Tim Hudson

Well back to the MLB grind here. NCAA Football started last week and I went 2-2-1 for the week and will play a total for tonights MLB.

Atlanta Braves @ Pittsburgh Pirates
The Atlanta Braves send Tim Hudson (15-6, 2.30 era) to the hill to face James McDonald (2-5, 5.62 era). The Braves are struggling to score runs and Hudson owns the Pirates. Last nights game was a 3-1 win for Atlanta. Lots of ground balls and strikeouts tonight in Pittsburgh.

PICK UNDER 7.5(-105)

Boise State vs Virginia Tech @ Landover, MD

QB Kellen Moore leads the high scoring Broncos

Two ranked teams. The whole world is watching BSU and wants to see if they are for real. Va Tech knows this and will come out fighting at home on a national stage. This has scoring written all over it. I can easily see BSU getting 35 points and Va Tech right there with them at 28. Playing a side is to risky here as the spread is near a pick. I'm looking for points and more points. All of college football wants to see if BSU is for real.

PICK OVER 51.5

Ken Niumatalolo has Navy headed in the right direction

Taking yesterday off was a nice refreshing change to sports watching. Wisconsin took the life out of me with their push, but life goes on weather I win or lose. Two college football games to end the opening week. MLB will be on the back burner for a while, I may play a total here and there but that's it until the playoffs.

Navy vs Maryland @ Baltimore, MD.
This is a very good Navy team as the Midshipmen look for another 10 win season as they open their season against a young Maryland team. The line is less than a touchdown and very attractive. The young Maryland team will have a tough challenge staying with their assignments on defense against the triple attack Navy will throw at them. Playing at a neutral site will be in favor of the Middies as they always draw well. Two teams going in different directions as Maryland is coming off a two win season and Navy was a ten win bowl team last season.
Navy write up link.....
Maryland link.....

PICK NAVY -6

Army QB Trent Steelman

Army @ Eastern Michigan
The Cadets travel to Ysplanti, MI to take on Eastern Michigan. This one sticks out like a sore thumb for me and heres why. The Cadets return their starting QB for an offense that runs the triple option. They played each other last year and Army won 27-14. Eastern Michigan went winless last year posting an 0-12 record. The Eagles start a sophomore at QB who had to fill in for an injured senior last season. This game will come in under the radar as the Cadets run wild against the Eagles. Read the game matchup here from Rivals.com.

PICK  ARMY-9.5

Laid off the Friday night action as nothing really jumped out at me. One thing to keep in mind is that Toledo is terrible. WHen they play a quality team, they will fold like a chair.

The Badgers will be solid on the offensive line

Justin Morneau will watch this one from the bench

Lots and lots of action to throw your hard earned money away on this evening. I am already dialed in on the Golden Gophers and will be looking at one MLB total and a WNBA side. Here we go.

Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins
Detroit sends out their ace Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.58 era) to the hill tonight at Target Field in Minneapolis while the Twins counter with red hot Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 era). Minnesota's pitching staff has held teams to four or less runs in their last ten games. Baker has a 5-0 record with a 3.02 earned run average since the All Star break. The Twins are hitters are having a tough time at the plate as Justin Morneau, Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson are all out. Verlander has a 1.64 earned run average in two starts against Minnesota this season tallying a 1-1 record. The last two games have gone under the number and look for this one to do the same.

PICK - UNDER 7.5(-120)


Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm

Diana Taurasi and Lauren Jackson will battle tonight in Game One.

Phoenix is the highest scoring team in the WNBA at 93 points a game. They finished second to Seattle in the Western Conference. They open a best of three game series tonight in the Emerald City. Two very high scoring teams and a short series with the best scoring team in the league being a seven point dog. That is to good to pass up.

PICK - PHOENIX +7

Dallas Braden

I already have one bet for tonight with Minnesota in NCAA Football. I'm also thinking about playing the WNBA game also, but let's see how this MLB game goes.

Oakland Athletics @ New York Yankees
Dallas Braden (9-9, 3.28 era) vs C.C. Sabathia (18-5, 3.14 era). Two very low earned run averages in a Thursday afternoon tilt. Oakland looking to play out the string and the Yankees are headed to the playoffs. Both were winners in their last starts. This may be one of those ho-hum nothing special 3-1 home team wins. Too much going on today with college football starting and a very light MLB schedule. Take the UNDER 8.5(-120) runs.

FS Kyle Theret will miss the MTSU game

College football will kickoff Thursday night when a handful of teams step on to the gridiron. I will be making one selection for tonight and one pick for Saturday. Let's start with the Thursday night game.

Minnesota @ Middle Tennessee State University
Big Ten vs Sun Belt. Power running game  vs finesse running quarterback /  wildcat. Starting QB benched vs 10 new starters on defense. All of this wrapped into the first game of the 2010 season.

Minnesota graduated 9 starters form it's defense and of the two returning starters, FS Kyle Theret will not be playing due to violating team rules. Starting left OT Dom Alford is also suspended. The Gophers are returning to a power running game this season. The offensive line is big and experienced.  Minnesota's O-line averages 6-foot-4, 321 pounds they out weigh the MTSU D-line by 70 pounds.

QB Dwight Dasher

Middle Tennessee State University(MTSU) is without their all everything superstar QB Dwight Dasher, in his place will be sophomore junior college transfer Logan Kilgore from Bakersfield College. Dasher was their leading passer as well as the leading rusher, so his loss can't be taken lightly by the MTSU coaching staff.

I believe Big Ten football will prevail here as the line is very small here with the Gophers being a slight favorite at -1.5. Take Minnesota(-1.5) to win as MTSU will have trouble with Minnesota's running game. I would buy it as soon as possible as this line may go up.

PICK  Minnesota(-1.5)

Leilani Mitchell of the New York Liberty

After receiving a gift in the Sox/Indians game this afternoon I think I will try my luck with a WNBA game.

Indianapolis Fever @ New York Liberty
Game two was a home win for the Fever. They were up against the wall and they delivered. They came out and played a hard nosed defense and shut down the Liberty, in doing so they exposed them offensively. New York relied too much on the outside shot and they came up cold. I'll take the better defensive team and that is the Fever. Take the Indianapolis Fever (+4) to win.

A.J. Pierzynski hits a 3 run homer in the 9th to send the Sox to victory

Last night was a perfect 3-0. I am officially on fire and will be playing a few games today. I believe in striking when the iron is hot.

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Indians
One of my favorite situations will be happening in this game. A September call up making his season debut  for a non contending team against a team fighting for a playoff spot. The hometown Indians will hand the ball to Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 0.00 era). He went 0-4 with an 8.87 era last season. The White Sox are looking to send Cleveland to it's fourth straight defeat as they send Freddy Garcia (11-5, 4.89 era) to the hill this afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Take the clutch hitting White Sox (-135) to win.