Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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09-28-10 | Minnesota Twins -116 v. Kansas City Royals | Top | 1-10 | Loss | -116 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 977 Minnesota at Kansas City (8 pm ET) Minnesota has been frustrating recently, but their fundamentals remain strong, and Ron Gardenhire is too smart to let them coast entirely into the playoffs, so I expect a good performance here. Even though they have been losing recently their offense has been very potent at times, so they can win if they just get better pitching. They should get that here. Nick Blackburn has been very strong recently, and is pitching with real confidence. He's a streaky pitcher in terms of his performance quality, and he's on an upswing now. He's facing Sean O'Sullivan. He was solid in his last outing, but had struggled before that and really hasn't looked like a pro pitcher. He hasn't been strong at home, and had a rough outing against the Twins earlier this month.
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09-27-10 | Minnesota Twins -1.5 v. Kansas City Royals | Top | 8-10 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 923 Minnesota at Kansas City (8 pm ET) Minnesota is coming off a very frustrating series at Detroit, but I still like the fundamentals. It's not like the Royals have been dominant, either - they just lost three in a row to Cleveland. The Royals are not a strong home team, and they have disadvantages in the bullpen and on offense in this one. Kevin Slowey starts for the Twins. He has been very good in his last three starts, and he seems to be in very good form. His last two against the Royals have been very good as well. He's up against Kyle Davies. Davies hasn't been particularly sharp in his last two, and he hasn't enjoyed a boost from pitching at home this year. He has only faced Minnesota once this year, and he wasn't impressive.
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09-24-10 | Texas Rangers -102 v. Oakland Athletics | Top | 10-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 979 Texas at Oakland (10 pm ET) Texas doesn't have a whole lot to play for, but they need to keep winning to stay sharp for the playoffs and a tough AL East opponent. They have a good pitching matchup here to get a win. Tommy Hunter is their starter. He has been very sharp in his last two outings - including a nice win against the Yankees. He has had one solid outing against Oakland this year, and the Rangers have beaten Oakland all four times he has started against them in his career. He's up against Bobby Cramer. Cramer is making just his third start, and his first at home. He has been solid so far, but with so little experience it's hard to trust him - especially now that opposing teams have a bit of video against major league opponents to learn from.
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09-23-10 | Kansas City Royals v. Cleveland Indians -145 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -145 | 8 h 38 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 918 Cleveland vs. Kansas City (7 pm ET) Simply put, this one comes down to a serious pitching mismatch. Sean O'Sullivan starts for the Royals. He has been lousy all year, and particularly lousy in his last three. He doesn't go deep and he gets beaten up by opposing hitters. His last start was also against Cleveland, and the Indians hit him hard. He's a very hard pitcher to trust, and would be an underdog against almost any pitcher in the league right now. The pitcher he is facing, Mitch Talbot, is pitching better. He had a rough outing last time out, but he was strong in the start before that and has many more decent outings than O'Sullivan. The Royals are a very bad road team, and Cleveland has a far better bullpen right now, so this is a good spot.
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09-17-10 | Texas Rangers -105 v. Seattle Mariners | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Month - 10 Unit Play - Take 929 Texas at Seattle (10 pm ET) I really like and respect Felix Hernandez. If the world was fair he would win the Cy Young this year - and get to pitch for a team that doesn't suck. The world is far from fair, though, so he finds himself here in a spot he is going to struggle to win. In my eyes Texas should be the clear favorite in this one. They are as hot as any team, having won seven in a row. Seattle has lost their last seven. The Rangers have won 10 of 13 against Seattle this year, and have been successful in Seattle over the last several years. Hernandez is coming off one of his worst outings of the year last time, and he has to be frustrated. He has faced Texas three times this year and hasn't looked much like King Felix any time. This is a tough matchup for him. C.J. Wilson answers for Texas. He has been much more effective in his three outings against Seattle - two of them, including one in Seattle, have been very good. Texas has a much better offense, they have been very successful against righties all year, and they have a better bullpen. I like this play.
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09-16-10 | San Diego Padres +112 v. St. Louis Cardinals | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 955 San Diego at St. Louis (8 pm ET) The Cardinals looks like a team that might have given up. They got swept at home by hated rivals the Cubs for the first time in forever, and they have nothing to play for. San Diego, on the other hand, still has everything to play for, and they are playing like they know it. That alone would make me look at San Diego even if I didn't like the pitching matchup as much as I do. Tim Stauffer starts for the Padres. He has had two starts recently, and he has been very good in both of them. He's pitching with a lot of confidence, and the team has confidence behind him. He's up against Jake Westbrook. He's pitched okay recently, but his last outing was very deceptive - despite only giving up two runs the seven hits and five walks in six innings led to an unacceptable WHIP. Westbrook is vulnerable to a confident offensive team, and San Diego fits that bill right now.
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09-15-10 | Minnesota Twins -105 v. Chicago White Sox | Top | 9-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 927 Minnesota at White Sox (8 pm ET) The Twins have all but clinched their playoff spot, but they haven't let up on the gas at all - they are 9-1 in their last 10. They won the opener of this series handily, and I like the pitching matchup even better here. Brian Duensing starts for the Twins. The youngster has pitched very well since joining the rotation, and is in good form recently. He faced the Twins three times last year and looked solid against them. He's up against Gavin Floyd. Floyd is coming off a rough start, and has shown signs recently of tiring out. The White Sox don't hit lefties as well as they do righties, so we don't have to expect their full offensive potential in this one.
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09-14-10 | Boston Red Sox -130 v. Seattle Mariners | Top | 9-6 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 979 Boston vs. Seattle (10 pm ET) The Red Sox have won two in a row on the west coast, including the opener of this series, and I look for them to continue that streak against a Seattle team that continues to struggle - they have lost five straight. Daisuke Matsuzaka starts for the Red Sox. Dice-K is coming off a very rough start, but he's reportedly healthy and he has enjoyed success against the Mariners in the past, so I like him here. He's up against Luke French. French was weak his last time out, and doesn't have the experience to prove he can stand up to an iconic team like this one. He's up against a good road team with a slumping team behind him, and he's in for a tough night.
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09-13-10 | San Diego Padres +141 v. Colorado Rockies | Top | 6-4 | Win | 141 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 913 San Diego at Colorado (8:30 pm ET) The Rockies are the hottest team in baseball, but this price warrants taking a shot at the Padres here. San Diego blew their division lead against the Giants, but Bud Black is doing a good job of managing this team, and I look for him to use the change of scenery as a motivation to get back on track. The Pads are starting Cory Luebke. He's making just his third career start, but his second against Colorado. The last start against the Rockies involved a lot of bad luck, and he has pitched well otherwise, so I don't have a lot of trouble trusting him at better than even money. He's up against Jeff Francis. Francis has been very inconsistent recently - two starts back he made Pittsburgh look far better than they have any right to look. He has struggled against San Diego this year, and the Padres hit lefties well, so he's vulnerable.
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09-07-10 | San Francisco Giants -122 v. Arizona Diamondbacks | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 27 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 913 San Francisco at Arizona (9:30 pm ET) The Giants have won five of six, and with the Padres struggling so badly they smell blood in the water. They are now just a game out of first (and 1.5 games out of the wild card), and this series against an Arizona team that has little to play for and isn't playing great recently is a great spot to close the gap. They have a good pitching matchup for it here, too. Tim Lincecum has had his struggles this year, but he is looking much better lately, and is coming off a very nice start last time out. He's up against Enright. Enright has very good stats, but I'm not scared by him. San Francisco has seen him just 11 days ago, and young pitchers aren't always as effective the second time they see a team. He also gave up a whole lot of hits (9) in his last outing, so he's vulnerable if an opponent has some luck.
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09-01-10 | Milwaukee Brewers v. Cincinnati Reds OVER 9.5 | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 53 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take Milwaukee at Cincinnati OVER (7 pm ET) Things set up well here for a high scoring affair. The Brewers average five runs per game on the road, and the Reds average 5.1 at home. Neither has particularly strong bullpens. Both are hitting well and piling up the runs right now. Chris Narveson, Milwaukee's starter, hasn't been particularly consistent or sharp, and is definitely vulnerable to a hot team. He also hasn't regularly been going deep, so that would put the burden on the bullpen, and I'm okay with that. Johnny Cueto answers for the Reds. Two of his last three starts have been ugly, and he is giving up the long ball too much recently.
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08-31-10 | Colorado Rockies v. San Francisco Giants -136 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 966 San Francisco vs. Colorado (10 pm ET) Both of these pitchers are coming off of horrific outings. The difference is that ours is a good pitcher who had a bad day, while theirs is an underwhelming pitcher who didn't quite meet expectations. Esmil Rogers starts for the Rockies. He was really awful against Atlanta last time out, but had been hard to trust before that. He's a part-time starter, and he has struggled to find a rhythm this year - especially on the road. He's up against Madison Bumgarner. He was terrible against Cincinnati last time, too, but was very solid in two games before that. He's a generally better pitcher than Rogers, he has a more reliable offense behind him in this scenario, and he's in a good spot here.
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08-30-10 | Los Angeles Angels -120 v. Seattle Mariners | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 925 Angels at Seattle (10 pm ET) Neither of these teams has been great recently, but one of them has to win, and there's a better than average chance it will be the Angels. Ervin Santana heads to the mound for Anaheim. He had a rough start last time out, but has generally been pitching well and that start was against Tampa Bay, so I will give him a mulligan and trust him here. He's up against David Pauley. He's not an experienced pitcher and his last few starts have been flat. He's certainly vulnerable. The Angels are 10-3 in this series this year so they certainly have an edge when the teams meet.
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08-27-10 | Philadelphia Phillies v. San Diego Padres -110 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
10 Unit Play. Take 964 San Diego vs. Philadelphia (10 pm ET) The Phillies are hurting. They were just swept in a four game series at home - by Houston of all teams - and now they have to head across the country to play six games against tough opponents. San Diego has won eight of 11, and is very good at home. It's a good matchup. Roy Oswalt starts for the Phillies. He has been good since his trade, but he has faced reasonably easy competition at home. Now he has to go on the road against a tough team with the guys behind him lacking confidence. It might not be his day. He's up against young phenom Mat Latos. Latos has been brilliant all year, and is pitching at home for the first time in a long time. You can tell he is in form because his last three starts have been on the road and have been brilliant. He has been very effective, and will definitely challenge this Philadelphia team.
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08-26-10 | Baltimore Orioles v. Chicago White Sox -1.5 | Top | 0-8 | Win | 111 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
3 Unit Play. #918 Take Chicago White Sox -1
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08-25-10 | Atlanta: J Jurrjens -120 v. Colorado: E Rogers | Top | 10-12 | Loss | -120 | 4 h 24 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 951 Atlanta at Colorado (3 pm ET) The Braves have lost the first two in this series, but I just can't imagine them getting swept, and they have the clear advantage on the mound, so this is a nice spot. Jair Jurrjens starts for the Braves. He has been pitching extremely well in his last three and clearly seems to be over his earlier problems. He has done well against Colorado in the past, and can be trusted here. He's up against Esmil Rogers. Rogers was solid last time out, but that was an exception recently. He gives up a lot of hits and runs, isn't an experienced starter (most of his action has been from the bullpen this year), and was notably ineffective at home in his only start there. This is a tough spot for a pitcher who can't be brimming with confidence.
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08-24-10 | Florida Marlins v. New York Mets +112 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 112 | 8 h 4 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 908 Mets vs. Florida (7 pm ET) Despite all of their struggles this year the Mets are a surprisingly good home team. We are getting a good price here because they have to beat Florida's ace. I think they can. For starters, Josh Johnson isn
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08-20-10 | Los Angeles Angels v. Minnesota Twins -150 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
9 Unit Play Take 926 Minnesota vs. Angels (8 pm ET) With the exception of their last games, Minnesota is red hot, and the Angels aren't. I like the Twins at home a lot - they are 38-21 in the new stadium. I don't like the Angels traveling nearly as much, and I don't really like their motivation right now, either. Minnesota starts Brian Duensing. The youngster has been extremely good since making his debut, and is coming off his best start of his career. He went a complete game, but he had an extra day of rest to recover, so I'm not too concerned. He's very confident, and he's facing a team that doesn't love lefties. Dan Haren answers for the Angels. Two of his last three starts have been underwhelming, and I haven't generally been impressed with him in the AL. He is giving up far too many hits, and that's not good against a team with swagger like the Twins.
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08-17-10 | Toronto Blue Jays v. Oakland Athletics -105 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 980 Oakland vs. Toronto (10 pm ET) The Jays are playing well right now, but this play is mostly because of the pitching. Toronto's Brandon Morrow is coming off a masterful outing - a near no-hitter that was lost with two out in the ninth against Tampa Bay in which he struck out 17. It was brilliant, but it wasn't at all consistent with his recent form. He also hasn't been pitching very deep, so that game exacted far more of a physical and mental toll than most games of his do. He's now coming back off of slightly extended rest - that last start was August 8 - so there is a good chance that he won't be at his best. He has also been a lousy road pitcher this year. Dallas Braden takes the mound for Oakland. He's pitching very well as well, and is comfortable pitching at home. He's also a lefty, and Toronto has a very hard time against lefties. Braden is the far easier pitcher to trust in this one.
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08-16-10 | Florida Marlins -111 v. Pittsburgh Pirates | Top | 1-7 | Loss | -111 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 901 Florida at Pittsburgh (7 pm ET) There are two things about this game that stand out because they are such clear signs of how bad the Pirates really are - they have a losing record at home, and they hit very poorly against right-handed pitchers. Good teams do neither. The Pirates have lost seven straight, and six have been by multiple runs, so a loss here certainly isn't out of the question - against a Florida team that is decent on the road. Chris Volstad starts for Florida. He has been giving up too many hits recently, but that will be less of a problem against this offense. Beyond that his control has been solid, and he has a decent bullpen behind him. James McDonald starts for the Pirates. He's making just his fourth start of the year, and only one of those has been particularly impressive. Florida hits fairly well, so he's hard to trust.
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08-15-10 | Oakland Athletics v. Minnesota Twins -150 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 3 h 15 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 976 Minnesota vs Oakland (2 pm ET) The Twins won for us yesterday and we're going to jump right back on them today because the fundamentals are the same and I like this pitching matchup even more. Kevin Slowey starts for the Twins. I really like how he is pitching right now - he had some bad luck on the road at Tampa Bay last time out that made his stat line look much worse than it was, and he was very strong the two games before that against teams that struggle to hit like Oakland does. He has been strong at home all year, and though he hasn't faced Oakland for a couple of years he will have the confidence of always having pitched very well against them going for him. He's up against Vin Mazzaro. Mazzaro's last two road starts haven't been particularly solid, and his last two starts overall have been against much worse offensive teams than Minnesota. Minnesota's offense is statistical similar to Texas in several ways, and the Rangers smoked Mazzaro three starts back.
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08-11-10 | Oakland Athletics -117 v. Seattle Mariners | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 5 h 58 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 971 Oakland at Seattle (3:30 pm ET) Seattle has won the first two in this series, and is undefeated under new management, but they haven't been dominant enough that I am afraid to go against them. They are starting Dallas Braden. He has been solid recently, and is coming off a decent outing against a tough Texas team. His control has been strong, and he travels reasonably well. He's up against Luke French. French has only made six starts, and hasn't been consistent. His last outing was good, but he was vulnerable in the two before that. I have far more faith in Braden's ability to handle a very early afternoon start like this than French's because Braden has been around that much more.
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08-10-10 | Arizona Diamondbacks +126 v. Milwaukee Brewers | Top | 2-1 | Win | 126 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 911 Arizona at Milwaukee (8 pm ET) The Diamondbacks have won seven of their last 11, including three of four on the road, and are quietly playing some pretty good baseball after making their changes. They are starting Barry Enright. He has been remarkably consistent recently - six innings and two runs in each of his last three. He has pitched on the road twice this year and has been very comfortable both times. Enright is up against Manny Parra. Parra has been very lousy in his last two, and neither has come against particularly good offensive teams. He has not pitched well all year, and has been not particularly better at home than on the road.
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08-09-10 | Chicago Cubs v. San Francisco Giants -1.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 958 San Francisco vs. Cubs (10 pm ET) The Cubs are a lousy road team with just one win in their last 10 games overall, so they are clearly not in a good place. San Francisco has won five of six at home, and defends home field very well. The Cubs are starting Carlos Zambrano. He has been the definition of volatile his year, and is extremely hard to trust. He hasn't made a start since late June, and he was lousy then. He's been terrible on the road this year as well. Madison Bumgarner answers for the Giants. The youngster has been more solid at home than on the road, and has had good control recently. He also has a dramatically better bullpen behind him, and a better offense to support him.
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08-04-10 | San Diego Padres +133 v. Los Angeles Dodgers | Top | 0-9 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 915 San Diego at Dodgers (10 pm ET) This four game series with the Dodgers is a chance for the Padres to really step on their rivals' necks and end L.A.'s playoff hopes once and for all. They have split the first two, though, so they need to win the last two to do that. They are well poised to get one here. San Diego starts Wade LeBlanc. He has been solid recently, and had some bad luck contribute to some less than perfect numbers against the Marlins last time out. The Dodgers start Vicente Padilla. He has put up good numbers recently, but I am very suspicious - he was pulled after four innings last time out in a game that was still competitive when he was pitching well, so I'm not totally convinced that all is well. That game was also against the Padres, and I am not a fan of pitchers having to face a team two starts in a row - familiarity is not a good thing for pitchers. The Dodgers have struggled against lefties and they have the weaker bullpen. San Diego is a very solid road team.
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08-03-10 | Cincinnati Reds -123 v. Pittsburgh Pirates | Top | 6-7 | Loss | -123 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 951 Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (7 pm ET) Cincinnati won the opener yesterday and has won five of six, so they are in form. Pittsburgh has dropped five straight, and four have been by multiple runs. They aren't in any form at all. The Reds are a solid road team with a large offensive advantage. Mike Leake starts for the Reds. He hasn't been quite as sharp recently as he was earlier, but he's still controlling the ball well, and this is a good roster for him to find his mojo against. He has already faced Pittsburgh twice in his short career and has enjoyed success. Paul Maholm responds for the Pirates. His last two starts have been disastrous, and he has to have been distracted and negatively affected by all of the trade talk that still swirls around him.
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08-02-10 | New York Mets v. Atlanta Braves -133 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 7 m | Show |
4 Unit Play take #704 Atlanta over Ny Mets (7:10pm est)- There is probably no better combination then getting the Braves at home against the Mets. Atlanta comes in with a Major League best 34-13 mark at home and have been able to put up the overall 3rd best record in the National League this year despite having played the fewest amount of home games of anyone this season in baseball. The Mets on the other hand have the worst road record of any above .500 team on the year. So all this adds up to the perfect home field advantage in this game. Most people just see this game as the Mets and the Braves but you have to take into consideration that this instead is the Mets on the road versus the home Braves and together this can be a winning combination if you put it in your favor. The Braves have been able to go 22-7 as a home favorite in this price range while the Mets are just 10-25 on the road as a underdog in this range and when you add those two numbers up, the Braves being in this type spot has resulted in them winning or the Mets being in this spot has them losing, an incredible 73% of the time.
We can keep digging up even more stats here but the fact is the Mets are an awful road team and are not getting any better having went just 1-6 in their last 7 and are 1-7 against a right-handed starter on the road. The Braves on the other hand have come back off a loss this year to go 20-8 and as we have stated many times before that getting a game 1 home team off a series ending road loss has been extremely profitable for MLB bettors over the years. This will be a focused Braves bunch coming into this game as they badly need a win having dropped 3 straight series. The match-up is Johan Santana and Tim Hudson and the always steady Hudson comes in with a nice size edge here. He has thrown a quality start in 17 of 21 of his starts, shows an ERA of 2.31 at home and goes up against a Mets team who is hitting just .239 against right-handers on the road this season. Santana is a pitcher we have went against quite a bit this year. He seems to be going downhill of late and that was most obvious in his last start against the Cardinals where he gave up 13 hits in less then 6 innings of work with 7 runs allowed before being knocked out of the game. The Mets offensive troubles have been starting to show of late on the road and even at home as they have been towards the bottom in hitting the last two months now and have an on-base average ranking them last in the National League the last 20 games they have played. Great value here for a team that plays better at home then anyone in the league going up against an overall struggling group like the Mets. Take the Atlanta Braves in this one. |
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07-30-10 | Arizona Diamondbacks v. New York Mets -130 | Top | 9-6 | Loss | -130 | 21 h 34 m | Show |
10 Unit Play. #956 Take New York over Arizona (Friday 7:10 pm MLB.tv) Game of the Month. The Mets got back on track since a dismal west coast road trip and won two of three games from the Cardinals. They actually had a chance for the sweep but lost on Wednesday in 13 innings to the Cardinals despite having their ace Johan Santana on the mound. Tonight they will start Mike Pelfrey, who has not been as sharp lately but did pitch decent in his last start going five innings and allowing just two runs against the Dodgers. He will be looking to make amends since he was pounded by Arizona early last week in the desert. The Mets are 32-17 at Citi Field and the Diamondbacks are just 13-35 on the road. Ian Kennedy will face the Mets and he was pounded hard in his last start going just over six innings and allowing four earned runs. Since May 20th, he has recorded just two wins on the season compared to six losses. Arizona has no bullpen and expect the Mets to attack that once Kennedy gets taken out of the game. Arizona is just 2-7 in their last nine games against a right handed starter. The Mets are 8-3 in Mike Pelfrey
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07-29-10 | Seattle Mariners v. Chicago White Sox -1.5 | Top | 5-9 | Win | 120 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 922 Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle (8 pm ET) Seattle showed a bit of a spark last night, but it wasn't enough. They have lost the first three games of this series, and far more games than they have won overall recently. They are not in a good place. The White Sox are - they are confident and back in the playoff hunt. The inexperienced David Pauley starts for the Mariners. I'm not convinced he's ready for the challenge. He has only started three games this year - his first starts in two years - and all have been at home. This first road start comes in a tough building against a team playing well, and it's also against a team that knows his tricks - the White Sox saw him two starts back. He's up against Freddy Garcia. The veteran is coming off a lousy start at Oakland, but he bounces back as well as most wily old-timers do, and he has been much better at home than on the road.
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07-29-10 | Florida Marlins v. San Francisco Giants -1.5 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 37 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 908 San Francisco vs. Florida (3:45 pm ET) The Giants' bullpen let us down in a big way yesterday, but I'm ready to give them a chance to redeem themselves here. Despite the collapse I still like the Giants more than the Marlins in all of the same ways as I did. I also really like this pitching matchup. Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants. He has put together some very nice stats since being called up and has been particularly good in his last three games. What is most impressive is that just one of his six starts has been at home. This guy performs on the road like a pro - that's tough. He's up against Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez hasn't been particularly sharp recently, and I expect him to have his hands full against a team that is really hitting well.
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07-27-10 | Atlanta Braves +124 v. Washington Nationals | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 34 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 903 Atlanta at Washington (7 pm ET) This is a battle of this year's phenom against last year's. Tommy Hanson was truly special last year for the Braves, and he has been pretty good again this year. He is pitching solidly recently and can be trusted. Stephen Strasburg answers for the Nationals. Strasburg has been very solid this year, and is in good form right now. The worst start of his short career has come against the Braves, though, and this is the first time that a team has seen him twice. There's a good chance that the Braves will be ready. Atlanta's offense is working very well right now, while the Nationals have only won two of their last nine games. With virtually any other pitching combination the Braves would be favored.
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07-26-10 | Florida Marlins v. San Francisco Giants -126 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -126 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 958 San Francisco vs. Florida (10 pm ET) The Giants are playing fantastic baseball - they return home after winning six of seven division road games. That one loss was started by Barry Zito - today's starter - but he was very strong in the loss and just didn't get run support. After a rough patch Zito has been brilliant in each of his last three, and is in a good place. He has owned the Marlins over the last two years. Ricky Nolasco answers for the Marlins. He's been solid recently, but not as sharp as Zito, and he hasn't had as much success against the Giants as Zito has against his team. San Francisco is very strong at home, and strong against righties, and they have a clear bullpen edge.
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07-25-10 | Cincinnati Reds -120 v. Houston Astros | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -120 | 3 h 11 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 907 Cincinnati at Houston (2 pm ET) The Reds are looking to finish off the sweep in this series, and I am confident that they can pull it off. The young Mike Leake starts for the Reds. He was very good in his last start, and has been solid on the road all year. He has seen Houston twice this year already and has been very successful in those efforts, so he's in a good spot here. He's up against Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez wasn't impressive in his last start, and was absolutely brutal the last time Cincinnati saw him. The Reds will have real confidence facing him. Cincinnati has a big edge offensively, and a bullpen edge as well. This is a good spot.
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07-24-10 | Minnesota Twins -133 v. Baltimore Orioles | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 53 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 971 Minnesota at Baltimore (7 pm ET) The Orioles have won just twice in their current eight game home stand, so home field is hardly an advantage for them. They send out Brian Matusz to start, and that's not a reason to be confident. The young guy has talent, but he's not showing it recently. His control has been spotty, and he hasn't lasted past the third inning in his last two starts. That puts the burden on the bullpen. While there are definitely worse bullpens than Baltimore's, there are also better. Scott Baker answers for Minnesota. He hasn't had a great start the last two times out, but he was much better before that, and he'll enter this game with a lot of confidence because he has owned Baltimore every time he has faced them in recent years. He has a very good bullpen behind him as well.
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07-23-10 | Chicago White Sox +125 v. Oakland Athletics | Top | 5-1 | Win | 125 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 927 White Sox at Oakland (10 pm ET) Oakland is playing well recently, but the White Sox should be favored here. Chicago is starting Mark Buehrle. He has found his form recently - he's going deep, not giving up a lot of runs, and limiting walks. He's comfortable to trust here. Trevor Cahill answers for Oakland. I'm a big fan of how Cahill has pitched this year, but he seems to have hit a rough patch recently. Two of his last three starts have been pretty rough, and that can't be a big surprise given his youth and lack of experience. Chicago saw him three times last year with a fair bit of success, so they will be comfortable against him. It's a good matchup for Chicago. Chicago is a decent road team with a good road bullpen, so they are well suited to pull off a win.
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07-23-10 | San Diego Padres -111 v. Pittsburgh Pirates | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 22 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 905 San Diego at Pittsburgh (7 pm ET) Both of these teams come into this game off a win, and both were playing pretty well before that. I'll back the class every time, though, and the class here is definitely San Diego. They are a solid road team - 25-20 - and are very strong against left handers like they face today. Pittsburgh is just adequate at home and lousy against righties. San Diego starts Kevin Correia. He's not as consistent as I would like, but his control has been good recently, and he should have a good day against the limp bats of the Pirates. Paul Maholm starts for Pittsburgh. He's coming off a complete game last time out. That's far more than he is used to pitching, so I expect him to lack sharpness as a result.
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07-22-10 | San Francisco Giants -121 v. Arizona Diamondbacks | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 961 San Francisco at Arizona (9:30 pm ET) The Giants have won seven of nine and are in very good form. Finally. Arizona is just coming off an unexpected sweep of the Mets, but that doesn't indicate how they have generally been playing recently. Matt Cain starts for the Giants. He hasn't been at his best recently, but I was impressed with his first outing since the break, and I think the rest was what he needed. His last outing against Arizona was brilliant. Rodrigo Lopez counters for Arizona. He has not been impressive all season and recently, and has not had success against the Giants. He's averaging less than six innings per start, and that puts the game into the hands of the bullpen for a long time - a very good thing for us.
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07-21-10 | Philadelphia Phillies v. St. Louis Cardinals -142 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 912 St. Louis vs. Philadelphia (8 pm ET) The Phillies are not playing great right now, their rotation is in disarray, and trade rumors are swirling around them - they are a distracted squad that has lost five of six. St. Louis, on the other hand, has won seven straight including the first two in this series, and they look great. On top of that, this is a pitching mismatch. Young Jaime Garcia has been brilliant for St. Louis, and continues to be in solid form - especially at home. He has pitched against Philly once this year and looked good doing it. Joe Blanton answers for Philly. He has been vulnerable recently and all year, had a rough outing against St. Louis last time he faced them, and is not good on the road. St. Louis is extremely tough at home, and Philadelphia doesn't travel well.
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07-19-10 | San Francisco Giants +106 v. Los Angeles Dodgers | Top | 5-2 | Win | 106 | 11 h 10 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 913 San Francisco at Dodgers (10 pm ET) The Giants have won nine of their last 11 and are finally playing like the team they should be. They play a crucial divisional series against a Dodgers team that was just swept in a four game series against the Cardinals. Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants. The young phenom has been very good in his last two starts and is clearly settling into his new role in the majors. His last three starts have been on the road, so the location won
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07-15-10 | Milwaukee Brewers v. Atlanta Braves -1.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 25 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Year - 10 Unit Play - Take 902 Atlanta (-1.5 RL) vs. Milwaukee (7 pm ET) In this spot we have an extremely good home team against an underwhelming road team, and that home team has a solid pitching edge. That's my kind of spot. Atlanta was playing very good baseball before the break. They won four of their last five games, and given that those were against rivals Philadelphia and the Mets on the road that is really impressive. Milwaukee won their last three, but you don't get much credit for beating Pittsburgh at home. Before that they looked lousy against St. Louis and San Francisco, and they just aren't playing particularly well right now. It's not going to help their concentration or confidence that trade rumors are flying around them as the trade deadline nears. Jair Jurrjens starts for Atlanta. He has looked solid since returning from injury, and was particularly good last time out. He's up against Dave Bush. Bush has put up some solid numbers recently, but you have to approach that with caution - they have come against three weak hitting teams in Houston, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh, so he would be expected to do well. Now he's against a much better team, and that could be a problem for him. Neither guy is likely to go particularly deep in this one, and that gives the Braves another edge - their bullpen is dramatically better than Milwaukee's. Atlanta has made a solid trade in adding Alex Gonzalez at shortstop instead of Yunel Escobar. That's an upgrade, and that should be another boost for the team. I expect the Braves to have a strong second half starting now. This is a good spot for us.
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07-13-10 | National League v. American League -119 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -119 | 34 h 37 m | Show |
10 Unit Play. #946 Take American League over National League (Tuesday 8:30 pm Fox) If it ain
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07-11-10 | Chicago Cubs v. Los Angeles Dodgers -140 | Top | 0-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 966 Dodgers vs. Cubs (8 pm ET) This is an interesting matchup. We have two veteran pitchers - Carlos Silva for the Cubs and Vicente Padilla for the Dodgers - who have both been around for a while, but it has been several years since either has seen their opponents. Padilla is pitching extremely well in his last three - his WHIP is just 0.822. He
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07-10-10 | Minnesota Twins +137 v. Detroit Tigers | Top | 4-7 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 7 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 919 Minnesota at Detroit (4 pm ET) The Twins haven't been great recently, but this is a good spot for them to find themselves. Both of these pitchers - Nick Blackburn for the Twins and Jeremy Bonderman for the Tigers - are facing their opponents for the second time in less than two weeks. Both allowed four runs. The difference is that given how Bonderman was pitching he was lucky to escape with just four runs, while Blackburn experienced a fair bit of bad luck in his effort. I have not been impressed with Bonderman in his last two starts, and am not convinced hes in a good place right now. Minnesota is a competent road team, and the Tigers haven't been great against righties.
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07-09-10 | San Francisco Giants +143 v. Washington Nationals | Top | 1-8 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 951 San Francisco at Washington (7 pm ET) It's time to bet against Stephen Strasburg again. The Giants are playing with the most confidence they have in a long while after sweeping the Brewers in a four game series. Their bats are working, and they have swagger. Strasburg hasn't been as sharp in his last couple of outings as he was to start, and sooner or later he is inevitably going to have a rough day. Washington has been winning close games and losing by wide margins, and in both cases they have been giving up too many runs. Matt Cain has lacked consistency, but he's pitching better recently, and has enjoyed pitching against the Nationals in the past. I don't believe that San Francisco would be an underdog like this against a lot of pitchers, so I'm not convinced that they should be against Strasburg.
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07-08-10 | Los Angeles Angels v. Chicago White Sox -120 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 4 h 33 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 916 White Sox vs. Angels (2 pm ET) These teams are on opposite paths right now - Chicago has won five of six, while the Angels have dropped five of six. Add that streak to the fact that the White Sox have won three of five against the Angels this year and a favorable pitching matchup and you have a playable game. John Danks is starting for the White Sox. He has pitched well at home against the American League all year, and is coming off a strong outing against a Texas team that certainly hits well. He's in solid form. Ervin Santana goes for the Angels. He hasn't been as sharp as he needs to be in his last three, and he's giving up too many hits - a problem when you face a team with as much confidence as the White Sox have right now.
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07-07-10 | St. Louis Cardinals -103 v. Colorado Rockies | Top | 7-8 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
9 Unit Play Take 961 St. Louis at Colorado (8:30 pm ET) The Cardinals are coming off an incredible ninth inning collapse yesterday. I'm too worried about it, though. They didn't burn up a lot of pitchers in the ninth, and they are a tough, well coached team who can shake off something like this. What I am focusing on more is the fact that they were way ahead heading into the ninth and were looking good. Today they have a nice pitching matchup. They are starting Jaime Garcia. He's coming off a nice outing, and has been mostly solid all year. He has been stellar on the road against the NL, and he's facing the Rockies for the first time, so they won't know what to expect from him. Aaron Cook starts for the Rockies. He's been fine recently, but is far from unhittable, and the Cards are hitting with confidence right now, so they could have a good day.
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07-06-10 | Kansas City: Z Greinke -140 v. Seattle: Rwlnd-Smth | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 929 Kansas City at Seattle (10 pm ET) This pitching matchup was going to be very interesting, but Erik Bedard was pulled out from his first start in a year this morning with shoulder stiffness. There's still an opportunity, though. Zack Greinke is starting for the Royals. It's hard to say that he is pitching well right now given that he is coming off a six run game last time out, but he really is. He was very sharp in that game, but was left in too long and had a terrible eighth inning. Up until then he looked great, and he has been solid in his two games before that. He's still not what he was last year, but he's certainly better than he was early in the year. He's now up against Ryan Rowland-Smith. It's hard to believe that he will be prepared or focused for this start since up until earlier today or maybe late last night he thought he had been demoted to the bullpen. He has been wildly inconsistent all year, and was beaten up by Kansas City once already this year. The Royals have won 8 of 11 and have a real swagger right now. They have an offensive edge, and Seattle is far from the scariest home team in the league.
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07-02-10 | Los Angeles Dodgers -110 v. Arizona Diamondbacks | Top | 5-12 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 913 Dodgers at Arizona (9:30 pm ET) This is Edwin Jackson's first game back after his bizarre no-hitter (eight walks!), and I have little faith that it is going to go well. He's not a consistent pitcher at all, and his control hasn't been great recently. He also threw a whole pile of pitches last time out - more than he is used to - so he may not be sharp, and he likely won't go deep. That means he'll put strain on the Arizona bullpen, and that's far from a good idea. The Dodgers are starting Hiroki Kuroda. He's been consistent and solid all year, and is surprisingly strong on the road. He has had two strong outings against the Dodgers this year, and I expect another one. The Dodgers just swept the tough Giants, and are well positioned here.
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07-01-10 | Oakland Athletics -136 v. Baltimore Orioles | Top | 8-1 | Win | 100 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 967 Oakland at Baltimore (7 pm ET) I'd love to play on the Toronto game but it starts too early, so we'll celebrate Canada Day by just making a play on this game. This is the rubber match in this series, and it tilts solidly in Oakland's favor. They are starting the very impressive young Trevor Cahill. He is coming off an exceptional start, and has been strong in his last two. He's been strong all year, actually. Baltimore struggles against righties and has struggled against Cahill in the past, so they are in a tough spot. They would need their pitcher to have a big day in this one, and that possibility is not easy to believe in right not. Jake Arrieta is not pitching well right now. He has been really lousy in his last two starts, and lousy in both of his home starts. He's a young pitcher lacking a whole lot of confidence, and that's bad news when his team doesn't generally have the offensive punch to help him out, and is facing a hot pitcher.
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06-30-10 | Seattle Mariners v. New York Yankees -151 | Top | 7-0 | Loss | -151 | 8 h 23 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 924 Yankees vs Seattle (7 pm ET) The Mariners got a big win yesterday behind Cliff Lee's third straight complete game. I look for the Yankees to return things to a more logical order here. Seattle is a really lousy road team - 12-26 - while the Yankees are a very strong home team at 25-11. We get a good price here for the Yankees at home in such a situation because the mariners are starting Felix Hernandez. The ace has pitched well recently, but he hasn't been entirely consistent this year, has had his share of troubles against the Yankees, and the team has lost five of his eight road starts. He's up against Javier Vazquez. He has pitched well recently - especially at home.
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06-30-10 | Colorado Rockies v. San Diego Padres -132 | Top | 3-13 | Win | 100 | 5 h 53 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 910 San Diego vs Colorado (3:30 pm ET) The Padres let us down yesterday, but I'm willing to give them a shot at redemption here because the fundamentals are still on their side. Clayton Richard is starting for the home team. He is coming off a very good outing, and has been generally strong all year. This is his third start of the year against the Rockies, and he has looked good in the past. He's up against Jeff Francis. Francis has been decent since his return from injury, but he hasn't been overwhelming, and he's giving up too many hits. San Diego has a solid bullpen edge, and they hit better against lefties than righties.
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06-29-10 | Colorado Rockies v. San Diego Padres -120 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -120 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
8 Unit Play Take 964 San Diego vs. Colorado (10 pm ET) San Diego lost to the Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez last night, so they will be looking for revenge here. They are well positioned to get it here. They are starting Wade LeBlanc. He has been solid this year, and particularly strong at home. He's against Jason Hammel. After two strong starts Hammel was vulnerable and hit hard by Boston last time out. He's been very weak on the road this year, and he's in a tough park for pitchers who aren't used to it. Hammel has already faced San Diego once this year, and the Padres had a good day against him. The Padres have a bit of an edge in offense and a solid edge in the bullpen.
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06-28-10 | Washington Nationals v. Atlanta Braves -110 | Top | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
9 Unit Play Take 906 Atlanta vs. Washington (7 pm ET) This is the spot where I am going to take my first stand against Stephen Strasburg. I'm more than impressed with what he has done so far, but this price is too good to avoid. For starters, the kid is young and inexperienced, and teams have now seen him four times in the majors, so sooner or later he's inevitably going to have an off night. That off night could certainly come against the best all-round offense he has faced so far. Atlanta is particularly well set up to perform against left-handers. He looked vulnerable at times last outing against the Royals as well - nine hits in seven innings. He has only pitched once on the road, so this is going to be a challenge for him - Atlanta is a tough place to play. Washington is playing lousy baseball right now, and are far from strong on the road, while Atlanta, at 26-8, is as good as it gets at home. Tim Hudson has been good this year, and particularly strong at home.
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06-26-10 | Cleveland Indians v. Cincinnati Reds -132 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 100 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 920 Cincinnati vs. Cleveland (7 pm ET) On the surface this is a pretty easy picture to paint - Cleveland has lost six in a row and has an anemic offense. Cincinnati is a division leader that has won four straight thanks to a pretty solid offense - one that scored ten runs against Cleveland yesterday. These teams share a state, but don't have much else in common - certainly not competence. Sam Lecure starts for the Reds. He hasn't been their best pitcher, but he has been solid at home, and has had solid success recently. He's not my first choice, but he's in a solid position against a struggling position here. Justin Masterson goes for the Indians. This price is as high as it is in large part because Masterson was brilliant against Boston three back - a two hit complete game shutout. Sine then, though, he has been torched by the Mets and hasn't been as strong against the Pirates as he should have been. He's not a strong road pitcher, and is solid to play against here.
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06-25-10 | Colorado Rockies +144 v. Los Angeles Angels | Top | 4-3 | Win | 144 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
3 Unit Play Take 975 Colorado at Angels (10 pm ET) Both of these teams are coming off frustrating losses late last night, so both will be hungry to correct their course here. Before those losses each team had won five of six, so both are moving in the right direction. Colorado has done very well against right handed pitchers this year compared to lefties when it comes to offensive production, and has a clear bullpen edge here, so they are in a good spot here. I also like pitching matchup. Colorado starts Jeff Francis. The lefty has been solid since his return from injury, and is enjoying strong control. I expect a solid outing. Jered Weaver starts for the Angels. Weaver was strong last time out, but he has struggled to string together consecutive good games, and I feel like he is hard to trust here. Colorado has the pitching edge.
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06-24-10 | Florida Marlins -110 v. Baltimore Orioles | Top | 5-11 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 913 Florida at Baltimore (7 pm ET) The Marlins played yesterday like a team that wasn't at all sad to see their manager gone. It doesn't hurt that they were playing the Orioles as they are tonight. There's a good chance that they will continue to pound out the offense - especially since they are facing a lousy pitcher. Kevin Millwood was solid against San Diego last time, but that certainly hasn't been the tendency for him recently. He has been mostly horrible, and it's safer to assume he will be underwhelming than solid here - especially against a team that has scored 36 runs in their last five games. Florida answers with Nate Robertson. He had his best outing in a while last time out against Tampa Bay, and will be looking to build on that confidence against a weak hitting team here. Florida has the edge on the mound, offensively, and in the bullpen. That's the big three.
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06-22-10 | St. Louis Cardinals -101 v. Toronto Blue Jays | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 903 St. Louis at Toronto (7 pm ET) This is a game with a couple of nice young pitchers pitching for a couple of teams that are playing well. It should be a good one. One thing we have learned about St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia this year is that he is dirty - especially the first time a team sees him. Toronto obviously hasn't seen him before, and that's going to be tough for them. He's throwing well right now, and Toronto hasn't done well against lefties at all. Brett Cecil starts for Toronto. I think he has a pile of upside, but he's coming off a rough game, and he hasn't been as sharp at home as on the road for some reason. He's the second best pitcher in this one.
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06-21-10 | Kansas City Royals v. Washington Nationals UNDER 9 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
4-Unit Play. Take #952. Take Under Kansas City Royals vs. Washington Nationals (Monday @ 7:05pm est) Whenever you see 75% of the public on a team, especially the home team on a short line, it is reason to take a second look. Although the majority of the public is riding Livan as he gave up a season high eight runs in his last start in interleague play on the road, the public is still backing Livan as they are looking forward to him bouncing-back. Having said that, the line is not moving that much away from Bruce Chen and the Royals. This could be because Bruce is comfortable pitching in the national league given his tenure here as he has been quite the journeyman in his career. Bruce pitched relatively well against the Astros as he gave up three runs in just under six innings of work at home in his last effort. I look for him to have a strong outing today as he looks to stay in the Royals rotation. In that same token, I look for the former World Series MVP in Livan to have a quality bounce-back effort at home today as well as this game likely goes under the posted total. The Under is 3-1-1 in Chen's last five road starts and the Under is 7-0-1 in Hernandez's last eight home starts as well.
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06-19-10 | Baltimore Orioles v. San Diego Padres -1.5 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 978 San Diego (-1.5 RL) vs. Baltimore (8:30 pm ET) The Orioles grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory last night when they gave up a win with a lousy effort in the bottom of the ninth. That's a demoralizing loss, and it's not like the O's had a lot of confidence before that. They also have a pretty serious pitching issue here. Kevin Millwood starts for them, and that is not a good thing. He has been beyond lousy in his last three outings and just doesn't look like a major leaguer right now. Clayton Richard, on the other hand, looks very much like a major leaguer. Each of his last three outings have been strong quality starts, and he's very easy to trust here. Once the starters leave the game the Padres have the solid edge in the bullpen as well.
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06-18-10 | Kansas City Royals v. Atlanta Braves UNDER 9 | Top | 4-6 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 9 m | Show |
4-Unit Play. Take #922. Take Under in Kansas City vs. Atlanta Braves (Friday @ 7:35pm est) Brian Bannieter comes off one of his worst starts of the year. In fact, it was his worst. He gave up nine runs in 3 innings of work on 11 hits. Prior to that Brian had put together four of five quality starts and he was pitching relatively well. I look for Brian to have a much better effort this evening as he looks to bounce-back against a quality team such as the Braves. Brian is actually a decent pitcher and as he comes off a horrible effort, I can't see him put together back to back terrible starts. Derek Lowe comes off a quality start over the Twins as he went more than seven innings and gave up just two runs in the process. He has pitched well at home of late as he has given up one run in back to back efforts against the likes of the Phillies and Pirates. He also faced the Mets at home and gave up three runs in seven innings as well. Long story short, Derek has come through for the Braves at home as he is pitching in a first place ballclub and at the same time, Bannister is facing the Braves as he comes off a rough start. And, with 80% being on the Braves, I look for the dog pitcher to have a quality effort today as well as this game likely goes under the posted total. The Under is 6-2-2 in Bannister's last 10 road starts when the total is set at this range and the Under is 5-0 for Lowe when the total is set at this range.
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06-17-10 | Chicago White Sox -122 v. Pittsburgh Pirates | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 959 White Sox at Pittsburgh (7 pm ET) We've won on the White Sox two days in a row, and I don't see a reason to stop yet. Pittsburgh has now lost 10 in a row, they still can't score, and they have given the White Sox tremendous confidence in this series. Ross Ohlendorf starts for Pittsburgh. He was lousy last time out, hasn't been strong at home, and is definitely vulnerable against a Chicago team that is certainly comfortable right now. Jake Peavy starts for the White Sox. His last two starts have been virtually identical, and both were very nice. He's pitching the best he has all year, and there's no reason to believe that that won't continue against a team that just can't hit right now (and by right now I mean the last 15 years).
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06-15-10 | Chicago White Sox -123 v. Pittsburgh Pirates | Top | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 953 Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh (7 pm ET) The Pirates are in the midst of a pathetic eight game winning streak, so betting against them isn't hard to do right now. Five of those eight games have been lost by multiple runs. Their pitching isn't going to help them out here, either. They are giving Brad Lincoln his second career start. He made his debut last week against the Nationals, and allowed five runs in six unimpressive innings. He' vulnerable to a confident team, and the White Sox are definitely that after having won four of five including two against the hated Cubs. They are starting Freddy Garcia. He has quietly been very good in his last three, and there is good reason to believe that that consistency can carry on against an impotent offensive team here.
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06-11-10 | Seattle Mariners v. San Diego Padres -142 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 976 San Diego vs. Seattle (10 pm ET) Seattle has just one win in their last seven, and were absolutely smoked by the Rangers three nights in a row. San Diego, on the other hand, has won seven of their last 12, and will be happy to return home, where they are a strong 18-12, after a tough seven game eastern trip. Kevin Correia starts for the Padres. He has struggled in his last two, and that's a big reason why we get a price this nice. His control has been decent in those two outings, though, and he was strong in six shutout innings against St. Louis before that, so he could have a nice outing here - especially against a team that is really struggling at the plate. Jason Vargas goes for the Mariners. He hasn't allowed a lot of runs in his last three, but he's giving up a lot of hits and has been lucky recently. San Diego has a big edge in the bullpen, a significant offensive edge, and is facing a team that is really struggling on the road. This is a good spot for them.
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06-09-10 | Houston Astros v. Colorado Rockies -1.5 | Top | 6-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 962 Colorado (-1
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06-08-10 | Atlanta Braves -109 v. Arizona Diamondbacks | Top | 7-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
10 Unit Play Take 913 Atlanta at Arizona (9:30 pm ET) The Braves have faltered a bit recently on the road, but they are still fresh from being absolutely scorching hot, and are still playing well enough to rediscover their winning ways. Kris Medlen starts for the Braves. He has been consistently solid recently, and has pitched particularly well on the road. He's up against Edwin Jackson. He's put up nice numbers on the road in his last two, but luck has played a solid role in those wins, and I expect that to change. He's also pitched several more innings than normal in his last three - including a complete game last time - so I expect fatigue to be an issue for him. Atlanta will be hungry to get themselves back on track before their losses have an impact, and they are in a good spot to do so here.
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