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Game of the Day: Tiger-Cats at Blue Bombers

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+1.5, 51)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to build off an impressive season-opening victory when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday. The Blue Bombers exorcised some past demons at Mosaic Stadium by beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 30-26 for their first win in Regina since 2004.

Winnipeg sets its sights on ending another skid after dropping three straight games to Hamilton at Investors Group Field and hopes to improve to 2-0 for the second straight year. The Tiger-Cats were left to lick their wounds after a 24-23 setback to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 1. Hamilton led for most of the rematch of the 2014 Grey Cup final before losing on a last-second field goal and looks to bounce back by beating the Blue Bombers for the fourth straight time in Winnipeg. The Tiger-Cats have outscored the Blue Bombers 90-36 in the last three matchups in Winnipeg and hope to continue their recent dominance over the Blue and Gold and avoid an 0-2 start for the sixth consecutive year.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

LINE HISTORY: The initial line opened with the Bombers at +2 before being bet down to +1.5. The total opened at 50.5 and has shifted to 51.

INJURY REPORT: Ti-Cats – WR Luke Tasker (Ques-Lower Body), RB C.J. Gable (Out-Hand) Blue Bombers – DB Maurice Leggett (Ques-Upper Body), DL Lashawn Fraser (Ques-Toe), SB Rory Kohlery (Ques-Lower Body)

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: “When the Tiger Cats visit Winnipeg on Thursday, all eyes will be on Hamilton kick returner Brandon Banks. The speedster ran back a punt for a TD against Calgary in Week 1, and he had a potential game winning TD called off in the Grey Cup last November. Banks is expected to have a big year returning kicks with the CFL’s new rules prohibiting the five interior linemen on the kicking team from leaving the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked.” – Will Rogers

WHAT ODDSMAKERS SAY: “Seems the betting public believe in Winnipeg’s opening game upset of the Roughriders as we’ve seen the line drop from opener of Hamilton -3 to its current price of Hamilton spotting 1.5. Total opened at 51 and has remained steady at that number. The Tiger-Cats could be stinging after a difficult loss in Calgary but greater concern could be the Tabbies’ offence failing to score a touchdown in the 24-23 loss. The Bombers played well in Saskatchewan with QB Drew Willy and RB Paris Cotton leading the way. Winnipeg was predicted to finish last in the West while Hamilton was favored to win the East. It’s only one game but it’s a reminder that games are never won on paper.” – CFL Oddsmaker Randall “The Handle”

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U): Zach Collaros completed his first 10 passes before finishing 27-of-38 for 281 yards, but threw a costly interception that was returned for a touchdown. “Obviously the interception sticks out,” Collaros told reporters. “Then you think about what else you could have done to help others during the week with their preparation.” Johnny Sears Jr. recorded two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, in his Hamilton debut after coming over from Winnipeg in the offseason and Brandon Banks returned a punt for a touchdown.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U): Drew Willy turned in a near-flawless performance as he went 22-of-25 for 325 yards and three touchdowns against the Roughriders. “We have to do it every single week,” Willy told reporters. “We have a short week and we need to be ready to go against a good Hamilton team.” Paris Cotton rushed for 108 yards to go along with 59 receiving yards and a score while Cameron Marshall added two touchdowns – one rushing and one receiving.

TRENDS:

*Tiger-Cats are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.
*Blue Bombers are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games following a S.U. win.
*Under is 6-1 in Tiger-Cats last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
*Over is 6-2 in Blue Bombers last 8 games in Week 2.

CONSENSUS: 52.8 percent are backing Hamilton with 53.6 percent on the under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA Betting Recap
by Joe Williams

League Betting Notes (from Monday, June 22 through Sunday, June 28)

— Favorites went 11-2 straight up
— Underdogs went 8-5 against the spread (ATS)
— Home teams posted a 11-2 SU record
— Home teams posted a 7-6 ATS record
— The ‘over’ went 8-5

Team Betting Notes

— Tulsa (8-1) picked up its eighth straight victory Sunday against Seattle (2-7), but the Storm was able to hang on for the cover. The non-cover was the first for the Shock (8-1 ATS) this season.

— New York (5-4) got back on track at home with a nine-point win and cover against Los Angeles (0-7). The Liberty had been 0-2 SU/ATS in their past two at home.

— The Sparks are the only winless team in the WNBA, and every other team has at least two victories. L.A. is also just 2-5 ATS. One thing that is consistent about the Sparks is the ‘over’, which has cashed in five of seven this season.

— Washington (6-3) clobbered Chicago (5-4) Sunday, finishing the week 2-1 SU and just 1-2 ATS. In fact, it was a rare cover for the Mystics, as they entered play just 2-6 ATS.

— Connecticut (7-1) picked up a seventh straight win last time out against L.A. Friday, but they failed to cover for the first time all season. The ‘over’ has been the rule lately, too, going 3-0 in the past three after the ‘under’ went 4-0-1 in their first five.

— Minnesota (7-2) rolled past Phoenix (3-5) in weekend action, covering for the first time in three outings. The Mercury is now a dismal 1-3 ATS over its past four games.

— Atlanta (4-6) managed a win at home against Washington Saturday, capping off an otherwise disappointing week (1-2 SU). go to askthebookie. Still, the Dream have been much more competitive lately, going 3-1 ATS over the past four games after starting out 1-5 ATS. The ‘under’ has been the play for Atlanta, going 3-1 in the past four and 6-3-1 overall.

— Indiana (3-6) lost their only game of the week, and they’re 2-7 ATS overall this season. Next up will be a game at Connecticut Tuesday against a Sun team which is 3-1 SU/ATS at home.

— San Antonio (2-6) surprised this week, going a perfect 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS. They topped Phoenix 76-71 June 25 at home, avenging a 76-71 setback in Phoenix June 5 in the sea

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: ‘Greenbrier Classic’
By The Sports Xchange

10 Players to Watch: Greenbrier Classic

1. Bubba Watson, United States — It is hard enough to win any tournament on the PGA Tour, let alone make it two in a row, but Bubba is the favorite this week on the Old White TPC. Not only did he claim his eighth victory on the PGA Tour last week in the Travelers, but Watson also owns a home at the Greenbrier Resort and is getting more comfortable there as he makes his third start in the Greenbrier Classic. He tied for 30th two years ago and tied for 16th last year, breaking the par of 70 in all eight of his rounds. Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jimmy Walker lead the circuit with two victories apiece this season, and Bubba would love to break the tie this week.

2. Webb Simpson, United States — Although he was unable to back up his tie for second in the Wells Fargo Championship when he missed the cut in the FedEx St. Jude Classic and tied for 46th in the U.S. Open, Simpson figures to get back on track in the Greenbrier Classic. He is making his fifth start on the Old White TPC and has finished in the top 10 in three of the past four years. He was in the lead at the midway point in 2011 and 2012 before finishing in a tie for ninth and a tie for seventh, respectively. Last year, Simpson closed with a 7-under-par 63 to finish third, but he was six strokes behind winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina.

3. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa — Coming off his tie for second in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, the South African shot 71-71–142 to miss the cut by four strokes last week in the Travelers Championship, but he will try to bounce back in the Greenbrier Classic. He has finished in the top 10 on the PGA Tour five times during the 2014-15 season, and he hopes to take that form to the Open Championship in two weeks at St. Andrews, where he claimed his only major title by seven strokes on the Old Course in 2010. Oosthuizen will tee it up on the Old White TPC for the second time after tying for 17th two years ago, when he posted four consecutive rounds in the 60s.

4. Paul Casey, England — Regaining the form he lost because of injuries that led to indifferent play after he claimed his only PGA Tour victory in the 2009 Shell Houston Open, Casey has lost twice in playoffs this season. The latest was last week to Bubba Watson in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands after he also fell short against James Hahn in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera. Casey, who is making his first start on the Old White TPC in the Greenbrier Classic, has finished in the top 10 six times this season, including a tie for third in the Honda Classic and tie for fifth in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship, where he lost to champion Rory McIlroy on the 22nd hole in the quarterfinals.

5. Patrick Reed, United States — Despite the fact that he has won four times in the past two-plus seasons on the PGA Tour, including the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January, Reed needs a kick-start to the second half of his year with a good result this week in the Greenbrier Classic. go to askthebookie. It seemed that he got going again with a tie for 14th in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, but then he shot 67-72–139 to miss the cut by one stroke last week in the Travelers Championship. This will be his third appearance on the Old White TPC, and after shooting 70-72–142 to miss the cut two years ago, he opened with a 67 and closed with a 68 last year to tie for 26th.

6. J.B. Holmes, United States — With the fourth victory of his PGA Tour career in the Shell Houston Open and two runner-up finishes this year, Holmes is ninth in the FedExCup standings heading into the Greenbrier Classic. He also was in the hunt in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay two weeks ago before closing with a 6-over-par 76 to wind up in a tie for 27th. Holmes, who lost in a playoff to Jason Day in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and finished one shot behind Dustin Johnson in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, is playing for the sixth time on the Old White TPC. His best result was a tie for 16th in 2010, when he shot 10-under-par 60 in round three. Last year, Holmes tied for 23rd.

7. Tiger Woods, United States — Whatever the problem is with Woods’ game, perhaps the biggest hurdle he has going into the Greenbrier Classic is mentally getting over the 80-76–156 he posted two weeks ago to miss the cut by 11 strokes in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. It was only the 13th missed cut of his PGA Tour career, but four of those came in the past two years. Woods has played only 10 official events since undergoing back surgery at the end of March 2014, but he will tee it up at least four times in the coming weeks, including in the Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he won in 2000 and 2005. In Woods’ only previous start on the Old White TPC, he shot 71-69–140 and missed the cut in 2012.

8. Graham DeLaet, Canada — Trying earn a spot on International team for the Presidents Cup in October in China, DeLaet moved to 16th in the point standings by finishing fourth in the Travelers last week. He was tied for second, only two strokes behind eventual winner Bubba Watson, after shooting a 6-under-par 64 in the third round, but he could manage only a closing 69. He wound up two strokes back to earn a spot in the Open Championship. Another finish like that this week in the Greenbrier Classic could move DeLaet into the top 10 of the standings. He will tee it up on the Old White TPC for the fourth time, with his best result a tie for 12th three years ago, when he shot 64 in the third round.

9. Carl Pettersson, Sweden — The guy nicknamed the “Swedish Redneck” by countryman Jesper Parnevik, Pettersson earned a berth in the Open Championship last week when he finished solo fifth in the Travelers Championship. He has won five times on the PGA Tour, but that was his first top-10 finish of the season on the PGA Tour. He hopes to keep it going this week in the Greenbrier Championship. Pettersson will be making his sixth appearance on the Old White TPC, where his best result was a tie for 17th three years ago, when he finished with 65-66-69 after opening with a 1-under-par 71. He tied for 18th in 2012, when he posted a 66 in the final round.

10. Tony Finau, United States — One of the top candidates for Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour, the big-hitting Finau tied for 25th in the Travelers Championship, but that was his worst finish in his past six tournaments. Included was a tie for 14th in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, and he has placed in the top 10 four times while finishing in the top 25 on 12 occasions. Finau, who captured the 2014 Stonebrae Classic on the Web.com Tour en route to earning his PGA Tour card for 2015 by finishing eighth on the money list, will try to keep his streak going this week when he plays for the first time in the Greenbrier Classic on the Old White TPC.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

The Greenbrier Classic: Golf Betting Preview and Picks
By Matt Fargo

The Old White TPC at The Greenbrier plays host to the fourth annual Greenbrier Classic this week.

The Old White TPC is one of only two tracks that finish with a Par 3, the other being East Lake, host of the Tour Championship. It’s a Par 70 that that stretches 7,274 yards and, as with most tour layouts, driving accuracy will be important as the fairways are tight and greens are firm.

Three years ago, the course ranked second easiest of the 14 Par-70 tracks on tour and that was certainly justified after Stuart Appleby put up a Sunday 59 to card an overall score of 22 under par. Two years ago, it ranked 13th out of 51 courses in difficulty and was 27th out of 49 tour stops and the fifth easiest Par 70 last year.

The finishes have been some of the best of late. Two years ago, Scott Stallings defeated Bob Estes and Bill Haas on the first playoff hole. go to askthebookie. Last year, Ted Potter Jr., after closing eagle-birdie on the final two holes, defeated Troy Kelly on the third playoff hole. We can expect more drama this week with another wide open field in play.

Tiger Woods was the main attraction last year but he missed the cut by one stroke as did Phil Mickelson, who has missed the weekend in both of his appearances. Woods is not playing this week but Mickelson is back, among seven of the Top 30 players in this week’s world rankings.

Recent major winners Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson and Keegan Bradley are also playing. Just three players have Top-10 finishes two out of three years here, Simpson (2011-12), Brendon de Jonge (2010-11) and Jimmy Walker (2010-11).

Webb Simpson (+1,200) is the co-favorite along with Mickelson this week and for good reason. He’s coming off a T5 at the Travelers, which was his fourth Top 10 of the season, including three Top 5s. He has not been able to nab his fourth tour win but finishes of T7 and T9 at the Old White TPC the last two years has him in good position.

Graham DeLaet (+2,200) looks to be close to his breakaway victory on the PGA Tour. He has made 15 cuts in 18 starts and that includes 10 Top 25s and five Top 10s. Two of those have come in his last two starts with a T8 at the AT&T last week and a solo third at the Travelers. He finished T12 at the Greenbrier last year.

Brendon de Jonge (+4,000) missed the cut at Congressional last week but he is still having a very solid season with eight Top 25s including three Top 10s. He has yet to win on tour but, if there is a place it will happen, this could it. He is 3-for-3 at the Greenbrier including a solo third in 2010 and a T4 in 2011.

Jimmy Walker (+5,500) is another player that is still seeking his first PGA Tour win. After 15 consecutive cuts made to start the season, he has missed the weekend in each of his last two starts but he is poised for a rebound here. As mentioned, he is one of only three players with two Top 10s here, a T4 in both 2010 and 2011.

Gary Woodland (+5,500) shares long-shot odds with Walker and is playing his best golf of the season. He has three Top 20s in his last four events with the lone non-Top 20 being a withdraw from the Travelers because of a sore back two weeks ago. He came back with a T16 last week and he finished T4 here two years ago.

Recommended tournament win five pack at the ‘Greenbrier Classic’

(All for one unit)

Webb Simpson (+1,200)

Graham DeLaet (+2,200)

Brendon de Jonge (+4,000)

Jimmy Walker (+5,500)

Gary Woodland (+5,500)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour heads to West Virginia Thursday
by Freddy Wander

‘Greenbrier Classic’

Tees Off: Thursday, July 2nd
The Old White TPC – White Sulphur Springs, WV

Following a great week at the Travelers Championship, the players will head south to West Virginia for the Greenbrier Classic, one of the newest events on the PGA Tour after being established in 2010 and taking place at the par-70, 7,287-yard course. This event is one of three sandwiched in between the U.S. Open and the Open Championship and is typically not attended by many of the top foreign players in the world as they prep overseas. Overall, there are seven players from the top-25 heading to this tourney with No. 18 Louis Oosthuizen and No. 23 Paul Casey being the only two from outside of the United States. Leading the field will be No. 3 Bubba Watson who is coming off his eighth victory since 2010 when he took the trophy in a playoff against Paul Casey last week at the Travelers Championship. go to askthebookie. Also joining the field will be Tiger Woods as he hopes to rebound from a horrible performance at Chambers Bay in the midst of a horrid season and he missed the cut here in his one visit back in 2012. There is typically a ton of scoring done at this course which features plenty of European style holes as each of the winners since 2010 have been in double-digits under par and Stuart Appleby was the first victor here behind a score of 22-under-par; including a Sunday score of 59. Last year, Angel Cabrera gave foreign players their third win in the five installments of this event when he shot a combined 12-under-par over the weekend and held off George McNeill’s Sunday 61 to win by two-strokes. There will be plenty of scoring to be done this week and with some solid players joining the field it could be a fun one to watch through until Sunday afternoon, so let’s look at who could come through big and possibly top the leaderboard.

Webb Simpson: Simpson is in the middle of another solid campaign as he has made the cut in 12-of-14 events (86%) while being in the top-10 four times. He was also close to getting his fifth career PGA victory when he was the runner-up at the Wells Fargo Championship in May behind a score of 14-under-par. Simpson has been great when coming to this tourney in the past, going 4-for-4 in made cuts in the past four years, ranking ninth or better three times during that stretch. Last year was his best showing as he finished third, improving his score in each successive day and finishing with a tremendous 63 on Sunday. He hit 72.2% of GIR during that impressive showing and he’s been one of the best ball-strikers on TOUR (1.528 strokes gained: tee-to-green, 8th on TOUR) as his short game is one of the best with a ranking of 21st in scrambling (63.4%) and 17th in sand save percentage (60.9%). The 29-year-old should have no issues being one of the top players out there come Sunday afternoon.

Brendon Todd: Todd joined Simpson near the top of the leaderboard at the Greenbrier last year, finishing one spot behind him (4th) after consistent rounds of 67 or better from Friday to Sunday. He hit 71.4% of the fairways during that solid performance and ranks 10th on TOUR in that category in 2015 with 70.8% of fairways hit as he also ranks in the top-20 in scrambling (63.7%, 18th on TOUR) and sand save percentage (62.8%, 12th on TOUR). Those stats have led Todd to a sneaky good season as he has made 15-of-19 cuts (80%) and has been in the top-25 eight times. Two of those have come in his last three events, with the U.S. Open being a missed cut, but ranking 17th or better in the other two while coming off a 15th last week after carding a 67 in three of the four rounds. He has been one of the more consistent players over the last few years that is not talked about much and could creep his way into contention this weekend.

Cameron Tringale: Tringale has had a great time when playing in the Greenbrier Classic and in the past four years has made it to the weekend each time with two top-four finishes to his name. One of those came last year as his nine-under-par score earned him a fourth-place while he hit 72.2% of GIR and 80.4% of fairways. He is doing well in 2015 as he ranks in the top-50 of the FedEx Cup standings behind made cuts in 15-of-21 events (71%) with four top-25 finishes. He was on the cusp of getting his first PGA victory in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic this year, carding an impressive score of 21-under-par but failing to overtake Justin Rose on Sunday despite a 65. Tringale should be able to continue his solid season at a venue where he is very comfortable.

Carl Pettersson: Pettersson will look to become the second Swedish-born player to win this event in the past three years as Jonas Blixt did so in 2013. He has had some success when at the Old White Course, making the cut in each of the five years since the tournament’s inception in 2010 and has two top-20s during that stretch. He’s been slightly inconsistent on the TOUR in 2015, going 16-for-24 (67%) in cuts made, but is currently riding a streak of four consecutive events in which he has made it to the weekend and is coming off of his best showing of the year when he ended in fifth at the Travelers Championship with three rounds of 66 or better. Pettersson is a great scrambler (62.7%, 28th on TOUR) and has the experience here to put up some nice scores and impress many with his play.

Charlie Beljan: It hasn’t exactly been an exceptional 2015 campaign for Beljan, missing more cuts (11) than he’s made, but he does have a third place and was solid at the U.S. Open (18th). He has been great at this event in the last three years, getting a top-11 twice and was close to grabbing the win in 2011 when he shot 14-under-par and finished in a tie for third thanks to his Friday 62. Beljan has shown he can get some very low scores here and besides that 62 he showed up with a Sunday 65 last year which aided him in a tie for 11th as he hit 75% of GIR. Beljan is huge off the tee, averaging 309.7 yard per (2nd on TOUR) and as a result ranks 28th in going for the green (61.7%). The long hitter has had success here in the past and should put himself in a position to contend on Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Peru, Paraguay battle in consolation game Friday
By Ethan Back

PARAGUAY vs. PERU

“Copa América”
Third Place Playoff
Kick-off: Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Peru +140, Paraguay +185, Tie +240, Total: 2.5

Peru and Paraguay meet in the consolation game of the Copa América on Friday evening.

While neither Peru nor Paraguay was able to cause an upset in the semifinal round against Chile and Argentina, respectively, they will both have a chance to leave the tournament on a positive note. And although this match is for nothing more than third place, there is plenty of pride at stake, and both teams will likely play a full strength lineup. Peru failed to make it to the finals by way of a controversial 2-1 defeat to Chile. A questionable red card that was given to defensive anchor Carlos Zambrano in the 21st minute changed the outlook of the game, and despite a valiant effort, Peru was unable to pull off the upset. In the loss, the Peruvians displayed quality, and the result could have very well been different if they were not a man down for the majority of the match. Peru will be dangerous as always in attack, led by Paolo Guerrero, who has three goals thus far, and will look to be the tournament’s top scorer for the second consecutive time (he found the net five times in the 2011 edition, including a hat-trick in the third place playoff). The aforementioned Zambrano will miss out on the action because of the red card he picked up against Chile, and who manager Ricardo Gareca will pair with Carlos Ascues in the center of defense remains unknown, and this could be a potential weakness for Peru. Paraguay, which was unable to replicate the success it had against Argentina when the two sides drew 2-2 in the group stage, suffered a humbling 6-1 loss in the semifinals. It will need to regroup quickly if it is to stand a chance against a Peru side that should be full of confidence after an impressive performance against Chile. If there was any bright spot in defeat, it was in the form of Lucas Barrios, who scored his third goal of the tournament. Derlis González, who has played well for Paraguay, could miss out due to an injury he suffered early in the game against Argentina, and his absence would deprive his team of creativity up front. Both of these teams will be playing with nothing to lose, and over 2.5 goals will be scored. History is on the side of this pick, as the last five third place playoff matches in the Copa América have seen over 2.5 goals scored. As for a winner, Peru has looked the better side, and a score of 3-1 could see the country repeat as third-place finishers at the Copa América.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB Huge ‘Underdogs’ proving to cost more than they are worth
By Joe Fortenbaugh

On June 27 in South Florida against a woefully underperforming Marlins organization that had already parted ways with one manager so far this season, three-time Cy Young award winner and reigning National League MVP Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers took the field as astronomical -280 favorites against little-known 29-year-old righty Tom Koehler, who currently owns a career Major League record of 21-25.

Two hours, 26 minutes and two costly errors later, Los Angeles exited the stadium with a 3-2 defeat on its resume that currently stands as one of the biggest upsets of the 2015 season despite the fact that Kershaw surrendered just one earned run in seven solid innings of work. go to askthebookie. Those who rolled the dice on Miami that evening enjoyed a significant financial windfall while those who laid the monstrous price on the N.L. West-leading favorites suffered a serious hit to their collective bankrolls.

Backing the long shot in a seemingly one-sided baseball game—or any sport for that matter—is not a novel concept, as some gamblers relish the notion of risking a little in order to win a lot. Look no further than the Kentucky Derby, The Masters and Floyd Mayweather fights for proof of this notion. Some bettors thrive on taking a small, insignificant risk for a shot at a jackpot-like score.

But the big question here as it specifically pertains to baseball betting is whether or not such a strategy can serve as a viable, long-term approach to profitable wagering.

The answer, as I’m sure many of you could imagine, is a resounding no.

I floated this theory by my good friend Paul Bessire of the website PredictionMachine.com for some feedback as to how the 2015 Major League baseball campaign has treated bettors who routinely find themselves on the long shot side of a matchup that features a heavy favorite with the simple mission of determining whether or not there were enough significant underdog victories to turn a profit after offsetting the losses sustained when the favorites came through.

Here are the results for the 2015 season through Tuesday night’s games:

MLB ‘Underdogs’ from +160 to +169 (based on a $100 bettor)

Overall: 35-67 (34.3% SU), -$850
Home: 6-11 (35.3% SU), -$150
Road: 29-56 (34.1% SU), -$700

MLB ‘Underdogs’ from +170 to +179 (based on a $100 bettor)

Overall: 18-49 (26.9% SU), -$1,700
Home: 5-8 (38.5% SU), +$100
Road: 13-41 (24.1% SU), -$1,800

MLB ‘Underdogs’ from +180 and upward (based on a $100 bettor)

Overall: 10-29 (25.6% SU), -$1,075
Home: 3-5 (37.5% SU), +$50
Road: 7-24 (22.6% SU), -$1,125

As you can tell from the above information, blindly backing MLB underdogs of +160 or higher has produced disastrous results for gamblers during the 2015 season. Essentially, for every time a relative unknown like Tom Koehler upsets a future Hall of Famer like Clayton Kershaw, there are 2.2 matchups where the heavy favorite seals the deal. This type of strategy isn’t just a losing proposition, but it’s a bankroll-decimating approach capable of busting bettors prior to the July All-Star break.

However, it’s imperative to note at this point that we aren’t advocating the opposite approach to this strategy, which involves blindly betting on heavy favorites who face an opponent lined at +160 or higher. Trust us when we say that if gambling were that easy, all the casinos in Las Vegas would cease to exist.

Look no further than the Los Angeles Dodgers for proof, as Kershaw has lost each of his last two starts (-280 and -180) while fellow ace Zack Grienke was defeated at Miami on June 28 as a -215 favorite.

The lesson, as always, is that gamblers have to put in the requisite amount of time and research while looking to isolate the most favorable of spots when it comes to the Major League Baseball calendar. Rarely does a tell-all trend emerge that provides an opportunity to sprint to the counter while blindly following the logic.

And even when such a trend does rear its profitable little head, you can surely bet the Bookmakers will be hot on its tail.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DeGrom's numbers during day starts are ridiculous

Jacob deGrom has started five day games for the New York Mets, with the youngster going 4-0 with a 0.74 ERA. To make those numbers even more staggering, deGrom has 40 K's to just five walks in those starts.

To add to those numbers, deGrom has a 5-1 record with a 1.33 ERA when pitching at Citi Field as he will Thursday.

The Mets host the Chicago Cubs Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

This pitcher has dominated his next opponent

The Kansas City Royals will start Chris Young when they host the Twins Thursday, which does not spell good things for Minnesota. In two appearances against the Twins this year (one start), Young has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.59 ERA with Minny only hitting .083.

Since taking a place in the rotation Young has made nine starts and has allowed one or fewer runs five times.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Thursday 7/2 Analysis
By Brewster Smith
DRF HARNESS EYE

MEET STATS: 105 - 543 / $739.90 BEST BETS: 11 - 47 / $45.40

Best Bet: GROUNDED (11th)

Spot Play: BLACK MAGIC EYES (7th)



Race 1

(4) JUMP THE SHARK showed signs of life last out. Can take this at his best. (2) YELLO HAWKEYE is off a sharp qualifier at Monticello; player. (3) OUTA MY HEAD could be right in the mix.



Race 2

(1) SPECIAL KIM faced open foes upstate recently. Should be ready to best these from the fence. (6) ALWAYS LOVE ME posted a nice qualifier at Saratoga; main danger. (2) PASSION R VIRGINIE flashed some speed last time around; not out of this.

Race 3

Will go with Indiana invader (3) BREWSKI to put her best foot forward on the half-mile oval. (2) CASE SOLVED has fine speed and should be right in the thick of it. (6) CHEYENNE MIRIAM leaves the 8-hole and that might help her cause.

Race 4

(5) DENYITTOTHEEND got the job done down the road last out. Pacing miss is in sharp form, so the four-peat is not out of the question. (2) GET THE LOOK was second best in her latest; threat. (1) QUICKSILVERCANDY A is a contender from the rail slot.

Race 5

(5) MY SPRING FLING has hit the board in her last three outings. She clearly has every right to boss these gals. (3) FIRSTCLASSFLIGHT can get involved with the right trip. (1) BROOKLYNS BEST closed strongly to grab her second straight score.

Race 6

(1) ONE WARRAWEE is a sharp pacing gelding that moves to the rail slot and he can top these down the road. (2) LIGHTNING STRIKE just got up last out for win honors. (3) CONNERY BLUE CHIP gets post relief; watch out.

Race 7

(3) BLACK MAGIC EYES put in a mild bid in her last try. Pacing mare should fare well from the 3-hole and with some luck, can get the job done. (2) HER OWN LAND was caught at the wire last time out and had to settle for the placing. (5) SPREESTER could land a share of the purse.

Race 8

(2) ALITTLEEASTERMAGIC posted an even finish in her last start. With the right trip, this gal can make tonight a winning one. (1) CLASSY LANE ROSE did not race badly in her most recent outing; main danger. (3) MIKELEH could make some noise down the lane.

Race 9

(6) FREETIME might have been used up in the early stages last out. She fits with these and good to see Brennan at the controls; threat at her best. (1) FANTICIPATION was nailed for the score recently; don't overlook. (5) KAITLYN RAE was sharp in her previous start; beware.

Race 10

With try (8) GAVINS DESIGNER to put it all together given the golden trip. (3) ROADWAY is knocking at the door; quite dangerous. (1) SECRETSOFTHEKNIGHT should do much better from the fence.

Race 11

(3) GROUNDED raced evenly in her last try. 5-year-old mare can get back into the winning grove with Brennan in the bike. (1) BABY REMIND ME retains the rail slot and was a game second last time out. (4) MY TALLIA IDEAL has hit the board in her last four trips to the post.

Race 12

(7) UPFRONTWHOSURLADY seems to be ready to break down the door. The post hurts but she very capable of getting the job done. (8) GRACE SEELSTER has wheeled off two straight victories; main threat. (3) BITTERSWEET DREAMS could be right in the mix.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mohawk: Thursday 7/2 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale
DRF HARNESS
Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

EARLY PICK 4:

5,8/5,6,7/1,2,4,9/1,2,9 = $72



LATE PICK 4: 1,2,9/2,6/1,3,6,8,9/3,5 = $60

MEET STATS: 148 - 464 / $843.50 BEST BETS: 19 - 41 / $68.20

SPOT PLAYS: 6 - 39 / $53.20

Best Bet: WRANGLER MAGIC (3rd)

Spot Play: GET AROUND TOWN (6th)

Race 1

If you absolutely must bet a field of nine 2-year-old trotters making their pari-mutuel debuts, you might consider trying (7) SILKY FLASHY NFAST here in the opener. She's a half-sister to $390K winner Rockin With Dewey and a full sister to Cool Creek Magic, who won 11 of 31 starts and won early (in her 2nd lifetime start). This daughter of top sire Kadabra has flashed good late speed in both qualifiers. (4) READY ANY TIME was a $62K Harrisburg sale purchase and the trainer/driver combo of Norman/Zeron is doing well at this meet. (6) LIBERTY LANE is a full sister to one that took a mark of 1:56 4/5 in just his third start and Henry will have this one winging for as far as she will go.



Race 2

(8) UNITALIANO BI trotted his last three-quarters in 1:25 flat on June 18 while making up a big deficit to win going away and followed that up with an even bigger win last week. He will be hard to deny with the late speed he has shown if he stays flat. (10) V FOR VICTORY also ripped off two huge qualifying wins and shouldn't have any problem with the 10-hole with the speed he has shown. (2) WILLYORWONTHE is out of a dam that was fast early, won 5 of her first 6 starts as a 2-year-old and went on to earn $246K lifetime. This son of Angus Hall wouldn't be the worst stab if the public ignores him in the wagering.

Race 3

(4) WRANGLER MAGIC comes into this OSS Gold dash fresh off a big win over open company in the Fan Hanover and will be hard to deny in her current form. (7) CAST NO SHADOW is 7 for 10 this year and races well on the lead or roughing it on the outside. The choice needs to be wary of this one's quick brush. (3) DELIGHTFUL HILL gets a better post than she had in her previous stakes engagements this year and can threaten from close range.

Race 4

(5) M G JADE showed improvement last time, makes her 3rd start for Auciello and gets a favorable pace scenario to chase here; top call at what should be a square price. (8) MILEYS BIG WORLD has won two straight and also should enjoy the early pace scenario with at least three of these figuring to leave hard. (2) C C CALLMEKELLY should also be closing late for a piece of this but her 0-53 record the past two seasons makes her very tough to use anywhere but underneath.

Race 5

(7) RAILEE PRITTI was full of trot when caught behind a dead one until she finally escaped mid-stretch last week. Once free she motored up but ran out of racetrack to fall just short. She should be tough here. (6) PISCEAN was out the route yet still closed to be a good 2nd to a hot horse that won easily for the second straight time. This Andover Hall filly is a top contender here. (5) ONEIDA qualified well at Vernon and goes for a hot trainer/driver combo that won both divisions of the Town Pro series last Friday.

Race 6

(9) GET AROUND TOWN raced against better out of town and has the looks of one that blasts off the gate and takes right down the road; price play. (2) CHOSEN HOMBRE looked like a winner last week but hung a bit very late to just lose out in a photo. That was a good effort and makes him a contender here. (4) FOREVER JUST should be up on or near the pace in this weak field and likely sticks around for a share.

Race 7

(9) CHEEKIE drops back into claimers where she was so effective before stepping up too high and facing some foes that were much too fast for her. This is more her level and the last two sound defeats may help her price; top call. (2) BET ON HILL drops into a claimer for the first time and should be the main foe. (1) TABOO SEELSTER took her first win in 19 last time at Grand River in her first start for a new barn off a claim. The way she destroyed that field suggests she can compete here; using.

Race 8

(2) SOLAR SISTER's third-place finish in the Fan Hanover final was more impressive than any of her 4 wins this season considering the brutal trip she overcame. She looks like one of two that could win this OSS Gold event, the other being (6) MS MAC N CHEESE, who continues to impress every time she steps foot on the racetrack. (1) EVAS GIRL usually sticks around for a check and should get a good following trip here.

Race 9

(1) MICHELLES HATTRICK is by a top sire out of a dam that won her first start in 1:53 4/5 at two and reeled off seven straight wins to begin her racing career. This filly roared home in her second qualifier and gets the nod here. (3) SHES LIGHTS OUT is out of a dam that won 14 times, earned $690K and took a mark of 1:49 3/5. She gave a hint of what she can do in an easy qualifying win Saturday. (8) ACTION BIG closed a big gap on a massively speed-favoring surface Saturday and is in with a chance here at a price.

Race 10

(3) GLAMOUR SEELSTER has looked good in both her wins and likely stays undefeated here with a reasonable trip. Price will be prohibitive, however. (5) COTTONWOOD CREEK set some big fractions for this class and almost lasted. She is better coming off a helmet and may revert to that style here. (8) ARTIAWITCHTOYOU was a closing second to a class-dropping winner that looked very tough to beat on paper, and was as it turned out. (4) SOUTHWIND GINGER makes her second start out of the Adams barn and should be prominent throughout. (2) WANDA BAYAMA has set the pace and tired late in all three Mohawk starts. Look for Filion to change tactics here, which would give her a chance to upset.

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 17:00

Alashkert

v

St Johnstone

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALASHKERT	RECENT FORM
HLALHWADAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWAWHDHDHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: St Johnstone have lost one of their last nine fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: St Johnstone failed to win any of their four Europa League qualifiers last season but should have the edge over ordinary Armenian side Alashkert in the capital, Yerevan. Recent experience of European football should be an advantage for St Johnstone and they have nothing to fear from Alashkert, who finished 23 points adrift in last season's Armenian title race.

RECOMMENDATION: St Johnstone
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 20:45

West Ham

v

FC Lusitans

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
ALADHWALHLAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	AWADHLHDHLAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham have conceded one or no goals in six of their last eight home games

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham are unlikely to be anywhere near 100 per cent at this stage of the summer but should still have few problems in their first qualifying round first leg against Andorran side Lusitans. Slaven Bilic will want his players to be getting into good habits from the start of his reign and keeping a clean sheet will be a priority.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham to win 4-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 21:05

Shkendija

v

Aberdeen

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SHKENDIJA	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHWALHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWAWALHLADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Shkendija have kept one clean sheet in their last seven home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Aberdeen battled through to the third qualifying round of last season's Europa League and have high hopes of making a strong start to the 2015-16 competition when facing Macedonian side Shkendija in Skopje. Shkendija lost 3-2 on aggregate to Moldovan side Zimbru Chisinau at the same stage of last year's tournament and the Aberdeen tie looks a shade tougher for them.

RECOMMENDATION: Aberdeen to win 1-0
1

 

[superbeets]

CONCACAF Gold Cup We 8Jul 00:00

Panama

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Haiti

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
HDALAWHWHDAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 3	–-–-–-NLALAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Panama have conceded eight goals in their last six games

EXPERT VERDICT: Both teams have struggled with inconsistency lately but Panama should be encouraged by recent friendly victories over Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica. Haiti drew with China last time out but this looks like a difficult opener for them against a team who could make a real charge in the Gold Cup.

RECOMMENDATION: Panama
2

 

[superbeets]

CONCACAF Gold Cup We 8Jul 02:30

USA

v

Honduras

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
HWALADHWAWAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 3 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 2	ADHLALNWADAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Before facing Guatemala, USA had scored 13 goals in their previous six games

EXPERT VERDICT: The USA could not have had a better preparation for the Gold Cup after seeing off the might of Germany and Holland in build-up friendlies. However, Honduras won't be a pushover after reaching the semi-finals in 2013. Jurgen Klinsmann's side should come out on top but it could prove a tight affair.

RECOMMENDATION: USA to win 2-1
1

 

[superbeets]

CONCACAF Gold Cup Th 9Jul 01:00

Costa Rica

v

Jamaica

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
ADHDALNLALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0	HDHWHWNLNLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Jamaica have conceded only four goals in their last eight games

EXPERT VERDICT: Costa Rica were the surprise team of the 2014 World Cup and are the highest-ranked team at the Gold Cup after reaching the quarter-finals in Brazil. Expect them to come out on top of this one, although it won't be easy. Jamaica don't concede many goals as they showed at the Copa America.

RECOMMENDATION: Costa Rica to win 1-0
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Brewers @ Phillies
Garza is 0-3, 9.38 in his last four starts, three of which went over.

Billingsley is 0-2, 7.31 in his three starts (over 2-1).

Milwaukee won last three games with the Phillies; road team won nine of last ten in series. Over is 8-2-1 in last 11 series games. Brewers won seven of last nine games overall- over is 7-1-1 in those nine. Phillies lost six of last seven games; over is 10-1-1 in their last twelve.

Giants @ Marlins
Cain is making first '15 start; his last start was July 9, 2014. He was 1-1, 1.86 in his last three starts before going on DL.

Fernandez is making first '15 start; his last start was May 9, 2014. He was 2-1, 2.89 in his last four starts, before going on DL.

Giants lost five of last seven games with Miami; three of last four went over total. SF is 4-5 in last nine games overall, with last six going over. Marlins won three of their last four games.

Nationals @ Braves
Scherzer is 3-0, 0.69 in his last three starts, with one walk, 33 K's; six of his last eight starts stayed under.

Banuelos is making first MLB start; he is 6-2, 2.29 in 15 AAA starts in '15.

Washington won nine of last ten games with Atlanta; four of last five stayed under the total. Nationals won nine of last 11 games (under 7-4). Braves lost six of their last eight games; seven of their last nine stayed under.

Cubs @ Mets
Arrieta is 3-1, 2.45 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).

deGrom is 5-1, 1.38 in his last eight starts; four of his last six went over.

Cubs won their last eight games with the Mets (under 6-1-1). Chicago lost five of last seven games overall, scoring nine runs; under is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. NY lost 1-0/2-0 last two nights; ten of their last twelve games stayed under the total.

Padres @ Cardinals
Ross is 2-0, 1.80 in his last two starts; over is 3-2 in his last five.

Cooley is making first MLB start; he allowed three runs in 2.1 IP in relief in majors. He is 6-4, 2.74 in 14 AAA starts this season.

San Diego lost four of last five games with St Louis; four of last six in series went over total. Padres lost five of last seven games, got shut out last couple days. Cardinals lost 2-1/7-1 last two fays after winning six in row; four of their last six games stayed under.

Rockies @ Diamondbacks
Rusin is 1-2, 8.72 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.

Hellickson is 1-2, 6.86 in his last four starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Colorado lost five of last seven games with Arizona; seven of last nine series games went over. Rockies lost four of last five games; they scored total of seven runs in last four. D'backs lost five of last six games; seven of their last ten games went over.

American League
Red Sox @ Blue Jays
Miley is 2-1, 1.93 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Boyd lost 4-0 in MLB debut last week, allowing four runs (three HRs) in 6.2 IP (103 PT).

Boston lost six of last nine games with Toronto; Red Sox are 8-5 in last 13 games overall- four of their last six stayed under. Blue Jays lost three of last five games (under 5-2 in last seven).

Rangers @ Orioles
Gallardo is 4-0, 1.39 in his last seven starts; he hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts (20.1 IP). Seven of his last nine starts stayed under.

Gausman allowed two runs in five IP (91 PT) in his only '15 start.

Texas lost ten of last 13 games with Baltimore; over is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. . Rangers lost eight of last 11 games; over is 4-3-2 in their last nine. Orioles won eight of last 11 games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight.

Indians @ Rays
Kluber is 0-4, 3.97 in his last five starts, four of which stayed under; Indians are 3-13 in his starts this year.

Moore is making first start since April 7, 2014 (elbow); he was 0-2, 2.70 in his two starts LY, before going on DL.

Tampa Bay lost eight of last ten games; they haven't put a man on base in first five innings of their last three games. Cleveland is 7-3 in last ten games with Tampa Bay; five of last nine series games stayed under total. Indians won last three games; seven of their last nine went over the total.

Twins @ Royals
Gibson is 1-3, 4.56 in his last four starts; three of his last four road starts went under the total.

Young is 3-1, 2.38 in his last four starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Royals won five of last six games with Minnesota; three of last four in series stayed under total. KC lost last three games, scoring six runs. Minnesota lost three of its last four games.

Mariners @ A's
Elias is 2-4, 6.48 in his last six starts; under is 7-2-1 in his last ten, 0-2-1 in his last three.

Kazmir is 2-1, 2.30 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Seattle won its last five games with Oakland; over is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Mariners are 4-3 in last seven games; under is 4-0-1 in last five. A's lost four of last six games after winning nine of previous 11; under is 3-1-1 in their last five.

Interleague
Pirates @ Tigers
Liriano is 3-2, 2.45 in his last seven starts; three of his last four went under.

Ryan is 0-1, 4.76 in his three starts (under 2-1).

Pirates are 6-4 in last ten games with Detroit; they won four of last five games overall- seven of their last nine went over. Tigers lost four of last six games- their last 12 games all went over.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mil-Phil-- Garza 5-10; Billingsley 1-2
SF-Mia-- Cain 0-0; Fernandez 0-0
Wsh-Atl-- Scherzer 10-5; Banuelos 0-0
Chi-NY-- Arrieta 8-7; deGrom 9-6
SD-StL-- Ross 7-9; Cooley 0-0
Col-Az-- Rusin 2-4; Hellickson 6-9

Bos-Tor-- Miley 8-7; Boyd 0-1
Tex-Balt-- Gallardo 8-8; Gausman 1-0
Clev-TB-- Kluber 3-13; Moore 0-0
Minn-KC-- Gibson 7-8; Young 7-3
Sea-A's-- Elias 4-8; Kazmir 6-9

Pitt-Det-- Liriano 5-10; Ryan 1-2

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mil-Phil-- Garza 6-15; Billingsley 1-3
SF-Mia-- Cain 0-0; Fernandez 0-0
Wsh-Atl-- Scherzer 1-15; Banuelos 0-0
Chi-NY-- Arrieta 4-15; deGrom 5-15
SD-StL-- Ross 4-16; Cooley 0-0
Col-Az-- Rusin 2-6; Hellickson 6-15

Bos-Tor-- Miley 4-15; Boyd 0-1
Tex-Balt-- Gallardo 6-16; Gausman 1-1
Clev-TB-- Kluber 8-16; Moore 0-0
Minn-KC-- Gibson 3-15; Young 1-10
Sea-A's-- Elias 5-12; Kazmir 2-15

Pitt-Det-- Liriano 2-15; Ryan 1-3

Umpires
Mil-Phil-- Four of last five HGibson games went over.
SF-Mia-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Barry games.
Wsh-Atl-- Five of last seven Iassogna games went over.
Chi-NY-- Five of last six Diaz games went over.

Bos-Tor-- Six of last eight Davis games stayed under.
Tex-Balt-- Underdogs won last five Hoye games.
Clev-TB-- Under is 7-4-1 in last dozen Miller games.

Pitt-Det-- Home side won six of last seven Holbrook games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bubba made Greenbrier 'chalk'

Tournament: Greenbrier Classic
Date: July 2-5
Venue: The Old White TPC
Location: White Sulphur Springs, WV

Following a great week at the Travelers Championship, the players will head south to West Virginia for the Greenbrier Classic, one of the newest events on the PGA Tour after being established in 2010 and taking place at the par-70, 7,287-yard course. This event is one of three sandwiched in between the U.S. Open and the Open Championship and is typically not attended by many of the top foreign players in the world as they prep overseas. Overall, there are seven players from the top-25 heading to this tourney with No. 18 Louis Oosthuizen and No. 23 Paul Casey being the only two from outside of the United States.

Leading the field will be No. 3 Bubba Watson who is coming off his eighth victory since 2010 when he took the trophy in a playoff against Paul Casey last week at the Travelers Championship. Also joining the field will be Tiger Woods as he hopes to rebound from a horrible performance at Chambers Bay in the midst of a horrid season and he missed the cut here in his one visit back in 2012. There is typically a ton of scoring done at this course which features plenty of European style holes as each of the winners since 2010 have been in double-digits under par and Stuart Appleby was the first victor here behind a score of 22-under-par; including a Sunday score of 59.

Last year, Angel Cabrera gave foreign players their third win in the five installments of this event when he shot a combined 12-under-par over the weekend and held off George McNeill’s Sunday 61 to win by two-strokes.

There will be plenty of scoring to be done this week and with some solid players joining the field it could be a fun one to watch through until Sunday afternoon, so let’s look at who could come through big and possibly top the leaderboard.

Golfers to Bet

Webb Simpson (25/1): Simpson is in the middle of another solid campaign as he has made the cut in 12-of-14 events (86%) while being in the top-10 four times. He was also close to getting his fifth career PGA victory when he was the runner-up at the Wells Fargo Championship in May behind a score of 14-under-par. Simpson has been great when coming to this tourney in the past, going 4-for-4 in made cuts in the past four years, ranking ninth or better three times during that stretch. Last year was his best showing as he finished third, improving his score in each successive day and finishing with a tremendous 63 on Sunday. He hit 72.2% of GIR during that impressive showing and he’s been one of the best ball-strikers on TOUR (1.528 strokes gained: tee-to-green, 8th on TOUR) as his short game is one of the best with a ranking of 21st in scrambling (63.4%) and 17th in sand save percentage (60.9%). The 29-year-old should have no issues being one of the top players out there come Sunday afternoon.

Brendon Todd (45/1): Todd joined Simpson near the top of the leaderboard at the Greenbrier last year, finishing one spot behind him (4th) after consistent rounds of 67 or better from Friday to Sunday. He hit 71.4% of the fairways during that solid performance and ranks 10th on TOUR in that category in 2015 with 70.8% of fairways hit as he also ranks in the top-20 in scrambling (63.7%, 18th on TOUR) and sand save percentage (62.8%, 12th on TOUR). Those stats have led Todd to a sneaky good season as he has made 15-of-19 cuts (80%) and has been in the top-25 eight times. Two of those have come in his last three events, with the U.S. Open being a missed cut, but ranking 17th or better in the other two while coming off a 15th last week after carding a 67 in three of the four rounds. He has been one of the more consistent players over the last few years that is not talked about much and could creep his way into contention this weekend.

Cameron Tringale (60/1): Tringale has had a great time when playing in the Greenbrier Classic and in the past four years has made it to the weekend each time with two top-four finishes to his name. One of those came last year as his nine-under-par score earned him a fourth-place while he hit 72.2% of GIR and 80.4% of fairways. He is doing well in 2015 as he ranks in the top-50 of the FedEx Cup standings behind made cuts in 15-of-21 events (71%) with four top-25 finishes. He was on the cusp of getting his first PGA victory in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic this year, carding an impressive score of 21-under-par but failing to overtake Justin Rose on Sunday despite a 65. Tringale should be able to continue his solid season at a venue where he is very comfortable.

Carl Pettersson (65/1): Pettersson will look to become the second Swedish-born player to win this event in the past three years as Jonas Blixt did so in 2013. He has had some success when at the Old White Course, making the cut in each of the five years since the tournament’s inception in 2010 and has two top-20s during that stretch. He’s been slightly inconsistent on the TOUR in 2015, going 16-for-24 (67%) in cuts made, but is currently riding a streak of four consecutive events in which he has made it to the weekend and is coming off of his best showing of the year when he ended in fifth at the Travelers Championship with three rounds of 66 or better. Pettersson is a great scrambler (62.7%, 28th on TOUR) and has the experience here to put up some nice scores and impress many with his play.

Charlie Beljan (110/1): It hasn’t exactly been an exceptional 2015 campaign for Beljan, missing more cuts (11) than he’s made, but he does have a third place and was solid at the U.S. Open (18th). He has been great at this event in the last three years, getting a top-11 twice and was close to grabbing the win in 2011 when he shot 14-under-par and finished in a tie for third thanks to his Friday 62. Beljan has shown he can get some very low scores here and besides that 62 he showed up with a Sunday 65 last year which aided him in a tie for 11th as he hit 75% of GIR. Beljan is huge off the tee, averaging 309.7 yard per (2nd on TOUR) and as a result ranks 28th in going for the green (61.7%). The long hitter has had success here in the past and should put himself in a position to contend on Sunday.

Odds to win Greenbrier Classic

Bubba Watson 23/2
Webb Simpson 25/1
Patrick Reed 27/1
Paul Casey 27/1
J.B. Holmes 28/1
Louis Oosthuizen 29/1
Bill Haas 30/1
Graham Delaet 30/1
Keegan Bradley 30/1
Kevin Kisner 30/1
George McNeill 40/1
Kevin Na 40/1
Tony Finau 40/1
Brendon Todd 45/1
Justin Thomas 45/1
Marc Leishman 45/1
Kevin Chappell 50/1
Pat Perez 55/1
Russell Henley 55/1
Cameron Tringale 60/1
Daniel Berger 60/1
Nick Watney 60/1
Robert Streb 60/1
Tiger Woods 60/1
Carl Pettersson 65/1
Chris Stroud 65/1
Kevin Streelman 65/1
Patrick Rodgers 65/1
Rory Sabbatini 65/1
Steven Bowditch 65/1
Bo Van Pelt 75/1
Brendon de Jonge 75/1
Jason Bohn 75/1
Seung-Yul Noh 75/1
Shawn Stefani 75/1
Steve Stricker 75/1
Will Wilcox 75/1
David Lingmerth 85/1
Angel Cabrera 90/1
Charles Howell III 90/1
Chad Campbell 95/1
Billy Hurley III 100/1
Daniel Summerhays 100/1
Jason Kokrak 100/1
Jon Curran 100/1
Morgan Hoffmann 100/1
Brian Stuard 110/1
Charlie Beljan 110/1
Colt Knost 120/1
Scott Stallings 120/1
Jonas Blixt 130/1
Sangmoon Bae 130/1
Scott Piercy 130/1
Scott Pinckney 130/1
Hudson Swafford 140/1
Andres Romero 150/1
Danny Lee 150/1
Fabian Gomez 150/1
John Peterson 150/1
Peter Uihlein 160/1
Sean OHair 160/1
Jason Gore 170/1
Scott Brown 170/1
Troy Merritt 170/1
David Hearn 180/1
Zac Blair 180/1
Jeff Overton 190/1
William McGirt 190/1
Chez Reavie 200/1
Mark Wilson 200/1
Michael Thompson 200/1
Scott Langley 200/1
John Merrick 210/1
Johnson Wagner 210/1
Will MacKenzie 210/1
Ben Crane 220/1
John Huh 220/1
Ken Duke 220/1
Carlos Ortiz 230/1
Luke Guthrie 230/1
Aaron Baddeley 250/1
Adam Hadwin 250/1
Brice Garnett 250/1
Bryce Molder 250/1
Cameron Percy 250/1
James Hahn 250/1
Jim Herman 250/1
Robert Garrigus 250/1
Ryo Ishikawa 250/1
Spencer Levin 250/1
Vijay Singh 250/1
Alex Cejka 300/1
Blayne Barber 300/1
Chad Collins 300/1
Erik Compton 300/1
Greg Owen 300/1
Jhonattan Vegas 300/1
Jim Renner 300/1
Michael Putnam 300/1
Nicholas Thompson 300/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 350/1
Kyle Reifers 350/1
Lucas Glover 350/1
Martin Flores 350/1
Nick Taylor 350/1
Troy Kelly 350/1
Alex Prugh 400/1
Brian Davis 400/1
D.A. Points 400/1
Richard Sterne 400/1
Tommy Gainey 400/1
Davis Love III 450/1
Jonathan Byrd 450/1
Maverick McNealy 450/1
Steve Wheatcroft 450/1
Tyrone Van Aswegen 450/1
Whee Kim 450/1
Andres Gonzales 500/1
Andrew Svoboda 500/1
Benjamin Alvarado 500/1
Bill Lunde 500/1
Blake Adams 500/1
Byron Smith 500/1
Carlos Sainz Jr. 500/1
Derek Ernst 500/1
Derek Fathauer 500/1
Eric Axley 500/1
Harrison Frazar 500/1
Heath Slocum 500/1
J.J. Henry 500/1
John Daly 500/1
Jonathan Randolph 500/1
Justin Leonard 500/1
Kevin Shields 500/1
Mark Anderson 500/1
Mark Hubbard 500/1
Max Homa 500/1
Neal Lancaster 500/1
Oscar Fraustro 500/1
Ricky Barnes 500/1
Robert Allenby 500/1
Roger Sloan 500/1
Ryan Armour 500/1
S.J. Park 500/1
Sam ODell 500/1
Sam Saunders 500/1
Steven Alker 500/1
Tim Wilkinson 500/1
Tom Gillis 500/1
Tom Hoge 500/1
Trevor Immelman 500/1
Zack Sucher 500/1