WNBA'S AUGUST BEST BETS !
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...............................4 - 6............................ 40.00%......................- 13.00
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...............................4 - 6............................ 40.00%......................- 13.00
Armadillo Sports
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with weekend here…….
— Happy 98th birthday to the great football coach Marv Levy; he won four consecutive AFC titles coaching Buffalo, also won two Grey Cups with the Montreal Alouettes.
— Major League Baseball does an awful job of marketing itself; they need to have a Hard Knocks-type program in spring training, so younger people can get an inside look at what an interesting game/process baseball is. Lot of down time in spring training, would be simple to do.
They also need an in-season Hard Knocks show that runs from the All-Star Game to the trade deadline; would’ve been fun to see behind the curtain with the Mets, Rangers in the last few days. You want your sport to be more popular, work harder at promoting it.
— Detroit Lions have already sold out all their home games this season, first time they’ve done that in the 21 years they’ve played at Ford Field.
No pressure; Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991.
— Back in 1997, Lions’ RB Barry Sanders was the NFL’s highest-paid player. He was a great running back.
This season, 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey is the NFL’s highest-paid running back, but he ranks 110th in salary amongst all players.
— Minnesota Twins called up P Dallas Keuchel Thursday; Keuchel had a 1.13 ERA in six minor league starts this year. Last year, he was 2-9, 9.20 in 14 major league starts for four different squads. His career record is 101-91, 3.98 in 257 big league starts.
— Rangers 5, White Sox 3— Max Scherzer wins his first start for Texas; he gave up three runs in the first inning, but blanked Chicago after that, striking out nine White Sox.
— Phillies 4, Marlins 2— Michael Lorenzen wins his Phillies’ debut, getting 24 outs on 101 pitches. JT Realmuto homered for the Phils.
— Orioles 6, Blue Jays 1— Jack Flaherty wins his Baltimore debut; he retired 15 Blue Jays in a row at one point. Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays both had four hits for Baltimore.
— Movie of the Day: Moneyball (2011)— Story of the Oakland A’s attempt to assemble a baseball team on a small budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Brad Pitt played A’s GM Billy Beane, Jonah Hill played Paul DePodesta (they called him Peter Brand in the movie, but he was DePodesta, who Beane’s right-hand man back then). Philip Seymour Hoffman played manager Art Howe, Kerris Dorsey played Beane’s daughter; she later played Ray Donovan’s daughter on that great Showtime series.
Having been an A’s fan since I was 5 years old, I obviously read the book and couldn’t wait to see this movie. In 2004, I met Michael Lewis, who wrote the book, and got to pick his brain for a few minutes- this was before the movie was made. He’s a good guy.
— College Football Trend of the Day: since 2016, Fresno State is 7-0-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Arizona Wildcats are bolting the Pac-12 for the Big X; they were in the Pac-12 since 1978, never once played in the Rose Bowl, but Arizona obviously has a really good basketball program.
— Browns 21, Jets 16
Cleveland outscored the Jets 14-0 in second half.
Browns had 23 first downs, the Jets 9; total yardage was 346-188
— Cubs 5, Reds 3— Chicago has scored 150 runs in its last 20 games, 7.5 runs/game; they’re only two games out of a playoff spot.
— Royals 9, Mets 2— Ugly week for the Mets; they threw in the towel on this/next season by trading several players, then got swept by the woeful Royals, who are 35-75.
Brady Singer tossed eight shutout IP for Kansas City.
— Mariners 5, Angels 3
Cade Marlowe hit a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch in 9th inning for the game-winning runs.
Two of the three Mariners who were on base got there with a walk.
Shohei Ohtani only pitched four innings; he has a broken fingernail.
Ohtani hit his 40th home run after he stopped pitching.
Eugenio Suarez has an RBI in nine straight games.
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with weekend here…….
— Happy 98th birthday to the great football coach Marv Levy; he won four consecutive AFC titles coaching Buffalo, also won two Grey Cups with the Montreal Alouettes.
— Major League Baseball does an awful job of marketing itself; they need to have a Hard Knocks-type program in spring training, so younger people can get an inside look at what an interesting game/process baseball is. Lot of down time in spring training, would be simple to do.
They also need an in-season Hard Knocks show that runs from the All-Star Game to the trade deadline; would’ve been fun to see behind the curtain with the Mets, Rangers in the last few days. You want your sport to be more popular, work harder at promoting it.
— Detroit Lions have already sold out all their home games this season, first time they’ve done that in the 21 years they’ve played at Ford Field.
No pressure; Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991.
— Back in 1997, Lions’ RB Barry Sanders was the NFL’s highest-paid player. He was a great running back.
This season, 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey is the NFL’s highest-paid running back, but he ranks 110th in salary amongst all players.
— Minnesota Twins called up P Dallas Keuchel Thursday; Keuchel had a 1.13 ERA in six minor league starts this year. Last year, he was 2-9, 9.20 in 14 major league starts for four different squads. His career record is 101-91, 3.98 in 257 big league starts.
— Rangers 5, White Sox 3— Max Scherzer wins his first start for Texas; he gave up three runs in the first inning, but blanked Chicago after that, striking out nine White Sox.
— Phillies 4, Marlins 2— Michael Lorenzen wins his Phillies’ debut, getting 24 outs on 101 pitches. JT Realmuto homered for the Phils.
— Orioles 6, Blue Jays 1— Jack Flaherty wins his Baltimore debut; he retired 15 Blue Jays in a row at one point. Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays both had four hits for Baltimore.
— Movie of the Day: Moneyball (2011)— Story of the Oakland A’s attempt to assemble a baseball team on a small budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Brad Pitt played A’s GM Billy Beane, Jonah Hill played Paul DePodesta (they called him Peter Brand in the movie, but he was DePodesta, who Beane’s right-hand man back then). Philip Seymour Hoffman played manager Art Howe, Kerris Dorsey played Beane’s daughter; she later played Ray Donovan’s daughter on that great Showtime series.
Having been an A’s fan since I was 5 years old, I obviously read the book and couldn’t wait to see this movie. In 2004, I met Michael Lewis, who wrote the book, and got to pick his brain for a few minutes- this was before the movie was made. He’s a good guy.
— College Football Trend of the Day: since 2016, Fresno State is 7-0-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Arizona Wildcats are bolting the Pac-12 for the Big X; they were in the Pac-12 since 1978, never once played in the Rose Bowl, but Arizona obviously has a really good basketball program.
— Browns 21, Jets 16
Cleveland outscored the Jets 14-0 in second half.
Browns had 23 first downs, the Jets 9; total yardage was 346-188
— Cubs 5, Reds 3— Chicago has scored 150 runs in its last 20 games, 7.5 runs/game; they’re only two games out of a playoff spot.
— Royals 9, Mets 2— Ugly week for the Mets; they threw in the towel on this/next season by trading several players, then got swept by the woeful Royals, who are 35-75.
Brady Singer tossed eight shutout IP for Kansas City.
— Mariners 5, Angels 3
Cade Marlowe hit a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch in 9th inning for the game-winning runs.
Two of the three Mariners who were on base got there with a walk.
Shohei Ohtani only pitched four innings; he has a broken fingernail.
Ohtani hit his 40th home run after he stopped pitching.
Eugenio Suarez has an RBI in nine straight games.
WNBA
Friday, August 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut @ Indiana
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Connecticut is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Los Angeles @ Washington
Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Chicago @ Dallas
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New York @ Minnesota
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against New York
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, August 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut @ Indiana
Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Connecticut is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Los Angeles @ Washington
Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Chicago @ Dallas
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New York @ Minnesota
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against New York
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WNBA'S AUGUST BEST BETS !
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...............................7 - 9............................ 43.75%......................- 14.50
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...............................7 - 9............................ 43.75%......................- 14.50
Armadillo Sports
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Teams that led the NFL in turnover ratio last year:
+13— San Francisco
+10— Dallas
+8— Philadelphia
+7— Detroit, New England
+6— Cincinnati
+5— Jacksonville, LA Chargers
Quote of the Day
“I have an inferiority complex, but it’s not a very good one.”
Steven Wright
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities?
Friday’s quiz
Texas Rangers are Max Scherzer’s 6th MLB team; he broke into the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2008.
Thursday’s quiz
Aaron Rodgers was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft; he was the 24th pick in the first round.
***************************************************************
Saturday’s Den: Random thoughts on a summer night…….
— During the Nationals-Reds game in Cincinnati Friday, Reds’ sideline reporter Jim Day did an in-game interview with the great actor Robert Wuhl, who was at the game as a fan.
Wuhl said that Cincinnati is the 28th MLB ballpark he’s been in; they’re going to Cleveland Saturday, which would leave Tampa Bay as the only ballpark he hasn’t been in.
It was a great interview; Wuhl was excited because Reds’ P Graham Ashcraft was pitching— he has Ashcraft on his fantasy team.
Wuhl, of course, was the pitching coach in Bull Durham, one of the best-ever baseball movies.
— Greed is killing college sports; right now, there are four teams in the Pac-12, because the Big 12/Big 10 have poached eight teams away from the league.
Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State are going to wind up merging with the Mountain West to form a new league, or expand a current league, whatever.
There will be three “super leagues”, plus the ACC and the Mountain West left in the top level of college football. Hopefully the bigger leagues at least go to divisions.
Put it this way; Oregon and Rutgers are now in the same league- they’re 2,904 miles apart.
Go figure.
— Nationals 6, Reds 3 (10)— Cincinnati led 3-1 in 8th inning; they left starter Ashcraft in to pitch to Meneses and he gave up the game-tying homer. Reds are 0-4 since they declined to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.
— Dodgers 10, Padres 5— San Diego led 3-2 after seven innings, then their bullpen imploded, giving up 8 runs in two innings.
— Royals 7, Phillies 5— Kansas City has won seven games in a row.
— Baltimore Orioles are 33-17 this year in games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
— Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 3— Davis Schneider homered in his first major league game.
— San Diego Padres shut down P Joe Musgrove for at 3+ weeks with shoulder inflammation.
— Minnesota Twins claimed OF Jordan Luplow off waivers from Toronto.
— Texas 6, Miami 2— Jordan Montgomery won his Rangers debut, throwing 6 IP; Adolis Garcia hit two homers for Texas.
— Mariners 9, Angels 7— Seattle wins despite Luis Castillo not having a good game; this game was 7-7 after five innings. Ty France hit a 3-run homer for the Mariners.
— Movie of the Day: St Vincent (2014)— A young boy whose parents just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the WWII veteran who lives next door.
Bill Murray plays the war veteran, whose wife is in a rest home with Alzheimer’s; he drinks too much, gambles too much but he becomes friends with the kid. Melissa McCarthy is the mom who has to work a lot; she turns to the neighbor to babysit her son.
Chris O’Dowd plays a priest at the kid’s school; he also played Douglas Downey in the great movie Molly’s Game— this is a much different role for him.
I had forgotten about this movie, watched it again Thursday night— it is very good.
— College Football Trend of the Day: Last two years, Alabama is 2-7 ATS as a road favorite.
— In the NBA, LA Lakers signed Anthony Davis to a 3-year, $186M contract, which means he will bank $756,097 PER GAME for the next three years, whether he plays or not, and Davis is often out of the lineup— the last four years, he’s played in only 194 of a possible 307 games.
— Tampa Bay Bucs are moving T Tristan Wirfs from right tackle to left tackle; that move became a source of debilitating anxiety for Wirfs, so much so that he began seeing a sports psychologist for help.
— They drew 26,425 fans to Saratoga Friday for the horse races; it costs $10 to get in, so they’re up $264,250 before anyone makes a bet, or buys a program or a beer. Must be nice.
— I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Braves, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards- Giants-Phillies-Reds
AL: Orioles, Twins, Rangers. Wild Cards- Rays-Astros-Blue Jays
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Teams that led the NFL in turnover ratio last year:
+13— San Francisco
+10— Dallas
+8— Philadelphia
+7— Detroit, New England
+6— Cincinnati
+5— Jacksonville, LA Chargers
Quote of the Day
“I have an inferiority complex, but it’s not a very good one.”
Steven Wright
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities?
Friday’s quiz
Texas Rangers are Max Scherzer’s 6th MLB team; he broke into the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2008.
Thursday’s quiz
Aaron Rodgers was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft; he was the 24th pick in the first round.
***************************************************************
Saturday’s Den: Random thoughts on a summer night…….
— During the Nationals-Reds game in Cincinnati Friday, Reds’ sideline reporter Jim Day did an in-game interview with the great actor Robert Wuhl, who was at the game as a fan.
Wuhl said that Cincinnati is the 28th MLB ballpark he’s been in; they’re going to Cleveland Saturday, which would leave Tampa Bay as the only ballpark he hasn’t been in.
It was a great interview; Wuhl was excited because Reds’ P Graham Ashcraft was pitching— he has Ashcraft on his fantasy team.
Wuhl, of course, was the pitching coach in Bull Durham, one of the best-ever baseball movies.
— Greed is killing college sports; right now, there are four teams in the Pac-12, because the Big 12/Big 10 have poached eight teams away from the league.
Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State are going to wind up merging with the Mountain West to form a new league, or expand a current league, whatever.
There will be three “super leagues”, plus the ACC and the Mountain West left in the top level of college football. Hopefully the bigger leagues at least go to divisions.
Put it this way; Oregon and Rutgers are now in the same league- they’re 2,904 miles apart.
Go figure.
— Nationals 6, Reds 3 (10)— Cincinnati led 3-1 in 8th inning; they left starter Ashcraft in to pitch to Meneses and he gave up the game-tying homer. Reds are 0-4 since they declined to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.
— Dodgers 10, Padres 5— San Diego led 3-2 after seven innings, then their bullpen imploded, giving up 8 runs in two innings.
— Royals 7, Phillies 5— Kansas City has won seven games in a row.
— Baltimore Orioles are 33-17 this year in games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
— Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 3— Davis Schneider homered in his first major league game.
— San Diego Padres shut down P Joe Musgrove for at 3+ weeks with shoulder inflammation.
— Minnesota Twins claimed OF Jordan Luplow off waivers from Toronto.
— Texas 6, Miami 2— Jordan Montgomery won his Rangers debut, throwing 6 IP; Adolis Garcia hit two homers for Texas.
— Mariners 9, Angels 7— Seattle wins despite Luis Castillo not having a good game; this game was 7-7 after five innings. Ty France hit a 3-run homer for the Mariners.
— Movie of the Day: St Vincent (2014)— A young boy whose parents just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the WWII veteran who lives next door.
Bill Murray plays the war veteran, whose wife is in a rest home with Alzheimer’s; he drinks too much, gambles too much but he becomes friends with the kid. Melissa McCarthy is the mom who has to work a lot; she turns to the neighbor to babysit her son.
Chris O’Dowd plays a priest at the kid’s school; he also played Douglas Downey in the great movie Molly’s Game— this is a much different role for him.
I had forgotten about this movie, watched it again Thursday night— it is very good.
— College Football Trend of the Day: Last two years, Alabama is 2-7 ATS as a road favorite.
— In the NBA, LA Lakers signed Anthony Davis to a 3-year, $186M contract, which means he will bank $756,097 PER GAME for the next three years, whether he plays or not, and Davis is often out of the lineup— the last four years, he’s played in only 194 of a possible 307 games.
— Tampa Bay Bucs are moving T Tristan Wirfs from right tackle to left tackle; that move became a source of debilitating anxiety for Wirfs, so much so that he began seeing a sports psychologist for help.
— They drew 26,425 fans to Saratoga Friday for the horse races; it costs $10 to get in, so they’re up $264,250 before anyone makes a bet, or buys a program or a beer. Must be nice.
— I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Braves, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards- Giants-Phillies-Reds
AL: Orioles, Twins, Rangers. Wild Cards- Rays-Astros-Blue Jays
WNBA
Dunkel
Saturday, August 5
WNBA
Saturday, August 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle @ Phoenix
Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dunkel
Saturday, August 5
WNBA
Saturday, August 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle @ Phoenix
Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WNBA'S AUGUST BEST BETS !
08/05/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...........................8 - 10........................... 44.44%......................- 15.00
08/05/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS...........................8 - 10........................... 44.44%......................- 15.00
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Colleges with most pro football Hall of Famers:
14— USC, Notre Dame
11— Michigan
10— Ohio State, Pittsburgh
9— Miami
8— Alabama, Syracuse
7— Minnesota
Quote of the Day
“The Air Coryell system is second to none. His philosophy was that the defense would have to protect the entire field. … His influence on the game is one that continues to grow not only in the NFL but in college and high school football.”
Dan Fouts, talking about Hall of Famer Don Coryell, his coach in San Diego
Sunday’s quiz
Who is the last Baltimore Raven to run the ball for 1,000+ yards in a season?
Saturday’s quiz
In 1982, Joel Youngblood became the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams (Mets/Expos) in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities.
Friday’s quiz
Texas Rangers are Max Scherzer’s 6th MLB team; he broke into the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2008.
**********************************************
— Braves are 10-2 in Strider’s last 12 starts.
— Cubs are 22-14 in series openers; 12-5 at home, 10-9 on the road.
— Since All-Star break, Reds are 0-7 in games where game-winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— Colorado is 1-16 in the last game of their home series.
— LA Dodgers are 24-11 in first game of a series, 16-19 in the last game.
— Marlins are 24-9 this season in one-run games.
— Milwaukee is 9-3 in the game after their last 12 losses.
Milwaukee is 0-6 in game after their last six wins.
— Mets are 39-34 vs right-handed starters, 11-26 vs lefty starters.
— Phillies are 22-14 in one-run games, also 22-14 vs AL opponents.
— Over is 13-3-2 in Pirates’ last 18 home games.
— St Louis is 6-12 in first game of a home series, 11-6 in last game of a home series.
— San Diego is 0-10 in extra inning games.
— Under is 15-3 in San Francisco’s last 18 games.
— Washington is 3-16 in home series openers, 9-9 in road series openers.
— Movie of the Day: The Gambler (2014)— A Literature professor/degenerate gambler is in serious debt; he borrows money from his mother and three loan sharks. He is also having an affair with one of his students.
Mark Wahlberg is the professor; Jessica Lange is his mother, Brie Larson the student, John Goodman is one of the loan sharks.
The scenes where he gambles make me queasy; why would a supposedly smart person take such outrageous chances? It is a good movie, though.
— College Football Trend of the Day: Since 2014, Ball State is 15-34 ATS at home.
— Orioles are 33-17 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
— Boston is 13-5 in road series openers, 14-23 in all their other road games.
— White Sox lost their series opener in 14 of their last 15 series.
— Cleveland is 15-20 in series openers, 20-15 in series finales.
— Detroit is 5-17 vs AL East teams, 45-44 vs everyone else.
— Houston is 1-7 in extra inning games this season.
— Royals are 4-14 in home series openers, 9-9 in home series finales.
— Angels are 45-38 vs right-handed starters, 11-18 vs lefty starters.
— Since All-Star break, Minnesota is 9-2 in games where winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— Bronx is 8-12 in home series openers; under is 12-8 in those games.
— A’s started season 12-50, then they won seven games in a row; since then, they’re 12-30.
— Seattle is 15-20 in one-run games; previous two years, they were 67-41.
— Tampa Bay won its first 12 home series openers; they’re 1-5 in their last six.
— Texas is in first place with a 65-46 record, despite being 8-14 in one-run games.
— Blue Jays are 10-23 vs their AL East rivals, 52-27 vs everyone else.
Colleges with most pro football Hall of Famers:
14— USC, Notre Dame
11— Michigan
10— Ohio State, Pittsburgh
9— Miami
8— Alabama, Syracuse
7— Minnesota
Quote of the Day
“The Air Coryell system is second to none. His philosophy was that the defense would have to protect the entire field. … His influence on the game is one that continues to grow not only in the NFL but in college and high school football.”
Dan Fouts, talking about Hall of Famer Don Coryell, his coach in San Diego
Sunday’s quiz
Who is the last Baltimore Raven to run the ball for 1,000+ yards in a season?
Saturday’s quiz
In 1982, Joel Youngblood became the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams (Mets/Expos) in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities.
Friday’s quiz
Texas Rangers are Max Scherzer’s 6th MLB team; he broke into the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2008.
**********************************************
Sunday’s Den: A quick trend for every MLB team
— Diamondbacks are 5-16 since the All-Star break.— Braves are 10-2 in Strider’s last 12 starts.
— Cubs are 22-14 in series openers; 12-5 at home, 10-9 on the road.
— Since All-Star break, Reds are 0-7 in games where game-winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— Colorado is 1-16 in the last game of their home series.
— LA Dodgers are 24-11 in first game of a series, 16-19 in the last game.
— Marlins are 24-9 this season in one-run games.
— Milwaukee is 9-3 in the game after their last 12 losses.
Milwaukee is 0-6 in game after their last six wins.
— Mets are 39-34 vs right-handed starters, 11-26 vs lefty starters.
— Phillies are 22-14 in one-run games, also 22-14 vs AL opponents.
— Over is 13-3-2 in Pirates’ last 18 home games.
— St Louis is 6-12 in first game of a home series, 11-6 in last game of a home series.
— San Diego is 0-10 in extra inning games.
— Under is 15-3 in San Francisco’s last 18 games.
— Washington is 3-16 in home series openers, 9-9 in road series openers.
— Movie of the Day: The Gambler (2014)— A Literature professor/degenerate gambler is in serious debt; he borrows money from his mother and three loan sharks. He is also having an affair with one of his students.
Mark Wahlberg is the professor; Jessica Lange is his mother, Brie Larson the student, John Goodman is one of the loan sharks.
The scenes where he gambles make me queasy; why would a supposedly smart person take such outrageous chances? It is a good movie, though.
— College Football Trend of the Day: Since 2014, Ball State is 15-34 ATS at home.
— Orioles are 33-17 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
— Boston is 13-5 in road series openers, 14-23 in all their other road games.
— White Sox lost their series opener in 14 of their last 15 series.
— Cleveland is 15-20 in series openers, 20-15 in series finales.
— Detroit is 5-17 vs AL East teams, 45-44 vs everyone else.
— Houston is 1-7 in extra inning games this season.
— Royals are 4-14 in home series openers, 9-9 in home series finales.
— Angels are 45-38 vs right-handed starters, 11-18 vs lefty starters.
— Since All-Star break, Minnesota is 9-2 in games where winning run scored from the 7th inning on.
— Bronx is 8-12 in home series openers; under is 12-8 in those games.
— A’s started season 12-50, then they won seven games in a row; since then, they’re 12-30.
— Seattle is 15-20 in one-run games; previous two years, they were 67-41.
— Tampa Bay won its first 12 home series openers; they’re 1-5 in their last six.
— Texas is in first place with a 65-46 record, despite being 8-14 in one-run games.
— Blue Jays are 10-23 vs their AL East rivals, 52-27 vs everyone else.
WNBA
Sunday, August 6
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Trend Report
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Indiana @ Atlanta
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 11 games
Las Vegas @ New York
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
New York is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Los Angeles @ Washington
Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Chicago @ Dallas
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Chicago
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Sunday, August 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana @ Atlanta
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 11 games
Las Vegas @ New York
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
New York is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Los Angeles @ Washington
Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Chicago @ Dallas
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Chicago
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WNBA'S AUGUST BEST BETS !
08/06/2023.......................5 - 1............................83.33%......................+19.50
08/05/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS..................... .....13 - 11........................... 54.16%......................+ 4.50
08/06/2023.......................5 - 1............................83.33%......................+19.50
08/05/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/04/2023.......................3 - 3............................50.00%......................- 1.50
08/03/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/02/2023.......................1 - 1............................50.00%......................- 0.50
08/01/2023.......................2 - 4............................33.33%......................- 12.00
TOTALS..................... .....13 - 11........................... 54.16%......................+ 4.50
Monday’s 6-pack:
NFL teams with the worst turnover ratios last year:
minus-13— Colts
minus-11— Saints
minus-8— Raiders
minus-7—Dolphins, Jets
minus-5— Cardinals, Washington
minus-4— Falcons, Panthers
Quote of the Day
“I think he’s (Anderson) been disrespecting the game for a while. I was telling him to stop doing that. After he tapped me really hard, more than needed, he said he wanted to fight and I had to defend myself.”
Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez, after Saturday’s fracas with the White Sox
Monday’s quiz
Who was manager of the Texas Rangers when they made the World Series in 2010 and 2011?
Sunday’s quiz
Lamar Jackson is the last Baltimore Raven to run the ball for 1,000+ yards in a season.
Saturday’s quiz
In 1982, Joel Youngblood became the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams (Mets/Expos) in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities.
**********************************************************
Toronto sweeps in Fenway; they’ve got a 2.5-game lead for the last AL Wild Card slot.
— Nationals 6, Reds 3— Lyon Richardson made his debut on the mound for Cincinnati; he started the season in freakin’ Class A ball, he just isn’t ready yet.
First two pitches Richardson threw were both hit over the fence, not sure I’ve ever seen that before. He gave up four runs in three innings.
Reds are 0-6 since the trade deadline, when they neglected to add any starting pitching.
— Orioles 2, Mets 0— Speaking of which, Mets are 0-6 since gutting their roster this week; they scored eight runs in their last five games.
Mets started this season with a $360M payroll, an all-time record; right now, since gutting the roster, they have the 11th highest payroll, for this season.
— Mariners 3, Angels 2 (10)— Angels are also 0-6 since the trade deadline; they’re seven games out of the last playoff spot. Seattle won 10 of its last 12 games; they’re within 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.
— Dodgers 8, Padres 2— LA is 7-2 against the San Diego this year; this will be the 13th year in a row the Dodgers have won the season series with San Diego, though the Padres did beat them in the playoffs last year.
— Rockies 1, Cardinals 0— Colorado wins a series in Busch Stadium for first time since 2009.
— Rangers 6, Marlins 0— Texas has won six in a row, leads AL West by 2.5 games, but they lost 3B Josh Jung in this game with a broken left thumb.
— Twins 5, Arizona 3
Kepler tied game with 9th inning HR. Waller won it with a walk-off blast.
Arizona was 2-11 with RISP, Twins 1-3.
Diamondbacks are 5-17 since the All-Star break.
Dallas Keuchel allowed a run in 5 IP, in his first 2023 start; he ended a streak where Minnesota had a right-handed starting pitcher 180 games in a row, over a year.
— Movie of the Day: Risky Business (1983)— A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.
Tom Cruise is the teenager, Rebecca DeMornay is the escort he hires on the phone to visit. Joe Pantoliano is the escort’s pimp, Shera Danese is the second escort— in real life, she was married to Peter Falk for 34 years, until he passed away.
They made a $57M profit on the movie, it was very popular.
Risky Business came out 40 years ago this week; typing that made me feel old
Speaking of which, Jay North turned 72 years old this week; he played Dennis the Menace on TV when I was a little kid. Funny show; always felt bad for Mr Wilson, the neighbor he tormented.
— College Football Trend of the Day: In his coaching career, Lincoln Riley is 23-15 ATS as a home favorite, 8-13-1 ATS as a road favorite.
— Major league teams can’t trade their draft picks, the way they do in football, basketball. Would be better if baseball teams could trade their draft picks too, would make life a little more interesting.
— July was the hottest month in the history of Las Vegas; the average temperature was 97.3, more than one degree hotter than the previous record, which was set in July, 2010 (I was there for a week that month).
Temperatures in Las Vegas got to 110 degrees 17 times last month.
— Happy 83rd birthday to Roman Gabriel, the terrific quarterback who played for the Rams back in the late 1960’s. He got the Rams to the playoffs in 1967, 1969, back when it was a lot harder to make the playoffs.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Braves, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Giants, Phillies, Chi/Cin
AL: Orioles, Twins, Rangers. Wild Cards: Rays, Astros, Blue Jays
NFL teams with the worst turnover ratios last year:
minus-13— Colts
minus-11— Saints
minus-8— Raiders
minus-7—Dolphins, Jets
minus-5— Cardinals, Washington
minus-4— Falcons, Panthers
Quote of the Day
“I think he’s (Anderson) been disrespecting the game for a while. I was telling him to stop doing that. After he tapped me really hard, more than needed, he said he wanted to fight and I had to defend myself.”
Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez, after Saturday’s fracas with the White Sox
Monday’s quiz
Who was manager of the Texas Rangers when they made the World Series in 2010 and 2011?
Sunday’s quiz
Lamar Jackson is the last Baltimore Raven to run the ball for 1,000+ yards in a season.
Saturday’s quiz
In 1982, Joel Youngblood became the first major league player to get a hit for two different teams (Mets/Expos) in the same day, with the two games happening in different cities.
**********************************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….
— Blue Jays 13, Red Sox 1— Davis Schneider has nine hits, two home runs in his first three major league games this weekend, the first player ever to do that.Toronto sweeps in Fenway; they’ve got a 2.5-game lead for the last AL Wild Card slot.
— Nationals 6, Reds 3— Lyon Richardson made his debut on the mound for Cincinnati; he started the season in freakin’ Class A ball, he just isn’t ready yet.
First two pitches Richardson threw were both hit over the fence, not sure I’ve ever seen that before. He gave up four runs in three innings.
Reds are 0-6 since the trade deadline, when they neglected to add any starting pitching.
— Orioles 2, Mets 0— Speaking of which, Mets are 0-6 since gutting their roster this week; they scored eight runs in their last five games.
Mets started this season with a $360M payroll, an all-time record; right now, since gutting the roster, they have the 11th highest payroll, for this season.
— Mariners 3, Angels 2 (10)— Angels are also 0-6 since the trade deadline; they’re seven games out of the last playoff spot. Seattle won 10 of its last 12 games; they’re within 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.
— Dodgers 8, Padres 2— LA is 7-2 against the San Diego this year; this will be the 13th year in a row the Dodgers have won the season series with San Diego, though the Padres did beat them in the playoffs last year.
— Rockies 1, Cardinals 0— Colorado wins a series in Busch Stadium for first time since 2009.
— Rangers 6, Marlins 0— Texas has won six in a row, leads AL West by 2.5 games, but they lost 3B Josh Jung in this game with a broken left thumb.
— Twins 5, Arizona 3
Kepler tied game with 9th inning HR. Waller won it with a walk-off blast.
Arizona was 2-11 with RISP, Twins 1-3.
Diamondbacks are 5-17 since the All-Star break.
Dallas Keuchel allowed a run in 5 IP, in his first 2023 start; he ended a streak where Minnesota had a right-handed starting pitcher 180 games in a row, over a year.
— Movie of the Day: Risky Business (1983)— A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.
Tom Cruise is the teenager, Rebecca DeMornay is the escort he hires on the phone to visit. Joe Pantoliano is the escort’s pimp, Shera Danese is the second escort— in real life, she was married to Peter Falk for 34 years, until he passed away.
They made a $57M profit on the movie, it was very popular.
Risky Business came out 40 years ago this week; typing that made me feel old
Speaking of which, Jay North turned 72 years old this week; he played Dennis the Menace on TV when I was a little kid. Funny show; always felt bad for Mr Wilson, the neighbor he tormented.
— College Football Trend of the Day: In his coaching career, Lincoln Riley is 23-15 ATS as a home favorite, 8-13-1 ATS as a road favorite.
— Major league teams can’t trade their draft picks, the way they do in football, basketball. Would be better if baseball teams could trade their draft picks too, would make life a little more interesting.
— July was the hottest month in the history of Las Vegas; the average temperature was 97.3, more than one degree hotter than the previous record, which was set in July, 2010 (I was there for a week that month).
Temperatures in Las Vegas got to 110 degrees 17 times last month.
— Happy 83rd birthday to Roman Gabriel, the terrific quarterback who played for the Rams back in the late 1960’s. He got the Rams to the playoffs in 1967, 1969, back when it was a lot harder to make the playoffs.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Braves, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Giants, Phillies, Chi/Cin
AL: Orioles, Twins, Rangers. Wild Cards: Rays, Astros, Blue Jays
