Daily tips for September 9

MLB for September 8-9

IL: New York Mets (63-77, 35-39 away) @ Cleveland Indians (76-65, 44-27 home), Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH, Monday, September 9, 3.10am

No contending team has an easier remaining schedule than the Cleveland Indians. They’ve begun to take full advantage this weekend. Cleveland looks to win its fifth straight and complete a three-game sweep of the visiting New York Mets here. Chasing their first playoff berth since 2007, the Indians (76-65) may have the easiest road there with only six of their final 21 games against teams currently above .500. Those six contests are against Kansas City, which visits Progressive Field for a three-game series starting tomorrow. The Indians close the regular season with four games against major league-worst Houston, two with the White Sox, losers of nine straight, and four at Minnesota. Since dropping Monday’s series opener to fellow wild-card hopeful Baltimore, Cleveland has scored 27 runs and 36 hits during a four-game win streak. Cleveland, which hasn’t won five in a row since a season-best eight-game run from July 24-August 1, was 6 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Indians are 15 for 39 (.385) in such situations the past four games after going 5 for 43 (.116) in the previous seven.

The Mets (63-77), who had four rookies in Saturday’s starting line-up, have lost five of six overall and five straight interleague games. Corey Kluber gave the Indians five-plus strong innings yesterday. Danny Salazar (1-2, 3.00 ERA) will try to continue that run and build on the best of his six major league starts. The Indians are being cautious with the 23-year-old Salazar, who is three seasons removed from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and has already worked a career-high 126 innings between the minors and majors. New York could have a difficult time avoiding the sweep with struggling Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3, 10.95) on the mound. It’s been a very rocky start for the right-hander since joining the Mets, as he’s been tagged for 15 runs and 19 hits over 12 1/3 innings in three outings. He had his worst performance Monday in a 13-5 loss at Atlanta, yielding six runs and seven hits in three innings. Matsuzaka made 19 starts for Cleveland's Triple-A team this season before he was released at his request last month. He is 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in eight starts (including playoffs) against the Indians, but hasn't faced them since 2011.

Suggested bet: Cleveland -1.5 (2.5 units @ $1.84) LOSE, game total 88 (1.5 units @ $1.85) WIN (2-1)

Other tips

AL: Red Sox @ Yankees WIN $1.94 WIN +8.5 $1.88 LOSE (3-4)
AL: White Sox @ Orioles WIN $1.51 LOSE -9 $1.92 WIN (4-2)
AL: Blue Jays @ Twins WIN $1.98 LOSE -8.5 $1.93 WIN (2-0)
AL: Tigers @ Royals WIN $2.13 WIN (2-5)
AL: Rangers WIN $1.94 WIN @ Angels -8.5 $2.01 LOSE (4-3)
AL: Astros +1.5 $2.15 @ Athletics LOSE (2-7)
AL: Rays WIN $1.72 @ Mariners WIN (4-1)
NL: Nationals -1.5 $1.99 @ Marlins WIN (6-4)
NL: Braves @ Phillies -7.5 $1.93 WIN (2-3)
NL: Pirates WIN $2.27 LOSE @ Cardinals +7.5 $1.94 WIN (2-9)
NL: Brewers @ Cubs -7.5 $1.93 WIN (3-1)
NL: D'backs @ Giants WIN $1.74 WIN (2-3)
NL: Dodgers WIN $1.82 LOSE @ Reds -7 $1.85 WIN (2-3)
NL: Rockies @ Padres WIN $1.68 WIN +7.5 $2.00 LOSE (2-5)

NFL (week 1) for September 8-9

Oakland Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN, Monday, September 9, 3am

The fact that the Oakland Raiders have yet to make a decision on who will be the starting QB in their season opener at Indianapolis hardly inspires confidence. While the Colts are banking on second-year quarterback Andrew Luck (pictured) to help lead them back to the playoffs, the Raiders still won’t say who they'll have under center to start the season. Luck and the Colts look to open the season with a seventh consecutive home victory when they host a Raiders team desperately trying to record their first winning record in 11 years. Coming off a 2-14 season and saddled with trying to replace Peyton Manning, Indianapolis handed the ball to No. 1 overall pick Luck who promptly led the team to a historic turnaround in 2012. Though he completed 54.1 per cent of his passes and threw 18 interceptions compared to 23 touchdowns, Luck set NFL rookie records for yards passing (4374), attempts (627), 300-yard games (six) and fourth-quarter comebacks (seven). More importantly for the Colts, they won nine more games and reached the playoffs.

Raiders coach Dennis Allen, who has yet to announce whether career back-up Matt Flynn or little-used Terrelle Pryor will start. Reports, though, indicate that Pryor will get the nod after Oakland’s offence scored 32 points on 14 drives with him at the helm and 10 on 13 with Flynn this pre-season. Pryor did face mostly reserves. Flynn appears healthy after missing a week with a sore elbow, but Pryor may give the Raiders a better chance to succeed because of his mobility. That could come in handy within an offence in which oft-injured running back Darren McFadden is the only proven playmaker. Oakland averaged 13.0 points over a six-game stretch last season before Pryor started a 24-21 season-ending loss at San Diego. Pryor is among 14 quarterbacks to start for the Raiders since the beginning of the 2004 season, tied with Cleveland and Miami for the most during that span. The Raiders also need more from McFadden, who’s missed 13 games the last two seasons while running for 1321 yards in that span. He rushed for 1157 in 2010.

Suggested bet: Indianapolis -10.5 (two units @ $2.00) LOSE (17-21)

Other tips

Patriots @ Bills -51 $2.00 WIN (23-21)

Titans @ Steelers -42.5 $1.88 WIN (16-9)

Falcons +3 $2.10 @ Saints LOSE (17-23)

Bucs -3.5 $2.03 LOSE @ Jets -39.5 $1.93 WIN (17-18)

Bengals @ Bears -3 $2.02 PUSH (21-24)

Dolphins @ Browns -41 WIN (23-10)

Seahawks WIN $1.61 @ Panthers WIN (12-7)

Vikings +4 $1.88 @ Lions LOSE (24-34)

Chiefs @ Jaguars WIN $2.58 LOSE (28-2)

Packers @ 49ers +49 $1.93 WIN (28-34)

Giants +3.5 $1.81 LOSE @ Cowboys +50 $1.92 WIN (31-36)
 

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