THE SPORTS ADVISORS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Pittsburgh (5-1, 3-2 ATS) at Rutgers (4-1, 1-2 ATS)
The Panthers will try to snap a four-game losing streak to Rutgers when they head to New Jersey for a Big East matchup against the Scarlet Knights.
Pitt rallied from a 21-6 third-quarter deficit at home against UConn on Saturday, winning 24-21 when Dan Hutchins connected on an 18-yard field goal as time expired. However, the Panthers came up short as a 6½-point favorite, dropping the Panthers to 6-13 ATS in their last 19 as a chalk.
Rutgers won its fourth straight game Saturday with a 42-0 blowout of Championship Subdivision squad Texas Southern in an unlined contest. After opening with a 47-15 home loss to Big East rival Cincinnati, the Scarlet Knights have scored at least 23 points in each of the ensuing four, with the defense surrendering a total of 35 points during this stretch.
Rutgers went to Pittsburgh last year and embarrassed the Panthers 54-34, cashing as a 9½-point underdog. The Scarlet Knights have taken the last four meetings in this rivalry (3-1 ATS) and cashed in five of the last seven. However, the road team holds an 8-3 ATS advantage in the last 11 years, with the underdog 5-2 ATS in the last seven.
Despite its recent struggles as a favorite, Pitt remains on ATS runs of 12-4 in October, 9-4 on the road, 4-0 on Fridays and 4-0 following an ATS loss. Rutgers is just 1-3-1 ATS in its last five home games, but otherwise is on pointspread runs of 6-2-1 overall, 25-10-1 as an underdog, 3-1 in October and 7-1-1 after a SU win.
Pitt has topped the total in five of six as a road favorite, but aside from that, it is on “under” streaks of 6-2 overall, 4-0 in Big East action and 5-2 in October. The Scarlet Knights are on “over” runs of 9-4 as a home ‘dog, 10-3-1 against teams with winning records and 5-0 in Big East games, but they have stayed below the total in three of four overall and 11 of 15 in October.
In this rivalry, the over has been the play in four of the last six years.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
NLCS
Philadelphia (4-1) at L.A. Dodgers (3-1)
Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63 ERA) will attempt to give the Phillies a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium when he makes his first postseason start since 2004, while the Dodgers are set to hand the ball to red-hot Vicente Padilla (12-6, 4.46).
Philadelphia got three-run home runs from Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez in Game 1 on Thursday, and closer Brad Lidge got through a shaky ninth inning to save an 8-6 victory, the team’s third in a row in this postseason. The Phillies are 7-1 in their last eight playoff contests dating to last year’s run to the World Series title, and they’re on additional surges of 6-1 in road playoff games, 10-2 as an underdog, 11-2 against the N.L. West, 4-1 against right-handed starters and 11-4 on the road against teams with a winning overall record.
Los Angeles saw its five-game winning streak (4-0 at home) halted with the Game 1 defeat. The Dodgers, who had the best record in the National League this season, have four straight against right-handed starters and seven of eight at home against righties. However, they’ve lost five of their last six on Friday.
The Phillies ousted Los Angeles in five games in last year’s NLCS and are now 5-1 versus the Dodgers in the playoffs. Going back to last August, Philadelphia has won 12 of 17 against L.A. (5-3 at Dodger Stadium). In addition to last year, the Phillies knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs in 1983 after getting eliminated by Los Angeles in the 1977 and 1978 NLCS.
Martinez was slated to start Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Colorado on Saturday, but when that contest was postponed due to weather, Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel pulled Martinez back. That means the veteran right-hander has been on the mound just once since Sept. 19, and that was on Sept. 30 when he allowed three runs on six hits in four innings, helping the Phillies to a 10-3 home victory over Houston.
Martinez didn’t sign with the Phillies until early July and didn’t make his first start for the team until Aug. 12. The former Cy Young winner was especially strong in September, going 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA in five starts, including the no-decision against the Astros. Philadelphia went 8-1 in Martinez’s nine trips to the mound, including 3-1 on the road, where the 37-year-old won three of those four games despite a 5.66 ERA.
Martinez, who made his big-league debut with Los Angeles in 1992, is 3-5 with a 4.02 ERA in nine career starts against his former team, and he’s 7-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 38 career appearances (seven starts) at Dodger Stadium. He last faced L.A. on June 6, 2006, while with the Mets, allowing seven runs (six earned) in five innings of an 8-5 road loss. Martinez is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 lifetime playoff appearances (11 starts), all with Boston from 1998-2004.
Padilla was brilliant in the Dodgers’ series-clinching 5-1 victory at St. Louis on Saturday, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out four in seven scoreless innings. Padilla, who beat the Rockies 5-3 in the regular-season finale Oct. 4, has allowed one run on eight hits with a 14-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 innings in his last two starts. Since being acquired from the Rangers in August, Padilla is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA in nine games (eight starts), with the Dodgers going 7-1 in those eight starts.
Including the Oct. 4 win over Colorado, Padilla is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in three starts at Dodger Stadium covering 15 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who pitched for the Phillies from 2000-2005, has just one career start against his former team, and he got rocked, allowing seven runs on seven hits (two home runs) over six innings of an 8-6 interleague home loss with Texas in June 2008.
As a team, the Phillies carry nothing but “over” streaks, including 13-3-2 overall, 13-2 on the road, 6-0 against right-handed starters and 5-1 following a victory, but the under is 15-5-2 in its last 22 on Friday. For the Dodgers, the over is on runs of 6-2-1 at home, 4-0-1 against the N.L. East, 9-3-1 versus winning teams, 7-3-1 against right-handed starters and 4-1-1 with Padilla on the mound.
Over the last two postseasons, the over is 4-2 in this rivalry (3-1 at Dodger Stadium).
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA and OVER
ALCS
L.A. Angels (3-0) at N.Y. Yankees (3-0)
After sweeping through their respective first-round playoff series, the Angels and Yankees are set open their best-of-7 American League Championship Series at new Yankee Stadium. New York will go with ace CC Sabathia (20-8, 3.31 ERA) in Game 1, while Los Angeles counters with veteran John Lackey (12-8, 3.68) in what is expected to be cold and wet conditions.
The Angels bounced longtime playoff nemesis Boston in three games in the first round, cruising 5-0 and 4-1 at home before rallying from a 5-2, eighth-inning deficit in Game 3 on Sunday for a series-clinching 7-6 victory. It’s the first time since beating the Yankees in 2005 that Los Angeles has advanced past the opening round in the postseason. The Angels are making their sixth appearance in the ALCS, having lost four of the first five.
Going back to the end of the regular season, the Halos have won six in a row and 10 of 11, and they’ve won five straight road games. They’re on additional tears of 10-3 after an off day, 5-2 against the A.L. East, 36-15 against left-handed starters, 5-1 in the opening game of a series, 19-7 as an underdog, 49-21 after a victory and 4-1 in the playoffs. However, they’ve dropped 11 of their last 14 as a playoff underdog.
New York had little trouble with the Twins last week, winning all three games by scores of 7-3, 4-3 and 4-1 to finally advance to the ALCS after getting bounced in the first round in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Joe Girardi’s club, which had a 13-year streak of playoff appearances snapped last season, is on impressive runs of 44-17 overall, 40-12 at home (all as a favorite), 49-18 after a victory, 44-16 against right-handed starters, 20-8 on Friday, 23-11 in series openers and 5-2 in home playoff games. However, the last time the Yankees were in the ALCS, they blew a 3-0 series lead to the Red Sox in 2004, and they haven’t advanced to the World Series since 2003.
These teams have met just twice in postseason play, both in the best-of-5 divisional round, and the Angels won both times in 2002 and 2005. This year, the teams split their 10 meetings, with New York going 3-1 at home. In fact, the host is 14-4 in the last 18 clashes (7-3 this season) going back to the beginning of last August.
Lackey was outstanding in Game 1 against Boston nine days ago, scattering four hits and a walk over 7 1/3 shutout innings en route to a 5-0 victory. Not including a meaningless tune-up start against Texas in his regular-season finale on Oct. 1, Lackey has allowed two earned runs or fewer and pitched at least seven innings in five of his last seven outings, with the Angels going 5-2. However, Los Angeles is just 1-4 in Lackey’s last five starts as an underdog (0-4 as a road underdog).
Lackey, who missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury, went 5-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 14 road starts this season. He faced New York once this season, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings of a 5-4 home win, making the Angels 5-2 in his last seven starts versus the Yankees. For his career, Lackey is 5-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 16 regular-season starts against the Bronx Bombers (3-3, 3.76 ERA in eight outings at old Yankee Stadium). He’s also made three playoff appearances against New York (two starts) failing to get a decision while posting a 1.88 ERA.
Sabathia dominated the Twins 10 days ago at home, yielding two runs (one earned) on eight hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, picking up a 7-2 Game 1 victory. Eliminate an awful regular-season finale against Tampa Bay (nine runs, five earned, in 2 2/3 innings of a 13-4 loss), and Sabathia has delivered 11 consecutive quality starts. Even with the bad outing at Tampa Bay, New York is 12-1 in Sabathia’s last 13 trips the hill, all multiple-run victories. Additionally, with the hefty lefty starting, the Yankees are on runs of 8-0 at home, 4-0 against the A.L. West, 8-1 against winning clubs and 8-1 in series openers.
Including the performance against Minnesota last week, Sabathia is 8-2 with a 3.06 ERA in his first season pitching in Yankee Stadium and he’s 15-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 21 night games (5-3, 3.90 ERA in the daytime). However, Sabathia is just 5-7 with a 4.72 ERA in 14 career starts against the Angels, including 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two outings this season (one home, one road), giving up 10 runs (nine earned) in 13 1/3 innings. L.A. batted .321 against Sabathia in those two wins.
Although they topped the total in Game 3 at Boston on Sunday, the Angels are on nothing but “under” streaks, including 25-8-1 overall, 13-3 on the road, 9-1 in series openers, 5-2 against the A.L. East, 5-2 as an underdog, 15-6-1 versus winning teams, 4-0 against lefty-handed starters, 5-0 on Friday, 5-2-1 when Lackey starts on the road, 4-1 when Lackey faces the A.L. East and 9-4 when Lackey works as an underdog. Also, in postseason play, L.A. is on “under” runs of 3-1-1 overall, 5-1-2 as a visitor and 7-3 in the ALCS (4-0 on the road in the ALCS).
New York carries “under” trends of 8-2-1 overall, 6-0-1 at home, 7-1-1 versus righty starters, 6-2 against the A.L. West, 3-0-1 in the playoffs and 6-1-1 with Sabathia working at home.
In this rivalry, the over is 17-7 in the last 24 meetings overall, 5-1 in the last six clashes in New York and 4-0 in Lackey’s last four outings against the Yankees. However, five of Lackey’s final six starts at old Yankee Stadium stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Pittsburgh (5-1, 3-2 ATS) at Rutgers (4-1, 1-2 ATS)
The Panthers will try to snap a four-game losing streak to Rutgers when they head to New Jersey for a Big East matchup against the Scarlet Knights.
Pitt rallied from a 21-6 third-quarter deficit at home against UConn on Saturday, winning 24-21 when Dan Hutchins connected on an 18-yard field goal as time expired. However, the Panthers came up short as a 6½-point favorite, dropping the Panthers to 6-13 ATS in their last 19 as a chalk.
Rutgers won its fourth straight game Saturday with a 42-0 blowout of Championship Subdivision squad Texas Southern in an unlined contest. After opening with a 47-15 home loss to Big East rival Cincinnati, the Scarlet Knights have scored at least 23 points in each of the ensuing four, with the defense surrendering a total of 35 points during this stretch.
Rutgers went to Pittsburgh last year and embarrassed the Panthers 54-34, cashing as a 9½-point underdog. The Scarlet Knights have taken the last four meetings in this rivalry (3-1 ATS) and cashed in five of the last seven. However, the road team holds an 8-3 ATS advantage in the last 11 years, with the underdog 5-2 ATS in the last seven.
Despite its recent struggles as a favorite, Pitt remains on ATS runs of 12-4 in October, 9-4 on the road, 4-0 on Fridays and 4-0 following an ATS loss. Rutgers is just 1-3-1 ATS in its last five home games, but otherwise is on pointspread runs of 6-2-1 overall, 25-10-1 as an underdog, 3-1 in October and 7-1-1 after a SU win.
Pitt has topped the total in five of six as a road favorite, but aside from that, it is on “under” streaks of 6-2 overall, 4-0 in Big East action and 5-2 in October. The Scarlet Knights are on “over” runs of 9-4 as a home ‘dog, 10-3-1 against teams with winning records and 5-0 in Big East games, but they have stayed below the total in three of four overall and 11 of 15 in October.
In this rivalry, the over has been the play in four of the last six years.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
NLCS
Philadelphia (4-1) at L.A. Dodgers (3-1)
Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63 ERA) will attempt to give the Phillies a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium when he makes his first postseason start since 2004, while the Dodgers are set to hand the ball to red-hot Vicente Padilla (12-6, 4.46).
Philadelphia got three-run home runs from Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez in Game 1 on Thursday, and closer Brad Lidge got through a shaky ninth inning to save an 8-6 victory, the team’s third in a row in this postseason. The Phillies are 7-1 in their last eight playoff contests dating to last year’s run to the World Series title, and they’re on additional surges of 6-1 in road playoff games, 10-2 as an underdog, 11-2 against the N.L. West, 4-1 against right-handed starters and 11-4 on the road against teams with a winning overall record.
Los Angeles saw its five-game winning streak (4-0 at home) halted with the Game 1 defeat. The Dodgers, who had the best record in the National League this season, have four straight against right-handed starters and seven of eight at home against righties. However, they’ve lost five of their last six on Friday.
The Phillies ousted Los Angeles in five games in last year’s NLCS and are now 5-1 versus the Dodgers in the playoffs. Going back to last August, Philadelphia has won 12 of 17 against L.A. (5-3 at Dodger Stadium). In addition to last year, the Phillies knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs in 1983 after getting eliminated by Los Angeles in the 1977 and 1978 NLCS.
Martinez was slated to start Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Colorado on Saturday, but when that contest was postponed due to weather, Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel pulled Martinez back. That means the veteran right-hander has been on the mound just once since Sept. 19, and that was on Sept. 30 when he allowed three runs on six hits in four innings, helping the Phillies to a 10-3 home victory over Houston.
Martinez didn’t sign with the Phillies until early July and didn’t make his first start for the team until Aug. 12. The former Cy Young winner was especially strong in September, going 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA in five starts, including the no-decision against the Astros. Philadelphia went 8-1 in Martinez’s nine trips to the mound, including 3-1 on the road, where the 37-year-old won three of those four games despite a 5.66 ERA.
Martinez, who made his big-league debut with Los Angeles in 1992, is 3-5 with a 4.02 ERA in nine career starts against his former team, and he’s 7-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 38 career appearances (seven starts) at Dodger Stadium. He last faced L.A. on June 6, 2006, while with the Mets, allowing seven runs (six earned) in five innings of an 8-5 road loss. Martinez is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 lifetime playoff appearances (11 starts), all with Boston from 1998-2004.
Padilla was brilliant in the Dodgers’ series-clinching 5-1 victory at St. Louis on Saturday, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out four in seven scoreless innings. Padilla, who beat the Rockies 5-3 in the regular-season finale Oct. 4, has allowed one run on eight hits with a 14-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 innings in his last two starts. Since being acquired from the Rangers in August, Padilla is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA in nine games (eight starts), with the Dodgers going 7-1 in those eight starts.
Including the Oct. 4 win over Colorado, Padilla is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in three starts at Dodger Stadium covering 15 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who pitched for the Phillies from 2000-2005, has just one career start against his former team, and he got rocked, allowing seven runs on seven hits (two home runs) over six innings of an 8-6 interleague home loss with Texas in June 2008.
As a team, the Phillies carry nothing but “over” streaks, including 13-3-2 overall, 13-2 on the road, 6-0 against right-handed starters and 5-1 following a victory, but the under is 15-5-2 in its last 22 on Friday. For the Dodgers, the over is on runs of 6-2-1 at home, 4-0-1 against the N.L. East, 9-3-1 versus winning teams, 7-3-1 against right-handed starters and 4-1-1 with Padilla on the mound.
Over the last two postseasons, the over is 4-2 in this rivalry (3-1 at Dodger Stadium).
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA and OVER
ALCS
L.A. Angels (3-0) at N.Y. Yankees (3-0)
After sweeping through their respective first-round playoff series, the Angels and Yankees are set open their best-of-7 American League Championship Series at new Yankee Stadium. New York will go with ace CC Sabathia (20-8, 3.31 ERA) in Game 1, while Los Angeles counters with veteran John Lackey (12-8, 3.68) in what is expected to be cold and wet conditions.
The Angels bounced longtime playoff nemesis Boston in three games in the first round, cruising 5-0 and 4-1 at home before rallying from a 5-2, eighth-inning deficit in Game 3 on Sunday for a series-clinching 7-6 victory. It’s the first time since beating the Yankees in 2005 that Los Angeles has advanced past the opening round in the postseason. The Angels are making their sixth appearance in the ALCS, having lost four of the first five.
Going back to the end of the regular season, the Halos have won six in a row and 10 of 11, and they’ve won five straight road games. They’re on additional tears of 10-3 after an off day, 5-2 against the A.L. East, 36-15 against left-handed starters, 5-1 in the opening game of a series, 19-7 as an underdog, 49-21 after a victory and 4-1 in the playoffs. However, they’ve dropped 11 of their last 14 as a playoff underdog.
New York had little trouble with the Twins last week, winning all three games by scores of 7-3, 4-3 and 4-1 to finally advance to the ALCS after getting bounced in the first round in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Joe Girardi’s club, which had a 13-year streak of playoff appearances snapped last season, is on impressive runs of 44-17 overall, 40-12 at home (all as a favorite), 49-18 after a victory, 44-16 against right-handed starters, 20-8 on Friday, 23-11 in series openers and 5-2 in home playoff games. However, the last time the Yankees were in the ALCS, they blew a 3-0 series lead to the Red Sox in 2004, and they haven’t advanced to the World Series since 2003.
These teams have met just twice in postseason play, both in the best-of-5 divisional round, and the Angels won both times in 2002 and 2005. This year, the teams split their 10 meetings, with New York going 3-1 at home. In fact, the host is 14-4 in the last 18 clashes (7-3 this season) going back to the beginning of last August.
Lackey was outstanding in Game 1 against Boston nine days ago, scattering four hits and a walk over 7 1/3 shutout innings en route to a 5-0 victory. Not including a meaningless tune-up start against Texas in his regular-season finale on Oct. 1, Lackey has allowed two earned runs or fewer and pitched at least seven innings in five of his last seven outings, with the Angels going 5-2. However, Los Angeles is just 1-4 in Lackey’s last five starts as an underdog (0-4 as a road underdog).
Lackey, who missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury, went 5-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 14 road starts this season. He faced New York once this season, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings of a 5-4 home win, making the Angels 5-2 in his last seven starts versus the Yankees. For his career, Lackey is 5-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 16 regular-season starts against the Bronx Bombers (3-3, 3.76 ERA in eight outings at old Yankee Stadium). He’s also made three playoff appearances against New York (two starts) failing to get a decision while posting a 1.88 ERA.
Sabathia dominated the Twins 10 days ago at home, yielding two runs (one earned) on eight hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, picking up a 7-2 Game 1 victory. Eliminate an awful regular-season finale against Tampa Bay (nine runs, five earned, in 2 2/3 innings of a 13-4 loss), and Sabathia has delivered 11 consecutive quality starts. Even with the bad outing at Tampa Bay, New York is 12-1 in Sabathia’s last 13 trips the hill, all multiple-run victories. Additionally, with the hefty lefty starting, the Yankees are on runs of 8-0 at home, 4-0 against the A.L. West, 8-1 against winning clubs and 8-1 in series openers.
Including the performance against Minnesota last week, Sabathia is 8-2 with a 3.06 ERA in his first season pitching in Yankee Stadium and he’s 15-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 21 night games (5-3, 3.90 ERA in the daytime). However, Sabathia is just 5-7 with a 4.72 ERA in 14 career starts against the Angels, including 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two outings this season (one home, one road), giving up 10 runs (nine earned) in 13 1/3 innings. L.A. batted .321 against Sabathia in those two wins.
Although they topped the total in Game 3 at Boston on Sunday, the Angels are on nothing but “under” streaks, including 25-8-1 overall, 13-3 on the road, 9-1 in series openers, 5-2 against the A.L. East, 5-2 as an underdog, 15-6-1 versus winning teams, 4-0 against lefty-handed starters, 5-0 on Friday, 5-2-1 when Lackey starts on the road, 4-1 when Lackey faces the A.L. East and 9-4 when Lackey works as an underdog. Also, in postseason play, L.A. is on “under” runs of 3-1-1 overall, 5-1-2 as a visitor and 7-3 in the ALCS (4-0 on the road in the ALCS).
New York carries “under” trends of 8-2-1 overall, 6-0-1 at home, 7-1-1 versus righty starters, 6-2 against the A.L. West, 3-0-1 in the playoffs and 6-1-1 with Sabathia working at home.
In this rivalry, the over is 17-7 in the last 24 meetings overall, 5-1 in the last six clashes in New York and 4-0 in Lackey’s last four outings against the Yankees. However, five of Lackey’s final six starts at old Yankee Stadium stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
