Thursday 9/17/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (91-54) at Brewers (62-83)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 17, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

In a season that's seen a number of unlikely names give the St. Louis Cardinals' offense a boost, Tommy Pham is the latest to provide one.

Pham looks to continue his recent tear at the plate as the Cardinals try to expand their lead in the NL Central by winning a fourth straight game Thursday night and sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers.

St. Louis (91-54) dropped eight of 10 as its lead in the division was briefly reduced to two games over second-place Pittsburgh. However, a pair of Pirates losses and two Cardinals wins have St. Louis' lead up to four with 17 to play.

Pham has been key to the recent turnaround, going 4 for 7 with three homers, six RBIs and three runs in his last two games. The 27-year-old rookie outfielder hit a pair of two-run shots and added a triple in Wednesday's 5-4 win at Milwaukee.

He's batting .308 in 24 games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis after Randal Grichuk went on the disabled list last month. Pham had a .182 average in 13 games during his first stint with St. Louis this year.

"We're real happy we're able to put a young player in and watch him make the adjustments," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website. "He's been doing some work trying to figure out some holes and figure out the league. He has obvious power. He's just an exciting player."

Matheny hands the ball to John Lackey (11-9, 2.89 ERA) for the finale. He's completed at least six innings in 17 straight starts, going 7-5 with a 2.36 ERA.

He's finished at least seven in three of his last four after matching his season high of 10 strikeouts while yielding two runs in seven innings and not getting a decision in a 4-2 loss at Cincinnati on Friday.

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 3.95 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers, going 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three this year.

The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 13 matchups with Milwaukee (62-83) and eight of the past 10 at Miller Park.

They have a good chance of continuing that success against Jimmy Nelson (11-12, 3.95) and sending the Brewers to a sixth straight defeat.

Nelson is 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA in five career games - four starts - against St. Louis. He gave up four runs with eight strikeouts in seven innings of a 5-4 home win Aug. 9.

That effort is part of the right-hander's recent strong stretch at home, where he's 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA over his last seven starts. He's lost three straight on the road behind a 9.45 ERA, including his two most recent outings.

"My (bullpen sessions) between starts are great. Delivery's great between starts," Nelson told MLB's official website. "All the work I put in is great. Just got to transfer it to the field."

Milwaukee is hoping to have Ryan Braun available after he sat out Wednesday with tightness in his lower back. His 25 homers and 84 RBIs lead the team, and he's batting .350 with three homers while plating 11 runs in his last 11 home games.

"I'm definitely hopeful that he plays (Thursday)," manager Craig Counsell said. "It was a little tight (Tuesday), worse (Wednesday)."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Zito returns to majors with A's
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Veteran left-hander Barry Zito is back in the big leagues. The 37-year-old pitcher was recalled Wednesday by the Oakland Athletics from Triple-A Nashville after pitcher Jesse Chavez suffered a season-ending rib injury.

The A's also recalled Cody Martin from Nashville and put Chavez on the 60-day disabled list.

A former Cy Young Award winner, Zito last pitched in the majors in 2013 with the San Francisco Giants. Zito posted a 102-63 record with a 3.53 ERA in his first stint with the A's from 2000 to 2006. Before the 2007 season, he signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Giants. But the three-time All-Star struggled with San Francisco, never winning more than 15 games in a season and leading the National League in losses in 2008.

Zito did not pitch in 2014. He attempted to make a comeback this year in spring training with the A's but did not land a spot on their roster and was sent to Nashville. In 22 games this year in Triple-A, Zito posted an 8-7 record and a 3.46 ERA in 138 innings.

Zito will work strictly out of the bullpen during the final weeks of the season, A's assistant general manager David Frost said.

---San Diego Padres pitcher Josh Johnson has elected to undergo Tommy John elbow surgery for the third time as he attempts to salvage his career.

The decision was made after Johnson suffered a recent setback and was shut down for the season. The right-hander hasn't pitched in a major-league game since 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Johnson, 31, underwent his first Tommy John surgery in 2007 and again underwent the procedure in 2013.

Johnson has a 58-45 career record and is a two-time All-Star with the Marlins.

---Boston Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly will not pitch for the remainder of the season because of tightness in his throwing shoulder.

Kelly was removed from Tuesday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning after experiencing stiffness. He was sent back to Boston to have the shoulder examined.

Until the no-decision on Tuesday, Kelly had won eight straight starts and hiked his record to 10-6 with a 4.82 ERA in 25 games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Under bets trending in Reyburn's games
Andrew Avery

The Under has gone 5-0 in the last five ball games when umpire D.J. Reyburn is tasked with working home plate. That's exactly where he is slated to work in the Windy City when the Oakland A's visit the Chicago White Sox Thursday afternoon.

Over the course of those five games, there has been an average of 4.2 runs scored per game.

Reyburn has worked home plate in two of the White Sox' home games this season and the Under has cashed in both (May 10 versus Cincinnati, Aug. 16 versus the Chicago Cubs).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pirates' Morton getting it done at PNC Park
Andrew Avery

Pittsburgh Pirates righty Charlie Morton has been formidable in his home starts of late and bettors will get another chance to capitalize as he's expected to take the bump in the finale of a four-game set versus the Chicago Cubs Thursday afternoon.

Morton is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 home starts this season and the Buccos have gone 8-2 in those starts.

Thursday's start will be his first versus the Cubbies this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, September 17, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

It's the time of year where you shouldn't just be paying attention to the good teams in the standings -- i.e. the AL East and West races and AL wild-card chase, etc. (not much drama in NL) -- but also what the worst teams are doing in an effort to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. There are no projected superstars in that draft like a Bryce Harper or Kris Bryant, but it's reportedly a deep Top 10 group of guys. Entering Wednesday, the Phillies have a 1.5-game "lead" over Atlanta for the worst mark in the majors, and it's going to come down to one of those two teams. The Phils need all the help they can get, but the Braves are going to be quite good likely as soon as 2017 when they move into their new stadium with a ton of young pitching prospects. Also, you want to finish with one of the 10 worst records so you don't have to give up your first-round pick if you sign a top free agent.


Cubs at Pirates (-132, 8)

This very early start (12:35 p.m. ET) will have live betting at sportsbooks as it's nationally televised by the MLB Network. And it could be a huge one for the Cubs if they can win Wednesday night's game. If that's the case, then a win here could get Chicago within two games for that top wild-card spot. But if the Pirates win Wednesday and here, you can pretty much lock the Cubs into that second spot. It's Kyle Hendricks (7-6, 4.08) for the Cubs. You can all but mark him down for at least three earned allowed and no more than six innings. He is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in three starts this year vs. Pittsburgh. Pedro Alvarez is 3-for-8 with a homer off him. It's Charlie Morton (9-7, 4.02) for the Cubs. Morton comes off a win over Milwaukee, allowing two runs over six innings. He hasn't faced the Cubs this year.

Key trends: The Cubs are 5-1 in Hendricks' past six with five days of rest. They are 7-2 in Hendricks' past nine. The Pirates are 1-7 in Morton's past eight on Thursday. The "over/under" is 8-2 in Hendricks' past 10 road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 4-1 in Morton's past five. The over is 3-0-1 in his past four vs. the Cubs.

Early lean: Pirates and over.


Royals at Indians (-151, 7)

Cleveland gets back 2014 Cy Young winner Corey Kluber here as it tries to make a late, unlikely push to the second wild-card spot. Kluber (8-13, 3.41) hasn't pitched since Aug. 29 due to a hamstring injury but still is among the league leaders in innings, strikeouts and complete games. Kluber is 1-3 with a 4.34 ERA in four starts this year against Kansas City. Mike Moustakas hits .457 off him with a homer in 35 at-bats. Eric Hosmer is 10-for-37 with five doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs vs. Kluber. Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (11-8, 4.42) hasn't been sharp in his past two, allowing four earned in each and not lasting six innings. He is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in one start vs. the Tribe in 2015. Jason Kipnis is 4-for-18 with a homer off him. Carlos Santana has two blasts in 15 at-bats.

Key trends: The Royals are 6-1 in Ventura's past seven overall. The Indians are 4-1 in Kluber's past five at home vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 7-3 in Kluber's past 10 at home. The over is 4-0 in Ventura's past four vs. Cleveland.

Early lean: Indians and under.


Blue Jays at Braves (+203, 8.5)

This will be Toronto's final game outside the AL East the rest of the regular season. The Jays also start a nine-game homestand on Friday vs. Boston, so it might be easy to overlook a bad Braves team a bit. Marco Estrada (12-8, 3.31) gets the call here for the Jays. They have won his past three, but he has been homer-prone of late, allowing 10 of them over his past six outings. Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons is 3-for-4 with a triple off him. Cameron Maybin is 2-for-4 with a homer. The Braves' Matt Wisler (5-7, 5.60), one of those good young pitchers, had been temporarily relegated to the bullpen but was good in a start vs. the Mets last time out, allowing two runs in six innings. He has never faced the Jays, who are again without the DH.

Key trends: The Jays are 7-3 in Estrada's past 10 on the road. The Braves are 0-6 in Wisler's past six starts. The over is 6-2 in Wisler's past eight.

Early lean: Blue Jays and over.


Astros at Rangers (+102, 9)

Finale of this huge series; Texas, unbelievably, took over first place in the AL West with Tuesday's win. The Rangers start Colby Lewis (15-8, 4.45) here. Lewis comes off one of the best starts of his career, retiring the first 21 batters vs. Oakland and finishing with a complete-game two-hit shutout without a walk. Interesting because Lewis had been pretty terrible in his previous three starts. Lewis is 3-0 with a 4.40 ERA in four starts this year against Houston. Carlos Correa is 2-for-6 with two homers off him. Jed Lowrie is a career .348 hitter against him. Houston rookie Lance McCullers (5-5, 3.10) hasn't won since July 29. He is 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA in his past five outings.

Key trends: The Astros are 0-8 in McCullers' past eight on road. Texas is 7-1 in Lewis' past eight vs. Houston. The over is 4-0 in his past four against the Astros.

Early lean: Rangers and over.


Angels at Twins (-108, 8.5)

Huge, huge series begins here between AL wild-card contenders. The Twins could put a nail in the Angels' coffin with a four-game sweep, although I don't expect that. I don't think the Angels can afford anything worse than a split, and even that would be quite damaging. Lefty Hector Santiago (8-9, 3.21) gets the call for Los Angeles. The Angels have won his past two, and Santiago has allowed just two combined earned runs over 13 innings. Santiago hasn't faced the Twins this year. Aaron Hicks is 2-for-5 with two homers off Santiago. Twins lefty Tommy Milone (8-5, 3.73) was bombed last time out, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings at the White Sox. He hasn't faced the Angels in 2015. Erick Aybar is 9-for-24 off him. Albert Pujols is 9-for-22 with seven doubles.

Key trends: The Angels are 1-7 in their past eight vs. lefties. The Twins are 7-1 in their past eight series openers. They are 5-2 in Milone's past seven at home. The over is 6-0 in Minnesota's past six on Thursday. The Angels are 9-1 in the past 10 meetings.

Early lean: Angels and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's six-pack

Some NFL trends to ponder with Week 2 approaching........

-- Under is 19-3-2 in Chiefs' last 24 home openers.

-- Carolina is 1-9-1 vs spread as a favorite in home openers.

-- Saints won last seven games against Tampa Bay, with three of last four by 3 or less points or in OT.

-- Over last decade, team that lost the Thursday night season opener is 3-6-1 vs spread m its Week 2 game.

-- Patriots are 21-2 in last 23 games vs Buffalo, 7-1 last eight games vs Rex Ryan

-- Arizona is 13-3-1 under Arians in games where spread was 3 or less points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Thursday

ASTROS (McCullers) @ RANGERS (Lewis)

Take: ASTROS -107

This has not been a good week for the Houston Astros. They’ve lost their grip on the top spot in the AL West to the spring Rangers. Their ace, Dallas Keuchel, got lit up on Wednesday night in what was the biggest game of the season to date for the Astros. Houston is on the verge of getting swept in a four-game series and they now have to be looking over their collective shoulders as far as the wild card playoff entry is concerned.

Enter Lance McCullers. The hard-throwing rookie righty will take the mound tonight against Colby Lewis and asking a first-year big leaguer to step up and be the stopper is a pretty big request. But I think it’s a task McCullers is up for.

McCullers has been more than impressive for the most part. He’s really only had a couple of truly bad starts and a handful of his efforts have been spectacular. This is a kid with some legit swing and miss stuff and when he’s commanding his pitches, McCullers is one tough hombre.

Lewis is off one of the best starts of his career. The veteran Texas righty threw a complete game, two-hit shutout gem last time out. But the prior three starts for Lewis were not good, so I think there’s a decent chance he bounces some here.

The tough deal here is trying to figure out just how rattled the Astros are at this point. That’s guesswork. I prefer to focus on the actual data, and from that standpoint, I give McCullers a clear advantage over Lewis. No question Lewis has been a nice plus for the Rangers, and the fact he has 15 wins is very impressive. But he’s still a guy who is very hittable and Lewis is not a guy who racks up the swings and misses, which is generally what beats the Astros.

Houston will not be a popular side tonight. The Rangers are on a roll and the betting public is going to be on that side tonight, particularly with the line being where it is. I’ll go the other way and will back the Astros to snap out of their funk, at least for one night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play THURS Louisville + 5 1/2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

St. Louis -145

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Thursday, September 17 is:

Houston Astros (McCullers) and Texas Rangers (Lewis) 'under' 9 runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB MONEYLINE

MLB > (907) OAKLAND@ (908) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-09-17 14:10:00 - 2015-09-17 14:10:00
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using money line in September games
The record is 14 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.6 units)

MLB > (901) CHICAGO CUBS@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-09-17 12:35:00 - 2015-09-17 12:35:00
Play ON PITTSBURGH using money line in day games
The record is 17 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+13.65 units)

MLB > (909) KANSAS CITY@ (910) CLEVELAND | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using money line against right-handed starters
The record is 59 Wins and 33 Losses for the this season (+21.65 units)

MLB > (915) LA ANGELS@ (916) MINNESOTA | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Play ON MINNESOTA using money line in games played on a grass field
The record is 73 Wins and 64 Losses for the this season (+24.5 units)

MLB > (913) HOUSTON@ (914) TEXAS | 2015-09-17 20:05:00 - 2015-09-17 20:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using money line in games played on a grass field
The record is 74 Wins and 63 Losses for the this season (+25.47 units)

MLB > (917) TORONTO@ (918) ATLANTA | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in September games
The record is 11 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.5 units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB RUNLINE

MLB > (915) LA ANGELS@ (916) MINNESOTA | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Play AGAINST LA ANGELS when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 1 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-12.8 units)

MLB > (909) KANSAS CITY@ (910) CLEVELAND | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY when playing with a day off
The record is 29 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+25.7 units)

MLB > (917) TORONTO@ (918) ATLANTA | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 25 Wins and 38 Losses for the this season (-25.05 units)

MLB > (913) HOUSTON@ (914) TEXAS | 2015-09-17 20:05:00 - 2015-09-17 20:05:00
Play ON HOUSTON when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 78 Wins and 41 Losses for the last two seasons (+35.15 units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (907) OAKLAND@ (908) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-09-17 14:10:00 - 2015-09-17 14:10:00
Play OVER CHI WHITE SOX on the total when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 19 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+13.35 units)

MLB > (905) ST LOUIS@ (906) MILWAUKEE | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Play OVER MILWAUKEE on the total in September games
The record is 12 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+10.25 units)

MLB > (911) BALTIMORE@ (912) TAMPA BAY | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play UNDER BALTIMORE on the total against left-handed starters
The record is 26 Overs and 54 Unders for the last two seasons (+25.65 units)

MLB > (909) KANSAS CITY@ (910) CLEVELAND | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the total against right-handed starters
The record is 31 Overs and 15 Unders for the this season (+15.1 units)

MLB > (903) MIAMI@ (904) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-17 19:05:00 - 2015-09-17 19:05:00
Play OVER WASHINGTON on the total as a home favorite of -175 to -200
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.1 units)

MLB > (915) LA ANGELS@ (916) MINNESOTA | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Play OVER LA ANGELS on the total when playing with a day off
The record is 121 Overs and 65 Unders for the since 1992 (+52.15 units)

MLB > (917) TORONTO@ (918) ATLANTA | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the total in games played on a grass field

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB TOP POWERLINES

MLB > (901) CHICAGO CUBS @ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-09-17 12:35:00 - 2015-09-17 12:35:00
Line: CHICAGO CUBS BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS-113
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (2)

MLB > (907) OAKLAND @ (908) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-09-17 14:10:00 - 2015-09-17 14:10:00
Line: OAKLAND BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND-113
Edge On: OAKLAND (22)

MLB > (903) MIAMI @ (904) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-17 19:05:00 - 2015-09-17 19:05:00
Line: MIAMI BTB PowerLine: MIAMI-169
Edge On: MIAMI (21)

MLB > (917) TORONTO @ (918) ATLANTA | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Line: TORONTO BTB PowerLine: TORONTO313
Edge On: TORONTO (93)

MLB > (911) BALTIMORE @ (912) TAMPA BAY | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Line: BALTIMORE BTB PowerLine: BALTIMORE201
Edge On: BALTIMORE (91)

MLB > (909) KANSAS CITY @ (910) CLEVELAND | 2015-09-17 19:10:00 - 2015-09-17 19:10:00
Line: KANSAS CITY BTB PowerLine: KANSAS CITY-133
Edge On: KANSAS CITY (7)

MLB > (913) HOUSTON @ (914) TEXAS | 2015-09-17 20:05:00 - 2015-09-17 20:05:00
Line: HOUSTON BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON156
Edge On: HOUSTON (46)

MLB > (915) LA ANGELS @ (916) MINNESOTA | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Line: LA ANGELS BTB PowerLine: LA ANGELS-113
Edge On: LA ANGELS (2)

MLB > (905) ST LOUIS @ (906) MILWAUKEE | 2015-09-17 20:10:00 - 2015-09-17 20:10:00
Line: ST LOUIS BTB PowerLine: ST LOUIS142
Edge On: ST LOUIS (2)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, September 17


St. Louis @ Milwaukee

Game 905-906
September 17, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lackey) 15.967
Milwaukee
(Nelson) 12.535
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 3 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-150); Over

Oakland @ Chicago White Sox

Game 907-908
September 17, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Nolin) 13.401
Chicago White Sox
(Quintana) 15.862
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-160
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-160); Over

Kansas City @ Cleveland

Game 909-910
September 17, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Ventura) 16.932
Cleveland
(Kluber) 13.325
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-140
7
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(+120); Under

Baltimore @ Tampa Bay

Game 911-912
September 17, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Tillman) 16.221
Tampa Bay
(Moore) 14.730
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-110
8
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-110); Under

Houston @ Texas

Game 913-914
September 17, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McCullers) 17.098
Texas
(Lewis) 13.993
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3
10 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-110
9
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-110); Over

LA Angels @ Minnesota

Game 915-916
September 17, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Santiago) 16.395
Minnesota
(Milone) 14.831
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-105); Over

Toronto @ Atlanta

Game 917-918
September 17, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Estrada) 17.609
Atlanta
(Wisler) 14.158
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-220
8
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-220); Over

Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh

Game 901-902
September 17, 2015 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Hendricks) 17.515
Pittsburgh
(Morton) 14.684
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-140
8
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+120); Over

Miami @ Washington

Game 903-904
September 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Cosart) 15.059
Washington
(Roark) 14.199
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-200
8
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+170); Over

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Thursday, September 17

Trend Report

12:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games
Pittsburgh is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Oakland is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Chi White Sox are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
Kansas City is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 11 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cleveland's last 18 games at home

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. ATLANTA
Toronto is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Toronto is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing Toronto

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TAMPA BAY
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Milwaukee's last 25 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. MINNESOTA
LA Angels are 6-19 SU in their last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 17

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INDIANA (20 - 14) at CHICAGO (21 - 13) - 9/17/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 10-8 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 9-9 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TULSA (18 - 16) at PHOENIX (20 - 14) - 9/17/2015, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
PHOENIX is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a division game this season.
PHOENIX is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 8-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 10-3 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA

Thursday, September 17

Trend Report

8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. CHICAGO
Indiana is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Indiana is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

10:00 PM
TULSA vs. PHOENIX
Tulsa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Tulsa is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tulsa
Phoenix is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs at Pirates

GAME: Chicago Cubs (84-61) at Pittsburgh Pirates (87-58)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, September 17 - 12:35 PM EST
WHERE: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A


The National League wild-card race is going down to the wire, which is when the Chicago Cubs have been at their best. The Cubs are coming off their 22nd win in their last at-bat heading into the finale of their four-game series with the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.



Anthony Rizzo’s sacrifice fly in the 12th inning lifted the Cubs to a 3-2 victory Wednesday, pulling them within three games of Pittsburgh for the top wild-card spot. Chicago has taken two of the first three of the set and holds a 9-6 advantage in the season series as it sends Kyle Hendricks to the mound for the finale. Pittsburgh, which trails first-place St. Louis by four games in the NL Central, counters with Charlie Morton, who is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 home starts this season.

TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, MLBN, WGN (Chicago), ROOT (Pittsburgh)



PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (7-6, 4.08 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Charlie Morton (9-7, 4.02)

Hendricks matched last season’s win total with a victory at Philadelphia on Friday, allowing three runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings for his first win since Aug. 8. The 25-year-old has not strung together consecutive quality starts since a run of three straight from June 30-July 10. Hendricks is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in three meetings with the Pirates – all this season.

Morton snapped his three-start losing streak last time out, holding Milwaukee to two runs and three hits over six frames. It was the third straight quality start for the 31-year-old and fifth in his last six outings. Morton is 3-5 with a 4.71 ERA in 13 career starts against the Cubs, whom he has yet to face this season.



WALK-OFFS

1. The Cubs are 8-for-35 with runners in scoring position in the series while the Pirates are 3-for-20.

2. Pittsburgh is 74-1 when leading after eight innings and 0-47 when trailing through eight.

3. Seven of the 15 meetings this season have been one-run games, including all three in the current series.



PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Pirates 4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics at White Sox

GAME: Oakland Athletics (62-84) at Chicago White Sox (69-75)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, September 17 - 2:10 PM EST
WHERE: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Jose Abreu's eyes must light up when he sees the Oakland Athletics in the opposing dugout. After going 7-for-12 (.583) with two homers and seven RBIs in the first three contests of the series, Abreu looks to continue his torrid stretch when the host Chicago White Sox wrap up their four-game set with the Athletics on Thursday afternoon.

Abreu went deep in Chicago's 9-4 triumph on Wednesday to improve to 17-for-50 (.340) with four homers and 13 RBIs in his career versus Oakland, but the 28-year-old Cuban will receive his first look at Thursday starter Sean Nolin. Melky Cabrera added a two-run double and is 9-for-18 (.500) with seven RBIs and four runs scored in his last four games. While the White Sox have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Athletics, the latter has dropped five of seven overall to remain comfortably in the cellar of the American League West. Billy Butler belted a two-run homer on Wednesday but is just 5-for-27 (.185) with 11 strikeouts against Thursday starter Jose Quintana.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Nolin (1-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.53)

After falling short in his first start of the season, Nolin rebounded with a flourish on Saturday by allowing one run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-3 victory over Texas. The 25-year-old surrendered his first homer in 11 2/3 frames but has issued five walks against six strikeouts. Acquired in the deal that sent Josh Donaldson to Toronto, Nolin also permitted plenty of free passes (19 in 47 1/3 innings) during his short stint in Triple-A.

Quintana improved to 3-0 in his last five outings on Saturday after allowing two runs and four hits in six innings of an 8-2 triumph over Minnesota. The victory over the Twins improved the 26-year-old to just 2-5 at home this season. Quintana has struggled with his control by issuing three walks in two of his last three outings, but he has kept the ball in the park in five of his last six trips to the mound.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago CF Adam Eaton is 11-for-28 (.393) with a homer, four RBIs and six runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.

2. Oakland RF Jake Smolinski, who is from Rockford, Ill., has recorded two homers and three RBIs in this series.

3. The White Sox are 4-5 on their 10-game homestand.

PREDICTION: White Sox 5, Athletics 4