arty:
SPORTS ADVISORS
Seattle (1-4 SU and ATS) at Tampa Bay (4-2, 5-1 ATS)
The Buccaneers try to keep their spread-covering streak intact when they face the Seahawks in a prime-time Sunday battle at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay ripped Carolina 27-3 as a one-point home chalk, bagging the cash for the fifth straight week (4-1 SU). QB Jeff Garcia returned to action and was an efficient 15 of 20 for 173 yards and a TD, and Tampa finished with a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession. The Bucs also forced three turnovers while committing none.
Seattle fell to Green Bay 27-17 giving one point at home for its second consecutive SU and ATS setback. Backup QB Charlie Frye, subbing for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, somehow tossed two TD passes despite an ugly 12-for-23, 88-yard, 2-INT passing effort. The Seahawks mustered just 177 total yards and had a 15-minute deficit in time of possession.
The SU winner has cashed in each of Seattle’s last 20 games and 22 of Tampa’s last 23 outings.
Seattle opened the 2007 season with a 20-6 rout of the Bucs as a six-point home favorite, improving to 3-0 SU and ATS against Tampa in the last four years.
Along with their current 5-0 ATS streak, the Buccaneers are on pointspread runs of 9-3 at home, 16-8-1 as a non-division home chalk, 5-0 on grass and 4-0 in conference play. Meanwhile, Seattle has struggled against the number on cross-country trips, going 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games in the Eastern time zone, and they are in further ATS ruts of 1-5 overall, 0-5 on the highway, 1-4 against the NFC and 1-4 against winning teams.
The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these NFC rivals. Conversely, the over for Tampa Bay is on runs of 6-0 against losing teams, 6-1 after a SU win and 7-3 against the NFC, and the over for Seattle is on streaks of 7-0-1 overall, 4-0 on the road, 4-0 against winning teams and 6-0-1 against NFC foes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TAMPA BAY
MLB
Boston (6-4) at Tampa Bay (6-4)
The defending World Series-champion Red Sox look to cap another improbable October comeback when they send ace Jon Lester to the hill for Game 7 of the ALCS against the Rays’ Matt Garza at Tropicana Field.
Two days after rallying from a 7-0, seventh-inning deficit to beat Tampa Bay 8-7 and force a Game 6, Boston gutted out a 4-2 victory at Tropicana Field on Saturday night. The Sox got a solid five innings from injured starter Josh Beckett, four shutout innings of relief and enough timely hits – including solo home runs from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek – to push this series to a deciding Game 7.
Boston is now on a 13-4 run in the playoffs and sports further positive streaks of 5-1 on the road and 7-1 in road playoff outings, and under manager Terry Francona, the Red Sox are now 9-1 in elimination playoff games. On the downside, the BoSox have still lost 21 of their last 30 contests on artificial turf.
The Rays entered this series on a 55-17 run at Tropicana Field, but they’ve lost two of three at home to Boston (Games 1 and 6). They’re still on positive runs of 9-3 against divisional foes and 10-5 against the Sox (7-2 at home against Boston). And going back to last season, Tampa has taken 11 of the last 14 from Boston at the Trop.
The home team won the first 12 series meetings between these teams this year, but the visitor is 7-4 in the last 11.
With Lester on the hill, the Red Sox are on runs of 36-15 overall, 17-6 against the A.L. East and 7-1 when he pitches on Sunday. However, after two outstanding postseason starts against the Angels in the divisional round (no earned runs allowed in 14 innings), the southpaw came unglued Monday in Game 3 at Fenway Park. He was touched up for five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, losing 9-1.
Prior to Game 3, the Red Sox had won all seven of Lester’s career starts against the Rays. He’s still 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA against Tampa Bay, but 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two outings at Tropicana Field. Additionally, including one postseason start in Anaheim, Lester is 6-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 17 road starts.
The Rays are 2-5 in Garza’s last seven starts overall and 1-4 in his last five on Sunday, but the right-hander outpitched Lester in Boston in Game 3, allowing just one run on six hits in six innings en route to his first career postseason victory. The right-hander is now 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in seven career starts against Boston, and the Rays are 3-1 in his four starts against the Sox in 2008 (3-0 at home).
Even though he was dominant at Fenway Park six days ago, Garza still has much better numbers this season at Tropicana Field (7-3, 2.89 ERA) than on the road (5-7, 4.53 ERA).
The under is 5-2 in Lester’s last seven starts overall and 5-2-1 in his last eight on the road. Conversely, with Garza pitching, the over is on runs of 5-2 at home and 4-1 versus divisional foes.
Saturday’s game stayed under the posted total, snapping a four-game “over” run in this series. The over is still 13-5 in Tampa’s last 18 at home, 7-3 in Tampa’s last 10 on Sunday and 5-2 in Boston’s last seven ALCS contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
Seattle (1-4 SU and ATS) at Tampa Bay (4-2, 5-1 ATS)
The Buccaneers try to keep their spread-covering streak intact when they face the Seahawks in a prime-time Sunday battle at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay ripped Carolina 27-3 as a one-point home chalk, bagging the cash for the fifth straight week (4-1 SU). QB Jeff Garcia returned to action and was an efficient 15 of 20 for 173 yards and a TD, and Tampa finished with a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession. The Bucs also forced three turnovers while committing none.
Seattle fell to Green Bay 27-17 giving one point at home for its second consecutive SU and ATS setback. Backup QB Charlie Frye, subbing for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, somehow tossed two TD passes despite an ugly 12-for-23, 88-yard, 2-INT passing effort. The Seahawks mustered just 177 total yards and had a 15-minute deficit in time of possession.
The SU winner has cashed in each of Seattle’s last 20 games and 22 of Tampa’s last 23 outings.
Seattle opened the 2007 season with a 20-6 rout of the Bucs as a six-point home favorite, improving to 3-0 SU and ATS against Tampa in the last four years.
Along with their current 5-0 ATS streak, the Buccaneers are on pointspread runs of 9-3 at home, 16-8-1 as a non-division home chalk, 5-0 on grass and 4-0 in conference play. Meanwhile, Seattle has struggled against the number on cross-country trips, going 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games in the Eastern time zone, and they are in further ATS ruts of 1-5 overall, 0-5 on the highway, 1-4 against the NFC and 1-4 against winning teams.
The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these NFC rivals. Conversely, the over for Tampa Bay is on runs of 6-0 against losing teams, 6-1 after a SU win and 7-3 against the NFC, and the over for Seattle is on streaks of 7-0-1 overall, 4-0 on the road, 4-0 against winning teams and 6-0-1 against NFC foes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TAMPA BAY
MLB
Boston (6-4) at Tampa Bay (6-4)
The defending World Series-champion Red Sox look to cap another improbable October comeback when they send ace Jon Lester to the hill for Game 7 of the ALCS against the Rays’ Matt Garza at Tropicana Field.
Two days after rallying from a 7-0, seventh-inning deficit to beat Tampa Bay 8-7 and force a Game 6, Boston gutted out a 4-2 victory at Tropicana Field on Saturday night. The Sox got a solid five innings from injured starter Josh Beckett, four shutout innings of relief and enough timely hits – including solo home runs from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek – to push this series to a deciding Game 7.
Boston is now on a 13-4 run in the playoffs and sports further positive streaks of 5-1 on the road and 7-1 in road playoff outings, and under manager Terry Francona, the Red Sox are now 9-1 in elimination playoff games. On the downside, the BoSox have still lost 21 of their last 30 contests on artificial turf.
The Rays entered this series on a 55-17 run at Tropicana Field, but they’ve lost two of three at home to Boston (Games 1 and 6). They’re still on positive runs of 9-3 against divisional foes and 10-5 against the Sox (7-2 at home against Boston). And going back to last season, Tampa has taken 11 of the last 14 from Boston at the Trop.
The home team won the first 12 series meetings between these teams this year, but the visitor is 7-4 in the last 11.
With Lester on the hill, the Red Sox are on runs of 36-15 overall, 17-6 against the A.L. East and 7-1 when he pitches on Sunday. However, after two outstanding postseason starts against the Angels in the divisional round (no earned runs allowed in 14 innings), the southpaw came unglued Monday in Game 3 at Fenway Park. He was touched up for five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, losing 9-1.
Prior to Game 3, the Red Sox had won all seven of Lester’s career starts against the Rays. He’s still 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA against Tampa Bay, but 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two outings at Tropicana Field. Additionally, including one postseason start in Anaheim, Lester is 6-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 17 road starts.
The Rays are 2-5 in Garza’s last seven starts overall and 1-4 in his last five on Sunday, but the right-hander outpitched Lester in Boston in Game 3, allowing just one run on six hits in six innings en route to his first career postseason victory. The right-hander is now 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in seven career starts against Boston, and the Rays are 3-1 in his four starts against the Sox in 2008 (3-0 at home).
Even though he was dominant at Fenway Park six days ago, Garza still has much better numbers this season at Tropicana Field (7-3, 2.89 ERA) than on the road (5-7, 4.53 ERA).
The under is 5-2 in Lester’s last seven starts overall and 5-2-1 in his last eight on the road. Conversely, with Garza pitching, the over is on runs of 5-2 at home and 4-1 versus divisional foes.
Saturday’s game stayed under the posted total, snapping a four-game “over” run in this series. The over is still 13-5 in Tampa’s last 18 at home, 7-3 in Tampa’s last 10 on Sunday and 5-2 in Boston’s last seven ALCS contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
