9-28-11

[timbob]

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[Mr. IWS]

MLB Betting News and Notes
Texas Rangers Close Regular Season At Angels
By: Matty Simo

With Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, the Los Angeles Angels were officially eliminated from postseason contention and will have to wait until next year to try to get back to the playoffs.

The Angels were given a very small opportunity to win the American League wild card when the Boston Red Sox lost earlier in the evening to the Baltimore Orioles, but they failed to take advantage of it. Los Angeles would have needed both the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays to each lose their last two games while sweeping the Rangers in three games, which obviously is no longer possible.

Game time for Wednesday’s series and season finale is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. (ET).

Umpire Paul Emmel will be behind home plate, and he has seen a slight edge for the home teams in his games at 12-11. The ‘under’ is 13-10 when he calls balls and strikes.

Texas had won 10 of the 17 meetings with the Angels this season heading into Tuesday after knocking them out in the series opener, while the ‘over’ had gone 3-0-1 in the previous four games between the teams. Los Angeles fell below the .500 mark against AL West opponents with the setback at 27-28 compared to a stellar mark of 38-17 vs. divisional foes for the Rangers.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus paced Texas with four hits on Monday while third baseman Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer and second baseman Michael Young drove in Andrus with what turned out to be the game-winning run in the eighth inning. Center fielder Peter Bourjos had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth for the Angels, who fell short for the seventh time in 11 games.

Los Angeles was without rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo due a stress fracture in his right foot that will keep him sidelined for this game as well. Trumbo led the team with 29 homers and 87 RBI despite playing in just 149 games.

The Angels will send ace Jered Weaver (18-8, 2.41 ERA) to the mound one last time after already setting a career high for wins. He got the decision in a 3-1 loss to Oakland at home last time out on Friday as a heavy 185 favorite, giving up all three runs and six hits in 8 1/3 innings of work.

The Halos have won Weaver’s previous four starts, all as a favorite of 130 or higher. He is 9-6 lifetime against the Rangers in 25 starts with a 3.41 ERA and 8-2 at home this season with a 1.94 ERA. The ‘under’ is 3-1 in his last four outings.

Texas will counter with lefty Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.46), who has won each of his last four starts. Harrison has struggled against the Angels with a career mark of 2-2 against them and an ERA of 5.04. He has pitched well on the road though with a 6-4 record and a 3.09 ERA.

The weather forecast for Anaheim on Wednesday calls for a high temperature of 81 degrees under mostly sunny skies, cooling off to the mid-70s for first pitch.

[Mr. IWS]

MLB Betting News and Notes
NY Yankees Close Campaign At Tampa Bay Rays
By: Adam Markowitz

The regular season is scheduled to come to a close on Wednesday night, but the race for the Wild Cards in both the American League and the National League might extend things to a 163rd game. The Tampa Bay Rays will hope to nail down a spot in the postseason for the third time in franchise history in game No. 162 against the AL East champion New York Yankees on Wednesday.

The first pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. (ET) from Tropicana Field, and television coverage is tentatively scheduled for the YES Network, Sun Sports and the MLB Network. The ESPN family of networks could pick up coverage of the game as well depending on how the rest of the schedule plays out on Tuesday.

The Yankees know they aren't going to be using anyone in their rotation that will be around for the playoffs in this game. Manager Joe Girardi hasn't announced a starting pitcher as of Tuesday morning. Odds are that many of the regulars in the lineup are going to get the day off as well.

New York has earned that right, knowing that it has already locked up the best record in the American League, and will be hosting either the Detroit Tigers or Texas Rangers on Friday in the Bronx for Game 1 of the ALDS.

Tampa Bay is in a significantly different spot, though. Coming into play on Tuesday night, the Rays were at 89-71, an identical record shared with the Boston Red Sox. We know that regardless of what happens on Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon and company will neither have wrapped up a playoff bid, nor will have been eliminated from the postseason, so this game could be for all of the marbles.

Boston is going against the Baltimore Orioles in the final two games of the season and, for the time being, is scheduled to throw Jon Lester against Alfredo Simon on Wednesday.

Barring a change in heart, Maddon is going to be going with David Price in the biggest game of the season. Yes, Price has a losing record at 12-13, but he has numbers this year that suggest he could have been a Cy Young Award contender.

The southpaw is no stranger to big games, having pitched as a rookie out of the bullpen in the run to the World Series in 2008, but this is as big of a start as he has ever made in his career.

Price is holding batters to a .228 batting average this year and has a fantastic 3.35 ERA. His walks are down from a year ago with just 60 free passes, and for the first time in his career, Price has reached the 200+ strikeout barrier with 215 K's.

The issue of fatigue is there for Price, though. He has already thrown 220 1/3-innings in 2011, and this is going to be the first time that he is asked to make a 34th start in a regular season in his career. He hasn't pitched more than 6 2/3-innings in four straight starts as well, another issue that has to be a concern.

New York owns a 9-7 lead in the season series with Tuesday's action still pending, though the Rays did take the first game of this series on Monday night 5-2 thanks to a great pitching effort by James Shields.

Tampa Bay has gone 4-3 in the seven meetings thus far at Tropicana Field.

Veteran umpire Joe West is scheduled to have the plate for this one, and he brings a very strong 21-11-3 season trend to the 'over' into the game. However, the 'under' has cashed in two of three plate assignments at The Trop, with the third a 'push.' Two of those three contests were starts by Rays southpaw Price.

Should the Red Sox and Rays have a matching record, a one-game playoff will be held on Thursday for the right to take on either the Rangers or the Tigers in the ALDS on Friday. Tampa Bay will host the game by virtue of its 12-6 record against Boston in the regular season.

[Mr. IWS]

Wednesday’s Betting Tips: MLB Wild Cards All Even

Who’s Hot

MLB: Washington is 13-3 in its last 16 overall.

MLB: Cincinnati is 15-6 in its last 21 games as a favorite.

Who’s Not

MLB: Seattle has won 24 of its last 74 overall.

MLB: Only two of Arizona’s last 11 games have played over the total.

Key Stat

3 – Barcelona sharpshooter Lionel Messi has a pair of hat tricks in his last three games heading into the club’s Champions League match against BATE Borisov on Wednesday. Messi is also just three goals away from overtaking Ladislau Kubala as Barcelona’s second-leading scorer of all time. Barcelona is set as a big -715 favorite with the draw at +620 and a BATE victory at +1350.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves - Jones is dealing with a bone bruise on his right knee. An MRI confirmed that the injury was not more serious and Jones will continue to play through the discomfort.

Game Of The Day

Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (N/A)

Notable Quotable

''It's like you sit down to a great dinner and you eat your dinner. You feel great but you still want that dessert, and you want it to be the best dessert ever and that's how I feel. I'm satisfied because I am full from that main meal but I'm waiting on that fabulous dessert. The finals is going to be that dessert for me.” – Minnesota Lynx 41-year-old center Taj McWilliams-Franklin about advancing to the WNBA finals. The Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream square off Tuesday night for a chance to battle the Lynx in the finals.

Tips And Notes

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays both won on Tuesday, so they'll head into Wednesday's action tied for the AL wild card. Boston is set as a -230 favorite at Baltimore with Jon Lester facing Alfredo Simon, while Tampa Bay sends David Price to the mound against the Yankees, who have yet to name their starter. Same story in the National League where the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals are tied for the final playoff spot. The Cardinals are expected to have Chris Carpenter on the hill against Houston's Brett Myers. Meanwhile, Tim Hudson will start for Atlanta against Philadelphia's Joe Blanton.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick likely will play Sunday vs. San Francisco despite a badly bruised hand, Philly.com reported Tuesday. The lefthanded Vick was thought to have suffered a broken right hand in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants. But a second examination Monday revealed that what was thought to be a break was a blood vessel, and Vick has a deep bone bruise near his wrist. The report said Vick will play if the swelling in his hand decreases and he is cleared by a doctor for contact. He is wearing a large wrap over the hand.

Chelsea’s starting lineup will garner a lot of attention ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match with Valencia. Frank Lampard has been a staple in center midfield for Chelsea for years, but 33-year-old manager Andre Villas-Boas has stuck the veteran on the bench in three of the club’s last four games, which is causing a major uproar among some team supporters. Meanwhile, Fernando Torres will likely start as he will have to serve an EPL suspension following Saturday’s red car against Swansea. Chelsea is pegged at +140 with the draw at +215 and a Valencia win at +180.

[Mr. IWS]

Wednesday's Best MLB Bets

Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox (105, 8.5)

To say it has been a weird few days for the Chicago White Sox would be a major understatement.

We all knew that Ozzie Guillen’s relationship with the front office has been in the toilet for a while, but you had to figure they’d keep it together until the season ended. Maybe we should have known better.

Now, Ozzie has been traded to the Marlins for a couple of prospects and reportedly signed a four-year deal with the Fish to was supposed to pay him double the $2 million yearly contract he had with Chicago. Judging from his recent comments to the media, he couldn’t be happier.

“With the rings, I can’t do [anything] with that,’’ he told the Chicago Sun-Times recently. “But with money, I can go buy me a new boat, I can go buy me a new car, I can dress my wife the way I want to dress her, I can go to Spain. With the ring, I can go to United Airlines and say, ‘Hello, I won the 2005 championship. Can you fly me to Spain?’ Hell, no.”

So that’s why he jumped ship to Florida, which leaves the White Sox in a weird spot as pitching coach Don Cooper takes over as interim manager. Especially after bench coach Joey Cora was told to hit the road along with his buddy Ozzie.

PICK: Toronto


Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres (-170, 6.5)

Meanwhile on the North Side, Cubs supporters are again waiting for next year – a concept manager Mike Quade seems to have a strong handle on considering the lineup card he submitted Monday night.

Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Carlos Pena were the only guys on the field who started Opening Day and the result was predictable – a 2-0 loss to San Diego in which the club managed only two hits.

"People can disagree with me -- that's fine," Quade said. "As far as us evaluating people and what they're best suited to do at this point in their career, so much of that plays into [the lineup decision], and also the performance and effort we've gotten from guys who have been here all year. There's a lot that goes into it.”

There’s still no word about what Wednesday’s lineup card might look like, but then again, how much does that really matter with this disappointing Cubs club?

PICK: San Diego

[Mr. IWS]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

725- 533 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one for WED Wash Nationals -150 22-7 run

[Mr. IWS]

Hondo

Hondo tried to wing it last night and ended up doing a split as the Cards rallied in Houston and the Orioles fell short against the Sox to leave the debt holding at 1,875 evanses.
Tonight, Mr. Aitch says Simon has to end Lester's hex -- 20 units on the Birds over the Sawx. Also, 20 units on the 'Stros to hammer Carpenter.

[Mr. IWS]

Gamblers Data

Free Play Wednesday

Oakland -165

[Mr. IWS]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Braves Tuesday night.

Wednesday it's the Red Sox. The deficit is 2711 sirignanos.

[Mr. IWS]

Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Tigers -170 over Indians

[Mr. IWS]

Soccer Crusher
Play of the Day:

Cardiff City + Southampton FC OVER 2.5
This match is happening in England - Championship

[Mr. IWS]

sportsbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Tigers -170 over Indians

[Mr. IWS]

Today's MLB Picks

Boston at Baltimore

The Orioles look to bounce back from last night's 8-7 loss and take advantage of a Boston team that is 0-8 in its last 8 games following a win. Baltimore is the pick (+190) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Sox favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+190). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST

Game 901-902: Cincinnati at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Volquez) 13.536; NY Mets (Batista) 15.120 Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 9 Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+100); Under

Game 903-904: Colorado at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Pomeranz) 14.719; San Francisco (Surkamp) 14.549 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-175); 7 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+155); Over

Game 905-906: Washington at Florida (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 15.582; Florida (Volstad) 14.617 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Washington (-145); 7 Dunkel Pick: Washington (-145); Over

Game 907-908: Philadelphia at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 14.416; Atlanta (Hudson) 14.888 Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 909-910: St. Louis at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 14.415; Houston (Myers) 14.573 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Locke) 15.441; Milwaukee (Greinke) 14.451 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 9 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 913-914: Chicago Cubs at San Diego (8:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.061; San Diego (LeBlanc) 16.069 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 6 Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-115); 6 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-105); Under

Game 915-916: LA Dodgers at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Lilly) 17.518; Arizona (Saunders) 16.418 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Arizona (-120); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+100); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Morrow) 15.761; White Sox (Humber) 14.724 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-115); Over

Game 919-920: Cleveland at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (McAllister) 14.108; Detroit (Porcello) 16.780 Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Detroit (-165); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-165); Under

Game 921-922: Boston at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 14.853; Baltimore (Simon) 15.381 Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Boston (-220); 9 Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+190); Over

Game 923-924: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Undecided); Tampa Bay (Price) Dunkel Line: N/A Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 925-926: Kansas City at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 14.697; Minnesota (Pavano) 14.153 Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 8 Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-120);

Game 927-928: Texas at LA Angels (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Harrison) 16.385; LA Angels (Richards) 16.580 Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 929-930: Oakland at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gonzalez) 15.033; Seattle (Vasquez) 15.461 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: Oakland (-150); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+130); Under

[Mr. IWS]

Cappers Access

Reds
Cubs

[Mr. IWS]

JOE WIZ DAILY FREE PLAY

Under 8 runs bet. Kansas City and Minnesota