09:00 PM CFB [302] EDMONTON -7.5 -145 (B+2)
07:10 PM MLB [905] TOTAL o8-110 (PHI PHILLIES vrs ATL BRAVES) ( A NOLA -R / M WISLER -R )
07:10 PM MLB [907] STL CARDINALS +1.5 -105 ( M WACHA -R / J FERNANDEZ -R )
10:15 PM MLB [910] TOTAL u7-105 (WAS NATIONALS vrs SFO GIANTS) ( T ROARK -R / J CUETO -R )
08:05 PM MLB [911] KC ROYALS +155 ( Y VENTURA -R / C HAMELS -L )
10:05 PM MLB [914] LA ANGELS +157 ( D PRICE -L / J WEAVER -R )
08:05 PM MLB [915] CHI WHITE SOX +120 ( C SALE -L / J LACKEY -R )
07:10 PM MLB Write-In Game [917] TOTAL o9-110 (BAL ORIOLES vrs MIN TWINS) (JIMENEZ/GIBSON)
1 unit bet pays 330 ....betdsi line
MLB parlays: 11-118, -22.24 units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8...and then winner #9....after long dry spell, hit four teamer on July 4th.....and another long dry spell, hit five teamer on July 23rd...
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast:
:0074
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Jose Fernandez leads baseball with a 13.1 K/9, which includes seven double-digit K games, and he's allowed more than two runs just twice in his last 13 outings. He faces a stiff test with a home matchup against the Cardinals, who sport an NL-best 114 wRC+ versus right-handed pitching this season and have scored the third-most runs in baseball. Then again, no other hurler on the day's slate can match Fernandez's floor and ceiling.
Cardinals are 3-7 in Wacha?s last 10 road starts vs. a team with a winning record
Cardinals are 0-5 in Wacha?s last 5 starts vs. National League East
there as a focus topic here on Aaron Nola, and how the quality of his pitches have been so much better than the Baseball outcomes. That continued in his last outing, when he had good stuff but again struggled to make good pitches with runners on base in the 5th inning at Pittsburgh. That was not quite the ?Buy Signal? that I was looking for in terms of Nola?s confidence, but it did work from another direction ? the way others view him. So with the early Thursday marketplace having dropped the Phillies to as low as -114 (CRIS and clones) it is time to get on board the Nola express, with #905 Philadelphia (7:10 Eastern), this one holding value to -125.
Nola?s 5-9/4.75 comes despite simply superb numbers across some of the most important categories ? a 9.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 54.9 GB% gets you into All Star games. But BABIP (.328) and LOB% (59.2) have been enemies, some of that Baseball randomness, but admittedly also Nola not showing maturity with runners on base. I believe that maturity will develop, to go along with his great stuff. So to set the stage for tonight, let?s look at the advanced pitching metrics to compare the two starters -
FIP xFIP SIERA
Nola 3.06 2.99 3.21
Wisler 4.72 4.83 4.62
The gap is rather substantial. Then we add the fact that the Phillies bring a fresh end-game bullpen, while Cabrera/Withrow/Johnson have all worked back-to-back nights for the Braves, plus the travel back from Minnesota, losing a time zone hour of recuperation in the process. And in terms of home field advantage there just isn?t any ? Philadelphia has played at the same clip (23-28 vs. 23-29) whether Home or Away, while Atlanta?s wretched 14-36 on this field brings little confidence to the team. Note that the particular setting also matters ? the Phillies were already in Atlanta last night when the Braves were still on the field against the Twins, so it is an easier transition for a road team in the first game of a new series than usual.
Kyle Gibson - Wanna know something interesting? Gibson has a 3.03 ERA (3.29 FIP, 3.53 xFIP) with a 7.99 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 across his last five starts. Those starts include Texas twice, the red hot Indians, and the Sawx last start. Do I buy it? Ehhhh not really. He's not doing anything all that differently, though I am impressed that he earned a strikeout with each of his four pitches last night. I think he's simply commanding really well right now, but he doesn't have the stuff to still be productive when his command isn't spectacular in a given night. It's a hot streak alright, but not one I'd invest in as he gets the O's next.
John Lackey has stumbled a bit of late. Over his last six outings, he's been battered for a 6.38 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. So he can't be recommended for cash right now. That said, Lackey has been much better at Wrigley Field this year (2.84 ERA) than he's been on the road (4.68 ERA), and the White Sox can be exploited by right-handed pitching (87 wRC+),
Sale will make only his second start in three weeks while facing the Cubs for the first time.
"He might have a little more on it than in the past because he's probably going to come out a little strong," Ventura said. 'He's had these situations before he's had a long layoff and he's always been pretty good when he's had a long layoff."
Third in the elite-tier pecking order is Chris Sale, who returns to the mound after his five-game suspension for a clubhouse incident that involved cutting up some throwback uniforms. If there's a time to fade the White Sox lefty, this might be it. For one, the Cubs mash left-handed pitching, as they sport a 118 wRC+ versus southpaws that ranks second-best in baseball. Secondly, he's actually been a suspect cash option of late, having allowed five or more runs in three of his last seven starts. Finally, Sale's ceiling isn't what it once was now that he's pitching more to contact. I like Sale as a potential contrarian play in tournaments, but I'm looking elsewhere in cash.
Red Sox at Angels
Pick: Over
Boston has the top offense in baseball in runs, on base percentage and slugging. The Over is 23-9-1 against a losing record, as well as 20-6 over versus the AL West. They are not a great road team because of suspect pitching and "ace" David Price has been hit hard much of the season. He has a losing road record with a 4.77 ERA. Price comes off Saturday's 11-9 loss to the Twins, giving up five earned runs on 11 hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. Although he didn't give up any homers, Price pitched to a considerable amount of contact. He also fell behind early in the count frequently, notching first-pitch strikes on only 13 of 27 hitters and inducing a mere seven swinging strikes. Price was responsible for over half of the Twins' 19 hits on the night, and has now given up 11 hits in back-to-back starts. The Over is 7-3 in Price's last 10 starts vs. a team with a losing record. LA is home with an offense that is picking up, on a 5-2-2 run over the total. Jered Weaver has allowed 12 runs in his last eight innings over two starts to raise his ERA to 5.32.
Cole Hamels draws a home start against Kansas City. The Royals are tough to strike out and are tougher on left-handed pitching than righties. That said, Hamels is getting them at the right time, as they've been striking out at a 22 percent clip in July with a 77 wRC+ that ranks worst in the American League. Outside of a pair of rough starts against the Twins in early July, the Texas lefty has allowed one or zero runs in his other six outings dating back to June 12.
Rangers -1? +126
I don't hate the Rangers on the money line, but I really like the value we are getting with Texas on the run line Thursday against the Royals. The Rangers will have their ace Cole Hamels on the mound and he's in good form right now with a 2.55 ERA over his last 3 starts. Not to mention he's 11-2 with a 2.87 ERA overall in 20 starts this season. Kansas City is in a free fall at the moment and are a mere 17-32 on the road this season. The Royals will send out Yordano Ventura, who has really struggled on the road. Ventura has a 5.26 ERA and 1.528 WHIP in 10 road starts. Royals are 2-13 as a road dog of +125 to +175 and have lost these games by an average of 2.4 runs/game.
Kansas City Royals +155
I like the price we are getting with the Kansas City Royals today as big road underdogs to the Texas Rangers. I don't believe the Rangers have as big of an advantage on the mound as this line would indicate. Yordano Ventura has pitched well of late with a 3.79 ERA and 1.211 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Cole Hamels hasn't been very good at home this season, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.548 WHIP in 9 starts. Hamels also hasn't enjoyed success against the Royals, going 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA and 1.909 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts against them. Ventura is 31-13 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The Rangers are 6-15 in their last 21 games overall. Texas is 0-9 in its last 9 when its opponent scores 5 runs or more in the previous game.
Royals are 0-7 in Venturas last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
The Angels may sit dead-last in the AL West, but their offense has been stinging the ball lately. In addition to sporting a 121 wRC+ so far in July, the Angels have posted a 113 wRC+ versus lefty pitching this season. That puts David Price in a tough spot.
San Francisco Giants are 14-2 in Cueto?s last 16 starts.
Johnny Cueto is rock-solid..He's been terrific both at home (2.43 ERA) and on the road (2.63 ERA), and he's held an ERA of 3.00 or lower in each month this season. The Nationals may be one of the best team in the National League, but they've been below average versus righties (93 wRC+) and haven't put up much offense in the second half (84 wRC+).
Washington +129 over SAN FRAN
Johnny Cueto is Johnny Cueto and deserves to be favoured. Cueto was his usual self for most of 2015 but was a major disappointment after he was traded to Kansas City. He posted a 4.76 ERA in 13 starts there, which had some people questioning whether he just lost it for some reason. Cueto has rebounded from his rough finish to last year, with all of his skills looking back to normal through 20 starts this season. His velocity is down some, but he's getting more whiffs than ever on his change-up, and should continue to rack up his fair share of strikeouts. He comes in with a near perfect 13-2 record, a 2.53 ERA and a BB/K split of 28/128 in 142 frames. There is no question that he?s capable of dominating. Cuteo is not the problem here.
The problem is the Giants, a team that has dropped nine of 11 with only two victories over that span occurring against the Reds one time and the Yanks once. The Giants have lost to stating pitchers, Dan Straily, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Cashner, Luis Perdomo and even Edwin Jackson recently among others so of course they can also lose to Tanner Roark and the Nationals too.
Aside from the Nationals being in better form than the Giants are, Tanner Roark is completely legit. Roar has a BB/K split of 38/110 in 130 innings. He was a -240 favorite in his last start against San Diego and now he goes from that big a price to being an underdog against a struggling club. Roark has an elite 52% groundball rate but what is even more impressive is his overall profile that shows very few balls are hit hard off him. You take a 52% groundball rate with an above average K-Rate and throw in one of the lowest line-drive marks (18%) in the game and you have a starter that has a chance to dominate and win just about every time he takes the mound. That's good enough for us.
EDMONTON -9? over Winnipeg
The Eskimos don't have many friends left in the marketplace after blowing a 25-point second-half lead last week and falling to the Tiger-Cats, 37-31. Lost in the result was all the good the Eskies did. Mike Reilly tossed his fourth straight 350-yard passing game and receiver Adarius Bowman had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season. The Eskimos dominated the first 35-minutes and looked to be on their way to an easy cover but then they quit. When the dust settled the Eskies were locked in another one score battle, their fourth one in all four games this season. The Eskimos have put up big points all year and lead the league in total team passing yards (1580), are second in total points (127) and second in passing touchdowns (10). The Eskies have been hammered by the local media this week for quitting against Hamilton with one paper saying ?embarrassing? doesn't even capture the magnitude of this failure.? The problem has been Edmonton?s defense, which is taking all the heat so expect a much stronger performance this week. If the Bombers go down early, don't expect the Eskimo D to let them off the hook. The Eskies are too talented to be hanging around with the likes of Winnipeg and Saskatchewan and now they?re in a very foul mood. Thursday can?t get here soon enough for the Eskimos and they couldn?t have handpicked a riper opponent to take their frustrations out on.
We knew the clock was ticking on Drew Willy after head coach Mike O'Shea gave him a vote of confidence last week. The hook came during Winnipeg's 33-18 loss to the Stampeders in a game that wasn't even that close. Enter the often injured Matt Nichols, the former Eskimo backup who played just ok in garbage time relief last week. There's going to be a lot of pressure on Nichols to turn it around but these Bombers have much bigger problems than the starting quarterback. They did not address their weak offensive line. That line has given up a league worst 16 sacks in five games this season. Winnipeg's problems on offense has overshadowed a toothless defense that has given up more than 300 yards passing in all five games they've played this season. They've been unable to create pressure on the quarterback with a league worst 10 sacks in those five games. Finally, the Bombers lead the league in turnovers and they are catching the Eskimos at a bad time. This is the second time this season that Winnipeg has been a big dog on the road (the first was a 36-22 loss in Calgary where they failed to cover) and given the Eskimos recent inability to cover a game, we can understand how these +9? points may look tempting. Beware, because when it goes bad for the Bombers it gets ugly. Winnipeg has been blown out in their last three trips to Edmonton with the Eskies easily covering double digits. Now Winnipeg Coach Mike O?Shea is pushing the panic button in order to save his job by benching the superior Drew Willy in favor of the inferior Matt Nichols. That isn?t likely to end well.
07:10 PM MLB [905] TOTAL o8-110 (PHI PHILLIES vrs ATL BRAVES) ( A NOLA -R / M WISLER -R )
07:10 PM MLB [907] STL CARDINALS +1.5 -105 ( M WACHA -R / J FERNANDEZ -R )
10:15 PM MLB [910] TOTAL u7-105 (WAS NATIONALS vrs SFO GIANTS) ( T ROARK -R / J CUETO -R )
08:05 PM MLB [911] KC ROYALS +155 ( Y VENTURA -R / C HAMELS -L )
10:05 PM MLB [914] LA ANGELS +157 ( D PRICE -L / J WEAVER -R )
08:05 PM MLB [915] CHI WHITE SOX +120 ( C SALE -L / J LACKEY -R )
07:10 PM MLB Write-In Game [917] TOTAL o9-110 (BAL ORIOLES vrs MIN TWINS) (JIMENEZ/GIBSON)
1 unit bet pays 330 ....betdsi line
MLB parlays: 11-118, -22.24 units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8...and then winner #9....after long dry spell, hit four teamer on July 4th.....and another long dry spell, hit five teamer on July 23rd...
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast:
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Jose Fernandez leads baseball with a 13.1 K/9, which includes seven double-digit K games, and he's allowed more than two runs just twice in his last 13 outings. He faces a stiff test with a home matchup against the Cardinals, who sport an NL-best 114 wRC+ versus right-handed pitching this season and have scored the third-most runs in baseball. Then again, no other hurler on the day's slate can match Fernandez's floor and ceiling.
Cardinals are 3-7 in Wacha?s last 10 road starts vs. a team with a winning record
Cardinals are 0-5 in Wacha?s last 5 starts vs. National League East
there as a focus topic here on Aaron Nola, and how the quality of his pitches have been so much better than the Baseball outcomes. That continued in his last outing, when he had good stuff but again struggled to make good pitches with runners on base in the 5th inning at Pittsburgh. That was not quite the ?Buy Signal? that I was looking for in terms of Nola?s confidence, but it did work from another direction ? the way others view him. So with the early Thursday marketplace having dropped the Phillies to as low as -114 (CRIS and clones) it is time to get on board the Nola express, with #905 Philadelphia (7:10 Eastern), this one holding value to -125.
Nola?s 5-9/4.75 comes despite simply superb numbers across some of the most important categories ? a 9.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 54.9 GB% gets you into All Star games. But BABIP (.328) and LOB% (59.2) have been enemies, some of that Baseball randomness, but admittedly also Nola not showing maturity with runners on base. I believe that maturity will develop, to go along with his great stuff. So to set the stage for tonight, let?s look at the advanced pitching metrics to compare the two starters -
FIP xFIP SIERA
Nola 3.06 2.99 3.21
Wisler 4.72 4.83 4.62
The gap is rather substantial. Then we add the fact that the Phillies bring a fresh end-game bullpen, while Cabrera/Withrow/Johnson have all worked back-to-back nights for the Braves, plus the travel back from Minnesota, losing a time zone hour of recuperation in the process. And in terms of home field advantage there just isn?t any ? Philadelphia has played at the same clip (23-28 vs. 23-29) whether Home or Away, while Atlanta?s wretched 14-36 on this field brings little confidence to the team. Note that the particular setting also matters ? the Phillies were already in Atlanta last night when the Braves were still on the field against the Twins, so it is an easier transition for a road team in the first game of a new series than usual.
Kyle Gibson - Wanna know something interesting? Gibson has a 3.03 ERA (3.29 FIP, 3.53 xFIP) with a 7.99 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 across his last five starts. Those starts include Texas twice, the red hot Indians, and the Sawx last start. Do I buy it? Ehhhh not really. He's not doing anything all that differently, though I am impressed that he earned a strikeout with each of his four pitches last night. I think he's simply commanding really well right now, but he doesn't have the stuff to still be productive when his command isn't spectacular in a given night. It's a hot streak alright, but not one I'd invest in as he gets the O's next.
John Lackey has stumbled a bit of late. Over his last six outings, he's been battered for a 6.38 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. So he can't be recommended for cash right now. That said, Lackey has been much better at Wrigley Field this year (2.84 ERA) than he's been on the road (4.68 ERA), and the White Sox can be exploited by right-handed pitching (87 wRC+),
Sale will make only his second start in three weeks while facing the Cubs for the first time.
"He might have a little more on it than in the past because he's probably going to come out a little strong," Ventura said. 'He's had these situations before he's had a long layoff and he's always been pretty good when he's had a long layoff."
Third in the elite-tier pecking order is Chris Sale, who returns to the mound after his five-game suspension for a clubhouse incident that involved cutting up some throwback uniforms. If there's a time to fade the White Sox lefty, this might be it. For one, the Cubs mash left-handed pitching, as they sport a 118 wRC+ versus southpaws that ranks second-best in baseball. Secondly, he's actually been a suspect cash option of late, having allowed five or more runs in three of his last seven starts. Finally, Sale's ceiling isn't what it once was now that he's pitching more to contact. I like Sale as a potential contrarian play in tournaments, but I'm looking elsewhere in cash.
Red Sox at Angels
Pick: Over
Boston has the top offense in baseball in runs, on base percentage and slugging. The Over is 23-9-1 against a losing record, as well as 20-6 over versus the AL West. They are not a great road team because of suspect pitching and "ace" David Price has been hit hard much of the season. He has a losing road record with a 4.77 ERA. Price comes off Saturday's 11-9 loss to the Twins, giving up five earned runs on 11 hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. Although he didn't give up any homers, Price pitched to a considerable amount of contact. He also fell behind early in the count frequently, notching first-pitch strikes on only 13 of 27 hitters and inducing a mere seven swinging strikes. Price was responsible for over half of the Twins' 19 hits on the night, and has now given up 11 hits in back-to-back starts. The Over is 7-3 in Price's last 10 starts vs. a team with a losing record. LA is home with an offense that is picking up, on a 5-2-2 run over the total. Jered Weaver has allowed 12 runs in his last eight innings over two starts to raise his ERA to 5.32.
Cole Hamels draws a home start against Kansas City. The Royals are tough to strike out and are tougher on left-handed pitching than righties. That said, Hamels is getting them at the right time, as they've been striking out at a 22 percent clip in July with a 77 wRC+ that ranks worst in the American League. Outside of a pair of rough starts against the Twins in early July, the Texas lefty has allowed one or zero runs in his other six outings dating back to June 12.
Rangers -1? +126
I don't hate the Rangers on the money line, but I really like the value we are getting with Texas on the run line Thursday against the Royals. The Rangers will have their ace Cole Hamels on the mound and he's in good form right now with a 2.55 ERA over his last 3 starts. Not to mention he's 11-2 with a 2.87 ERA overall in 20 starts this season. Kansas City is in a free fall at the moment and are a mere 17-32 on the road this season. The Royals will send out Yordano Ventura, who has really struggled on the road. Ventura has a 5.26 ERA and 1.528 WHIP in 10 road starts. Royals are 2-13 as a road dog of +125 to +175 and have lost these games by an average of 2.4 runs/game.
Kansas City Royals +155
I like the price we are getting with the Kansas City Royals today as big road underdogs to the Texas Rangers. I don't believe the Rangers have as big of an advantage on the mound as this line would indicate. Yordano Ventura has pitched well of late with a 3.79 ERA and 1.211 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Cole Hamels hasn't been very good at home this season, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.548 WHIP in 9 starts. Hamels also hasn't enjoyed success against the Royals, going 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA and 1.909 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts against them. Ventura is 31-13 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The Rangers are 6-15 in their last 21 games overall. Texas is 0-9 in its last 9 when its opponent scores 5 runs or more in the previous game.
Royals are 0-7 in Venturas last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
The Angels may sit dead-last in the AL West, but their offense has been stinging the ball lately. In addition to sporting a 121 wRC+ so far in July, the Angels have posted a 113 wRC+ versus lefty pitching this season. That puts David Price in a tough spot.
San Francisco Giants are 14-2 in Cueto?s last 16 starts.
Johnny Cueto is rock-solid..He's been terrific both at home (2.43 ERA) and on the road (2.63 ERA), and he's held an ERA of 3.00 or lower in each month this season. The Nationals may be one of the best team in the National League, but they've been below average versus righties (93 wRC+) and haven't put up much offense in the second half (84 wRC+).
Washington +129 over SAN FRAN
Johnny Cueto is Johnny Cueto and deserves to be favoured. Cueto was his usual self for most of 2015 but was a major disappointment after he was traded to Kansas City. He posted a 4.76 ERA in 13 starts there, which had some people questioning whether he just lost it for some reason. Cueto has rebounded from his rough finish to last year, with all of his skills looking back to normal through 20 starts this season. His velocity is down some, but he's getting more whiffs than ever on his change-up, and should continue to rack up his fair share of strikeouts. He comes in with a near perfect 13-2 record, a 2.53 ERA and a BB/K split of 28/128 in 142 frames. There is no question that he?s capable of dominating. Cuteo is not the problem here.
The problem is the Giants, a team that has dropped nine of 11 with only two victories over that span occurring against the Reds one time and the Yanks once. The Giants have lost to stating pitchers, Dan Straily, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Cashner, Luis Perdomo and even Edwin Jackson recently among others so of course they can also lose to Tanner Roark and the Nationals too.
Aside from the Nationals being in better form than the Giants are, Tanner Roark is completely legit. Roar has a BB/K split of 38/110 in 130 innings. He was a -240 favorite in his last start against San Diego and now he goes from that big a price to being an underdog against a struggling club. Roark has an elite 52% groundball rate but what is even more impressive is his overall profile that shows very few balls are hit hard off him. You take a 52% groundball rate with an above average K-Rate and throw in one of the lowest line-drive marks (18%) in the game and you have a starter that has a chance to dominate and win just about every time he takes the mound. That's good enough for us.
EDMONTON -9? over Winnipeg
The Eskimos don't have many friends left in the marketplace after blowing a 25-point second-half lead last week and falling to the Tiger-Cats, 37-31. Lost in the result was all the good the Eskies did. Mike Reilly tossed his fourth straight 350-yard passing game and receiver Adarius Bowman had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season. The Eskimos dominated the first 35-minutes and looked to be on their way to an easy cover but then they quit. When the dust settled the Eskies were locked in another one score battle, their fourth one in all four games this season. The Eskimos have put up big points all year and lead the league in total team passing yards (1580), are second in total points (127) and second in passing touchdowns (10). The Eskies have been hammered by the local media this week for quitting against Hamilton with one paper saying ?embarrassing? doesn't even capture the magnitude of this failure.? The problem has been Edmonton?s defense, which is taking all the heat so expect a much stronger performance this week. If the Bombers go down early, don't expect the Eskimo D to let them off the hook. The Eskies are too talented to be hanging around with the likes of Winnipeg and Saskatchewan and now they?re in a very foul mood. Thursday can?t get here soon enough for the Eskimos and they couldn?t have handpicked a riper opponent to take their frustrations out on.
We knew the clock was ticking on Drew Willy after head coach Mike O'Shea gave him a vote of confidence last week. The hook came during Winnipeg's 33-18 loss to the Stampeders in a game that wasn't even that close. Enter the often injured Matt Nichols, the former Eskimo backup who played just ok in garbage time relief last week. There's going to be a lot of pressure on Nichols to turn it around but these Bombers have much bigger problems than the starting quarterback. They did not address their weak offensive line. That line has given up a league worst 16 sacks in five games this season. Winnipeg's problems on offense has overshadowed a toothless defense that has given up more than 300 yards passing in all five games they've played this season. They've been unable to create pressure on the quarterback with a league worst 10 sacks in those five games. Finally, the Bombers lead the league in turnovers and they are catching the Eskimos at a bad time. This is the second time this season that Winnipeg has been a big dog on the road (the first was a 36-22 loss in Calgary where they failed to cover) and given the Eskimos recent inability to cover a game, we can understand how these +9? points may look tempting. Beware, because when it goes bad for the Bombers it gets ugly. Winnipeg has been blown out in their last three trips to Edmonton with the Eskies easily covering double digits. Now Winnipeg Coach Mike O?Shea is pushing the panic button in order to save his job by benching the superior Drew Willy in favor of the inferior Matt Nichols. That isn?t likely to end well.
