Rays

[Mr. IWS]

Football Crusher
Play of the Day:

Steelers +3 over Carolina

[Mr. IWS]

Sportsbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Rangers -155 over Rays

[Mr. IWS]

WNBA Basketball Picks

Phoenix at San Antonio

The Mercury look to take advantage of a San Antonio team that is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 home games. Phoenix is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Silver Stars favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Time Posted: 8:30 a.m. EST

Game 651-652: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 115.046; Washington 107.576 Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 7 1/2; 161 Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 5 1/2; 158 Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-5 1/2); Over

Game 653-654: Phoenix at San Antonio (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 113.315; San Antonio 113.900 Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1; 171 Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 174 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+2 1/2); Under