SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
| Game | Time(ET) | Pick | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS at BAL | 03:05 PM | BAL -156 U 8.0 | +500 +500 |
| LAD at SF | 03:05 PM | SF +155 U 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| NYY at KC | 03:10 PM | KC +141 O 9.0 | +500 +500 |
| WAS at ATL | 03:10 PM | WAS +189 O 10.5 | +500 +500 |
| SD at CHW | 03:10 PM | SD -174 U 9.5 | +500 +500 |
| PHI at NYM | 03:10 PM | PHI -103 O 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| CLE at DET | 03:10 PM | DET -124 O 8.0 | +500 +500 |
| MIN at COL | 03:10 PM | COL +149 U 12.0 | +500 +500 |
| HOU at ARI | 03:10 PM | ARI +157 U 9.5 | +500 +500 |
| TEX at SEA | 03:10 PM | SEA -114 O 7.5 | +500 +500 |
| CHC at MIL | 03:10 PM | CHC -109 U 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| CIN at STL | 03:15 PM | CIN -118 O 8.5 | +500 +500 |
Monday’s 6-pack:
Baseball Wild Card playoff series (best-of-3, starting Tuesday):
— Texas @ Tampa Bay
— Toronto @ Minnesota
— Arizona @ Milwaukee
— Miami @ Philadelphia
— Mets fired manager Buck Showalter; they were 175-148 in his two years.
— Former Red Sox P Tim Wakefield passed away, at age 57.
Quote of the Day
“On the analytics side, I think the information and the resources the Yankees provide are great. I think it’s just about how we use them and how we value them is an aspect that we just maybe need to look at again. ………I wouldn’t say [we are] overloaded. I think it’s just looking at the right numbers. I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones. We need to value some other ones that people might see as having no value.”
Aaron Judge
Monday’s quiz
Who was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs?
Sunday’s quiz
AJ Hinch was manager of the Astros, before Dusty Baker.
Saturday’s quiz
Jared Goff played his college football for the Cal Bears.
*****************************************
— Commanders led 17-10 at halftime.
— Eagles in 2nd half/OT: 43 plays, 277 yards, 24 points.
— Brown caught nine passes for 175 yards, two TD’s.
— Eagles are 4-0 SU/2-1-1 ATS, scoring 25-34-25-34 points.
— Commanders forced OT on 10-yard TD pass with 0:01 left.
— Washington’s first two drives: 21 plays, 143 yards, two TD’s.
— Commanders were 8-17 on third down, Eagles 4-12.
— Washington gave up 33-37-34 points the last three weeks.
Rams 29, Colts 23, OT
— Rams led this game 23-0 with 6:00 left in third quarter.
— LA drove 75 yards for game-winning TD on first drive in OT
— Stafford played whole game, but got hurt (hip??) early in 3rd quarter.
— NFC West teams are 8-0-1 ATS outside the division.
— Rookie WR Pacua caught nine passes for 163 yards, and the game-winning TD.
— Colts tied game 23-all with 1:56 left, on an 83-yard drive.
— Indy converted both 2-point conversions they tried.
— Road team won all four Colts’ games this year.
— Colts are 7-12 ATS in last 19 home games, losing last seven SU.
Odd fact: in 1972, Robert Irsay bought the Rams from the estate of the Rams’ owner, who passed away; he traded the Rams to Carroll Rosenbloom, for the then-Baltimore Colts.
Broncos 31, Bears 28
— Lutz kicked 51-yard FG with 1:51 left for the win.
— Down 28-21 with 7:05, Broncos tied game with a defensive TD.
— Denver’s last three drives: 22 plays, 183 yards, 17 points.
— Broncos gave up 133 points in their last three games.
— Bears led 28-7 with 2:00 left in third quarter.
— Bears are 9-29 SU/13-23-2 ATS the last 2+ years.
— Fields was 28-35/335 passing, with four TD’s.
— Chicago lost its first four games, giving up 34.3 ppg.
Bills 48, Dolphins 20
— Miami’s first two drives: 14 plays, 142 yards, 14 points.
— Miami last nine drives: 44 plays, 257 yards, six points.
— Dolphins converted only 3-10 third down plays.
— Miami’s opponents are 24-52 on third down.
— Bills won last three games, outscoring foes 123-33.
— Bills’ first nine drives: 46 plays, 393 yards, six TD’s, 2 FG’s.
— Diggs caught six passes for 120 yards, three TD’s.
— Buffalo is 14-8-1 ATS in last 23 games as a home favorite.
Jaguars 23, Falcons 7
— First three drives, Jaguars ran 22 plays for 146 yards, got TD-FG.
— Jaguars made it 17-0 on a 61-yard pick-6- it was 17-0 at the half.
— Jacksonville is only 16-51 on third down in three games.
— Under Pederson, Jags are +8 in turnovers (minus-20 in 2021)
— Falcons’ first five drives: 22 plays, 53 yards, 3 punts, 2 INT’s.
— Atlanta’s only TD came on 75-yard drive, first drive of 3rd quarter.
— Atlanta has been outscored 47-19 in first half of games.
— Under is 10-2 in their last dozen games overall.
Ravens 28, Browns 3
— Baltimore had TD drives of 10-94-93-38 yards.
— Ravens are 9-5 ATS in last 14 AFC North road games.
— Baltimore defense has allowed only three TD’s on 49 drives.
— Lamar Jackson is 49-20 as an NFL starter (1-3 in playoff games)
— QB Watson didn’t play; backup Thompson-Robinson was overmatched.
— In his first NFL start, DTR threw 3 INT’s, averaged 1.8 yards/attempt.
— For the game, Cleveland ran 65 plays for 166 yards.
— Browns gave up 3-3 points in their wins, 26-28 in their losses.
Texans 30, Steelers 6
— Steelers in first half: 24 plays, 53 yards, no points.
— Pittsburgh averaged 3.6 yards/pass attempt.
— Steelers have been outgained by 140 yards/game this season.
— Pittsburgh is 3-10 ATS in last 13 games as a road favorite.
— Texans’ first three drives: 28 plays, 155 yards, TD-FG-FG
— Rookie QB Stroud averaged 10.1 yards/pass attempt.
— Texans averaged 9.3/10.1 yards/pass attempt last two games.
— Houston is 11-7-2 ATS last 20 games when spread was 3 or fewer points.
Vikings 21, Panthers 13
— Cousins threw a 99-yard pick-6 on Minnesota’s first series.
— That was Carolina’s only touchdown all day.
— Down 13-7, Vikings scored defensive TD to take lead for good.
— Vikings are 10-5-2 ATS in last 17 games on natural grass.
— Carolina led this game 13-7 at halftime.
— Panthers have been outscored 70-31 in second half of games.
— Opponents are 13-45 on third down this year.
— Carolina lost first four games, scoring 10-17-27-13 points.
Buccaneers 26, Saints 9
— Bucs converted 27 of first 57 third down plays.
— Tampa Bay has 10 takeaways in four games (+7 turnovers)
— Opponents’ team total is 3-0-1 under this year.
— Under is 13-5 in Tampa Bay’s last 18 road games.
— New Orleans was outgained, 353-197.
— Saints averaged only 3.0 yards/pass attempt.
— Under is 12-7 in Saints’ last 19 home games.
— Last 5+ years, NO is 5-10-1 ATS in NFC South home games.
Titans 27, Bengals 3
— Bengals drove 72 yards for a FG on their first drive- their only score.
— Cincinnati was 2-9 on third down, Tennessee 8-13.
— Bengals averaged 2.0/5.1/4.7/4.2 yards/pass attempt in Weeks 1-4.
— Under is 12-5-1 in their last eighteen road games.
— Titans’ first five drives: 34 plays, 273 yards, 3 TD’s and a FG.
— Tennessee outgained the Bengals, 400-211.
— Titans are 29-18-2 ATS in last 49 games coming off a loss.
— Titans scored 27-27 points in its wins; they didn’t score a TD in either loss.
Chargers 24, Raiders 17
— Chargers’ first five drives: 37 plays, 240 yards, 24 points.
— Chargers’ last six drives: 26 plays, 86 yards, no points.
— QB Herbert played 4th quarter with splint on finger on his left hand.
— Last three games, Chargers converted only 12-39 third down plays.
— Rookie QB O’Connell was 24-39/238 passing in his first NFL start.
— Raiders converted 1-11 third down plays, 3-3 on fourth down.
— Last 3+ years, Las Vegas is 10-16 ATS in games coming off a loss.
— Raiders scored 17-10-18-17 points in first three games.
Cowboys 38, Patriots 3
— Dallas scored two defensive TD’s in the second quarter.
— Cowboys are 36-61 on third down, opponents are 15-49.
— Last 2+ years, Dallas is 20-8 ATS as a favorite.
— Cowboys’ three wins are by a combined 108-13.
— Patriots drove 64 yards for FG on first drive, their only score of game.
— New England ran ball 23 times for only 53 yards.
— Patriots are off to 1-3 start, scoring 20-17-15-3 points.
— Belichick was 249-75 with Brady as his QB, is 81-93 without him.
49ers 35, Cardinals 16
— 49ers led 21-16 after three quarters.
— SF’s first three drives: 22 plays, 212 yards, 21 points.
— Purdy averaged 12.3 yards/pass attempt.
— SF is 9-1 ATS in last nine games as a home fave LY (7-16-1 from 2018-21).
— 49ers ran 53 plays; only five of them were on 3rd down (3-5).
— SF won first four games, scoring 30-30-30-35 points.
— Cardinals have lost 14 of last 17 games SU (7-7 ATS in last 14).
— Arizona has been outscored 61-24 in 2nd half.
Chiefs 23, Jets 20
— Chiefs’ first three drives: 19 plays, 215 yards, 17 points.
— Chiefs rest of game: 50 plays, 191 yards, 6 points.
— KC is 10-14-1 ATS in last 25 games as a road favorite.
— Chiefs are 15-24-1 ATS in last 40 games coming off a win.
— Jets’ first three drives: 13 plays, 43 yards, no points.
— Chiefs led 17-0 after the first quarter.
— Wilson was 28-39/245 passing, with two TD’s.
— Wilson is 8-17 as an NFL starter.
Baseball Wild Card playoff series (best-of-3, starting Tuesday):
— Texas @ Tampa Bay
— Toronto @ Minnesota
— Arizona @ Milwaukee
— Miami @ Philadelphia
— Mets fired manager Buck Showalter; they were 175-148 in his two years.
— Former Red Sox P Tim Wakefield passed away, at age 57.
Quote of the Day
“On the analytics side, I think the information and the resources the Yankees provide are great. I think it’s just about how we use them and how we value them is an aspect that we just maybe need to look at again. ………I wouldn’t say [we are] overloaded. I think it’s just looking at the right numbers. I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones. We need to value some other ones that people might see as having no value.”
Aaron Judge
Monday’s quiz
Who was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs?
Sunday’s quiz
AJ Hinch was manager of the Astros, before Dusty Baker.
Saturday’s quiz
Jared Goff played his college football for the Cal Bears.
*****************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……..
Eagles 34, Commanders 31, OT— Commanders led 17-10 at halftime.
— Eagles in 2nd half/OT: 43 plays, 277 yards, 24 points.
— Brown caught nine passes for 175 yards, two TD’s.
— Eagles are 4-0 SU/2-1-1 ATS, scoring 25-34-25-34 points.
— Commanders forced OT on 10-yard TD pass with 0:01 left.
— Washington’s first two drives: 21 plays, 143 yards, two TD’s.
— Commanders were 8-17 on third down, Eagles 4-12.
— Washington gave up 33-37-34 points the last three weeks.
Rams 29, Colts 23, OT
— Rams led this game 23-0 with 6:00 left in third quarter.
— LA drove 75 yards for game-winning TD on first drive in OT
— Stafford played whole game, but got hurt (hip??) early in 3rd quarter.
— NFC West teams are 8-0-1 ATS outside the division.
— Rookie WR Pacua caught nine passes for 163 yards, and the game-winning TD.
— Colts tied game 23-all with 1:56 left, on an 83-yard drive.
— Indy converted both 2-point conversions they tried.
— Road team won all four Colts’ games this year.
— Colts are 7-12 ATS in last 19 home games, losing last seven SU.
Odd fact: in 1972, Robert Irsay bought the Rams from the estate of the Rams’ owner, who passed away; he traded the Rams to Carroll Rosenbloom, for the then-Baltimore Colts.
Broncos 31, Bears 28
— Lutz kicked 51-yard FG with 1:51 left for the win.
— Down 28-21 with 7:05, Broncos tied game with a defensive TD.
— Denver’s last three drives: 22 plays, 183 yards, 17 points.
— Broncos gave up 133 points in their last three games.
— Bears led 28-7 with 2:00 left in third quarter.
— Bears are 9-29 SU/13-23-2 ATS the last 2+ years.
— Fields was 28-35/335 passing, with four TD’s.
— Chicago lost its first four games, giving up 34.3 ppg.
Bills 48, Dolphins 20
— Miami’s first two drives: 14 plays, 142 yards, 14 points.
— Miami last nine drives: 44 plays, 257 yards, six points.
— Dolphins converted only 3-10 third down plays.
— Miami’s opponents are 24-52 on third down.
— Bills won last three games, outscoring foes 123-33.
— Bills’ first nine drives: 46 plays, 393 yards, six TD’s, 2 FG’s.
— Diggs caught six passes for 120 yards, three TD’s.
— Buffalo is 14-8-1 ATS in last 23 games as a home favorite.
Jaguars 23, Falcons 7
— First three drives, Jaguars ran 22 plays for 146 yards, got TD-FG.
— Jaguars made it 17-0 on a 61-yard pick-6- it was 17-0 at the half.
— Jacksonville is only 16-51 on third down in three games.
— Under Pederson, Jags are +8 in turnovers (minus-20 in 2021)
— Falcons’ first five drives: 22 plays, 53 yards, 3 punts, 2 INT’s.
— Atlanta’s only TD came on 75-yard drive, first drive of 3rd quarter.
— Atlanta has been outscored 47-19 in first half of games.
— Under is 10-2 in their last dozen games overall.
Ravens 28, Browns 3
— Baltimore had TD drives of 10-94-93-38 yards.
— Ravens are 9-5 ATS in last 14 AFC North road games.
— Baltimore defense has allowed only three TD’s on 49 drives.
— Lamar Jackson is 49-20 as an NFL starter (1-3 in playoff games)
— QB Watson didn’t play; backup Thompson-Robinson was overmatched.
— In his first NFL start, DTR threw 3 INT’s, averaged 1.8 yards/attempt.
— For the game, Cleveland ran 65 plays for 166 yards.
— Browns gave up 3-3 points in their wins, 26-28 in their losses.
Texans 30, Steelers 6
— Steelers in first half: 24 plays, 53 yards, no points.
— Pittsburgh averaged 3.6 yards/pass attempt.
— Steelers have been outgained by 140 yards/game this season.
— Pittsburgh is 3-10 ATS in last 13 games as a road favorite.
— Texans’ first three drives: 28 plays, 155 yards, TD-FG-FG
— Rookie QB Stroud averaged 10.1 yards/pass attempt.
— Texans averaged 9.3/10.1 yards/pass attempt last two games.
— Houston is 11-7-2 ATS last 20 games when spread was 3 or fewer points.
Vikings 21, Panthers 13
— Cousins threw a 99-yard pick-6 on Minnesota’s first series.
— That was Carolina’s only touchdown all day.
— Down 13-7, Vikings scored defensive TD to take lead for good.
— Vikings are 10-5-2 ATS in last 17 games on natural grass.
— Carolina led this game 13-7 at halftime.
— Panthers have been outscored 70-31 in second half of games.
— Opponents are 13-45 on third down this year.
— Carolina lost first four games, scoring 10-17-27-13 points.
Buccaneers 26, Saints 9
— Bucs converted 27 of first 57 third down plays.
— Tampa Bay has 10 takeaways in four games (+7 turnovers)
— Opponents’ team total is 3-0-1 under this year.
— Under is 13-5 in Tampa Bay’s last 18 road games.
— New Orleans was outgained, 353-197.
— Saints averaged only 3.0 yards/pass attempt.
— Under is 12-7 in Saints’ last 19 home games.
— Last 5+ years, NO is 5-10-1 ATS in NFC South home games.
Titans 27, Bengals 3
— Bengals drove 72 yards for a FG on their first drive- their only score.
— Cincinnati was 2-9 on third down, Tennessee 8-13.
— Bengals averaged 2.0/5.1/4.7/4.2 yards/pass attempt in Weeks 1-4.
— Under is 12-5-1 in their last eighteen road games.
— Titans’ first five drives: 34 plays, 273 yards, 3 TD’s and a FG.
— Tennessee outgained the Bengals, 400-211.
— Titans are 29-18-2 ATS in last 49 games coming off a loss.
— Titans scored 27-27 points in its wins; they didn’t score a TD in either loss.
Chargers 24, Raiders 17
— Chargers’ first five drives: 37 plays, 240 yards, 24 points.
— Chargers’ last six drives: 26 plays, 86 yards, no points.
— QB Herbert played 4th quarter with splint on finger on his left hand.
— Last three games, Chargers converted only 12-39 third down plays.
— Rookie QB O’Connell was 24-39/238 passing in his first NFL start.
— Raiders converted 1-11 third down plays, 3-3 on fourth down.
— Last 3+ years, Las Vegas is 10-16 ATS in games coming off a loss.
— Raiders scored 17-10-18-17 points in first three games.
Cowboys 38, Patriots 3
— Dallas scored two defensive TD’s in the second quarter.
— Cowboys are 36-61 on third down, opponents are 15-49.
— Last 2+ years, Dallas is 20-8 ATS as a favorite.
— Cowboys’ three wins are by a combined 108-13.
— Patriots drove 64 yards for FG on first drive, their only score of game.
— New England ran ball 23 times for only 53 yards.
— Patriots are off to 1-3 start, scoring 20-17-15-3 points.
— Belichick was 249-75 with Brady as his QB, is 81-93 without him.
49ers 35, Cardinals 16
— 49ers led 21-16 after three quarters.
— SF’s first three drives: 22 plays, 212 yards, 21 points.
— Purdy averaged 12.3 yards/pass attempt.
— SF is 9-1 ATS in last nine games as a home fave LY (7-16-1 from 2018-21).
— 49ers ran 53 plays; only five of them were on 3rd down (3-5).
— SF won first four games, scoring 30-30-30-35 points.
— Cardinals have lost 14 of last 17 games SU (7-7 ATS in last 14).
— Arizona has been outscored 61-24 in 2nd half.
Chiefs 23, Jets 20
— Chiefs’ first three drives: 19 plays, 215 yards, 17 points.
— Chiefs rest of game: 50 plays, 191 yards, 6 points.
— KC is 10-14-1 ATS in last 25 games as a road favorite.
— Chiefs are 15-24-1 ATS in last 40 games coming off a win.
— Jets’ first three drives: 13 plays, 43 yards, no points.
— Chiefs led 17-0 after the first quarter.
— Wilson was 28-39/245 passing, with two TD’s.
— Wilson is 8-17 as an NFL starter.
MLB
Dunkel
Tuesday, October 3
MLB
Long Sheet
Tuesday, October 3
MLB
Tuesday, October 3
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Trend Report
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Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Highest scoring college basketball teams last year, and their record:
86.1— Gonzaga, 31-6
85.4— Toledo, 27-8
83.3— Oral Roberts, 30-5
82.8— Southern Utah, 24-13
81.9— Youngstown State, 24-10
81.9— Arizona, 28-7
Quote of the Day
“I would tell you that I am a lot more critical of myself than anybody on the outside…….There is no sugarcoating this thing. We have no excuse. We can coach better and we can play better. Hopefully, we will do that.”
Florida Gators’ football coach Billy Napier
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the Jets’ quarterback, last time they played in a playoff game?
Monday’s quiz
Rex Ryan was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2010.
Sunday’s quiz
AJ Hinch was manager of the Astros, before Dusty Baker.
********************************************
Seattle sacked Daniel Jones 12 times for 67 yards.
Leading 17-3, Seahawks scored on a 97-yard pick-6.
Seahawks won their last three games, scoring 37-37-24 points.
Seahawks are 18-12-3 ATS in last 33 games with spread of 3 or less points.
NFC West teams are 8-0-1 ATS outside the division.
Giants have been outscored 77-9 in first half of their games.
Big Blue has only one takeaway in four games (minus-6 turnovers)
Daniel Jones is 23-35-1 as an NFL starter.
Giants have been shut out in four of their eight halves this season.
Under is 20-5-1 in their last 26 home games.
— NFL divisional trends, thru four weeks:
NFC East— 5-5-1 ATS outside the division
NFC North— 4-6-2 ATS outside the division
NFC South— 3-5-1 ATS outside the division
NFC West— 8-0-2 ATS outside the division
AFC East— 5-4 ATS outside the division
AFC North— 3-4-1 ATS outside the division
AFC South— 6-4 ATS outside the division
AFC West— 3-9 ATS outside the division
— College football trends, in conference games only:
AAC home favorites 2-5 ATS
ACC home underdogs 6-3 ATS
Big X favorites 9-3 ATS, 7-2 at home
Big 14 home underdogs 2-5 ATS
Conference USA favorites 4-2 ATS
MAC home teams are 1-6 ATS
Mountain West home teams are 4-3 ATS
Pac-12 home teams are 10-2 ATS
SEC favorites are 10-5 ATS
Sun Belt underdogs are 5-3 ATS
— Indiana Hoosiers fired their offensive coordinator Sunday; Hoosiers are 1-3 vs I-A teams, scoring 3-14-17 points in the three losses. Their lone I-A win was 29-27 over Akron.
The new OC is Rod Carey, the former head coach at Northern Illinois and Temple, where he went 64-50 with seven bowl appearances.
— Word of the Day— Bamboozle— to deceive someone by tricking them.
— One of the more unfortunate baseball trends is that the Minnesota Twins have lost their last 18 playoff games; their last playoff win was in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS, when Johan Santana blanked New York 2-0, throwing seven shutout IP.
Twins are hosting Toronto this week, in the first round of this year’s playoffs, trying to put an end to a very long losing streak.
— Giants, Mets and Angels have already fired their managers; not sure why the front office people who assembled these underachieving teams still have their jobs, but they do.
Angels pay 3B Anthony Rendon more $$$ than Ohtani or Trout; the last three years, he’s played in 148 of a possible 486 games. This is Phil Nevin’s fault?
— Meanwhile, in the Bronx, New York has now spent over $3B in player salary since their last World Series title, yet GM Brian Cashman keeps his job- they’re even bringing manager Aaron Boone back next year. Go figure.
— Mariners’ P George Kirby threw a knuckleball in Seattle’s game vs Texas Sunday, to honor the late knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who passed away this weekend, at age 57.
— Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Falcons in England Sunday; they’re staying over the pond this week, and play Buffalo this Sunday. Does that give the Jaguars an advantage, staying overseas two weeks in a row?
— NC State is switching QB’s this week; sophomore MJ Morris will replace Brennan Armstrong, who transferred to State after starting for three years at Virginia. Wolfpack lost 13-10 at home to Louisville Friday, which prompted the change.
— Duke QB Riley Leonard has a high ankle sprain, is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough broke his leg, is out for the year.
— NBA’s Portland Trailblazers traded All-Star G Jrue Holiday to the Celtics, in exchange for C Robert Williams, G Malcolm Brogdon and two 1st-round draft picks, one in 2024, one in 2029.
The 2029 draft pick is likely going to be a kid who is in 7th grade right now.
— If the playoffs started today (wait, they do start today!!!)
Texas @ Tampa Bay
Toronto @ Minnesota
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Miami @ Philadelphia
— Damn, September went by quick; baseball’s regular season is over, training camps for NHL/NBA teams are starting, this is Week 5 in the NFL already. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Highest scoring college basketball teams last year, and their record:
86.1— Gonzaga, 31-6
85.4— Toledo, 27-8
83.3— Oral Roberts, 30-5
82.8— Southern Utah, 24-13
81.9— Youngstown State, 24-10
81.9— Arizona, 28-7
Quote of the Day
“I would tell you that I am a lot more critical of myself than anybody on the outside…….There is no sugarcoating this thing. We have no excuse. We can coach better and we can play better. Hopefully, we will do that.”
Florida Gators’ football coach Billy Napier
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the Jets’ quarterback, last time they played in a playoff game?
Monday’s quiz
Rex Ryan was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2010.
Sunday’s quiz
AJ Hinch was manager of the Astros, before Dusty Baker.
********************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….
— Seahawks 24, Giants 3Seattle sacked Daniel Jones 12 times for 67 yards.
Leading 17-3, Seahawks scored on a 97-yard pick-6.
Seahawks won their last three games, scoring 37-37-24 points.
Seahawks are 18-12-3 ATS in last 33 games with spread of 3 or less points.
NFC West teams are 8-0-1 ATS outside the division.
Giants have been outscored 77-9 in first half of their games.
Big Blue has only one takeaway in four games (minus-6 turnovers)
Daniel Jones is 23-35-1 as an NFL starter.
Giants have been shut out in four of their eight halves this season.
Under is 20-5-1 in their last 26 home games.
— NFL divisional trends, thru four weeks:
NFC East— 5-5-1 ATS outside the division
NFC North— 4-6-2 ATS outside the division
NFC South— 3-5-1 ATS outside the division
NFC West— 8-0-2 ATS outside the division
AFC East— 5-4 ATS outside the division
AFC North— 3-4-1 ATS outside the division
AFC South— 6-4 ATS outside the division
AFC West— 3-9 ATS outside the division
— College football trends, in conference games only:
AAC home favorites 2-5 ATS
ACC home underdogs 6-3 ATS
Big X favorites 9-3 ATS, 7-2 at home
Big 14 home underdogs 2-5 ATS
Conference USA favorites 4-2 ATS
MAC home teams are 1-6 ATS
Mountain West home teams are 4-3 ATS
Pac-12 home teams are 10-2 ATS
SEC favorites are 10-5 ATS
Sun Belt underdogs are 5-3 ATS
— Indiana Hoosiers fired their offensive coordinator Sunday; Hoosiers are 1-3 vs I-A teams, scoring 3-14-17 points in the three losses. Their lone I-A win was 29-27 over Akron.
The new OC is Rod Carey, the former head coach at Northern Illinois and Temple, where he went 64-50 with seven bowl appearances.
— Word of the Day— Bamboozle— to deceive someone by tricking them.
— One of the more unfortunate baseball trends is that the Minnesota Twins have lost their last 18 playoff games; their last playoff win was in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS, when Johan Santana blanked New York 2-0, throwing seven shutout IP.
Twins are hosting Toronto this week, in the first round of this year’s playoffs, trying to put an end to a very long losing streak.
— Giants, Mets and Angels have already fired their managers; not sure why the front office people who assembled these underachieving teams still have their jobs, but they do.
Angels pay 3B Anthony Rendon more $$$ than Ohtani or Trout; the last three years, he’s played in 148 of a possible 486 games. This is Phil Nevin’s fault?
— Meanwhile, in the Bronx, New York has now spent over $3B in player salary since their last World Series title, yet GM Brian Cashman keeps his job- they’re even bringing manager Aaron Boone back next year. Go figure.
— Mariners’ P George Kirby threw a knuckleball in Seattle’s game vs Texas Sunday, to honor the late knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who passed away this weekend, at age 57.
— Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Falcons in England Sunday; they’re staying over the pond this week, and play Buffalo this Sunday. Does that give the Jaguars an advantage, staying overseas two weeks in a row?
— NC State is switching QB’s this week; sophomore MJ Morris will replace Brennan Armstrong, who transferred to State after starting for three years at Virginia. Wolfpack lost 13-10 at home to Louisville Friday, which prompted the change.
— Duke QB Riley Leonard has a high ankle sprain, is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough broke his leg, is out for the year.
— NBA’s Portland Trailblazers traded All-Star G Jrue Holiday to the Celtics, in exchange for C Robert Williams, G Malcolm Brogdon and two 1st-round draft picks, one in 2024, one in 2029.
The 2029 draft pick is likely going to be a kid who is in 7th grade right now.
— If the playoffs started today (wait, they do start today!!!)
Texas @ Tampa Bay
Toronto @ Minnesota
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Miami @ Philadelphia
— Damn, September went by quick; baseball’s regular season is over, training camps for NHL/NBA teams are starting, this is Week 5 in the NFL already. Time flies when you’re having fun.
MLB
Weather Report
Tuesday, October 3
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, October 3
Tuesday’s games
all Game 1’s
Texas @ Tampa Bay
Montgomery is 2-0, 0.67 in his last four starts.
Rangers are 4-7 in his starts, 1-4 on road.
His last three starts stayed under the total.
He is 0-0, 1.35 in two playoff games (1 start).
He is 4-4, 5.12 in 13 starts vs Tampa Bay.
Rangers lost three of last four games, let AL West title slip away.
Texas lost 8 of its last 10 road games.
Texas is in the playoffs for first time since 2016.
Bochy won three World Series when he managed the Giants.
His postseason record: 44-33
Glasnow was 3-3, 4.86 in six September starts.
Tampa Bay is 12-9 in his starts, 5-5 at home.
Over is 3-1 in his last four starts.
He is 2-5, 5.75 in nine playoff starts.
He is 3-0, 0.46 in three starts vs Texas.
Tampa Bay won four of its last five games.
Rays won six of their last nine home games.
Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
Cash’s playoff record: 15-17
Toronto @ Minnesota
Gausman is 2-2, 1.75 in his last four starts.
Toronto is 16-15 in his starts, 8-7 on road.
Under is 6-4-1 in his last eleven starts.
He is 0-1, 4.57 in seven playoff games (2 starts)
He is 1-4, 6.35 in 11 starts vs Minnesota.
Toronto lost four of its last six games.
Blue Jays are 7-3 in their last ten road games.
Toronto is in playoffs for third time in four years.
Schneider’s playoff record: 0-2
Lopez is 1-1, 6.46 in his last three starts.
Minnesota is 19-13 in his starts, 10-5 at home.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He allowed two runs in 5 IP in his one playoff start, in 2020.
He is 1-0, 5.59 in two starts vs Toronto.
Minnesota has lost 18 straight playoff games (last win, 2004)
Twins are in playoffs for first time since 2020.
Minnesota is 8-3 in its last 11 games overall.
Twins are 5-3 in their last eight home games.
Baldelli’s playoff record: 0-5
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Pfaadt was 2-2, 4.68 in five September starts.
Arizona is 8-11 in his starts, 5-5 at home.
Under is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He hasn’t pitched against Milwaukee.
Arizona lost its last four games overall, scoring three runs.
Arizona lost six of its last nine road games.
Diamondbacks are in playoffs for first time since 2017.
Lovullo’s playoff record: 1-3
Burnes is 1-0, 1.59 in his last four starts.
Milwaukee is 18-14 in his starts, 8-5 at home.
Under is 4-2 in his last six starts.
He is 1-0, 1.20 in seven playoff games (15 IP, 1 start)
He is 2-1, 3.77 in five starts vs Arizona.
Milwaukee won four of its last five games overall.
Milwaukee is 9-4 in its last 13 home games.
Brewers are in playoffs for fifth game in six years.
Counsell’s playoff record: 7-10
Miami @ Philadelphia
Luzardo is 2-1, 2.61 in his last seven starts.
Marlins are 19-12 in his starts, 7-3 in his last 10 road outings.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He is 0-1, 5.91 in three playoff games (2 starts)
He is 3-0, 3.26 in five starts vs Philadelphia
Marlins won five of its last seven games overall.
Miami is 10-6 in its last 13 road games.
Marlins are in playoffs for first time since 2020
Last time Miami was in playoffs in a full season: 2003
Schumaker’s playoff record: 0-0 (first year as a manager)
Wheeler is 4-0, 3.73 in his last seven starts.
Phillies are 19-13 in his starts, 7-2 in his last nine home starts.
Over is 7-1 in his last eight home starts.
He is 1-3, 2.78 in six playoff starts.
He is 10-4, 2.28 in 22 starts vs Miami.
Phillies won 8 of their last 11 games overall.
Philly is 6-1 in its last seven home games.
Phillies are in playoffs for second year in a row.
Before last year, last time they were in playoffs was 2011.
Thomson’s playoff record: 11-6
Weather Report
Tuesday, October 3
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, October 3
Tuesday’s games
all Game 1’s
Texas @ Tampa Bay
Montgomery is 2-0, 0.67 in his last four starts.
Rangers are 4-7 in his starts, 1-4 on road.
His last three starts stayed under the total.
He is 0-0, 1.35 in two playoff games (1 start).
He is 4-4, 5.12 in 13 starts vs Tampa Bay.
Rangers lost three of last four games, let AL West title slip away.
Texas lost 8 of its last 10 road games.
Texas is in the playoffs for first time since 2016.
Bochy won three World Series when he managed the Giants.
His postseason record: 44-33
Glasnow was 3-3, 4.86 in six September starts.
Tampa Bay is 12-9 in his starts, 5-5 at home.
Over is 3-1 in his last four starts.
He is 2-5, 5.75 in nine playoff starts.
He is 3-0, 0.46 in three starts vs Texas.
Tampa Bay won four of its last five games.
Rays won six of their last nine home games.
Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
Cash’s playoff record: 15-17
Toronto @ Minnesota
Gausman is 2-2, 1.75 in his last four starts.
Toronto is 16-15 in his starts, 8-7 on road.
Under is 6-4-1 in his last eleven starts.
He is 0-1, 4.57 in seven playoff games (2 starts)
He is 1-4, 6.35 in 11 starts vs Minnesota.
Toronto lost four of its last six games.
Blue Jays are 7-3 in their last ten road games.
Toronto is in playoffs for third time in four years.
Schneider’s playoff record: 0-2
Lopez is 1-1, 6.46 in his last three starts.
Minnesota is 19-13 in his starts, 10-5 at home.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He allowed two runs in 5 IP in his one playoff start, in 2020.
He is 1-0, 5.59 in two starts vs Toronto.
Minnesota has lost 18 straight playoff games (last win, 2004)
Twins are in playoffs for first time since 2020.
Minnesota is 8-3 in its last 11 games overall.
Twins are 5-3 in their last eight home games.
Baldelli’s playoff record: 0-5
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Pfaadt was 2-2, 4.68 in five September starts.
Arizona is 8-11 in his starts, 5-5 at home.
Under is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He hasn’t pitched against Milwaukee.
Arizona lost its last four games overall, scoring three runs.
Arizona lost six of its last nine road games.
Diamondbacks are in playoffs for first time since 2017.
Lovullo’s playoff record: 1-3
Burnes is 1-0, 1.59 in his last four starts.
Milwaukee is 18-14 in his starts, 8-5 at home.
Under is 4-2 in his last six starts.
He is 1-0, 1.20 in seven playoff games (15 IP, 1 start)
He is 2-1, 3.77 in five starts vs Arizona.
Milwaukee won four of its last five games overall.
Milwaukee is 9-4 in its last 13 home games.
Brewers are in playoffs for fifth game in six years.
Counsell’s playoff record: 7-10
Miami @ Philadelphia
Luzardo is 2-1, 2.61 in his last seven starts.
Marlins are 19-12 in his starts, 7-3 in his last 10 road outings.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He is 0-1, 5.91 in three playoff games (2 starts)
He is 3-0, 3.26 in five starts vs Philadelphia
Marlins won five of its last seven games overall.
Miami is 10-6 in its last 13 road games.
Marlins are in playoffs for first time since 2020
Last time Miami was in playoffs in a full season: 2003
Schumaker’s playoff record: 0-0 (first year as a manager)
Wheeler is 4-0, 3.73 in his last seven starts.
Phillies are 19-13 in his starts, 7-2 in his last nine home starts.
Over is 7-1 in his last eight home starts.
He is 1-3, 2.78 in six playoff starts.
He is 10-4, 2.28 in 22 starts vs Miami.
Phillies won 8 of their last 11 games overall.
Philly is 6-1 in its last seven home games.
Phillies are in playoffs for second year in a row.
Before last year, last time they were in playoffs was 2011.
Thomson’s playoff record: 11-6
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Rangers 3, Rays 0— Montgomery tossed 7 shutout IP.
— Tampa Bay is 5-13 in its last 18 playoff games.
— Twins 3, Blue Jays 1— Royce Lewis homered twice.
— Minnesota ends its 18-game postseason losing streak.
— Arizona 6, Brewers 3— Arizona hit three HR’s off of Burnes
— Phillies 4, Marlins 1— Wheeler allowed one run in 6.2 IP.
Quote of the Day
“We playing football. He’s mad he got hit? What do most quarterbacks do when they don’t want to get hit? They go down. I don’t really know what else to tell him about that.”
Giants’ LB Isaiah Simmons, talking about Monday night’s game with Seattle
Wednesday’s quiz
Before last night, who was manager of the Minnesota Twins last time they won a playoff game?
Tuesday’s quiz
Mark Sanchez was the Jets’ quarterback, last time they played in a playoff game.
Monday’s quiz
Rex Ryan was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2010.
*******************************************
First drive of a game:
Who game plans best during the week?
— 49ers have three TD’s and FG on their first drive of a game, 24 points (41 plays, 255 yards).
Denver has three TD’s on their first drives (35 plays, 236 yards)
Rams have two TD’s, two FG’s on their first drive (44 plays, 248 yards)
— Miami is averaging 10.8 yards/play on its opening drives (28 plays, 302 yards); they’ve scored two TD’s and field goal on those drives.
— Minnesota’s offense has run 21 plays for 129 yards on opening drives, but the opponents’ defense has outscored the Viking offense, 7-0, thanks to a 99-yard pick-6. Not good.
— Giants/Browns have both been outscored 7-3 on their first drives. Giants gave up a blocked FG for a TD, Browns gave up a defensive TD.
— In their four games, Jets have run 14 plays for 32 yards on their first drive.
Steelers have run 17 plays for 24 yards.
Jaguars have run 22 plays for 71 yards.
None of those teams have scored on an opening drive.
First drive of second half:
Who makes the best offensive adjustments at halftime?
— Green Bay has three TD’s on their first drive of 2nd half (29 plays, 222 yards)
Eagles have two TDs, two FG’s on their first drive of 2nd half (34 plays, 160 yards)
— Dallas has run 45 plays for 234 yards on their first drive of 3rd quarter, but scored only one TD- they kicked three FG’s, too.
— Surprisingly, Arizona has run 33 plays for 227 yards, scoring 18 points, part of why they’re 3-1 against the spread already.
— Buffalo has run 36 plays for 208 yards, but only has a TD and a FG to show for it.
— Detroit has run only 10 plays for 12 yards on its first 3rd quarter drive; three 3/outs and a lost fumble. They only gained 84 yards on 16 plays on their first drive of the game, surprising.
— There are four teams who haven’t scored on their first drive of third quarter:
Denver 20 plays, 129 yards
Detroit 10 plays, 12 yards
Houston 19 plays, 14 yards
Las Vegas 23 plays, 79 yards, 2 INT’s.
First drive of all eight halves:
— Rams/Eagles play each other this week; they also share the NFL lead with 33 points scored on their first drive of a half.
Dolphins, Packers, 49ers are next, with 31 points each.
— Dallas has gained 446 yards on 79 plays (29 points) on their first drive of a half, the most yards of any team, followed by the Rams (77 plays, 438 yards), Eagles (76 plays, 425 yards)
— Giants have run 71 plays for 320 yards, good for 10 points, but they also gave up a TD on a blocked FG, so they’re only +3 in points on first drives.
— Vikings have run 47 plays for 236 yards, scoring a TD, giving up a TD to the defense.
— Houston Texans have run total of 41 plays for only 83 yards on their first drive of a half, fewest yards in the league.
Detroit, surprisingly, has run 26 plays for only 96 yards.
NFL games are relatively short (nine or so drives per team); the first drive of each half makes up maybe 20-25% of all drives, which is significant.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at which defenses do best/worst in this situation.
— Rangers 3, Rays 0— Montgomery tossed 7 shutout IP.
— Tampa Bay is 5-13 in its last 18 playoff games.
— Twins 3, Blue Jays 1— Royce Lewis homered twice.
— Minnesota ends its 18-game postseason losing streak.
— Arizona 6, Brewers 3— Arizona hit three HR’s off of Burnes
— Phillies 4, Marlins 1— Wheeler allowed one run in 6.2 IP.
Quote of the Day
“We playing football. He’s mad he got hit? What do most quarterbacks do when they don’t want to get hit? They go down. I don’t really know what else to tell him about that.”
Giants’ LB Isaiah Simmons, talking about Monday night’s game with Seattle
Wednesday’s quiz
Before last night, who was manager of the Minnesota Twins last time they won a playoff game?
Tuesday’s quiz
Mark Sanchez was the Jets’ quarterback, last time they played in a playoff game.
Monday’s quiz
Rex Ryan was coach of the New Jersey Jets, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2010.
*******************************************
Wednesday’s Den: How NFL offenses are doing on first drive of a half
Today we’re looking at how NFL offenses do on their first drive of each half; four games for each team, so eight drives for everyone.First drive of a game:
Who game plans best during the week?
— 49ers have three TD’s and FG on their first drive of a game, 24 points (41 plays, 255 yards).
Denver has three TD’s on their first drives (35 plays, 236 yards)
Rams have two TD’s, two FG’s on their first drive (44 plays, 248 yards)
— Miami is averaging 10.8 yards/play on its opening drives (28 plays, 302 yards); they’ve scored two TD’s and field goal on those drives.
— Minnesota’s offense has run 21 plays for 129 yards on opening drives, but the opponents’ defense has outscored the Viking offense, 7-0, thanks to a 99-yard pick-6. Not good.
— Giants/Browns have both been outscored 7-3 on their first drives. Giants gave up a blocked FG for a TD, Browns gave up a defensive TD.
— In their four games, Jets have run 14 plays for 32 yards on their first drive.
Steelers have run 17 plays for 24 yards.
Jaguars have run 22 plays for 71 yards.
None of those teams have scored on an opening drive.
First drive of second half:
Who makes the best offensive adjustments at halftime?
— Green Bay has three TD’s on their first drive of 2nd half (29 plays, 222 yards)
Eagles have two TDs, two FG’s on their first drive of 2nd half (34 plays, 160 yards)
— Dallas has run 45 plays for 234 yards on their first drive of 3rd quarter, but scored only one TD- they kicked three FG’s, too.
— Surprisingly, Arizona has run 33 plays for 227 yards, scoring 18 points, part of why they’re 3-1 against the spread already.
— Buffalo has run 36 plays for 208 yards, but only has a TD and a FG to show for it.
— Detroit has run only 10 plays for 12 yards on its first 3rd quarter drive; three 3/outs and a lost fumble. They only gained 84 yards on 16 plays on their first drive of the game, surprising.
— There are four teams who haven’t scored on their first drive of third quarter:
Denver 20 plays, 129 yards
Detroit 10 plays, 12 yards
Houston 19 plays, 14 yards
Las Vegas 23 plays, 79 yards, 2 INT’s.
First drive of all eight halves:
— Rams/Eagles play each other this week; they also share the NFL lead with 33 points scored on their first drive of a half.
Dolphins, Packers, 49ers are next, with 31 points each.
— Dallas has gained 446 yards on 79 plays (29 points) on their first drive of a half, the most yards of any team, followed by the Rams (77 plays, 438 yards), Eagles (76 plays, 425 yards)
— Giants have run 71 plays for 320 yards, good for 10 points, but they also gave up a TD on a blocked FG, so they’re only +3 in points on first drives.
— Vikings have run 47 plays for 236 yards, scoring a TD, giving up a TD to the defense.
— Houston Texans have run total of 41 plays for only 83 yards on their first drive of a half, fewest yards in the league.
Detroit, surprisingly, has run 26 plays for only 96 yards.
NFL games are relatively short (nine or so drives per team); the first drive of each half makes up maybe 20-25% of all drives, which is significant.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at which defenses do best/worst in this situation.
MLB
Weather Report
Wednesday, October 4
TAMPA BAY is 59-43 SU (11.7 Units) in home games in day games in the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 25-58 SU (-38.8 Units) after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-4 Over (7.6 Units) in home games against NL West opponents in the current season.
MIAMI is 28-9 SU (18.1 Units) in road games when playing on Wednesday in the last 3 seasons.
MLB
Dunkel
Wednesday, October 4
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Wednesday, October 4
Texas (1-0) @ Tampa Bay
Eovaldi is 1-1, 10.13 in his last three starts.
Rangers are 15-10 in his starts, 1-4 in last five road starts.
Over 4-1-1 last six starts
He is 4-3, 3.14 in 11 playoff games (6 starts).
He is 7-6, 3.89 in 15 starts vs Tampa Bay.
Rangers’ bullpen pitched only 2 innings last night.
Texas was 2-13 with RISP.
Texas is in the playoffs for first time since 2016.
Bochy won three World Series when he managed the Giants.
His postseason record: 45-33
Tampa Bay won Eflin’s last six starts (3-0, 3.24)
Tampa Bay is 23-8 in his starts, 14-4 at home.
Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts.
He’s given up 4 runs in 10.2 IP in 10 playoff relief stints
This is his first playoff start.
He gave up 7 runs in 4 IP in his one start vs Texas, in 2017.
Tampa Bay committed four errors last night.
Rays had only six hits last nite, was 1-6 with RISP.
Tampa had 3 relievers throw four innings last nite.
Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
Cash’s playoff record: 15-18
Toronto @ Minnesota (1-0)
Berrios was 2-2, 3.41 in five September starts.
Toronto is 17-15 in his starts, 9-8 on road.
Under is 3-1 in his last four starts.
He is 0-1, 3.75 in three playoff games (2 starts)
He is 3-1, 4.03 in five starts vs Minnesota.
Toronto had 6 hits last nite, was 2-9 with RISP.
Toronto used five relievers last night; they got 12 outs.
Blue Jays lost five of their last seven games.
Toronto is in playoffs for third time in four years.
Schneider’s playoff record: 0-3
Gray is 1-1, 1.06 in his last three starts.
Minnesota is 14-18 in his starts, 1-5 in his last six at home.
Under 3-0 in his last three starts.
He is 0-2, 2.95 in four playoff starts.
He is 4-4, 2.91 in 14 starts vs Toronto.
Minnesota won last nite, first playoff win since 2004.
Twins used 4 relievers last night; they got last 10 outs.
Minnesota is 9-3 in its last 12 games overall.
Twins are in playoffs for first time since 2020.
Baldelli’s playoff record: 1-5
Arizona (1-0) @ Milwaukee
Gallen is 3-2, 3.73 in his last five starts.
Arizona is 19-15 in his starts, 7-11 on road.
Over is 5-2-1 in his last eight starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He is 3-3, 1.75 in six starts vs Milwaukee.
Arizona trailed 3-0 last nite, rallied for 6-3 win.
Six relievers got 19 outs.
Arizona was 1-10 with RISP, still scored six runs.
Diamondbacks are in playoffs for first time since 2017.
Lovullo’s playoff record: 2-3
Peralta was 1-2, 3.97 in five September starts.
Milwaukee is 17-13 in his starts, 12-4 at home.
Under is 2-0-1 in his last three starts.
He is 0-0, 3.13 in three playoff games (8 IP, 1 start)
He is 3-0, 0.55 in four games (2 starts) vs Arizona.
Milwaukee had 12 hits last night- they were 3-11 with RISP.
Milwaukee used six relievers to get 15 outs last nite.
Closer Williams threw 31 pitches last nite.
Brewers are in playoffs for fifth game in six years.
Counsell’s playoff record: 7-11
Miami @ Philadelphia (1-0)
Garrett is 2-2, 2.45 in his last five starts.
Marlins are 21-10 in his starts, 10-5 on road.
Under is 6-3 in his last nine starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He is 2-1, 4.50 in five starts vs Philadelphia
Marlins had 9 hits last nite, were 2-7 with RISP
Miami used four relievers, for an inning each.
Marlins are in playoffs for first time since 2020
Last time Miami was in playoffs in a full season: 2003
Schumaker’s playoff record: 0-1 (first year as a manager)
Nola is 0-0, 2.13 in his last two starts.
Phillies are 19-13 in his starts, 5-0 in his last five home starts.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He is 2-2, 4.91 in five playoff starts.
He is 5-10, 3.58 in 23 starts vs Miami.
Phillies had 11 hits last nite, were 3-14 with RISP
Three relievers got the last seven outs.
Phillies won 9 of their last 12 games overall.
Philly is 7-1 in its last eight home games.
Phillies are in playoffs for second year in a row.
Before last year, last time they were in playoffs was 2011.
Thomson’s playoff record: 12-6
MLB
Wednesday, October 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texas @ Tampa Bay
Texas
Texas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games
Toronto @ Minnesota
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 13 games at home
Miami @ Philadelphia
Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weather Report
Wednesday, October 4
TAMPA BAY is 59-43 SU (11.7 Units) in home games in day games in the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 25-58 SU (-38.8 Units) after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-4 Over (7.6 Units) in home games against NL West opponents in the current season.
MIAMI is 28-9 SU (18.1 Units) in road games when playing on Wednesday in the last 3 seasons.
MLB
Dunkel
Wednesday, October 4
MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Wednesday, October 4
Texas (1-0) @ Tampa Bay
Eovaldi is 1-1, 10.13 in his last three starts.
Rangers are 15-10 in his starts, 1-4 in last five road starts.
Over 4-1-1 last six starts
He is 4-3, 3.14 in 11 playoff games (6 starts).
He is 7-6, 3.89 in 15 starts vs Tampa Bay.
Rangers’ bullpen pitched only 2 innings last night.
Texas was 2-13 with RISP.
Texas is in the playoffs for first time since 2016.
Bochy won three World Series when he managed the Giants.
His postseason record: 45-33
Tampa Bay won Eflin’s last six starts (3-0, 3.24)
Tampa Bay is 23-8 in his starts, 14-4 at home.
Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts.
He’s given up 4 runs in 10.2 IP in 10 playoff relief stints
This is his first playoff start.
He gave up 7 runs in 4 IP in his one start vs Texas, in 2017.
Tampa Bay committed four errors last night.
Rays had only six hits last nite, was 1-6 with RISP.
Tampa had 3 relievers throw four innings last nite.
Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
Cash’s playoff record: 15-18
Toronto @ Minnesota (1-0)
Berrios was 2-2, 3.41 in five September starts.
Toronto is 17-15 in his starts, 9-8 on road.
Under is 3-1 in his last four starts.
He is 0-1, 3.75 in three playoff games (2 starts)
He is 3-1, 4.03 in five starts vs Minnesota.
Toronto had 6 hits last nite, was 2-9 with RISP.
Toronto used five relievers last night; they got 12 outs.
Blue Jays lost five of their last seven games.
Toronto is in playoffs for third time in four years.
Schneider’s playoff record: 0-3
Gray is 1-1, 1.06 in his last three starts.
Minnesota is 14-18 in his starts, 1-5 in his last six at home.
Under 3-0 in his last three starts.
He is 0-2, 2.95 in four playoff starts.
He is 4-4, 2.91 in 14 starts vs Toronto.
Minnesota won last nite, first playoff win since 2004.
Twins used 4 relievers last night; they got last 10 outs.
Minnesota is 9-3 in its last 12 games overall.
Twins are in playoffs for first time since 2020.
Baldelli’s playoff record: 1-5
Arizona (1-0) @ Milwaukee
Gallen is 3-2, 3.73 in his last five starts.
Arizona is 19-15 in his starts, 7-11 on road.
Over is 5-2-1 in his last eight starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He is 3-3, 1.75 in six starts vs Milwaukee.
Arizona trailed 3-0 last nite, rallied for 6-3 win.
Six relievers got 19 outs.
Arizona was 1-10 with RISP, still scored six runs.
Diamondbacks are in playoffs for first time since 2017.
Lovullo’s playoff record: 2-3
Peralta was 1-2, 3.97 in five September starts.
Milwaukee is 17-13 in his starts, 12-4 at home.
Under is 2-0-1 in his last three starts.
He is 0-0, 3.13 in three playoff games (8 IP, 1 start)
He is 3-0, 0.55 in four games (2 starts) vs Arizona.
Milwaukee had 12 hits last night- they were 3-11 with RISP.
Milwaukee used six relievers to get 15 outs last nite.
Closer Williams threw 31 pitches last nite.
Brewers are in playoffs for fifth game in six years.
Counsell’s playoff record: 7-11
Miami @ Philadelphia (1-0)
Garrett is 2-2, 2.45 in his last five starts.
Marlins are 21-10 in his starts, 10-5 on road.
Under is 6-3 in his last nine starts.
He’s never pitched in the playoffs.
He is 2-1, 4.50 in five starts vs Philadelphia
Marlins had 9 hits last nite, were 2-7 with RISP
Miami used four relievers, for an inning each.
Marlins are in playoffs for first time since 2020
Last time Miami was in playoffs in a full season: 2003
Schumaker’s playoff record: 0-1 (first year as a manager)
Nola is 0-0, 2.13 in his last two starts.
Phillies are 19-13 in his starts, 5-0 in his last five home starts.
Over is 4-1 in his last five starts.
He is 2-2, 4.91 in five playoff starts.
He is 5-10, 3.58 in 23 starts vs Miami.
Phillies had 11 hits last nite, were 3-14 with RISP
Three relievers got the last seven outs.
Phillies won 9 of their last 12 games overall.
Philly is 7-1 in its last eight home games.
Phillies are in playoffs for second year in a row.
Before last year, last time they were in playoffs was 2011.
Thomson’s playoff record: 12-6
MLB
Wednesday, October 4
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Trend Report
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Texas @ Tampa Bay
Texas
Texas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games
Toronto @ Minnesota
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Arizona @ Milwaukee
Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 13 games at home
Miami @ Philadelphia
Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
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