BIG AL
Smash - Connecticut
Paul Leiner
100* Brewers -115
50* UConn -4
Dr Bob
Leans
Boise St/Toledo Under
Iowa St
UCONN/Iowa St Under
Fantasy Sports Gametime
Play Tampa Bay (+140) over Boston (Top Play of the Day)
James Shields has won 4 consecutive games when pitching on a Friday and he has also won 7 of the last 9 games as an underdog of +100 to +150. James Shields has won 5 of the last 6 road games when the total posted is between 8 and 8.5 runs and he is 3-0 over the last three starts with an ERA of 0.71.
Play Texas (-180) over Seattle (Bonus)
Jimmy Boyd
3* UConn -4
3* Yankees -1½
3* Rangers -1½
Ben Burns
Main Event - Toledo
Boise State is very good, as usual. However, I believe this line has gotten a little out of control. It was high to begin with an has climbed even higher since its opener. With all due respect to the Broncos, I believe it will prove to be too high. The Rockets are generally tough at Toledo. Indeed, they're 51-19 SU their last 70 home lined games. That includes an 8-4 SU (7-5 ATS) mark the past couple of seasons. This year's lone home game came against an inferior opponent (New Hampshire) but saw the Rockets put up 58 points on 591 yards. More impressive, last week the Rockets nearly beat the Buckeyes, at Ohio State. They eventually lost 27-22, easily covering as +17.5 point underdogs. That was at Ohio State. Yet, now they're at home and getting even more points. Some might feel that the close loss to Ohio State will be difficult for Toledo to "recover" from, as can sometimes be the case. The Rockets weren't really expecting to win that game though - at least not going into it. So, I don't feel there will be much of a "letdown" effect. Not when they're playing a home televised game against a nationally ranked opponent which embarrassed them last season. While we know Boise is very well coached, I believe the same can be said of Toledo. Speaking of last season, this year's Toledo team returned a whopping 18 starters, most in the MAC, losing just nine lettermen. Even with the loss on the blue turf, they were still a solid 8-5. After the loss at Boise, the Rockets won all four of their remaining home games last year, one by a touchdown and the other three by double-digits. While it may seem that they're always blowing teams out, note that the Broncos are just 2-4 ATS the past couple of seasons when favored in the -10.5 to -21 range. Against a Toledo team with plenty of experience and offense talent, I expect the Broncos to face a much tougher test than most will be expecting.
Bookie Killer
10 Units - Detroit Tigers -125
Rocketman
3* Detroit Tigers -127
Detroit is now 87-63 overall this year while Oakland limps in with a 68-82 overall record on the season. Detroit is now 12-2 in September of this year. Detroit bullpen has a 3.64 ERA on the road this year. Doug Fister has a 3.06 ERA overall this year, 3.47 ERA on the road this season and 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA his last 3 starts. Fister has lacked run support all year as shown in his overall record but the Tigers have helped him out after the trade. Trevor Cahill has a 6.46 ERA in his last 3 starts. Fister is 4-3 with a 2.77 ERA overall vs Oakland in his starts. We'll play Detroit for 3 units tonight!
Jen Barry
30* Florida Marlins +110
Wunderdog
Cleveland at Minnesota
Pick: Cleveland -130
The Minnesota Twins have always managed to get more out of less than any other team, and always seemed to find a way to win or hang around the top of the AL Central. That is not the case this season, as the Twins are 59-89 and are in danger of posting the dreaded 100-loss season. This team has all the earmarks of a team that has packed it in long ago. The Twins have amassed a 9-33 mark in their last 42 games. Ubaldo Jimenez has finally found himself in the AL and has not allowed more than 3 runs in each of his last four starts. He should have no problem navigating a Twins' lineup that has produced just 17 runs in their last 10 games, getting shutout in three of them. Play Cleveland for the win here.
Info Plays
7* Milwaukee Brewers -108
Mike Jacobs
3500* UConn -4
Wunderdog
Cleveland at Minnesota
Pick: Cleveland -130
Atlanta at Connecticut
Pick: Atlanta +4.5
The Atlanta Dream made it all the way to the finals a year ago, and were poised and predicted to make a similar run again this season. The Dream sure didn't open the season looking like that team as they proceeded to go 3-9 out of the gate, and looked like a team going nowhere. They finally got their act together, and did so in a big way. They finished 17-5 in their last 22 games. Connecticut was very pedestrian over the second half of the season, finishing their last 16 games at just 9-7. While they have been superior at home, they are playing a confident and hungry team that has been as good as anyone in their last 22 games. The Sun has had some brilliant teams over the years, but in the playoffs a different team emerges and they sit at 0-5 ATS in their last five conference semifinal matchups. Game one goes to Atlanta.
San Antonio at. Minnesota
Play: San Antonio +9
San Antonio has been a mystery. This team was by far the best looking team to open the season, as they averaged over 90 points per game and were off to a 7-1 start. Somewhere along the line they lost their way, but the fact that they showed the level they were capable of early, may manifest itself once again in the playoffs. Minnesota has clearly been the best team in the WNBA, but that doesn't guarantee playoffs success. When facing a team with a winning record at the time they played them, the Lynx have won just three of the eight by more than 10 points at home, but lost three of the games outright. San Antonio played them tough here losing by 2 and 10 points in the two meetings this season. This is too many points in a playoff game, so I'm taking San Antonio here.
Brandon Lang
20 Dime Toledo +20.5
Teddy Covers
Iowa St