Tigers.......

Detroit even money at home this afternoon over the Rays. The Tigers score runs for Washburn and the Rays are 3-10 in their last 13 road games. Detroit has been great at home this year. Relative Value play on this one. Be back with tonights action..........

The People's Champ........

Dodgers in a laugher and the Rangers shut out the Twins. Want some follow through? Sunday I am taking the Phillies -115 in the ESPN Sunday Night game over the Atlanta Braves. During the day I lean with the Giants to sweep the Rockies. Just a few days ago the Rockies were the "it" team and since closing to within 2 games of the Dodgers, they have lost 4 of their last 5. The Giants are going for the sweep, usually a game I would avoid. However, with Matt "Big Daddy" Cain on the hill, if you must play a game during the day, this is the one I recommend. For those with a little more discipline, you can take the Phillies large at 8pm.

Kudos to Phil Mickelson for staying til the very end of the Giants-Jets preseason game. As a big fan of Lefty, I was encouraged by what I saw. Some dopey announcers mentioned "with the Barclays golf tourney right here in Jersey, it makes sense for him to catch a little football". While I have absolutely no proof, hopefully Lefty had a play on the over. He's a west coast guy so how much interest could he have in seeing this meaningless pre-season game? Hopefully he crushed it like myself on the total. Ask yourself this, would you ever see Tiger staying this late at a pre-season game? Let alone taking pictures with the fans? Not only the Gaming man's champion but the people's champion as well!

Saturday......

Dodgers over the Reds and Rangers over the Twins. While the Dodgers are an obvious (and expensive pick -170) over the Reds, the Rangers line intrigues me. Carl "the truth" Pavano has been such an injury plagued dog in recent years, that almost everytime he pitches, I like the other side. However, the Twins have won 8 of their last 10 games and Pavano has showed some life since his mid-year trade from the Indians. That being said, the Rangers are a much better offensive team from top to bottom and Scott Feldman has been lights out all year. The reason for this line being even money has to do with the Rangers recent struggles at the Homer Dome. Either way I still like the Rangers at even $ tonight.

Reality Bites......

Skins lose by 3 and the book gets hooked. This is a great way to start off, even though pre-season gaming is complete lunacy.
Former Baseball star, thestreet.com contributor, and entrepreneur Lenny "nails" Dykstra has stumbled upon some really hard times. Last time I wrote about Lenny, he was exposed as a fraud and all around bad guy. Hoewever, at that time he still was living in a $16million Beverly Hills mansion. Now Lenny can be been seen living out of his car and wondering aimlessly around hotel lobbies. Within a matter of months this guy has experienced quite the precipitous fall. There is only one thing for him to do: Call up VH1 or E channel and get a reality show. With all the D list celebrity crap they have on these respective channels, this could actually be a ratings boost. What sports fan would not want to see a former multi millionaire baseball star living out of his car? Furthermore, how does Lenny not have one person he can crash with during times like this? It would be like Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. How Lenny has not pitched this idea himself is beyond me.

Season Totals........

After speaking with one of the most revered men in Vegas history, I have decided to forward a few more Season Win Total plays in the NFL. New York Giants 10- Under. Love the defensive line and the 7 deep they can throw at you, as well as the running game. That being said, they have no receivers and a quarterback who in the past has struggled without his favorite 6"5 gun tooting wideout. Add in a subpar linebacking crew and you have a team whose ultimate upside is a 10-6 record. San Diego 9.5- OVER. Absolutely love this one. Denver is in shambles, the Raiders are the Raiders, and the Chiefs are terrible. After dealing with injuries and poor play all last year, these guys still managed to win 8 games with a far more difficult schedule. My top release back in June when the lines were first released was Redskins over 7.
For tonight's release I am backing the Washington Redskins +3.5 over the Patriots. Over 70% of the gaming public likes the Pats in this meaningless game. The patriots aren't going to play their stars as long as people think....Little Bill never does. After the win against Pittsburgh last week you would have thought the skins just won the Superbowl. They actually want to win these games.

Thursday..........

Taking the Yankees runline -1.5 over the Texas Rangers this afternoon. Burnett has been dominant everywhere but fenway this year and I see the Yankees winning a 7-3 type game. Also taking the White Sox +115 over the Red Sox. Despite being an awful team in baseball's worse division, I have a hard time seeing the White Sox losing all 4 games of this series. Look for the White Sox to improve upon their 1-8 record in Fenway this year.

In Philadelphia tonight there will be a Pro Michael Vick (Ron Mexico) Rally staged by the NAACP tonight outside Lincoln Financial Field. Rather than trying to diffuse this already awkward situation, the protest will bring to light "Vick's right to employment". Being that Vick is already cleared to play by the NFL, is the goal of this protest to create a martyr out of Vick? I cannot see this protest doing any good. Here's an idea, if Vick doesn't violate any league rules or torture any animals during the year, the NFL can create a "Humanitarian Award" in his honor. That would allay the concerns of all those who think he has gotten a raw deal.

Winky Dink..........

Today's plays: Atlanta run line, Phillies, and the Yankees run line.

On a non gaming related note, Bernie Madoff has suffered the ultimate insult. Its bad enough when your mistress is in her 60's (what a dope) but to make matters worse Sheryl Weinstein is spilling the beans on their long time affair. According to Weinstein, Bernies nickname was "Winky dinky" because of his shortcoming down below. Theres absolutely nothing else to add to this story until I resort to prison humor.

Today's lone sports birthday of interest is Barret Robbins, former Oakland Raiders offensive lineman. On the eve of the 2003 Superbowl, Robbins flew off the handle, went awol and was subsequently suspended for the game. Needless to say it was a major distraction for the team. Unfortunately I had a few dimes on the Raiders -3 (yes even though everyone knew Gruden had the Raiders playbook I chose to "think outside the box"). Rather than dwell on that bitter loss, I regrouped and knocked the Over 48.5 in the following weeks Pro Bowl Game. Moral of the story? No one likes a quitter!

Loserfest 09........

Looking to right this recent wrong streak Ive embarked upon. Tonight I am taking the Rockies over the Dodgers. While this is usually a game I would avoid, due to the even match up, all signs point to Colorado. As someone who is long the Dodgers to win it all at 8-1 and 5-1, I think Ive officially mushed these dopes. Since the All Star break the Dodgers have struggled mightily and I think the Rockies will win 2 of 3 starting tonight.

Angels over the Tigers. Excellent pitching matchup between Verlander and weaver. Weaver has been dominant against the Tigers in his career while Verlander has struggled. Furthermore, Verlander is not nearly the same pitcher away from Comerica Park. Did I just mush the Angels? Probably but Im taking em anyway. Also taking the Blue Jays and Halladay -130 againt the Rays. The Rays have done well against the Jays and have a much better record when Neimann pitches than the Jays do with Halladay. That being said, with odds like this, the discipline says take the Jays.

Big day for Sports Birthdays. While some might view Cal Ripken or Reggie Miller as the highlights, I choose to go in another direction. Happy 53rd Birthday to "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney. While Cooney is most known for his epic 13th round loss to Larry Holmes in 1982, it was Gerry's out of the ring life that caught most of the headlines. The white lady and booze demonized this heavyweight and during the late 1970's at Studio 54 Gerry "accidentally" hit on a tranny. It takes a man to admit his mistakes and an even bigger man to actually allow these mistakes to make it to the newswires.

Strange Days Indeed.....

looking at the Sunday lines and noticing that some are completely out of whack. Lincecum is basically a pick against Colorado (when was the last time Lincecum was even $)? Smoltz, who has been nothing short of attrocious, is -170 against an anemic Padres offense and finally Pedro is -170 against his old team the New York Mets. While I will take the Padres and Giants, both carry a major stench known as Common Man Odor. That being said, these are my leans so evaluate the games yourself before jumping on board the SS obvious. As for my Sunday Night Special, I am releasing the Red Sox in a very big way. After Friday night's obliteration by the Yankees, all anyone could talk about was - The Red Sox are finished, no wildcard let alone a division. While I agree that the division is out of reach, this is a series that means a lot more to them than the Yanks. Damon probably wont play tomorrow and the Sox have Beckett on the hill (7-2 in last 9 against Yanks and Sox are 18-6 in games he pitches vs. the Yanks 15-11 in games Sabathia starts). I think the Sox win this one going away.

Happy Birthday Hugh Douglas. This former Jets and Eagles defensive end may best be rembered for his non stop motor while rushing the passer but I remember Hugh for his ability to "keep it real". During one freezing cold game in the Meadowlands against the Giants, Hugh has frozen "snot" on the side of his face. Some idiot reporter asked him about it and after giving a death stare, Hugh calmly replied "yeah its cold out there" and walked away in disgust. I also liked how he wanted to "kick the snot" out of Terell Owens during his circus act in 2005 with the Eagles. This guy was the consumate no nonsense dude.

More Coach Cal.........

I can't get enough of this guy's act. There were 2 separate articles today that asked "does this scandal mean that coach Calipari's actions have cost him a shot at the hall of fame?". This has to be a joke. I figured the hookers and cash that were littered around the UMass players dorms in the 1990's would have negatively influenced some voters. Although in defense of him, Umass had no real program before or after Coach Cal, so I guess some will justify his actions. Furthermore, how about that colossal Flop known as his stint with the Nets? I guess that wasn't fair, the recruiting angle didn't exist in the pros and his performance should not be held against him. Thankfully Kentucky has rallied around their new leader and yesterday at a rally at the Kentucky State fair coach Cal had the following (heartfelt words) to say: "I am very disappointed and disheartened by the NCAA's findings," Calipari said in a statement. "I fully support the University of Memphis' appeal and until that process is carried through to its completion, I will have no further comments on the matter. I am anxious to coach the team at the University of Kentucky beginning this fall." What coach didn't mention was how psyched he will be when the whole memphis team(or whatever players haven't already done so) pick up and leave that mess for Kentucky. This guy continues to reap the benefits of his own mess.

Friday..........

Seems obvious but you got to take the Phillies over the Mets. Phillies are clicking on all cylinders and offensively the Mets have abolsutely nothing. Pelfrey is capable of pitching a good game but I don't see him outdueling Hamels. Line is -160 so if you want to lay the runline (-1.5) thats another way to play it. Take Tampa at home over the Rangers. After putting up double digit runs tonight, I expect Kazmir to be able to keep the Rangers under control.

Kudos to Coach Calipari. This guy might be the biggest Huckster that ever coached. He has left behind a trail of "sleaze" and in the process has now destroyed 2 college programs. What's his penalty? Getting to coach Kentucky and a contract in the neighborhood of $32 million. This guy makes Tark and my personal favorite Robert "Huggy Bear" Huggins look good. I cannot wait to see how Kentucky tries to put some lipstick on this pig. Hopefully coach Cal has already cashed in on local television spots and plastered his mug on everything in Kentucky. Things ought to work out well for him down in Bluegrass country.

Would .......

have been nice to see the Reds win in extra innings to go 3-0 on the night. Instead, they give up 3 in the top of the 10th and its on to Wednesday's games. In the afternoon game I am taking the Royals -135 over the White Sox. With Greinke getting zero run support, I have traditionally bet against him. However, Jose Contreras might be the worst pitcher in all of baseball. At 4-11, the record doesn't do this guy justice. The White Sox score for him, he just refuses to hold a lead and is about 50 years old. This guy has torched me all year and I refuse to believe that his fortunes will turn around tomorrow. Will be back with thoughts on the night games.

Happy 49th Birthday Morten Anderson. While Morty will be best remembered for his longevity(played about 50 years) and numerous field goal records, he accomplished something far greater on January 17, 1999. This guy kicked a 38 yard field goal against the Vikings in the NFC Championship and had me doing a dance than can only be described as a series of bad spasms, as I hit the Falcons $$$ line bet. After Vikings kicker Gary Anderson(no relation) shanked a chip shot(yes I believe everything is fixed), the Falcons were able to take advantage thanks to Morty! 2 weeks later the Falcons got crushed in the Super Bowl (I had Broncos -8) and capped off the best 2 weeks of my life.

Bullfighting in Detroit?

Tuesday's releases: Yankees runline (-1.5), Red Sox, and Cincinnati +210 vs. San Fran and Lincecum as my upset special.

Did you know that there are bullfights in Detroit? Twelve times a year, at the Cobo Arena, some of the best Spanish and Mexican matadors are featured, as well as several American Bullfighters who have been trained in Spain. Bullfights themselves are not illegal in the United States- the matador is simply not allowed to kill the bull. In Detroit, therefore, all fights are "exhibitions," bloodless events that demonstrate the matador's skill, not his ability to make a kill. With all the crap on TV these days Im shocked I haven't heard more about it. That being said, looking for lines on bullfighting events would be "the lowest" in a series of never ending lows.

Sunday......

What a prison raping that Mets Under was. 1-0 in the 6th with David Wright out of the lineup and the game goes over. So much for that one. Luckily the Bills who I released yesterday as my big NFL play came through. I got a great feeling on the NFL this year. It might just be the "itch" or "leans" but something tells me this will be a very good year. Sunday's release is the Minnesota Twins -140 over the Indians. Despite playing awful baseball, the Twins are at home and should salvage some pride with Nate Blackburn on the hill.

Happy Birthday Frank Gifford. According to internet records he's 79 but something tells me this could be his tenth 79th Bday. In any event, Frankie G is best remembered as a Hall of Fame halfback for the New York Giants. After a standout career in the NFL, Gifford made a successful transition to sports broadcasting. However, in 1997 Gifford really cemented his legacy when he was caught in the Regency Hotel with ex flight attendant Suzen Johnson, while Kathy Lee was pitching faux jewelry on the Home shopping network. Even worse, he was unsuspectedly taped as part of a blackmail operation and the subject of ridicule for years to follow. Here's to you Giff!

Go Under..........

in today's Mets-Giants game. The total is 7 and while I almost never take the under in these situations, my rationale has less to do with Johan Santana and Matt "Big Daddy" Cain, then it does the awful lineups they are facing. If the total was 5 I would have to seriously consider it. Barring one or both pitchers suffering heat stroke, I cannot see this game being anything other than a 2-1 or 3-2 outcome.

Brewers.....

-127 over the Astros tonight. Expect a strong outing from Gallardo in what should be a pitchers duel. Houston has struggled in Milwaukee (4-13 in last 17 games) and they have played lousy in the last month and a half going 6-13. In NFL Preseason action I love the Bills -3 tonight over the Bears. Enough with Jay Cutler's Chicago debut, this game is all about the Bills redeeming themselves for last weeks loss in the Hall of Fame game. Any self respecting team would want to make amends for that performance.

Ron Mexico....Back in the Saddle

When I think of Philadelphia sports fans, my immediate reaction is: compassion, forgiveness, and above all the belief that giving it your best shot is all anyone can ask for. That's why when it was announced that Michael Vick (aka Ron Mexico) had been signed by the Eagles it all made a lot of sense to me. Here is a guy who has not stepped on a football field in close to 3 years and the headlines that came across the wire were "Eagles and Vick iron out an agreement on a 2 year deal". What the hell was there to be ironed out? This guy pissed away $130mil and just got out of jail. What were his other options? He is completely broke. The best quotes came from Donovan Mcnabb who is happy to have Vick on board and lobbied for his signing. I don't blame Mcnabb at all. Eagle fans have been on his case for years and unless Coach Reid decides to run the Wildcat for an entire game I don't think Donovan has anything to worry about. As for Vick/Ron Mexico, I am sure he is longing for a return to a more simpler time when all he had to worry about was getting busted for some dope at the airport and passing along a few STD's.

Today......

Take Carl "the truth" Pavano and the Minnesota Twins against the Royals. While in New York, Pavano was nothing short of heartless. This guy was soo bad he made former Yankee stiff Ed Whitson look like "Mr. Yankee" worthy of a spot in monument park. That being said, Pavano has talent and guys like him seem to get a dead cat bounce that comes with a change in scenery(was decent in Cleveland and expect him to pitch well for the Twins).
Those of you who play the futures should take a look at the White Sox at 25-1 to win the World series. No doubt this is a flawed team but they play in an awful division and made some good acquisitions with Jake Peavy and Alex Rios.

Survivor Meets the Apprentice.......

Rather than focus on my Cubs play tonight, I have decided to move forward in the form of the first annual Propick Sports Promotional event. Think of it as - Survivor meets the Apprentice. Three lucky contestants will battle for the opportunity for the job of a lifetime. Thanks to Propick supporter Senator Michael Hiller, the dream of one lucky fan will be made possible. Here's how it works. Three contestants will be chosen randomly. The contestants will be taken by limo to Teteroboro, where they will fly directly to the Cape. Upon arrival, the contestants will be given a survival kit- Nantucket red pants, golf shirt(with collar always to be worn up), and several Cape Codders which are to be in their possesion at all times. Failure to be seen in the aforementioned garb or with drinks in hand, will result in immediate dismissal from the Island(Amtrak is not paid for by Propick Sports or Sen. Hiller). Once situated on Hiller Manor, contestants will dine on a lobster lunch before heading off to the links. These contestants will be judged on the following: Gaming acumen, Golfing ability, and social skills. If at any time a contestant "walks directly past the Senator and fails to acknowledge him" (as I was alleged to have done), they will be booted. Furthermore, if the Senator is walking up the 18th hole and no drink is in hand, it is the contestants job to make sure that situation is immediately remedied. There will be several other more challenging tasks such as delivering Il Postino takeout to the Cape before a winner is determined. This event will be over the course of a week and is expected to take place sometime following Labor Day. Further details involving this promotion will be announced shortly.

Let The Good Times Roll........

Not often you win a game where the opposing pitcher has a perfect game going in the 6th inning. Furthermore, once the home team ties the game in the bottom of the 9th, its usually a done deal. Fortunately that wasn't the case. For today I am sticking with the same series, only taking the Cubs +105. Pedro Martinez is starting for the Phillies and while I don't have much faith in ex -Notre Dame Wide Receiver/pitcher Jeff Samardzija, I like the Cubs to bounce back at home. Expect Pedro to be rusty and get smacked around a bit. I have not seen a total on the game yet but would consider taking the over regardless of what it is.

The Return of JDJ..........

Recently I have been asked a lot of questions regarding the whereabouts of local celebrity JDJ. A while back I wrote about a 30 something, known as Jelly Donut Jenn, who likes to scarf down all sorts of confectionary treats especially Jelly donuts. Later that night the Queen of Donuts released a winner. Now the audience is asking for more. Rather than use such mundane phrases as 5 Star lock or 50 Dime Play, JDJ opts for a more unique approach by rating a game based on her favorite "treats". For tonights "Red Velvet lock" JDJ is going with the Phillies over the Cubs. Both teams are coming off awful series but Philly sends JA Happ to the mound against a struggling Rich Harden (the Cubs have lost 9 of his last 12 starts) and he is sporting a FAT era. On the flip side, the Phillies are a great road team and Happ has been great all year, especially on the road.

While I Have Never.......

been to prison, I assume it could not be any worse than what I experienced tonight. After laying 3 with the Titans I felt "giddy" heading into the 3rd quarter up 21-6. After all, it looked like the Titans really cared. Fake punts, red zone stands, etc. Factor in the whole Steve McNair tribute and I was congratulating myself like Willy Loman after his big "New England trip". Then the unthinkable happened and I found myself staring at the worst push ever. Listen, I have been doing this for years and I am fully aware that only the lowest of the low wager on the Hall of Fame game. That being said, I hope Tennessee goes 0-16 this year. Congrats to all those who had the Bills plus the 3. My suggestion is to treat this push like a win and load up on your next play. Meanwhile at Yankee Stadium I had the pleasure of feeling like a genius again, following Victor Martinez' 2 run blast. I should have known. To all Boston fans- Red Sox Nation just died tonight. All those hard nosed, gritty, moneyball type players you have, are useless. Big Papi needs to take whatever the hell he took during his "resurrection" from 2003-07 because right now he looks like a 3 legged dog trying to cross the FDR. Without a guy like Manny, there is absolutely no one that scares opposing pitchers. This line up stinks and this team will not make the playoffs.
For my 5 Star Monday Play I am releasing the Boston Red Sox. I know I just blasted these guys but at some point they have to win a game. A meaningless bounce back win against the Tigers is just what the Red Sox fan base needs to convince themselves that last week's 0-6 performance was just a "bump in the road".

Jose on Sunday.......

Take the White Sox -140 over the Cleveland Indians. The pitching match up is awful with the Indians sending David Huff and his 6.81 ERA up against Jose Contreras who is 4-10 on the year. I expect the White Sox to score a bunch and take the pressure off Contreras. While the Over in this game is an obvious choice, its too obvious so I will stay away.

Happy birthday to "Neon" Deion Sanders. While Deion has shunned the "Neon" image and found God a few years back, in the form of an adult baptism, I choose to remember him differently. This guy had it all- jeri curls, velour sweatsuits, gold chains, a vast array of dance moves, skank women of and above all a few oh bye the way rap albums. Most importantly, Deion helped the Propick machine during its early stages. Whether it was his punt return against Clemson in Death Valley as a sophmore or his multi interception Sugar Bowl game against Auburn circa 1988, this guy made me money. The greatest example of this came when he played for the 49ers during the 1994-95 season, which culminated in a Super bowl rout of the Chargers and a string of fantastic covers.

Kudos....

to the jackass who used his credit card to buy $3 worth of bagels this morning. It was a nice way to spend 5 minutes while the guy at the register couldn't help anyone else. For tonight I am taking the Yankees -117 over the Red Sox. With the losing streak snapped, I expect the Yankees to continue where they left off last night. While they won't score 13 runs, Burnett should fare better than he did earlier this year against a struggling Red Sox lineup.

We Landed on the Moon?

Take the Twins -140 vs. the Indians. I would ordinarily stay far away from this trap but Fausto Carmona has pitched like someone who had all their money invested with Bernie Madoff. Blackburn should keep the Indians bats at bay and hopefully the offense comes to life. Tonight I love the Yankees run line (-1.5) over the Red Sox. They have lost their last 9 games to the Sox including all 8 this year. I have been short John Smoltz since he has come back (burned me against Orioles last week) and I will stick to that theory. Expect the Yankees to win this one going away.
In non sports related news I would like to thank Marxy for taking me to a below average restuarant/bar so he could chat up some Eastern European bartender who resembled a stripper. Much to his chagrin, he wasn't the only dude there. Instead of a sea of babes it was a bar filled with losers, each one thinking they had a shot. Not since Vegas had I witnessed a scene so sad. After overhearing one balding 40 something mutter "looks like people know about this bartender" Marxy shouted "We landed on the moon?"

This Afternoon.....

After a modest turnaround, I am looking to kick things into high gear. Last night I had the displeasure of watching the Mets collapse, yet again. While they have been a resilient bunch of chooches all year, I cannot help but think last night really hurt. Its one thing when an overused utility player makes a big error or strikes out with runners in scoring position but when the top reliever blows a game its worse on the teams psyche. As a result, I am releasing the Cardinals -130 today over the Mets and over 8.5 . The pitching match up stinks so it comes down to hitting and thats where almost every team in baseball (college, little league,etc.) holds a big edge against the Mets.

Tuesday.......

Taking the Yanks +130 over the Blue Jays tonight. Any chance you get to take the Yankees with odds, you take em regardless of whether Roy Halladay is pitching against them. In games Halladay has pitched this year the Jays are only 11-9. When Pedro was at his best, the Yanks found ways to hang in the game and then win it late. Hoping for the same result tonight. That being said, Pettitte needs to hold up his end and keep the game close.

Monday....

Take the Devil Rays -130 over the Royals. Tough to bet against Zach Grienke but the Royals are under .500 in games he has pitched this year (10-11). The Rays have owned the Royals at home winning 8 straight and 21 of the last 26 and I expect this trend to continue.

25 Dimes.....

on the Yankees and CC Sabathia -135 over the White Sox. 4 game sweeps are extremely difficult (unless I am on the other side of them) and I expect the Yankees to salvage at least one game. If they get swept, you can add the White Sox to the list of top playoff contending teams the Yankees cannot beat. Red Sox, Angels, and now the White Sox. Awful.....