Dave Cokin
Bonus Play Thursday 7:30 PM NFL
(251) PITTSBURGH STEELERS at (252) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Take: UNDER 50
Two games, 139 total points. Yes, when staring at those numbers, even considering an Under play in a game involving the Philadelphia Eagles seems daring, if not a little crazy. But I’m pretty big on making my pre-season plays off what I can garner as far as information is concerned, and that’s the key to this opinion.
One thing we’ve learned quickly enough about Chip Kelly is that he doesn’t have a problem letting the media know what his intentions are as far as these exhibition games are concerned. So Kelly’s admission that he’s going to keep things pretty vanilla tonight tells me he won’t be digging into the playbook to any extent and apparently just wants to get through the game with no problems that will carry over to the games that count. Fact is, baed on what I saw last week in the game against the Patriots, I think Kelly has shown about as much of the playbook as he cares to, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t dial it back a bit tonight.
On the flip side, the Steelers are going to have their entire first unit defense on the field together for the first time this pre-season. What that should mean is that, after facing units that didn’t do much game planning, if any, for the warp speed Eagles offense, Pittsburgh will be providing some looks the Eagles haven’t seen so far this summer.
Offensively, the Steelers are going to be shorthanded in the backfield by at least one RB and probably two following the Bell/Blount traffic issue yesterday. Mike Tomlin isn’t about to alter his personality and throw the football 40 times, so I have to believe the personnel issue in play tonight can’t be a good thing for the Steelers offense.
As for the number on this game, to the surprise of nobody, the bets have poured in on the Over and price has gone up. Given the pace of play we’re now familiar with as far as the Eagles go, I can’t say I’ll be shocked if this turns into another fireworks show with points galore. But after digesting the available information, I now believe there’s value to be had with the Under, and that’s the way I’ll play this game tonight.
Bonus Play Thursday 7:30 PM NFL
(251) PITTSBURGH STEELERS at (252) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Take: UNDER 50
Two games, 139 total points. Yes, when staring at those numbers, even considering an Under play in a game involving the Philadelphia Eagles seems daring, if not a little crazy. But I’m pretty big on making my pre-season plays off what I can garner as far as information is concerned, and that’s the key to this opinion.
One thing we’ve learned quickly enough about Chip Kelly is that he doesn’t have a problem letting the media know what his intentions are as far as these exhibition games are concerned. So Kelly’s admission that he’s going to keep things pretty vanilla tonight tells me he won’t be digging into the playbook to any extent and apparently just wants to get through the game with no problems that will carry over to the games that count. Fact is, baed on what I saw last week in the game against the Patriots, I think Kelly has shown about as much of the playbook as he cares to, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t dial it back a bit tonight.
On the flip side, the Steelers are going to have their entire first unit defense on the field together for the first time this pre-season. What that should mean is that, after facing units that didn’t do much game planning, if any, for the warp speed Eagles offense, Pittsburgh will be providing some looks the Eagles haven’t seen so far this summer.
Offensively, the Steelers are going to be shorthanded in the backfield by at least one RB and probably two following the Bell/Blount traffic issue yesterday. Mike Tomlin isn’t about to alter his personality and throw the football 40 times, so I have to believe the personnel issue in play tonight can’t be a good thing for the Steelers offense.
As for the number on this game, to the surprise of nobody, the bets have poured in on the Over and price has gone up. Given the pace of play we’re now familiar with as far as the Eagles go, I can’t say I’ll be shocked if this turns into another fireworks show with points galore. But after digesting the available information, I now believe there’s value to be had with the Under, and that’s the way I’ll play this game tonight.
Jim Feist
Comp MLB Pick for Thursday, August 21, 2014: 10:10 PM EST
(957) SAN DIEGO PADRES VS (958) LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Take: (957) SAN DIEGO PADRES
Your free pick for Thursday, August 21st, 2014, comes in baseball as San Diego and the Dodgers meet at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. LA has pitching depth problems and scheduled starter Zack Greinke is 0-3 his last three starts despite being favored. There is concern with him due to elbow tenderness. Greinke mentioned some elbow soreness after his last road start, in Milwaukee on Aug. 9. He started Friday against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium, walking five in his five innings and needing 99 pitches. The Dodgers' rotation -- with the best numbers in the National League -- is suddenly looking thin. The Dodgers already have starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu (strained buttock), Josh Beckett (hip impingement) and Paul Maholm (knee surgery) on the disabled list. The Dodgers already have recent acquisitions Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia in the rotation. Still, the Dodgers lead the Giants by 4 1/2 games in the National League West, so there is less urgency to win every game than normally would be the case, plus LA is roughly a .500 road team -- they've played their best baseball on the road. The Dodgers are 1-6 in their last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter and face righty Tyson Ross (11-11, 2.70 ERA). Ross is having a strong season allowing 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0 and 2 runs his last 10 starts. Ross has nearly struck out a hitter per inning. The Padres are 5-1 in Ross' last 6 starts, while the Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 home games. Play the Padres!
Comp MLB Pick for Thursday, August 21, 2014: 10:10 PM EST
(957) SAN DIEGO PADRES VS (958) LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Take: (957) SAN DIEGO PADRES
Your free pick for Thursday, August 21st, 2014, comes in baseball as San Diego and the Dodgers meet at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. LA has pitching depth problems and scheduled starter Zack Greinke is 0-3 his last three starts despite being favored. There is concern with him due to elbow tenderness. Greinke mentioned some elbow soreness after his last road start, in Milwaukee on Aug. 9. He started Friday against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium, walking five in his five innings and needing 99 pitches. The Dodgers' rotation -- with the best numbers in the National League -- is suddenly looking thin. The Dodgers already have starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu (strained buttock), Josh Beckett (hip impingement) and Paul Maholm (knee surgery) on the disabled list. The Dodgers already have recent acquisitions Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia in the rotation. Still, the Dodgers lead the Giants by 4 1/2 games in the National League West, so there is less urgency to win every game than normally would be the case, plus LA is roughly a .500 road team -- they've played their best baseball on the road. The Dodgers are 1-6 in their last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter and face righty Tyson Ross (11-11, 2.70 ERA). Ross is having a strong season allowing 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0 and 2 runs his last 10 starts. Ross has nearly struck out a hitter per inning. The Padres are 5-1 in Ross' last 6 starts, while the Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 home games. Play the Padres!
Art Aronson
Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins
1* Bonus Play on the “under” between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins.
With two hot hurlers going head to head in this one, I look for this total to sneak below the posted number. The visiting Indians will start the red hot Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.41 ERA) who has allowed a combined three runs over his last five outings. Kluber has two complete games over that stretch as well. The Twins meanwhile will turn the ball over to Phil Hughes (13-8, 3.76) who has been their most consistent starter all season, the right-hander has given up one run or less while going at least six innings in his last three outings. Note that Hughes is 3-1 with a solid 2.61 ERA lifetime against the Indians. And note that eight of the last nine Indians’ games have seen the lower number fall and that includes yesterday’s 5-0 win over the Twins. These starting pitchers have been downright dominant of late as demonstrated by their recent strikeout to walk ratios: Hughes has totaled 22 strikeouts with two walks over 20 1/3 innings while Kluber has 89 Ks to just 12 walks in his last 12 starts. Consider the UNDER.
AAA Sports
Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins
1* Bonus Play on the “under” between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins.
With two hot hurlers going head to head in this one, I look for this total to sneak below the posted number. The visiting Indians will start the red hot Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.41 ERA) who has allowed a combined three runs over his last five outings. Kluber has two complete games over that stretch as well. The Twins meanwhile will turn the ball over to Phil Hughes (13-8, 3.76) who has been their most consistent starter all season, the right-hander has given up one run or less while going at least six innings in his last three outings. Note that Hughes is 3-1 with a solid 2.61 ERA lifetime against the Indians. And note that eight of the last nine Indians’ games have seen the lower number fall and that includes yesterday’s 5-0 win over the Twins. These starting pitchers have been downright dominant of late as demonstrated by their recent strikeout to walk ratios: Hughes has totaled 22 strikeouts with two walks over 20 1/3 innings while Kluber has 89 Ks to just 12 walks in his last 12 starts. Consider the UNDER.
AAA Sports
Jimmy Adams
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Bonus Play UNDER
The best pitcher on the planet takes the mound as the Dodgers close out their 3 game set with the Padres. Clayton Kershaw will start Thursday in place of Zack Greinke, who had his start pushed back in order to get some extra rest. Kershaw, who owns an outstanding 1.86 ERA, will have no problem shutting down the Friars, as he threw a 3 hitter and struck out 11 the last time he faced them. Kershaw is also coming off of a rare loss vs. the Brewers. This will work to our advantage, as he will come in with some extra focus because losing 2 in a row just isn’t an option for this guy.
With as good as Kershaw has been, Tyson Ross is right behind him. Ross doesn’t get as much exposure as he’s due, mostly because he plays in a small market. He also throws for a team that won’t be playing this postseason, so it’s easy for many to overlook him. Plain and simple, this guy has been incredible for the Friars this season. Prior to his last start, Ross had allowed 2 ER or fewer in 10 consecutive starts. When he has his fastball command, this guy can be nearly unhittable.
The Dodgers may lead the NL West for the moment, but this team isn’t playing good baseball right now. They’ve lost 5 of 7 and there clearly is some dysfunction on offense right now. We all know about the Padres’ offensive woes, so with these two “Top notch” guys on the hill, expect a low scoring affair. Take the Dodgers-Padres UNDER
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Bonus Play UNDER
The best pitcher on the planet takes the mound as the Dodgers close out their 3 game set with the Padres. Clayton Kershaw will start Thursday in place of Zack Greinke, who had his start pushed back in order to get some extra rest. Kershaw, who owns an outstanding 1.86 ERA, will have no problem shutting down the Friars, as he threw a 3 hitter and struck out 11 the last time he faced them. Kershaw is also coming off of a rare loss vs. the Brewers. This will work to our advantage, as he will come in with some extra focus because losing 2 in a row just isn’t an option for this guy.
With as good as Kershaw has been, Tyson Ross is right behind him. Ross doesn’t get as much exposure as he’s due, mostly because he plays in a small market. He also throws for a team that won’t be playing this postseason, so it’s easy for many to overlook him. Plain and simple, this guy has been incredible for the Friars this season. Prior to his last start, Ross had allowed 2 ER or fewer in 10 consecutive starts. When he has his fastball command, this guy can be nearly unhittable.
The Dodgers may lead the NL West for the moment, but this team isn’t playing good baseball right now. They’ve lost 5 of 7 and there clearly is some dysfunction on offense right now. We all know about the Padres’ offensive woes, so with these two “Top notch” guys on the hill, expect a low scoring affair. Take the Dodgers-Padres UNDER
Red Dog Sports
WNBA SA Silver Stars vs. Minnesota Lynx
Free pick Over 158
All five meetings this year went over 158 points as we had 168, 166, 175, 166 and 160 points in their games. Minnesota is led by Maya Moore and won the 2013 WNBA title. Simeone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson are other scorers and the Silver Stars are led by Becky Hammon, Danielle Robinson and Adams.
WNBA SA Silver Stars vs. Minnesota Lynx
Free pick Over 158
All five meetings this year went over 158 points as we had 168, 166, 175, 166 and 160 points in their games. Minnesota is led by Maya Moore and won the 2013 WNBA title. Simeone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson are other scorers and the Silver Stars are led by Becky Hammon, Danielle Robinson and Adams.
Scott Spreitzer
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Bonus Play Boston Red Sox
We had the Angels last night and won despite Garrett Richard's injury suffered early in the contest. The Angel bullpen was then forced to work the final 7 1/3 innings. The pen has been worked pretty hard of late and the team may even be forced to call-up an arm from the farm on Thursday, simply for protection. As it is, Matt Shoemaker will take the mound. He'll likely be asked to eat-up a lot of innings tonight, whether he's mowing batters down or giving up runs. The righty is not only not used to throwing a lot of innings, but he's also been pretty bad on the road in most cases. Rubby De La Rosa made three straight strong outings before getting roughed-up last time out. But I expect a bounce-back in this one, just like he did the last time he was off a tough loss. De La Rosa had little trouble with the Angel lineup on August 10 and I expect another decent outing tonight. But the main reason for this suggested play is the bullpen situation for the Halos and Shoemaker's situation mentioned above. I'm recommending a play on the Red Sox on Thursday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Bonus Play Boston Red Sox
We had the Angels last night and won despite Garrett Richard's injury suffered early in the contest. The Angel bullpen was then forced to work the final 7 1/3 innings. The pen has been worked pretty hard of late and the team may even be forced to call-up an arm from the farm on Thursday, simply for protection. As it is, Matt Shoemaker will take the mound. He'll likely be asked to eat-up a lot of innings tonight, whether he's mowing batters down or giving up runs. The righty is not only not used to throwing a lot of innings, but he's also been pretty bad on the road in most cases. Rubby De La Rosa made three straight strong outings before getting roughed-up last time out. But I expect a bounce-back in this one, just like he did the last time he was off a tough loss. De La Rosa had little trouble with the Angel lineup on August 10 and I expect another decent outing tonight. But the main reason for this suggested play is the bullpen situation for the Halos and Shoemaker's situation mentioned above. I'm recommending a play on the Red Sox on Thursday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.
Hollywood Sports
NFLX Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles 7:30PM
Bonus Play Over
Reason: Take the Over in the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the most reliable metrics in analyzing NFL preseason games is to look to empirical data regarding team trends under the team's head coach. NFL coaches often have divergent goals in exhibition games. Philadelphia (0-2) has played 5 of their 6 preseason games under the leadership of head coach Chip Kelly -- including all 4 of their encounters with AFC opponents. Of course, the quick-snap fast pace of the Kelly offense helps games go Over given more offensive plays from scrimmage -- and Kelly does not take the brakes off with the backup offenses since they need to learn his unique system.
Pittsburgh (1-1) will likely embrace this fast pace completely with this "dress rehearsal" game offering Ben Roethlisberger the opportunity to work on their no-huddle offense in a hostile environment. The number is at 50 for a reason -- take the Over. Best of luck -- Frank.
NFLX Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles 7:30PM
Bonus Play Over
Reason: Take the Over in the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the most reliable metrics in analyzing NFL preseason games is to look to empirical data regarding team trends under the team's head coach. NFL coaches often have divergent goals in exhibition games. Philadelphia (0-2) has played 5 of their 6 preseason games under the leadership of head coach Chip Kelly -- including all 4 of their encounters with AFC opponents. Of course, the quick-snap fast pace of the Kelly offense helps games go Over given more offensive plays from scrimmage -- and Kelly does not take the brakes off with the backup offenses since they need to learn his unique system.
Pittsburgh (1-1) will likely embrace this fast pace completely with this "dress rehearsal" game offering Ben Roethlisberger the opportunity to work on their no-huddle offense in a hostile environment. The number is at 50 for a reason -- take the Over. Best of luck -- Frank.
Golfers to Bet - The Barclays
Tournament: 2014 The Barclays
Date: Aug. 21-24
Venue: Ridgewood Country Club
Location: Paramus, New Jersey
The Barclays is the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs in which the top 125 players in the standings meet up in a high stakes competition where points are multiplied by five. A strong showing here can vault someone lower in the standings to future playoff tourneys. This event will be played at Ridgewood Country Club (a par-71, 7,319-yard course) in Paramus, NJ, for the third time in the past seven years. The past two events both went into a playoff as Vijay Singh (2008) and Matt Kuchar (2010) came away the victors, while Adam Scott won this event last year in Jersey City.
Rory McIlroy has been a dominant force of late, winning each of the past three tournaments he’s played (British Open, Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship), all of which were against top fields, and he will certainly be the man to beat heading into this week. Let’s take a look at a few players who could come out ahead at The Barclays.
Rory McIlroy: McIlroy has been on a historic run lately and has looked unbeatable against the best players in the world. He has ice in his veins when it comes to the end of tourneys and has placed in the top-10 in nine of his 13 PGA Tour events. He is massive off the tee (310.7 yards per, 3rd on tour) and has hit 68.9% of greens in regulation (9th on tour) leading to the second-best scoring average (68.87). McIlroy is playing much better than anyone else out there and it will be tough to stop this one-man wrecking ball at any point in the near future.
Adam Scott: McIlroy may have passed Scott for the No. 1 ranking the world, but it was more because of the dominance of the aforementioned Irishman than his own play. Scott has not placed worse than 15th in any of his past six tournaments, with five of them ending in a single-digit finish. Scott has been the best player on tour on par-5’s, scoring a birdie or better 56.1% of the time due to his solid putting (.522 strokes gained putting, 12th on tour) and has not missed a cut in 39 straight events. Scott will undoubtedly be competitive this week and is a solid bet to take the trophy home again.
Sergio Garcia: Garcia has been at the top of his game this year and somehow has not grabbed a win despite finishing in the top-3 five times over his 13 PGA Tour events. He sandwiched three straight runner-up performances between poor starts at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship while being the most consistent player with the best scoring average (68.86) and fourth-most greens hit in regulation (69.9%). Garcia has not won since the summer of 2012, but he clearly is among the best in the field and should make some noise come Sunday.
Jimmy Walker: Walker started the year out with a flurry of victories, coming away victorious in three of the first 13 events. He was the leader in the FedEx Cup standings up until this recent run by McIlroy, and maintained that lead due to finishing in the top-10 in four of his past seven events; including placing seventh last week at the PGA Championship and ninth at the U.S. Open. Walker is one of the best putters (.712 strokes gained, 7th on tour) and that should vault him to the top of the leaderboard this week.
Kevin Chappell: Chappell has not played many high stakes tournaments in his career, competing in just six majors over the past four years, but he has done well with a 13th-place finish last week at the PGA Championship and has finished in the top-10 two other times. He has a solid combination of both yards off the tee (295.6, 44th on tour) and accuracy (65.2%, 37th on tour) while hitting 67.8% of greens in regulation (28th on tour). Chappell is a long shot against such a strong field, but is certainly a player to keep an eye on.
The Barclays Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy 15/4
Adam Scott 12/1
Henrik Stenson 15/1
Sergio Garcia 17/1
Rickie Fowler 18/1
Justin Rose 19/1
Phil Mickelson 20/1
Jim Furyk 25/1
Brandt Snedeker 30/1
Jason Day 30/1
Matt Kuchar 30/1
Bubba Watson 40/1
Charl Schwartzel 40/1
Graeme McDowell 40/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Jordan Spieth 40/1
Keegan Bradley 40/1
Bill Haas 50/1
Graham Delaet 55/1
Jimmy Walker 55/1
Lee Westwood 55/1
Nick Watney 55/1
Webb Simpson 55/1
Ryan Moore 60/1
Kevin Streelman 70/1
Louis Oosthuizen 70/1
Patrick Reed 70/1
Hideki Matsuyama 80/1
Martin Kaymer 80/1
Zach Johnson 80/1
Camilo Villegas 90/1
Paul Casey 100/1
Luke Donald 110/1
Marc Leishman 110/1
Ryan Palmer 110/1
Harris English 120/1
Ian Poulter 120/1
Kevin Chappell 120/1
Ernie Els 130/1
Freddie Jacobson 150/1
Gary Woodland 150/1
Kevin Stadler 160/1
Geoff Ogilvy 170/1
Angel Cabrera 180/1
Billy Horschel 180/1
Brendon Todd 180/1
Charles Howell III 190/1
Kevin Na 220/1
Aaron Baddeley 250/1
Andres Romero 250/1
Andrew Svoboda 250/1
Ben Crane 250/1
Ben Martin 250/1
Billy Hurley III 250/1
Bo Van Pelt 250/1
Boo Weekley 250/1
Brendan Steele 250/1
Brendon De Jonge 250/1
Brian Davis 250/1
Brian Harman 250/1
Brian Stuard 250/1
Brice Garnett 250/1
Bryce Molder 250/1
Cameron Tringale 250/1
Carl Pettersson 250/1
Charley Hoffman 250/1
Chris Kirk 250/1
Chris Stroud 250/1
Daniel Summerhays 250/1
David Hearn 250/1
David Toms 250/1
Erik Compton 250/1
George McNeill 250/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 250/1
J.B. Holmes 250/1
Jason Bohn 250/1
Jason Kokrak 250/1
Jeff Overton 250/1
Jerry Kelly 250/1
Jhonattan Vegas 250/1
John Huh 250/1
John Senden 250/1
Jonas Blixt 250/1
Justin Hicks 250/1
K.J. Choi 250/1
Kevin Kisner 250/1
Luke Guthrie 250/1
Martin Flores 250/1
Matt Every 250/1
Matt Jones 250/1
Michael Putnam 250/1
Michael Thompson 250/1
Morgan Hoffmann 250/1
Nicholas Thompson 250/1
Pat Perez 250/1
Retief Goosen 250/1
Ricky Barnes 250/1
Robert Allenby 250/1
Robert Garrigus 250/1
Robert Streb 250/1
Rory Sabbatini 250/1
Russell Henley 250/1
Russell Knox 250/1
Ryo Ishikawa 250/1
Scott Brown 250/1
Scott Langley 250/1
Scott Stallings 250/1
Seung-Yul Noh 250/1
Shawn Stefani 250/1
Steven Bowditch 250/1
Stewart Cink 250/1
Stuart Appleby 250/1
Tim Clark 250/1
Vijay Singh 250/1
Will MacKenzie 250/1
William McGirt 250/1
Tournament: 2014 The Barclays
Date: Aug. 21-24
Venue: Ridgewood Country Club
Location: Paramus, New Jersey
The Barclays is the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs in which the top 125 players in the standings meet up in a high stakes competition where points are multiplied by five. A strong showing here can vault someone lower in the standings to future playoff tourneys. This event will be played at Ridgewood Country Club (a par-71, 7,319-yard course) in Paramus, NJ, for the third time in the past seven years. The past two events both went into a playoff as Vijay Singh (2008) and Matt Kuchar (2010) came away the victors, while Adam Scott won this event last year in Jersey City.
Rory McIlroy has been a dominant force of late, winning each of the past three tournaments he’s played (British Open, Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship), all of which were against top fields, and he will certainly be the man to beat heading into this week. Let’s take a look at a few players who could come out ahead at The Barclays.
Rory McIlroy: McIlroy has been on a historic run lately and has looked unbeatable against the best players in the world. He has ice in his veins when it comes to the end of tourneys and has placed in the top-10 in nine of his 13 PGA Tour events. He is massive off the tee (310.7 yards per, 3rd on tour) and has hit 68.9% of greens in regulation (9th on tour) leading to the second-best scoring average (68.87). McIlroy is playing much better than anyone else out there and it will be tough to stop this one-man wrecking ball at any point in the near future.
Adam Scott: McIlroy may have passed Scott for the No. 1 ranking the world, but it was more because of the dominance of the aforementioned Irishman than his own play. Scott has not placed worse than 15th in any of his past six tournaments, with five of them ending in a single-digit finish. Scott has been the best player on tour on par-5’s, scoring a birdie or better 56.1% of the time due to his solid putting (.522 strokes gained putting, 12th on tour) and has not missed a cut in 39 straight events. Scott will undoubtedly be competitive this week and is a solid bet to take the trophy home again.
Sergio Garcia: Garcia has been at the top of his game this year and somehow has not grabbed a win despite finishing in the top-3 five times over his 13 PGA Tour events. He sandwiched three straight runner-up performances between poor starts at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship while being the most consistent player with the best scoring average (68.86) and fourth-most greens hit in regulation (69.9%). Garcia has not won since the summer of 2012, but he clearly is among the best in the field and should make some noise come Sunday.
Jimmy Walker: Walker started the year out with a flurry of victories, coming away victorious in three of the first 13 events. He was the leader in the FedEx Cup standings up until this recent run by McIlroy, and maintained that lead due to finishing in the top-10 in four of his past seven events; including placing seventh last week at the PGA Championship and ninth at the U.S. Open. Walker is one of the best putters (.712 strokes gained, 7th on tour) and that should vault him to the top of the leaderboard this week.
Kevin Chappell: Chappell has not played many high stakes tournaments in his career, competing in just six majors over the past four years, but he has done well with a 13th-place finish last week at the PGA Championship and has finished in the top-10 two other times. He has a solid combination of both yards off the tee (295.6, 44th on tour) and accuracy (65.2%, 37th on tour) while hitting 67.8% of greens in regulation (28th on tour). Chappell is a long shot against such a strong field, but is certainly a player to keep an eye on.
The Barclays Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy 15/4
Adam Scott 12/1
Henrik Stenson 15/1
Sergio Garcia 17/1
Rickie Fowler 18/1
Justin Rose 19/1
Phil Mickelson 20/1
Jim Furyk 25/1
Brandt Snedeker 30/1
Jason Day 30/1
Matt Kuchar 30/1
Bubba Watson 40/1
Charl Schwartzel 40/1
Graeme McDowell 40/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Jordan Spieth 40/1
Keegan Bradley 40/1
Bill Haas 50/1
Graham Delaet 55/1
Jimmy Walker 55/1
Lee Westwood 55/1
Nick Watney 55/1
Webb Simpson 55/1
Ryan Moore 60/1
Kevin Streelman 70/1
Louis Oosthuizen 70/1
Patrick Reed 70/1
Hideki Matsuyama 80/1
Martin Kaymer 80/1
Zach Johnson 80/1
Camilo Villegas 90/1
Paul Casey 100/1
Luke Donald 110/1
Marc Leishman 110/1
Ryan Palmer 110/1
Harris English 120/1
Ian Poulter 120/1
Kevin Chappell 120/1
Ernie Els 130/1
Freddie Jacobson 150/1
Gary Woodland 150/1
Kevin Stadler 160/1
Geoff Ogilvy 170/1
Angel Cabrera 180/1
Billy Horschel 180/1
Brendon Todd 180/1
Charles Howell III 190/1
Kevin Na 220/1
Aaron Baddeley 250/1
Andres Romero 250/1
Andrew Svoboda 250/1
Ben Crane 250/1
Ben Martin 250/1
Billy Hurley III 250/1
Bo Van Pelt 250/1
Boo Weekley 250/1
Brendan Steele 250/1
Brendon De Jonge 250/1
Brian Davis 250/1
Brian Harman 250/1
Brian Stuard 250/1
Brice Garnett 250/1
Bryce Molder 250/1
Cameron Tringale 250/1
Carl Pettersson 250/1
Charley Hoffman 250/1
Chris Kirk 250/1
Chris Stroud 250/1
Daniel Summerhays 250/1
David Hearn 250/1
David Toms 250/1
Erik Compton 250/1
George McNeill 250/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 250/1
J.B. Holmes 250/1
Jason Bohn 250/1
Jason Kokrak 250/1
Jeff Overton 250/1
Jerry Kelly 250/1
Jhonattan Vegas 250/1
John Huh 250/1
John Senden 250/1
Jonas Blixt 250/1
Justin Hicks 250/1
K.J. Choi 250/1
Kevin Kisner 250/1
Luke Guthrie 250/1
Martin Flores 250/1
Matt Every 250/1
Matt Jones 250/1
Michael Putnam 250/1
Michael Thompson 250/1
Morgan Hoffmann 250/1
Nicholas Thompson 250/1
Pat Perez 250/1
Retief Goosen 250/1
Ricky Barnes 250/1
Robert Allenby 250/1
Robert Garrigus 250/1
Robert Streb 250/1
Rory Sabbatini 250/1
Russell Henley 250/1
Russell Knox 250/1
Ryo Ishikawa 250/1
Scott Brown 250/1
Scott Langley 250/1
Scott Stallings 250/1
Seung-Yul Noh 250/1
Shawn Stefani 250/1
Steven Bowditch 250/1
Stewart Cink 250/1
Stuart Appleby 250/1
Tim Clark 250/1
Vijay Singh 250/1
Will MacKenzie 250/1
William McGirt 250/1
How about another section of services you can't post:
1) Advertise with the Rx - do not post
2) KNOWN SCAMMERS
We can start with the Italian King. This guy talks like he's Mr. Las Vegas. No real name, face or pics. He has a nice marketing concept but he's a scammer. Talks big but after a little research he's blocking followers on twitter and has now protected his tweets so no one can see his tweets (twitter audit shows he really has no followers). Turns out he really has no subscribers except for the few that fell for his 16-2 record BEFORE the advertising emails went out. Heard one guy who subscribed to his service got burned so bad that he quit gambling after one day! This guy makes Mike Warren look like an amateur.
1) Advertise with the Rx - do not post
2) KNOWN SCAMMERS
We can start with the Italian King. This guy talks like he's Mr. Las Vegas. No real name, face or pics. He has a nice marketing concept but he's a scammer. Talks big but after a little research he's blocking followers on twitter and has now protected his tweets so no one can see his tweets (twitter audit shows he really has no followers). Turns out he really has no subscribers except for the few that fell for his 16-2 record BEFORE the advertising emails went out. Heard one guy who subscribed to his service got burned so bad that he quit gambling after one day! This guy makes Mike Warren look like an amateur.
MLB
Thursday, August 21
Trend Report
1:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 8 games when playing Houston
1:10 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
1:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
4:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona
7:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing Boston
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing LA Angels
7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. CINCINNATI
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
8:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 8 games at home
Chi Cubs are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against San Francisco
10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games at home
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
Thursday, August 21
Trend Report
1:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 8 games when playing Houston
1:10 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
1:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
4:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona
7:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing Boston
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing LA Angels
7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. CINCINNATI
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
8:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 8 games at home
Chi Cubs are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against San Francisco
10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games at home
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
