PITTSBURGH (95 - 68) at ST LOUIS (97 - 65) - 5:05 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 102-227 (-65.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
BURNETT is 7-26 (-16.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
BURNETT is 81-113 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
BURNETT is 66-94 (-34.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
BURNETT is 35-56 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 97-65 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 54-27 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 33-18 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ST LOUIS is 97-65 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 77-42 (+22.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 212-134 (+55.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 95-68 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 10-5 (+8.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-37 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 17-11 (+8.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-4 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
PITTSBURGH is 46-31 (+14.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 52-43 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 95-68 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 77-55 (+21.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-40 (+12.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 37-32 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 51-44 (-9.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 71-75 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 10-9 (+2.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
12 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.0 Units)
A.J. BURNETT vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
BURNETT is 8-6 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.295.
His team's record is 9-8 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-8. (+0.6 units)
ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 9-4 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.398.
His team's record is 11-7 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-2. (+10.2 units)
LA DODGERS (92 - 70) at ATLANTA (96 - 66) - 8:35 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. KRIS MEDLEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KERSHAW is 11-13 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 96-66 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 56-25 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 95-65 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 115-75 (+18.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 31-19 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEDLEN is 45-18 (+23.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
MEDLEN is 45-18 (+23.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
MEDLEN is 25-8 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 92-70 (+5.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 45-36 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA DODGERS are 66-43 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 24-16 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 38-52 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 29-38 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-2 (+2.8 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)
CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. ATLANTA since 1997
KERSHAW is 0-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.022.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)
KRIS MEDLEN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MEDLEN is 2-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 0.86 and a WHIP of 0.810.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of St. Louis's last 19 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
LA DODGERS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
LA Dodgers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers
MLB Playoffs
Pirates-Cardinals
Burnett is 2-1, 2.07 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under; he is 3-1, 3.67 in six starts vs St Louis this season.
Wainwright is 4-0, 1.80 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1), 1-0, 3.00 in three starts vs Pittsburgh.
Pirates won six of their last seven games; they are 10-9 vs St Louis this year, but lost last four meetings, allowing 33 runs. Cardinals won their last six games, outscoring opponents 27-6. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five games.
Dodgers-Braves
Kershaw is 2-1, 1.67 in his last four starts; he hasn't faced Atlanta since giving up six runs in 15.2 IP in two starts vs Braves in 2011.
Medlen is 5-0, 1.84 in his last six starts; he allowed one unearned run in 13.2 IP in two starts against LA back in spring. Under is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts.
Dodgers jogged to division title; they lost four of last five games with seven of last nine games staying under the total. Kemp is out, Ethier is banged up, but they've got quality depth.
Braves also had easy time winning division; they won three of last four games, with three of last four going over total. Atlanta is 5-2 against Dodgers this year, but 3-0 home sweep in May was before Puig came to big leagues.
Armadillosports.com
Pirates at Cardinals: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (-152, 6.5)
The St. Louis Cardinals endured a season-long battle with division rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati before winning the National League Central, but they will line up against a familiar foe when they host the Pirates in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Thursday. St. Louis surged into the playoffs with a six-game winning streak while allowing only six runs. Pittsburgh will have to slow the highest-scoring team in the NL in its first postseason appearance since 1992.
Pittsburgh won the season series 10-9 and beat up on the Cardinals at home, but St. Louis took the last four matchups, including a three-game sweep in September that served as a springboard for a 17-5 finish. The Pirates rely on a strong home-field edge - See: raucous crowd in Tuesday's 6-2 wild card win over Cincinnati - but they were among the best teams in the majors with a 44-37 record on the road. The return of Jason Grilli as closer could give the Pirates an edge at the back of the bullpen.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the low 80s with a 40 percent chance of thunder showers and winds blowing south at 8 mph.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH A.J. Burnett (10-11, 3.30 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (19-9, 2.94)
Burnett enters the playoffs off back-to-back wins against Cincinnati to give him nine consecutive seasons with double-digit victories. He'll be facing St. Louis for the seventh time this season and the results have been dramatically different between home and away. Burnett gave up two runs in 21 innings at PNC Park but was tattooed for 10 runs over 7 1/3 innings in two late-season starts in St. Louis.
Wainwright led the majors in complete games (5) and tied for the NL lead in victories after winning his last four decisions, including seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball against Pittsburgh on Sept. 7. He absorbed consecutive beatings by Cincinnati before rebounding to permit only seven runs in his last five starts. Wainwright is 9-6 with a 2.53 ERA and four complete games in 17 home starts.
TRENDS:
* Over is 16-4-2 in the last 22 meetings in St. Louis.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Pirates are 0-4 in the last four meetings in St. Louis.
* Cardinals are 7-3 in Wainwright's last 10 starts vs. Pirates.
WALK-OFFS:
1. St. Louis' balanced lineup can be a nightmare - it featured five players who had at least 78 RBIs and batted between .296 and .319.
2. Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen is 12-for-28 and wild card hero Russell Martin (two homers) is 9-for-22 versus Wainwright.
3. Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter is 9-for-21 with two doubles and two triples against Burnett.
Dodgers at Braves: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves (+129, 6)
The Atlanta Braves have lost seven consecutive playoff series and might have to face Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw twice in order to end that dismal streak. Atlanta hosts the Dodgers in Thursday’s opener of the National League Division Series and a Game 1 victory over Kershaw would bolster the Braves’ odds of prevailing. The Dodgers are back in the postseason after a three-season absence and turned their season around with a stretch of 42 wins in 50 games.
Los Angeles will ride the bats of shortstop Hanley Ramirez, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Yasiel Puig in the series and is moving outfielder Carl Crawford into the leadoff spot for the opener. Atlanta’s most consistent bat belongs to first baseman Freddie Freeman and he’ll receive offensive support from outfielder Justin Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson. The Braves opted to leave struggling Dan Uggla off the series roster and will go with journeyman Elliot Johnson as the starting second baseman.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid 70s with clear skies and winds blowing SSE at 2 mph.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11)
Kershaw led the majors in ERA and WHIP (0.92) and had an NL-leading 232 strikeouts while putting together a season that will likely earn him his second Cy Young Award. He hasn’t faced Atlanta since 2011 and is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four career outings against the Braves. Kershaw limited opposing hitters to a .187 average in 16 road starts while going 8-3 with a 2.14 ERA.
Medlen was superb down the stretch, going 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in five September starts while being named NL Pitcher of the Month. He went 1-0 against the Dodgers this season, allowing one unearned run and seven hits over 13 2/3 innings and is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in eight career appearances (three starts). Medlen was 9-3 with a 2.38 ERA after the All-Star break.
TRENDS:
* Under is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings in Atlanta.
* Under is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings.
* Dodgers are 2-5 in the last seven meetings in Atlanta.
* Dodgers are 2-5 in the last seven meetings.
WALK-OFFS:
1. The Braves won the season series, 5-2, but all the meetings were in the first half of the season before the Dodgers caught fire.
2. Atlanta OF Justin Upton is just 3-for-29 with nine strikeouts against Kershaw from his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
3. Los Angeles OF Andre Ethier (ankle) has batted once since Sept. 13, while OF Matt Kemp (ankle) will miss the postseason.
NLDS Betting Notebook
VegasInsider.com
Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis
Series Price: Cardinals (-160) Pirates (+140)
Series Format: St. Louis (2-2-1)
Game 1 - Thursday, Oct. 3
Game 2 - Friday, Oct. 4
Game 3 - Sunday, Oct. 6
Game 4* - Monday, Oct. 7
Game 5* - Wednesday, Oct. 9
Records
Overall
St. Louis - 97-65
Pittsburgh - 94-68
Home
St. Louis - 54-27
Pittsburgh - 50-31
Away
St. Louis - 43-38
Pittsburgh - 44-37
Head-to-Head (19 Games)
Overall: Pittsburgh 10-9
Busch Stadium: St. Louis 6-3
PNC Park: Pittsburgh 7-3
Total Notes (Over/Under)
Overall
St. Louis - 79-55-8
Pittsburgh - 71-86-5
Home
St. Louis - 34-42-5
Pittsburgh 32-46-4
Away
St. Louis - 45-33
Pittsburgh - 39-40-1
Head-to-Head (19 Games)
Overall: Over - 12-7-1
Busch Stadium: Over - 6-2-1
PNC Park: Over - 6-5
Game 1 Starters
St. Louis - Adam Wainwright (19-9, 2.94 ERA)
The Cardinals went 23-11 in Wainwright's 34 appearances, 11-6 at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals went 5-0 in Wainwright's last five starts of the season.
Wainwright faced Pittsburgh three times this season and posted a 1-0 record. The Cardinals went 2-1 in his starts, the two victories coming at home.
Wainwright saw the 'under' go 10-5-2 at home this season, which includes a 1-0-1 mark against the Pirates.
Wainwright has started four postseason games and the Cardinals have gone 2-2. The 'under' went 3-1.
Pittsburgh - A.J. Burnett (10-11, 3.30 ERA)
The Pirates went 14-16 in Burnett's 30 appearances, 5-11 on the road.
The Pirates went 3-1 in Burnett's last four starts of the season.
Burnett faced St. Louis six times this season and posted a 3-1 record with two no decisions. The Pirates went 4-2 in his six starts.
In Burnett's last two starts at St. Louis, he gave up 14 hits and 10 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. The 'over' went 3-0 in all of his road starts against the Cardinals.
Burnett saw the 'under' go 17-13 on the season but the 'over' was 10-6 in his 16 road starts.
Burnett started seven playoff games for the N.Y. Yankees from 2009 to 2011. He went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA.
L.A. Dodgers vs. Atlanta
Series Price: Braves (+150) Dodgers (-170)
Series Format: Atlanta (2-2-1)
Game 1 - Thursday, Oct. 3
Game 2 - Friday, Oct. 4
Game 3 - Sunday, Oct. 6
Game 4* - Monday, Oct. 7
Game 5* - Wednesday, Oct. 9
Records
Overall
Atlanta - 96-66
Los Angeles - 92-70
Home
Atlanta - 56-25
Los Angeles - 47-34
Away
Atlanta - 40-41
Los Angeles - 45-36
Head-to-Head (7 Games)
Overall: Atlanta 5-2
Turner Field: Atlanta 3-0
Dodgers Stadium: Los Angeles 2-2
Total Notes (Over/Under)
Overall
Atlanta - 73-80-9
Los Angeles - 74-81-7
Home
Atlanta - 34-43-4
Los Angeles - 39-39-3
Away
Atlanta - 39-37-5
Los Angeles - 35-42-4
Head-to-Head (7 Games)
Overall: Under - 5-2
Turner Field: Under - 2-1
Dodgers Stadium: Under 3-1
Game 1 Starters
Atlanta - Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA)
The Braves went 18-14 in Medlen's 32 appearances, 11-6 at home
The Braves went 5-1 in his final six starts, the lone loss by two runs
Medlen has won six straight starts at Turner Field
Medlen faced the Dodgers twice this season and produced a 1-0 record with a no decision. The Braves won both games and Medlen gave up no earned runs.
The 'under' was 20-11-1 in Medlen's starts, 12-5 at home.
Medlen is 0-1 in one playoff start, losing to St. Louis 6-3 in last year's Wild Card game. Medlen pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up three hits and two unearned runs
Los Angeles - Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA)
The Dodgers have gone 19-14 in Kershaw's 33 starts, which includes an 11-5 road mark.
The Dodgers posted shutout victories in his last two starts of the season but were just 1-3 in his previous four.
Kershaw didn't face the Braves this season.
Kershaw saw the 'under' go 19-12-2 this season, including a 9-6 record on the road.
Kershaw is 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA in the postseason. He started two games in the 2009 playoffs and saw relief action in 2008.