Cnotes ALDS & NLDS Championship Series Best Bets !

[CNOTES]

Monday’s betting tips: MNF bettors like Lions and over

Who’s hot

NFL: Detroit is 16-5-2 against the spread in its last 23 games overall.

MLB: Texas has won 14 of its last 16 overall.

NHL: Phoenix has won eight of its last 11 meetings with the Stars in Dallas.

CFL: The under is 12-2 in the last 14 meetings between the Roughriders and Eskimos in Edmonton.

Who’s not

NFL: Chicago is 1-5 against the spread in its last six overall.

MLB: Detroit is 2-7 in its last 9 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.

NHL: St. Louis has won just six of its last 26 dates with Calgary.

CFL: Toronto is 2-11 against the spread in its last 13 meetings with Montreal.

Key stat

258 – Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo needs 258 passing yards Monday against the Toronto Argonauts to become the CFL’s all-time leading passer. Damon Allen currently holds that record with 72,381 passing yards. Calvillo has thrown for 3,963 yards this season already with 28 touchdowns to go against just four interceptions. The Alouettes are set as 12.5-point favorites with the total at 54.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers – Ordonez will miss the rest of the postseason with his broken right ankle. Ordonez had talked about retirement while playing his 15th season this year and he could not overcome ongoing issues with his surgically repaired ankle. The 37-year-old Ordonez batting .309 with 294 career homers and 1,236 RBIs with the Chicago White Sox and Tigers. Sunday's Game 2 of the American League Championship Series was postponed because of rain. It has been rescheduled for Monday.

Game of the day

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-5, 47)

Notable quotable

"We're in the playoffs, we're playing the Texas Rangers for the championship — I love it. It's exciting. It's a great opportunity for us to show how tough we are, and we're tough. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. I don't want anybody feeling sorry for us. We'll make do." – Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland about losing Ordonez and Delmon Young to injury.

Notes and tips

The Detroit Lions opened as a 6-point favorite in their big Monday Nighter against the Chicago Bears and are now holding around -5.5 with a 47-point total. As of Sunday evening, about 59 percent of *********** Consensus bettors were backing the Lions with nearly double the over bets to under wagers. Detroit is 13-3-2 against the spread in its last 18 games against NFC foes and nine of the club’s last 11 home games have played over the total.

NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan suspended Minnesota Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard for two games on Sunday following his hit on Columbus Blue Jackets wing Matt Calvert. Bouchard used a high stick which bloodied the mouth of Calvert following a faceoff in Saturday's contest. Calvert lost teeth and needed stitches on his lip, but returned to the contest in the third period. Columbus coach Scott Arniel was upset that Bouchard took a "baseball swing" at Calvert's face and did not receive a major penalty. "It's definitely an intent to injure," Arniel said. "They said it was deflected off our guy's stick and into his face. Our whole bench saw it. Their whole bench saw it." Bouchard will miss Monday's game against the New York Islanders and Tuesday's contest versus the Ottawa Senators.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders won’t have quarterback Darian Durant under center in Monday’s must-win game against the Edmonton Eskimos. Durant sprained his foot on Oct. 1, leaving Ryan Dinwiddie to take the snaps as the Roughriders look to keep their push for the postseason going. Dinwiddie has just one CFL start under his belt and the Roughriders are set as 6-point underdogs at Edmonton.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Last time Florida-Florida State-Miami were all unranked in the college football top 25 was December 6, 1982.

-- Devils got shut out in their season opener Saturday, first time in their history they got blanked on Opening Night..........Ottawa Senators lost their first two games, but scored eight goals, all in the third period.

-- Brewers beat St Louis 9-6, moving to 17-0 at Miller Park this year in games started by Zach Greinke.

-- Winner of Game 1 has won 16 of the last 19 NLCS.

-- Bryce Molder won the PGA Tour event in San Jose; he is 29th first-time winner on Tour since last time Eldrick Woods won a tournament.

-- Nine different Pro Football Hall of Famers had Al Davis introduce them at their induction ceremony in Canton. Quite an honor.


*******************


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday........

13) You cannot turn the ball over in the NFL and win; teams that were -2 or worse in turnovers Sunday were 0-4, losing by an average of 19 points.

12) Houston outgained the Raiders by 195 yards, but an inspired Oakland team hung on for a 25-20 upset win, picking off a pass in their end zone on the last play of the game. Raiders were playing with heavy hearts after the passing of longtime owner/GM Al Davis.

11) Tim Tebow came off the bench and damn near rallied Denver to a win over the Chargers, who had led 26-10 with 13:35 left. Tebow had one play from the San Diego 30-yard line with 0:01 left, but a pass was broken up, as Norv Turner's team improved to 4-1 with a 29-24 road win.

10) Seattle snapped a 9-game losing streak in the Eastern time zone when they upset the Giants 36-25 at Swamp Stadium, despite turning ball over twice in the Giant red zone in the game's first 21:46. Giants converted once on 12 third down plays and turned ball over five times, (-2) leading to the 20-yard advantage in average field position that Seahawks enjoyed.

9) 49ers are now +10 in turnovers after thrashing the overrated Bucs 48-3. Tampa Bay had been 9-0-2 vs spread in their previous 11 road games, but had a cross country road trip after a rare Monday night appearance.

8) Niners have now gone 27 games without allowing a rusher to gain 100+ yards, the longest active streak in the NFL.

7) Drew Brees has thrown a TD in 32 consecutive games, only Favre (36) and Unitas (47) have had longer streaks.

6) Pittsburgh waxed the Titans 38-17; the shoe Ben Roethlisberger wears on his injured foot is a size larger than the one on his healthy foot, so all the protective gear on the injured foot can fit inside the shoe.

5) Indianapolis led the Chiefs 17-0 with 11:13 left in the second quarter, but lost 28-24; on their first four drives, Kansas City ran 16 plays for 41 yards and two first downs. On their next six drives, Chiefs snapped the ball 46 times for 343 yards, 22 first downs and 28 points.

4) The catch Dwayne Bowe made on the TD pass that cut the Colts' lead to 24-21 was a truly great catch; plus, he was interfered with on the play.

3) Minnesota led the Cardinals 21-0 before the popcorn was done; really, with 6:25 left in first quarter, the Vikings already had TDs on drives of 18-24-25 yards, thanks to an INT, fumble and a 16-yard net punt. Minnesota has led four of five games at the half by 10+ points, but is only 1-4.

2) Teams that scored a defensive TD were 4-1 Sunday; only Denver lost.

1) Now that Cincinnati looks like they've got a keeper in rookie QB Andy Dalton, shouldn't they trade the rights to Carson Palmer and improve the team down the road? Why be spiteful and hurt your own team?

 

[CNOTES]

MLB


Monday, October 10

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Trend Report
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4:19 PM
DETROIT vs. TEXAS
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Texas
Texas is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games

8:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing St. Louis


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB


Monday, October 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Monday’s best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers (-150, 9)

After Game 2 was postponed due to rain, the Tigers and Rangers will try to get the game in Monday evening in Texas.

The Tigers will be up against lefty Derek Holland, who was far from upset about having his start pushed back a day.

"Getting this extra day of rest is the more important thing, especially to clear up some of the sinus stuff that I've got going on," Holland, who is 6-0 in his last seven starts, told reporters. "I can just kind of relax and watch more video. Maybe I'll pick up something that I didn't see before. So that's a good thing to have, too."

That’s probably more bad news for the Tigers, who will be without Magglio Ordonez for the rest the postseason after already losing No. 3 hitter Delmon Young for at least this series. To make matters worse, the club struck out 14 times in Game 1’s 3-2 loss.

Max Scherzer is expected to get the call for the Tigers Monday, going on three days’ rest after he threw 32 pitches in relief Thursday against the Yankees.

Texas has won each of its last four starts at home with Holland on the hill and a lot of things seem to be going against the Tigers in this one. We’ll ride with the Rangers.

Pick: Rangers

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel


St. Louis at Milwaukee
The Cardinals look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss and take advantage of a Milwaukee team that is 0-5 in Shaun Marcum's last 5 home starts versus a team with a winning record. St. Louis is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+120). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 931-932: Detroit at Texas (4:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 16.066; Texas (Holland) 15.033
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+120); Over

Game 933-934: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Jackson) 16.154; Milwaukee (Marcum) 14.600
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+120); Under

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, October 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (93 - 75) at MILWAUKEE (100 - 68) - 8:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. SHAUN MARCUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 83-76 (-29.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 179-152 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 101-68 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 37-17 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 82-49 (+26.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 61-39 (+14.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MILWAUKEE is 101-68 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 57-27 (+24.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 62-24 (+30.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 35-9 (+22.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 53-29 (+17.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 47-36 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 69-46 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 74-55 (+5.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-14 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-21 (+13.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 48-38 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 22-37 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 13-23 (-14.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
MARCUM is 6-11 (-8.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
MARCUM is 6-11 (-8.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
MARCUM is 2-9 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 10-9 (-0.4 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
10 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.1 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
JACKSON is 2-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.406.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

SHAUN MARCUM vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
MARCUM is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.192.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (98 - 70) at TEXAS (100 - 67) - 4:15 PM
MAX SCHERZER (R) vs. DEREK HOLLAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 5-17 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 95-61 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 74-43 (+18.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 47-33 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 101-66 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 43-27 (+12.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DETROIT is 45-32 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 23-12 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 99-71 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 48-38 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 40-23 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 93-69 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SCHERZER is 10-1 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-4 (+2.4 Units) against TEXAS this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. TEXAS since 1997
SCHERZER is 3-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.41 and a WHIP of 1.243.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.7 units)

DEREK HOLLAND vs. DETROIT since 1997
HOLLAND is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB
Short Sheet


Monday, October 10

NL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 2 - MIL Leads 1-0
ST LOUIS at MILWAUKEE, 8:05 PM ET TBS
JACKSON: STL 16-4 if 15+ total runs scored last game
MARCUM: 2-9 TSR in home night games

AL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 2 - TEX Leads 1-0
DETROIT at TEXAS, 4:15 PM ET FOX
SCHERZER: DET 40-23 in day games
HOLLAND: 1-5 TSR when working on 7 or more days rest

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

 

[CNOTES]

Rangers And Tigers Continue ALCS In Detroit
The Detroit Tigers are 103-63 at Comerica Park since the start of 2010.
Emotions should be running high on Wednesday afternoon for what will be a tense game in the American League Championship Series. The Detroit Tigers will play host to the Texas Rangers in Game 4 of the ALCS at 4:19 p.m. (ET). Live television coverage for this and all of the games in the ALCS can be found on FOX.
The Tigers know that this is going to be a pivotal game for them after their failures in the Lone Star State. They were on the wrong side of two very close games, a 3-2 game on Saturday that featured a pair of rain delays, and a 7-3 game that went 11 innings on Monday and ended on a Nelson Cruz grand slam.
The good news though, is that this series has shifted back to the Motor City, where the Rangers are just 23-34 since Comerica Park opened. That's the worst record among any team in the American League.
One would figure that Justin Verlander would be handed the baseball in Game 4 of this series, especially in such a dire spot for the Tigers. The soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner only pitched four innings in Game 1 of this series before those two rain delays.
However, manager Jim Leyland has already said that Verlander is going to pitch in Game 5, not in Game 4 as many suspected, which removes any chance of him starting three games in this series.
Instead, it'll be up to Rick Porcello to get the job done on Wednesday. The righty pitched two innings in relief of Verlander on Saturday, but he hasn't started a game since Game 4 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees back on October 4.
At just 22 years old, Porcello is beyond his years in terms of experience. He already has 34 career wins in his three seasons in the majors. However, he is still in search of his first postseason victory.
Porcello is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight innings of work thus far in the playoffs.
Matt Harrison is going to be taking the hill opposite of Porcello in Game 4.
Harrison struck out nine batters in his start last Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and he got the win in the game that closed out the series. The southpaw allowed just two runs in five innings, but he threw a whopping 97 pitches.
There has to be a concern about Harrison's ability to pitch deep into games. The Rangers used their bullpen immensely in the two games played at home, and with no off days coming in this series until Friday, it's crucial for starting pitchers to throw deep into games.
Harrison hasn't pitched deeper than 6 2/3 innings since September 4, and he hasn't completed more than seven innings since July 28.
Entering Game 3 of this series, the Tigers were 20-8 in their last 28 road games overall, including winning two games at Tropicana Field in the ALDS. However, as we mentioned before, they have struggled here at Comerica Park, going just 5-17 in their last 22 meetings.
Mother Nature appears to have a nice day in store for baseball on Wednesday. Temperatures should be in the low-60s in the late afternoon, dipping into the mid-50s as the night wears on. There is a minimal chance of rain.
Should there be a Game 5 in this series, Verlander is scheduled to pitch against CJ Wilson in a game that will start at 4:19 p.m. (ET) at Comerica Park.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (96-66) at Tigers (95-67)

Game: 4
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: October 11, 2011 8:05 PM EDT

After winning the first two games of the AL championship series, the Texas Rangers head to Detroit with the right man on the mound to help pad their advantage.
Colby Lewis looks to remain undefeated for his career in the postseason as he tries to help the Rangers earn a sixth consecutive playoff victory Tuesday night against the Tigers.
Four innings after he tied the game with a solo home run, Nelson Cruz hit the first walkoff grand slam in postseason history in the 11th to give Texas a 7-3 victory in Game 2 on Monday. Cruz, who homered for the decisive run in a 3-2 victory in Game 1, is 4 for 7 with six RBIs in the series.
"It's special," Cruz said. "When you get a chance to get a W, that's the most important thing."
Winners of five straight since losing 9-0 in the division series opener versus Tampa Bay on Sept. 30, the Rangers are filled with confidence as they head to Detroit in a comfortable situation.
"It's amazing when you play around those group of guys," Cruz said. "Everybody is pulling the same way."
Though Texas dropped four of six at Detroit during the season, it should feel confident with Lewis (1-0, 1.50 ERA) taking the ball.
The right-hander allowed only a solo homer and struck out six in six innings of a 4-3 win at Tampa in Game 3 to improve to 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in five postseason starts.
"It's the comfortability aspect of things," Lewis said. "Basically the more you do it, the more you go out there, the more you understand what it takes to perform and be on that stage."
Lewis went 0-1 with a 15.95 ERA in two starts against the Tigers this season. He allowed five runs, 10 hits and walked three in four innings while not factoring in the decision of a 6-5 loss at Comerica Park on Aug. 2.
Detroit counters with Doug Fister (1-1, 6.52), who hopes his success at home during the season carries over into the playoffs.
Acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline, Fister went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 11 appearances - 10 starts - for the Tigers. In his first outing with his new team Aug. 3, Fister allowed three runs in seven innings of a 5-4 win over Texas at Comerica Park.
The right-hander went 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA in five home starts for the Tigers.
"Obviously, there's a huge fan base in Detroit, which is terrific to play in front of," said Fister, 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in two starts versus Texas this season. "It's been very prevalent. It's something that gives you chills."
Fister gave up six runs and struck out six in 4 2-3 innings of a 9-3 loss at New York when Game 1 of the ALDS resumed Oct. 1. However, he yielded only one run in five innings of a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium in Game 5 on Thursday.
Though his team is down 0-2 and Cruz is 7 for 14 with a home run and two doubles against him, Fister does not feel any added pressure taking the mound in this must-win scenario.
"It can't change the approach for the pitcher at all," Fister said. "It doesn't change the mindset, it doesn't change how you attack hitters."
Ryan Raburn provided all of Detroit's Game 2 scoring with a three-run homer in the third inning as the Tigers left 13 runners on base. Detroit is 2 for 19 with runners in scoring position in the series.
"It's been a great two games. It didn't go the right way, obviously," manager Jim Leyland said. "(The Rangers) earned it, and we didn't quite get it done. We haven't been able to come up with any big hits."
Added to the postseason roster before Game 2 after Magglio Ordonez was lost for the playoffs with an ankle injury, Detroit's Delmon Young went 0 for 4 on Monday. Young, who went 6 for 19 with three homers in the ALDS, returned to action after he was expected to miss this series with an oblique injury.
He is 3 for 10 versus Lewis, while Tigers catcher Alex Avila - 2 for 25 with 10 strikeouts in the postseason - is 3 for 9 with two homers.
Victor Martinez (5 for 11), Miguel Cabrera (5 for 12) and leadoff hitter Austin Jackson (6 for 15, one homer) have also had success when facing Lewis.

 

[CNOTES]

Rangers look to take 3-0 series lead in ALCS

TEXAS RANGERS
at DETROIT TIGERS

First pitch: Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Detroit -140, Texas +130, Total: 8.5
The Tigers hope their fortunes will turn when they return home to host Texas for Game 3 of the ALCS on Tuesday night.
Detroit suffered a heartbreaking loss in Game 2, losing a 3-2 lead in the seventh and stranding 13 runners before losing on Nelson Cruz’s 11th-inning, walk-off grand slam. Based on the regular season, the Tigers have the pitching advantage in Game 3 with Doug Fister going against Colby Lewis. But Lewis has been a postseason star. He shut down the Rays with six innings of one-run ball in the ALDS and is now 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in five career playoff starts. With the Tigers already reeling and the Rangers’ quality potential payout, TEXAS is the pick.
The FoxSheets provide a four-star trend in support of the Rangers:
Play On - Road teams (TEXAS) - having won 12 or more of their last 15 games, in October games. (44-17 since 1997.) (72.1%, +32.8 units. Rating = 4*).
Fister (11-13, 2.83 ERA with Seattle and Detroit in the regular season) held his own in the ALDS. His ERA was ugly against the Yankees (6.52 ERA), but his Game 1 outing was marred by the three runners he left on base with two outs, all of whom scored when Al Alburquerque gave up a grand slam. Fister bounced back in their decisive Game 5 win, holding the Yankees to one run over five innings in New York.
Fister certainly enjoyed Comerica Park after joining the Tigers in August. He went 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA and 0.74 WHIP over five home starts with Detroit, all of them Tigers wins, and he’s thrown 16 consecutive shutout innings at Comerica.
Texas is familiar with Fister from his Mariners days, and Nelson Cruz (1.390 OPS in 15 plate appearances) and David Murphy (6-for-16, two HR) have hit him hard. But most of the Rangers lineup has struggled against the 6-foo-8 righty, including Josh Hamilton (2-for-10), Elvis Andrus (3-for-19), Ian Kinsler (.235 OBP in 17 PAs) and Michael Young (.588 OPS in 17 PAs).
Lewis (14-10, 4.40 ERA in the regular season) was much better on the road than at home this year, going 10-5 with a 3.33 ERA in 18 road starts. He was torched by the Tigers twice this year, though. In a June start in Arlington, Lewis allowed nine runs and 10 hits, including four home runs, in 3.1 innings. In Detroit in August, he allowed five runs (four earned) and 13 base runners in 4+ innings. Since returning from Japan as a new man last year, he’s faced the Tigers five times and allowed four-plus runs in all of them. One positive piece of information for Lewis versus Detroit: Brennan Boesch has gotten him for two homers over 15 career at-bats, but is out for the season after undergoing thumb surgery.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday betting tips: ALCS Game 3 ump hits overs

Who’s hot

MLB: Detroit is 20-8 in its last 28 home games.

NHL: Ottawa has won five of its last six home games.

NHL: The over is 9-3-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 15 games overall.

Who’s not

MLB: Texas is 5-17 in its last 22 games in Detroit.

NHL: Minnesota is 6-16 in its last 22 games playing on zero days’ rest.

NHL: Florida is 0-5 in its last five trips to Pittsburgh.

Key stat

-10 – The Philadelphia Eagles’ turnover differential through five games sits at -10, the club’s worst since 1977.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Mario Williams, Houston Texans - Linebacker Mario Williams will undergo season-ending surgery this week to repair torn pectoral muscle. Williams was injured in the second quarter of the Texans' 25-20 loss at the hands of the Oakland Raiders. The 26-year-old was replaced by Brooks Reed at outside linebacker. The North Carolina State star was enjoying a fantastic season in Houston, recording five sacks through his team's first five games. Houston opened as an early 7-point underdog at Baltimore this week.

Game of the day

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers (-130, 8.5)

Notable quotable

"It'll be nice pitching in front of our fans back home. We have a great atmosphere back there. After seeing our fan base, especially in the playoffs, it's an incredible feeling to stand up and look in the crowd and see everybody waving their white towels and being up, screaming on their feet. I'm looking forward to pitching in that atmosphere.” – Detroit Tigers Game 3 starter Doug Fister about heading home to Detroit down 2-0 in the ALCS to Texas.

Notes and tips

Jim Wolf is scheduled to be behind the plate when the Texas Rangers take on the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the ALCS. Wolf saw the over go 18-11 in the regular season with an average of 9.24 runs scored in his games. The over is 4-2-1 in his last seven games and he has seen the Rangers go over in each of their last three games with him behind the plate. Check out ***********'s umpire stats here.

Ottawa Senators forward Nikita Filatov will be a fourth-liner for his team's next game Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild - if he plays at all. Filatov skated with the fourth line in Monday's practice after going through a dreadful weekend that saw the Senators lose to the Detroit Red Wings and rival Toronto Maple Leafs. The 21-year-old left-winger recorded a single assist in the back-to-back defeats and, while is one of the few players on the team with a plus rating, Senators coach Paul MacLean hasn't been impressed with his play so far. The former first-round pick has just six goals and eight assists in 46 career NHL games. Meanwhile, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson (illness) is considered questionable for Monday’s game.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp confirmed Monday that Gators quarterback John Brantley will not be in the lineup for Saturday's showdown with the 24th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Brantley didn't play in last weekend's 41-11 drubbing at the hands of Louisiana State as he nurses a severely sprained ankle. He remains week-to-week, with no timetable for his return. Freshman Jacoby Brissett will practice with the starters in Brantley's absence. Brissett completed eight of 14 passes for 84 years with a touchdown and two interceptions against LSU. Fellow first-year QB Jeff Driskel may get the call in place of Brissett. Driskel missed Saturday's game with an ankle injury.

Denver Broncos coach John Fox on Monday said he will hold off on naming a starting quarterback until Tuesday. Fox said he wanted to review the film of Monday's 29-24 loss to San Diego before announcing whether incumbent Kyle Orton or fan favorite Tim Tebow will start following next week's bye. Tebow, the team's first-round draft pick in 2010, replaced an ineffective Orton to start the second half Sunday. Although his numbers were not great (4 of 10, 79 yards), Tebow threw for a touchdown and ran for another and nearly rallied the Broncos to victory. Orton had a dreadful performance, going 6 of 13 for 34 yards and an interception as Denver dropped to 1-4 on the season.The Broncos are on a bye this week.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Umpire Jim Wolf has to work the ALCS, since his brother pitches for Milwaukee-- he can't work the NLCS.

-- When it was announced the Atlanta Thrashers were moving up to Winnipeg, they sold 13,000 season tickets in less than 20 minutes.

-- Baseball teams down 0-2 in seven-game series have won only 13 of those 51 series.

-- Arizona Wildcats fired their football coach Monday; what does it help to do it now? Just creates a lost season for their seniors.

-- Indiana lost hooper Mo Creek for the year with an Achilles injury; its his third major injury since scoring 16.4 ppg as a freshman.

-- NBA cancelled first two weeks of the regular season. I don't know much about economics, but how do the players win by extending this?


******************


Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Bottom 5 and top 8 in the NFL........

28) Broncos-- Tebow gave team a spark, but does Elway want him being the team's franchise quarterback? My guess is no.

29) Colts-- Came close last three weeks and Painter hasn't looked bad, but blowing a 17-0 a lead at home to the Chiefs was disappointing.

30) Dolphins-- Matt Moore makes his first Miami start in the Swamp Monday night; he's a (Oregon State) Beaver, maybe he'll feel at home.

31) Jaguars-- Blew lead at home in 4th quarter to Bengals; can't use rookie QB as an excuse, since Bengals' Dalton is also a rookie.

32) Rams-- You know things suck when the bye week is great fun.

8) Raiders-- Emotional win in Houston; run ball better than most, but not 100% sold on Campbell as a playoff-caliber QB. Listen to the NFL Films piece during the Patriot game, when Hue Jackson was miked. He didn't sound too happy with Campbell either.

7) Bills-- Over half their roster was drafted in Rounds 5-7, or not at all. Hungry guys with a chip on their shoulder- that works in the NFL.

6) Chargers-- Norv Turner seems like a nice guy. Good for him. Thinking they'll get higher on this list.

5) Saints-- Chargers once had Drew Brees, let him walk and they're still good. Miami took Daunte Culpepper instead of Brees. Think about it.

4) Ravens-- Have to be worried about Flacco after his dismal exhibition against the Jets before their bye. He'll need to play a lot better.

3) Lions-- If I was a Bears' fan, it would make me puke that Lovie Smith didn't kick a FG down 11 with 0:35 left Monday night; it was his only chance to win the game. Not much of a game manager.

2) Patriots-- Led 21-0 in only game they lost. If I were them, wouldn't have Wes Welker returning punts; he's too valuable for that.

1) Packers-- Fell behind 14-0 in Atlanta and still won going away; they're a poised team with a lot of offensive weapons. My Rams are in for a long day this Sunday trying to defend this team.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel


Texas at Detroit
The Tigers look to build on their 8-0 record in Doug Fister's last 8 starts. Detroit is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11

Game 909-910: Texas at Detroit (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lewis) 15.036; Detroit (Fister) 16.062
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135); Over




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up


Tuesday, October 11

Texas bullpen worked 8.1 innings Monday, but they're up 2-0 and can afford to rest guys here, if necessary. Fister lost 4-0 to Texas when he was with Seattle (July 15); he beat the Rangers 5-4 August 3 in his first start for Detroit (three runs/seven IP). Fister is 7-0, 0.94 in his last eight starts (Game 1 of Bronx series was a relief appearance). Lewis is 4-0, 4.31 in his last five starts, 2-0, 2.95 in his last three; he allowed 14 runs in 7.1 IP in two horrible outings against the Tigers this season.




MLB


Tuesday, October 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:05 PM
TEXAS vs. DETROIT
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Detroit's last 16 games


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB


Tuesday, October 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Tuesday's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers (-125, 8.5)

You have to hand it to the Texas Rangers - they won’t back down when their backs are against the wall.

Down 3-2 in the seventh inning of Game 2, Nelson Cruz evened the affair with a blast off the foul pole that spelled the end of Max Scherzer’s night. Then for an encore, Cruz hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning to give Texas a two-game lead heading into Tuesday’s date in Detroit.

Nelson definitely has some pop in his bat, but manager Ron Washington wasn’t expecting this type of onslaught from his slugger, who now has three homers and six RBIs in the series.

"One swing can always click your timing back, but don't put him coming out of a slump on a home run," Washington told reporters of Cruz, who had just one hit in the first round of the playoffs. "You can judge it if he starts popping singles around the ballpark, to left and right. Then you can say he's coming out of it."

Well, it’s safe to say Cruz is definitely out of his skid now and sends Texas into Game 3 riding a ton of momentum.

Delmon Young’s surprise return to the lineup was supposed to give the Tigers a boost Monday, but he couldn’t get much going at the dish without a hit in four at bats.

The Tigers will need another gem from Doug Fister in this one after he fired five solid innings last Thursday in the ALDS. We still think this is going to be a long series, so we’ll jump on the home chalk.

Pick: Tigers

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Long Sheet


Tuesday, October 11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS (101 - 67) at DETROIT (98 - 71) - 8:05 PM
COLBY LEWIS (R) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 93-70 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 67-48 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 43-28 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DETROIT is 45-33 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 23-13 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 99-72 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 103-63 (+22.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 96-61 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 75-42 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 75-43 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 48-33 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 84-62 (+21.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 102-66 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 36-18 (+14.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-5 (+1.4 Units) against TEXAS this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.4 Units)

COLBY LEWIS vs. DETROIT since 1997
LEWIS is 2-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 7.76 and a WHIP of 1.913.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. TEXAS since 1997
FISTER is 2-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.256.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Short Sheet


Tuesday, October 11

AL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 3 - TEX Leads 2-0
TEXAS at DETROIT, 8:05 PM ET FOX
LEWIS: 25-21 TSR as underdog
FISTER: 12-1 Under after giving up 1 or less ER last outing

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

 

[CNOTES]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
10/10/11 1-­3-­0 25.00% -­1225 Detail
10/09/11 2-­0-­0 100.00% +­1000 Detail
10/08/11 1-­1-­0 50.00% -­35 Detail
10/07/11 2-­2-­0 50.00% +­255 Detail
10/06/11 1-­1-­0 50.00% +­215 Detail
10/05/11 3-­1-­0 75.00% +­1005 Detail
10/04/11 3-­3-­1 50.00% -­35 Detail
10/03/11 2-­0-­0 100.00% +­1000 Detail
10/02/11 5-­1-­0 83.33% +­2505 Detail
10/01/11 3-­1-­0 75.00% +­1000 Detail
Totals 23-­13-­1 63.89% +5685

Tuesday, October 11

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Texas - 8:05 PM ET Texas +117 500

Detroit - Over 8.5 500

 

[CNOTES]

Cardinals, Brewers Head To St. Louis For Game 3
Thirty runs later, the NLCS shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 with the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers knotted a win apiece. Charged with trying to quell the bats that have ruled this series so far will be Chris Carpenter for St. Louis and Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo.
Carpenter and the Cardinals went off on a -145 MLB money line for Wednesday's matchup at Busch Stadium. Despite the scoring onslaught – and the fact St. Louis and Milwaukee ranked first and fifth respectively in the NL in scoring this year – the opening total was seven runs.
Each lineup took a turn single-handedly destroying the totals set by oddsmakers for Games 1 and 2. Paced by a trio of 2-run homers, the Brewers rallied past the Cardinals on Sunday for a 9-6 win with the game closing on a 7½-run total. The MLB odds went up to 8½ for Monday's contest, and the 'over' was still no contest as St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols led the way to a 12-3 rout that evened the NLCS.
No starting pitcher has been on his game, to put it nicely. Zack Greinke made it through six innings in Game 1, the only starter to go at least five so far, and the Brewers did improve to 17-0 when he's been on the mound at Miller Park this season. But Greinke had anything but a quality start in allowing all six Cardinals runs.
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa has been his usual quick self in going to the bullpen; one might say he even waited too long before pulling Jaime Garcia in Sunday's series opener. That figures to change with Carpenter on the home bump in Game 3.
Carpenter will have had his usual rest since we last saw him hurl the Cards past the Phillies in Game 5 of their NLDS. He bested Philadelphia's Roy Halladay in a classic 1-0 duel, his second complete-game shutout in his last three starts after pitching the Redbirds into the playoffs in a whitewashing of the Astros on the final day of the regular season.
The big right-hander also blanked the Brewers not too long ago, tossing the gem here at Busch on Sept. 7. That was Carpenter's second home win this season in as many starts against Milwaukee, compared to an 0-2 record in two assignments at Miller Park where his ERA was 8.18.
Could this be the game Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks breaks out of his postseason funk? Weeks is hitting just .120 (3-for-25) in seven playoff games, but is 6-for-10 lifetime against Carpenter with three big flies. He also homered in Game 2 to temporarily cut into an early 5-0 St. Louis advantage.
Gallardo has been putting hitters into postseason funks with two fine trips to the mound. The young righty helped the Brewers to two wins in the NLDS vs. Arizona, including the decisive fifth contest, tossing 14 innings combined and allowing just two runs. Both runs came on solo homers.
His work against the Cardinals this year began on a sweet note before turning sour. Gallardo tossed eight innings of 1-hit baseball in a 4-0 Milwaukee win here in St. Louis back in early-May. The Redbirds then proceeded to beat on him the next three times they faced Gallardo, handing him the loss in each outing. Two of those three came at Busch Stadium with the Cards slapping four homers in his most recent 11 innings.
Speaking of four homers, Pujols has taken Gallardo deep four times over the years (three times in 2011) to go with his .444 lifetime average (12-for-27).
Carpenter and Gallardo went head-to-head on Aug. 11 at Busch III with St. Louis taking a 5-2 win as -120 chalk. Gallardo was essentially done in by Pujols and Rafael Furcal homers in the first inning while Carpenter got through eight innings and had the luxury of four double plays behind him.
Relatively young by MLB umpire standards, the 46-year-old Samuel Woodford Holbrook will bivouac behind the plate for Game 3. If you're banking on the 'over' continuing its run in this series, Holbrook might be able to help you out following a campaign that saw his plate assignments cash 20-11-2 to the high side.
Holbrook should be calling that first pitch at 8:05 p.m. (ET), though Mother Nature could again spoil Major League Baseball's plans. There is presently a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the St. Louis area on Wednesday and temperatures are expected to be in the upper-60s at game time.
The clubs are scheduled to reconvene for Game 4 at the same time on Thursday with Randy Wolf and Kyle Lohse the listed starters.

 

[CNOTES]

Hot lines: Wednesday's best MLB bets
Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (-155, 7)
If this does end up being Albert Pujols’ swansong with the St. Louis Cardinals, he’s going out just like he came in as a rookie – with a bang.
Pujols became the fourth player in MLB postseason history with four extra base hits in a game in Game 2’s 12-3 blowout of the Brewers to even the NLCS at one game apiece. Pujols had a homer and five RBIs a game after he came up empty with a chance to tie the game with two men on base.
“Yesterday was so tough,” Pujols told reporters about Sunday’s loss. “Going to bed, I was just thinking about some of the opportunities I missed to help our ballclub to win, but I turned that page.”
That’s what makes the Machine so dangerous. You may hold him down for a game or two, but he’ll break through before long. With Monday’s two-run blast, Pujols now has an all-time best 13 NLCS home runs.
Heading home riding a ton of momentum, the Cards now turn the ball over to Chris Carpenter, who’s coming off his complete-game gem that sent the Phillies packing.
With St. Louis’ offense blowing up and Carpenter on the hill, we expect this line to only move up from -150. Especially with the Cardinals winning 13 of their last 16 at Busch Stadium. We’ll jump on the home chalk before the line balloons.
Pick: Cardinals

 

[CNOTES]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
10/11/11 0-­2-­0 0.00% -­1050 Detail
10/10/11 1-­3-­0 25.00% -­1225 Detail
10/09/11 2-­0-­0 100.00% +­1000 Detail
10/08/11 1-­1-­0 50.00% -­35 Detail
10/07/11 2-­2-­0 50.00% +­255 Detail
10/06/11 1-­1-­0 50.00% +­215 Detail
10/05/11 3-­1-­0 75.00% +­1005 Detail
10/04/11 3-­3-­1 50.00% -­35 Detail
10/03/11 2-­0-­0 100.00% +­1000 Detail
10/02/11 5-­1-­0 83.33% +­2505 Detail
10/01/11 3-­1-­0 75.00% +­1000 Detail
Totals 23-­15-­1 60.53% +4635

Tigers - 121

Under 7.5

Wednesday, October 12

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Milwaukee - 8:05 PM ET St. Louis -144 500

St. Louis - Over 7 500

I was late in pick my selections for the Tigers game so it won't be counted on my record.....But this is who i like.....

 

[CNOTES]

Carpenter takes mound for NLCS Game 3

MILWAUKEE BREWERS
at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

NLCS Game 3 - Series tied 1-1
First pitch: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: St. Louis -145, Milwaukee +135, Total: 7
After a split in Milwaukee, the NLCS shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 as the Cardinals host the Brewers on Wednesday night.
The Brewers lost both their road games, in Arizona, in the NLDS and are 39-44 away from home on the year, by far the worst among this year’s postseason teams and just 17th among all MLB teams. They’ll throw Yovani Gallardo on Wednesday night, and he’s never fared well against the Cards. In 11 career starts against St. Louis, Gallardo is 1-7 with a 5.66 ERA, and the Brewers went 2-9 in those games. Meanwhile, Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter seems to have regained his old form, with four scoreless outings (three shutouts) in his past seven starts. ST. LOUIS is the pick.
The FoxSheets have a four-star trend working in the Cards favor:
Play On - Home favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (ST. LOUIS) - hot hitting team - batting .290 or better over their last 20 games against opponent with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.50 over his last 3 starts. (63-15 over the last 5 seasons, 80.8%, +43.1 units. Rating = 4*).
Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA in the regular season) started the season slow but he’s finishing strong. St. Louis has won six of his past seven starts and among his three shutouts during that span was the decisive NLDS Game 5 win at Philadelphia and September 7 at home against Milwaukee. If you exclude his Game 2 NLDS start that came on three-days rest, he’s 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his past six starts that came on regular rest (as Wednesday night’s start will).
Carpenter split his four starts against the Brewers this season, but he won his last two. Along with the shutout in September, he held them to two runs over eight innings (though he allowed 13 base runners) on August 11.
Gallardo (17-10, 3.52 ERA in the regular season) had two strong starts in the NLDS (eight innings of one-run ball in Game 1 and six innings of one-run ball in Game 5) and the Brewers have won his past five starts. But four of those starts, including both NLDS outings, came at home. He is 7-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.30 WHIP on the road, and the Brewers were 7-10 in his road starts.
He did win in St. Louis in May, throwing eight shutout, one-hit innings. But the Cards got him for a total of 16 runs (15 earned) over 15.2 innings in August and September starts.
The Cardinals bats are heating up, as they scored 18 runs and had 26 hits (.333 BA) in Games 1 and 2. Albert Pujols has positively hammered Gallardo over the years: 12-for-27 (.444 BA) with four home runs, 11 RBI and five walks. He’s also 12-for-29 (.414 BA) with six doubles and six RBI in the 2011 postseason.

 

[CNOTES]

Tigers look to even ALCS on Wednesday

TEXAS RANGERS
at DETROIT TIGERS

ALCS Game 4 - Texas leads series 2-1
First pitch: Wednesday, 4:15 p.m. EDT
Line: Texas -115, Detroit +105, Total: 9.5
After finally getting the bats going in Game 3, Detroit looks to even up the series Wednesday afternoon as the Tigers host Texas in a pivotal Game 4.
Taking the hill for the Rangers on Wednesday will be lefty Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39 ERA during regular season). Harrison has had a horrible time against the Tigers in his career, going 0-4 with a 7.43 ERA and 2.18 WHIP in five career starts. Opposing Harrison, will be 22-year-old right-hander Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.75 ERA in regular season). Porcello has a 6.30 ERA in two career starts against Texas, but pitched well his last outing against them on June 7, throwing six innings and allowing one run on six hits in an 8-1 victory. Texas has had some difficulty playing under the sun where it is only 27-24 (74-44 at night), while Detroit is a terrific 39-24 (+13.6 Units) in day games. The Rangers are labeled as the favorite on Wednesday afternoon in which they are 79-47 (63%), opposed to the Tigers who are a measly 21-32 (40%) when tagged as an underdog. Texas also has been very good bouncing back after a loss, going 42-25 (63%) in such games. The Rangers know they must win with Detroit ace Justin Verlander scheduled to pitch Game 5, so expect a desperate and motivated TEXAS team to grab Game 4 on Wednesday afternoon.
The FoxSheets provide a pair of three-star trends in support of the Rangers:
Play On - Road favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (TEXAS) - with a starting pitcher whose gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start against opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 to 1.400 on the season-AL. (140-60 since 1997.) (70%, +59.6 units. Rating = 3*).
Play On - Any team (TEXAS) - in the 4th game of a playoff series, after having won 3 of their last 4 games. (40-18 since 1997.) (69%, +24.6 units. Rating = 3*).
Harrison, who has struggled against the Tigers has not had a fun time pitching at Comerica where he is 0-3 with a 7.02 ERA in three starts in Detroit. Harrison may have gained some confidence after a decent performance his last outing against the Rays, where he threw five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and got the win in a 4-3 victory. Detroit’s current roster is batting .364 lifetime against Harrison, which includes Ryan Raburn (8-for-12, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Miguel Cabrera (6-for-15, 3 RBI) and Austin Jackson (5-for-10, 2 BB). The Rangers are batting .228 in the playoffs, with the biggest culprits being Michael Young (3-for-27, 4 K), Mitch Moreland (2-of-17, 1 HR) and Elvis Andrus (4-for-24, 4 K).
Porcello is coming off two nice scoreless innings of relief in Game 1, where he didn’t allow a hit. The youngster had a modest performance his last first playoff start against New York, allowing four runs over six innings, and was tagged with the loss in the 10-1 defeat. The Tigers are licking their chops to get the ball to Verlander for Game 5 and would like nothing more than to have the series tied up when he takes the mound. Delmon Young was scratched from the Game 4 lineup and is uncertain for Wednesday. Austin Jackson needs to get things started at the beginning of the lineup as he did Tuesday with three hits and an RBI.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday’s betting tips: Gallardo stinks vs. Cardinals

Who’s hot

MLB: St. Louis has won 10 of its last 13 home games.

MLB: Detroit has won seven of Rick Porcello’s last nine starts

NHL: Colorado is 30-9-1 in its last 40 meetings with Columbus.

NHL: The under is 3-0 in Boston’s first three games this season.

Who’s not

MLB: Milwaukee is 2-7 in its last nine meetings with St. Louis.

MLB: Texas is 0-5 in Matt Harrison’s last five starts against the Detroit Tigers.

NHL: Vancouver is 5-11 in its last 16 games against Philadelphia.

NHL: Carolina is 5-14 in its last 19 games as an underdog.

Key stat

1 - Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo is just 1-7 in his last eight starts against the Cardinals. In those 62 innings of work against St. Louis, he has a 5.66 ERA.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was scratched from Tuesday's Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers. Young was on the original lineup card, but was removed as he deals with his ailing oblique injury. Andy Dirks will replace Young, who went 0-for-4 in Monday's Game 2. The Tigers trail the best-of-seven series 2-0 with Games 3-5 (the fifth if necessary) at Comerica Park.

Game of the day

Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (-155, 7)

Notable quotable

“Oh, yes I did because that’s what we’re about here at the Raiders. We’re gonna fight, and we’re gonna work, and we go out with a purpose every week to win a football game. There’s no question in my mind those guys are gonna give it everything they had. We’re going to continue to be what I know he would want us to be, which is find a way to become champions.” – Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson said Tuesday on the NFL Network’s Around the League about expecting his team to respond following the death of former owner Al Davis. The Raiders will honor Davis in Sunday’s home game against the Cleveland Browns are currently set as 5.5-point favorites.

Notes and tips

Boston Bruins center David Krejci exited practice on Tuesday with an apparent leg injury at Ristuccia Arena. It was not immediately known how severe the injury is to the 25-year-old Krejci, who plays on the Bruins' top line. However, Krejci didn’t travel with the team to Carolina for Wednesday’s game. Boston is set as a -130 favorite.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Stephen Garcia was dismissed from the South Carolina football team on Tuesday. Athletic director Eric Hyman detailed that Garcia did not meet the agreed-upon guidelines put in place after his fifth suspension. Greenvilleonline.com reported that Garcia failed a substance abuse test last week. Garcia was benched in favor of sophomore Connor Shaw, who threw four touchdowns in a 54-3 triumph over Kentucky on Saturday. Garcia threw for 3,059 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. South Carolina is set as a 3-point favorite at Mississippi State.

Fieldin Culbreth is scheduled to be calling balls and strikes when the visiting Texas Rangers tangle with the Detroit Tigers Wednesday. Culbreth saw home teams go 20-13 during the regular season and the home club has won five of the last six games he has worked.

Texas Tech running back Eric Stephens is sidelined for the remainder of the season after dislocating his left knee. Stephens suffered the injury during last weekend's 45-40 loss to Texas A&M. The junior fell back awkwardly with his leg pinned during a first-and-goal play in the third quarter to sustain the injury. Stephens was averaging 114.0 yards per game prior to the injury and Texas Tech is currently set as a 3-point home favorite to Kansas State this weekend.