Wednesday’s 6-pack:
NBA players with the all-time best plus-minus differentials:
+9,509— Tim Duncan
+9,208— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
+8,263— Tony Parker
+7,298— Manu Ginobili
+6,714— Bill Russell
+6,679— Scottie Pippen
Quote of the Day
“It’s baseball. If they were asking us to do calculus, I’d be scared to death….…as long as this stays baseball, let’s go see if we are good enough.”
Reds’ manager Terry Francona
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, which college football team has the longest active winning streak?
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun has hit the most home runs.
Monday’s quiz
Cam Newton is the Carolina Panthers’ all-time leader in passing yardage.
***************************************
Teams are now tied for first in AL Central.
On July 8, Detroit was 15.5 games ahead of Cleveland.
Detroit hitters struck out 19 times in this game.
— Mets 9, Cubs 7
Cubs led this game 6-1 after four innings.
Francisco Alvarez hit the game-winning HR in the 8th inning.
Mets regain the NL’s last Wild Card slot, by a game over Reds/Arizona.
— Pirates 4, Reds 2
Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.
Pirates scored all four of their runs in the 2nd inning.
Reds have won five straight games four times this year, but are now 0-4 in that sixth game.
— Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4
Dodgers led 4-0 in the 7th inning.
Geraldo Perdomo’s 2-run single was a walk-off in the 9th.
Shohei Ohtani allowed 5 baserunners in his six scoreless IP.
— Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1
Toronto has lost five of six games; their AL East lead is one game.
Tied 1-1 after five innings, Boston scored 3 runs in the sixth.
Red Sox lead Detroit by a game for the AL’s #2 Wild Card slot.
— Mariners 4, Rockies 3
Josh Naylor hit a 3-run double in the bottom of the 8th.
Mariners clinched a playoff spot; they’re 15-1 in their last 16 games.
Right now, Seattle would be the #2-seed in the AL.
— A’s 5, Astros 1
A’s first run scored when an easy pop-up fell safely in front of the mound.
Jeffrey Springs allowed three hits in his five IP.
Houston is a game behind Detroit for the AL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Major League Baseball will have a replay challenge system for balls/strikes, starting next season; this will be very interesting to follow.
The rules, according to MLB:
Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they’re successful
Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the request must come right after the pitch
To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher, or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know
No help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed
— Famous birthdays, September 24th:
Joe Greene, 79
Gordon Clapp, 77
Hubie Brooks, 69
Rafael Palmeiro, 61
Kevin Millar, 54
Eddie George, 52
Drew Gooden, 44
Keith Null, 40
Luis Morales, 23
— Lions 38, Ravens 30
Detroit ran ball for 224 yards, outgained Ravens 426-318.
Montgomery had 12 carries for 151 yards.
Lions in second half: 28 plays, 221 yards, 24 points.
Detroit converted 7-14 on third down, 3-3 on fourth down
Score was tied 14-14 at halftime.
Ravens have scored 40-41-30 points, but are 1-2.
Baltimore allowed 41-38 points in its two losses.
In Week 3, favorites were 9-7 ATS; over was 8-8.
— New Jersey Giants are starting rookie QB Jaxson Dart against the Chargers this week, which will be his first NFL start.
Likely reason: Russell Wilson’s stats in the red zone so far:
4-for-18 passing, 16 yards, no TD’s, one first down. Not good.
— 0-3 Tennessee Titans are changing playcallers; QB coach Bo Hardegree is taking over for head coach Brian Callahan. Hardegree was the interim offensive coordinator for the Raiders for the second half of the 2023 season.
— Tampa Bay Bucs’ star WR Mike Evans is expected to miss 3-4 weeks (hamstring strain).
— Since 1939, only one NFL team has had a three-game span with:
No turnovers
Zero or one punt.
The 2025 Indianapolis Colts, off to a 3-0 start.
— Syracuse QB Steve Angeli tore his Achilles tendon, is out for the year; he was 98-156/1,352 passing in Syracuse’s 3-1 start.
— Oklahoma QB John Mateer hurt his thumb last week, is going to have surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss 3+ weeks. So far this season, Mateer is 95-141/1,215 passing in the Sooners’ 4-0 start.
NBA players with the all-time best plus-minus differentials:
+9,509— Tim Duncan
+9,208— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
+8,263— Tony Parker
+7,298— Manu Ginobili
+6,714— Bill Russell
+6,679— Scottie Pippen
Quote of the Day
“It’s baseball. If they were asking us to do calculus, I’d be scared to death….…as long as this stays baseball, let’s go see if we are good enough.”
Reds’ manager Terry Francona
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, which college football team has the longest active winning streak?
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun has hit the most home runs.
Monday’s quiz
Cam Newton is the Carolina Panthers’ all-time leader in passing yardage.
***************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
— Guardians 5, Tigers 2Teams are now tied for first in AL Central.
On July 8, Detroit was 15.5 games ahead of Cleveland.
Detroit hitters struck out 19 times in this game.
— Mets 9, Cubs 7
Cubs led this game 6-1 after four innings.
Francisco Alvarez hit the game-winning HR in the 8th inning.
Mets regain the NL’s last Wild Card slot, by a game over Reds/Arizona.
— Pirates 4, Reds 2
Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.
Pirates scored all four of their runs in the 2nd inning.
Reds have won five straight games four times this year, but are now 0-4 in that sixth game.
— Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4
Dodgers led 4-0 in the 7th inning.
Geraldo Perdomo’s 2-run single was a walk-off in the 9th.
Shohei Ohtani allowed 5 baserunners in his six scoreless IP.
— Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1
Toronto has lost five of six games; their AL East lead is one game.
Tied 1-1 after five innings, Boston scored 3 runs in the sixth.
Red Sox lead Detroit by a game for the AL’s #2 Wild Card slot.
— Mariners 4, Rockies 3
Josh Naylor hit a 3-run double in the bottom of the 8th.
Mariners clinched a playoff spot; they’re 15-1 in their last 16 games.
Right now, Seattle would be the #2-seed in the AL.
— A’s 5, Astros 1
A’s first run scored when an easy pop-up fell safely in front of the mound.
Jeffrey Springs allowed three hits in his five IP.
Houston is a game behind Detroit for the AL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Major League Baseball will have a replay challenge system for balls/strikes, starting next season; this will be very interesting to follow.
The rules, according to MLB:
Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they’re successful
Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the request must come right after the pitch
To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher, or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know
No help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed
— Famous birthdays, September 24th:
Joe Greene, 79
Gordon Clapp, 77
Hubie Brooks, 69
Rafael Palmeiro, 61
Kevin Millar, 54
Eddie George, 52
Drew Gooden, 44
Keith Null, 40
Luis Morales, 23
— Lions 38, Ravens 30
Detroit ran ball for 224 yards, outgained Ravens 426-318.
Montgomery had 12 carries for 151 yards.
Lions in second half: 28 plays, 221 yards, 24 points.
Detroit converted 7-14 on third down, 3-3 on fourth down
Score was tied 14-14 at halftime.
Ravens have scored 40-41-30 points, but are 1-2.
Baltimore allowed 41-38 points in its two losses.
In Week 3, favorites were 9-7 ATS; over was 8-8.
— New Jersey Giants are starting rookie QB Jaxson Dart against the Chargers this week, which will be his first NFL start.
Likely reason: Russell Wilson’s stats in the red zone so far:
4-for-18 passing, 16 yards, no TD’s, one first down. Not good.
— 0-3 Tennessee Titans are changing playcallers; QB coach Bo Hardegree is taking over for head coach Brian Callahan. Hardegree was the interim offensive coordinator for the Raiders for the second half of the 2023 season.
— Tampa Bay Bucs’ star WR Mike Evans is expected to miss 3-4 weeks (hamstring strain).
— Since 1939, only one NFL team has had a three-game span with:
No turnovers
Zero or one punt.
The 2025 Indianapolis Colts, off to a 3-0 start.
— Syracuse QB Steve Angeli tore his Achilles tendon, is out for the year; he was 98-156/1,352 passing in Syracuse’s 3-1 start.
— Oklahoma QB John Mateer hurt his thumb last week, is going to have surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss 3+ weeks. So far this season, Mateer is 95-141/1,215 passing in the Sooners’ 4-0 start.
Thursday’s 7-pack:
Last seven NFL QB’s who started in Week 1 of their rookie season
— Cam Ward, Titans
— Caleb Williams, Bears
— Jayden Daniels, Commanders
— Bo Nix, Broncos
— Bryce Young, Panthers
— CJ Stroud, Texans
— Anthony Richardson, Colts
Quote of the Day
“I believe the only way to protect my own rights is to protect the rights of others.”
Dwight Eisenhower, 1953
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, who was their QB?
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, Memphis Tigers have the longest active winning streak in college football- they’ve won their last eight games.
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun has hit the most home runs.
****************************
George Valera had the go-ahead home run for Cleveland.
Guardians now lead AL Central by a game, with four games left.
Detroit has lost 8 in a row, is out of first place for first time since April 22.
— A’s 6, Astros 0
Shea Langeliers went 4-for-4 with a home run.
Luis Severino got 19 outs, allowed only three hits.
Astros have lost 5 in a row, trail Detroit by a game for last Wild Card slot.
— Cubs 10, Mets 3
Cubs scored 5 runs in third inning, snapped a five-game losing skid.
Matthew Boyd got 16 outs, allowed only two hits.
Juan Soto hit his 43rd home run for the Mets
— Pirates 4, Reds 3 (11)
Spencer Horwitz had the game-winning double for Pittsburgh.
Reds remain a game behind the Mets for the last NL’s Wild Card slot.
Noelvi Marte hit an inside-the-park home run for the Reds.
— Mariners 9, Rockies 2
Seattle clinches its first AL West title since 2001.
Cal Raleigh hit two home runs, now has 60 this season.
Luis Castillo got 22 outs, allowed only one baserunner.
— Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 1
Garrett Crochet tossed 8 shutout innings.
Red Sox lead Detroit by two games for the AL’s second Wild Card.
Toronto/New York are now tied for first in AL East.
— Famous birthdays, September 25th:
Michael Douglas, 81
Bob McAdoo, 74
Glenn Hubbard, 68
Geno Petralli, 66
Heather Locklear, 64
Scottie Pippen, 60
Will Smith, 56
Catherine Zeta-Jones, 55
Matt Hasselbeck, 50
Rocco Baldelli, 44
Alec Ogletree, 34
Brandin Cooks, 32
— College football conference trends:
Home favorites in conference games are 12-10 ATS
Home underdogs in conference games are 11-7 ATS
American
Home underdogs 1-5 ATS in non-conference games
Road underdogs 8-4 ATS in non-conference games
ACC
Home favorites 6-10 ATS in non-conference games
Road underdogs 1-5 ATS in non-conference games
Big 10
Favorites 14-16 ATS in non-conference games
Big X
Favorites 13-9 ATS in non-conference games
Underdogs 3-4 ATS in non-conference games
Conference USA
14-9 ATS in non-conference games, 6-3 at home.
Mid American
Underdogs 18-15 ATS in non-conference games
Mountain West
Underdogs 12-6 ATS in non-conference games
SEC
19-16 ATS in non-conference games, 4-2 as underdogs
Sun Belt
Underdogs 10-13 ATS in non-conference games
— Tampa Bay Rays were sold for $1.7B this week, are expected to stay in the Tampa/St Pete area of western Florida. Stuart Sternberg had owned the team since 2004; back then, he bought the team for $200M, so a tidy profit right there.
— Was watching the Brewers-Padres game Monday night; Roberto Ortiz was the home plate umpire and boy, did the Milwaukee TV guys shred his performance.
Don’t think I’ve ever heard TV guys rip an umpire like that, especially considering that the Brewers are already locked in to a really good seed in the playoffs, not like it was a huge game for them, but hitters/pitchers looked confused by several of his calls.
— Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl stepped down this week; he takes an ambassador’s role in the athletic department, while his son Steven Pearl got a 5-year contract to take over for his father.
He went 246-125 at Auburn, leading the Tigers to two Final Fours.
— Oklahoma State fired longtime football coach Mike Gundy, who was 170-90 in 21 years coaching the Cowboys, 12-6 in bowl games. He gets paid $15M to go away; would like to hear him on TV, think he’d be an interesting voice in today’s NIL-dominated world.
— Atlanta Falcons fired their WR coach Ike Hilliard after Sunday’s 30-0 loss at Carolina; Passing game coordinator T.J. Yates is going to take over Hilliard’s duties, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will be on the sideline during games, instead of in the press box.
— Playoff picture with 4 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Last seven NFL QB’s who started in Week 1 of their rookie season
— Cam Ward, Titans
— Caleb Williams, Bears
— Jayden Daniels, Commanders
— Bo Nix, Broncos
— Bryce Young, Panthers
— CJ Stroud, Texans
— Anthony Richardson, Colts
Quote of the Day
“I believe the only way to protect my own rights is to protect the rights of others.”
Dwight Eisenhower, 1953
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, who was their QB?
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, Memphis Tigers have the longest active winning streak in college football- they’ve won their last eight games.
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun has hit the most home runs.
****************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….
— Guardians 5, Tigers 1George Valera had the go-ahead home run for Cleveland.
Guardians now lead AL Central by a game, with four games left.
Detroit has lost 8 in a row, is out of first place for first time since April 22.
— A’s 6, Astros 0
Shea Langeliers went 4-for-4 with a home run.
Luis Severino got 19 outs, allowed only three hits.
Astros have lost 5 in a row, trail Detroit by a game for last Wild Card slot.
— Cubs 10, Mets 3
Cubs scored 5 runs in third inning, snapped a five-game losing skid.
Matthew Boyd got 16 outs, allowed only two hits.
Juan Soto hit his 43rd home run for the Mets
— Pirates 4, Reds 3 (11)
Spencer Horwitz had the game-winning double for Pittsburgh.
Reds remain a game behind the Mets for the last NL’s Wild Card slot.
Noelvi Marte hit an inside-the-park home run for the Reds.
— Mariners 9, Rockies 2
Seattle clinches its first AL West title since 2001.
Cal Raleigh hit two home runs, now has 60 this season.
Luis Castillo got 22 outs, allowed only one baserunner.
— Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 1
Garrett Crochet tossed 8 shutout innings.
Red Sox lead Detroit by two games for the AL’s second Wild Card.
Toronto/New York are now tied for first in AL East.
— Famous birthdays, September 25th:
Michael Douglas, 81
Bob McAdoo, 74
Glenn Hubbard, 68
Geno Petralli, 66
Heather Locklear, 64
Scottie Pippen, 60
Will Smith, 56
Catherine Zeta-Jones, 55
Matt Hasselbeck, 50
Rocco Baldelli, 44
Alec Ogletree, 34
Brandin Cooks, 32
— College football conference trends:
Home favorites in conference games are 12-10 ATS
Home underdogs in conference games are 11-7 ATS
American
Home underdogs 1-5 ATS in non-conference games
Road underdogs 8-4 ATS in non-conference games
ACC
Home favorites 6-10 ATS in non-conference games
Road underdogs 1-5 ATS in non-conference games
Big 10
Favorites 14-16 ATS in non-conference games
Big X
Favorites 13-9 ATS in non-conference games
Underdogs 3-4 ATS in non-conference games
Conference USA
14-9 ATS in non-conference games, 6-3 at home.
Mid American
Underdogs 18-15 ATS in non-conference games
Mountain West
Underdogs 12-6 ATS in non-conference games
SEC
19-16 ATS in non-conference games, 4-2 as underdogs
Sun Belt
Underdogs 10-13 ATS in non-conference games
— Tampa Bay Rays were sold for $1.7B this week, are expected to stay in the Tampa/St Pete area of western Florida. Stuart Sternberg had owned the team since 2004; back then, he bought the team for $200M, so a tidy profit right there.
— Was watching the Brewers-Padres game Monday night; Roberto Ortiz was the home plate umpire and boy, did the Milwaukee TV guys shred his performance.
Don’t think I’ve ever heard TV guys rip an umpire like that, especially considering that the Brewers are already locked in to a really good seed in the playoffs, not like it was a huge game for them, but hitters/pitchers looked confused by several of his calls.
— Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl stepped down this week; he takes an ambassador’s role in the athletic department, while his son Steven Pearl got a 5-year contract to take over for his father.
He went 246-125 at Auburn, leading the Tigers to two Final Fours.
— Oklahoma State fired longtime football coach Mike Gundy, who was 170-90 in 21 years coaching the Cowboys, 12-6 in bowl games. He gets paid $15M to go away; would like to hear him on TV, think he’d be an interesting voice in today’s NIL-dominated world.
— Atlanta Falcons fired their WR coach Ike Hilliard after Sunday’s 30-0 loss at Carolina; Passing game coordinator T.J. Yates is going to take over Hilliard’s duties, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will be on the sideline during games, instead of in the press box.
— Playoff picture with 4 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Friday’s 7-pack:
Batters who hot 30+ home runs each of the last three years:
Pete Alonso
Aaron Judge
Shohei Ohtani
Cal Raleigh
Brent Rooker
Kyle Schwarber
Juan Soto
Quote of the Day
“Everyone needs to see a little bit of positivity in the game. We are human. We feed off a ton of things, including the good things. Of course everyone takes a collective breath.”
Tigers manager AJ Hinch
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, who was their manager?
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, Matt Hasselbeck was their QB.
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, Memphis Tigers have the longest active winning streak in college football- they’ve won their last eight games.
********************************************
Seahawks kicked a 52-yard FG at the gun for a walk-off win.
Seattle led 14-3 at halftime.
Seattle ran for 155 yards, outgained Cardinals, 384-253
Seahawks are 8-1 SU/5-3-1 ATS in last eight visits to Arizona.
Cardinals lost on a last-second field goal last week, too.
Arizona’s first nine drives: 46 plays, 147 yards, 6 points.
Arizona’s last two drives: 20 plays, 130 yards, 14 points.
Since 2019, Arizona is 6-13 ATS in NFC West home games.
— East Carolina 28, Army 6
Pirates led 21-0 in the first quarter.
ECU was 7-12 on third down, Army 2-15.
Pirates outgained Army, 431-290
— Reds 2, Pirates 1
RF Noelvi Marte made a HR-saving catch in 9th inning to preserve the win.
Nick Lodolo struck out 12 batters in 6.1 scoreless IP.
Reds are a game behind the Mets for the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Mets 8, Cubs 5
Francisco Lindor homered, is a 30-30 guy for the second time.
Mets led this game 6-0 in the 4th inning.
Brett Baty went 2-for-4, with 3 RBI
— Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 0
Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run.
Dodgers clinch NL West for 12th time in 13 years.
Arizona falls two games behind the Mets for the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Tigers 4, Guardians 2
Detroit used six pitchers in this win, tying Cleveland for AL Central lead.
Tigers hit three solo home runs.
This weekend, Cleveland hosts Texas, Tigers visit Boston.
— Obscure Fact of the Day: Actor Russell Johnson played the Professor on the old TV show Gilligan’s Island, but before he was an actor, Russell Johnson flew 44 combat missions as a WWII bombardier. His plane was shot down in 1945; he broke both his ankles.
He earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and the admiration of Ginger and Mary Ann.
— Famous birthdays, September 26th:
Kent McCord, 83
Dave Duncan, 80
Mike Bragg, 79
Lucius Allen, 78
John Roche, 76
Melissa Sue Anderson, 63
Sean Doolittle, 39
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 32
Shake Milton, 29
— Washington Nationals are hiring Paul Toboni as their new head of baseball operations. The 35-year old Toboni rose quickly in the Red Sox organization to become assistant GM and is widely regarded as one of the best young executives in MLB.
— Astros 11, A’s 5
Houston remains a game behind Detroit for the AL’s last playoff slot.
Christian Walker homered, had three RBI
Win ends Astros’ 7-game losing streak against the A’s.
— Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 1
Daulton Varsho hit his 5th career grand slam.
Toronto/New York remain tied atop the AL East; Blue Jays own tiebreaker.
Boston’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one.
— Phillies 1, Marlins 0
Only run of the game scored on a first inning ground out.
Walker Buehler pitched five shutout innings.
Surprising fact: This loss eliminated the Marlins, who have had a good year.
— Royals 9, Angels 4
Bobby Witt Jr went 4-for-5, scored two runs.
Mike Trout hit his 401st career home run.
— Random opinion: If a run scores because of an error on the pitcher, that should be an earned run. Why should the pitcher’s stats benefit because he made an error?
— Playoff picture with 3 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Batters who hot 30+ home runs each of the last three years:
Pete Alonso
Aaron Judge
Shohei Ohtani
Cal Raleigh
Brent Rooker
Kyle Schwarber
Juan Soto
Quote of the Day
“Everyone needs to see a little bit of positivity in the game. We are human. We feed off a ton of things, including the good things. Of course everyone takes a collective breath.”
Tigers manager AJ Hinch
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, who was their manager?
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, Matt Hasselbeck was their QB.
Wednesday’s quiz
Right now, Memphis Tigers have the longest active winning streak in college football- they’ve won their last eight games.
********************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here…….
— Seahawks 23, Cardinals 20Seahawks kicked a 52-yard FG at the gun for a walk-off win.
Seattle led 14-3 at halftime.
Seattle ran for 155 yards, outgained Cardinals, 384-253
Seahawks are 8-1 SU/5-3-1 ATS in last eight visits to Arizona.
Cardinals lost on a last-second field goal last week, too.
Arizona’s first nine drives: 46 plays, 147 yards, 6 points.
Arizona’s last two drives: 20 plays, 130 yards, 14 points.
Since 2019, Arizona is 6-13 ATS in NFC West home games.
— East Carolina 28, Army 6
Pirates led 21-0 in the first quarter.
ECU was 7-12 on third down, Army 2-15.
Pirates outgained Army, 431-290
— Reds 2, Pirates 1
RF Noelvi Marte made a HR-saving catch in 9th inning to preserve the win.
Nick Lodolo struck out 12 batters in 6.1 scoreless IP.
Reds are a game behind the Mets for the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Mets 8, Cubs 5
Francisco Lindor homered, is a 30-30 guy for the second time.
Mets led this game 6-0 in the 4th inning.
Brett Baty went 2-for-4, with 3 RBI
— Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 0
Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run.
Dodgers clinch NL West for 12th time in 13 years.
Arizona falls two games behind the Mets for the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Tigers 4, Guardians 2
Detroit used six pitchers in this win, tying Cleveland for AL Central lead.
Tigers hit three solo home runs.
This weekend, Cleveland hosts Texas, Tigers visit Boston.
— Obscure Fact of the Day: Actor Russell Johnson played the Professor on the old TV show Gilligan’s Island, but before he was an actor, Russell Johnson flew 44 combat missions as a WWII bombardier. His plane was shot down in 1945; he broke both his ankles.
He earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and the admiration of Ginger and Mary Ann.
— Famous birthdays, September 26th:
Kent McCord, 83
Dave Duncan, 80
Mike Bragg, 79
Lucius Allen, 78
John Roche, 76
Melissa Sue Anderson, 63
Sean Doolittle, 39
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 32
Shake Milton, 29
— Washington Nationals are hiring Paul Toboni as their new head of baseball operations. The 35-year old Toboni rose quickly in the Red Sox organization to become assistant GM and is widely regarded as one of the best young executives in MLB.
— Astros 11, A’s 5
Houston remains a game behind Detroit for the AL’s last playoff slot.
Christian Walker homered, had three RBI
Win ends Astros’ 7-game losing streak against the A’s.
— Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 1
Daulton Varsho hit his 5th career grand slam.
Toronto/New York remain tied atop the AL East; Blue Jays own tiebreaker.
Boston’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one.
— Phillies 1, Marlins 0
Only run of the game scored on a first inning ground out.
Walker Buehler pitched five shutout innings.
Surprising fact: This loss eliminated the Marlins, who have had a good year.
— Royals 9, Angels 4
Bobby Witt Jr went 4-for-5, scored two runs.
Mike Trout hit his 401st career home run.
— Random opinion: If a run scores because of an error on the pitcher, that should be an earned run. Why should the pitcher’s stats benefit because he made an error?
— Playoff picture with 3 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
WNBA
Dunkel
Friday, September 26
WNBA
Friday, September 26
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games
Las Vegas is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games
Las Vegas is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Las Vegas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dunkel
Friday, September 26
WNBA
Friday, September 26
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Trend Report
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Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games
Las Vegas is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games
Las Vegas is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Las Vegas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
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PLAYOFF RECORD & BEST BETS !
09/26/2025..............................0 - 4 - 0.........................00.00%.....................- 22.00
09/23/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0..........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/21/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0..........................75.00%....................+ 9.50
09/19/2025...............................2 - 0 - 0........................100.00%.....................+ 10.00
09/18/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0.........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/17/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/16/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0........................25.00%.....................- 11.50
09/14/2025..............................4 - 4 - 0........................50.00%......................- 2.00
TOTALS..................................15 -19 - 0........................44.11%.......................- 29.50
09/26/2025..............................0 - 4 - 0.........................00.00%.....................- 22.00
09/23/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0..........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/21/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0..........................75.00%....................+ 9.50
09/19/2025...............................2 - 0 - 0........................100.00%.....................+ 10.00
09/18/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0.........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/17/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/16/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0........................25.00%.....................- 11.50
09/14/2025..............................4 - 4 - 0........................50.00%......................- 2.00
TOTALS..................................15 -19 - 0........................44.11%.......................- 29.50
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Josh Naylor’s stolen bases, the last six years:
2020— 1
2021— 1
2022— 6
2023— 10
2024— 6
2025— 30
Quote of the Day
“This is as exciting as it gets. To not admit that you’re nervous, I think that would be wrong. I’m nervous as hell.”
Reds manager Terry Francona
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, what QB has thrown for the most yards?
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was their manager.
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, Matt Hasselbeck was their QB.
********************************************
Cincinnati bullpen got 14 outs, didn’t allow a hit.
Gavin Lux went 2-for-4, scored two runs.
Reds take over the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Marlins 6, Mets 2
Sandy Alcantara threw 100 pitches, got a win in his last ’25 start.
Down 2-0, Marlins scored six runs in the fifth inning.
Connor Norby hit Miami’s 9th pinch-hit homer this season.
— Padres 7, Diamondbacks 4
Fernando Tatis hit a 4th inning grand slam that broke the game open.
Luis Arraez had four hits for San Diego.
Loss puts Arizona on the verge of missing the playoffs.
— Red Sox 4, Tigers 3
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a walk-off triple off the centerfield fence.
Red Sox clinch their first playoff spot since 2021.
Detroit/Cleveland remain tied atop AL Central.
— Rangers 7, Guardians 3
Alejandro Osuna hit a 3-run homer in the first inning.
Jack Leiter struck out 10 hitters for Texas.
Guardians have lost consecutive games for first time since September 2nd.
— White Sox 10, Nationals 9
Colson Montgomery hit a 2-run homer in ninth inning.
White Sox led 8-2 after the fifth inning.
Luis Garcia Jr hit three home runs in a losing cause.
— Angels 4, Astros 3
Mike Trout homered twice, now has 403 career home runs.
Houston led 3-0 in the 4th inning.
Loss puts the Astros on the verge of missing the playoffs.
— Baseball has changed a lot thru the years; here are the numbers of pitchers these guys hit against in the season where they hit 60+ home runs:
1927 Babe Ruth 60 homers, faced 64 pitchers/7 teams
1961 Roger Maris 61 homers, faced 101 pitchers/9 teams
2022 Aaron Judge 62 homers, faced 256 pitchers/20 teams
2025 Cal Raleigh 60 homers, faced 290 pitchers/28 teams
— Famous birthdays, September 27th:
Dickie Post, 80
Ken Geddes, 79
Mike Schmidt, 76
Steve Kerr, 60
Rob Moore, 57
Gwyneth Paltrow, 53
Chris Herren, 50
Christian Wood, 30
Mitchell Parker, 26
The great actor Wilford Brimley was born 91 years ago today.
— Virginia 46, Florida State 38 OT
Virginia led 14-0 early in the second quarter.
FSU forced OT, scoring a TD with 0:36 left in regulation.
Seminoles ran for 256 yards, outgained Virginia 514-440.
Both teams turned the ball over three times.
— Arizona State 27, TCU 24
Sun Devils scored 10 points in the last 1:50 to pull off a comeback win.
TCU led 17-0 midway thru the second quarter.
ASU outscored the Horned Frogs, 497-269
— Washington Commanders are going with backup QB Marcus Mariota again the week, in Atlanta. Commanders beat Las Vegas 41-24 LW with Mariota under center. Star WR Terry McLaurin is also expected to miss Sunday’s game.
— In the last 25 years, the 2018 Houston Texans are the only team to start a season 0-3 and still make the playoffs.
— Over is 17-5 in Lamar Jackson’s last 22 starts.
— Playoff picture with 2 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Josh Naylor’s stolen bases, the last six years:
2020— 1
2021— 1
2022— 6
2023— 10
2024— 6
2025— 30
Quote of the Day
“This is as exciting as it gets. To not admit that you’re nervous, I think that would be wrong. I’m nervous as hell.”
Reds manager Terry Francona
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, what QB has thrown for the most yards?
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was their manager.
Thursday’s quiz
First time the Seattle Seahawks played in a Super Bowl, Matt Hasselbeck was their QB.
********************************************
Saturday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy Friday night…….
— Reds 3, Brewers 1Cincinnati bullpen got 14 outs, didn’t allow a hit.
Gavin Lux went 2-for-4, scored two runs.
Reds take over the NL’s last Wild Card slot.
— Marlins 6, Mets 2
Sandy Alcantara threw 100 pitches, got a win in his last ’25 start.
Down 2-0, Marlins scored six runs in the fifth inning.
Connor Norby hit Miami’s 9th pinch-hit homer this season.
— Padres 7, Diamondbacks 4
Fernando Tatis hit a 4th inning grand slam that broke the game open.
Luis Arraez had four hits for San Diego.
Loss puts Arizona on the verge of missing the playoffs.
— Red Sox 4, Tigers 3
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a walk-off triple off the centerfield fence.
Red Sox clinch their first playoff spot since 2021.
Detroit/Cleveland remain tied atop AL Central.
— Rangers 7, Guardians 3
Alejandro Osuna hit a 3-run homer in the first inning.
Jack Leiter struck out 10 hitters for Texas.
Guardians have lost consecutive games for first time since September 2nd.
— White Sox 10, Nationals 9
Colson Montgomery hit a 2-run homer in ninth inning.
White Sox led 8-2 after the fifth inning.
Luis Garcia Jr hit three home runs in a losing cause.
— Angels 4, Astros 3
Mike Trout homered twice, now has 403 career home runs.
Houston led 3-0 in the 4th inning.
Loss puts the Astros on the verge of missing the playoffs.
— Baseball has changed a lot thru the years; here are the numbers of pitchers these guys hit against in the season where they hit 60+ home runs:
1927 Babe Ruth 60 homers, faced 64 pitchers/7 teams
1961 Roger Maris 61 homers, faced 101 pitchers/9 teams
2022 Aaron Judge 62 homers, faced 256 pitchers/20 teams
2025 Cal Raleigh 60 homers, faced 290 pitchers/28 teams
— Famous birthdays, September 27th:
Dickie Post, 80
Ken Geddes, 79
Mike Schmidt, 76
Steve Kerr, 60
Rob Moore, 57
Gwyneth Paltrow, 53
Chris Herren, 50
Christian Wood, 30
Mitchell Parker, 26
The great actor Wilford Brimley was born 91 years ago today.
— Virginia 46, Florida State 38 OT
Virginia led 14-0 early in the second quarter.
FSU forced OT, scoring a TD with 0:36 left in regulation.
Seminoles ran for 256 yards, outgained Virginia 514-440.
Both teams turned the ball over three times.
— Arizona State 27, TCU 24
Sun Devils scored 10 points in the last 1:50 to pull off a comeback win.
TCU led 17-0 midway thru the second quarter.
ASU outscored the Horned Frogs, 497-269
— Washington Commanders are going with backup QB Marcus Mariota again the week, in Atlanta. Commanders beat Las Vegas 41-24 LW with Mariota under center. Star WR Terry McLaurin is also expected to miss Sunday’s game.
— In the last 25 years, the 2018 Houston Texans are the only team to start a season 0-3 and still make the playoffs.
— Over is 17-5 in Lamar Jackson’s last 22 starts.
— Playoff picture with 2 days left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Sunday’s 6-pack:
— Tigers 2, Red Sox 1- Detroit clinches a playoff spot.
— Guardians 3, Rangers 2- Cleveland clinches a playoff spot.
— Reds 7, Brewers 4- Cincinnati’s magic number for playoffs: 1
— Mets 5, Marlins 0- Holmes allowed one hit in six IP.
— Twins 5, Phillies 0- Milwaukee clinches #1 seed in NL.
— One playoff spot left to decide; #3 Wild Card in NL.
Quote of the Day
“Love the way we competed for four quarters, playing the next play, playing the next series. Offensively, special teams, man there’s a whole lot that can be a lot cleaner. End of the day, it’s a win for who we consider to be the good guys. At the end of the day, love competing with these guys.”
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel
Friday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; who was it against?
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, Jim Everett has thrown for the most yards.
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was their manager.
***********************************************
QB Chambliss passed for 314 yards and a TD.
Last year, Chambliss was playing at D-II Ferris State.
Rebels led 17-7 at halftime.
Ole Miss outgained LSU, 480-254.
— Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34 OT
Tennessee forced OT, scoring a TD with 1:55 left.
Vols’ QB Aguilar threw for 335 yards and a TD.
Miss State ran ball 57 times for 198 yards.
—Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10
Aggies are 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
Auburn gained total of 177 yards, was 0-12 on third down.
A&M outgained them 414-177; they were only 3-14 on third down.
Aggies ran the ball 47 times for 207 yards.
— Alabama 24, Georgia 21
Alabama led 24-14 at halftime.
Crimson Tide was 13-19 on third down, Georgia 2-8.
Kirby Smart is 1-7 as a head coach vs Alabama.
Georgia’s home winning streak ends at 33.
— Upsets of the Week:
Virginia Tech (+10.5) 23, NC State 21
Virginia (+6.5) 46, Florida State 38 OT
Illinois (+6.5) 34, USC 32
Hawai’i (+6.5) 44, Air Force 35
California (+6.5) 28, Boston College 24
Hawai’i (+6.5) 44, Air Force 35
Cincinnati (+4.5) 37, Kansas 34
— Illinois 34, USC 32
Illini kicked a 41-yard FG at the gun for a walk-off win.
USC had taken a 32-31 lead on a TD with 1:55 left.
Illinois QB Alymyer threw for 328 yards.
USC QB Maiava threw for 364 yards, two TD’s.
— Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29, OT
Wake Forest led 17-3 at halftime.
Tech forced OT, kicking a 33-yard FG with 0:02 left in regulation.
Tech scored 7 points in OT; Wake scored a TD, but went for two points and the win- they didn’t get it.
Tech’s two ACC wins are by a total of four points.
— Cincinnati 37, Kansas 34
Bearcats drove 75 yards, scored on a 2-yard TD with 0:29 left.
Lot of offense; total yards- Cincy 603 yards, Jayhawks 597.
Cincinnati had four TD’s called back because of penalties.
— Oregon 30, Penn State 24 OT
Oregon led 17-3 with 11:00 left in the game.
Penn State tied it on a TD with 0:30 left.
Ducks outgained Penn State, 424-276.
Game was 3-3 at halftime.
— Memphis 55, Florida Atlantic 26
Tigers have won nine in a row, the country’s longest active win streak. Memphis’ lead was only 17-16 at halftime.
Tigers ran ball 46 times for 291 yards (6.3 yards/carry).
— Famous birthdays, September 28th:
Brigitte Bardot, 91
Steve Largent, 71
Todd Worrell, 66
Irving Fryar, 63
Johnny Dawkins, 62
Janeane Garofalo, 61
Mira Sorvino, 58
Ryan Zimmerman, 41
Chem Birch, 33
Tyler Shough, 26
Riley Greene, 25
Spencer Rattler, 25
— Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35
#18 Commodores are 5-0 for first time since 2008.
QB Pavia threw for 321 yards, five TD’s, also ran for a TD.
Only 8 of Vanderbilt’s 65 plays came on third down.
— San Diego State 6, Northern Illinois 3
Aztecs kicked a 25-yard FG at the gun for the walk-off win.
Both teams kicked FG’s on their first drive, then no one scored again until the last play.
Total yardage: San Diego State 266, Northern Illinois 179
— Minnesota 31, Rutgers 28
Scarlet Knights led 14-0 early, 21-14 at halftime.
Gophers drove 72 yards, scored winning TD with 3:19 left.
Minnesota won despite running ball 18 times for only 35 yards.
— Playoff picture with one day left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
— Tigers 2, Red Sox 1- Detroit clinches a playoff spot.
— Guardians 3, Rangers 2- Cleveland clinches a playoff spot.
— Reds 7, Brewers 4- Cincinnati’s magic number for playoffs: 1
— Mets 5, Marlins 0- Holmes allowed one hit in six IP.
— Twins 5, Phillies 0- Milwaukee clinches #1 seed in NL.
— One playoff spot left to decide; #3 Wild Card in NL.
Quote of the Day
“Love the way we competed for four quarters, playing the next play, playing the next series. Offensively, special teams, man there’s a whole lot that can be a lot cleaner. End of the day, it’s a win for who we consider to be the good guys. At the end of the day, love competing with these guys.”
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel
Friday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; who was it against?
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, Jim Everett has thrown for the most yards.
Friday’s quiz
Last time the Detroit Tigers played in a World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was their manager.
***********************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— Ole Miss 24, LSU 19QB Chambliss passed for 314 yards and a TD.
Last year, Chambliss was playing at D-II Ferris State.
Rebels led 17-7 at halftime.
Ole Miss outgained LSU, 480-254.
— Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34 OT
Tennessee forced OT, scoring a TD with 1:55 left.
Vols’ QB Aguilar threw for 335 yards and a TD.
Miss State ran ball 57 times for 198 yards.
—Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10
Aggies are 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
Auburn gained total of 177 yards, was 0-12 on third down.
A&M outgained them 414-177; they were only 3-14 on third down.
Aggies ran the ball 47 times for 207 yards.
— Alabama 24, Georgia 21
Alabama led 24-14 at halftime.
Crimson Tide was 13-19 on third down, Georgia 2-8.
Kirby Smart is 1-7 as a head coach vs Alabama.
Georgia’s home winning streak ends at 33.
— Upsets of the Week:
Virginia Tech (+10.5) 23, NC State 21
Virginia (+6.5) 46, Florida State 38 OT
Illinois (+6.5) 34, USC 32
Hawai’i (+6.5) 44, Air Force 35
California (+6.5) 28, Boston College 24
Hawai’i (+6.5) 44, Air Force 35
Cincinnati (+4.5) 37, Kansas 34
— Illinois 34, USC 32
Illini kicked a 41-yard FG at the gun for a walk-off win.
USC had taken a 32-31 lead on a TD with 1:55 left.
Illinois QB Alymyer threw for 328 yards.
USC QB Maiava threw for 364 yards, two TD’s.
— Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29, OT
Wake Forest led 17-3 at halftime.
Tech forced OT, kicking a 33-yard FG with 0:02 left in regulation.
Tech scored 7 points in OT; Wake scored a TD, but went for two points and the win- they didn’t get it.
Tech’s two ACC wins are by a total of four points.
— Cincinnati 37, Kansas 34
Bearcats drove 75 yards, scored on a 2-yard TD with 0:29 left.
Lot of offense; total yards- Cincy 603 yards, Jayhawks 597.
Cincinnati had four TD’s called back because of penalties.
— Oregon 30, Penn State 24 OT
Oregon led 17-3 with 11:00 left in the game.
Penn State tied it on a TD with 0:30 left.
Ducks outgained Penn State, 424-276.
Game was 3-3 at halftime.
— Memphis 55, Florida Atlantic 26
Tigers have won nine in a row, the country’s longest active win streak. Memphis’ lead was only 17-16 at halftime.
Tigers ran ball 46 times for 291 yards (6.3 yards/carry).
— Famous birthdays, September 28th:
Brigitte Bardot, 91
Steve Largent, 71
Todd Worrell, 66
Irving Fryar, 63
Johnny Dawkins, 62
Janeane Garofalo, 61
Mira Sorvino, 58
Ryan Zimmerman, 41
Chem Birch, 33
Tyler Shough, 26
Riley Greene, 25
Spencer Rattler, 25
— Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35
#18 Commodores are 5-0 for first time since 2008.
QB Pavia threw for 321 yards, five TD’s, also ran for a TD.
Only 8 of Vanderbilt’s 65 plays came on third down.
— San Diego State 6, Northern Illinois 3
Aztecs kicked a 25-yard FG at the gun for the walk-off win.
Both teams kicked FG’s on their first drive, then no one scored again until the last play.
Total yardage: San Diego State 266, Northern Illinois 179
— Minnesota 31, Rutgers 28
Scarlet Knights led 14-0 early, 21-14 at halftime.
Gophers drove 72 yards, scored winning TD with 3:19 left.
Minnesota won despite running ball 18 times for only 35 yards.
— Playoff picture with one day left in the regular season:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
WNBA
Dunkel
Sunday, September 28
WNBA
Sunday, September 28
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Trend Report
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Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 games
Las Vegas is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games
Las Vegas is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Las Vegas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Indiana is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 16-7 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Phoenix
Minnesota is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Phoenix's last 16 games
Phoenix is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games at home
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Dunkel
Sunday, September 28
WNBA
Sunday, September 28
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Trend Report
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Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 games
Las Vegas is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games
Las Vegas is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Las Vegas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Indiana is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 16-7 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Phoenix
Minnesota is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Phoenix's last 16 games
Phoenix is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games at home
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PLAYOFF RECORD & BEST BETS !
09/28/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0.........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/26/2025..............................0 - 4 - 0.........................00.00%.....................- 22.00
09/23/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0..........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/21/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0..........................75.00%....................+ 9.50
09/19/2025...............................2 - 0 - 0........................100.00%.....................+ 10.00
09/18/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0.........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/17/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/16/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0........................25.00%.....................- 11.50
09/14/2025..............................4 - 4 - 0........................50.00%......................- 2.00
TOTALS..................................18 -20 - 0........................47.36%.......................- 20.00
09/28/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0.........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/26/2025..............................0 - 4 - 0.........................00.00%.....................- 22.00
09/23/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0..........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/21/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0..........................75.00%....................+ 9.50
09/19/2025...............................2 - 0 - 0........................100.00%.....................+ 10.00
09/18/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0.........................25.00%....................- 11.50
09/17/2025..............................3 - 1 - 0........................75.00%.....................+ 9.50
09/16/2025..............................1 - 3 - 0........................25.00%.....................- 11.50
09/14/2025..............................4 - 4 - 0........................50.00%......................- 2.00
TOTALS..................................18 -20 - 0........................47.36%.......................- 20.00
Monday’s 6-pack:
— Marlins 4, Mets 0- Cincinnati clinches NL’s last Wild Card slot
— Blue Jays 13, Rays 4- Toronto clinches AL East
— Guardians 9, Rangers 8 (10)- Cleveland wins AL Central
— White Sox 8, Nationals 0- Shane Smith took perfect game into 6th inning
Wild Card series, starting Tuesday:
— AL: Tigers @ Guardians, Boston @ New York
— NL: Padres @ Cubs, Reds @ Dodgers
Quote of the Day
“It’s hard to describe. I just got done addressing the team and there’s no word to describe what we’re going through. It’s pain. It’s frustration. You name it. We came in with a lot of expectations and here we are going home. Not only did we fall short, we didn’t even get into October.”
Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza
Monday’s quiz
Where did Matthew Stafford play his college football?
Sunday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; it against the Cardinals, in 1982.
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, Jim Everett has thrown for the most yards.
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Green Bay led 13-0; PAT after 2nd TD was blocked, run back for 2 points.
Packers in 2nd half/OT: 47 plays, 329 yards, 27 points
Green Bay was 10-14 on third down, Dallas 4-11.
Packers are 4-12-1 ATS last 17 games as a road favorite.
Dallas won its first home game 40-37 in OT, then this happened.
Last three games, Cowboys allowed 506-385-489 total yards.
First three Dallas drives: 11 plays, 35 yards, 3 punts
Last seven Dallas drives: 57 plays, 406 yards, 38 points
Jaguars 26, 49ers 21
Jaguars are 3-1 for the second time in the last 18 years.
Jaguars have 13 takeaways already, are +9 in turnovers.
Jaguars ran punt back 87 yards for TD to grab a 26-14 lead.
Jacksonville held last three opponents to 48-87-83 rushing yards.
49ers turned ball over on two of first three series.
49ers were 8-13 on third down, Jacksonville 4-14
49ers had 12 penalties for 90 yards, Jaguars 5 for 54.
Last 2+ years, 49ers are 7-13-1 ATS in games coming off a win.
Bears 25, Raiders 24
Bears drove 73 yards, scored game-winning TD with 1:34 left.
Bears blocked 54-yard FG on last play to preserve the win.
Chicago had four takeaways for second game in a row.
Chicago was 7-16 on third down, Las Vegas 2-8.
Raiders led 14-9 at halftime.
Las Vegas ran ball 31 times for 240 yards.
Ashton Jeanty carried ball 21 times for 138 yards.
Bears are 7-13-3 ATS in last 23 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Giants 21, Chargers 18
Rookie QB Dart threw for 111 yards, ran for 54 more in his first NFL start.
Giants’ first four drives: 34 plays, 154 yards, 13 points.
Giants’ last six drives: 36 plays, 107 yards, 8 points.
Under Daboll, Giants are 10-6-1 ATS vs AFC teams.
Giants were 7-15 on third down, Chargers 4-12.
Bolts held last three opponents to 218-265-250 total yards.
Chargers had 14 penalties for 107 yards, Giants 8 for 43
Rookie RB Hampton ran ball 12 times for 128 yards and a TD.
Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
Eagles blocked punt for TD for the game’s first score.
Eagles led 24-6 at halftime, hung on for dear life.
Mayfield threw INT in red zone midway thru 4th quarter.
Eagles are 5-2 ATS in last seven games as a road favorite.
Buccaneers outgained Philly, 376-200.
Tampa Bay turned ball over on three of their last five drives.
Tampa Bay is 3-7 ATS last ten games as a home underdog.
NFC South teams are 5-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
Rams 27, Colts 20
Stafford’s 88-yard TD pass to Atwell (1:33 left) was a game-winner.
Rams’ last two drives: 12 plays, 171 yards, 14 points.
Stafford threw for 375 yards, three TD’s.
Nucua caught 13 passes for 170 yards and a TD.
Rams had 13-play, 96-yard drive to take 13-10 lead at half.
Rams are 9-3-1 ATS last 13 games vs AFC opponents.
Colts had three turnovers, and 11 penalties for 88 yards.
Colts didn’t turn ball over in their first three games.
Famous birthdays, September 29th:
Ian McShane, 83
Tim Flannery, 68
Craig Lefferts, 68
Andrew Dice Clay, 68
Hersey Hawkins, 59
Erika Eleniak, 56
Zachary Levi, 45
Calvin Johnson, 40
Kevin Durant, 37
Tyler Mahle, 31
Ashley Frangipane, 31 (Halsey)
Lucas Havrisik, 26
Chiefs 37, Ravens 20
Ravens gave up 41-38-37 points in their three losses.
Star QB Jackson left game with an ankle injury.
AFC North teams are 4-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
Chiefs’ first four drives: 34 plays, 223 yards, 20 points.
Mahomes threw for 270 yards, 4 TD’s, to four different guys.
Chiefs won seven of last eight games vs Baltimore.
Chiefs are 11-7 ATS in last 18 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Steelers 24, Vikings 21
Steelers led 14-6 at halftime of first-ever game in Ireland.
Steelers scored 34-21-24 points in wins, 17 in their loss.
Steelers have run ball 87 times for only 259 yards.
Steelers are 27-14-1 ATS last 41 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Rodgers threw an 80-yard TD pass to Metcalf.
Vikings QB Wentz threw for 350 yards, but also two INTs.
Vikings scored 27-48 points in their wins, 6-21 in losses.
WR Jefferson caught 10 catches for 126 yards,
Texans 26, Titans 0
Tennessee is 0-4 SU/ATS, losing by 8-14-21-26 points.
Titans have three TD’s, 10 FG’s on their 44 drives.
Tennessee is 3-12 ATS in last 15 games as an underdog.
Texans outgained Tennessee, 353-175.
Texans led this game 6-0 at halftime.
This was Houston’s first shutout since 2010.
Houston was 6-15 on third down, Tennessee 2-11.
Texans’ first four drives of 2nd half: 31 plays, 190 yards, 20 points.
Falcons 34, Commanders 27
QB Penix was 20-26/313 passing, with two TD’s.
Falcons’ first three drives: 28 plays, 181 yards, 17 points.
Atlanta led 17-10 at halftime.
Falcons outgained Washington, 435-294
Falcons were 6-12 on third down, Commanders 1-8.
Washington is 0-2 on road, losing 27-18/34-37.
In its wins, Commanders ran ball for 220-201 yards.
Its losses, Commanders ran 51-147 yards.
Bills 31, Saints 19
Saints’ first nine drives ended in Buffalo territory.
Bills led by only 14-10 at halftime.
Buffalo won its first four games,. scoring 41-30-31-31 points.
Last 3+ years, Bills are 3-8-1 ATS as a double digit favorite.
Saints lost first four games, 20-13/26-21/44-13/31-19.
Since 2018, Saints are 19-9-1 ATS as a road underdog.
Rattler is 0-10 as an NFL starting QB.
New Orleans has been outscored 85-33 in first half of games.
Lions 34, Browns 10
Detroit led this game 20-7 at halftime.
Lions scored 52-38-34 points in their last three games.
Lions are 16-8 ATS last 24 games as a home favorite.
Detroit is 15-7 ATS in last 22 games vs AFC teams
Browns scored 16-17-13-10 points in their four games.
Cleveland is minus-6 in turnovers this year.
Browns are 6-15-1 ATS last 22 games coming off a win.
Browns allowed only 277 yards, most they’ve given up this year.
Patriots 42, Panthers 13
Down 6-0, Patriots ran a punt back 87 yards for a TD.
Patriots also ran a punt back 61 yards to set up another TD.
NE’s first four drives: 21 plays, 151 yards, 21 points.
Patriots scored 33-42 points in wins, 13-14 points in losses.
Carolina drove 76 yards for a TD on first drive.
Carolina’s next five drives: 30 plays, 93 yards, no points.
Panthers are 6-14-1 ATS last 21 games as a road underdog.
Carolina is 7-15 ATS in last 22 games vs AFC opponents.
— Playoff picture with postseason starting Tuesday:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
— Marlins 4, Mets 0- Cincinnati clinches NL’s last Wild Card slot
— Blue Jays 13, Rays 4- Toronto clinches AL East
— Guardians 9, Rangers 8 (10)- Cleveland wins AL Central
— White Sox 8, Nationals 0- Shane Smith took perfect game into 6th inning
Wild Card series, starting Tuesday:
— AL: Tigers @ Guardians, Boston @ New York
— NL: Padres @ Cubs, Reds @ Dodgers
Quote of the Day
“It’s hard to describe. I just got done addressing the team and there’s no word to describe what we’re going through. It’s pain. It’s frustration. You name it. We came in with a lot of expectations and here we are going home. Not only did we fall short, we didn’t even get into October.”
Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza
Monday’s quiz
Where did Matthew Stafford play his college football?
Sunday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; it against the Cardinals, in 1982.
Saturday’s quiz
In the history of the Rams, Jim Everett has thrown for the most yards.
***********************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday…….
Packers 40, Cowboys 40 OTGreen Bay led 13-0; PAT after 2nd TD was blocked, run back for 2 points.
Packers in 2nd half/OT: 47 plays, 329 yards, 27 points
Green Bay was 10-14 on third down, Dallas 4-11.
Packers are 4-12-1 ATS last 17 games as a road favorite.
Dallas won its first home game 40-37 in OT, then this happened.
Last three games, Cowboys allowed 506-385-489 total yards.
First three Dallas drives: 11 plays, 35 yards, 3 punts
Last seven Dallas drives: 57 plays, 406 yards, 38 points
Jaguars 26, 49ers 21
Jaguars are 3-1 for the second time in the last 18 years.
Jaguars have 13 takeaways already, are +9 in turnovers.
Jaguars ran punt back 87 yards for TD to grab a 26-14 lead.
Jacksonville held last three opponents to 48-87-83 rushing yards.
49ers turned ball over on two of first three series.
49ers were 8-13 on third down, Jacksonville 4-14
49ers had 12 penalties for 90 yards, Jaguars 5 for 54.
Last 2+ years, 49ers are 7-13-1 ATS in games coming off a win.
Bears 25, Raiders 24
Bears drove 73 yards, scored game-winning TD with 1:34 left.
Bears blocked 54-yard FG on last play to preserve the win.
Chicago had four takeaways for second game in a row.
Chicago was 7-16 on third down, Las Vegas 2-8.
Raiders led 14-9 at halftime.
Las Vegas ran ball 31 times for 240 yards.
Ashton Jeanty carried ball 21 times for 138 yards.
Bears are 7-13-3 ATS in last 23 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Giants 21, Chargers 18
Rookie QB Dart threw for 111 yards, ran for 54 more in his first NFL start.
Giants’ first four drives: 34 plays, 154 yards, 13 points.
Giants’ last six drives: 36 plays, 107 yards, 8 points.
Under Daboll, Giants are 10-6-1 ATS vs AFC teams.
Giants were 7-15 on third down, Chargers 4-12.
Bolts held last three opponents to 218-265-250 total yards.
Chargers had 14 penalties for 107 yards, Giants 8 for 43
Rookie RB Hampton ran ball 12 times for 128 yards and a TD.
Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
Eagles blocked punt for TD for the game’s first score.
Eagles led 24-6 at halftime, hung on for dear life.
Mayfield threw INT in red zone midway thru 4th quarter.
Eagles are 5-2 ATS in last seven games as a road favorite.
Buccaneers outgained Philly, 376-200.
Tampa Bay turned ball over on three of their last five drives.
Tampa Bay is 3-7 ATS last ten games as a home underdog.
NFC South teams are 5-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
Rams 27, Colts 20
Stafford’s 88-yard TD pass to Atwell (1:33 left) was a game-winner.
Rams’ last two drives: 12 plays, 171 yards, 14 points.
Stafford threw for 375 yards, three TD’s.
Nucua caught 13 passes for 170 yards and a TD.
Rams had 13-play, 96-yard drive to take 13-10 lead at half.
Rams are 9-3-1 ATS last 13 games vs AFC opponents.
Colts had three turnovers, and 11 penalties for 88 yards.
Colts didn’t turn ball over in their first three games.
Famous birthdays, September 29th:
Ian McShane, 83
Tim Flannery, 68
Craig Lefferts, 68
Andrew Dice Clay, 68
Hersey Hawkins, 59
Erika Eleniak, 56
Zachary Levi, 45
Calvin Johnson, 40
Kevin Durant, 37
Tyler Mahle, 31
Ashley Frangipane, 31 (Halsey)
Lucas Havrisik, 26
Chiefs 37, Ravens 20
Ravens gave up 41-38-37 points in their three losses.
Star QB Jackson left game with an ankle injury.
AFC North teams are 4-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
Chiefs’ first four drives: 34 plays, 223 yards, 20 points.
Mahomes threw for 270 yards, 4 TD’s, to four different guys.
Chiefs won seven of last eight games vs Baltimore.
Chiefs are 11-7 ATS in last 18 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Steelers 24, Vikings 21
Steelers led 14-6 at halftime of first-ever game in Ireland.
Steelers scored 34-21-24 points in wins, 17 in their loss.
Steelers have run ball 87 times for only 259 yards.
Steelers are 27-14-1 ATS last 41 games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Rodgers threw an 80-yard TD pass to Metcalf.
Vikings QB Wentz threw for 350 yards, but also two INTs.
Vikings scored 27-48 points in their wins, 6-21 in losses.
WR Jefferson caught 10 catches for 126 yards,
Texans 26, Titans 0
Tennessee is 0-4 SU/ATS, losing by 8-14-21-26 points.
Titans have three TD’s, 10 FG’s on their 44 drives.
Tennessee is 3-12 ATS in last 15 games as an underdog.
Texans outgained Tennessee, 353-175.
Texans led this game 6-0 at halftime.
This was Houston’s first shutout since 2010.
Houston was 6-15 on third down, Tennessee 2-11.
Texans’ first four drives of 2nd half: 31 plays, 190 yards, 20 points.
Falcons 34, Commanders 27
QB Penix was 20-26/313 passing, with two TD’s.
Falcons’ first three drives: 28 plays, 181 yards, 17 points.
Atlanta led 17-10 at halftime.
Falcons outgained Washington, 435-294
Falcons were 6-12 on third down, Commanders 1-8.
Washington is 0-2 on road, losing 27-18/34-37.
In its wins, Commanders ran ball for 220-201 yards.
Its losses, Commanders ran 51-147 yards.
Bills 31, Saints 19
Saints’ first nine drives ended in Buffalo territory.
Bills led by only 14-10 at halftime.
Buffalo won its first four games,. scoring 41-30-31-31 points.
Last 3+ years, Bills are 3-8-1 ATS as a double digit favorite.
Saints lost first four games, 20-13/26-21/44-13/31-19.
Since 2018, Saints are 19-9-1 ATS as a road underdog.
Rattler is 0-10 as an NFL starting QB.
New Orleans has been outscored 85-33 in first half of games.
Lions 34, Browns 10
Detroit led this game 20-7 at halftime.
Lions scored 52-38-34 points in their last three games.
Lions are 16-8 ATS last 24 games as a home favorite.
Detroit is 15-7 ATS in last 22 games vs AFC teams
Browns scored 16-17-13-10 points in their four games.
Cleveland is minus-6 in turnovers this year.
Browns are 6-15-1 ATS last 22 games coming off a win.
Browns allowed only 277 yards, most they’ve given up this year.
Patriots 42, Panthers 13
Down 6-0, Patriots ran a punt back 87 yards for a TD.
Patriots also ran a punt back 61 yards to set up another TD.
NE’s first four drives: 21 plays, 151 yards, 21 points.
Patriots scored 33-42 points in wins, 13-14 points in losses.
Carolina drove 76 yards for a TD on first drive.
Carolina’s next five drives: 30 plays, 93 yards, no points.
Panthers are 6-14-1 ATS last 21 games as a road underdog.
Carolina is 7-15 ATS in last 22 games vs AFC opponents.
— Playoff picture with postseason starting Tuesday:
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Reds
AL: Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: New York, Red Sox, Tigers
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Week 5 NFL trends:
— 49ers @ LA Rams (-5.5)
— Vikings (-3.5) vs Browns (@ London)
— Texans @ Baltimore (-3.5)
— Giants @ New Orleans (-1.5)
— Broncos @ Philadelphia (-4.5)
— Cowboys (-2.5) @ Jets
Quote of the Day
“I believe Carlos (Mendoza) has all the same traits and assets that I believed [he had] when we hired him two years ago. And I think over the course of his tenure here, he has demonstrated that. We had a tough year this year. There’s no question. We are all disappointed. We were all frustrated — Mendy, as much or more than anybody else. But I still believe he’s a very good manager, and I think he’s going to demonstrate that.”
Mets’ general manager David Stearns
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the New York Jets, who has thrown for the most yards?
Monday’s quiz
Matthew Stafford played his college football at Georgia.
Sunday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; it against the Cardinals, in 1982.
******************************************************
Jets ran ball for 197 yards, but had 13 penalties for 101 yards.
Jets lost first four games, giving up 34-30-29-27 points.
Only one of their four losses was by more than six points.
Jets are 3-12-1 ATS last 16 AFC East road games.
Miami’s first five drives: 42 plays, 235 yards, 24 points.
Under McDaniel, Miami is 13-8-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Dolphins won 10 of last 12 series games.
Jets are 0-10 SU/1-6-3 ATS in last nine visits to Miami.
— Broncos 28, Bengals 3
Broncos dominated game, outgaining Cincy 512-159.
Denver is 2-0 at home; they didn’t allow a TD either game.
JK Dobbins ran ball 16 times for 101 yards.
Bo Nix threw for 326 yards, two TD’s.
Zac Taylor is 45-32-1 SU when Joe Burrow plays, 8-24 when he doesn’t.
In four games, Bengals have run ball 76 times for only 200 yards.
Denver was 8-14 on third down, Bengals 2-11.
AFC North teams are 5-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
— Future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers; he won the World Series with Texas in 2023, went 78-84/81-81 the last two years. Texas had an awful lot of injuries this past year.
Overall, Bochy has won four World Series titles, three with the Giants.
— Speaking of the Giants, they fired Bob Melvin Monday, a few weeks after they extended his contract thru next year. Giants went 81-81 this year, but new GM Buster Posey didn’t hire him. Lot of times GM’s want to hire “their guy” as manager.
A 3-time Manager of the Year who won the award in both leagues, Melvin has a career regular-season record of 1,678-1,588 with 8 postseason appearances for five different teams. Melvin made the playoffs six times in 10 years with the A’s; he is a very good manager.
— Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli after they went 70-92 this year, while the team was going a tumultuous season in the front office, owner-wise. Baldelli made the playoffs three times in seven seasons managing the Twins.
— How the five biggest baseball payrolls made out this season:
$350,300,236- Dodgers won NL West
$342,377,486- Mets went 83-79, missed the playoffs
$300,187,616- Bronx is #1 Wild Card in AL
$290,286,320- Phillies won NL East
$255,380,936- Blue Jays won AL East
— How the five smallest baseball payrolls made out this season:
$67,950,708- Marlins went 79-83, 41-40 on the road
$78,824,978- White Sox went 60-102, 19 games better than last year.
$79,118,043- A’s went 76-86, seven games better than last year.
$84,423,338- Pirates went 71-91; they were 44-37 at home.
$87,629,788- Rays went 77-85 playing home games on a minor league field.
— Famous birthdays, September 30th:
Angie Dickinson, 94
Dave Magadan, 63
Eric Piatkowski, 55
Jenna Elfman, 54
Jamal Anderson, 53
Kenley Jansen, 38
Aaron Holiday, 29
Jesus Luzardo, 28
— After the Jaguars upset San Francisco 26-21 Sunday, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh accused Jacksonville and its head coach, Liam Coen, of using a sign-stealing system.
In the week leading up to the game, Saleh claimed that Coen and the Jaguars use an “advanced” legal sign-stealing system while speaking with reporters.
After Sunday’s win, all Coen said was; “Not a big deal. We’ll keep that between us.”
— Arkansas Razorbacks fired football coach Sam Pittman Monday, named Bobby Petrino their interim coach. Arkansas was 32-34 under Pittman, losing their last three games, including a loss to Memphis when the Razorbacks blew an 18-point lead.
Petrino is 119-56 as a college coach; he was Lamar Jackson’s coach at Louisville. He also was 34-17 as coach of Arkansas, back from 2008-11.
— Weird college football stat: Under Lincoln Riley, USC is 0-12 ATS as a road favorite, in games not played in California.
— Houston Astros missed the baseball playoffs this year for the first time since 2016.
— Baseball is a long season, lot of ups and downs:
Cleveland Guardians made the playoffs, despite a 10-game losing streak from June 26-July 6.
— Detroit Tigers also made the playoffs.
From July 9th-26th, Tigers went 1-12…..from September 16-24, they went 0-8.
— Mets had a lot of expectations this year with such a big payroll- that put a lot of pressure on them, and they wound up missing the playoffs, losing 2 of 3 games in Miami over the weekend. Mets finished 83-79.
Mets were 45-25 on June 13th; rest of the season, they went 38-54.
After Sunday’s win, Miami’s team had a team picture taken in front of their dugout, like they were celebrating something. Marlins finished 79-83, going over their season over/under win total by 15.5 games. They had a very good season.
Week 5 NFL trends:
— 49ers @ LA Rams (-5.5)
— Vikings (-3.5) vs Browns (@ London)
— Texans @ Baltimore (-3.5)
— Giants @ New Orleans (-1.5)
— Broncos @ Philadelphia (-4.5)
— Cowboys (-2.5) @ Jets
Quote of the Day
“I believe Carlos (Mendoza) has all the same traits and assets that I believed [he had] when we hired him two years ago. And I think over the course of his tenure here, he has demonstrated that. We had a tough year this year. There’s no question. We are all disappointed. We were all frustrated — Mendy, as much or more than anybody else. But I still believe he’s a very good manager, and I think he’s going to demonstrate that.”
Mets’ general manager David Stearns
Tuesday’s quiz
In the history of the New York Jets, who has thrown for the most yards?
Monday’s quiz
Matthew Stafford played his college football at Georgia.
Sunday’s quiz
Milwaukee Brewers have played in one World Series; it against the Cardinals, in 1982.
******************************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but……..
— Dolphins 27, Jets 21Jets ran ball for 197 yards, but had 13 penalties for 101 yards.
Jets lost first four games, giving up 34-30-29-27 points.
Only one of their four losses was by more than six points.
Jets are 3-12-1 ATS last 16 AFC East road games.
Miami’s first five drives: 42 plays, 235 yards, 24 points.
Under McDaniel, Miami is 13-8-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Dolphins won 10 of last 12 series games.
Jets are 0-10 SU/1-6-3 ATS in last nine visits to Miami.
— Broncos 28, Bengals 3
Broncos dominated game, outgaining Cincy 512-159.
Denver is 2-0 at home; they didn’t allow a TD either game.
JK Dobbins ran ball 16 times for 101 yards.
Bo Nix threw for 326 yards, two TD’s.
Zac Taylor is 45-32-1 SU when Joe Burrow plays, 8-24 when he doesn’t.
In four games, Bengals have run ball 76 times for only 200 yards.
Denver was 8-14 on third down, Bengals 2-11.
AFC North teams are 5-7 ATS in non-divisional games.
— Future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers; he won the World Series with Texas in 2023, went 78-84/81-81 the last two years. Texas had an awful lot of injuries this past year.
Overall, Bochy has won four World Series titles, three with the Giants.
— Speaking of the Giants, they fired Bob Melvin Monday, a few weeks after they extended his contract thru next year. Giants went 81-81 this year, but new GM Buster Posey didn’t hire him. Lot of times GM’s want to hire “their guy” as manager.
A 3-time Manager of the Year who won the award in both leagues, Melvin has a career regular-season record of 1,678-1,588 with 8 postseason appearances for five different teams. Melvin made the playoffs six times in 10 years with the A’s; he is a very good manager.
— Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli after they went 70-92 this year, while the team was going a tumultuous season in the front office, owner-wise. Baldelli made the playoffs three times in seven seasons managing the Twins.
— How the five biggest baseball payrolls made out this season:
$350,300,236- Dodgers won NL West
$342,377,486- Mets went 83-79, missed the playoffs
$300,187,616- Bronx is #1 Wild Card in AL
$290,286,320- Phillies won NL East
$255,380,936- Blue Jays won AL East
— How the five smallest baseball payrolls made out this season:
$67,950,708- Marlins went 79-83, 41-40 on the road
$78,824,978- White Sox went 60-102, 19 games better than last year.
$79,118,043- A’s went 76-86, seven games better than last year.
$84,423,338- Pirates went 71-91; they were 44-37 at home.
$87,629,788- Rays went 77-85 playing home games on a minor league field.
— Famous birthdays, September 30th:
Angie Dickinson, 94
Dave Magadan, 63
Eric Piatkowski, 55
Jenna Elfman, 54
Jamal Anderson, 53
Kenley Jansen, 38
Aaron Holiday, 29
Jesus Luzardo, 28
— After the Jaguars upset San Francisco 26-21 Sunday, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh accused Jacksonville and its head coach, Liam Coen, of using a sign-stealing system.
In the week leading up to the game, Saleh claimed that Coen and the Jaguars use an “advanced” legal sign-stealing system while speaking with reporters.
After Sunday’s win, all Coen said was; “Not a big deal. We’ll keep that between us.”
— Arkansas Razorbacks fired football coach Sam Pittman Monday, named Bobby Petrino their interim coach. Arkansas was 32-34 under Pittman, losing their last three games, including a loss to Memphis when the Razorbacks blew an 18-point lead.
Petrino is 119-56 as a college coach; he was Lamar Jackson’s coach at Louisville. He also was 34-17 as coach of Arkansas, back from 2008-11.
— Weird college football stat: Under Lincoln Riley, USC is 0-12 ATS as a road favorite, in games not played in California.
— Houston Astros missed the baseball playoffs this year for the first time since 2016.
— Baseball is a long season, lot of ups and downs:
Cleveland Guardians made the playoffs, despite a 10-game losing streak from June 26-July 6.
— Detroit Tigers also made the playoffs.
From July 9th-26th, Tigers went 1-12…..from September 16-24, they went 0-8.
— Mets had a lot of expectations this year with such a big payroll- that put a lot of pressure on them, and they wound up missing the playoffs, losing 2 of 3 games in Miami over the weekend. Mets finished 83-79.
Mets were 45-25 on June 13th; rest of the season, they went 38-54.
After Sunday’s win, Miami’s team had a team picture taken in front of their dugout, like they were celebrating something. Marlins finished 79-83, going over their season over/under win total by 15.5 games. They had a very good season.
WNBA
Dunkel
Tuesday, September 30
WNBA
Tuesday, September 30
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Trend Report
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Indiana Fever
Indiana is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Indiana is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games
Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games on the road
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
Las Vegas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Las Vegas is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games
Las Vegas is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
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Dunkel
Tuesday, September 30
WNBA
Tuesday, September 30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Indiana is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games
Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games on the road
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
Las Vegas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Las Vegas is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games
Las Vegas is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
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