-----------------------------
Chargers/Chiefs UNDER 45
-----------------------------
Last 3 games between Chargers and Chiefs have gone UNDER the total.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 12 games.
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Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Ravens vs Jaguars MNF Betting Preview
The Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to battle in this week's MNF game. The second part of our series of articles capping the Monday Night Football showdown is going to discuss betting the total, which is set at 39.
This is the lowest total of all the 13 games in week seven and it could provide some good value bets for you Monday Night NFL picks.
I first examined the opening line for this matchup where the Ravens are favored by seven to nine points on the road. Some have been arguing that NFL odds makers have set the point spread too high, and that the total is very low.
Ravens Soaring
While the Patriot's offense has had a lot of press for dropping thirty points for so many consecutive games, the Ravens have quietly scored 30 + three of their five games, and have averaged 32 points per contest. The Ravens are extremely balanced on offense. Ray Rice is averaging nearly 4.5 yards per carry and while most running backs have had six games to get to these totals, Rice has 700 all purpose yards and 4 touchdowns in five games.
Joe Flacco also has been playing well and silencing some of his critics. After last season, critics around the league were labeling Flacco as an average quarterback that couldn't win the big game. While neither of those labels can be completely disproven just yet, Flacco is leading on of the best AFC teams to another great season. His statistical numbers aren't anything to get excited about. However, he has thrown only four interceptions on the year and his decision making has been better than any time in his career.
While the Ravens offense has been more than serviceable, Baltimore's defense is once again the reason why their team has been so good through five games. Teams are averaging only 11.8 points per game against the Ravens defense and the only time they gave up more than 400 yards of offense in a game, they lost to the Titans.
Gabbert Growing Pains
After replacing Luke McCowen as the Jaguars starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert has shown some good signs as well as some struggles. However, I am one to argue that he has looked better every game. He even gave his team a chance to win during a last second hail mary against the Steelers last week. However, the Jags rank dead last in passing offense averaging only 132 yards per game.
Jacksonville's defense has been pretty good despite losing five straight. As mentioned in my spread opener, Jacksonville held the Steelers to 70 yards of offense in the second half. With the exception of New Orleans, Baltimore will be the best offense Jacksonville has faced so far this season and Ray Rice is by far the best runner. If the Jags are to slow down the Raven offense, they will have to defend the run better then what they have been.
Betting the Total
On the surface, this line screams over and though it isn't a lock, I can see the Ravens blasting the Jags on the road and scoring another 30 points. Despite Jacksonville being good on defense, they will have a tough time slowing down Ray Rice, who will set up some nice play action passes to a good receiving core for Baltimore.
Even though the Jaguars have had trouble moving the ball, Maurice Jones-Drew should be able to be ok versus the Raven's defense and sooner or later, Gabbert is going to get things together. He is too good of a talent and his supporting cast is better then some of the other's being utilized by other rookie quarterbacks. I'm really high on the Ravens this year and both teams have the ability to put points on the board. 39 is just too inviting of a number.
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SBR Forum | Jordan Sharp
This is the lowest total of all the 13 games in week seven and it could provide some good value bets for you Monday Night NFL picks.
I first examined the opening line for this matchup where the Ravens are favored by seven to nine points on the road. Some have been arguing that NFL odds makers have set the point spread too high, and that the total is very low.
Ravens Soaring
While the Patriot's offense has had a lot of press for dropping thirty points for so many consecutive games, the Ravens have quietly scored 30 + three of their five games, and have averaged 32 points per contest. The Ravens are extremely balanced on offense. Ray Rice is averaging nearly 4.5 yards per carry and while most running backs have had six games to get to these totals, Rice has 700 all purpose yards and 4 touchdowns in five games.
Joe Flacco also has been playing well and silencing some of his critics. After last season, critics around the league were labeling Flacco as an average quarterback that couldn't win the big game. While neither of those labels can be completely disproven just yet, Flacco is leading on of the best AFC teams to another great season. His statistical numbers aren't anything to get excited about. However, he has thrown only four interceptions on the year and his decision making has been better than any time in his career.
While the Ravens offense has been more than serviceable, Baltimore's defense is once again the reason why their team has been so good through five games. Teams are averaging only 11.8 points per game against the Ravens defense and the only time they gave up more than 400 yards of offense in a game, they lost to the Titans.
Gabbert Growing Pains
After replacing Luke McCowen as the Jaguars starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert has shown some good signs as well as some struggles. However, I am one to argue that he has looked better every game. He even gave his team a chance to win during a last second hail mary against the Steelers last week. However, the Jags rank dead last in passing offense averaging only 132 yards per game.
Jacksonville's defense has been pretty good despite losing five straight. As mentioned in my spread opener, Jacksonville held the Steelers to 70 yards of offense in the second half. With the exception of New Orleans, Baltimore will be the best offense Jacksonville has faced so far this season and Ray Rice is by far the best runner. If the Jags are to slow down the Raven offense, they will have to defend the run better then what they have been.
Betting the Total
On the surface, this line screams over and though it isn't a lock, I can see the Ravens blasting the Jags on the road and scoring another 30 points. Despite Jacksonville being good on defense, they will have a tough time slowing down Ray Rice, who will set up some nice play action passes to a good receiving core for Baltimore.
Even though the Jaguars have had trouble moving the ball, Maurice Jones-Drew should be able to be ok versus the Raven's defense and sooner or later, Gabbert is going to get things together. He is too good of a talent and his supporting cast is better then some of the other's being utilized by other rookie quarterbacks. I'm really high on the Ravens this year and both teams have the ability to put points on the board. 39 is just too inviting of a number.
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SBR Forum | Jordan Sharp
Friday, October 21, 2011
10/21: NCAAF Free Play of the Day!
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RUTGERS -1 (-110)
--------------------
Game Notes:
Rutgers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Rutgers is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games on the road.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rutgers's last 5 games when playing Louisville.
Louisville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Louisville is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
RUTGERS -1 (-110)
--------------------
Game Notes:
Rutgers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Rutgers is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games on the road.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rutgers's last 5 games when playing Louisville.
Louisville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Louisville is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
2011 World Series Betting Preview
The 2011 World Series will feature the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. Read our full breakdown of the pitching matchups, as well as all of the info you need for betting the total in this showdown.
The 2011 World Series begins Wednesday night in St. Louis with the Cardinals hosting the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers. MLB bettors are already dissecting every angle of the game from the money line to the first five innings to the total to the World Series Championship price.
Game 1 is Wednesday at 8:05 PM ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Chris Carpenter and the Cards opened at Legends Sportsbook as a slight favorite at -122 with the total at 7.5. To me the intriguing part of MLB betting in this series is the possibility that given the respective offense’s every game could go ‘over’ and with the dominant bullpens a case could be made for the ‘under’ to be the prevalent play.
For starters, Texas manager Ron Washington is going to need to get a lot more from his Game 1 starter C.J. Wilson (16-9, 3.28) who so far has been a playoff bust in 2011. He is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in 15 2/3 innings (three starts) this postseason. He's given up 14 earned runs on 21 hits with six of those home runs.
Not surprisingly four of the six games between the Rangers and Tigers went ‘over’ the closing total while the Rangers were 19-12 to the high side in Wilson’s 2011 starts.
St. Louis will have its ace Chris Carpenter (13-9, 3.47 ERA) on the hill in Game 1 as he looks to improve on a 2-0 playoff record and a 3.71 ERA. All three of Carpenter’s starts playoff starts have played ‘under’ the total but he was 18-18 during the regular season. In the National League championship series, the ‘over’ was 4-1-1.
But Wilson has been shoddy in this postseason (0-2 with an 8.04 ERA) and Carpenter is the lone Cardinals starter with a postseason ERA lower than 5.74.
Pitching plans
A glance at the recent work of the starting pitchers on both sides would indicate that this World Series, more so than any other in recent years, could produce a plethora of high scoring games meaning a great time to make your MLB picks in favor of the 'Over'. The starters on each side were bad in the championship series.
The Cardinals' starters went 1-2 with a 7.02 ERA in six games in the National League Championship Series. The Rangers' rotation was 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in six games in the ALCS. Both teams need much better efforts if they plan to hoist the championship trophy.
Game 2; Derek Holland (14-10, 4.45 ERA) vs. Jaime García (13-7, 3.56 ERA)
One thing these two pitchers will have in common is a short leash.
Garcia made two starts in the NLDS and St. Louis likes to pitch the young lefthander at home whenever possible, thus he gets the call in Game 2. He’s allowed 10 runs in 15.2 innings this postseason, making it out of the fifth inning in just one of his three starts. His ERA in the playoffs is 5.74.
Holland will be making his fourth start of the playoffs and like everyone else in both rotations he has struggled. He’s 1-0 but his ERA is 5.27 and opposing batters are hitting .316. That’s potentially bad news against the predominantly right hand hitting Cardinals lineup.
Game 3; Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.49 ERA) vs. Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40 ERA)
Neither team produced a quality win in their recent series. In fact the longest a team's starter went in any of the combined 12 games was the Rangers' Colby Lewis who lasted 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 against the Tigers. Lewis is also one of the few hurlers on either side with an ERA of under 4.00 (3.43 on the road and 5.54 ERA at home). For his career he’s been a solid postseason starter posting a 2.37 ERA, including a victory in last year’s World Series against San Francisco.
Lohse, however, has been awful in the playoffs so far, with a 7.45 ERA, and 9 runs, 8 earned, in just 9.2 innings. In his 8 career playoff outings, Lohse has a 5.09 ERA.
Game 4; Edwin Jackson (5-2, 3.58 ERA) vs. Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39 ERA)
While Harrison hasn’t gone deep into either of his two starts, he has allowed only 2 runs in 5 innings in each game and that should give the Rangers hope. This will be Harrison’s third start and fourth appearance of the playoffs.
The much traveled Edwin Jackson is 1-0 in three starts but his ERA is sky high (5.74) and opposing batters are hitting .316 against him.
*Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa has ‘hinted’ that he may flip flop Lohse and Jackson in the rotation but won’t make that determination until after Game 1 at the earliest.
Following Game 4, most managers will change their rotation depending on how the series is progressing. At the moment, Game 5 would be a rematch of Wilson against Carpenter. Holland and Garcia would square off in Game 6 with Lohse against Lewis for all the marbles.
In 11 postseason games, St. Louis has notched just three quality starts (at least six innings pitched and three earned runs or fewer allowed), while the Rangers have just one quality start in 10 outings. The managers share a large part of the blame for the lack of long outings and both skippers aren’t afraid to go to the pen at the first hint of a possible big inning.
Bullpens will decide the winner
Closer Alexi Ogando, a 13-game winner during the regular season has been almost 'Mariano Rivera good' this postseason. He’s got two wins and has allowed one run, four hits and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings. He’s had to be good because the Texas starters have come up woefully short. C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison combined for a 6.59 ERA in the ALCS and has turned in just one quality start in 10 postseason games.
St. Louis' bullpen, which ranked 21st in the majors in the regular season with a 3.95 ERA, pitched in just over 54 percent of the team's innings -- the fifth-highest percentage ever for an LCS -- and contributed a 1.58 ERA.
Cruz vs. Pujols
Nelson Cruz is on a ‘high’ that very few players ever experience. After going 1 for 15 in the ALDS against Tampa Bay, he switched into another gear hit .364 against Detroit with six home runs and 13 runs batted in. He is the singular reason the Rangers and not the Tigers are headed to the World Series.
Pujols has turned in his best postseason series since 2002 going 18 for 43 (.419) with 2 homers and 10 RBI’s.
There are other reasons why we should expect a high-scoring series. The Rangers were first in the majors in hitting (.283), second in home runs (210) and third in scoring (5.28). The Redbirds were fifth in scoring (4.70), fifth in batting average (2.73) and 13th in home runs (162).
The baseball world is well aware of Cruz and Pujols and their respective performances but who is this guy David Freese? He who won the NLCS MVP by hitting .545 with three home runs and nine runs batted in and he’s another reason why the ‘over’ figures to be the predominant ‘bet’ in the 2011 Fall Classic.
Overall, the Cardinals are 91-72-1 to the ‘over’ (playoffs included) while the Rangers are 93-74-6 to the high side.
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SBR Forum | Bob Harvey
The 2011 World Series begins Wednesday night in St. Louis with the Cardinals hosting the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers. MLB bettors are already dissecting every angle of the game from the money line to the first five innings to the total to the World Series Championship price.
Game 1 is Wednesday at 8:05 PM ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Chris Carpenter and the Cards opened at Legends Sportsbook as a slight favorite at -122 with the total at 7.5. To me the intriguing part of MLB betting in this series is the possibility that given the respective offense’s every game could go ‘over’ and with the dominant bullpens a case could be made for the ‘under’ to be the prevalent play.
For starters, Texas manager Ron Washington is going to need to get a lot more from his Game 1 starter C.J. Wilson (16-9, 3.28) who so far has been a playoff bust in 2011. He is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in 15 2/3 innings (three starts) this postseason. He's given up 14 earned runs on 21 hits with six of those home runs.
Not surprisingly four of the six games between the Rangers and Tigers went ‘over’ the closing total while the Rangers were 19-12 to the high side in Wilson’s 2011 starts.
St. Louis will have its ace Chris Carpenter (13-9, 3.47 ERA) on the hill in Game 1 as he looks to improve on a 2-0 playoff record and a 3.71 ERA. All three of Carpenter’s starts playoff starts have played ‘under’ the total but he was 18-18 during the regular season. In the National League championship series, the ‘over’ was 4-1-1.
But Wilson has been shoddy in this postseason (0-2 with an 8.04 ERA) and Carpenter is the lone Cardinals starter with a postseason ERA lower than 5.74.
Pitching plans
A glance at the recent work of the starting pitchers on both sides would indicate that this World Series, more so than any other in recent years, could produce a plethora of high scoring games meaning a great time to make your MLB picks in favor of the 'Over'. The starters on each side were bad in the championship series.
The Cardinals' starters went 1-2 with a 7.02 ERA in six games in the National League Championship Series. The Rangers' rotation was 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in six games in the ALCS. Both teams need much better efforts if they plan to hoist the championship trophy.
Game 2; Derek Holland (14-10, 4.45 ERA) vs. Jaime García (13-7, 3.56 ERA)
One thing these two pitchers will have in common is a short leash.
Garcia made two starts in the NLDS and St. Louis likes to pitch the young lefthander at home whenever possible, thus he gets the call in Game 2. He’s allowed 10 runs in 15.2 innings this postseason, making it out of the fifth inning in just one of his three starts. His ERA in the playoffs is 5.74.
Holland will be making his fourth start of the playoffs and like everyone else in both rotations he has struggled. He’s 1-0 but his ERA is 5.27 and opposing batters are hitting .316. That’s potentially bad news against the predominantly right hand hitting Cardinals lineup.
Game 3; Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.49 ERA) vs. Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40 ERA)
Neither team produced a quality win in their recent series. In fact the longest a team's starter went in any of the combined 12 games was the Rangers' Colby Lewis who lasted 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 against the Tigers. Lewis is also one of the few hurlers on either side with an ERA of under 4.00 (3.43 on the road and 5.54 ERA at home). For his career he’s been a solid postseason starter posting a 2.37 ERA, including a victory in last year’s World Series against San Francisco.
Lohse, however, has been awful in the playoffs so far, with a 7.45 ERA, and 9 runs, 8 earned, in just 9.2 innings. In his 8 career playoff outings, Lohse has a 5.09 ERA.
Game 4; Edwin Jackson (5-2, 3.58 ERA) vs. Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39 ERA)
While Harrison hasn’t gone deep into either of his two starts, he has allowed only 2 runs in 5 innings in each game and that should give the Rangers hope. This will be Harrison’s third start and fourth appearance of the playoffs.
The much traveled Edwin Jackson is 1-0 in three starts but his ERA is sky high (5.74) and opposing batters are hitting .316 against him.
*Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa has ‘hinted’ that he may flip flop Lohse and Jackson in the rotation but won’t make that determination until after Game 1 at the earliest.
Following Game 4, most managers will change their rotation depending on how the series is progressing. At the moment, Game 5 would be a rematch of Wilson against Carpenter. Holland and Garcia would square off in Game 6 with Lohse against Lewis for all the marbles.
In 11 postseason games, St. Louis has notched just three quality starts (at least six innings pitched and three earned runs or fewer allowed), while the Rangers have just one quality start in 10 outings. The managers share a large part of the blame for the lack of long outings and both skippers aren’t afraid to go to the pen at the first hint of a possible big inning.
Bullpens will decide the winner
Closer Alexi Ogando, a 13-game winner during the regular season has been almost 'Mariano Rivera good' this postseason. He’s got two wins and has allowed one run, four hits and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings. He’s had to be good because the Texas starters have come up woefully short. C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison combined for a 6.59 ERA in the ALCS and has turned in just one quality start in 10 postseason games.
St. Louis' bullpen, which ranked 21st in the majors in the regular season with a 3.95 ERA, pitched in just over 54 percent of the team's innings -- the fifth-highest percentage ever for an LCS -- and contributed a 1.58 ERA.
Cruz vs. Pujols
Nelson Cruz is on a ‘high’ that very few players ever experience. After going 1 for 15 in the ALDS against Tampa Bay, he switched into another gear hit .364 against Detroit with six home runs and 13 runs batted in. He is the singular reason the Rangers and not the Tigers are headed to the World Series.
Pujols has turned in his best postseason series since 2002 going 18 for 43 (.419) with 2 homers and 10 RBI’s.
There are other reasons why we should expect a high-scoring series. The Rangers were first in the majors in hitting (.283), second in home runs (210) and third in scoring (5.28). The Redbirds were fifth in scoring (4.70), fifth in batting average (2.73) and 13th in home runs (162).
The baseball world is well aware of Cruz and Pujols and their respective performances but who is this guy David Freese? He who won the NLCS MVP by hitting .545 with three home runs and nine runs batted in and he’s another reason why the ‘over’ figures to be the predominant ‘bet’ in the 2011 Fall Classic.
Overall, the Cardinals are 91-72-1 to the ‘over’ (playoffs included) while the Rangers are 93-74-6 to the high side.
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------------------------
SBR Forum | Bob Harvey
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What To Watch For: 2011 World Series
What to watch for in the 2011 World Series:
Cruz Control
The Rangers' right fielder did it all in the ALCS, putting on an unprecedented power show and cutting down a runner at the plate with a rocket throw in a crucial situation. He had six homers and 13 RBIs - both major league records for a postseason series - and finished 8 for 22 (.364) with two doubles. He seems to enjoy the spotlight, too. Cruz was 15 for 40 (.375) with 5 HRs, 5 doubles and 8 RBIs in the AL playoffs last season before going 4 for 20 (.200) with a homer and 3 RBIs in the World Series.
Fond Farewell
Pujols got a standing ovation before his final regular-season game at home and he'll get at least two more doses of love from adoring St. Louis fans in the World Series. The three-time MVP has had nothing of substance to say about his impending free agency since cutting off negotiations on a long-term deal before the start of spring training. Rather than allowing Pujols' situation to paralyze them, the Cardinals have already started planning for next season by signing Berkman to a one-year deal and Carpenter to a two-year extension. They've also stated interest in retaining Furcal.
Young At Heart
Young adapted to his new role this year and had a team-high 159 starts, the ninth time in 10 seasons he played at least 155 games. He started 69 as the DH, 39 at third base, 36 at first, 14 at second and one at shortstop. He became the only player to have at least 200 hits (213) while playing 35 games or more at three different positions. Before last year, Young had played 1,508 regular-season games without tasting the postseason. This year, Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled on his 35th birthday.
Spark Plug
The scrappy Schumaker, who can also play the outfield, missed the NLCS because of a strained muscle on his right side. He expects to be available for the World Series. Schumaker went 6 for 10 in the division series with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. He drove in the only run against Halladay in the first inning of Game 5.
RECEIVE WORLD SERIES PICKS HERE!
AP
Cruz Control
The Rangers' right fielder did it all in the ALCS, putting on an unprecedented power show and cutting down a runner at the plate with a rocket throw in a crucial situation. He had six homers and 13 RBIs - both major league records for a postseason series - and finished 8 for 22 (.364) with two doubles. He seems to enjoy the spotlight, too. Cruz was 15 for 40 (.375) with 5 HRs, 5 doubles and 8 RBIs in the AL playoffs last season before going 4 for 20 (.200) with a homer and 3 RBIs in the World Series.
Fond Farewell
Pujols got a standing ovation before his final regular-season game at home and he'll get at least two more doses of love from adoring St. Louis fans in the World Series. The three-time MVP has had nothing of substance to say about his impending free agency since cutting off negotiations on a long-term deal before the start of spring training. Rather than allowing Pujols' situation to paralyze them, the Cardinals have already started planning for next season by signing Berkman to a one-year deal and Carpenter to a two-year extension. They've also stated interest in retaining Furcal.
Young At Heart
Young adapted to his new role this year and had a team-high 159 starts, the ninth time in 10 seasons he played at least 155 games. He started 69 as the DH, 39 at third base, 36 at first, 14 at second and one at shortstop. He became the only player to have at least 200 hits (213) while playing 35 games or more at three different positions. Before last year, Young had played 1,508 regular-season games without tasting the postseason. This year, Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled on his 35th birthday.
Spark Plug
The scrappy Schumaker, who can also play the outfield, missed the NLCS because of a strained muscle on his right side. He expects to be available for the World Series. Schumaker went 6 for 10 in the division series with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. He drove in the only run against Halladay in the first inning of Game 5.
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AP
Monday, October 10, 2011
Bears vs Lions Betting Preview
The Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions will finish up the week five schedule with a matchup in primetime on Monday Night Football. NFL odds list the game's total at 48 points, but does the 'Over' or 'Under' hold the most value for bettors?
I have already provided an article focusing on the opening lines for this game's spread, so now lets turn to the 'Total' line and decide what is the best NFL betting option on Monday Night.
The NFL odds boards opened with the 'Total' at 47, and has moved up slightly to 48. This will be a hard hitting, competitive, and possibly even “chippy” game. These two divisional rivals don't like each other and both have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.
Past Match-ups
You really can't take too much of these past meetings as reliable intel; considering before the end of last season, the Lions were the whipping boys of the NFC North. However, of all the meetings between these two teams in the last ten years, under 48 would have cashed a staggering 16-4, including the two most recent times they hooked up. As I mentioned before, you really can't read too much into that.
The one matchup that does say something is from week one of last year. Matt Stafford was knocked out in the first half with a shoulder injury. Before he left, he went 11/15 with 83 yards. Shaun Hill didn't do much better. He completed less than 50% of his passes and threw a pick. Jay Cutler carved them up for 374 yards and a couple of touchdowns. You might remember this game as the one that Calvin Johnson caught a late touchdown which would have been the winning score, but he didn't finish with the football as he came to the ground and the Lions lost the game. The final score was 19-14 Bears.
The second game between these two was also close and ended 24-20 in favor of the Bears. Once again, the Lions were on the wrong side of a crucial call. Ndamukong Suh was flagged for roughing the passer late in the fourth, which set up first and goal and the game winning score for the Bears.
Cutler vs Stafford; Suh vs Urlacher
The Lions currently rank 7th among NFL teams in passing, while the Bears rank 25th. In the running game, the Lions rank 29th, while the Bears rank 20th. As I mentioned in the spread opener, the Lions will most likely try and throw the ball early and often to take advantage of Chicago's weak secondary. The Bears on the other hand, will try and control the clock by giving a heavy workload to Matt Forte.
I don't really trust the rankings from these two teams either. Once again, the season is still young. The Lions have played a soft schedule while the Bears have had a tough road to week five. The Bears are giving up an average of 23 points per game while the Lions are giving up 19. Both sides, especially Detroit, will be sending a heavy pass rush from their front four trying to disrupt the opposing quarterback.
While it hasn't worked out well in the past (or for any other team this season) the Bears will put two defenders in Calvin Johnson's face all night. The Lions have shown a weakness in running the football, so Stafford will have to rely on his arm against the Bear's cover 2 defense.
NFC North slugfests
Since the season is so young, I like to take these teams 2010 seasons into account a little more; especially the 6 divisional games. The Bears average totals against NFC north opponents last year was just under 37, while the Lions were at 34. The fact is that the NFC North may be the most competitive division in football this year. It could be the NFC South of last season. They know the opponents and their schemes, which makes for a closer more low scoring games.
The general consensus if you look at this game on the surface would tell you to bet the over. The Lions are rolling, the Bears are struggling on defense and Calvin Johnson looks like the second coming of Randy Moss. So the over is a lock, right? Not so fast. As I've mentioned time and again, the season is young and these these two teams have not played equal talent yet. Plus, even though defense this year has been behind offense because of the lockout, they have to catch up sooner than later.
This game will be won by defense. Detroit couldn't run the ball against bad teams, so they will be very one dimensional in their attack. One could argue that the Bears are one dimensional as well, but defending the run is something Detroit hasn't been able to do against any of the teams they have faced. 48 is a hard number to hit, plus, with the short drive from Chicago to Detroit, don't expect there to be zero Bears fans at Ford Field.
SBR Forum | Jordan Sharp
I have already provided an article focusing on the opening lines for this game's spread, so now lets turn to the 'Total' line and decide what is the best NFL betting option on Monday Night.
The NFL odds boards opened with the 'Total' at 47, and has moved up slightly to 48. This will be a hard hitting, competitive, and possibly even “chippy” game. These two divisional rivals don't like each other and both have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.
Past Match-ups
You really can't take too much of these past meetings as reliable intel; considering before the end of last season, the Lions were the whipping boys of the NFC North. However, of all the meetings between these two teams in the last ten years, under 48 would have cashed a staggering 16-4, including the two most recent times they hooked up. As I mentioned before, you really can't read too much into that.
The one matchup that does say something is from week one of last year. Matt Stafford was knocked out in the first half with a shoulder injury. Before he left, he went 11/15 with 83 yards. Shaun Hill didn't do much better. He completed less than 50% of his passes and threw a pick. Jay Cutler carved them up for 374 yards and a couple of touchdowns. You might remember this game as the one that Calvin Johnson caught a late touchdown which would have been the winning score, but he didn't finish with the football as he came to the ground and the Lions lost the game. The final score was 19-14 Bears.
The second game between these two was also close and ended 24-20 in favor of the Bears. Once again, the Lions were on the wrong side of a crucial call. Ndamukong Suh was flagged for roughing the passer late in the fourth, which set up first and goal and the game winning score for the Bears.
Cutler vs Stafford; Suh vs Urlacher
The Lions currently rank 7th among NFL teams in passing, while the Bears rank 25th. In the running game, the Lions rank 29th, while the Bears rank 20th. As I mentioned in the spread opener, the Lions will most likely try and throw the ball early and often to take advantage of Chicago's weak secondary. The Bears on the other hand, will try and control the clock by giving a heavy workload to Matt Forte.
I don't really trust the rankings from these two teams either. Once again, the season is still young. The Lions have played a soft schedule while the Bears have had a tough road to week five. The Bears are giving up an average of 23 points per game while the Lions are giving up 19. Both sides, especially Detroit, will be sending a heavy pass rush from their front four trying to disrupt the opposing quarterback.
While it hasn't worked out well in the past (or for any other team this season) the Bears will put two defenders in Calvin Johnson's face all night. The Lions have shown a weakness in running the football, so Stafford will have to rely on his arm against the Bear's cover 2 defense.
NFC North slugfests
Since the season is so young, I like to take these teams 2010 seasons into account a little more; especially the 6 divisional games. The Bears average totals against NFC north opponents last year was just under 37, while the Lions were at 34. The fact is that the NFC North may be the most competitive division in football this year. It could be the NFC South of last season. They know the opponents and their schemes, which makes for a closer more low scoring games.
The general consensus if you look at this game on the surface would tell you to bet the over. The Lions are rolling, the Bears are struggling on defense and Calvin Johnson looks like the second coming of Randy Moss. So the over is a lock, right? Not so fast. As I've mentioned time and again, the season is young and these these two teams have not played equal talent yet. Plus, even though defense this year has been behind offense because of the lockout, they have to catch up sooner than later.
This game will be won by defense. Detroit couldn't run the ball against bad teams, so they will be very one dimensional in their attack. One could argue that the Bears are one dimensional as well, but defending the run is something Detroit hasn't been able to do against any of the teams they have faced. 48 is a hard number to hit, plus, with the short drive from Chicago to Detroit, don't expect there to be zero Bears fans at Ford Field.
SBR Forum | Jordan Sharp
Friday, October 7, 2011
Halladay vs Carpenter in Game 5
It's do or die as the Phillies and the Cardinals meet in the NLDS Game 5.
The St. Louis Cardinals held on for Wednesday’s 5-3 win as 103 home dogs against the Philadelphia Phillies, forcing Friday’s deciding Game 5 of the rivals’ National League Division Series. Cardinals third baseman David Freese cracked a homer and double, while closer Jason Motte recorded his second save of the postseason.
Friday’s matchup has a pair of marquee right-handed starters squaring off, with Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay (20-6, 2.38 ERA) listed to oppose St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.56 ERA).
Sportsbooks opened Halladay as a 190 favorite, with early MLB betting action on the Cardinals dropping the premium to minus 175. MLB odds makers first set the ‘total’ at 6 ½ ‘over’ (minus 120), remaining unchanged on most boards after initial betting action.
Halladay returns after strong opener
Roy Halladay was on the hill for Saturday’s 11-6 win for Philadelphia, cashing as a 215 home favorite in Game 1 of the NLDS. The eight-time All-Star allowed three runs in eight innings (105 pitches), including a homer from Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman.
Halladay’s victory avenged the veteran’s Sept. 19 defeat against the Cardinals, with Philadelphia edged out, 4-3, as 199 home ‘chalk.’ Berkman cracked a homer in that matchup as well, finishing 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
Philadelphia is 53-30 in its first 83 home dates, with the ‘under’ going 39-38-6. Halladay is 8-3 in 15 home starts, with a 0.99 WHIP and .253 OBP.
Carpenter back after short stint
Carpenter logged a no-decision in Sunday’s Game 2, with St. Louis rallying in a 5-4 win as a 162 road dog. The 36-year-old gave up all four of Philadelphia’s runs over three innings (64 pitches), allowing five hits and three walks.
Carpenter went 2-0 against the Phillies in his pair of regular-season outings against Charlie Manuel’s club. Philadelphia mustered just one run in a combined 15 innings against Carpenter over the two affairs.
St. Louis is 46-37 in its first 83 road games, with the ‘over’ cashing at 49-31-3. Carpenter has a 7-6 mark in 18 road outings, with a 1.31 WHIP and .314 OBP.
Back the ‘under’ with tight hurlers
Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET). The weather forecast in Philadelphia calls for a clear 60-degree night, with calm winds.
In today's MLB Free Pick I am backing the ‘under,’ looking for a tight battle despite the ‘over’ having gone 3-1 in the series thus far.
Halladay should be able to go deep tonight for the Phillies, while having a surrounding cast of relievers who can be brought in to shut down a clutch situation. The 2010 National League Cy Young winner has been in top form, allowing just 10 earned runs in his last 52 IP.
Carpenter’s early exit in Game 2 should leave the three-time All-Star’s arm sharper for tonight’s must-win affair. The hurler tossed three shutouts in his last five regular-season outings, giving up a stingy five runs over a 40-inning span.
The ‘under’ is 4-1 in Carpenter’s last five outings with four or more days of rest, while going 6-2 in spots that followed Philadelphia giving up five or more runs in its prior game.
Umpire Gary Cederstrom is slated to call the balls and strikes, with the ‘under’ cashing at 6-2 in the North Dakota native’s last eight outings behind the plate. The span included a start from Carpenter on Sept. 23 which went ‘under’ after the veteran allowed just one run in seven innings against the Chicago Cubs.
Before making your MLB Picks here, wait for the ‘total’ to possibly rise come game time and get your best price with the ‘under’ in this deciding duel.
SBR Forum | Joe Freda
The St. Louis Cardinals held on for Wednesday’s 5-3 win as 103 home dogs against the Philadelphia Phillies, forcing Friday’s deciding Game 5 of the rivals’ National League Division Series. Cardinals third baseman David Freese cracked a homer and double, while closer Jason Motte recorded his second save of the postseason.
Friday’s matchup has a pair of marquee right-handed starters squaring off, with Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay (20-6, 2.38 ERA) listed to oppose St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.56 ERA).
Sportsbooks opened Halladay as a 190 favorite, with early MLB betting action on the Cardinals dropping the premium to minus 175. MLB odds makers first set the ‘total’ at 6 ½ ‘over’ (minus 120), remaining unchanged on most boards after initial betting action.
Halladay returns after strong opener
Roy Halladay was on the hill for Saturday’s 11-6 win for Philadelphia, cashing as a 215 home favorite in Game 1 of the NLDS. The eight-time All-Star allowed three runs in eight innings (105 pitches), including a homer from Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman.
Halladay’s victory avenged the veteran’s Sept. 19 defeat against the Cardinals, with Philadelphia edged out, 4-3, as 199 home ‘chalk.’ Berkman cracked a homer in that matchup as well, finishing 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
Philadelphia is 53-30 in its first 83 home dates, with the ‘under’ going 39-38-6. Halladay is 8-3 in 15 home starts, with a 0.99 WHIP and .253 OBP.
Carpenter back after short stint
Carpenter logged a no-decision in Sunday’s Game 2, with St. Louis rallying in a 5-4 win as a 162 road dog. The 36-year-old gave up all four of Philadelphia’s runs over three innings (64 pitches), allowing five hits and three walks.
Carpenter went 2-0 against the Phillies in his pair of regular-season outings against Charlie Manuel’s club. Philadelphia mustered just one run in a combined 15 innings against Carpenter over the two affairs.
St. Louis is 46-37 in its first 83 road games, with the ‘over’ cashing at 49-31-3. Carpenter has a 7-6 mark in 18 road outings, with a 1.31 WHIP and .314 OBP.
Back the ‘under’ with tight hurlers
Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET). The weather forecast in Philadelphia calls for a clear 60-degree night, with calm winds.
In today's MLB Free Pick I am backing the ‘under,’ looking for a tight battle despite the ‘over’ having gone 3-1 in the series thus far.
Halladay should be able to go deep tonight for the Phillies, while having a surrounding cast of relievers who can be brought in to shut down a clutch situation. The 2010 National League Cy Young winner has been in top form, allowing just 10 earned runs in his last 52 IP.
Carpenter’s early exit in Game 2 should leave the three-time All-Star’s arm sharper for tonight’s must-win affair. The hurler tossed three shutouts in his last five regular-season outings, giving up a stingy five runs over a 40-inning span.
The ‘under’ is 4-1 in Carpenter’s last five outings with four or more days of rest, while going 6-2 in spots that followed Philadelphia giving up five or more runs in its prior game.
Umpire Gary Cederstrom is slated to call the balls and strikes, with the ‘under’ cashing at 6-2 in the North Dakota native’s last eight outings behind the plate. The span included a start from Carpenter on Sept. 23 which went ‘under’ after the veteran allowed just one run in seven innings against the Chicago Cubs.
Before making your MLB Picks here, wait for the ‘total’ to possibly rise come game time and get your best price with the ‘under’ in this deciding duel.
SBR Forum | Joe Freda
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Why Green Bay is "America's Team"
Remember the movie, "Working Girl?" Vintage Melanie Griffith in all her vacuum-cleaning, high-heeled glory?
Anyway, Griffith's Tess McGill resorts to identity theft to climb the corporate ladder. She junks her Staten Island accent, borrows her injured boss' Chanel outfits and helps engineer a huge radio network acquisition. But her best friend warns her: "Sometimes I sing and dance around the living room in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will."
That's how I feel about the Dallas Cowboys. They can sing and dance around their $1.2 billion stadium all they want, but it doesn't make them "America's Team." Never will.
And while I have a very soft spot for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they're not "America's Team," either. They're not even Pennsylvania's team.
No, it's the Green Bay Packers. Has to be. And this just isn't me talking. Someone once asked the late, great NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to name the best football city in the country. Rozelle didn't hesitate.
"Green Bay," he said. "A small town. People owning their own football team. Rabid supporters."
Exactly. The Packers are the only publicly owned major sports franchise in the country. No dividends are issued on the 4,750,937 shares held by the 112,158 shareholders. Instead, these people invest in the Packers out of football love, not profit. How American is that?
They bailed the franchise out in 1923, 1935, 1950 and 1997. They pepper the team president and team general manager with questions, good ones, at the annual shareholders meeting. NFL commish Roger Goodell attended last July's event -- and got Q-and-A'd into submission by the football-savvy Packers owners.
And, by the way, shareholders vote for the team's board of directors. Nothing against Steelers fans, but Packers followers do more than wave Terrible Towels. They influence team policy.
Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun established the Packers' franchise in 1919. That's 14 years before Art Rooney Sr. purchased the then-named Pittsburgh Pirates. That's 23 years before Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was even born and 33 years before the Dallas Texans became the last NFL franchise to fail.
Sorry, "America's Team" isn't supposed to fold.
So the Packers have history on their side. First publicly owned NFL franchise. First NFL franchise to hire a gap-toothed Vince Lombardi as its head coach. First team to win the Super Bowl. First team to win two Super Bowls in a row. First team to have a Broadway play about its head coach. First team to make "frozen tundra" part of the football lexicon.
The Packers are the ultimate American success story. They survived and now prosper in the smallest city in the league. They've won 12 NFL championships. Hmmm. Maybe that's why it's called the Lombardi Trophy, not the Jones or Rooney.
Don't get me wrong. The Steelers and Cowboys have formidable trophy cases, too. But it took the Steelers 41 years to win their first championship. And the Cowboys franchise was still in diapers when Lombardi was beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I.
Ever been to Lambeau Field? It's the Fenway Park of the NFL. It's perfect. It's also unpretentious.
At JerryWorld you get The Art At Cowboys Stadium, including such exquisite pieces as "Unexpected Variable Configuration: A Work in Situ." At Lambeau, you get a hot brat, a cold beer and a chorus of "Go, Pack, Go" while smooshed next to some guy wearing a cheesehead and orange hunting overalls. You tell me what sounds like more fun.
The most-watched show in the 2009 fall TV season was a Packers game. The second-most-watched show in cable history is a Packers game. Five of the top 20 most-watched shows in the fall of 2010 were Packers games.
The real "America's Team" doesn't have professional cheerleaders or a domed stadium. (And to the Rooney family's credit, neither do the Steelers.) You go to a Packers game and you feel like you're at Army-Navy, Bama-Auburn, OU-Texas.
I don't care how much merchandise they sell or how big their stadium is, the Cowboys aren't "America's Team." How can you be "America's Team" when just as many people are rooting against you as they are for you?
Plus, the Cowboys aren't football relevant anymore. In the past 15 years they've won exactly two playoff games and appeared in zero NFC Championship Games. Compare that to the Steelers over the same period (14 wins, two Super Bowl wins, three conference titles) and the Packers (12 wins, one Super Bowl win, three conference titles).
The Packers and Steelers are built for success. The Cowboys are built for melodrama and coaching turnover. And as it turns out, JerryWorld was built so the Packers and Steelers could play Super Bowl XLV there.
So on behalf of the Packers, thank you, Jerry.
ESPN | Gene Wojciechowski
Anyway, Griffith's Tess McGill resorts to identity theft to climb the corporate ladder. She junks her Staten Island accent, borrows her injured boss' Chanel outfits and helps engineer a huge radio network acquisition. But her best friend warns her: "Sometimes I sing and dance around the living room in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will."
That's how I feel about the Dallas Cowboys. They can sing and dance around their $1.2 billion stadium all they want, but it doesn't make them "America's Team." Never will.
And while I have a very soft spot for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they're not "America's Team," either. They're not even Pennsylvania's team.
No, it's the Green Bay Packers. Has to be. And this just isn't me talking. Someone once asked the late, great NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to name the best football city in the country. Rozelle didn't hesitate.
"Green Bay," he said. "A small town. People owning their own football team. Rabid supporters."
Exactly. The Packers are the only publicly owned major sports franchise in the country. No dividends are issued on the 4,750,937 shares held by the 112,158 shareholders. Instead, these people invest in the Packers out of football love, not profit. How American is that?
They bailed the franchise out in 1923, 1935, 1950 and 1997. They pepper the team president and team general manager with questions, good ones, at the annual shareholders meeting. NFL commish Roger Goodell attended last July's event -- and got Q-and-A'd into submission by the football-savvy Packers owners.
And, by the way, shareholders vote for the team's board of directors. Nothing against Steelers fans, but Packers followers do more than wave Terrible Towels. They influence team policy.
Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun established the Packers' franchise in 1919. That's 14 years before Art Rooney Sr. purchased the then-named Pittsburgh Pirates. That's 23 years before Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was even born and 33 years before the Dallas Texans became the last NFL franchise to fail.
Sorry, "America's Team" isn't supposed to fold.
So the Packers have history on their side. First publicly owned NFL franchise. First NFL franchise to hire a gap-toothed Vince Lombardi as its head coach. First team to win the Super Bowl. First team to win two Super Bowls in a row. First team to have a Broadway play about its head coach. First team to make "frozen tundra" part of the football lexicon.
The Packers are the ultimate American success story. They survived and now prosper in the smallest city in the league. They've won 12 NFL championships. Hmmm. Maybe that's why it's called the Lombardi Trophy, not the Jones or Rooney.
Don't get me wrong. The Steelers and Cowboys have formidable trophy cases, too. But it took the Steelers 41 years to win their first championship. And the Cowboys franchise was still in diapers when Lombardi was beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I.
Ever been to Lambeau Field? It's the Fenway Park of the NFL. It's perfect. It's also unpretentious.
At JerryWorld you get The Art At Cowboys Stadium, including such exquisite pieces as "Unexpected Variable Configuration: A Work in Situ." At Lambeau, you get a hot brat, a cold beer and a chorus of "Go, Pack, Go" while smooshed next to some guy wearing a cheesehead and orange hunting overalls. You tell me what sounds like more fun.
The most-watched show in the 2009 fall TV season was a Packers game. The second-most-watched show in cable history is a Packers game. Five of the top 20 most-watched shows in the fall of 2010 were Packers games.
The real "America's Team" doesn't have professional cheerleaders or a domed stadium. (And to the Rooney family's credit, neither do the Steelers.) You go to a Packers game and you feel like you're at Army-Navy, Bama-Auburn, OU-Texas.
I don't care how much merchandise they sell or how big their stadium is, the Cowboys aren't "America's Team." How can you be "America's Team" when just as many people are rooting against you as they are for you?
Plus, the Cowboys aren't football relevant anymore. In the past 15 years they've won exactly two playoff games and appeared in zero NFC Championship Games. Compare that to the Steelers over the same period (14 wins, two Super Bowl wins, three conference titles) and the Packers (12 wins, one Super Bowl win, three conference titles).
The Packers and Steelers are built for success. The Cowboys are built for melodrama and coaching turnover. And as it turns out, JerryWorld was built so the Packers and Steelers could play Super Bowl XLV there.
So on behalf of the Packers, thank you, Jerry.
ESPN | Gene Wojciechowski
Phillies-Cardinals Post-Game Research
Chase Utley ended the season is poor fashion, but has rebounded well through the first four games of the postseason. Chase Utley September vs Postseason in 2011 Sept. Postseason BA .205 .462 OBP .295 .588 Slug pct .337 .769 >>2-for-3, run, RBI on Wednesday
Ryan Howard had his 10th career three-strikeout game in the postseason, easily the most ever. Only one other player has more than half as many.
From Elias: Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts on Wednesday. It gives him the highest strikeout rate in MLB postseason history, among those with a minimum of 100 postseason PA. Highest Strikeout Rate MLB Postseason History Ryan Howard 40.4% Pat Burrell 39.2% Reggie Sanders 35.8% Jayson Werth 34.0% Evan Longoria 32.7% >>Minimum 100 plate appearances
The Phillies looked like they were ready to put this series away early Wednesday on but stalled after they ripped a double, triple and single on Edwin Jackson's first five pitches of the game.
Shane Victorino: throwing error in the 1st inning (1st error for him this postseason). He had 0 errors during all of the regular season.
ESPN | Associated Press
Ryan Howard had his 10th career three-strikeout game in the postseason, easily the most ever. Only one other player has more than half as many.
From Elias: Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts on Wednesday. It gives him the highest strikeout rate in MLB postseason history, among those with a minimum of 100 postseason PA. Highest Strikeout Rate MLB Postseason History Ryan Howard 40.4% Pat Burrell 39.2% Reggie Sanders 35.8% Jayson Werth 34.0% Evan Longoria 32.7% >>Minimum 100 plate appearances
The Phillies looked like they were ready to put this series away early Wednesday on but stalled after they ripped a double, triple and single on Edwin Jackson's first five pitches of the game.
Shane Victorino: throwing error in the 1st inning (1st error for him this postseason). He had 0 errors during all of the regular season.
ESPN | Associated Press
Brewers-Diamondbacks Post-Game Research
Brewers lost their last last 7 postseason road games (3-10 in postseason road games all-time).
Randy Wolf: winless with a 9.00 ERA in 3 career postseason starts.
Aaron Hill: solo HR in the 6th inning (1st career postseason HR).
Collin Cowgill 2-run pinch-hit single in the 3rd inning. 1st career postseason hit in his 1st postseason at bat.
Randy Wolf: allowed 7 runs in 3 innings. He's the 8th pitcher in postseason history to allow at least 7 runs, pitching 3 innings or fewer, with his team a win away from clinching a postseason series, the first since Fausto Carmona of the 2007 Indians.
Ryan Roberts and Paul Goldschmidt are the 5th pair of teammates to hit grand slams in the same postseason series, the first since Ryan Klesko and Eddie Perez for the 1998 Braves.
Paul Goldschmidt: 3rd rookie to hit a postseason grand slam, joining Gil McDougald (1951 Yankees) and Ricky Ledee (1999 Yankees)
www.espn.com | Associated Press
Randy Wolf: winless with a 9.00 ERA in 3 career postseason starts.
Aaron Hill: solo HR in the 6th inning (1st career postseason HR).
Collin Cowgill 2-run pinch-hit single in the 3rd inning. 1st career postseason hit in his 1st postseason at bat.
Randy Wolf: allowed 7 runs in 3 innings. He's the 8th pitcher in postseason history to allow at least 7 runs, pitching 3 innings or fewer, with his team a win away from clinching a postseason series, the first since Fausto Carmona of the 2007 Indians.
Ryan Roberts and Paul Goldschmidt are the 5th pair of teammates to hit grand slams in the same postseason series, the first since Ryan Klesko and Eddie Perez for the 1998 Braves.
Paul Goldschmidt: 3rd rookie to hit a postseason grand slam, joining Gil McDougald (1951 Yankees) and Ricky Ledee (1999 Yankees)
www.espn.com | Associated Press
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Verlander and Tigers take 2-1 lead over Yankees
Associated Press
DETROIT -- CC Sabathia's wild night has the New York Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Sabathia matched his playoff high with six walks and Derek Jeter struck out with two runners on for the final out in the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday night that put New York in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-five AL division series.
Now, the AL East champions are counting on a shaky A.J. Burnett in Game 4 at Comerica Park on Tuesday night. Burnett, who was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA in the regular season, was pushed into a postseason start only because Sabathia's start in Game 1 was suspended because of rain.
More Tigers-Yankees Coverage
"I feel good about what A.J. is going to do for us tomorrow," manager Joe Girardi said.
Sabathia was given an early 2-0 lead but fell short in the matchup of aces, part 2.
New York scored two runs in the first against Justin Verlander before the MVP candidate shut out the potent lineup over the next five innings with 100 mph fastballs and knee-buckling breaking pitches.
The Yankees mounted a rally for the second straight game against closer Jose Valverde in the ninth and fell short. On Sunday, Robinson Cano grounded out with runners on first and second to end the loss.
This time Jeter struck out with two on, and the captain walked away from home plate shaking his head.
"I feel good about Jeter whenever he's up there in those situations because he's been there so many times," Girardi said.
A banged-up Alex Rodriguez was no match for Verlander.
A-Rod grounded out to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the first, but finished 0 for 2 with two walks and fell to 0 for 10 in the series. The three-time MVP, nagged by knee and thumb injuries, barely hit better than .200 during the final three months of the regular season.
Girardi has said he will not change his lineup. Anyway, it's unlikely he would do what his predecessor, Joe Torre, did against Detroit in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS. Torre dropped the slumping star to eighth in the lineup.
Rodriguez was given the green light to swing on a 3-0 pitch from Verlander in the eighth and weakly hit a foul into the seats behind him, then swung and missed on the next pitch, fouled off a pitch that whizzed by at 101 mph before wisely taking a high and inside pitch to draw a walk.
Mark Teixeira also has struggled. He was 0 for 4 Monday and is 1 for 11 in the series.
Free passes were what doomed Sabathia's night.
Sabathia didn't take the loss -- Rafael Soriano did after giving up a solo homer to Delmon Young in the seventh -- but the $161-million ace struggled to get the ball over the plate.
He lasted just 5 1/3 innings and gave up six walks -- one intentional -- seven hits, four runs and just three strikeouts. He also had one wild pitch and many more that were in the dirt or way off target.
"I actually thought he made a lot of good pitches tonight and I thought the zone was a small zone tonight. No disrespect to anyone, but that's what I thought," Girardi said. "That's what I saw."
The last time Sabathia, who can opt out of his contract after this season, was that wild in the playoffs was Oct. 4, 2007, when he was pitching for the Cleveland Indians against the Yankees.
Sabathia's control was so out of whack that he struggled to connect with catcher Russell Martin on one of his intentional-walk tosses.
The Yankees were planning on their ace pitching Game 1 and Game 4, if it was necessary, but rain suspended his first start after 1 1/2 innings.
Plan B puts Burnett on the mound and no one rooting for New York is excited about that. Burnett signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract during the Yankees' blockbuster offseason in which they spent $423.5 million two years ago to add him, Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.
The right-hander hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain, but he has a chance to provide an instant dividend if he can help the Yankees avoid getting eliminated in the Motor City.
www.espn.com | Associated Press
DETROIT -- CC Sabathia's wild night has the New York Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Sabathia matched his playoff high with six walks and Derek Jeter struck out with two runners on for the final out in the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday night that put New York in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-five AL division series.
Now, the AL East champions are counting on a shaky A.J. Burnett in Game 4 at Comerica Park on Tuesday night. Burnett, who was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA in the regular season, was pushed into a postseason start only because Sabathia's start in Game 1 was suspended because of rain.
More Tigers-Yankees Coverage
"I feel good about what A.J. is going to do for us tomorrow," manager Joe Girardi said.
Sabathia was given an early 2-0 lead but fell short in the matchup of aces, part 2.
New York scored two runs in the first against Justin Verlander before the MVP candidate shut out the potent lineup over the next five innings with 100 mph fastballs and knee-buckling breaking pitches.
The Yankees mounted a rally for the second straight game against closer Jose Valverde in the ninth and fell short. On Sunday, Robinson Cano grounded out with runners on first and second to end the loss.
This time Jeter struck out with two on, and the captain walked away from home plate shaking his head.
"I feel good about Jeter whenever he's up there in those situations because he's been there so many times," Girardi said.
A banged-up Alex Rodriguez was no match for Verlander.
A-Rod grounded out to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the first, but finished 0 for 2 with two walks and fell to 0 for 10 in the series. The three-time MVP, nagged by knee and thumb injuries, barely hit better than .200 during the final three months of the regular season.
Girardi has said he will not change his lineup. Anyway, it's unlikely he would do what his predecessor, Joe Torre, did against Detroit in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS. Torre dropped the slumping star to eighth in the lineup.
Rodriguez was given the green light to swing on a 3-0 pitch from Verlander in the eighth and weakly hit a foul into the seats behind him, then swung and missed on the next pitch, fouled off a pitch that whizzed by at 101 mph before wisely taking a high and inside pitch to draw a walk.
Mark Teixeira also has struggled. He was 0 for 4 Monday and is 1 for 11 in the series.
Free passes were what doomed Sabathia's night.
Sabathia didn't take the loss -- Rafael Soriano did after giving up a solo homer to Delmon Young in the seventh -- but the $161-million ace struggled to get the ball over the plate.
He lasted just 5 1/3 innings and gave up six walks -- one intentional -- seven hits, four runs and just three strikeouts. He also had one wild pitch and many more that were in the dirt or way off target.
"I actually thought he made a lot of good pitches tonight and I thought the zone was a small zone tonight. No disrespect to anyone, but that's what I thought," Girardi said. "That's what I saw."
The last time Sabathia, who can opt out of his contract after this season, was that wild in the playoffs was Oct. 4, 2007, when he was pitching for the Cleveland Indians against the Yankees.
Sabathia's control was so out of whack that he struggled to connect with catcher Russell Martin on one of his intentional-walk tosses.
The Yankees were planning on their ace pitching Game 1 and Game 4, if it was necessary, but rain suspended his first start after 1 1/2 innings.
Plan B puts Burnett on the mound and no one rooting for New York is excited about that. Burnett signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract during the Yankees' blockbuster offseason in which they spent $423.5 million two years ago to add him, Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.
The right-hander hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain, but he has a chance to provide an instant dividend if he can help the Yankees avoid getting eliminated in the Motor City.
www.espn.com | Associated Press
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