Tampa Bay Rays @ Oakland Athletics u7.5 (-115) MLB Odds – Wed August 13th ’08 10:05p
The Oakland Athletics upset the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 here last night, and while they may not win again tonight, we do expect another low-scoring affair. Justin Duchscherer has quietly pitched as well as any pitcher in baseball this season in the obscurity that is Oakland, as he has a 2.51 ERA and a fantastic 0.99 WHIP in 132.2 innings. If he pitched for a team that could score any runs whatsoever, he would be a lot better than 10-7 right now. Duchscherer is also facing the Rays for the first time ever, which is to his advantage. Meanwhile, Andy Sonnanstine is 11-6 for Tampa Bay, albeit with a mediocre 4.40 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Still, the Oakland offense can make even an average pitcher look like a Cy Young candidate, as the Athletics are hitting a pathetic .211 as a team over their last 10 games while averaging an anemic 2.20 runs in those contests. Also, both of these bullpens are ranked in the top 10 in the majors in pen ERA, which should limit any late tack-on runs, and both clubs have been very Under-friendly in general. The Under is now 68-48-2 in all Tampa Bay games this season, and an even better 69-42-7 in all Oakland contests. MLB Free Pick: Rays, Athletics Under 7.5 (-115)

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Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres u7.0 (-115) MLB Odds – Wed August 13th ’08 10:05p
Yes, this is a low posted total between the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres, but we feel it is warranted given the combination of these stating pitchers and this spacious ball park. C.C. Sabathia is a perfect seven for seven in Quality Starts since putting on the Brewers uniform, with a 1.58 ERA and an incredible 0.91 WHIP in 57 National League innings. He has actually already faced the Padres once this season while with the Cleveland Indians in interleague play, allowing three runs on only six hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. He should love pitching at San Diego for the first time, given that the Padres at batting a terrible .217 vs. southpaws at home this year. Now Josh Banks is an average pitcher in reality, but like most pitchers, this stadium makes him seem better than he is. Banks actually has a nice 2.30 ERA when pitching at home, and he is facing a Milwaukee lineup that has hit significantly lower vs. right-handed pitching on the road (.246) than vs. left-handers (.273) this year. The Under is also 8-1-2 in the last 11 Milwaukee games overall, and we see no reason why that will not continue given these circumstances. MLB Free Pick: Brewers, Padres Under 7 (-115)

Boston Red Sox -1.5 MLB Odds – Wed August 13th ’08 7:05p
Last night the Boston Red Sox took out the visiting Texas Rangers in a entertaining 19-17 slugfest for their 5th straight win in this series here in Fenway Park this season. I expect the BoSox to make it 6 in a row after tonight as they tee off on a pitcher , Luis Mendoza (3-5, 7.50) that has performed like a thrower in the annual home run derby . The right hander is 1-2, along with a bloated 7.50 ERA in 4 starts since the all star break, and has been roughed up on a consistent basis in his road starts in 2008, as is evident by a 1-3 record and an ugly looking 8.46 ERA. Left-handed batters are hitting .352 against him, while right-handed hitters are batting .294. It must also be noted ,that opposition batting orders are smashing him for .381 average with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Red Sox starting hurler Jon Lester( 10-4, 3.23 ERA) continues to impress the pundits, with his performances, and despite of having his 11 game win streak stopped last timeout, he still pitched well, allowing just 6 hits in 7 innings for a tough luck 5-3 loss against the White Sox. The 2000 Gatorade State player of the year in Washington , has been very hard on lefty hitters this year allowing them a lowly .223 BA , which holds good implications for us backing him against a Rangers team with LH sluggers like Josh Hamilton and Chris Davis in the lineup. Final notes & Key Trends: The Red Sox are 14-2 L/16 when Lester starts at home , winning those games by an average of 2.8 RPG. Play on the Red Sox on the runline

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Seattle Mariners @ Los Angeles Angels o9.5 MLB Odds – Tue August 12th ’08 10:05p
The LA Angels explosive offense prepares to tee off on a Mariners pitcher Jarrod Washburn( 5-11, 4.76 ERA) that has not pitched well this season. The veteran southpaw is 0-2 along with a ugly 7.59 ERA in his most recent outings. Washburn also owns a 0-2 record against the Halos in 2008, and is sporting a hefty 6.53 ERA in those tilts. With the Angels hitting .316 in their L/17 home games, Washburn could easily end up as cannon fodder again. Meanwhile, the Angels will return fire with Jon Garland (10-7, 4.28 ERA).The right hander is not in good current form, recording a bloated 6.51 ERA in his last five trips to the hill. He is also 0-2 along with a hefty 6.32 ERA in his L/3 starts vs the Mariners . It must also be noted that the men of the Emerald City , have awoken from a season long hitting slump to average, .323 in the month of August, and once again ,look primed to take advantage of some below average starting pitching . Final notes & Key Trends: Over is 5-0 in Mariners last 5 games with the total set at 9-10.5. Play Over

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Florida Marlins (-120) – Tue Aug 12 ’08 7:10p
Chris Volstad has pitcher very well since being recalled by the Florida Marlins while Kyle Lohse has cooled off considerably since a hot start for the St. Louis Cardinals. Volstad has now allowed three runs or less in four of his five starts. Furthermore, his last outing was his best yet, as he tossed six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits at Philadelphia. He should be tough on a St. Louis lineup that has never faced him before. Now Lohse is still 13-4 with a 3.80 ERA on the season, but he has not posted a Quality Start while going 1-2 with a 7.27 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in his last three starts. Also, he has not been nearly as effective on the road despite his 6-2 road mark, as he has a 5.16 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 10 starts away from home. Finally, the Marlins did lose the series opener here last night, but they have lost back-to-back games just once in the last month, which is one reason they are still in the National League East race. MLB Free Pick: Marlins -120

Los Angeles Dodgers (110) – Tue Aug 12 ’08 10:10p
Cole Hamels may be the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies staff, but he has been outpitched badly by young Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers lately. Kershaw was called up with high expectations in May, and he is now fulfilling all of that promise, allowing a grand total of one run and 11 hits in 19 innings over his last three starts. He is also catching the Phillies at the perfect time, as they are batting a woeful .218 over the last 10 games, and the fact that Philadelphia has never seen Kershaw also helps his cause. Meanwhile, Hamels has a bloated 5.62 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in his last three starts. It does not help matter that the Dodgers have improved offensively with the acquisition of Manny Ramirez either, especially vs. left-handed pitching. The Dodgers are hitting .291 as a team the last 10 games averaging 4.80 runs per game, while the Phillies are only averaging 3.30 runs in that same span. We feel that the wrong team is favored in this spot, as Hamels is favored just on reputation alone. MLB Free Pick: Dodgers +110

Article Courtesy of Ted Sevransky, An Award Winning Football Handicapper Featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting football this season and need Winning NFL Picks, be sure to Buy Ted’s Expert NFL football predictions and make this season a winning one guaranteed!

2008 Detroit Lions NFL Football Predictions
Overview: The Lions enjoyed their best season of the decade in 2007, finishing with a 7-9 record.  That sorry fact tells a lot about one of the six NFL teams (Atlanta, Jacksonville, Cleveland, New Orleans and Arizona are the other five) that have never reached the Super Bowl.  To make matters even worse, Rod Marinelli’s squad was on track for a far better season than that following a 6-2 start, but their 1-7 finish brought back every bit of ennui for long suffering Lions fans.  Seven of their nine losses came by more than a touchdown; five of the nine were ‘quit’ type defeats by three TD’s or more.
 
Offense: New offensive coordinator Jim Colletto has radically refined the Lions offensive approach compared to the pass dominated Mike Martz led offense of the past two seasons. Colletto is a former offensive line coach who emphasizes running the football behind a big, physical offensive line.  Unfortunately for the potential success of that scheme in 2008, the Lions lack a feature running back and have a subpar offensive line to run behind.
 
Quarterback Jon Kitna turns 36 in November.  He’s thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes in each of his two seasons as the Lions quarterback.  In fact, Kitna is responsible for a whopping 57 turnovers over the last two seasons, while being sacked an equally whopping 114 times.  Those numbers state a lot about the state of his protection packages. 
 
But despite those truly hideous numbers, Kitna has put up back-2-back 4000 yard seasons, and he completed more than 63% of his passes in ’07.  There’s no question that he is not the long term answer in Detroit – if this season goes down the tubes like so many other recent seasons, look for former Michigan State standout Drew Stanton to get an opportunity late in the campaign.
 
The Lions are counting heavily on rookie running back Kevin Smith, a third rounder out of Central Florida.  His backup, Tatum Bell, was re-signed after a truly awful season in ’07 only because Detroit lacked decent healthy bodies at the position.  The wide receiver duo of Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson has the potential to be as good or better than any WR tandem in the league.  Behind the starters lies plenty of quality depth.  Clearly, the Lions pass catchers are the strength of the offense, if not the whole team.
 
The Lions finished 31st and 32nd in rushing yardage over the last two seasons; 31st and 30th in sacks allowed.  Those numbers are truly an indictment of poor offensive line play more than any other factor.  Unfortunately for the Lions, the line is once again a unit in flux heading into 2008.  Left tackle Jeff Backus is a perennial underachiever.  Right tackle Gosder Cherilus (Boston College) is a rookie facing elite level competition on a weekly basis for the first time in his career.  Between the two tackles, Detroit isn’t all that much better, and there’s very little quality depth behind the starters should the injuries start to mount.
 
Defense: Defensive coordinator Joe Barry is Marinelli’s son-in-law.  That nepotism is probably the only reason Barry kept his job following an absolutely miserable season from his defense last year.  Once again this year, the Lions will attempt to run their version of Tampa Bay’s Cover 2 defense, despite the fact that they have neither the pass rush nor the playmakers in the secondary to make this defense work.
 
Detroit’s defensive line doesn’t scare anybody.  DeWayne White and Jared DeVries provide a modest pass rush at best, while ‘run stuffers’ Cory Redding and free agent acquisition Chuck Darby (Seattle) have a tendency to get pushed around on the inside.  Linebacker Ernie Sims ranked fourth in the NFL in tackles last year, the lone star on this stop unit.  Second round rookie Jordan Dizon (Colorado) will step right into a starting role.  There is absolutely no quality depth behind the starters on the Lions front seven, similar to last year.
 
The Lions did address their secondary in free agency, after the unit allowed a league worst 70% completions last year.  They traded enigmatic defensive tackle Shawn Rogers to Cleveland for Leigh Bodden, while signing a pair of former Bucs Brian Kelly and Kalvin Pearson.  Kelly and Pearson are not difference makers, combining for only five starts last year.  Perhaps yet another free agent acquisition, Dwight Smith (Minnesota) can be an impact player here, joining Daniel Bullocks who is coming off a torn ACL at safety.
 
Schedule: At least the Lions get to toil in relative obscurity.  The only time you’ll see Detroit on national TV this Fall is in their annual Thanksgiving Day home game.  In fact, that game and games at Houston and San Francisco are their only games that won’t be played at 1 PM on a Sunday – this team doesn’t have a marquee game on their schedule.  The Lions get three straight home games in late November and early December, but close out the season playing at Indy and at Green Bay in their final three weeks of play.

2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting football games this season, Buy Alex’s College Football Picks.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9-4, 5-3 in 2007, 3rd place in ACC Atlantic)
It turns out the Demon Deacons weren’t the one year wonders many thought they were when they won the ACC in back 2006. The team should be strong again in 2008, and could compete for a return trip to the ACC Championship game this winter.

2007 Highlight: After shutting out the Seminoles in Doak Campbell Stadium in 2006, most thought that Florida State would be out looking for blood in their nationally televised game in Winston-Salem in ’07. Though the FSU effort was far more inspired than it was the year before, the Deacs pounded the Seminoles defense over and over on the ground, toting the ball 48 times for 180 yards. It wasn’t the prettiest game in the world, but Wake did survive a late FSU comeback to knock off the Noles 24-21.

2007 Lowlight: Wake Forest wasn’t the first team to go into Memorial Stadium in Clemson and get their doors blown off, nor will they be the last. The 44-10 blowout was the worst loss by the Deacs all season. QB Cullen Harper torched the Wake Forest ‘D’ for 266 yards and three scores, while QB Riley Skinner had one of the worst games of his career, only throwing for 170 yards without a touchdown.

Offensive Outlook: Only five starters return from last year’s team. Both Skinner and returning running back Josh Adams must step their games up for the offense to be a success in 2008. The biggest problem is going to be the offensive line. The entire left side needs to be replaced, and could be the Achilles heel for Wake’s offense all season long. If Skinner can get his accuracy numbers up, the unit should be able to spend plenty of time on the field and give the defense lots of rest. If not, Wake Forest is going to take a major step backwards.

Defensive Outlook: Nine starters return from a defense that surrendered 22.3 PPG a year ago; the group will clearly be the strength of the team in ’08. The biggest question mark will be the defensive line that has to replace a pair of starters. All of the defensive backs and linebackers return, most notably LBs Aaron Curry and Alphonso Smith, both of whom could end up on the All-ACC team at the end of the year.

2008 Outlook: A trip into Florida State appears much easier than usual this year, as the Noles will be without several players who were suspended in their academic scandal a year ago. There really is no reason for the Deacs to not be 4-0 going into their clash with Clemson on October 9th. If they can pull off the upset of the Tigers and avenge last year’s thrashing, Wake Forest could be a team to contend with once again in ‘08, as the rest of the schedule pans out quite nicely. Road trips to Maryland and Miami could be hairy, but the team doesn’t leave the state of North Carolina once the calendar turns to November.

2008 will be a success if… Skinner and the offense put some points on the board. It sounds elementary, but that’s what the Demon Deacons will be judged upon in 2008. Any game in which this team scores 30 points should be an automatic victory as long as their defense stays healthy.

For the third straight year, Wake Forest could be one of those teams that you won’t hear much about, but when you look up, suddenly have a nine or ten win season under its belt.

Prediction: 9-3, 2nd place in ACC Atlantic

2008 North Carolina State College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football games this season, Buy Alex’s College Football Picks.

North Carolina State (5-7, 3-5 in 2007, 6th place in ACC Atlantic)
After watching Boston College jump as high as #2 in the polls last season, North Carolina State HC Tom O’Brien had to be scratching his head trying to figure out why he ever left Chestnut Hill. His Wolfpack were one of the worst teams in the ACC in 2007, and could be headed in that direction again in ’08.

2007 Highlight: In a season without much to write home about, the best game the Wolfpack played in ’07 came when the #15 Virginia Cavaliers paid a visit to Raleigh. QB Daniel Evans hooked up with Donald Bowens for the game-winning touchdown with 7:37 remaining to earn NC State the 29-24 upset victory. Bowens recorded 11 catches for 202 yards and two scores, while Evans had the best game of his career throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

2007 Lowlight: After opening 1-5, the Wolfpack went on a four-game winning streak that had everyone in Raleigh hoping for a bowl game. The next two weeks were a major disappointment, with equally depressing losses to Wake Forest and Maryland. They were beaten in those two weeks by a combined score of 75-18, and only managed 67 rushing yards combined. Instead of going bowling, NCSU was left home to lick its wounds after a bitter end to the season.

Offensive Outlook: For a unit that was statistically the worst in the ACC, perhaps it’s a good thing that only six of the 11 starters return. Unfortunately, the only notable receiver returning from ’07 is Bowens. Evans must improve on his 18/24 career TD/INT ratio in his senior season, or Harrison Beck could take over. Watch for redshirt frosh Russel Williams to also see some time under center in 2008.

Defensive Outlook: Things don’t look much better on the defensive side of the ball either. Four starters return from 2007. DE Willie Young is likely an All-ACC candidate, but the rest of the front seven is highly inexperienced and will probably struggle mightily this year. The secondary does feature two returning corners, but both starting safeties will be brand new.

2008 Preview: Aside from a cupcake game against William & Mary, are there any games on this schedule that are certain victories? The good news is that they only leave the Carolinas once all season (at Maryland), but with non-conference games against South Carolina, East Carolina, and South Florida looming, wins could be few and far between. Even a win against Duke isn’t a sure-fire win anymore with David Cutcliffe at the reigns for the Blue Devils.

2008 will be a success if… the fans in Raleigh have a reason to attend home games. This could be the worst version of the NC State Wolfpack in many years, and O’Brien is going to have a lot of explaining to do if the season ends up being as bad as we think it will be.

Inevitably, NC State will win a couple games on the season… but we do mean “a couple.”

Prediction: 2-10, 6th place in ACC Atlantic

2008 Maryland Terrapins College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting football this season, don’t miss Alex’s winning college football picks.

Maryland Terrapins (6-7, 3-5 in 2007, 5th place in ACC Atlantic)
The Maryland Terrapins have been the epitome of mediocrity in the ACC for years. The team has won between three and five conference games every year since 2003, and it appears that 2008 will be much of the same for HC Ralph Friedgen and the Terps.

2007 Highlight: Despite beating two top-10 teams earlier in the season, Maryland still found itself a win short of bowl eligibility going into their final game of the 2008 season at North Carolina State. The rushing attack piled up 249 yards and four scores for the Terps’ offense, while the ‘D’ held the Wolfpack to 250 total yards in the 37-0 whitewash in Raleigh.

2007 Lowlight: The 4-4 Terps went into Chapel Hill to take on the lowly 2-6 North Carolina Tar Heels in the first week of November. The offense was a complete disaster for Maryland, as they only converted four of 14 third down attempts. Butch Davis and the Tar Heels locked up the mild upset in the 3rd quarter when they took a 16-3 lead. They held on to win 16-13, and sent the Terrapins back under .500.

Offensive Outlook: It looks as though Friedgen has little idea who his starting quarterback is going to be this season. Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner are both returning with experience, but neither put up stellar numbers in ’07. Look for Florida transfer Josh Portis to take some snaps under center this season as well. Regardless of who the field general is they’ll be looking for junior WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, who had 786 receiving yards a year ago. Heyward-Bey has the potential of being a first team All-ACC player by year’s end.

Defensive Outlook: The defense only returns five starters from last year, and none of the incoming talent appears to be anything to rave about. Senior LB Dave Philistin must have another strong season to give a secondary with only one returning starter a chance. DT Jeremy Navarre had 5.5 sacks a year ago, and will be the anchor to a relatively young defensive front.

2008 Preview: There’s just enough cupcakes on the Maryland schedule that could have this team bowling yet again, but they’re not one of the stronger squads in the ACC. Delaware, Middle Tennessee, and Eastern Michigan are obvious must-wins, but a home slate which includes California, Wake Forest, NC State, North Carolina, and Florida State could mean that the Terps won’t have to win a conference road game to qualify for a bowl game. It could be a return trip to the Emerald Bowl in ’08.

2008 will be a success if… one of the quarterbacks sets himself apart from the rest. Dual quarterback systems usually aren’t very successful, and the team apparently has little confidence in any of their options. If Steffy and Turner can’t step up their play from a year ago, Portis better step in and make an impact in a hurry, or the Terps offense will struggle all season.

It should be another ho-hum year for the Terrapins, who will be content just to get to make another bowl trip this winter.

Prediction: 6-6, 5th place in ACC Atlantic

2008 Florida State Seminoles College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, A Professional College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting football this season, don’t miss Alex’s winning college football picks.

Florida State Seminoles (7-6, 4-4 in 2008, 4th place in ACC Atlantic)
Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles will try their best to return to ACC supremacy in 2008. A 7-5 season and a trip to the Music City Bowl isn’t what FSU fans have become accustomed to, but if the Noles aren’t careful, it could be another disappointing season for the garnet and gold.

2007 Highlight: Eight games into the season, the Noles found themselves 5-3 with a bowl game not necessarily a lock with games still to be played at Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Florida. Bowden got perhaps his best defensive effort of the season in Chestnut Hill, knocking off the then #2 ranked Eagles 27-17. Even though the Seminoles almost blew a 10-point lead in the 4th, Geno Hayes picked off Matt Ryan with under 2:00 to go and brought it to the house to seal the victory. It was one of three passes the FSU defense intercepted on the night.

2007 Lowlight: Tim Tebow ran roughshod on the Florida State defense, accounting for 352 total yards and five touchdowns to lead the rival Florida Gators to a 45-12 victory in “The Swamp”. The Gators had almost double the yardage of their in-state rivals, and outscored the Noles 21-0 in the 2nd half.

Offensive Outlook: Often-criticized QB Drew Weatherford is back for his senior season, but he probably won’t be taking 100% of the snaps under center in 2008. Christian Ponder will take some snaps this year, as could sophomore D’Vontrey Richardson and true freshman EJ Manuel. All four of these guys better have their life insurance policies paid up, as the offensive line in front of them is stock-piled with nothing but freshmen and sophomores. The bright side is that all of their main backs and receivers return, but do-it-all Preston Parker will be suspended for the first two games of the season.

Defensive Outlook: Coach Bowden has already said he needs to prepare two defensive units, one that will play the first three games of the season, and one for the remainder of the year. Three defensive starters will miss the first three games of the season due to the academic scandal during exams last fall. When they return to the lineup, FSU will once again sport one of the better defenses in the ACC. Derek Nicholson is one of the best linebackers in the country. He leads a group of eight returning starters on ‘D’ looking to improve upon the 22.9 PPG allowed in ’07.

2008 Preview: Thank goodness that the Seminoles open up with games against Western Carolina and Chattanooga, or those suspensions holding over from last year could have really hampered the season. As it is, FSU has a brutal schedule of teams coming into Doak Campbell Stadium in 2008, including Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson, and Florida.

2008 will be a success if… someone takes command of the quarterback position. Weatherford has had three years to take control of the Florida State offense and really has never lived up to the hype. He’ll get every chance in the world to do so again in his senior year, but much like when Xavier Lee was behind him the past few seasons, Ponder is ready to pounce on his position if he can’t get the job done.

Florida State has the talent to beat anyone in the nation, but this team probably isn’t strong enough to really compete in the ACC.

Prediction: 7-5, 3rd place in ACC Atlantic