Saturday Service Plays 8/16/08

[the duke]

Comps

Arizona at HOUSTON (-105) Bobby Maxwell

We're on the diamond with a big winner coming on the Astros as they host the D'Backs.
Interesting to talk about these two teams and how Arizona is sitting in first place in their division and they are getting ready for a fight for the division crown, but there's no talk of the Astros as they are well out of it in the N.L. Central. But these guys have the same record!

Tonight we're playing the Astros even though they got beat bad on Friday. But that was against the D'Backs Brandon Webb and not tonight's starter Yusmeiro Petit (1-3, 3.12 ERA). Petit is 0-2 on the road and Arizona has lost three of his four starts this season and six of his last eight dating back to last season. Petit has only lasted five innings in each of his last three.

Brandon Backe (7-11, 5.14) goes for Houston and he was excellent on Monday at home against the Giants, allowing just a run on four hits in seven innings of a 3-1 victory. Other than a rough outing against the Cubs on Aug. 6, Backe has been solid his last seven starts, including a shutout at Washington.

Houston has gone 20-9 in their last 29 games overall and they are playing some good baseball. Look for the Astros to beat the D'Backs tonight and get us some cash.

4♦ HOUSTON



Indianapolis at ATLANTA (-3)

We will play the Falcons to get the job done at home against the Colts.

We all know it, the Colts and coach Tony Dungy just don't care about the preseason. They take things real easy during August and get their people healthy to be ready for the regular season. You'll see no Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders or six other starters tonight for Indianapolis. That's why we play the Falcons.

Atlanta lost 20-17 in Jacksonville last week but the Falcons got a pretty good performance from QB Matt Ryan who went 9-of-15 for 113 yards and a TD pass. While it is Joey Harrington starting at QB tonight, all eyes for Atlanta are on Ryan and don't be surprised when he gets the majority of first half snaps.

For the Colts, career backup Jim Sorgi starts and will give way to Jared Lorenzen and Quinn Gray.

The Falcons are looking for some consistency from the players behind Ryan and want to see if he can lead the team. We're betting he can. Play Atlanta at home tonight.

3♦ ATLANTA



Black Widow

MLB | Aug 16
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers

1* on Tampa Bay Rays -120
(List Jackson and Harrison)

Edwin Jackson will look to match Matt Garza?s brilliant start against the Rangers last night. Jackson is 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 3 career starts against Texas. Jackson is 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA on the road this year. He?s up against Matt Harrison, who owns a terrible 7.06 ERA this year. Harrison is no match for Jackson tonight. The Rays are 39-19 (+17.1 Units) against the money line after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games this season. Don?t be surprised if the Rays shut out the Rangers again tonight. Texas hasn?t scored a single run in 2 consecutive games now. Take Tampa Bay on the Money Line.

Larry Cook

MLB | Aug 16
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox

3* on Toronto Blue Jays +108
(Listing Halladay only)

Play On - Road underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (TORONTO) - with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.100 or better on the season-AL, with a hot starting pitcher- WHIP <= 1.100 over his last 10 games. This is a 40-17 ML System hitting 70.2% (+30.4 Units) since 1997. Roy Halladay is 13-9 with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.049 WHIP on the season. The Red Sox will struggle against Halladay after facing the wish-wash pitchers the Texas Rangers had to offer in their last series. Bet Toronto on the road.

 

[the duke]

Comps

Tony George

NFL | Aug 16
Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta -3 vs Indy

Look for QB Chris Redman to get the start this weekend against the Colts and plenty of playing time. We all know the Colts take the pre-season very lightly with Dungy as head coach,(0-2 this year) and with QB issues with Manning still out, a potential for no preseason looming for him, I doubt Sorgi will see much more than 4 or 5 series until the role at QB is turned over. Atlanta is trying to establish a winning attitude with numerous young players with depth at QB in terms of the preseason is better on the Falcons side of the ball, with Redman, top draft pick Matt Ryan and Joey Harrington, all vieing still for the job.



The Falcons had 23 first downs in their preseason opener against Jacksonville and threw for 228 yards, while allowing just 129 yards through the air on defense. The red zone numbers were 1 for 3 in missed opportunties, and they suffered a 3 point loss. I look for them at home to get it at home going against the 0-2, injury hampered Colts. Having 10 penalties for 80 yards and 4 turnovers had the Falcons coaching staff in a bad mood after a loss to Carolina, but that is somewhat expected in a week 1 preseason game with a new staff in place and lots of young players. This is also the Colts thrid straight road game, opening up in the Hall of Fame game on an nuetral site, which does play inot the mix here as a grueling camp has wound down and they take to the road again. I look for a supreme effort from Atlanta and QB Redman as well as Matt Ryan in this one, and with both potential starters in there, the first teamers for Atlanta will get more work.


Steve Janus

MLB | Aug 16
St Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds

St Louis Cardinals +105

We are going to revisit the Cardinals again on Saturday after a nice winner on Friday over the Reds. The same rules apply. The Cardinals are trying to run down the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Wildcard spot, and they are well within striking distance. The question is really who gets hot at the right time. The problem for the Cards is that the Brewers have been on a very good run of their own and have been able to keep St. Louis in second place. Situation-wise this game heavily favors the Cardinals since the Reds are somewhat lacking in motivation for the remainder of their season. St. Louis also holds a pretty strong statistical edge and they are coasting into Saturday's game on some great trends. The Redbirds have won 9 of their last 11 on the road, a stat that bodes well for them if they want to make a serious run at the Brewers for that NL Wildcard spot. They are also backing Saturday's starter, Joel Pineiro well all season, especially as of late. St. Louis is 6-2 in Pineiro's last 8 starts including his last 4 road starts. That's pretty good considering the Reds have lost 7 of their starter, Aaron Harang's, last 10 starts. I touched on the fact that the Reds had pretty much mailed it in for the 2008 season, but I want to back it up a little again with statistics. 4-16 is the Reds' record in their last 20 games, and they've lost 7 in a row at home. At home, where the Reds are traditionally very solid. See if you can find this line at -110 or better on the Cardinals, but I'd be confident in them for up to a -125 moneyline.



John Martin

MLB | Aug 16
St Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Total

1 Unit on Cards/Reds U 9.5
(Listing Pineiro and Harang)

This is a huge total for the starter going for both the Cards and Reds Saturday. Joel Pineiro is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA lifetime against the Reds. The UNDER is 10-4 in Aaron Harang?s 14 lifetime starts against the Cardinals. Both teams struggle to score runs, especially with starters Harang and Pineiro going tonight. The Cards are allowing just 3.1 runs/game over their last 7 games while the Reds are scoring just 3.4 runs/game their last 7 contests. The UNDER is 10-5 in the last 15 meetings at Cincinnati. The Reds are 9-1 UNDER at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season. The Cards are 9-1 UNDERin road games vs. a good bullpen whose ERA is 3.75 or better this season. St. Louis is 34-14 UNDER vs. a starting pitcher who gives up 7 or more hits/start over the last 3 seasons. Cash in with the UNDER 9.5 runs.

 

[the duke]

Comps

Marc Lawrence

Play On: LA Angels w/Lackey vs Carmona

Note: Halos take on the Tribe at Progressive Field in game Two of this weekend series when John Lackey takes on Fausto Carmona in a matchups of right handers. Lackey owns a shapr 2.73 ERA on the road this season and is 4-1 in his day team starts. On the flip side, Carmona's 5.44 ERA a home this season is a run and a half worse than his 3.95 road ERA. Back Johnny Angle here today as the Halos improve to 9-1 on Saturdays.


Greg Daraban

955 Arizona at 956 Houston
Petit vs Backe

Last night Arizona won 12-2.
Tonight Game two of the series. Petit 1-2 on the season. Backe 7-11 ERA 4.53
pitched well last time out vs SF winning but he has been HAMMERED this season. DBacks
in a dogfight with LA both teams are tied for first place in the west. High scoring affair.

Take AZ/Hou Over

 

[the duke]

Comps

John Fina

August 16, 2008

Selection: Baltimore/Detroit Over 10 (-110)

Reason: Put us down on the Baltimore Orioles/Detroit Tigers Over 10 for our Free MLB Selection on Saturday. Today we expect a high-scoring game as the Baltimore Orioles do battle with the Detroit Tigers. One reason why we expect a high-scoring game is because both these teams will send to the mound struggling starting pitchers. This says it all... The Baltimore Orioles Starting Pitcher (Dennis Sarfate) has a 11.45 ERA in his last 3 starts, while the Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher (Justin Verlander) has a 8.66 ERA in his last 3 starts. As you can see, both these starting pitchers will most likely give up many runs today. The Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams, and we expect to see another high-scoring game today!

Baltimore Orioles/Detroit Tigers Over 10!



Tony Mathews
August 16, 2008

Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds

Selection: St. Louis/Cincinnati Over 9.5 (-110)

Explanation: We expect a high-scoring game as the St. Louis Cardinals face-off against the Cincinnati Reds in Saturday's MLB contest.

The St. Louis Cardinals will use starting pitcher Joel Pineiro. Joel Pineiro has struggled this season. In fact, Joel Pineiro has a 4.82 ERA on the season. In addition, Joel Pineiro has a 4.95 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Joel Pineiro giving up many runs today.

The Cincinnati Reds will use starting pitcher Aaron Harang. Aaron Harang has also struggled this season. In fact, Aaron Harang has a 5.17 ERA on the season. In addition, Aaron Harang has a 9.98 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Aaron Harang also giving up many runs today.

The bottom line, we should see many runs scored today!

St. Louis Cardinals/Cincinnati Reds Over 9.5


Brian Marshall

August 16, 2008

Game: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Houston Astros

Plays On: Arizona Diamondbacks (-115)

Game Analyses: The Arizona Diamondbacks should be able to beat the Houston Astros in Saturday's MLB game.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be lead by starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit. Yusmeiro Petit has been pitching good this season. In fact, Yusmeiro Petit has a 3.12 ERA on the season. We see Yusmeiro Petit pitching another good game today.

The Houston Astros will be lead starting pitcher Brandon Backe. Brandon Backe has struggled this season. In fact, Brandon Backe has a 5.14 ERA on the season. Brandon Backe also has a 8.27 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Brandon Backe pitching another bad game today.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are 7-1 in their last 8 meetings against the Houston Astros, and will most likely get another win today!

Arizona Diamondbacks

 

[the duke]

Jim Feist

My free pick of the day is the game between (975) TOR Blue Jays and (976) BOS Red Sox. Take "Under". A pair of pitchers on the mound who know how to throw strikes. Toronto ace Roy Halladay is a workhorse with 13 wins. He has a 1.99 ERA his last three starts and has walked just 31 in 182 innings. The Blue Jays have not gone over the total in this last 4 starts. New Boston pitcher Paul Byrd is even better with his control, walking 24 batters in 131 innings. He's also hot, with a 1.14 ERA his last three starts and a 3-0 record. Byrd is 4-0 under the total his last 4 starts. Look for a fast game with little scoring, play the Blue Jays/Red Sox under the total!



Dave Cokin

My free pick of the day is the game between (409) MIN Vikings and (410) BAL Ravens. Take "(410) BAL Ravens".
The Vikings and Ravens have taken markedly different approaches to this pre-season. As opposed to his past camps, Brad Childress has tuned it way down this August. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere in Vikings camp, an indicator they're pretty well set as far as their September lineup goes, which also means less need to focus on these meaningless games. That's not the case in Baltimore, where it's been very physical from the first day of camp, as new coach Harbaugh is intent on pushing for more intensity. The Ravens have been doing lots of blitzing in practice this week, so they'll surely go that route tonight. It sure looks to me like the team putting more emphasis on this game is the home team, so I'm on the Ravens as small chalk.

 

[the duke]

Comps

Jimmy The Moose

Game: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons Aug 16 2008 7:30PM
Prediction: over

Reason: Even with the Colts resting Peyton Manning as he recoperates their offense hasn't looked to bad. In their last game Lorenzen passed for 117 yards and two TD's. Their D has given up a total of 53 points in two preseason games and both games have easily played over the total. The Falcons lost their preseason opener but played over the tota. Matt Ryan looked good leading the offense in their first game and expect him to get more playing time tonight. Look for a high scoring game. Play the over.


Dwayne Bryant

3:55 PM ET
Chicago White Sox (Danks) at Oakland A's (Smith)

Chicago White Sox (Listed Pitchers) -131

Oakland took the series opener last night, 6-4, but it looks to me like the ChiSox will even things up tonight behind John Danks. Danks owns a 2.63 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .285 OOBP in his 11 road starts this season. He is also in excellent current form, posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and .260 OOBP in his last three starts (19/5 K/BB ratio). Danks has won all three of his career starts vs. Oakland (two in '08), with a 1.35 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.
Oakland's Greg Smith has solid home numbers and decent numbers recently, but his 11/11 K/BB ratio in his last three starts is a bit concerning if you're an A's backer. Smith faced the White Sox for the first two times in his career this season. His first start vs. Chicago: 7 IP, 1 R, 6 H (0 HR), 1 BB, 4 K. His last start vs. Chicago: 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H (2 HR), 6 BB, 2 K. It would appear Chicago has Smith figured out now that they've seen him twice.
The White Sox are 9-2 in their last 11 games vs. a left-handed starter, 4-0 in Danks' last 4 starts during game 2 of a series, and 6-2 in Danks' last 8 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The A's are 3-13 in their last 16 during game 2 of a series, 4-23 in their last 27 overall, and 1-6 in Smith's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

 

[the duke]

Norm Hitzges

Indianapolis/Atlanta Over 37.5
Arizona +3 vs KC
Dallas +3 vs Denver
KC/Arizona Under 35
Cleveland +3 vs NY Giants
St. Louis -3 vs San Diego
Chicago -3 vs Seattle
Houston +3 vs New Orleans
Seattle/Chicago Under 35
Baltimore/Minnesota Under 33.5

 

[the duke]

Wild Bill

Vikings +3 (5 units)
Jaguars -3 1/2 (5 units)
Over 37 1/2 Colts-Falcons (5 units)
Chargers +3 (5 units)
Houston +3 1/2 (5 units)
Arizona +3 (5 units)
Packers +3 (5 units)
Dallas +2 (5 units)

 

[the duke]

Jeffersonsports 2-0 yesterday

Hit 15 of last 17 (88%)

73-45 last 118 plays (62%)

MLB record
+40.74 units (+4074 playing 100 a game)

NFL EARLY LINE RELEASE
RAMS-2.5 -125

MLB
WHITE SOX -130

 

[the duke]

Scott Ferrall


BASEBALL LOCKS FOR SATURDAY

Philly and Kendrick -140 over San Diego--The Padres blow and the Phils can't afford to lose--it's going to happen

Duke +150 with the UPSET SPECIAL over the Mets at PNC and Pedro

Colorado +120 at Washington--Hernandez over Lannan in DC--Lannan's the Nats best, but they still can't stop anyone

Cincy -120 over the Cards in the Queen City--Harang beats Piniero

Sanchez (even odds) and the Marlins over the Cubs and Marshall in South Fla

Oakland +120 and Greg Smith knock off the White Sox in the East Bay

Harrison +105 and the Rangers over the Rays in Arlington

Toronto stuns the Red Sox at Fenway with marcum getting the nod at +190--I like the pay out baby !

Baltimore +190 at Detroit--Sarfate says hello to Verlander, who's 8-13 and looks like he doesn't matter anymore--The Tigers have had a nightmare season and it's not getting any better soon


BASEBALL OVER-UNDERS FOR SATURDAY

CHISOX-A'S OVER 8 RUNS

TB-TEX OVER 11.5 RUNS

TOR-BOSTON UNDER 8.5 RUNS

BALT-DET OVER 10 RUNS

SEATT-MINNEY OVER 9 RUNS

ANGELS-TRIBE UNDER 8.5 RUNS

KC-NY UNDER 9.5 RUNS

MILW-LA OVER 8 RUNS

CUBS-MARLINS OVER 9.5 RUNS

CARDS-REDS UNDER 9.5 RUNS

COLO-WASH UNDER 9.5 RUNS

SF-ATL UNDER 9 RUNS

ARIZ-HOUS OVER 9 RUNS

METS-BUCS OVER 9.5 RUNS

PHILS-SD OVER 8.5 RUNS




WEEK 2 PRE-SEASON FREE B's

Jets -3 to Skins in New York--It's going to be a Brett Favre party and Clemens and Ratliff are battling for the #2 spot, so I say they put up numbers and beat Washington--OVER 35.5

Minnesota +2.5 from Baltimore--Jared Allen and company get it done on the road--UNDER 33.5

Jax -4 to Miami--Easy money here with the Jags laying out the Phins--UNDER 34.5

Atlanta -3 to Indy--Falcons get lucky at home against the Colts, who look miserable without Peyton Manning--OVER 37.5

San Diego +3 from St.Louis--The Chargers are simply better than the Rams--UNDER 37

Saints -3.5 to Texans in New Orleans--OVER 36.5--Bush and company roll it up on Bourbon Street

Arizona +3 at Kansas City--I say the Cardinals Matt Leinaert puts on a show as does Kurt Warner on the road at Arrowhead--OVER 35

Green Bay +3 from San Francisco--UNDER 34.5--Pack get it right after losing to the Bengals on Monday night--49er's still suck !

Dallas +2 from Denver in the Mile High City--Cowboys finally get it together--OVER 37 (it will be wild)

Seattle -2.5 to Chicago--The Bears aren't winning out in the Pacific Northwest--UNDER 36


BASEBALL FREE B's FOR SATURDAY

Minnesota -220 and Baker over the Mariners at the Homerdome in the Twin Cities

Lackey -135 at Cleveland over Carmona and the Tribe--The Angels are so much better than the Indians--it's not even funny

Ponson -170 in the Bronx over the Royals and Zach Greinke--The Bombers always bitch-slap KC every time they come to Yankee Stadium--Plus, I'm going to the game with TR (thanx to ARTIE)

Milwaukee and Bush +120 at Dodger Stadium over Derek Lowe and the Dodgers--I think the Brewers can dance with LA, even on the road

Atlanta -135 over the Giants at Turner Field--Dirty Sanchez loses to Mike Hampton in the Dirty South

Houston -105 and Brandon Backe over the Diamondbacks and Petit in Minute Maid--The Stros have been cooking lately--winning 8 straight at one point heading into Friday night's action--stick with the HOT TEAMS--it makes you money usually

 

[the duke]

Joe Gaffney

Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL) - Aug 16, 2008 7:30 PM EDT
Play: Money Line: -191

Jacksonville Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE AT HOME TOO MUCH FOR MIA LIKE FIRST HALF EVEN BETTER GOOD LUCK JOE GAFFNEY


Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets (NFL) - Aug 16, 2008 7:00 PM EDT
Play: Point Spread: 3/-120

Washington Redskins

WASH WILL ROLL I LIVE IN NY AND THIS IS A BAD SPOT FOR THEM

 

[the duke]

Comps

Jeff Benton

Texans plus the points against the Saints.

Houston pulled out a 19-16 win over Denver last week, pushing as a three-point home favorite. That makes the Texans 6-3 in the preseason since coach Gary Kubiak took over, including 5-2-2 ATS ? this after going 2-10 SU and ATS in exhibition play from 2003-05. Smartly, Kubiak has placed a big emphasis on preseason road games ? when you?ve got a young team, learning how to win on the road is huge ? as Houston is 3-1 SU in the highway in August the last two years. The Texans have also cashed in four of their last five preseason games as an underdog.

On the flip side, New Orleans, which looked really good at Arizona last week, has lost eight of its last 10 exhibition home games (2-8 ATS), and the Saints are 1-7 ATS as a preseason chalk since 2003.
Finally, while Houston?s starters, including QB Matt Schaub, are only slated to go until about the midpoint of the second quarter, Kubiak said that veteran backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels ? who could start for a lot of teams in the league ? is going to play all the way until the fourth quarter. Throw in the fact that the Saints? potent offense will be without two of its biggest weapons (Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush are out), and I?ll grab the points with the Texans ? even though I doubt we?ll need them.

(Based on a 1♦ to 10♦ rating system)

3♦ HOUSTON TEXANS


Tony Weston

Green Bay Packers will get over on the SanFrancisco 49ers.

Forget what these teams have done historically in the preseason. What you want to focus on is what these two did last week in their preseason openers.

First, Green Bay looked pretty solid with its first team on the field as quarterback Aaron Rodgers moved the offense up and down the field, going 9-for-15 for 117 yards, a touchdown and an interception that really wasn?t his fault. Rodgers led Green Bay to a 10-0 lead and looked to have the Packers on their way to an opening victory. However, the backups took the field and couldn?t make the lead stand up as the Pack lost 20-17 as a 3-point home favorite.

The 49ers, on the other hand, didn?t look good at all at any point against the Raiders as their first, second and third stringers couldn?t do much in an 18-6 loss where the defense allowed nearly 250 yards on the ground and the quarterbacks looked more like junior college transfers than NFL starters.

San Francisco looked horrible and this week once again will be led by scheduled starting quarterback J.T. O?Sullivan and backups Alex Smith and Shaun Hill.

Also consider that Green Bay is 2-0 SU and ATS in Week 2 under head coach Mike McCarthy.

It?ll be an easy win for the Pack led by Rodgers. Go with Green Bay on the road tonight.


3♦ PACKERS (On a 1-5♦ Scale)



Carlo Campanella

Game: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons Aug 16 2008 7:30PM

Prediction: Atlanta Falcons

Reason: The Falcons lost their preseason opener, 17-20, at Jacksonville last Saturday. Theyll host a Colts team thats already 0-2 SU this exhibition season and a horrible 4-11 ATS during their last 15 preseason battles. While Atlanta lost by a field goal, their trio of quarterback, Chris Redman, Joey Harrington and Matt Ryan were able to put up 17 points on a tough Jaguar defense and should look even sharper with a game under their belts. We find Atlanta at 12-4 ATS at home off a preseason loss and a very profitable 6-2 ATS in their second exhibition game.

7* Play On Atlanta

 

[the duke]

PlayByPlayInc. NFL

WASHINGTON/NY JETS Over 35.5



MJP Sports NFL

Best Bet! SAN DIEGO 3



ARMVIN SPORTS

NEW ORLEANS -3
ATLANTA -3
TEXAS RANGERS 110

 

[the duke]

Hondo

Hondo logged on with World Wide Webb last night and breezed to an easy 'W' as the D'backs slithered past the 'Stros to increase the haul to 490 mar quards.

Tonight, he expects Sanchez to get down and dirty against Hampton in Atlanta - 10 units on the Giants


Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Rockies last night. Today it's the Rockies.

The surplus is 285 sirignanos.

 

[the duke]

Las Vegas Sports Advisors

LA Angels/John Lackey -137
Play of the Day

Minnesota/Scott Baker -201
FREE PICK

Chi White Sox/John Danks -135

NFL X
MINNESOTA +3.5(-110)

 

[the duke]

Gator

MLB Saturday: Play Against MLB (NL) teams with a money line of -100 to -150 with a team batting average of <=.255 against a starting pitcher whose ERA=4.20 to 5.20, with a starting pitcher who gives up 5.5 or less hits per start, 48-19 SU the last 5 years (71.6%)

PLAY: Houston Astros -105

 

[the duke]

Big Al McMordie

Game: Houston v Arizona
Date/Time: 8/16/2008 7:00PM EST
Pick: Astros

Reason: At 7:05pm our complimentary selection is on the Houston Astros over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs have made what they hope is a significant move to light a fire under their sagging offense by trading with the Cincinnati Reds for slugging outfielder Adam Dunn. Dunn may be a career .247 hitter, but he is a huge presence in the middle of a lineup, with the ability to hit tape-measure shots and he will certainly cause opposing pitchers to try to pitch around him, which should benefit the hitters below him in this lineup. So far, the trade seems to be paying off as Dunn has had hits in each of his four games with Arizona, and his new team is 3-1 since acquiring him, including Friday's 12-2 thrashing of this Houston club. Although Dunn only went 1 for 4 with no RBI in this game, the four men batting behind him went a combined 8 for 15 with nine driven in. The 'Stros had been red-hot before Friday's debacle, winning their last eight games in a row behind what seems to be their own brand of a rejuvenated offense. But Friday's game featured probably the best pitcher in the National League (if not in all of baseball) in Arizona's 18-game-winner Brandon Webb, so Houston should be quite pleased to have gotten that over with in the first of this three-game series. Tonight the Astros should have a much easier time of it facing 23-year-old righthander Yusmeiro Petit who, despite an ERA of 3.12 and only six walks in nearly 35 innings, sports a record of only 1-3. Petit only has one outing over five innings this season, which means that Arizona will probably have to rely quite heavily on its bullpen in this game, and that is a scary proposition lately for the Diamondbacks. Take the Astros.

 

[the duke]

Ross Benjamin

Game: Minnesota @ Baltimore
Date/Time: 8/16/2008 7:30PM EST
Pick: Minnesota +3.0

Reason: Any NFL preseason home favorite that is off an away underdog SU win, and is playing an opponent off a home favorite SU loss is 7-20 ATS since 1980. Play on the Minnesota Vikings plus the points as my NFL preseason free selection of the week.

 

[the duke]

Bankroll Sports Handicapping

1* Chicago White Sox -130 (MLB)

 

[the duke]

Great Lakes Sports

Dallas at Denver 9:00PM EST

Denver Broncos over the Dallas Cowboys

The Denver Broncos are a perfect 2-0ATS at home vs the Dallas Cowboys since 1993, and are a very solid 22-7ATS when playing on Saturday's since 1993. The Denver Broncos is also a very nice 19-11ATS when playing at home since 1993, and are 3-1ATS as a home favorite of three points or less since 1993. We look for the Denver Broncos to beat the Dallas Cowboys in the preseason showdown for the home ATS win & cover tonight.