Service Plays Friday 8/20/10

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Eagles at Bengals: What Bettors Need to Know

It may not be the regular season, but it’s always fun when Terrell Owens takes on his old team. The lone preseason game on Friday has T.O.’s new team, the Bengals, playing hosts to the Philadelphia Eagles.

MORE REPS FOR THE STARTERS?

Kevin Kolb and Philly’s first-team offense only played a quarter in their preseason opener but Andy Reid says they’ll play for the entire half against the Bengals.

The official site of the Eagles also suggested that they will go into the game with an offensive mindset, “The focus for the offense will be getting in the end zone, as they moved the ball with ease against the Jaguars but were unable to convert touchdowns in the red zone.”

Backers can also take some solace in backups Michael Vick and rookie Mike Kafta. Vick went 11-17 for 119 yards and added in 50 rush yards and a rushing TD, while Kafta was decent as well going leading a TD drive in his first series and throwing a 57 yard pass later on that led to a FG.

Defensive starters are also expected to play for the entire half. Starting cornerback Asante Samuel is questionable with a hamstring injury.

SHORT WEEK

The Bengals are on just five days’ rest which could result in limited playing team for starters. Don’t forget, this is Cincinnati’s third preseason game because of the club’s participation in the Hall of Fame game.

“We’ve got some guys having just played a game couple days ago that are still on the mend,” Cincy head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters, “so we’ll have to see how some guys are prior to the game.”

Depth, however, is decent for the defending AFC champs. Back up QBs J.T. Sullivan and Carson’s brother Jordan both already have 100 yard games to their name, while back up RB Bernard Scott ran for 65 yards on just eight carries against the Broncos.

Offensive tackle Andre Smith could see some playing time after practicing this week. OT Andrew Mitchell, DE Robert Geathers, LB Rashad Jeanty, S Tom Nelson and FB Fui Vakapuna are not expected to play.

ODDS, TRENDS AND WEATHER

The line has remained steady at -3 in favor of the Bengals some books have moved it to -2.5. The total opened at 35.5 but has since moved to 37.

Popular opinion is siding with the over at around a 60/30 split. The last seven Eagles preseason games have gone over the total.

Weather shouldn’t be a factor with clear skies and lows in the upper 60s expected.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

Streaking

Jair Jurrjens (5-4, 3.92 ERA), Atlanta Braves

Jurrjens is part of a highly-effective, five-pitcher rotation for the Braves. The young righthander is proving that his wildly successful 2009 campaign was no fluke. He’s shown poise and command despite battling injuries at the start of season.

The Braves are 3-0 in his last three starts and the under is 5-2 in his last seven appearances.

Edwin Jackson (7-10, 4.67 ERA) Chicago White Sox

Most pitchers prefer playing in the National League but that hasn’t been the case for this flamethrower. Jackson underperformed for years coming up with the Dodgers before finally putting together back-to-back quality years with the Rays and Tigers.

And sure, he pitched a no-hitting with the Diamondbacks earlier in the year, but Jackson’s form has been much sharper since he rejoined the junior circuit.

The White Sox have wasted two of his three masterful starts since coming over from Arizona, but the under is still 3-0 in those games. Jackson owes a 1.35 ERA with 24 strikeouts compared to just five walks in his three appearances with Chicago.

Slumping

Armando Galarraga (3-5, 4.53 ERA) Detroit Tigers

You’ve got to wonder if Galarraga’s season would have played out differently had umpire Jim Joyce made the right call on the night of the near perfect game. Since that start, Galarraga has been floated around, unable to find the form he displayed that evening.

He’s walked four or more batters in two of his last three outings and has just one quality start in 10 trips to the hill. The slumping Tigers are just 2-5 in the big righty’s last seven appearances.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday MLB Tips

As August winds down, and preseason football is coming to the forefront of gamblers, the pennant races in each league continue to heat up around baseball. Three teams are separated by 2 ½ games in the NL Wild Card race, with the two teams trailing hooking up in St. Louis. Elsewhere, the Twins look to stay hot against the ice-cold Angels at Target Field. We'll start in Boston with two AL East teams that will likely miss the postseason, but have been viable clubs all season.

Blue Jays at Red Sox - 7:10 PM EST

Toronto travels back east after dropping two of three at Oakland, including a 5-4 setback in the rubber game on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Boston continues to grab victories, but it's tough to pick up ground when Tampa Bay and New York keep winning atop the division. The Sox send out their ace in the series opener, while trying to avenge a meltdown in Toronto one week ago.

Boston was looking for a sweep at Rogers Center as the Sox built a 5-2 advantage on August 12, but Jonathan Papelbon squandered the lead and the Jays rallied for a 6-5 triumph. Jon Lester (13-7, 2.80 ERA) take the hill for the Sox, going for his third straight win. Following four consecutive losses after the All-Star Break, Lester picked up a pair of victories at New York and Texas in scoreless efforts. The southpaw has burned backers in his last three home starts, losing as favorites of $2.45, $2.50, and $1.55.

Brett Cecil (9-6, 3.96 ERA) is coming off his worst outing of the season, allowing seven earned runs and 10 hits in 5.2 innings of a 7-2 defeat at Los Angeles. The seven runs given up by the Jays' lefty equaled the amount of runs Cecil allowed in his previous four starts combined. Toronto owns a 6-3 record in Cecil's nine outings as a road underdog, including three wins at Tampa Bay and New York. Cecil was outdueled by Lester at Rogers Center on April 28, as the Sox shut out the Jays, 2-0.

The Sox have owned this series, going 9-2 this season, including a 2-1 mark at Fenway. Each of the last three meetings finished 'over' the total, while two of the three matchups in Boston cashed the 'under'.

Giants at Cardinals - 8:10 PM EST

Two teams knocking on the playoff door in the National League are playing their worst baseball at the worst possible time, as they meet at Busch Stadium. St. Louis looks to snap a four-game skid, losing each contest at home to Chicago and Milwaukee. San Francisco hasn't performed well on the East Coast recently, losing six of its last seven at Atlanta and Philadelphia.

The Cards try to get over the hump with recently acquired Jake Westbrook (1-0, 3.32 ERA) taking the mound. Despite one win in three starts since getting traded from Cleveland at the deadline, Westbrook has delivered quality outings in each appearance. The groundball pitcher has won only three decisions since mid-June, with all three victories coming at home, including last Friday's 6-3 triumph over the Cubs.

Rookie Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 3.27 ERA) goes for the Giants, trying to pick up his fifth road win in seven tries. The San Francisco southpaw was taken off the hook in his last outing against San Diego as the Giants rallied for a 3-2 win in extra-innings. Bumgarner scattered eight hits and two earned runs in seven innings, only his third quality start in his previous six outings. The Giants have cashed the 'under' in seven of Bumgarner's last nine starts, and eight of his 10 outings overall.

All three meetings at AT&T Park in April finished 'under' the total, as the Giants grabbed two of three games. San Francisco is 4-3 the last seven matchups at Busch Stadium, while the two teams split a four-game set in St. Louis in 2009.

Angels at Twins - 8:10 PM EST

A pair of playoff squads from a season ago is headed in different directions as Minnesota and Los Angeles meet up for the first time since the opening series of the season. The Twins are starting to open things up in the AL Central following another series win over the White Sox, owning a five-game advantage heading into Thursday's action.

The Halos went from the ALCS to possibly third place in their own division in less than 12 months, as Dan Haren (1-3, 3.44 ERA) makes his sixth start in an Angels' uniform. The former Diamondbacks' ace has received little run support in Los Angeles, as the Halos have averaged 2.4 in his first five outings. Haren has not been listed as an underdog with the Angels, but Arizona was 0-7 in his seven starts at plus-money.

Brian Duensing (6-1, 2.00 ERA) is fresh off a complete-game shutout over the A's, scattering three hits in a 2-0 victory. Duensing has faced four teams sitting below .500, with the Rays being the only substantial club that the lefty has started against. In Duensing's last three home starts dating back to last September, the Minnesota southpaw hasn't allowed a run in 22.1 innings of work.

The Twins won three of four meetings in Anaheim to begin the season, as the Angels make their first appearance at Target Field. The two teams split six games at the Metrodome last season, as both squads pulled off three-game sweeps.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

LADY LUCK

Friday's Best WNBA Bets

New York Liberty at Washington Wizards (-4, 146)

The Liberty have rattled off a franchise record 10 consecutive wins. Their last three wins have come by an average margin of 22 points, including a 21-point win over the first-place Indiana Fever on Tuesday night.

Make that the former first-place Indiana Fever. The Liberty took over the top spot via tiebreakers with the win, and they're not about to let up now that they have it.

''Things were just clicking for us everywhere today,'' said New York's Leilani Mitchell, who scored a team-high 19 in the win. " ... we kept the defensive pressure throughout the game.''

Now the Mystics are just a half-game back and can leapfrog the Liberty with a win at home today. The season series is split at 2-2 with the home team winning all four so the head-to-head tiebreaker could be critical.

Expect a playoff atmosphere with the intensity to match from both teams. This one really could go either way so taking the points is the smart money.

Pick: New York

Indiana Fever at San Antonio Silver Stars (4, 151)

The Fever had their five-game winning streak snapped and their first-place standing stolen by New York but they're not about to roll over after the defeat.

“I just don’t think we had the effort and energy to match them tonight,” Fever coach Lin Dunn told the team’s website after the 78-57 loss to the Liberty.

That shouldn't be a problem this time. The Fever are still in the hunt for the top seed and star Tameka Catchings, who scored a game-high 25 against the Liberty, is looking to lead her team to the No. 1 seed.

The Silver Stars, however, are in danger of missing the playoffs altogether after losing five of their last seven. They've also dropped five of their last six at home and may be ready to call it a season.

Pick: Indiana

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Baseball Crusher

FLA (-135) over HOU

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Eckstein

NFL- Bengals / Eagles OVER 37

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

craig masters

Braves -130

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

HOT LINES

Friday's Best MLB Bets

Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs (115, 9)

Derrek Lee has had an interesting travel week. He was traded from the Cubs to the Braves on Wednesday and joined his new team in time for a road trip to Chicago.

Of course, Lee's seven years at Wrigley have been an odd detour too. His gameplan to take the Cubs to the World Series was a losing cause but he has a much better chance with the Braves, beginning against his barely former teammates.

"I'll probably have to stop myself from running to this dugout," Lee told the Chicago Tribune. "It'll be different but it'll be exciting. Sometimes it's even more fun to compete against your friends because you can talk a little trash afterward."

Maybe Lee can offer some advice about how to hit Ryan Dempster, who is 3-0 in his last three starts with a 1.40 ERA. But fellow righthander Jair Jurrjens has been similarly hot for the Braves, going 4-0 in his last six outings.

If pitching and defense are equal, the Braves bring a big edge in hitting into Wrigley Field. They have been batting at a .308 clip against righties in their last 10 games to a modest .251 for the Cubs.

The Cubs had lost three straight entering Thursday's game, scoring a total of six runs. The Braves had won four in a row, tallying a total of 30 runs. You do the math.

Pick: Atlanta Braves


Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota Twins (-145, 8)

It's easy to say that Joe Mauer has put the Twins on his back during this playoff race and is carrying them to the AL Central title and perhaps beyond.

After all, he's hitting .442 with 15 doubles, four homers and 30 RBIs in the 28 games he's suited up for since the All-Star break. The Twins are 21-7 in those games.

But the truth is that all the position players have picked up the pace in the absence of Justin Morneau. Orlando Hudson, Jim Thome, Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young are all contributing to the Twins' sudden surge.

"It's a different guy pretty much every night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of his offense. "You like for it to be moving around a little bit. Guys have been putting some pretty good swings out there."

The Twinkies have been hammering righties to the tune of .319 during their current 9-1 hot streak - bad news for Angels starter Dan Haren. The Halos are hitting lefties at a .250 rate this season and face surging southpaw Brian Duensing.

Pick: Minnesota Twins

 

[ugk]

GREEK SPORTS PICKS

MLB PREMIUM PLAYS
6 UNIT Detroit Tigers
4 UNIT Atlanta Braves/Chicago Cubs Under 9
4 UNIT San Diego Padres/ Milwaukee Brewers Under 8

NFL PREMIUM PLAY
3 UNIT Philadelphia Eagles

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Preview

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Toronto Argonauts Preview

Hamilton enters this game riding a two-game winning streak, both victories against Winnipeg. The question remains: How good are the Tiger-Cats?All we know for certain is that they are better than the Blue Bombers. Now, can they defeat a tough Toronto team?

Hamilton's quarterback Kevin Glenn (Illinois State) and receiver Arland Bruce (Southern Cal) have been on fire the last three weeks throwing for close to 1200 yards with Bruce catching 29 passes over this three-game period. Glenn and Bruce have turned into the most lethal QB-receiver combination in the CFL. This week they play a strong Toronto team who has shown vulnerability to a good passing attack. Hamilton's passing attack isn't the only offensive weapon coming together, running back DeAndro Cobb (Michigan State) also had good game last week rushing for 86 yards on 22 carries while adding one touchdown. After a slow start, Cobb seems to be gaining confidence week-by-week but will Cobb show the consistency needed in order to provide a balanced attack for the Ti-Cats?

Although Toronto's defense was shredded by Montreal's passing attack last week, the Argonauts finally shut down the Aloutettes rushing attack after allowing the opposition running backs to rush for more than a hundred yards two weeks in a row. Despite only sacking Anthony Calvillo (Utah State) only once, Toronto was still able to close the door on the Montreal QB and his receivers largely due to the play of Canadians linebackers Jason Pottinger (McMaster) and Kevin Eiben (Bucknell), who combined for 12 tackles. The Argo will need another solid effort from their linebackers in order to shut down Cobb and the hot handed Glenn. If Toronto can bring pressure on Glenn, watch for the Hamilton quarter back to possibly get rattled and begin to falter. To his credit, the inconsistent Glenn seems to be gaining confidence as the season progresses which may make it difficult for teams to get under his skin like they have have in the past. If recent weeks are any indication, we might be witnessing CFL games seemingly beginning to finally slow down for Glenn making the Tiger-Cat's QB a consistent threat to score on every series.

On offense, Toronto's strong armed Cleo Lemon is starting to look down field on his passes and finding success. Lemon has found a new primary receiver in Chad Owens (Hawaii) who had 6 receptions for 163 yards in last week's game with the Alouettes. Lemon is no longer just staying put in the pocket, instead he is beginning to roll-out of the pocket buying extra time allowing for his receivers to get open. Unfortunately for Toronto, they lost their top receiver in Jermaine Copeland (Tennessee) with a dislocated elbow. It is expected Copeland may be out for six weeks. Fortunately Toronto can rely on Cory Boyd (South Carolina) to come out of the back field and keep the Tiger-Cats off balanced with both his rushing and his improved receiving skills.

Hamilton needs to play their linebackers close to the line of scrimmage as Boyd is unlike any back the Tabbies have faced this year. The first man to touch the talented Toronto running back must bring him down, or slow him down, otherwise Boyd is capable of breaking a small yardage play into a big gain. Watch for defensive back Markeith Knowlton (North Texas) patrolling the line off scrimmage specifically targeting Boyd.

Boxscore News Prediction: Toronto had their largest crowd of the season (22,000) last week against Montreal and are slowly bringing back their fans with exciting football. After last weeks performance against Montreal expect a larger crowd this week against Hamilton with whom they have a long and storied rivalry. Toronto squares off and beats Hamilton in the game of the week.

Hamilton 27 - Toronto 29.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CANADIAN BACON

Friday's Best CFL Bets

Hamilton Tiger Cats at Toronto Argonauts(-2.5, 54)

The surprising Argos look to stay atop the East standings but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would like nothing better than to squash their eternal rivals on Friday night. It’ll be the first time this year the two sides have met and it’s the first time in years the game has more on the line than which team will take over the basement of the league standings.

The Argos may or may not be overachieving but certainly the 3-4 Tiger-Cats aren’t playing up to their abilities. After all, Hamilton is 3-1 against Winnipeg and 0-3 against everybody else.

Toronto will play the Ticats without ace slotback Jermaine Copeland who dislocated his left shoulder early in Saturday’s game against Montreal. Chad Lucas, Ryan Christian and Jeffrey Webb are the available candidates to fill in but you can expect Lucas, who was Toronto’s best receiver last year with 69 catches and 950 yards, to get the bulk of the plays drawn for Copeland.

QB Cleo Lemon also has an emerging target in Chad Owens. The receiver took home offensive player of the week honors last week after he hauled in six catches and two TD grabs against the Alouettes.

Pick: Toronto Argonauts

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

AFL-Arena Bowl XXIII Betting Preview

Storm-Shock Preview

Behind quarterback Brett Dietz, the Tampa Bay Storm will be looking to win its sixth ArenaBowl title this Friday night. Standing in their way will be the Spokane Shock.

The Arena Football League's most illustrious franchise, the Tampa Bay Storm, will look for their sixth ArenaBowl title on Friday night when the travel to the northwest to duke it out with the Spokane Shock, a newcomer in the AFL, for ArenaBowl XXIII.

The Storm punched their ticket to their eighth ArenaBowl in franchise history by winning one of the greatest games in the history of the league.

Brett DietzTampa Bay held a three score lead on the Orlando Predators in the third quarter of last week's American Conference Championship Game, only to watch that lead disappear with just one minute to play. With the Storm trailing 56-55, QB Brett Dietz took over and brought the Storm to the go-ahead touchdown which put them up seven. Orlando brought the score within a point and had a chance to win, but Carlos Martinez's 49-yard field goal attempt as time expired fell just short.

Dietz was one of three quarterbacks in the league this year to throw for 5,000+ yards, as he finished with 5,034 and a franchise record 106 touchdown passes. For the playoffs, Dietz has the second most touchdown passes with 14, and he has only thrown two picks. His 529 yards in two games is the second highest total in the league.

Wide receiver Tyrone Timmons has come on strong this year for Tampa Bay. He is tied for the second most touchdowns in the postseason with six on just 12 catches. He led the team in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,378) in the regular season as well. Edwards and fellow WR Hank Edwards combined for 73 touchdown receptions this year, which was third amongst sets of teammates in the AFL.

Defensively, the Storm have one of the most ferocious lines in the game, led by Jermaine Smith, Tim McGill, and Kelvin Kinney. Smith led the team with seven sacks in the regular season. Defensive back Erick McIntosh leads the AFL in INTs in the postseason with two, and he has 12 tackles and five pass breakups to boot.

The Storm had the second best defense in the league this year, allowing just 50.8 PPG. They also had the second best offense in the American Conference, averaging 57.9 PPG.

The offense paled in comparison to the power of the Spokane offense, though. The Shock came up just two scores shy of 1,000 points this year, averaging 61.8 PPG. The defense was the second best in the National Conference at 52.7 PPG.

The Shock had to hold off the best offense in the history of the AFL in order to reach the ArenaBowl, as they topped the Milwaukee Iron 60-57 in another wild game. The Shock improved to 15-3 on the season, and they earned home field advantage for the ArenaBowl by having the best record in the league in the regular season.

There may not be much in the way of ArenaBowl experience on this team, but at least there is a ton of ArenaCup experience. The Shock played in the af2 before graduating up to the AFL this season. They have played in three ArenaCup championships, winning in 2006 and 2009 but losing in 2008. Ironically, the only one of those three that was played in Spokane Arena was in 2008, their one defeat in the af2 title game.

One key member of this team that has never had championship experience is QB Kyle Rowley. Rowley put up fantastic numbers for the Arkansas Twisters over the last two seasons, amassing 191 touchdown passes against just 27 INTs.

Prior to this season though, his postseason numbers were terrible. Rowley completed 73.4 percent of his passes for 457 yards with a miserable TD/INT ratio of 6/6. He was 0-2 lifetime before this year. It has all turned around for him with the Shock, though. Rowley is the second most efficient quarterback in the league in the postseason behind just Milwaukee's Chris Greisen. He has gone 53-of-74 for 494 yards with 14 TDs and no interceptions.

The combination of receivers Greg Orton and Huey Whittaker has been fantastic in these playoffs, as that duo has totaled 36 catches, 347 yards, and eight scores.

Whittaker was a great candidate for Offensive Player of the Year honors after catching 144 passes for 1,653 yards and 37 TDs on the season.

These two franchises have never met on the gridiron before. The ArenaBowl XXIII betting line features the Shock favored by 3.5 points. The 'total' is up from an opening line of 114 to 114.5.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best AFL Bet

Tampa Bay Storm at Spokane Shock (-1, 105)

The final two teams left standing for Saturday's Arena Bowl XXIII are far apart geographically, but they have a lot in common headed into the AFL title game.

For starters, neither team looked to be headed here one month into the season. The Storm started out 2-3 before winning 11 of their last 12 and the Shock were 2-2 before taking 13 of their last 14.

Both teams have done it with high-scoring offenses with the Shock are averaging 61.4 points per game to the Storm's 58.6. Tampa Bay's defense is a bit stingier, allowing 49.2 ppg to Spokane's 52.7.

And Spokane's biggest scoring threat, wide receiver Huey Whittaker, who scored in every quarter of last week's Western Conference finals win, is a Tampa native and a former player for the Storm.

"He's definitely going to have it out to get us," Storm quarterback Brett Dietz told CBS Central Florida Channel 13, "and we're definitely going to have it out to get him."

Despite their familiarity, the two teams have not met this season. Both suffered recent losses to Jacksonville but have run the table against all other foes late in the season.

The Storm are 7-2 ATS while the Shock are 7-3. Spokane has the home-field advantage and is 7-1 but Tampa owns the same record on the road. This one truly is a toss-up.

"I'm looking forward to (Spokane's) crowd," Storm linebacker Eric Ortiz said. " I heard it's very hostile over there. I play better when the odds are against me."

Pick: Tampa Bay Storm -111 ML

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bettors' Best Briend (BBF): Friday's Wagering Tips

Lines To Keep An Eye On

Bengals at Eagles: Total opened at 35 but has shot up to 37.

White Sox at Royals: Total opened at 9.5 but has slipped to 9.

Storm at Shock (AFL): Shock opened at -4 but this one is now a pick-em at some books. Total opened at 114 but has jumped to 115.

Fever at Silver Stars (WNBA): Indiana opened as -2.5 favorite but is now -4. Total opened at 149.5 but is up to as high as 151.5 at some books.

Storm at Mercury (WNBA): Mercury opened as -2 favorites but are now -4. Total opened at 180.5 but has fallen as low as 179.

Lynx at Sparks (WNBA): Sparks opened as -2.5 favorites but are now at -4. Total opened at 154 but has slipped to 153.

Weather To Watch

White Sox at Royals: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Winds blowing out to left/center field at 14 mph.

Astros at Marlins: 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Who's Hot

Padres are 10-1 in their last 11.

Twins are 9-1 in their last 10.

Braves are 7-2 in their last nine.

Phillies are 6-1 in their last seven.

Rays have won five in a row.

Reds have won five in a row.

Who's Not

Indians are 2-8 in their last 10.

White Sox are 2-8 in their last 10.

Pirates are 1-9 in their last 10.

Astros are 1-8 in their last nine vs. Marlins.

Cardinals have lost four in a row.

Key Stat

.042 - Percentage points Twins catcher Joe Mauer has raised his season batting average since the All-Star break - from .293 to .335. His 4-for-5 outing on Wednesday raised his average to .442 over his last 28 games.

Injury That Shouldn't Be Overlooked

Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler will undergo a second MRI on his strained left groin on Monday. Kinsler has been on the disabled list since the end of July with the injury. The All-Star has been plagued by injuries this season as he missed the first 22 games of the season with a high ankle sprain. His return and move to the leadoff position sparked the Rangers to their rise atop the AL West standings. Kinsler is batting .298 with six home runs and 38 RBIs.

Game Of The Day

Giants at Cardinals (-145, 8)

Notable Quotable

"I wanted him to know how I felt. We talked man-to-man. He told me his position, and I definitely told him my position. It was good."

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan about his meeting with former coach turned TV analyst Tony Dungy, who called out Ryan for his use of profanity on the HBO show "Hard Knocks".

Tips And Notes

The banged-up Boston Red Sox's road to recovery may not be so smooth after all. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia was scratched from the lineup Thursday with a sore foot, confirming fears that he was rushing back from the DL too soon to try to help his team get back in the AL East and wild-card race. Pedroia had just returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing 44 games with a fractured bone in his right foot. He said the pain started Wednesday night and worsened when he attempted to run Thursday. Jed Lowrie will replace Pedroia until he's ready to return - hopefully for good next time.

New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte will not return to the club until around mid-September after another setback in his rehab from a groin strain. Pettitte felt pain during a bullpen session on Tuesday and is being shut down for a week after an MRI Tuesday night revealed that his injury still has not fully healed. Following his week of rest Pettitte will begin the rehab process again, with the ultimate goal of being healthy and available to pitch in the postseason. The 38-year-old lefty was having one of his best seasons, posting an 11-2 record with a 2.88 ERA. He has been on the disabled list since July 20.

So much for the overtrained athletes syndrome defense. Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing will miss the first four games of the NFL season as the league announced Thursday that Cushing's suspension will remain. The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year tested positive for HCG last year. Texans owner Bob McNair met personally with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss reducing the suspension, but in the end the league found a four-game ban sufficient. Cushing was Houston's first-round pick last season and the backbone of its defense. He had 134 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

FOXSHEETS

NFL
No statistical plays on the game today

WNBA
6 STARS
Favoring: NEW YORK on the money line.
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) - after having won 4 of their last 5 games, playing with 2 days rest
(32-19 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (4-4 +

5 STARS
Favoring: NEW YORK on the money line.
Play Against - Home teams vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) - after having won 4 of their last 5 games, playing with 2 days rest
(33-20 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.3%,
The situation's record this season is: (5-4

Favoring: SEATTLE on the money line.
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the money line (PHOENIX) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off an upset win as an underdog
(21-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (0-3

Favoring: NEW YORK on the money line.
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off an upset win as an underdog
(21-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (0-3

Favoring: SEATTLE on the money line.
Play Against - Home favorites of -165 to -500 vs. the money line (PHOENIX) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off a road win
(21-11 over the last 5 seasons.) (65.6%,
The situation's record this season is: (0-2

Favoring: NEW YORK on the money line.
Play Against - Home favorites of -165 to -500 vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off a road win
(21-11 over the last 5 seasons.) (65.6%,
The situation's record this season is: (0-2 -

Favoring: SEATTLE on the money line.
Play Against - Home teams vs. the money line (PHOENIX) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off an upset win as a road underdog
(22-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (68.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (1-3

Favoring: NEW YORK on the money line.
Play Against - Home teams vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 85 or more points, off an upset win as a road underdog
(22-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (68.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (1-3

Favoring: INDIANA on the money line.
Play On - Favorites vs. the money line (INDIANA) - off a loss by 10 points or more to a division rival, with a winning record on the season
(57-5 over the last 5 seasons.) (91.9%,
The situation's record this season is: (4-2

Favoring: NEW YORK against the spread.
Play Against - Favorites (WASHINGTON) - revenging a loss versus opponent, off a road win by 10 points or more
(45-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (81.8%,
The situation's record this season is: (0-3

MLB
FOUR STAR
Favoring: OAKLAND on the money line.
Play Against - Road favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (TAMPA BAY) - with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better on the season (AL), starting a pitcher who walked <=1 hitters each of his last 2 outings
(61-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (64.9%,
The situation's record this season is: (10-6

Favoring: Over on the total.
Play Over - All teams where the total is 8 to 8.5 (SEATTLE) - terrible offensive team (<=4.2 runs/game) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 4.70)-AL, with an on base percentage of .310 or worse over their last 20 games
(39-10 since 1997.) (79.6%,
The situation's record this season is: (4-0

Favoring: Over on the total.
Play Over - All teams where the total is 7 to 8.5 (SEATTLE) - terrible offensive team (<=4.2 runs/game) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 4.70)-AL, with an on base percentage of .310 or worse over their last 20 games
(52-17 since 1997.) (75.4%,
The situation's record this season is: (9-1

Favoring: OAKLAND on the run line.
Play On - Home teams against a run line. (+1.5, -130) to (-1.5, +160) (OAKLAND) - below average hitting team (AVG <=.265) against an excellent starting pitcher (ERA <=3.20) -AL, cold hitting team - batting .240 or worse over their last 10 games
(66-28 since 1997.) (70.2%,
The situation's record this season is: (5-6

CFL
FIVE STAR
Favoring: TORONTO on the money line.
Play Against - Road teams vs. the money line (HAMILTON) - with a poor defense - allowing 385 or more total yards/game, after gaining 7.6 or more yards/play in their previous game
(34-7 over the last 5 seasons.) (82.9%,
The situation's record this season is: (6-0

FOUR STAR
Favoring: TORONTO on the money line.
Play On - Home teams vs. the money line (TORONTO) - after playing a game at home, after the first month of the season
(129-51 since 1996.) (71.7%,
The situation's record this season is: (3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Phillies Thursday night. Friday it's the Red Sox.

The profit is 165 sirignanos.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hondo

Hondo rebounded from Wednesday night's horror show by rolling with the Reds last night to lower the deficit to 1,555 careys.

Tonight, Mr. Aitch will ride the locals -- 10 units apiece on Burnett and Pelfrey.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports
498 - 366 run 58 %

Bonus Play FRI White Sox -150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CappersAccess

Eagles
Cubs