Daily tips for August 29

NCAAF (week 1) for August 29-30

MWC: Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Fresno State Bulldogs, Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA, Friday, August 30, 12.30pm

Rutgers’ revamped defence is in for a quite a stern test in the season opener. The Scarlet Knights lost five starters on the back seven from a year ago and the new group gets little time to ease into the job as Rutgers opens the season against Fresno State. The Bulldogs had one of the nation’s top passing attacks a year ago, led by David Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams, who had 102 catches and 14 touchdowns. Carr threw for a Mountain West record 4104 yards last season with 37 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Carr needs just 90 yards passing to surpass his brother, former No. 1 overall pick David, for fourth place on the school list and 3049 yards passing to break Kevin Sweeney’s career record at Fresno State. Carr has most of his top targets back, including Adams, Isaiah Burse (57 receptions, 6 TDs) and tight end Marcel Jensen (20 receptions, 4 TDs). The Bulldogs went 6-0 at home last year, outscoring opponents by 31.7 points per game. The offence was particularly dangerous at Bulldog Stadium, averaging 550.5 yards per game.

Rutgers is hoping the experience of graduate transfer Lew Toler, who started 36 of the last 37 games at Western Michigan, will be a big help. The Scarlet Knights hope to get the Gary Nova from the first half of last season instead of the struggling quarterback at the end of 2012. Nova completed 61.2 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions as Rutgers got off to a 7-0 start. Those numbers plummeted the second half of the season when he completed just 52.4 per cent of his passes with seven touchdowns and 13 interceptions as the Scarlet Knights lost four of their final six games. Nova rededicated himself in the offseason, losing 20 pounds and revamping his throwing motion. Rutgers receiver Brandon Coleman has been an impressive deep threat his first two seasons, averaging 21.2 yards per catch. Ten of his 16 career touchdowns have gone for at least 30 yards and he is averaging 39.1 yards on his touchdowns. Coleman had 10 TD catches last season to tie Marco Battaglia’s single-season school record.

Suggested bet: Fresno State -11 (three units @ $1.93) LOSE (45-38)

Other tips

North Carolina @ South Carolina -12.5 ($1.96) WIN (10-27)

UNLV @ Minnesota +51 ($1.94) WIN (23-50)

Utah State @ Utah +3 ($1.87) WIN (26-30)

Racing for August 29

Horse racing: Mornington (Vic), Murwillumbah (NSW), Rockhampton (Qld), Northam (WA), Newcastle (NSW). Harness racing: Redcliffe (Qld), Hamilton (Vic), Penrith (NSW), Shepparton (Vic), Tamworth (NSW). Greyhound racing: Grafton (NSW), Shepparton (Vic), Warragul (Vic), Maitland (Vic), Albion Park (Qld), Warrnambool (Vic), Sandown Park (Vic), Angle Park (SA), Dapto (NSW), Hobart (Tas), Mandurah (WA).

Good (3) tracks are popping up with greater regularity, and that’s the rating for today’s seven-race card at Newcastle, which will be run in fine conditions. Race 2 is the NJC Spring Carnival 3yo Maiden Plate at set weights over 1200m and I’ve settled on a More Than Ready colt from the Darley stables of Peter Snowden. #6 Superstition is making his third start after running a second and third at Canterbury earlier this year. He’s looked good in two trials (the most recent on August 16) and is rated well against this middling bunch, which includes four debutants. Given time to mature, Superstition should be put into a prominent position by Josh Parr from barrier 5 and will give this a big shake.

Suggested bet: Newcastle R2 #6 Superstition WIN (two units) 1st ($4.80)

Other tips

Mornington R2 #10 Mista Spot (E/W 1x3) 3rd $1.70

Mornington R3 #6 Sochi (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Mornington R7 #6 Grane (E/W 1x4) 2nd ($1.40)

Mornington R8 #14 Hannaford (E/W 1x2) 3rd ($2.50)

Newcastle R1 #1 Projectile (win) 1st ($1.55)

Newcastle R4 #7 Vision (E/W) LOSE (U/P) 
Newcastle R6 #2 Pompidou (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Murrwillumbah R1 #2 Rapid Heartbreaker (E/W 1x4) 1st ($2.80/$1.30)

Murwillumbah R3 #3 I’m Adamant (win) 1st ($2.10)

Murwillumbah R6 #1 Hakakuna (E/W 1x2) 3rd ($2.30)

Murwillumbah R7 #1 Zarmarski (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Rockhampton R2 #1 Girls World (win) 1st ($1.60)

Harness racing tip: Shepparton R5 #8 Striding Success (win) 1st ($2.30)
Greyhound racing tip: Sandown Park R7 #1 Desalle Bale (win) 1st ($1.70)

MLB for August 28-29

Philadelphia Phillies (60-72, 25-41 away) @ New York Mets (59-71, 27-37 home), Citi Field, New York, NY, Thursday, August 29, 9.10am

Cole Hamels has often struggled against the Mets, but this might be the most depleted New York line-up he has ever faced. Hamels (5-13, 3.62 ERA) has a 6-12 career record against the Mets, his worst against any team he’s faced at least four times. He has lost both of his starts against them over the past three months, giving up eight runs and 14 hits in 11 innings. Fortunately for Hamels, David Wright, who has a .339 lifetime average and four homers off the left-hander, is out with a strained right hamstring. Plus, Marlon Byrd and John Buck were traded to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, leaving New York (59-71) without three of its four RBI leaders. The offence of the Phillies (60-72) has rarely picked up Hamels, who has a 2.00 ERA over his last six starts but has gone 1-1. He’s lasted at least seven innings in each of those outings, issuing a combined six walks. His last non-quality start came at Citi Field on July 20, allowing four runs in five innings of a 5-4 defeat.

The Mets will look to help get Daisuke Matsuzaka his first win since August 27 last year. Matsuzaka (0-1, 9.00) allowed five runs in five innings of a 6-1 loss to Detroit on Friday, his first major league start after spending most of the season toiling in Cleveland’s farm system. The right-hander served up two homers (he allowed 11 in 45 2/3 innings last year with Boston) but did retire the last 10 batters he faced. Matsuzaka is 0-5 with a 13.06 ERA in six starts since his last win. One of the best outings of his career was the last time he faced Philadelphia, having a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the eighth inning of a 5-0 Red Sox win. The Phillies may have lost 14 of 16 on the road while averaging 2.0 runs and batting .194, including a combined two runs and nine hits halfway through this four-game set, but I like them in this spot.

Suggested bet: Phillies WIN (three units @ $1.65) WIN, game total -7.5 (one unit @ $1.87) LOSE (6-2)

Other tips

IL: Indians @ Braves WIN $1.95 WIN (2-3)

AL: Rangers WIN $2.05 @ Mariners WIN (12-4)

AL: Orioles @ Red Sox -9.5 $1.95 WIN (3-4)

AL: Yankees WIN $1.68 LOSE @ Blue Jays -8.5 $1.80 LOSE (2-7)

AL: Athletics WIN $2.13 @ Tigers WIN (14-4)

AL: Angels @ Rays WIN $1.59 WIN +7.5 $1.91 LOSE (1-4)

AL: Astros +1.5 $1.91 LOSE @ White Sox -7.5 $1.91 WIN (1-6)

AL: Royals @ Twins -8.5 $1.87 LOSE (8-1)

NL: Cubs @ Dodgers -1.5 $2.05 WIN (0-4)

NL: Marlins @ Nationals -1.5 $1.95 LOSE (3-4)

NL: Brewers @ Pirates WIN $1.68 WIN -7.5 $1.95 LOSE (1-7)

NL: Reds WIN $2.05 @ Cardinals WIN (10-0)

NL: Giants @ Rockies -8.5 $1.95 LOSE (4-5)

NL: Padres @ D'backs -1.5 $2.15 LOSE -9 $1.83 WIN (5-1)

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