SPORTS ADVISORS
NFL
Indianapolis vs. Washington
(at Canton, Ohio)
The Redskins take the field for the first time under new coach Jim Zorn when they battle the Colts in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio.
Zorn takes over for Joe Gibbs, who retired last year after leading Washington to a wild-card playoff berth. Washington was 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS in the preseason last year, but went just 2-9 SU and 3-8 ATS over Gibbs’ final three exhibition campaigns, including 1-5 SU and ATS on the highway.
The Colts, who will be without injured star quarterback Peyton Manning in the preseason, have not taken August very seriously over the past three seasons, losing 11 of their last 13 preseason games since 2005. Indianapolis is just 3-10 ATS during this three-year stretch, including 2-4 ATS on the road (1-5 SU) and 1-6 ATS as an underdog.
Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell and the several members of the first-string offense and defense are expected to play three series or 12 to 15 plays, whatever comes first, though many Washington veterans won’t suit up, including No. 1 running back Clinton Portis. Campbell is expected to be followed by veteran backup Todd Collins and rookies Colt Brennan and Sam Hollenbach.
With Manning sidelined after offseason knee surgery, Indianapolis will go with Jim Sorgi at quarterback to start the game. Quinn Gray and Jared Lorenzen, who were acquired during the offseason, will relieve Sorgi. Along with Manning, several other Colts starters will sit this one out, including defensive end Dwight Freeney, safety Bob Sanders and wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
The under is 3-1 in Washington’s last four exhibition games and 5-0 in Indy’s last five preseason road contests. Also, the last two Hall of Fame games have stayed under the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE:UNDER
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona (57-53) at L.A. Dodgers (55-55)
The top two teams in the N.L. West conclude a four-game series in Los Angeles with the D-Backs sending veteran southpaw Doug Davis (4-5, 3.86 ERA) to the mound against the Dodgers’ Jason Johnson (1-0, 1.38) at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles scored a 4-2 victory Saturday night thanks to home runs from newly acquired Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake, after back-to-back 2-1 losses Thursday and Friday. The D-Backs are 7-4 in 11 series meetings with the Dodgers this season and have won three of five in Los Angeles.
It’s been an outstanding road trip through California for the D-Backs, winning seven of nine with visits in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. The Dodgers have won six of nine on this 10-game homestand that concludes today.
Davis is coming off his best start of the season Tuesday when he blanked the Padres on two hits for 7 2/3 innings of a 3-0 win in San Diego. The D-Backs had dropped four straight Davis starts before Tuesday. He’s faced the Dodgers twice this season and allowed seven runs (six earned) in nine innings as Arizona has split the two games. He is 4-2 with a 2.06 ERA in seven career starts against Los Angeles.
Johnson made a great first impression with the Dodgers on Tuesday, blanking San Francisco on five hits for six innings of a 2-0 victory. It was Johnson’s first start since 2006 when he was in the rotation with Boston and Cleveland. In four career appearances against Arizona, Johnson is 1-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings of work.
The Dodgers have stayed under the total in nine of their last 10 games and the under is also on streaks of 28-9 when they are favored, 19-7 for them on Sundays and 27-10 in their last 37 home games. Arizona has topped the total in 13 of its last 19 overall and nine of its last 13 on the highway. With Davis on the hill, the over is 7-3-1 for Arizona on the road and 11-5-1 when he starts as an underdog.
In this rivalry, the over is 6-5 in 11 meetings this season.
ATS ADVANTAGE:NONE
Philadelphia (60-50) at St. Louis (62-51)
It’s the rubber match of a three-game series between these two National League contenders as the Phillies send Brett Myers (4-9, 5.46) to the mound in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals’ Todd Wellemeyer (8-4, 4.13) at Busch Stadium.
Philadelphia rebounded from a 6-3 loss on Friday night with a 2-1 victory Saturday thanks to the pitching of Joe Blanton who held the Cardinals to one run on four hits through seven innings. The Phillies have won three of the last four meetings against St. Louis this season to deadlock the season series at 4-4.
Both teams are playing well lately, with the Phillies having won six of their last seven overall and the Cardinals having won five of their last eight.
Myers has been a disaster on the road for Philadelphia, going 1-6 with a 6.98 ERA and the opposition is hitting .405 against him on the road this season. The Phillies had lost six straight Myers’ starts until Tuesday when he held the Nationals to one run on four hits through seven innings of a 2-1 win in Washington. He is 3-2 with a 5.43 ERA in his career against the Cardinals and back on June 15 he gave up six runs on eight hits in six innings of a 7-6 loss in St. Louis.
Wellemeyer pitched well in his Tuesday outing, giving up two runs in six innings of an 8-3 win in Atlanta. But the Cardinals are just 2-6 in his last eight starts dating back to a June 13 start against these Phillies when he gave up eight runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of that 20-2 home drubbing. In six career appearances against Philadelphia, Wellemeyer is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in just 11 innings of work.
The Phillies are just 7-21 in Myers’ last 28 starts and 3-13 when he starts on the road, but the Cardinals are just 1-4 in Wellemeyer’s last five at home and 0-4 when he faces a team with a winning record.
The under is 20-8-2 when Myers pitches on Sundays and 9-3 when the Phillies face a team from the N.L. Central. For the Cardinals, the over is 7-1 in their last eight overall and 7-2 the last nine times they’ve been favored.
In this rivalry, the over is 5-3 in the last eight meetings in St. Louis and 4-1 in Myers’ last five starts against the Cardinals. .
ATS ADVANTAGE:OVER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels (69-41) at N.Y. Yankees (60-50)
The red-hot Angels wrap up a four-game set at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx with John Lackey (9-2, 2.93) on the hill facing the Yankees’ Darrell Rasner (5-8, 4.92).
Los Angeles took the first two games of the series before New York scored an 8-2 win Saturday to end the Angels’ five-game road winning streak. The Angels are 7-2 on this East Coast swing that has taken them to Baltimore, Boston and New York.
The Yankees won eight in a row after the All-Star break but dropped five of six before Saturday’s home victory. New York has trouble with the Angels, losing eight of 12 dating back to last season, including six of nine in the Bronx.
Lackey is 3-0 in his last three starts and 5-1 on the road with a 2.36 ERA. He tossed a complete-game two-hitter at Boston on Tuesday, beating the Red Sox 6-2, to improve the Angels record to 11-3 with him on the hill this season. Los Angeles has won three of his last four against New York, but for his career Lackey is just 4-7 with a 4.81 ERA against the Yankees. Los Angeles is 40-16 in Lackey’s last 56 starts and 19-7 in his last 26 road outings.
New York is just 3-8 in Rasner’s last 11 starts and lost Tuesday when he gave up four runs on eight hits in six innings of a 7-6 loss to the Orioles in New York. The Yankees are 5-1 at home when Rasner faces a team with a winning record.
The under is 21-6-3 in Lackey’s last 30 road starts and 7-0 in the Angels’ last seven Sunday games. The over is 6-1-1 in Rasner’s last eight starts and 7-1 in the Yankees’ last eight overall, including 6-1 when they face a right-handed starter.
In this series, the over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings, but the under is 8-2 when Lackey sees the Yankees and 5-0 when he throws in Yankee Stadium.
ATS ADVANTAGE:L.A. ANGELS
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