Sunday 8/23/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

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[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 13:30

West Brom

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/2	3	3/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST BROM	RECENT FORM
AWADHWALHLAD​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 0	HDALHWNLHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in just two of West Brom’s last eight league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea had the most Premier League away wins last season, although one of three losses was at the Hawthorns in May. The Baggies, torn apart by Manchester City in their home opener, will attempt to tighten up against the champions but may lack the personnel to pull it off and Chelsea can return to form in style.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea-Chelsea double result
2


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 16:00

Everton

v

Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		4	3	8/11	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EVERTON	RECENT FORM
ALHLAWHLHDAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 3 2 - 0 1 - 0	AWHWAWHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Everton and Man City have scored 11 goals between them in four games this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City’s three-goal rout of champions Chelsea laid down an early marker in the title race. However, Goodison Park hasn’t proven the happiest of hunting grounds for the Citizens in recent seasons with just one win in six and Everton have the attacking quality to make this a tricky 90 minutes for Manuel Pellegrini's men.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 16:00

Watford

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		9/5	9/4	9/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHDADHD​ Most recent​	0 - 3 2 - 2 3 - 2 3 - 0	ALHWAWADHLHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Southampton lost five road trips at bottom-half teams last term

EXPERT VERDICT: Watford impressed at Goodison Park on the opening day and followed up with a decent draw against West Brom, so at generous odds it’s worth backing them to see off Southampton. Saints were last season’s surprise package but they were never very reliable on the road, losing ten of their 19 away games.

RECOMMENDATION: Watford
1


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

​

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Championship TODAY 12:30

Rangers

v

Hibernian

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		8/15	3	5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT RANGERS	RECENT FORM
ALAWHWHWAWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 2 1 - 3 2 - 1	ALHWHLHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rangers’ four matches this season have produced 21 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Mark Warburton has got Rangers playing with flair and the goals have been flowing at both ends. The Ibrox outfit put six past Hibs in the cup earlier this season and should be up to landing maximum points, but Warburton’s men have conceded in three of their four games.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Steven McLean STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

French Division 1 TODAY 13:00

Lille

v

Bordeaux

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		21/20	11/5	3	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LILLE	RECENT FORM
HWALHLAWHLAD​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 1	HWHWAWHLADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lille have failed to score in three of their last four league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Lille are still searching for their first goal of the French top-flight campaign and their lack of firepower may hamper their chances of registering a home win over Bordeaux. Last season Lille were the lowest scorers of the top eight clubs and they look even weaker in attack after Divock Origi's return to parent club Liverpool.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga 1 TODAY 14:30

Ingolstadt

v

B Dortmund

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		6	7/2	9/20	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT INGOLSTADT	RECENT FORM
HDALHWADALAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	NLAWHWAWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Borussia Dortmund have been winning at half-time and full-time in four of their last six domestic fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Borussia Dortmund issued a statement of intent by hammering Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in their opening Bundesliga match and should be backed to sweep aside Ingolstadt at Audi-Sportpark. Newly-promoted Ingolstadt started with an encouraging 1-0 win at Mainz but their next task promises to be a lot tougher.

RECOMMENDATION: Dortmund-Dortmund double result
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPORTS WAGERS

PITTSBURGH -2½ over Green Bay

Sunday, Aug 23. 1:00 PM EST. Betting on NFL preseason used to be an afterthought for most. However, over the past five years it has picked dramatically because of all the exposure on the internet and TV that preseason gets. Hell, the NFL even has its own network that runs 24/7 and replays every NFL game in the preseason after each week. Every game, preseason or otherwise is under a microscope, as rabid fans pine for the season opener. Literally, 100’s of thousands of bettors that would not touch an NFL preseason game previously are now jumping in with more knowledge than ever before.

Go ahead and Google “Betting NFL preseason” and your hundreds of results will all bring you the same thing that will say something like this: “Focus on the head coaches when betting NFL preseason. Some coaches couldn’t care less while others try to win every game”. You’ll then go on to read about the success and failure of some specific coaches. Well, that’s all very nice but the oddsmakers aren’t idiots. They absolutely have the same information as you. Five years ago and up until a couple of years ago, betting on coaches records in the preseason was very good strategy. Today, the oddmakers have made line adjustments. That brings us to this game where Mike McCarthy of the Packers is 13-5 straight up in Week’s 2 & 3 combined in the preseason. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin has one win and 11 losses over the past four exhibition seasons including an 0-2 mark this year. The masses are going to bet this game accordingly. As a contrarian bettor, that works in our favor. What we see is great value on a Pittsburgh team that already has played twice so this will be its third preseason game. The Packers have one game so the regulars are not going to get a lot of playing time. Although Tomlin won’t say so, no coach wants to go 0-4 or 0-5 in the preseason. Losing, like winning is contagious and now we get a “deflated” price on the Steelers based on the markets perception of playing or fading coaches. That’s yesterday’s strategy that the oddsmakers have adjusted to.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

Packers
Titans
Marlins

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JIM FEIST

(971) Toronto Blue Jays

Your Bonus Play for Sunday, August 23, 2015 is in the MLB Scheduled contest between the Toronto Blue Jays and LA Angels. The Blue Jays are closing in on first place in the AL East, sitting just one game back of the Yankees. The Jays have won seven of their last 10 games after Friday's win over the Angels, 9-2. R.A. Dickey starts today for the Blue Jays. Dickey is just 7-10 on the season with a 4.14 ERA. However, Toronto has won six straight starts for Dickey and he's 4-0 during that stretch. In fact, with the exception of his last start, he hasn't allowed more than three runs in five of the last six. The Angels have won four of their last six games and fallen 3 1/2 back of the Astros for first place. Garrett Richards has been a solid starter for the Angels, posting a 12-9 record and 3.50 ERA this season. Richards hasn't been quite as dominant recently, allowing three or four runs in five of his six last starts. This should be a great matchup of two very good 2nd place teams with two very good pitchers on the hill. I'm taking the Jays though. They have been the better scoring team, averaging 4.5 runs per game over their last 10. The Angels have struggled at the plate, averaging just 2.8 runs in their last 10. The Jays are the hotter team and I'll be on them here today. Your Bonus Play is on Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League
Braves @ Cubs
Wisler is 0-2, 7.20 in his last four starts (over 4-0).

Hammel is 0-0, 5.68 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over.

Braves lost ten of last 11 games overall; they're 2-21 in last 23 road games. Cubs won last three games, scoring 21 runs-- seven of their last nine games went over. Atlanta lost its last five games with Cubs, with four of last six staying under the total.

Giants @ Pirates
Vogelsong is 2-0, 0.82 in his last two starts- they both stayed under.

Liriano is 2-0, 8.31 in his last four starts; Pirates scored 35 runs in those four games-- his last six starts all went over.

Pittsburgh won nine of last 12 games with the Giants; over is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Pirates won 12 of last 15 games (over 9-5-2 in last 16). SF lost four of last six games; under is 9-3-1 in its last thirteen.

Brewers @ Nationals
Garza is 1-3, 4.11 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).

Zimmerman is 1-3, 4.55 in his last five starts (over is 3-1 in last four).

Milwaukee lost five of last eight games with Washington (over 6-2); Brewers won five of last eight games overall; over is 3-1-1 in last five. Nationals lost eight of last eleven games (under 7-4).

Diamondbacks @ Reds
Anderson is 1-3, 8.39 in his last five starts; three of last four went over.

Iglesias is 2-1, 2.10 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Arizona won six of last seven games with Cincinnati; eight of last 11 games in series stayed under the total. D'backs are 5-3 in last eight games; four of last seven stayed under. Reds lost 11 of last 13 games; four of their last six games stayed under the total.

Phillies @ Marlins
Nola is 1-0, 5.63 in his last three starts; his last five all went over.

Conley is 1-0, 6.75 in his three starts; Marlins scored 37 runs in the three games, all of which went over.

Philly won five of last seven games with Miami (over 4-2-1); Phils lost seven of last 11 games overall (over 7-4-1 in last 12). Marlins won four of last seven games; over is 7-2-2 in their last eleven.

Mets @ Rockies
Verrett is making first MLB start; he was 4-2, 3.57 in nine AAA starts- he's allowed runs in 22.1 IP in 11 relief stints.

Hale is 1-4, 7.61 in his last seven starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Mets won their last ten games with Colorado; home side won nine of last 12 in series, but NY won 14-9 each of last two night. Mets' last five games went over. Rockies lost ten of last 12 games; they gave up 28 runs last two days.

Cardinals @ Padres
Wacha is 3-0, 1.00 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under.

Rea is 2-0, 4.22 in his first two starts- they both went over the total.

Padres won nine of last 11 games; eight of last ten went over. St Louis was outscored 17-2 in first two games of series with San Diego; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Cardinals lost three of their last four games; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven.

American League
Indians @ Bronx
Bauer is 1-2, 11.91 in his last three starts, all of which went over.

Sabathia is 0-1, 5.22 in his last five starts; over is 4-2 in his last six at home.

Bronx lost six of last eight games with Cleveland (over 7-4-1 in last 12), but they won seven of last ten games overall; under is 6-4-1 in their last eleven games. Indians lost five of last eight games (over 4-1-1 in last six).

Rangers @ Tigers
Hamels is 0-1, 5.23 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Boyd is 1-3, 7.50 in his five starts (under 3-2) this year.

Texas lost four of last six games with Detroit; last four series games stayed under the total. Rangers won eight of last ten games overall; under is 7-1-1 in their last nine. Tigers won four of last seven games, but lost last two.

Twins @ Orioles
Pelfrey is 1-0, 1.46 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over.

Gausman is 0-3, 5.79 in his last three starts; under is 6-3-1 in his last ten.

Minnesota won its last seven games with Baltimore; over is 4-3-1 in last eight in series. Twins won last three games; six of last nine stayed under. Orioles lost last three games; four of their last seven went over the total.

Royals @ Red Sox
Volquez is 1-2, 2.96 in his last four road starts; five of his last seven starts stayed under the total.

Rodriguez is 3-0, 2.31 in his last five home starts; over is 5-1 in his last six home outings.

Royals lost ten of last 13 games with Boston; over is 6-1-1 in last eight series games. KC won six of its last eight games (under 5-2-1). Red Sox won six of last nine games; over is 11-1-1 in their last thirteen games.

Rays @ A's
Odorizzi is 0-0, 4.01 in his last four starts (four of last six went over).

Oakland lost last seven Graveman starts (0-5, 7.71).

Tampa Bay won last three games; under is 5-1-1 in last seven; Rays split last dozen games with Oakland (under 7-2-3). A's are 2-9 in their last 11 games overall.

Blue Jays @ Angels
Toronto won last six Dickey starts (4-0, 2.90); under is 5-3 in his last eight.

Richards is 1-2, 4.68 in his last five starts, four of which went over.

Blue Jays are 15-3 in their last 18 games; their last four went over the total. Angels lost last three games with Toronto; over is 5-2 in last seven games in series. Halos lost last three games, allowing 32 runs; four of their last five went over.

White Sox @ Mariners
Danks is 0-2, 3.98 in his last three starts; three of his last four road starts went over.

Walker is 1-0, 2.86 in his last four starts; six of his last eight went over total.

White Sox scored 25 runs in winning last three games; four of last five went over. ChiSox split last six games with Seattle; five of last eight series games went under the total. Mariners lost six of last eight games (over 5-2-1).

Interleague
Dodgers @ Astros
Kershaw is 5-0, 0.82 in his last seven starts (under 5-2).

McCullers is 1-2, 6.38 in his last four starts (over 4-0-1 in last five).

LA lost ten of its last 12 road games- they scored seven runs in losing last four games overall- four of last five games stayed under. Astros won seven of last ten games; their last five games stayed under total. Dodgers won eight of last 12 games with Houston (under 8-3-1).

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
SF-Pitt-- Vogelsong 11-8; Liriano 13-10 (9-0 last 9)
Atl-Chi-- Wisler 6-5; Hammel 11-12
Mil-Wsh-- Garza 8-14; Zimmerman 14-11 (1-4 last 5)
Az-Cin-- Anderson 8-13; Iglesias 4-7
Phil-Mia-- Nola 4-2; Conway 3-0
NY-Col-- Verrett 0-0; Hale 2-7
StL-SD-- Wacha 18-5; Rea 2-0

Cle-NY-- Bauer 10-14; Sabathia 11-12
Tex-Det-- Hamels 11-12/1-2; Boyd 1-4/1-2
Min-Balt-- Pelfrey 12-11; Gausman 3-6
KC-Bos-- Volquez 17-8; Rodriguez 9-6
TB-A's-- Odorizzi 10-10; Graveman 8-12 (0-7 last 7)
Tor-LA-- Dickey 13-12 (6-0 last 6); Richards 14-9
Chi-Sea-- Danks 11-12; Walker 13-11

LA-Hst-- Kershaw 13-11; McCullers 7-7

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
SF-Pitt-- Vogelsong 4-19 (3 of last 4); Liriano 5-23 (3 of last 3)
Atl-Chi-- Wisler 5-11; Hammel 8-23 (5 of last 6)
Mil-Wsh-- Garza 6-22; Zimmerman 7-25
Az-Cin-- Anderson 8-21; Iglesias 3-11
Phil-Mia-- Nola 4-6; Conway 0-3
NY-Col-- Verrett 0-0; Hale 6-9
StL-SD-- Wacha 4-23; Rea 0-2

Cle-NY-- Bauer 6-24; Sabathia 7-23
Tex-Det-- Hamels 4-23; Boyd 2-5
Min-Balt-- Pelfrey 3-23; Gausman 4-9
KC-Bos-- Volquez 7-25; Rodriguez 3-15
TB-A's-- Odorizzi 5-20; Graveman 6-20
Tor-LA-- Dickey 4-25; Richards 4-23
Chi-Sea-- Danks 8-23; Walker 7-24

LA-Hst-- Kershaw 5-24; McCullers 3-14

Umpires
SF-Pitt-- Three of last four Randazzo games went over
Atl-Chi-- Under is 10-3-1 in last fourteen May games.
Mil-Wsh-- Last six Drake games stayed under total.
Az-Cin-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Wegner games.
Phil-Mia-- Seven of last nine TBarrett games stayed under.
NY-Col-- Under is 9-5 in last fourteen Culbreth games.
StL-SD-- Last five Tichenor games went over the total.

Cle-NY-- Six of last seven Woodring games went over.
Tex-Det-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Hamari games.
Min-Balt-- Four of last five Conroy games stayed under.
KC-Bos-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Everitt games.
TB-A's-- Four of last five Demuth games stayed under.
Tor-LA-- Three of last four Guccione games went over.
Chi-Sea-- Under is 9-5-1 in last fifteen Wolf games.

LA-Hst-- Under is 7-1-2 in last ten Hoye games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preseason Week 2 Essentials
By Tony Mejia

Week 1 of the preseason went in the books with a Tim Tebow touchdown run as the final score. That’s fitting since the exhibition season often feels like Fantasyland. There’s always something teasing the imagination that can lead you to some wild proclamations.

For instance, the Vikings are 2-0 and clearly a lock for the Super Bowl since Adrian Peterson sat both games out and star safety Harrison Smith barely played. Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel is about to set the league on fire.

A lot of people out there got more ammo for their argument, disproven to this point, that Kirk Cousins would be a better quarterback for Washington than Robert Griffin III. The Patriots are going to be 0-1 with Jimmy Garoppolo if Tom Brady fails to pull off a full pardon on his suspension via appeal.

It’s a Small World here. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride over there.

The latter could definitely be utilized as an accurate description of Jameis Winston’s and Marcus Mariota’s debuts, or my fun run going 17-2-1 against the spread.

The preseason isn’t necessarily as random as the natural inclination to disparage it as meaningless forces you to believe. In some ways, it’s more easily predictable than the regular season despite far more participants and varying degrees of skill. Minnesota still has a ways to go before making reservations for Santa Clara and RG III still gives Washington its best chance to win, but not all we saw was a mirage.

Kansas City’s Daniel, if nothing else, has likely lit a fire under Alex Smith. Andy Reid isn’t going to ride out a lengthy slump. What we saw out of Winston and Mariota was likely a microcosm of what we should expect. There was some brilliance surrounded by plenty of miscues. Jimmy G. didn’t look so hot. Tebow is fourth on the Eagles pecking order of quarterbacks and showed why in between an impressive opening drive and his final glorious plunge into the end zone, struggling with reads and pressure.

There’s going to be considerably more material to scrutinize in Week 2, especially with more talent taking the field for longer periods. Here’s how the schedule unfolds:

Sunday, Aug. 23

Green Bay at Pittsburgh: How much of two of the NFL’s most prolific offenses will we get to see here? If this were a regular-season affair, the total would be set over 50. Rodgers actually threw the ball 19 times against New England, so we might get a fun opening half if both coaches are feeling frisky and willing to trust their offensive lines to keep their franchise quarterbacks upright.

Dallas at San Francisco: Cowboys running back Gus Johnson separated his shoulder to bow out in the race to replace DeMarco Murray, but banged-up top candidates Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar may all suit up and get some action at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers got 120 total yards out of Aussie rugby player Jarryd Hayne in the preseason opener, so he won’t be sneaking up on the Cowboys.

St. Louis at Tennessee: The Rams got nothing going with their backups in Oakland, failing to score after starter Nick Foles left the game. Foles should get a longer look here, as will Mariota, who threw his first interception in his opening quarter against live action after going through camp unblemished.

Monday, Aug. 24

Cincinnati at Tampa Bay: The season’s unoffical first Monday night game has some appeal. Winston attempts to bounces back from a rocky debut to the Andy Dalton-led offense looking to go 2-for-2 on dominating opening drives. A.J. Green caught a pass, Jeremy Hill broke off a few strong runs and an offense that has the personnel to be imposing looked mighty impressive against the Giants.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday Night's Preseason Tips
By Tony Mejia

Cowboys at 49ers (-4 ½, 40) – 8:00 PM EST

Dallas

Head coach: Jason Garrett (7-11 SU, 5-12-1 ATS in preseason)

Quarterback rotation: Tony Romo (?), Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan, Jameill Showers (Rookie)

The Cowboys have spent all of their preparation time on the West Coast again this training camp, setting up headquarters in Oxnard and playing the Chargers and 49ers on their home fields. They'll be home for the last two preseason games and will wait until they return to Texas to play their key offensive lineman or the banged up Dez Bryant. Romo may sit too, especially since there are concerns about the sod at Levi's Stadium potentially being dangerous. One Cowboy who will debut is Darren McFadden, expected to compete for the vacant running back job.

San Francisco

Head coach: Jim Tomsula (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS in preseason)

Quarterback rotation: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Dylan Thompson (Rookie)

Tomsula's debut in Houston didn't go well, but Kaepernick got in the game only briefly and Thompson failed to make much headway with the reserves after Gabbert put up the team's lone 10 points. With Kaepernick unlikely to play more than a quarter, the 49ers will again look to see how their backups respond before getting serious about giving their regulars time next week. As a result, intriguing Aussie rugby player turned running back Jerryd Hayne should get more touches, as will rookie Mike Davis.

Rams at Titans (-2, 38½) – 8:00 PM EST

St. Louis

Head coach: Jeff Fisher (38-39 SU, 37-38-2 ATS in preseason)

Quarterback rotation: Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Austin Davis, Sean Mannion (Rookie)

Foles delivered points on his first drive against the Raiders last week, but left after a second stint. No one else managed to generate any points and first downs were hard to come by. As a result, the offense is under some pressure to establish themselves with the customary dress rehearsal on tap next week. Keenum has experience in the stystem and will be counted on to show he can move the second-team offense.

Tennessee

Head coach: Ken Whisenhunt (10-20 SU, 10-19-1 ATS in preseason)

Quarterback rotation: Marcus Mariota (Rookie), Zach Mettenberger, Charlie Whitehurst, Alex Tanney

Turnovers helped spoil Mariota's debut, but the Titans want him to learn from his mistakes and won't dial much of anything back in fear of damaging his confidence. They know blitzes and complicated schemes will be part of the equation against aggressive defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and the Rams, who will certainly provide a strong test for the offensive line with their consistent pressure.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's NFL Week 2 preseason betting primer
By JUSTIN HARTLING

The second week of the NFL preseason comes to a close with three games on the schedule on Sunday. From disastrous fields to disastrous offensive lines, here are the notes you need-to-know for Sunday's action on the gridiron.

Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5, 41)

* Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews has still yet to see live snaps this preseason and it does currently seem that it is unlikely he will Sunday. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers does not seem overly concerned though saying "With a guy like Clay, who's bright (and has) good football instincts, I like where he is in terms of being able to do what I ask him to do."

* The Steelers will trot out every healthy player in Sunday according to Mike Tomlin. The only regular starter that is expected to miss the game is linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who is dealing with turf toe.

St. Louis Rams at Tennessee Titans (-2, 38.5)

* The center position is still unsettled for the Rams. The three-way race between Tim Raines, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney saw Barnes get the start last week. Rhaney has spent most of the week at left guard with Roger Saffold nursing an injury as well.

* The Titans first-team offensive line looked shaky in Week 1 of the preseason and will be tested early in this one against the powerful Rams defensive line. There has been reports that te Titans have been connected to guard Evan Mathis is shore up their line.

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (-4, 40.5)

* There seems to be a chance that Tony Romo does not even see the field Sunday. The grass at Levi Stadium has been so bad that Romo will likely be limited if he plays at all according to Clarence Hill of the Dallas Star-Telegram.

* Levi Stadium has been an utter trainwreck this offseason. It has been so bad that the 49ers have only conducted three of their eight scheduled practices on their home turf due to the poor conditions. The field has also been freshly laid after the stadium hosted a Taylor Swift concert earlier this week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

UFC Fight Night 74

UFC Fight Night 74 Betting Preview
Date: Sunday, August 23
Time/TV: FS1, 9:00 p.m. ET
Venue/Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Featherweight Bout
Max Holloway (13-3-0) vs. Charles Oliveira (20-4-0, 1 NC)
Line: Oliveira +170, Holloway -200

Two young fighters who are on nice winning streaks, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, face-off for the first time when they meet at Sasktel Centre for UFC Fight Night 74.

Holloway is just 23-years-old, but has been fighting since he was 18 and began his UFC career in February of 2012 and proceeded to lose three of his first six fights. Since then, he has been a perfect 6-0 and has earned “Performance of the Night” twice with one “Knockout of the Night” coming early last year against Will Chope. In that time he had three knockouts, two submissions and one decision, ending one of his fights in the first round and four later on in the third.

Holloway is originally from Hawaii and learned kickboxing while going through school, which led to a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a wealth of styles that allowed him to take out opponents in different ways. The 5’11”, 145-pound youngster fights well beyond his years and should not be underestimated. His opponent in this one isn’t too much older at the age of 25 and the Brazilian-born fighter began training in the art of jiu-jitsu in his early teenage years.

That work has paid off as 12 of his 20 career victories in MMA have come from submissions, the other eight coming mostly from knockouts (6) with two decisions as well. He has been on a tear over his last four visits to the octagon, winning each one while earning “Performance of the Night” three times as his fight with Hatsu Hioki ended in what was the “Submission of the Year” in 2014.

His submissions are varied as well, and in his last three wins with that tactic he has used a triangle choke, anaconda choke and guillotine choke. There will be no lack of energy in this one and it may come down to who can get in a solid strike to take this bout at Fight Night 74.

Holloway is the more aggressive of the two fighters going in this one, and one of the most aggressive in the UFC as he is able to land a blistering 5.64 significant strikes per minute at a solid 41% accuracy. During his most recent six-match winning streak, “Blessed” has been able to out strike his opponents 415-245 and earned his “Performance of the Night” honor in his last time out with 82 strikes landed and three submission attempts before a final guillotine choke to finish it off in the third round.

His aggressiveness has opened himself up to some hits as well with the opposition getting in 3.78 significant strikes per minute at a weak 31% accuracy. Despite the occasional victory by submission, Holloway does not get his opponents on the mat too often with just 0.11 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting as he is successful in half of his attempts. On the other side of things, he is able to defend against the takedown 78% of the time, hitting the mat just once in the past four bouts.

He averages a mere 0.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes, but has been making that part of his repertoire with two wins via submissions in his last five fights. Holloway will come out firing when the bell rings and won’t stop until someone takes the win.

Oliveira has a much more technical approach to his fights, but still is able to get in plenty of strikes with 3.29 significant strikes landed per minute at an impressive 50% accuracy. He was a dominant force against Nik Lentz in his last time out, pounding him for 64 strikes compared to 37 taken and added a takedown with two submission attempts; one ending in a guillotine choke and earning “Do Bronx” both “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors.

His defense against strikes isn’t too impressive, though, and he allows others to get in 2.93 significant strikes per minute at 46% accuracy. Most of his game is on the mat and that is evidenced by his 2.24 takedowns per 15 minutes at a meager 34% accuracy. Once down, he is getting in 2.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes and he looks to get the win at that point without taking much more of a beating.

He and Holloway have different approaches in the octagon and it will be fun to watch if the technical abilities of Oliveira can take out the flurry of strikes coming from of his opponent’s side.

Other UFC Fight Night 74 Bouts -

Light Heavyweight Bout:
Misha Cirkunov -450
Daniel Jolly+360

Lightweight Bout:
Shane Campbell +210
Elias Silvério -250

Flyweight Bout:
Chris Kelades +145
Chris Beal -165

Light Heavyweight Bout:
Marcos Rogério de Lima -145
Nikita Krylov +125

Bantamweight Bout:
Yves Jabouin +173
Felipe Arantes -205

Lightweight Bout:
Sam Stout +115
Frankie Perez -135

Women's Strawweight Bout:
Maryna Moroz -180
Valérie Létourneau +160

Lightweight Bout:
Olivier Aubin-Mercier -240
Tony Sims +200

Lightweight Bout:
Chad Laprise -335
Francisco Trinaldo +275

Welterweight Bout:
Patrick Côté +115
Josh Burkman -135

Welterweight Bout:
Neil Magny +150
Erick Silva -170

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Premier League betting preview: Foxes in fine form ahead of Tottenham clash
By SOCCER AUTHORITY

Soccer expert Soccer Authority breaks down some of the weekend's biggest fixtures in the Barclays Premier League.

Manchester United vs. Newcastle United

Fresh off a European Champions League Victory (3-1 vs. Brugge), Manchester United will come into this game full of confidence. So far this season the Red Devils have picked up maximum points with wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

Newcastle have a new manager in Steve McClaren but things don't look to be picking up. The Magpies have only earned one point from their opening two games and are struggling in defense.

Key Stat: Newcastle have lost their last seven games on the road with an average of 2.6 goals conceded per game

Injuries and suspensions: Manchester United - Phil Jones (CB), Fellaini (CM). Newcastle - Janmaat (FB), Steven Taylor (CB), Sissoko (CM) is doubtful


Leicester vs. Tottenham

Leicester’s form of late has been nothing short of amazing. Leicester were destined for relegation last year but after a string of big wins they managed to stay up. This season they've continued that fine form with two wins from two.

Spurs have been disappointing this season with only one point taken so far. The Lilywhites lost their opener against Manchester United and drew against Stoke last weekend. We've seen nothing this season to convince us that Spurs will once again have an inconsistent season.

Key Stat: Leicester have only lost one of their last 11 Premier League games and that was against last year’s Champions Chelsea.


West Brom vs. Chelsea

This fixture finished 3-0 in West Brom's favor last year. However, in that game, Cesc Fabregas(Chelsea) received an early Red Card, and Chelsea had already won the Title at that stage.

The Blues have also only picked up one point after drawing with Swansea and losing to Man City last weekend. If Chelsea can't find a victory, they run the risk of losing sight of Man Utd and Man City at the top of the table.

Key Stat: Tony Pulis prides himself on having an organized defense. However, West Brom have conceded 10 Goals in their last five home games in the EPL.

Injuries and suspension: Chelsea - Oscar is doubtful


Everton vs. Manchester City

Everton are unbeaten this season after drawing with Watford and dispatching of Southampton last weekend. If Romelu Lukaku can continue finding the back of the net we have no reason to believe Everton won't have a successful season.

Man City have a 100 percent record so far with 2/2 wins but let's not forget about their poor away form last season.

Key Stat: Everton are unbeaten in 11 of their last 16 meetings with Man City

Injuries and suspensions: Everton - Hibbert, Pienaar and Baines. Man City - Fernando

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA Betting Recap - 8/10-8/16
By Joe Williams

League Betting Notes (from Monday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 16)

-- Favorites went 10-5 straight up
-- Favorites went 8-7 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 8-7 SU record
-- Home teams posted a 8-7 ATS record
-- The 'over' went 8-7

Team Betting Notes

-- San Antonio (7-18) lost for the second straight game, and sixth time in seven outings. However, they are still a very respectable 8-3 ATS over their past 11 outings.

-- Seattle (7-19) picked up a victory and cover against San Antonio. It is their first win in three tries against the Stars, and they covered for the second time in three outings.

-- Washington (14-9) picked up a straight-up win (ML +155) despite being short dogs at home. The Mystics are 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS when they're an underdog.

-- Atlanta (9-15) took care of business at home as a favorite, topping Connecticut (12-12). The Dream have now covered three in a row, tying a season high. They have yet to cover four straight, and look to change that in a trip to New York (16-7) Friday in Manhattan.

-- Phoenix (15-9) was surprised at home Sunday by Indiana (14-9), who finished the week unbeaten at 2-0 SU/ATS. The Mercury have dropped two of their past three games, and are just 3-9 ATS over their past 12 games.

-- The Fever continue to turn up the intensity, covering for the sixth time in the past seven games after starting the season 5-10-1 ATS in their past 16 games. After a four-game 'over' streak, the 'under' has hit in the past two for Indiana.

-- Los Angeles (8-16) put the brakes on a two-game losing streak and non-cover streak with a win over Chicago (15-11). The Sparks have had the 'under' connect in four of the past five outings.

-- Tulsa (11-14) picked up a surprise win in New York to snap a 10-game losing streak. The Shock is also just 2-8-1 ATS over the past 11 contests. One thing you can count on from the Shock is the 'over', which has hit in five of the past six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stars anemic offense has bettors rejoicing
Justin Hartling

The San Antonio Stars offense has bottomed out and that has seen the team going 0-3 straight-up, against the spread and over/under in their past three games.The Stars have averaged a lousy 56.3 points per game over their past three, which is a massive drop from their 77.3 ppg they have averaged this season. San Antonio is currently +4.5 with a total of 147 when they host the LA Sparks Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Liberty heating up on the court and at the window
Justin Hartling

The New York Liberty have won six of their past seven while posting a 6-1 record against the spread in that time.

The Liberty have outscored their opponents by an average of 13.9 points per game over their past seven while facing an average closing spread of -6.

The Liberty are currently +2.5 when they visit the Indiana Fever Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

AFL 2015 Playoff Results

Overall Betting Results (Updated 8.16.15)

Conference Semifinals
Friday, Aug. 14
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Portland San Jose (-23.5) 55-28 Favorite Under (99.5)

Saturday, Aug. 15
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Cleveland Philadelphia (-14.5) 47-35 Underdog Under (107.5)
Jacksonville (+3.5, ML +125) Orlando 55-33 Underdog Under (113.5)
Spokane Arizona (-17.5) 72-41 Favorite Over (103.5)

Conference Championships
Saturday, Aug. 22
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Arizona San Jose - - -

Sunday, Aug. 23
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Jacksonville Philadelphia - - -

ArenaBowl XXVIII
Saturday, Aug. 29
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
TBD TBD - - -