Wunderdog
Game: Colorado at Washington
3 units Washington +125 (moneyline) (risk 3 to win 3.8)
The Washington Nationals have played very well in the second half of the season, and they have put together a season best 17-11 run, especially since they were 26-66 before that. That is 65% of their season win total from that 26-66 start in just 29% of the games. They are certainly playing at a much different level. That mark is an even better 10-4 when they are playing at home. They have outscored their opponents by 25 runs during their recent 28 game stretch. The Rockies have not fared well with Hammels on the mound, and playing on the road where they are just 1-5 in his last six road starts. The Nats are suddenly big-time at home, going 10-2 in their last 12 games, and have won each of the last four game 3's in their series sets. I'll go with Washington in this one.
Game: Colorado at Washington
5 units Washington +1.5 runs -135 (runline) (risk 5 to win 3.7)
The Nats have played to a 17-11 mark in their last 28, including 10-2 in their last 12 at home. Those numbers are great, but get even better when you consider the would-be +1.5 runline. The Nats would be 12-0 in their last 12 home games getting the plus side of the runline, and I'll back them on the runline.
Game: Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers
3 units Chicago Cubs +130 (moneyline) (risk 3 to win 3.9)
The Dodgers have a deceptive record right now as they had the best record in baseball for a longtime, but have fallen rapidly as the season has moved along, and are just 9-15 over their last 24 games. They are just a .500 team at home after a tremendous 13-0 start and recently, they have been downright terrible at home. The Dodgers have dropped each of their last four series at home, combining for a 4-8 mark. The Cubs are going to come in here very thirsty for a win in game one, off the memory of being swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers in three straight last season. They are catching the Dodgers at the right time, as they are really struggling, and have scored ony three runs or less in over half of their last 23 games. This is a good spot with a good dog and with a big revenge motive against a struggling team. The Cubs get the call here.
Game: Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers
4 units Chicago Cubs +1.5 runs -180 (runline) (risk 4 to win 2.2)
There are lots of reasons to play on the Cubs here. First, they will be breathing fire setting foot in here as the memory of the three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers last year in the playoffs will be in mind. The Dodgers are also in the midst of a bad stretch, dropping each of their last four home series, finishing 4-8 in the 12 games. Two of the four wins came by a single run resulting in just 2-10 mark to a would-be -1.5 runline they face here. The Dodgers are just 1-5 in their last six at home against a winning team. I like the revenge-seeking Cubs on the runline here.
Alatex
Philadelphia Eagles -3
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Philadelphia/Indianapolis Under 36.5
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Both teams are very thin after their starting QB's. Worst case scenerio is Manning and McNabb each go down the field and put up seven each. All of the backups other then Feeley are rookies and I just do not see any of them taking over a game. Philadelphia is hurting at the O-Line and do not have much depth at runningback. The Colts are also not that deep at runningback and I just do not see where the points are going to come from other than maybe fluke defensive plays which you really cannot handicap. As you know it is tough to score in the preseason. Lets take our chances with the Under 36.5
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Mets -120 over Braves
Santana/Kawakami
Jamie Tursini
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Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets
Play: New York Mets -115
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Just have to like this price backing J.Santana.
At home he's been outstanding! 8-2 with an ERA of 2.32, having allowed only 73 hits in 89.1 innings. He's struck out 84 with a WHIP of 1.09!
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In two starts vs Atlanta this season he's gone 13.1 innings and has allowed 12 hits and 0 ER's!
Too good to pass up on at this price.
Lenny Del Genio
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FLORIDA MARLINS
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
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Twins/Rangers Under
Evan Altemus
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Marc Lawrence
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NEW YORK METS
Rocketman
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CINCINNATI BENGALS
Stephen Nover
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Eagles/Colts Under
Teddy Covers
Orioles/Rays Under
ATS Lock Club
3 Units Philly/Indy Under 36.5
Jim Feist
5-Star TV Preseason Pounder!
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Take: 5-Star PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Philadelphia rolled up 420 yards (304 passing) against the Patriots, but lost 27-25 with sloppy play (98 yds of penalties). Andy Reid made it clear he wants to see improvement. The Eagles have excellent depth, especially at QB with Donovan McNabb and A.J. Feeley. McNabb will play the entire first hald and Feeley will start the 3rd quarter. The Eagles are 10-0 ATS the last 10 years in Week 2 of preseason! Indy had a stark history of not caring about preseason under Tony Dungy, who took it easy on his veterans, and new coach Jim Caldwell appears to be of the same ilk, showing nothing in a 13-3 home loss to the Vikings. The Colts had 142 TOTAL yards! Just as bad, the defense allowed 351 and was gouged for 198 rushing yards. QB Peyton Manning was sacked three times (6 sacks for all their QBs). The rotation has QB Peyton Manning, then a pair of rookies in Chris Crane (Boston College) and Curtis Painter (Purdue). The team signed rookie QB Chris Crane to compensate for the hamstring injury that likely will keep backup veteran QB Jim Sorgi out for a couple of weeks. Indy had 11 starters out of the opener, with a lot of defensive injuries. The loss was the Colts' 17th in their past 20 preseason games. Play the Eagles.
3-Star TV Grand Slammer!
CHICAGO CUBS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Take: 3-Star CHICAGO CUBS
Chicago could use a good performance on the mound, and they have gotten that with newcomer Tom Gorzelanny (5-2). The team is 2-1 in his three starts. Gorzelanny struck out eight and walked three while holding the Pirates to one run on three hits over five innings on Saturday. He earned his first win against his former club, needing just 83 pitches to get through the fifth inning. Gorzelanny also helped his own cause with an RBI single off Zach Duke in the bottom of the second inning. The Dodgers have been in a second half funk and are now trying to hold on in the NL West. The Cubs have faces Jeff Weaver once this season and smacked him around, allowing 8 base runners in less than 3 innings. Play the Cubs.
DESTROY THE BOOK SPORTS
10* Col/Wash over 9.5
10* Detroit-156 WINNER
7* Arizona +167
7* Mets -121
5* FL/Hou over 7.5
Jack Jones
15* Phillies/D-backs Under 9
20* Bengals +7
Al DeMarco
5 Dime - Eagles
Backing the Eagles in the preseason has never been a winning proposition during the Andy Reid tenure as the club has enjoyed just one winning August and three break-even campaigns during his 10 years at the helm. And on the road, the news is even worse as the Birds have dropped eight of their last 10 on the highway the past five preseasons combined.
So why is Philadelphia the favorite tonight at Indianapolis? Because the only team worse than the Eagles in August is the Colts, who have lost 13 of their last 16 preseason outings straight-up, covering just five times in that stretch. And the switch from Tony Dungy to Jim Caldwell didn't change the team's fortunes as they dropped their opener last week at home to Minnesota, 13-3, as a three-point favorite. In the contest, Caldwell - much like Dungy before him - rested a number of his starters and perturbed those that did play, particularly Peyton Manning, by pulling them after six plays instead of their scheduled 12 downs.
Tonight Manning and his fellow starters are expected to play the first quarter, but again Indy will be minus at least six first-teamers, among them placekicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive stalwarts Bob Sanders, Raheem Brock, Anthoine Bethea, Robert Mathis and Kelvin Hayden, and back-up quarterback Jim Sorgi. With Sorgi sidelined for the second straight week, that means Indy will be counting on rookie Lance Painter once Manning is done for the evening. The former Purdue star was just average against Minnesota last week, completing 10-of-17 passes for 77 yards. And his ground game offered little support, garnering 77 yards on 14 carries for a deceiving 5.5 yards per carry average since 38 of them came on one carry by rookie Donald Brown.
Defense, or a lack thereof, killed the Colts last year and they weren't sharp on that side of the ball versus the Vikings, who outgained them 147-0 in the first quarter and averaged a healthy 4.4 yards per carry on the ground on 26 rushes.
Philadelphia epitomizes the term "walking wounded;" eight projected starters, including four members of the offensive line plus their top pass rusher, are out of action tonight. And although the Eagles were upset by New England at home in their opener, they played relatively well on both sides of the line of scrimmage; special team miscues continually put the Patriots in scoring position.
Reid plans to let his starters play the entire first half, and once Donovan McNabb (11-for-18, 103 yards vs. NE) takes a seat on the bench, A.J. Feeley, who completed 18-of-24 passes for 211 yards versus the Patriots, is expected to take over. The Birds also got a big game in their opener from rookie running back LeSean McCoy, who gained 55 yards on 10 carries to pace a ground game that averaged 4.3 yards on 27 rushes.
This is a situation where you should not be surprised to see the public make a late push to get on Philadelphia and move this line upwards. If it moves to 3 1/2 you buy down the 1/2 point to -3 to insure you get at least a push should the Eagles prevail by only a field goal. And if you can get -3 at the outset, go ahead and buy down to -2 1/2 to make sure you score should Philly win by only three points.
This line should not escalate to -4, but if it does, Philadelphia remains the play, but in that case you certainly do not buy the 1/2 point because there is no mathematical benefit from a wagering perspective.
STU FEINER
MARLINS @ ASTROS
MARLINS ARE NOT GOING AWAY AND THEY ARE IN THE THICK OF THE WILD CARD RACE. WITH A RECORD OF 64-56 THEY ARE ONLY THREE GAMES OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS. THEY HAVE WON 8 OF THEIR LAST 11 AND WILL WIN TONIGHT. CY YOUNG CANDIDATE JOSH JOHNSON WILL PICK UP HIS 7TH ROAD WIN OF THE YEAR TONIGHT. HIS NUMBERS ARE GREAT. 12-2 WITH AN ERA OF 2.85 AND HIS TEAM HAS WON 18 OF HIS 24 STARTS. HE IS 6-1 ON THE ROAD AND IN HIS LAST 20 INNINGS HE IS 2-0 WITH AN ERA OF 2.70. RODRIGUEZ IS HAVING A GREAT YEAR FOR HOUSTON, BUT IN HIS LAST 15 INNINGS HE IS 1-1 WITH AN ERA IS 6.60. THAT WILL NOT GET IT DONE AGAINST THE STREAKING MARLINS. ALL FLORIDA TONIGHT.
MARLINS -125 FOR A 2500 DIME SELECTION
KBHoops
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3* Eagles -3
2* Patriots -6.5
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5* Arizona +1.5 -130 **POD**
SEABASS
100* Mets
30* LA Angels
20* Red Sox
Robert Ferringo
2-Unit Play. Take LA. Dodgers (-135) over Chicago Cubs
1-Unit Play. Take San Francisco (-135) over Cincinnati
1-Unit Play. Take Colorado (-135) over Washington
1-Unit Play. Take Tampa Bay (-1.5, -135) over Baltimore
1-Unit Play. Take L.A. Angels (-150) Cleveland
Today's Totals
1.5-Unit Play. Take ‘Under’ 9.0 Arizona at Philadelphia
1-Unit Play. Take ‘Under’ 9.5 L.A. Angels at Cleveland