Manziel Gets First CFL Start for Alouettes

New Alouettes QB Faces Former Team on ESPN2

The fans at Percival Molson Stadium will see the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes when they take their seats on Friday Night.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS, and ESNP2. Oddsmakers have the Tiger-Cats as 7-point favorites. The total is at 50.5.

Johnny Manziel will make his much anticipated CFL debut tonight. Adding more intrigue to the matchup? It was just over one week ago that Hamilton shipped Manziel to Montreal in a blockbuster deal.

The 1-5 Als are in need of a spark.They hope that starting "Johnny Football" will be that catalyst. Sports fans across north America tuned in last week. The Als take on the Edmonton Eskimos and it was reported the former Heisman trophy winner may see the field at some point. It didn't happen.

Alouettes Had to Make the Change

The Alouettes were a 44-23 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Edmonton Eskimos. They failed to cover the +10-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (67) made winners of OVER bettors.

Montreal decided to keep Vernon Adams Jr. in for the game’s entirety in the blowout. The Als defense could not hold off the offensive prowess of Mike Reilly and company. They didn't want Manziel in a impossible situation.

It would have been difficult for Manziel to excel in a game situation after just a couple days at practice. The starting pivot says he feels prepared to take the field on Friday night.

I feel like the thing I’ve been missing even over the course of this year and a couple years is reps,” said Manziel. “As you guys have seen the past couple days the chance to get with the ones [first team offence] and get some reps is what I feel like I really need and what I’ve talked to a lot of people about. I feel very blessed to be in this position, to be back in a situation where I’m starting a game. source

The Als rank in the basement in a lot of categories heading into Week 8. Montreal’s offense is averaging a league low 15.3 points per game. The defense is giving up a league worst 420.3 yards per game. Something had to change.

The good news? The East Division is still up for grabs. A win against the 2-4 Ticats would put the Als in good position heading into the midway point of the season.

Tiger-Cats Look to End 3-Game Skid

The Ticats are looking to get back on track as well after starting the season 2-1. They have dropped their last three games.

Hamilton was a 21-15 loser in its last match at home against the Ottawa RedBlacks. They failed to cover the -6-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 36 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Ticats QB Jeremiah Masoli completed 26 of 38 attempts. He threw for 352 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Masoli found Jalen Saunders with less than two minutes to go for the game’s only major (TD). That closed in on the REDBLACKS’ lead. It was too little too late.

Saunders finished the day with 154 yards on eight catches. Brandon Banks had nine receptions for 113 yards.

The TiCats will get a boost on offense with Alex Green slated to make his season debut on Friday night. He had been out after breaking his hand in the preseason.

Luke Tasker is also back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a lower body injury, as is Terrence Toliver.

 

Recent Form

Name	Record	ATS	Offense	Defense	Diff	ATS Home	ATS Away	OU Record	OU Home	OU Away
Hamilton	2-4	2-4	21.83	22.67	-0.84	1-2	1-2	2-4	1-2	1-2
Montreal	1-5	2-4	15.33	32.00	-16.67	0-3	2-1	2-4	2-1	0-3

Power Stats

Yards Per Point

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
HAM	18.96	15.36	3.6
MON	19.05	13.14	5.91

Yards Per Pass

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
HAM	12.70	11.50	1.2
MON	10.59	12.23	-1.64

Yards Per Rush

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
HAM	5.69	5.99	-0.3
MON	4.80	4.70	0.1

Team Records

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Name	Record	Home	Away	ATS	ATS Home	ATS Away	Offense	Defense	Diff
Overall	2-4	1-2	1-2	2-4	1-2	1-2	21.83	22.67	-0.84
vs Conf	0-1	0-1	0-0	0-1	0-1	0-0	15.00	21.00	-6.00
Last 3	0-3	0-2	0-1	0-3	0-2	0-1	16.00	23.33	-7.33

Montreal Alouettes

Name	Record	Home	Away	ATS	ATS Home	ATS Away	Offense	Defense	Diff
Overall	1-5	0-3	1-2	2-4	0-3	2-1	15.33	32.00	-16.67
vs Conf	0-1	0-1	0-0	0-1	0-1	0-0	18.00	28.00	-10.00
Last 3	0-3	0-2	0-1	1-2	0-2	1-0	16.33	32.33	-16.00

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	21.83	6	32.00	9
Away Team Road Passing vs Home Team Home Passing Defense	326.67	2	364.00	9
Away Team Road Rushing vs Home Team Home Rushing Defense	116.00	4	160.67	9
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	15.33	9	22.67	4
Home Team Home Passing vs Away Team Road Passing Defense	179.33	8	230.33	4
Home Team Home Rushing vs Away Team Road Rushing Defense	80.33	7	114.67	7

Head To Head Summary

Name	Record	ATS	OU	Score	Rush	YPR	PA	CP	PY	TY	TO +/-
Hamilton	7-3	6-4	3-7	28.00	98.70	5.11	32.70	70.34	260.90	375.10	1.70
Montreal	3-7	4-6	3-7	16.50	67.60	3.84	32.80	60.06	219.00	301.40	2.30

Head To Head Detail

Date	Away	Home	Score	Line	Total	OU Result	ARY	APY	ATY	ATT	HRY	HPY	HTY	HTT	Away Team Attempts	Home Team Attempts	Away Team Completions	Home Team Completions
Nov 3, 2017	MON	HAM	0-33	79	90	189	3	173	313	502	1
Oct 22, 2017	HAM	MON	43-16	73	349	431	0	51	221	310	2
Nov 5, 2016	MON	HAM	32-25	65	256	322	2	55	309	390	1
Sep 16, 2016	MON	HAM	17-20	89	141	257	3	93	278	384	3
Jul 15, 2016	HAM	MON	31-7	84	183	292	1	64	182	302	2
Oct 18, 2015	HAM	MON	23-11	113	229	354	1	53	226	279	4
Aug 27, 2015	MON	HAM	26-23	130	208	344	2	29	248	322	3
Jul 16, 2015	HAM	MON	13-17	87	294	390	4	55	264	319	0
Nov 23, 2014	MON	HAM	24-40	73	318	391	3	149	199	348	1
Nov 8, 2014	MON	HAM	15-29	17	284	301	2	131	207	338	2

CFL Betting Odds and Trends

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hamilton's last 7 games
Hamilton is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Hamilton is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Hamilton is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
Hamilton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hamilton's last 8 games when playing Montreal
Hamilton is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Hamilton is 4-18 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Hamilton's last 11 games when playing on the road against Montreal

Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 2-15 ATS in its last 17 games
Montreal is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 8 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games at home
Montreal is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Hamilton
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 8 games when playing Hamilton
Montreal is 8-17 ATS in its last 25 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Montreal is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Montreal's last 11 games when playing at home against Hamilton

Team Last 5 Games

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	ATS Result	offensive rush yards	offensive passing yards	offensive total yards	defensive rush yards	defensive passing yards	defensive total yards	turnovers	Location
Jul 28, 2018	OTT	15-21	L	-6/55	L/U	31	310	383	65	268	338	1	H
Jul 19, 2018	SAS	20-31	L	-10/50.5	L/O	79	180	263	218	178	396	3	H
Jul 5, 2018	SAS	13-18	L	-6/51	L/U	96	322	429	150	128	298	1	A
Jun 29, 2018	WIN	31-17	W	-4.5/59	W/U	111	359	480	134	139	280	1	H
Jun 22, 2018	EDM	38-21	W	6.5/56.5	W/O	196	325	528	62	278	348	-1	A

Montreal Alouettes

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	ATS Result	offensive rush yards	offensive passing yards	offensive total yards	defensive rush yards	defensive passing yards	defensive total yards	turnovers	Location
Jul 26, 2018	EDM	23-44	L	10/48	L/O	132	171	349	98	415	513	1	H
Jul 21, 2018	CAL	8-25	L	19.5/49	W/U	62	157	239	69	281	361	1	A
Jul 6, 2018	OTT	18-28	L	7.5/49	L/U	43	265	323	139	334	481	0	H
Jun 30, 2018	SAS	23-17	W	10.5/45	W/U	32	232	287	60	218	279	-2	A
Jun 22, 2018	WIN	10-56	L	3/47	L/O	66	102	195	245	343	588	2	H

Next up:
Hamilton at Winnipeg Friday, August 10
Montreal at Ottawa Saturday, August 11

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Red Sox Looking to Dominate Yankees this Weekend

Red Sox and Yankees to be Slobber-knocker as Usual

The Red Sox dominated the Yankees on Thursday night in a 15-7 beat-down. Does this set the tone for this weekend series? If so does it set the tone for the way this race in the American League East plays out? Probably not!

Why not? It’s the Yankees and the Red Sox, that why!! These two have a larger history than any other teams in the majors. They love to play each other. They really get up for this rivalry. One never knows from night to night what might happen.

One can argue that this rivalry is not simply the biggest in baseball, it’s the biggest in sports.

If you want to have some fun this weekend be sure to not miss a single moment of this series. The even better news is that the bookies still have baseball bonuses.

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The Red Sox send Porcello to the hill with a 13-4 record. He will take on Severino who sits at 14-4.

Can the Red Sox bats continue to light it up? Do they have any foreseeable shot at winning this game? Of course, they do! It’s Friday night baseball at Fenway. The Yankees could trot out Nolan Ryan and the Sox would still have a chance. These kinds of matchups are what make this series great.

Since the beginning of the American League, this is what has made this rivalry such a great one to follow. It matters not who is pitching.

The bookies should set this game at even odds. At the time of writing, the odds were Yankees -127. Now, this is not a big number and most Yankees fans will gladly pay .27 cents in juice.

It even seems like a great deal, but it’s not a great deal. Porcello is just as capable of having a great night as is Severino.

Ask yourself these questions for this weekend series between the Yankees and Red Sox:

• Who’s bats do you trust more in this series?


• What skipper do you believe in more to make the right moves and the right calls?


• Who’s bullpen do you believe in more.


• Beyond Severino, who do you believe in more; the Yankees rotation or the Red Sox?


• Is there such a things as home field advantage and if so does it even matter in this series?

Now, let us answer for you:

• The Red Sox are hitting .268 as a team, that’s first in the majors. The Yankees are hitting .257, not that far off the mark.


• Alex Cora has pulled all of the right strings this year. He looks like a genius, better yet, he looks like Joe Torre! He really does have command of this ship. He makes all the right moves and this squad of Red Sox is clicking on all cylinders. When someone gets hurt, it “next man up”. They find ways to win, they find ways to overcome and they are relentless. It all starts at the top with Cora.


• 50/50, a slight edge going to the Red Sox. They have the edge in the 9^th and the edge in the middle with 22-16 holds.


• The Red Sox rotation is a beast and they are better than what the Yankees have going. This is simply a fact and it can’t be disputed. Sale 11 wins, Rodriguez 11 wins, Price 11 wins, Porcello 13 wins and Kimbrell 33 saves.


• In baseball, the home field advantage is nothing like other sports such as football. It does exist on some level and it is certainly ramped up come playoff time but not regular season. This series is an exception to any kind of home field advantage. The Yankees could sweep the Red Sox in Boston and the Sox could do the same in the Bronx. Both teams get up for this rivalry and they will give everything they have to win.

 

Bettors Get Fantastic News – Atlantic City Open for Business-A Boon for Online Bettors

Don’t miss Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss one moment of each game. This is going to be fun and the Yankees must win every game.

The pressure is on them, not the Red Sox. If you like to bet and you like baseball action, then this is the series for you. Call your best online bookie and get in for this one. It’s going to be a series to remember and could be one for the ages!

 

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Blue Jays Visit Mariners on West Coast Road Trip

Mariners Await Red Hot Blue Jays

A day after completing a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, the Toronto Blue Jays continue their West Coast swing by paying a visit to Seattle to take on Félix Hernandez and the Mariners.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), ROOT Northwest (Seattle).

PITCHING MATCHUP: T Clippard (4-1) ERA: 3.73 vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-9, 5.58 ERA).

ODDS: Mariners are -145-moneyline favorites. The total is 9.

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The Jays’ roster is a shadow of its former self following the July 31 trade deadline. Mark Shapiro and the Jays’ brass dealt pitchers JA Happ, Seung-hwan Oh, John Axford, Aaron Loup and Roberto Osuna for a slew of prospects.

The young hopefuls are what is the beginning of a youth movement in Toronto. Furthermore, shortstop Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to be out for two to six weeks following a leg injury. Those who are left on the Jays’ roster will be up against a Mariners’ team that has the playoffs in sight.

Unlike Toronto, Seattle acquired depth pitching at the deadline. This includes relievers Zach Duke, Adam Warren and Sam Tuivailala. Those pickups should go a long way in bolstering a Mariners’ pitching staff that sports the 17^th best ERA in the Bigs (4.01).

They are only three games back of the Astros for first in the West. Seattle holds a two-game lead over the Athletics for the second wildcard spot. The Mariners feel they’re well positioned for a playoff berth. They’ll look to jump on the undermanned Jays this Thursday (10:10 PM ET).

MLB Betting Odds and Trends

Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Blue Jays is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Seattle
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle

Seattle Mariners
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Seattle's last 13 games
Seattle is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home
Seattle is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing Toronto
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

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Blue Jays Visit Athletics Wednesday Afternoon

Trade Deadline is Passed -- Athletics and Jays have Different Looks

It hasn’t been a complete fire sale yet for the Blue Jays or Athletics. With the trade deadline passed, the Toronto Blue Jays (48-58, -1.004 units) will have a fresh look when they visit the Oakland Athletics (63-46, +1.853 units) this afternoon.

The Oakland Athletics have been taking out their frustrations on the Toronto Blue Jays this week. They look to complete a three-game sweep when they host the finale on Wednesday afternoon.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet (Toronto).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (4-7, 5.20 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (9-7, 3.46).

ODDS: Oakland is -130-moneyline favorites. The Total is 8Over -120.

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The Blue Jays have a new infielder in Brandon Drury who has .561 OPS. He came over from the New York Yankees in a package for starting pitcher JA Happ. They also dealt reliever Seung-hwan Oh to the Colorado Rockies for a pair of minor-leaguers.

Depth will be an issue going forward for the injury-plagued Jays. Today's starter, Marcus Stroman (5.20 ERA) has regained his form of late.

Stroman has won three of his last four starts. That includes a triumph over the White Sox in Chicago on Friday in which he gave up two runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings.

Justin Smoak homered and Kendrys Morales recorded two singles and an RBI in Tuesday's loss. The Blue Jays fell to 2-3 on their 10-game road excursion. Smoak is riding a five-game hitting streak during which he has gone 8-for-27 after ending his 11-game home run drought.

Oakland Looks for Continued Offense Success

Oakland has bolstered their lineup as they try to chase down the Seattle Mariners. They are battling for the last Wild Card berth in the American League. Former New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia (2.56 ERA) will act as a potential set-up man for the squad.

Wednesday’s starter, Sean Manaea, has a 3.46 ERA this season. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a game since late May. Seven of his last nine appearances were quality starts.

Oakland carried a six-game winning streak into Colorado last weekend. They scored a total of four runs while being swept of the three-game set. The Athletics have bounced back. They outscored Toronto 16-3 while winning the first two contests of the series.

It is a good start to their eight-game string at home, where they've won four in a row.

Khris Davis belted his major league-leading eighth home run since the All-Star break. He went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in Tuesday's 6-2 victory.

 

MLB Betting Odds and Trends

Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Toronto is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland

Oakland Athletics
Oakland is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games
Oakland is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games at home
Oakland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Oakland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

 

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Mercury Hosts Storm to Start WNBA 2nd Half

Mercury Look to Get on Winning Track

The Seattle Storm and the Phoenix Mercury will kick off the unofficial start of the WNBA 2nd half on Tuesday. They meet at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Oddsmakers opened the Storm as 0-point favorites versus the Mercury, while the game's total opened at 166. The line is now Phoenix -3.5 and the total is at 167.

The Mercury were Losers of six of their last seven games. That included three straight at home to end the first half of the season. Phoenix is now just thinking about survival in their WNBA playoff hunt.

Before their recent skid the Mercury were 14-5 and challenging the Seattle Storm for the best record in the WNBA. It is no coincidence the skid coincides with losing power forward Sancho Lyttle to a season-ending knee injury June 30.

The Mercury are now 15-11 and only one game ahead of the No. 8 (and final playoff) team Connecticut.

Mercury Has Most of Starters Back

The Mercury lost their last game. It was a 101-87 setback against Chicago. They were without veteran guard Diana Taurasi, who served a one-game suspension for excessive technical fouls. Fellow All-Star Brittney Griner also ejected in the third quarter of the game.

Taurasi, Griner and All-Star forward DeWanna Bonner will be together again for the matchup against Seattle. The Storm sit atop the WNBA with a 19-7 record.

The Mercury on Monday signed 28-year-old forward Devereaux Peters to a seven-day contract. They hope to make up for the loss of Lyttle. Peters was originally selected with the third overall pick of the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

Peters will make her 2018 WNBA debut with the Mercury as she enters into her sixth WNBA season.

Storm Look to Take Control of West

Last time out for Seattle, they were a 92-72 winner as they battled the Indiana Fever on the road. The Storm covered in the match as a -11-point favorite. The 164 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Seattle is 1-1 against the Mercury this season. This includes an 87-71 win in Phoenix on May 23. They are preparing to face a hungry team with only eight regular-season games remaining.

Storm forward Breanna Stewart leads the WNBA averaging 22.8 points a game.

WNBA Betting Odds and Trends

Seattle Storm
Seattle is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games
Seattle is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Phoenix

Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home
Phoenix is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Seattle
Phoenix is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Seattle

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Mercury Hosts Storm to Start WNBA 2nd Half

Mercury Look to Get on Winning Track

The Seattle Storm and the Phoenix Mercury will kick off the unofficial start of the WNBA 2nd half on Tuesday. They meet at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Oddsmakers opened the Storm as 0-point favorites versus the Mercury, while the game's total opened at 166. The line is now Phoenix -3.5 and the total is at 167.

The Mercury were Losers of six of their last seven games. That included three straight at home to end the first half of the season. Phoenix is now just thinking about survival in their WNBA playoff hunt.

Before their recent skid the Mercury were 14-5 and challenging the Seattle Storm for the best record in the WNBA. It is no coincidence the skid coincides with losing power forward Sancho Lyttle to a season-ending knee injury June 30.

The Mercury are now 15-11 and only one game ahead of the No. 8 (and final playoff) team Connecticut.

Mercury Has Most of Starters Back

The Mercury lost their last game. It was a 101-87 setback against Chicago. They were without veteran guard Diana Taurasi, who served a one-game suspension for excessive technical fouls. Fellow All-Star Brittney Griner also ejected in the third quarter of the game.

Taurasi, Griner and All-Star forward DeWanna Bonner will be together again for the matchup against Seattle. The Storm sit atop the WNBA with a 19-7 record.

The Mercury on Monday signed 28-year-old forward Devereaux Peters to a seven-day contract. They hope to make up for the loss of Lyttle. Peters was originally selected with the third overall pick of the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

Peters will make her 2018 WNBA debut with the Mercury as she enters into her sixth WNBA season.

Storm Look to Take Control of West

Last time out for Seattle, they were a 92-72 winner as they battled the Indiana Fever on the road. The Storm covered in the match as a -11-point favorite. The 164 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Seattle is 1-1 against the Mercury this season. This includes an 87-71 win in Phoenix on May 23. They are preparing to face a hungry team with only eight regular-season games remaining.

Storm forward Breanna Stewart leads the WNBA averaging 22.8 points a game.

Recent Form

Name	Record	ATS	Offense	Defense	Diff	ATS Home	ATS Away	OU Record	OU Home	OU Away
Seattle	19-7	16-10	87.00	79.50	7.5	7-7	9-3	13-12-1	6-7-1	7-5
Phoenix	15-11	15-11	83.38	81.62	1.76	4-7	11-4	13-13	5-6	8-7

Power Stats

Assists Turnovers
Name	Assists	Turnovers	Ratio
SEA	20.46	12.92	1.58
PHO	19.73	13.31	1.48

Rebounding
Name	Offense	Defense	Total
SEA	8.54	26.58	35.12
PHO	6.96	24.85	31.81

ShootingPercentage
Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
SEA	46.84	43.01	3.83
PHO	44.79	42.68	2.11

Head To Head Summary

Team	record	ATS	O/U	AVG	AVG ½	FG%	REB	3PT	steals
Seattle	4-6	4-6	6-4	79.30	40.00	43.73	32.70	76/192	6.60
Phoenix	6-4	6-4	6-4	81.60	43.90	43.98	31.80	71/192	5.70

Head To Head Detail

Date	Away	away score	Home	home score	line	ATS	Total	O/U	FG% Edge	Reb Edge	3PT Edge	Away Half Score	Home Half Score	Away FG%	Home FG%	Away Rebounds	Home Rebounds	Away Three Pointers	Home Three Pointers	Away Steals	Home Steals
May 23, 2018	SEA	87	PHO	71	-5.5	SEA	155.5	O	SEA	SEA	SEA	46	33	51.8	43.8	33	23	7/18	5/16	7	5
May 20, 2018	PHO	87	SEA	82	-2	PHO	155.5	O	PHO	SEA	SEA	46	36	46.7	37.9	28	37	6/15	10/27	6	7
Sep 6, 2017	SEA	69	PHO	79	-4.5	PHO	163.5	U	PHO	PHO	PHO	31	32	34.9	38.6	31	38	6/20	7/18	7	4
Aug 27, 2017	PHO	75	SEA	71	-5	PHO	164.5	U	SEA	SEA	PHO	36	34	39.7	41.7	33	34	7/15	4/11	5	6
Aug 12, 2017	SEA	98	PHO	89	-5	SEA	164	O	SEA	PHO	SEA	53	53	56.3	46.3	30	33	10/20	8/17	9	4
Jun 23, 2017	PHO	85	SEA	82	-5	PHO	160.5	O	SEA	PHO	SEA	50	43	46.4	47.5	31	25	8/25	9/22	8	5
Sep 15, 2016	SEA	62	PHO	86	-6.5	PHO	162	U	PHO	PHO	Push	29	50	35	47.8	32	35	5/16	5/17	4	10
Jun 3, 2016	PHO	81	SEA	95	6	SEA	168.5	O	SEA	SEA	SEA	44	49	47.1	50.8	26	37	7/19	12/24	7	10
May 20, 2016	SEA	81	PHO	80	-11.5	SEA	163	U	SEA	SEA	SEA	37	43	40	37.5	39	32	9/23	8/24	5	6
Aug 12, 2015	SEA	66	PHO	83	-13.5	PHO	148	O	PHO	PHO	PHO	42	52	42.4	44.8	29	39	4/11	10/26	6	2

WNBA Betting Odds and Trends

Seattle Storm
Seattle is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games
Seattle is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Phoenix

Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home
Phoenix is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Seattle
Phoenix is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Seattle

Team Last 5 Games

Seattle Storm

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	Total	ATS Result	field goal percentage	free throw percentage	three pointers	Location
Jul 24, 2018	IND	92-72	W	-11	166	W/U	50.70	72.73	12	A
Jul 22, 2018	ATL	74-87	L	-2.5	163	L/U	40.85	77.78	9	A
Jul 20, 2018	CON	78-65	W	2.5	176	W/U	42.65	100.00	11	A
Jul 18, 2018	CHI	101-83	W	-8.5	177	W/O	53.52	87.50	11	A
Jul 14, 2018	DAL	91-84	W	-4.5	175	W/P	41.56	74.07	7	H

Phoenix Mercury

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	Total	ATS Result	field goal percentage	free throw percentage	three pointers	Location
Jul 25, 2018	CHI	87-101	L	-6.5	172.5	L/O	40.00	85.19	8	H
Jul 21, 2018	MIN	75-80	L	-3.5	160.5	L/U	38.10	95.24	7	H
Jul 19, 2018	LAV	82-85	L	-9.5	172	L/U	35.14	91.67	8	H
Jul 15, 2018	IND	101-82	W	-9.5	162.5	W/O	54.29	66.67	11	A
Jul 13, 2018	CON	87-91	L	5.5	169	W/O	51.72	82.61	8	A

Next up:
Seattle home to Minnesota Friday, August 3
Phoenix at Las Vegas Wednesday, August 1

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Pirates Host Cubs Tuesday Evening

Lester Faces Taillon on Tuesday as Pirates and Cubs Clash

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in what should be the most interesting pitching matchup of the night. Jon Lester will be on the mound for the Cubs, while the Pirates will counter with Jameson Taillon.

The Pirates have climbed to the fringes of the National League playoff race. They have a chance to put another dent in the deficit. The Pirates are winners of 15 of their last 19. The Pirates host the first-place Chicago Cubs for two critical games starting Tuesday.

The Cubs are clinging to a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central entering the week. The Pirates have clawed within seven games of the lead.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jon Lester (12-3, 3.06 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (7-8, 3.73)

ODDS: Both teams are -105 on the moneyline right now. The total is 7.5.

Tuesday’s game will be the 10^th meeting of the season between these teams. The Cubs have a 5-4 edge in the head-to-head season series so far.

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Lester has been absolutely dominant for Chicago this season. Heading into Tuesday’s start, he has a 12-3 record and 3.06 ERA. He had a rare off night against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 20. Lester bounced back with a solid Lester-like outing.

Lester allowed just one earned run on four hits over 6.0 innings of work in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lester is 7-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

A couple Cubs will be excited to face Jameson Taillon for the first time this season. Javier Baez is 6-for-10 with a homer and Anthony Rizzo is 8-for-13 with two homers against the right-hander.

Anthony Rizzo has homered in three of his past four games since ending a 25-game drought.

David Bote has multiple hits in three of his past five contests.

Pirates Need Quality Outings from Starters

Pittsburgh will hope that Taillon will match Lester’s level of performance on Tuesday. Despite a solid 3.73 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, Taillon is just 7-8 this season.

The 26-year-old right-hander has been at his best of late. He has given up just four earned runs allowed in 18.1 innings over his last three starts. Taillon is 3-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

Taillon took a tough-luck loss last time out, but he posted his 11th consecutive start allowing three or fewer earned runs.

Jordy Mercer is 9-for-25 during an eight-game hitting streak.

Recent Form

Team	record	money	vs LHP	vs RHP	Fave	Dog	O/U	Diff
Chi Cubs	61-44	$152.00	18-7	43-37	55-32	6-12	48-54-3	0.94
Pittsburgh	55-52	$267.00	12-16	43-36	33-27	22-25	50-49-8	0.029999999999999

Pitchers Last 3 Starts

J Lester (12-3) ERA: 3.06

event date	Opponent	Result	score	OU Result	ip	money
Jul 25, 2018	ARI	W	2-1	U	6	$96.00
Jul 20, 2018	STL	L	5-18	O	3	-$100.00
Jul 15, 2018	SD	W	7-4	O	5.1	$69.00

Jameson Taillon (7-8) ERA: 3.73

event date	Opponent	Result	score	OU Result	ip	money
Jul 25, 2018	CLE	L	0-4	U	7	-$100.00
Jul 20, 2018	CIN	W	12-1	O	5.1	$88.00
Jul 12, 2018	MIL	W	6-3	O	6	$84.00

Bullpen

Chi Cubs's relievers have pitched 10 innings in the last 3 games.
Pittsburgh's relievers have pitched 9 innings in the last 3 games.

Pitcher Recent Starts Vs Opponent

Chicago Cubs - J Lester

Date	score	Winner	ip	hits	Runs	Earned Runs	walks	strikeouts	Decision
Jun 9, 2018	2-0	CHC	7	1	0	0	2	5	Win
May 29, 2018	8-6	CHC	6	8	4	4	0	6	Win
Apr 11, 2018	13-5	CHC	5	7	4	4	3	3	No Decision
Sep 7, 2017	8-2	CHC	6	5	1	1	4	5	Win
Jul 9, 2017	14-3	PIT	0.2	6	10	4	3	0	Loss

Pittsburgh Pirates - Jameson Taillon

Date	score	Winner	ip	hits	Runs	Earned Runs	walks	strikeouts	Decision
Sep 7, 2017	8-2	CHC	4.2	11	6	6	1	3	Loss
Jun 18, 2017	7-1	CHC	5	8	4	4	1	4	Loss
Apr 16, 2017	6-1	PIT	7	7	1	0	3	6	Win
Sep 28, 2016	8-4	PIT	6	1	1	1	3	4	Win
Jun 19, 2016	10-5	CHC	4	8	4	4	1	5	Loss

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	5.02	4	4.49	18
Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense	4.92	5	4.16	12
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	4.52	14	4.08	8
Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense	4.42	16	3.68	3

Head To Head Detail

Date	Away	away score	Home	home score	line	O/U	Away Pitcher	Home Pitcher	Away Hits	Home Hits	Away Walks	Home Walks	Away Strikeouts	Home Strikeouts
Jun 10, 2018	PIT	7	CHC	1	-186	9	U	Ivan Nova (R)	Kyle Hendricks (R)	9	4	6	2	8	10
Jun 9, 2018	PIT	0	CHC	2	-167	8	U	Nick Kingham (R)	Jon Lester (L)	1	6	2	4	8	6
Jun 8, 2018	PIT	1	CHC	3	-157	8	U	Chad Kuhl (R)	Mike Montgomery (L)	9	9	2	2	4	11
May 30, 2018	CHC	1	PIT	2	124	8	U	Kyle Hendricks (R)	Joe Musgrove (R)	9	9	4	3	7	3
May 29, 2018	CHC	8	PIT	6	120	8.5	O	Jon Lester (L)	Nick Kingham (R)	14	13	4	0	7	8
May 28, 2018	CHC	7	PIT	0	-107	9	U	Mike Montgomery (L)	Chad Kuhl (R)	12	2	5	0	7	7
Apr 12, 2018	PIT	6	CHC	1	-180	8.5	U	Trevor Williams (R)	Kyle Hendricks (R)	9	7	7	1	10	6
Apr 11, 2018	PIT	5	CHC	13	-158	8.5	O	Steven Brault (L)	Jon Lester (L)	8	16	3	2	6	5
Apr 10, 2018	PIT	8	CHC	5	-147	9	O	Ivan Nova (R)	Tyler Chatwood (R)	12	10	2	2	9	8
Sep 7, 2017	CHC	8	PIT	2	123	7.5	O	Jon Lester (L)	Jameson Taillon (R)	13	8	3	6	8	9

MLB Betting Odds and Trends

Chicago Cubs
Chi Cubs is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games
Chi Cubs is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chi Cubs's last 23 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 23 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

Team Vs Division Or Conference

Chicago Cubs

	record	Home	Away	Fave	Dog	O/U	vs LHP	vs RHP
Overall	61-44	33-19	28-25	55-31	9-13	48-54-3	18-7	43-37
Last 10	5-5	4-3	1-2	4-3	2-2	4-6	1-1	4-4
vs Div	25-23	13-7	12-16	25-17	1-6	20-25-3	3-0	22-23
vs AL	8-4	7-3	1-1	7-2	1-2	7-5	2-0	6-4
vs NL	53-40	26-16	27-24	48-29	8-11	41-49-3	16-7	37-33

Pittsburgh Pirates

	record	Home	Away	Fave	Dog	O/U	vs LHP	vs RHP
Overall	55-52	31-26	24-26	33-23	25-28	50-49-8	12-16	43-36
Last 10	7-3	2-2	5-1	2-2	5-1	4-5-1	1-1	6-2
vs Div	26-16	16-7	10-9	11-7	16-8	16-23-3	2-5	24-11
vs AL	12-3	5-2	7-1	10-2	3-1	9-6	3-0	9-3
vs NL	43-49	26-24	17-25	23-21	22-27	41-43-8	9-16	34-33

Team Last 5 Games

Chicago Cubs

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	Total	starter	ip	opposing starter	Location
Jul 29, 2018	STL	5-2	W	-120	8.5	K Hendricks	7	John Gant	A
Jul 28, 2018	STL	2-6	L	116	8.5	J Quintana	3	M Mikolas	A
Jul 27, 2018	STL	2-5	L	117	9	Mike Montgomery	5	Luke Weaver	A
Jul 26, 2018	ARI	7-6	W	102	9.5	T Chatwood	4.2	Zack Godley	H
Jul 25, 2018	ARI	2-1	W	-104	8.5	J Lester	6	Robbie Ray	H

Pittsburgh Pirates

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	Total	starter	ip	opposing starter	Location
Jul 29, 2018	NYM	0-1	L	-146	8	Joe Musgrove	7	Z Wheeler	H
Jul 28, 2018	NYM	5-0	W	119	7.5	Trevor Williams	6	J deGrom	H
Jul 27, 2018	NYM	5-4	W	-133	9	I Nova	5	J Vargas	H
Jul 26, 2018	NYM	6-12	L	-139	8.5	Nick Kingham	3	Steven Matz	H
Jul 25, 2018	CLE	0-4	L	201	8	Jameson Taillon	7	T Bauer	A

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