Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Saturday, November 20, 2010, 3:30 pm Eastern, TV: ESPNU
Opening Line: Illinois -7
Current Line: Illinois -8
Opening Total: 49
Current Total: 48
Money Line: Illinois -320 / Northwestern +270
Continue reading “College Football Betting Preview: A Look at Illinois-Northwestern”
The Braves picked up a dramatic victory in the opening game of this series and now turn to one of their best pitchers in Game 2.
Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Atlanta picked up a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs to open this three-game set at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. Braves outfielder Rick Ankiel cleared the bases with a two-out triple in the ninth inning in order for the club to move 22 games over .500 on the year. “It’s like there’s something in the water around here,” Ankiel said. “It’s fun. It’s like no matter what, we’re never out of it. It’s fun to be a part of it.” The win also gave the club its 37th comeback victory of the season, which leads all of baseball. Atlanta is 23-16 in day games this season (+450) and 70-66 over the last three years (-320). The club is also just a game over .500 versus southpaws (22-21, -490) and the total is 20-21 O/U in those contests.
The Cubs will be facing off against a former teammate this afternoon in the first game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Atlanta starts this three-game series with a new first baseman in the fold, as Derek Lee joins the team and will face his former ball club out of the gate. Lee spent seven seasons in Chicago and hit .298 with 179 home runs and 574 RBI over that span. “The main thing is we’ve got six weeks to go and Atlanta’s in first place,” he said. “They’re playing great baseball. A chance to go to the postseason, it’s hard to pass up.” The Braves went 5-2 on its last homestand and now head off on a six game road trip. Atlanta is 27-33 on the road this season (-800) and the total stands at 29-28 O/U in those contests. The team is also 10-9 as a road favorite of -125 to -150 (-180) in 2010 and 22-22 in this situation the last three years (-760).
The Reds must remain focused on the task at hand, as they may look ahead to next week’s series against the Cardinals.
Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati has turned the tide against the Cubs this season, blanking them 3-0 at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. The Reds are now 8-3 against them this season, after tallying a disappointing 5-10 mark in 2009. At 62-48, the club is a season-high 14 games over .500 after winning five of their past six games, including a 4-1 mark on this road trip. The team must remain focused over the next two games and not look ahead to a three-game series against the Cardinals starting Monday. “I can’t put too much importance on St. Louis because they’re not here yet,” manager Dusty Baker said. “You have to win games now before we get there.” The pitching staff has posted a 3.01 ERA since June 17, which is the second-best mark in the majors over that span, behind only the White Sox (2.87). Cincinnati is 20-18 in day games this season (-50) and the total is 11-22 O/U in those contests. The Reds are also 3-4 this season (-170) and 11-14 the last three years after shutting out an opponent (-140).
NL Central rivals get set to play an important three-game series at Wrigley Field.
Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati has won six of its last eight games and moved its record to 10-1-1 in its last 12 series. The Reds will now face off with a team that they’ve beaten five of six times this year, outscoring the Cubs by a 49-13 margin. “Yeah, we’ve got to keep winning series and hopefully you throw a sweep or two in there somewhere,” manager Dusty Baker said. The club is just a game over .500 with a 19-18 record this season (-150) and the total is 11-21 O/U in those contests. Cincinnati is averaging 4.1 runs per game and hitting for a combined .259 average during the day, which is almost a full run lower (4.9) than its average for the year. Playing divisional opponents has provided a boost to the team’s record all season, coming into this three-game series with a 31-18 record against NL Central opponents (+1,340).
The Cubs go for a three-game sweep on national television, but will have to do it against one of the top pitchers in baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis dropped a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central race due to Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals will try to avoid being swept on the road in this series since dropping four in a row in July 2006. The club has averaged just 3.9 runs and hit for a combined .225 average over the last seven games, but the pitching staff has held opponents to just .24 runs and a .248 mark in the same span. St. Louis has tallied a 20-27 road mark this season with the total being 19-28 O/U in those games. The team is 35-29 against right-handed starters this season (-370), but the stat is misleading in tonight’s situation due to the Cardinals producing a dismal 6-18 mark in their last 24 road games versus righties.
Continue reading “ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Preview – Cardinals at Cubs”
The Cubs have picked up the first two games of the series and are after more, but the road team has other ideas.
Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia has dropped the first two games of this four-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, but will now turn to its pair of aces over the weekend. “We need to win tomorrow,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “We’ll work on Sunday when we get there.” The Phillies are now a game under .500 in July (6-7, -280), after going 20-7 during the month last season. The club is still 17-10 against NL Central teams this season, which is similar to its 23-16 mark against the division in 2009. First baseman Ryan Howard has produced three home runs and six RBIs in the first two games of this series and 20 homers on the season. Don’t expect such a low-scoring game on Saturday, with the team having a 17-11 O/U mark in daytime games.
The Phillies find themselves in a great bounceback spot at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon.
Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia dropped a 12-6 decision to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday night, which was the first game of an eight-game, eight day road trip. Overall this season, the Phillies are 22-24 away from Citizens Bank Park (-520). The club is now an even 6-6 for the month, after going a dominating 20-7 in July in 2009. The Phillies are a disappointing 12-17 in day games this season (-1,310), which is far from the team’s 70-59 mark over the last three seasons. The total in day games for the team stands at 17-11 O/U on the year.
Both teams get set for the second game of a holiday weekend series at the Friendly Confines.
Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati won its ninth consecutive extra-innings road game with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Reds continue to show why their the best team in baseball in tight games with 15 final-at-bat wins. Thursday’s game marked the beginning of the team’s longest road trip of the season, which will last until the All-Star break. The lineup tallied 16 hits in the game, but still stranded 13 runners on base while going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Cincinnati moved its road record to 18-16 on the season (+320) and continues to be rock solid 23-14 against divisional foes (+890).
Continue reading “Friday MLB Daytime Betting Preview – Reds at Cubs”
Two of the hottest pitchers in baseball take to the mound in the first game of this interleague series.
Continue reading “Friday MLB Daytime Betting Feature – Angels at Cubs”
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