Spreadsheet Notes:
Service Play Spreadsheet
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Just by going 1~0, Tom Freese made a relatively big jump last night. That single win pushed him past two significant milestones: the 10-tracked play minimum and the 60% winning percentage minimum necessary to join the second group on the Service Play Thread.
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Warning: Although Tom Freese has joined the second group, keep in mind that the guy still only has a total of 10-tracked plays on our spreadsheet for the entire season. That’s a very low number of plays and it puts him in tricky territory. It would only take a total of 2 plays to drastically alter his spreadsheet status. Going 0~2 would drop him back down to a 50% winning percentage and also mean a demotion to the bottom group again. But going 2~0 would elevate him up to a 67% winning percentage and also thrust him into the very top group on the spreadsheet. Consider Tom Freese a “wait-and-see” situation that is too volatile to draw firm conclusions about his future.
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Stan Sharp finally had a losing night (he went 0~1) on Thursday. This came on the heels of a 9~1 run over the last 10 plays and the last six tracked days. His season record is now 20~8 (71%).
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As some of you may have read on yesterday’s thread, I need to go back and recalculate Rocketman’s W~L record. There was confusion on my part as to whether or not “Rockdeman” (that’s rock-de-man, not rocket-man) was a misspelling or a separate service altogether. Bookie Buster cleared the issue up and I will recalculate Rocketman’s W~L record this weekend.
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Service Fade Spreadsheet
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There are currently 25 services listed on the Service Fade Spreadsheet, but only three of those services had plays available for tracking yesterday. This seems to be happening a lot lately. It only takes a quick glance of the Service Fade Spreadsheet to notice all the “NA’s” I have posted due to plays being “not available” over and over again.
<o></o>
I believe the reason that this is happening is because the Service Fade Spreadsheet has recently been shrinking due to its dynamic and ever-changing in nature. Teams that are hovering right around the 50% win mark are constantly flip-flopping between the Play sheet and the Fade sheet as they win, then lose and rise, then fall above and below that 50% mark (the cut-off point between the two sheets. And at this particular moment, we are witnessing an extended period of time where the number of services listed on the Play sheet greatly outnumber the ones listed on the Fade sheet. Normally the sheets have a relatively equal number.
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Added Service / Category
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Chris Jordan went 1~0 on the first 1000* play that I have seen from him this season. Consequently, I added C. Jordan (1000*) plays to the Service Plays Spreadsheet. Chris Jordan (1000*) now tops the very bottom group of the Play sheet and sits along side of Michael Cannon (25* to 30*) and Billy Coleman (4.5* and 5*). Speaking of Billy Coleman, he delivered on another rare 4.5* play last night, bringing his season total to 2~0 on such plays.
<o></o>
The service plays mentioned above brings up an interesting scenario. Despite being 100%, it will probably be some time before any of these three services has enough tracked plays to qualify for the second group, let alone the top group on the spreadsheet. I was really happy to see another big play from Billy Coleman and I am looking forward to seeing how Chris Jordan does with his next 1000* play or how Michael Cannon does with his next 25* or 30* plays. If these guys get to 3~0 or 4~0, it would probably be warranted to tail them, since these plays appear to be rare and will take a long, long time to meet the minimum requirements to advance upward on the Service Play Spreadsheet.
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Chopping Block
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Lastly, I will be looking at cutting down the total number of services being tracked between the two sheets. This cut will have nothing at all to do with the actual number of services being tracked (the more the better is my motto). But rather, it has to do with the quality of the services being tracked.
<o></o>
It does not make sense to track the following types of services:
<o></o>
ü Services that have an unusually low number of tracked plays. If a service does not have a lot of tracked plays on the spreadsheet it is not because I missed the plays, or because Bookie Buster missed the plays or anything like that. It is because their plays have not been unavailable. I am not looking to go crazy and cut a lot of services here. I will only cut services with an extremely low number of tracked plays. Exclusions would be given to service special category plays (i.e., Coleman 4.5* and 5*, Cannon 25* and 30*, Feiner 1000* and etc.)
<o></o>
ü Services that have an unusually large number of tracked plays but have been forever stuck with a winning percentage of 50% or a few percentage points north or south thereof. Trust me, if a service has given us 40 tracked plays or more and still has yet to remotely resemble a tail or a fade (due to being constantly stuck at about 50%), they are a waste of our time. Are you really going to tail or fade a service that is 50%? No, these services have no value to us. What if they get on a hot streak or a cold streak you ask? Again, are you really going play anything from a consistently proven 50% winner / loser? Makes it tough to trust that the hot / cold streak will last. Again, I am not looking to go crazy and cut a lot of services here. I will only cut services with a large number of plays that have been forever hovering around 50% with no signs of changing.
<o></o>
Which services might be on the chopping block? A few come to mind like Curry Bagwell 63~72 (49%) and Wild Bill 41~42 (49%). Curry Bagwell has had more than enough opportunity to prove to be anything other than a permanently 50% service. And don’t even get me started on Wild Bill. Have you seen this guy’s cards? They are huge. We actually have not had a lot of opportunities to track him, but his typical card consists of about 8 sides and 5 totals. I am not kidding. Recently his average card has 12 to 13 plays on it. That’s pretty much a guarantee to hover around 50% the rest of the season. On a good day his best plays hit pay-dirt, all the other plays negated them. And on a bad day when his best plays go south, all the other plays seem to hit. There’s nothing to fade or tail here folks.
<o></o>
You catch my drift. I will announce any and all cuts (and occasion additions or special play categorization) as they occur to keep everyone abreast. The cuts may not entail more than 2 or 3 services total and will be equally conservative in the future. I will give most services more than enough time to start having plays available again or to find their way out of the Bermuda Triangle-like 50% zone on the spreadsheets.
Service Play Spreadsheet
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>Just by going 1~0, Tom Freese made a relatively big jump last night. That single win pushed him past two significant milestones: the 10-tracked play minimum and the 60% winning percentage minimum necessary to join the second group on the Service Play Thread.
<o
></o>Warning: Although Tom Freese has joined the second group, keep in mind that the guy still only has a total of 10-tracked plays on our spreadsheet for the entire season. That’s a very low number of plays and it puts him in tricky territory. It would only take a total of 2 plays to drastically alter his spreadsheet status. Going 0~2 would drop him back down to a 50% winning percentage and also mean a demotion to the bottom group again. But going 2~0 would elevate him up to a 67% winning percentage and also thrust him into the very top group on the spreadsheet. Consider Tom Freese a “wait-and-see” situation that is too volatile to draw firm conclusions about his future.
<o
></o>Stan Sharp finally had a losing night (he went 0~1) on Thursday. This came on the heels of a 9~1 run over the last 10 plays and the last six tracked days. His season record is now 20~8 (71%).
<o
></o>As some of you may have read on yesterday’s thread, I need to go back and recalculate Rocketman’s W~L record. There was confusion on my part as to whether or not “Rockdeman” (that’s rock-de-man, not rocket-man) was a misspelling or a separate service altogether. Bookie Buster cleared the issue up and I will recalculate Rocketman’s W~L record this weekend.
<o
></o>Service Fade Spreadsheet
<o
></o>There are currently 25 services listed on the Service Fade Spreadsheet, but only three of those services had plays available for tracking yesterday. This seems to be happening a lot lately. It only takes a quick glance of the Service Fade Spreadsheet to notice all the “NA’s” I have posted due to plays being “not available” over and over again.
<o
></o>I believe the reason that this is happening is because the Service Fade Spreadsheet has recently been shrinking due to its dynamic and ever-changing in nature. Teams that are hovering right around the 50% win mark are constantly flip-flopping between the Play sheet and the Fade sheet as they win, then lose and rise, then fall above and below that 50% mark (the cut-off point between the two sheets. And at this particular moment, we are witnessing an extended period of time where the number of services listed on the Play sheet greatly outnumber the ones listed on the Fade sheet. Normally the sheets have a relatively equal number.
<o
></o>Added Service / Category
<o
></o>Chris Jordan went 1~0 on the first 1000* play that I have seen from him this season. Consequently, I added C. Jordan (1000*) plays to the Service Plays Spreadsheet. Chris Jordan (1000*) now tops the very bottom group of the Play sheet and sits along side of Michael Cannon (25* to 30*) and Billy Coleman (4.5* and 5*). Speaking of Billy Coleman, he delivered on another rare 4.5* play last night, bringing his season total to 2~0 on such plays.
<o
></o>The service plays mentioned above brings up an interesting scenario. Despite being 100%, it will probably be some time before any of these three services has enough tracked plays to qualify for the second group, let alone the top group on the spreadsheet. I was really happy to see another big play from Billy Coleman and I am looking forward to seeing how Chris Jordan does with his next 1000* play or how Michael Cannon does with his next 25* or 30* plays. If these guys get to 3~0 or 4~0, it would probably be warranted to tail them, since these plays appear to be rare and will take a long, long time to meet the minimum requirements to advance upward on the Service Play Spreadsheet.
<o
></o>Chopping Block
<o
></o>Lastly, I will be looking at cutting down the total number of services being tracked between the two sheets. This cut will have nothing at all to do with the actual number of services being tracked (the more the better is my motto). But rather, it has to do with the quality of the services being tracked.
<o
></o>It does not make sense to track the following types of services:
<o
></o>ü Services that have an unusually low number of tracked plays. If a service does not have a lot of tracked plays on the spreadsheet it is not because I missed the plays, or because Bookie Buster missed the plays or anything like that. It is because their plays have not been unavailable. I am not looking to go crazy and cut a lot of services here. I will only cut services with an extremely low number of tracked plays. Exclusions would be given to service special category plays (i.e., Coleman 4.5* and 5*, Cannon 25* and 30*, Feiner 1000* and etc.)
<o
></o>ü Services that have an unusually large number of tracked plays but have been forever stuck with a winning percentage of 50% or a few percentage points north or south thereof. Trust me, if a service has given us 40 tracked plays or more and still has yet to remotely resemble a tail or a fade (due to being constantly stuck at about 50%), they are a waste of our time. Are you really going to tail or fade a service that is 50%? No, these services have no value to us. What if they get on a hot streak or a cold streak you ask? Again, are you really going play anything from a consistently proven 50% winner / loser? Makes it tough to trust that the hot / cold streak will last. Again, I am not looking to go crazy and cut a lot of services here. I will only cut services with a large number of plays that have been forever hovering around 50% with no signs of changing.
<o
></o>Which services might be on the chopping block? A few come to mind like Curry Bagwell 63~72 (49%) and Wild Bill 41~42 (49%). Curry Bagwell has had more than enough opportunity to prove to be anything other than a permanently 50% service. And don’t even get me started on Wild Bill. Have you seen this guy’s cards? They are huge. We actually have not had a lot of opportunities to track him, but his typical card consists of about 8 sides and 5 totals. I am not kidding. Recently his average card has 12 to 13 plays on it. That’s pretty much a guarantee to hover around 50% the rest of the season. On a good day his best plays hit pay-dirt, all the other plays negated them. And on a bad day when his best plays go south, all the other plays seem to hit. There’s nothing to fade or tail here folks.
<o
></o>You catch my drift. I will announce any and all cuts (and occasion additions or special play categorization) as they occur to keep everyone abreast. The cuts may not entail more than 2 or 3 services total and will be equally conservative in the future. I will give most services more than enough time to start having plays available again or to find their way out of the Bermuda Triangle-like 50% zone on the spreadsheets.
Just a reminder that today I have a lot of travel during the afternoon that will prevent me from being able to repost the service plays from Bookie Buster’s thread.
If possible, I am hoping that someone can jump in and repost the baseball related portions of the service plays for us on this thread.
Bookie Buster usually posts the service plays between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM Central Standard Time.
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:toast: Thank you in advance to anyone who is able to help out and do this.:toast:
If possible, I am hoping that someone can jump in and repost the baseball related portions of the service plays for us on this thread.
Bookie Buster usually posts the service plays between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM Central Standard Time.
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fficeffice" /><o></o>:toast: Thank you in advance to anyone who is able to help out and do this.:toast:
Mighty Quinn
Warriors
Benjamin Lee Eckstein
White Sox and Padres
__________________
Fade King
Mlb:
6* Minny -195
6* Cinci +105
4* Pitt - 110
4* Seattle +105
2* Angels -125
2* Baltimore + 150
2* St. Louis + 190
2* Washington + 105
FREEBIES:
DC SPORTS: Two of the top three teams in the National League will square off in the first of a three-game series tonight at Shea Stadium. The visiting Milwaukee Brewers have the league's best mark at 24-10 while the New York Mets check in with the National League's 3rd best record at 21-12. Jeff Suppan will get the ball for the Brewers on Friday. He should bring plenty of confidence into this outing after a couple of brilliant efforts against New York in last season's NLCS. In two starts against the Mets, Suppan allowed only five hits and one earned run in 15 innings of work. He has been outstanding in his first season with the Brewers as Suppan enters tonight with a 2.63 E.R.A in seven starts. Jorge Sosa will get the nod for the Mets. He should also have some confidence after defeating last year's Cy Young award winner, Brandon Webb, in his first start of the season. Sosa allowed only one earned run in 13.2 innings of duty against Milwaukee last season. Despite their overall success, the Brewers are averaging only four runs per game on offense in their 13 road contests this season. New York has been an under club this season with a 21-11-1 mark to the under. Also, both teams have quality bullpens to go with in the late innings. Look for this one to go under the total on Friday. UNDER 9
__________________
Ben Burns
National League Game of the Week
Phillies
Personal Favorite
Toronto BlueJays
Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
MTI Sports
Game: Arizona Diamondbacks at Houston Astros May 11 2007 8:05PM
Prediction: Houston Astros
Reason: In Webb’s last outing, the D-Backs mustered only 5 hits and two runs and lost 5-2 to the Mets. Brandon does not respond well to poor run support, as Arizona is 0-6 as a FAVORITE with Webb when they scored three runs or fewer in his last start, averaging minus 138. This performance is not limited to Brandon Webb. As a team, Arizona is an absolutely horrid 0-11 as a FAVORITE when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start.
Arizona is coming off a 9-3 loss at home vs the Phillies and they are not a good investment after they get beaten badly. The Diamondbacks are a bankroll-crushing 7-17 as a FAVORITE after a 5+ run loss. The home dog is the way to go here.
MTi’s FORECAST: HOUSTON 6 Arizona 4
__________________
OTL'S FREE PICK OF THE DAY
111-58-6 the last 175 plays - 67%!
54-34-2 the last 90 plays - 64%!
May 11 - Texas +110 over Anaheim
Northcoast comp play (basketball)
3* under tb/tor kazmir/burnett
Wunderdog
Game: Baltimore at Boston (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Boston -175 (risk 4 to win 2.3)
The Red Sox are clicking in every facet of the game right now. They are hitting and now come home, where they hit even better, and the pitching has not allowed more than three runs in a game over the last six, and the bullpen has been the best in baseball. Fenway Park and the Red Sox in general have been bad news for the Birds. The Sox have taken 18 of the last 21 from the O's overall, and at Fenway have won 10 of the last 11. The Red Sox are outscoring the O's by 81-40 in those 11 games. The O's were able to dominate TB at home, but the road is completely different. The Birds were just 30-51 outside of the confines of Camden Yards last year and have showed no improvement this year as they have struggled to a 5-10 road mark. Red Sox continue their domination of the O's at Fenway.
Game: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Minnesota -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
There is always value in our eyes when Santana is on the hill at the Metrodome. The Twins have won in 32 of his last 38 starts here, or 84% of the time. Here we are laying a tad less than 2-1 odds on a starter that has proven over his entire career he is worth better than 4-1. Mike Maroth has been pitching to an ERA closing in on 5 for his career and even higher so far this year. Santana has won 10 of 12 decisions against the Tigers over his career or 83.3%, again another 4-1 ratio. Maroth has won just 3 of 12 decisions over the Twins, or 25%, and his ERA is right around his career average. There is no doubt where the value lies in this one and Santana and the Twins get the nod.
Game: St. Louis at San Diego (10:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on San Diego -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
One of the hottest pitchers in the league squaring off with one of the coldest. Kip Wells is 1-6, and the only consistency he has shown is he has gotten progressively worse from start-to-start. His season has shown earned runs of 0, 3, 4, 7, 7 and 7 in consecutive starts and he has now become bat shy. He walked 5 in his first 3 starts and 10 in his last 3, with more each outing - a sure sign of a pitcher devoid of confidence. He has now pitched to an ERA of 10.71 in his last four starts and the opponents have scored 36 runs in those starts. Jake Peavy is allowing just a .181 batting average against him and his ERA is below 2. The Cards scored nine runs last game, but don't be fooled. Rolen (1-18), Pujols (3-19), Edmonds (4-19), Eckstein (3-13), and Taqachi (2-10) in the last week and combined they have only one extra-base hit and zero HRs. The Cards ! offense has done nothing and when they face quality pitching, even less. They have faced eight starters on the season with an ERA of 3.00 or less on the season and this is what they produced: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 and 2 runs. That is 11 runs in 8 games or 1.38-runs per game! It is hard to conceive a lineup that is struggling to break-out against the league’s top pitcher so far and equally ill-conceived to see a pitcher that has progressively worsened start to start and one that has become bat shy will suddenly respond on the road.
PURE LOCK
MLB
Milwaukee
R&R TOTALS
MLB
Tampa Bay/Toronto OVER
MIKEY SPORTS
MLB
5* Chicago White Sox
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
MLB
3* Seattle +110 (Rasner/Washburn) Listed
Larry Ness' 15* Situational Game of the Week-MLB (now 27-6 since Opening Day!)
My 15* play is on the Cle Indians at 10:05 ET. This is a great spot for the Indians for a number of reasons. The A's have been away from home since May 1 and traveled back from KC last night. Meanwhile, the Indians were already on the west coast, flying up from LA. Cleveland sends ace CC Sabathia to the hill, who has opened 5-0 with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts this year, all Cleveland wins! He's lasted at least six innings in every start and allowed more than three ERs just once. He'll face an Oakland team that's had trouble scoring runs all year (especially at home where the team averages 3.38 runs per game), coming off its biggest output of the season on Thursday. The A's had season-highs in runs (17), hits (18) and HRs (six) in yesterday's clubbing of the pathetic Royals. The A's are just 6-7 at home this year but will be sending a quality pitcher to the mound in Joe Blanton.. Blanton is 3-1, 3.61 in seven starts this year, lasting at least six innings in all but one start and never allowing more than four runs in any game. However, the righty has allowed seven ERs in 12 innings (two starts) against the Indians, for an ERA of 5.25. Cleveland is 17-6 this year against righties, so expect Sabathia to get some support, as he faces a team that may just have "hit itself out" yesterday. Situational Game of the Week 15* Cle Indians.
Larry Ness' Friday Nite Delight-MLB (14-5 run the L/11 days!)
My Friday Nite Delight is on the Pit Pirates at 7:05 ETThe Braves open this weekend series at Pittsburgh at 22-12, giving them a half-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. However, the Braves are just 8-8 this year when facing a left-handed starter and I expect Pittsburgh's Zach Duke to give them trouble tonight. Duke had two brutal back-to-back outings this year against SF and Mil (18 hits and 14 ERs allowed in just six innings) but in his other five starts, he's allowed just nine ERs in 31.2 innings (2.56 ERA). That includes his last three starts in which he's allowed only four ERs in 18.2 innings for a 1.93 ERA. Pittsburgh is just 5-8 at home this year but that's not much of a sample and let's remember this team was 43-38 at home in 2006, going 35-22 vs righties (team was 11-6 in Duke's home starts, as compared to 1-16 on the road!). The Pirates sure have a righty they can hit tonight, in Atlanta's Ken Davies. In 14 starts last year, he was 3-7 with an 8.39 ERA (team was 5-9) and in five starts this year, has a 6.41 ERA. That mark includes a very solid first start but in his last four outings, he's allowed 17 ERs in 20 innings, for a 7.65 ERA. Friday Night Delight on the Pit Pirates
__________________
Rocketman
FREE MLB PLAY FRIDAY (104-73 59% run with freebies)
Kansas City @ Chicago White Sox 8:10 PM EST
Play On: 1* Chicago White Sox -175 (Perez/Garland) Listed
Kansas City is 3-18 this year when the total is 9 to 9 1/2. Kansas City is 8-29 last 3 years as a road underdog of +150 to +175. Kansas City is 1-7 this year on the road when the total is 9 to 9 1/2. Kansas City is scoring only 3.7 rpg overall, 3.5 rpg on the road and 3.7 rpg against Right handed starters this year. Kansas City bullpen has a 5.57 ERA overall and a 5.16 ERA on the road this season. White Sox bullpen has a 3.83 ERA overall and a 3.79 ERA at home this year. Perez has a 6.75 ERA overall this year and an 8.03 ERA on the road. Garland has a 3.92 ERA overall this year and a 3.27 ERA his last 3 starts. White Sox are 15-4 at home vs Kansas City last 3 years. Perez is 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA vs White Sox since 1997. Garland is 12-5 vs Kansas City since 1997. We'll recommend a small play on the Chicago White Sox tonight. Thanks and good luck, Rocky
Trev Rogers
11-0 run and 27-10!
San Francisco ML
Arizona/Houston Under 8.5
Florida ML
John Fina MLB Selection for Friday! comp
Selection: Florida Marlins (-130)
Reason: Put us down on the Florida Marlins (-130) for our Free MLB Selection on Friday. Today the Florida Marlins will be on the road as they take on the Washington Nationals. We will side with the Marlins! The Marlins will send to the mound Scott Olsen. Scott Olsen has been pitching great as of late (2.61 ERA in his last 3 starts), and we don't see this poor Nationals offense (scoring an average of only 2.9 runs per game) getting much hits or runs tonight. On the other hand, the Nationals will send to the mound Shawn Hill. Shawn Hill might have a solid (3.00 ERA on the season), however, he always seems to struggles when playing the Marlins. In fact, Shawn Hill has started two games against the Marlins (pitching a total of 11 innings) while giving up 9 runs! We see another poor showing by Shawn Hill tonight. The Marlins have also already proven to be the much superior team. This is shown by the fact that the Marlins are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Nationals. The Nationals are 4-10 at home this season, and we expect them to get beat once again tonight! Take the Florida Marlins!
Warriors
Benjamin Lee Eckstein
White Sox and Padres
__________________
Fade King
Mlb:
6* Minny -195
6* Cinci +105
4* Pitt - 110
4* Seattle +105
2* Angels -125
2* Baltimore + 150
2* St. Louis + 190
2* Washington + 105
FREEBIES:
DC SPORTS: Two of the top three teams in the National League will square off in the first of a three-game series tonight at Shea Stadium. The visiting Milwaukee Brewers have the league's best mark at 24-10 while the New York Mets check in with the National League's 3rd best record at 21-12. Jeff Suppan will get the ball for the Brewers on Friday. He should bring plenty of confidence into this outing after a couple of brilliant efforts against New York in last season's NLCS. In two starts against the Mets, Suppan allowed only five hits and one earned run in 15 innings of work. He has been outstanding in his first season with the Brewers as Suppan enters tonight with a 2.63 E.R.A in seven starts. Jorge Sosa will get the nod for the Mets. He should also have some confidence after defeating last year's Cy Young award winner, Brandon Webb, in his first start of the season. Sosa allowed only one earned run in 13.2 innings of duty against Milwaukee last season. Despite their overall success, the Brewers are averaging only four runs per game on offense in their 13 road contests this season. New York has been an under club this season with a 21-11-1 mark to the under. Also, both teams have quality bullpens to go with in the late innings. Look for this one to go under the total on Friday. UNDER 9
__________________
Ben Burns
National League Game of the Week
Phillies
Personal Favorite
Toronto BlueJays
Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
MTI Sports
Game: Arizona Diamondbacks at Houston Astros May 11 2007 8:05PM
Prediction: Houston Astros
Reason: In Webb’s last outing, the D-Backs mustered only 5 hits and two runs and lost 5-2 to the Mets. Brandon does not respond well to poor run support, as Arizona is 0-6 as a FAVORITE with Webb when they scored three runs or fewer in his last start, averaging minus 138. This performance is not limited to Brandon Webb. As a team, Arizona is an absolutely horrid 0-11 as a FAVORITE when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start.
Arizona is coming off a 9-3 loss at home vs the Phillies and they are not a good investment after they get beaten badly. The Diamondbacks are a bankroll-crushing 7-17 as a FAVORITE after a 5+ run loss. The home dog is the way to go here.
MTi’s FORECAST: HOUSTON 6 Arizona 4
__________________
OTL'S FREE PICK OF THE DAY
111-58-6 the last 175 plays - 67%!
54-34-2 the last 90 plays - 64%!
May 11 - Texas +110 over Anaheim
Northcoast comp play (basketball)
3* under tb/tor kazmir/burnett
Wunderdog
Game: Baltimore at Boston (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Boston -175 (risk 4 to win 2.3)
The Red Sox are clicking in every facet of the game right now. They are hitting and now come home, where they hit even better, and the pitching has not allowed more than three runs in a game over the last six, and the bullpen has been the best in baseball. Fenway Park and the Red Sox in general have been bad news for the Birds. The Sox have taken 18 of the last 21 from the O's overall, and at Fenway have won 10 of the last 11. The Red Sox are outscoring the O's by 81-40 in those 11 games. The O's were able to dominate TB at home, but the road is completely different. The Birds were just 30-51 outside of the confines of Camden Yards last year and have showed no improvement this year as they have struggled to a 5-10 road mark. Red Sox continue their domination of the O's at Fenway.
Game: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Minnesota -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
There is always value in our eyes when Santana is on the hill at the Metrodome. The Twins have won in 32 of his last 38 starts here, or 84% of the time. Here we are laying a tad less than 2-1 odds on a starter that has proven over his entire career he is worth better than 4-1. Mike Maroth has been pitching to an ERA closing in on 5 for his career and even higher so far this year. Santana has won 10 of 12 decisions against the Tigers over his career or 83.3%, again another 4-1 ratio. Maroth has won just 3 of 12 decisions over the Twins, or 25%, and his ERA is right around his career average. There is no doubt where the value lies in this one and Santana and the Twins get the nod.
Game: St. Louis at San Diego (10:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on San Diego -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
One of the hottest pitchers in the league squaring off with one of the coldest. Kip Wells is 1-6, and the only consistency he has shown is he has gotten progressively worse from start-to-start. His season has shown earned runs of 0, 3, 4, 7, 7 and 7 in consecutive starts and he has now become bat shy. He walked 5 in his first 3 starts and 10 in his last 3, with more each outing - a sure sign of a pitcher devoid of confidence. He has now pitched to an ERA of 10.71 in his last four starts and the opponents have scored 36 runs in those starts. Jake Peavy is allowing just a .181 batting average against him and his ERA is below 2. The Cards scored nine runs last game, but don't be fooled. Rolen (1-18), Pujols (3-19), Edmonds (4-19), Eckstein (3-13), and Taqachi (2-10) in the last week and combined they have only one extra-base hit and zero HRs. The Cards ! offense has done nothing and when they face quality pitching, even less. They have faced eight starters on the season with an ERA of 3.00 or less on the season and this is what they produced: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 and 2 runs. That is 11 runs in 8 games or 1.38-runs per game! It is hard to conceive a lineup that is struggling to break-out against the league’s top pitcher so far and equally ill-conceived to see a pitcher that has progressively worsened start to start and one that has become bat shy will suddenly respond on the road.
PURE LOCK
MLB
Milwaukee
R&R TOTALS
MLB
Tampa Bay/Toronto OVER
MIKEY SPORTS
MLB
5* Chicago White Sox
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
MLB
3* Seattle +110 (Rasner/Washburn) Listed
Larry Ness' 15* Situational Game of the Week-MLB (now 27-6 since Opening Day!)
My 15* play is on the Cle Indians at 10:05 ET. This is a great spot for the Indians for a number of reasons. The A's have been away from home since May 1 and traveled back from KC last night. Meanwhile, the Indians were already on the west coast, flying up from LA. Cleveland sends ace CC Sabathia to the hill, who has opened 5-0 with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts this year, all Cleveland wins! He's lasted at least six innings in every start and allowed more than three ERs just once. He'll face an Oakland team that's had trouble scoring runs all year (especially at home where the team averages 3.38 runs per game), coming off its biggest output of the season on Thursday. The A's had season-highs in runs (17), hits (18) and HRs (six) in yesterday's clubbing of the pathetic Royals. The A's are just 6-7 at home this year but will be sending a quality pitcher to the mound in Joe Blanton.. Blanton is 3-1, 3.61 in seven starts this year, lasting at least six innings in all but one start and never allowing more than four runs in any game. However, the righty has allowed seven ERs in 12 innings (two starts) against the Indians, for an ERA of 5.25. Cleveland is 17-6 this year against righties, so expect Sabathia to get some support, as he faces a team that may just have "hit itself out" yesterday. Situational Game of the Week 15* Cle Indians.
Larry Ness' Friday Nite Delight-MLB (14-5 run the L/11 days!)
My Friday Nite Delight is on the Pit Pirates at 7:05 ETThe Braves open this weekend series at Pittsburgh at 22-12, giving them a half-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. However, the Braves are just 8-8 this year when facing a left-handed starter and I expect Pittsburgh's Zach Duke to give them trouble tonight. Duke had two brutal back-to-back outings this year against SF and Mil (18 hits and 14 ERs allowed in just six innings) but in his other five starts, he's allowed just nine ERs in 31.2 innings (2.56 ERA). That includes his last three starts in which he's allowed only four ERs in 18.2 innings for a 1.93 ERA. Pittsburgh is just 5-8 at home this year but that's not much of a sample and let's remember this team was 43-38 at home in 2006, going 35-22 vs righties (team was 11-6 in Duke's home starts, as compared to 1-16 on the road!). The Pirates sure have a righty they can hit tonight, in Atlanta's Ken Davies. In 14 starts last year, he was 3-7 with an 8.39 ERA (team was 5-9) and in five starts this year, has a 6.41 ERA. That mark includes a very solid first start but in his last four outings, he's allowed 17 ERs in 20 innings, for a 7.65 ERA. Friday Night Delight on the Pit Pirates
__________________
Rocketman
FREE MLB PLAY FRIDAY (104-73 59% run with freebies)
Kansas City @ Chicago White Sox 8:10 PM EST
Play On: 1* Chicago White Sox -175 (Perez/Garland) Listed
Kansas City is 3-18 this year when the total is 9 to 9 1/2. Kansas City is 8-29 last 3 years as a road underdog of +150 to +175. Kansas City is 1-7 this year on the road when the total is 9 to 9 1/2. Kansas City is scoring only 3.7 rpg overall, 3.5 rpg on the road and 3.7 rpg against Right handed starters this year. Kansas City bullpen has a 5.57 ERA overall and a 5.16 ERA on the road this season. White Sox bullpen has a 3.83 ERA overall and a 3.79 ERA at home this year. Perez has a 6.75 ERA overall this year and an 8.03 ERA on the road. Garland has a 3.92 ERA overall this year and a 3.27 ERA his last 3 starts. White Sox are 15-4 at home vs Kansas City last 3 years. Perez is 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA vs White Sox since 1997. Garland is 12-5 vs Kansas City since 1997. We'll recommend a small play on the Chicago White Sox tonight. Thanks and good luck, Rocky
Trev Rogers
11-0 run and 27-10!
San Francisco ML
Arizona/Houston Under 8.5
Florida ML
John Fina MLB Selection for Friday! comp
Selection: Florida Marlins (-130)
Reason: Put us down on the Florida Marlins (-130) for our Free MLB Selection on Friday. Today the Florida Marlins will be on the road as they take on the Washington Nationals. We will side with the Marlins! The Marlins will send to the mound Scott Olsen. Scott Olsen has been pitching great as of late (2.61 ERA in his last 3 starts), and we don't see this poor Nationals offense (scoring an average of only 2.9 runs per game) getting much hits or runs tonight. On the other hand, the Nationals will send to the mound Shawn Hill. Shawn Hill might have a solid (3.00 ERA on the season), however, he always seems to struggles when playing the Marlins. In fact, Shawn Hill has started two games against the Marlins (pitching a total of 11 innings) while giving up 9 runs! We see another poor showing by Shawn Hill tonight. The Marlins have also already proven to be the much superior team. This is shown by the fact that the Marlins are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Nationals. The Nationals are 4-10 at home this season, and we expect them to get beat once again tonight! Take the Florida Marlins!
Brandon Lang
FRIDAY
15 DIME
Mets - Specify Pitchers - Suppan vs Sosa
Rangers - Specify Pitchers - Lackey vs Padilla
Indians - Specify Pitchers - Sabathia vs Blanton
5 DIME
Phillies - Specify Pitchers - Hill vs Hamels
Padres -1 1/2 runs - Specify Pitchers - Wells vs Peavy
Warriors
Free pick - D'Rays (For analysis see daily video)
Note:
Alright, I will admitt, I wasn't very confident when the Pistons were down 19 in the 3rd quarter but I didn't lose hope.
But I will tell you this, I was impressed with how well I controlled my anger management in watching the Pistons no show up to that point.
I changed the channel over to A&E to change the karma and watched some cold case files.
All of a sudden my phone starts ringing off the hook with clients yelling at the Rasheed 3 at the end of the 3rd quarter making it a 1 point game and I watched the 4th quarter in complete satisfaction.
You have got to love the NBA where 20 point leads go to die.
That was another very important swing, maybe not as big as the Jazz Wednesday night but I solid swing nevertheless.
Feels great to once again be in position to have yet another winning week and I am confident it will be just that after the next 3 days.
You just keep battling, grinding, hammering away everyday knowing that the product you are giving to the consumer is the not only the most consistent, but the best there is.
I don't claim to win everyday and I don't false advertise nor am I dishonest. Fact of the matter is, I am the complete opposite.
I am the most honest and most sincere handicapper in the industry and I pride myself on those two traits more than anything else.
As I said on the outside, you give me the time and the faith and I will make you a consistent winner. You have all the validation and documentation you need all over my website.
You committ to me longterm and all the numbers that thousands before you have enjoyed, you will enjoy them to.
I am the most consistent winner this industry has ever seen and this time of year, especially in May, June, July and August, I am downright lethal.
So with that being said, time to go have a great Friday and set the table for a monster weekend.
FRIDAY
15 DIME
Mets - Specify Pitchers - Suppan vs Sosa
Rangers - Specify Pitchers - Lackey vs Padilla
Indians - Specify Pitchers - Sabathia vs Blanton
5 DIME
Phillies - Specify Pitchers - Hill vs Hamels
Padres -1 1/2 runs - Specify Pitchers - Wells vs Peavy
Warriors
Free pick - D'Rays (For analysis see daily video)
Note:
Alright, I will admitt, I wasn't very confident when the Pistons were down 19 in the 3rd quarter but I didn't lose hope.
But I will tell you this, I was impressed with how well I controlled my anger management in watching the Pistons no show up to that point.
I changed the channel over to A&E to change the karma and watched some cold case files.
All of a sudden my phone starts ringing off the hook with clients yelling at the Rasheed 3 at the end of the 3rd quarter making it a 1 point game and I watched the 4th quarter in complete satisfaction.
You have got to love the NBA where 20 point leads go to die.
That was another very important swing, maybe not as big as the Jazz Wednesday night but I solid swing nevertheless.
Feels great to once again be in position to have yet another winning week and I am confident it will be just that after the next 3 days.
You just keep battling, grinding, hammering away everyday knowing that the product you are giving to the consumer is the not only the most consistent, but the best there is.
I don't claim to win everyday and I don't false advertise nor am I dishonest. Fact of the matter is, I am the complete opposite.
I am the most honest and most sincere handicapper in the industry and I pride myself on those two traits more than anything else.
As I said on the outside, you give me the time and the faith and I will make you a consistent winner. You have all the validation and documentation you need all over my website.
You committ to me longterm and all the numbers that thousands before you have enjoyed, you will enjoy them to.
I am the most consistent winner this industry has ever seen and this time of year, especially in May, June, July and August, I am downright lethal.
So with that being said, time to go have a great Friday and set the table for a monster weekend.
Black Widow Sports
6* Widow Wiseguy NL Money Line of the Month on LA Dodgers -114
(List Wolf)
This is an absolute joke that we are getting a great price on the Dodgers at home today. We will capitalize on this mistake by linesmakers. The Dodgers are 31-11 against the money line vs. a bad bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities over the last 2 seasons. This is going to be a pitchers duel and when we get to the closing innings the Dodgers have a big advantage. Cincinnati is 7-18 against the money line in night games this season. The Reds are just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. The Reds are 0-4 in Arroyos last 4 starts as an underdog. The Dodgers are 81-38 in their last 119 home games versus a team with a losing record. They earn wins when they know they are favored and dont have letdowns, allowing the Dodgers to make runs at the postseason every year. Take the Dodgers Friday as they add another mark in the win column.
4* MAJOR on Toronto -126
(List Burnett)
Tampa Bay is 14-44 against the money line against excellent fielding teams that average less than 0.5 errors/game over the last 2 seasons. The Devil Rays are just 2-7 in Kazmirs last 9 starts against Toronto. He is a solid pitcher but cant deal with the explosiveness that the Blue Jays offense displays. Tampa Bay is a horrible 9-43 in their last 52 road games. Home field advantage doesnt normally mean much in the MLB, but in todays match-up it will clearly be an advantage. This young Devil Rays team has not learned how to win on the road. A.J. Burnett is 1-0 at home this season with a nice 3.75 ERA. Take the Blue Jays at home.
1* on Atlanta Braves +101
(List Davies and Duke)
The Braves are an underdog against this atrocious Pittsburgh squad? You have to be kidding me. Zach Duke is just 1-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA in 37 innings. Atlanta is 7-0 against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season. Atlanta is 17-9 against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons. The Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 games against a right-handed starter this season. Take the Braves to win on the road
Panhandle Sports
YTD = 28-14
Chicago Wsox
San Francisco
LA Angels
6* Widow Wiseguy NL Money Line of the Month on LA Dodgers -114
(List Wolf)
This is an absolute joke that we are getting a great price on the Dodgers at home today. We will capitalize on this mistake by linesmakers. The Dodgers are 31-11 against the money line vs. a bad bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities over the last 2 seasons. This is going to be a pitchers duel and when we get to the closing innings the Dodgers have a big advantage. Cincinnati is 7-18 against the money line in night games this season. The Reds are just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. The Reds are 0-4 in Arroyos last 4 starts as an underdog. The Dodgers are 81-38 in their last 119 home games versus a team with a losing record. They earn wins when they know they are favored and dont have letdowns, allowing the Dodgers to make runs at the postseason every year. Take the Dodgers Friday as they add another mark in the win column.
4* MAJOR on Toronto -126
(List Burnett)
Tampa Bay is 14-44 against the money line against excellent fielding teams that average less than 0.5 errors/game over the last 2 seasons. The Devil Rays are just 2-7 in Kazmirs last 9 starts against Toronto. He is a solid pitcher but cant deal with the explosiveness that the Blue Jays offense displays. Tampa Bay is a horrible 9-43 in their last 52 road games. Home field advantage doesnt normally mean much in the MLB, but in todays match-up it will clearly be an advantage. This young Devil Rays team has not learned how to win on the road. A.J. Burnett is 1-0 at home this season with a nice 3.75 ERA. Take the Blue Jays at home.
1* on Atlanta Braves +101
(List Davies and Duke)
The Braves are an underdog against this atrocious Pittsburgh squad? You have to be kidding me. Zach Duke is just 1-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA in 37 innings. Atlanta is 7-0 against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season. Atlanta is 17-9 against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons. The Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 games against a right-handed starter this season. Take the Braves to win on the road
Panhandle Sports
YTD = 28-14
Chicago Wsox
San Francisco
LA Angels
C-Star Sports
1000 Units AL Lock Of The Month! Toronto -120 Over Tampa Bay
1000 Units NL Game Of The Month! NY Mets -120 Over Milwaukee When NY METS team played as a Home team - Last 5 years - Vs Non Division Opponent - Coming off a 2 game winning streak - Coming off a Win vs. NL WEST opponent 8-2 SU in this spot. When NY METS team played as a Home team - Vs Conference Opponent - 1st game of a series - Coming off a Road win as a Favorite - Scored 5 or more runs FOR in their last game 9-2 SU in this spot.
1000 Units MLB Friday Night Value Crusher! Chicago White Sox -165 Over Kansas City When ANY MLB Team played as a -160 to -180 Home Favorite - Coming off vs. American League opponent - After a conference game - Vs. Left handed pitchers - Coming off a series win - Coming off 1 under CHI WHITE SOX 16-3 SU in this spot.
50 Units NY Yankees/Seattle Under 9.5 When ANY MLB Team Played as Road team as a Favorite - After a conference game - During the 2007 season - Vs Conference Opponent - Coming off lost vs. Right handed pitcher NY YANKEES 4-22 O/U in this spot.
1000 Units AL Lock Of The Month! Toronto -120 Over Tampa Bay
1000 Units NL Game Of The Month! NY Mets -120 Over Milwaukee When NY METS team played as a Home team - Last 5 years - Vs Non Division Opponent - Coming off a 2 game winning streak - Coming off a Win vs. NL WEST opponent 8-2 SU in this spot. When NY METS team played as a Home team - Vs Conference Opponent - 1st game of a series - Coming off a Road win as a Favorite - Scored 5 or more runs FOR in their last game 9-2 SU in this spot.
1000 Units MLB Friday Night Value Crusher! Chicago White Sox -165 Over Kansas City When ANY MLB Team played as a -160 to -180 Home Favorite - Coming off vs. American League opponent - After a conference game - Vs. Left handed pitchers - Coming off a series win - Coming off 1 under CHI WHITE SOX 16-3 SU in this spot.
50 Units NY Yankees/Seattle Under 9.5 When ANY MLB Team Played as Road team as a Favorite - After a conference game - During the 2007 season - Vs Conference Opponent - Coming off lost vs. Right handed pitcher NY YANKEES 4-22 O/U in this spot.
Service Plays from Bookie Buster:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Brandon Lang
15 Dime
Mets
Texas
Cleveland
5 Dime
Phillies
Padres - 1 1/2
Golden State
Black Widow
6* Widow Wiseguy NL Money Line of the Month on LA Dodgers -114
(List Wolf)
This is an absolute joke that we are getting a great price on the Dodgers at home today. We will capitalize on this mistake by linesmakers. The Dodgers are 31-11 against the money line vs. a bad bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities over the last 2 seasons. This is going to be a pitchers duel and when we get to the closing innings the Dodgers have a big advantage. Cincinnati is 7-18 against the money line in night games this season. The Reds are just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. The Reds are 0-4 in Arroyos last 4 starts as an underdog. The Dodgers are 81-38 in their last 119 home games versus a team with a losing record. They earn wins when they know they are favored and dont have letdowns, allowing the Dodgers to make runs at the postseason every year. Take the Dodgers Friday as they add another mark in the win column.
4* MAJOR on Toronto -126
(List Burnett)
Tampa Bay is 14-44 against the money line against excellent fielding teams that average less than 0.5 errors/game over the last 2 seasons. The Devil Rays are just 2-7 in Kazmirs last 9 starts against Toronto. He is a solid pitcher but cant deal with the explosiveness that the Blue Jays offense displays. Tampa Bay is a horrible 9-43 in their last 52 road games. Home field advantage doesnt normally mean much in the MLB, but in todays match-up it will clearly be an advantage. This young Devil Rays team has not learned how to win on the road. A.J. Burnett is 1-0 at home this season with a nice 3.75 ERA. Take the Blue Jays at home.
1* on Atlanta Braves +101
(List Davies and Duke)
The Braves are an underdog against this atrocious Pittsburgh squad? You have to be kidding me. Zach Duke is just 1-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA in 37 innings. Atlanta is 7-0 against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season. Atlanta is 17-9 against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons. The Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 games against a right-handed starter this season. Take the Braves to win on the road.
Paul Leiner
Seattle/New York
Pick: 5* Yankees
Marc Lawrence
Arizona w/Webb over Houston
D'Backs Brandon Webb takes the hill in Houston knowing he is 4-1 in his career team starts against the Astros. With Arizona 4-1 in road series openers, and Houston 1-4 in home series openers this season, look for Webb to continue his winning ways here tonight
Hondo
Tonight, suppose Suppan wins out at Flushing's Lame Duck Dump. If that happens Hondo's five-game schneid will be history. Ten units on the Brewers
cremaster
Survivor Pick Record: 12-2-2
Friday pick: Arizona -119 (lost 1 so hopefully a new streak begins)
Benjamin Lee Eckstein
<o></o>
White Sox and Padres
Jim Feist (Bonus Play)
<o></o>
My free pick of the day is the game between (917) BAL Orioles and (918) BOS Red Sox. Take "(918) BOS Red Sox". Baltimore is struggling badly because of a rash of injuries to the starting pitching. It has depleted their strong early season bullpen numbers and forced them to throw relievers into the starting role. It's tough enough to pitch in Fenway park, and they are forced to go with lefty Brian Burres. Burres walks too many batters (10 in 17 innings) and that will really hurt in this park against a Boston offense that preaches patience at the plate while looking to draw walks. Red Sox starter Julian Tavarez has been better than that 6.48 ERA. He's given them two straight strong starts against the Twins and Yankees, with a 15-6 K/BB ratio his last 4 starts. Play the Red Sox!
Dave Cokin (Bonus Play)
<o></o>
My free pick of the day is the game between (927) CLE Indians and (928) OAK Athletics. Take "(927) CLE Indians". Dave's $10 Upset Special was a laugher from start to finish as the Red Sox buried the Blue Jays, 8-0! "The Indians got wiped out in the finale of their series at Anaheim, but I like the Tribe to get back to winning tonight. Sabathia has always excelled on the road, and this year the big lefty is on a huge early season roll. 5-0 with a dynamite 53/9 BB/K ratio is more than outstanding. Joe Blanton has been okay for Oakland as well, but the better pitcher and the better offense make Cleveland the side tonight as moderately priced road favorites."
Marc Lawrence (Bonus Play)
Bonus Play: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros
Arizona w/Webb over Houston D'Backs' Brandon Webb takes the hill in Houston knowing he is 4-1 in his career team starts against the Astros. With Arizona 4-1 in road series openers, and Houston 1-4 in home series openers this season, look for Webb to continue his winning ways here tonight. Marc Lawrence's NBA Fan Appreciation Play on Friday night's Game Three matchup between the Jazz & Warriors is backed by a dynamite winning angle inside the game that is 21-0 ATS! Get it now - you'll be glad you did.
Fade King
6* Minny -195
6* Cinci +105
4* Pitt - 110
4* Seattle +105
2* Angels -125
2* Baltimore + 150
2* St. Louis + 190
2* Washington + 105
Karl Garrett
60 DIMER - GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS....10 DIMERS - OAKLAND WITH BLANTON, & ATLANTA WITH DAVIES
10 DIMER - OAKLAND A'S WITH BLANTON
Great value tonight with a decent Oakland pitcher who is going up against a pitcher who is undefeated at 5-0, but has been getting hit hard his last few times to the bump.
CC Sabathia has allowed 11 runs over his last 19 innings of work, and his team has been held to just 2 runs over their last 18 innings of play, as the Tribe bring a 2-game losing streak into play tonight.
Sabathia is due for a loss, and the Indians look like they may be a little tired on this current west coast swing.
Take the Athletics plus the money tonight.
10 DIMER - ATLANTA BRAVES WITH DAVIES
The Braves just swept the Padres in Atlanta, and now they put their 9-5 road mark on the line in Pittsburgh against a Pirates team they beat twice in three games last year in the Steel City.
Kyle Davies has yet to win, and while I will admit Zach Duke is probably the better pitcher right now, I simply can't trust the Pirates bats to deliver in the clutch.
Pittsburgh did get 6 yesterday in their win at Chicago, but the Pirates are only 5-8 at home this year.
Atlanta is surely the better team, and while Davies hasn't looked great, the Atlanta pen has been a gem this year, so I am not worried if Davies gets knocked around a little.
Trust the Braves bats to deliver more than I trust the Pirates bats! Go with Atlanta.
Chris Jordan
500? WHITE SOX RUN LINE
LIST Garland and Perez
200? CUBS
LIST Hill and Hamels
Ben Burns
National League Game of the Week
Phillies
Personal Favorite
Toronto BlueJays
Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Brandon Lang
15 Dime
Mets
Texas
Cleveland
5 Dime
Phillies
Padres - 1 1/2
Golden State
Black Widow
6* Widow Wiseguy NL Money Line of the Month on LA Dodgers -114
(List Wolf)
This is an absolute joke that we are getting a great price on the Dodgers at home today. We will capitalize on this mistake by linesmakers. The Dodgers are 31-11 against the money line vs. a bad bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities over the last 2 seasons. This is going to be a pitchers duel and when we get to the closing innings the Dodgers have a big advantage. Cincinnati is 7-18 against the money line in night games this season. The Reds are just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. The Reds are 0-4 in Arroyos last 4 starts as an underdog. The Dodgers are 81-38 in their last 119 home games versus a team with a losing record. They earn wins when they know they are favored and dont have letdowns, allowing the Dodgers to make runs at the postseason every year. Take the Dodgers Friday as they add another mark in the win column.
4* MAJOR on Toronto -126
(List Burnett)
Tampa Bay is 14-44 against the money line against excellent fielding teams that average less than 0.5 errors/game over the last 2 seasons. The Devil Rays are just 2-7 in Kazmirs last 9 starts against Toronto. He is a solid pitcher but cant deal with the explosiveness that the Blue Jays offense displays. Tampa Bay is a horrible 9-43 in their last 52 road games. Home field advantage doesnt normally mean much in the MLB, but in todays match-up it will clearly be an advantage. This young Devil Rays team has not learned how to win on the road. A.J. Burnett is 1-0 at home this season with a nice 3.75 ERA. Take the Blue Jays at home.
1* on Atlanta Braves +101
(List Davies and Duke)
The Braves are an underdog against this atrocious Pittsburgh squad? You have to be kidding me. Zach Duke is just 1-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA in 37 innings. Atlanta is 7-0 against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season. Atlanta is 17-9 against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons. The Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 games against a right-handed starter this season. Take the Braves to win on the road.
Paul Leiner
Seattle/New York
Pick: 5* Yankees
Marc Lawrence
Arizona w/Webb over Houston
D'Backs Brandon Webb takes the hill in Houston knowing he is 4-1 in his career team starts against the Astros. With Arizona 4-1 in road series openers, and Houston 1-4 in home series openers this season, look for Webb to continue his winning ways here tonight
Hondo
Tonight, suppose Suppan wins out at Flushing's Lame Duck Dump. If that happens Hondo's five-game schneid will be history. Ten units on the Brewers
cremaster
Survivor Pick Record: 12-2-2
Friday pick: Arizona -119 (lost 1 so hopefully a new streak begins)
Benjamin Lee Eckstein
<o
></o>White Sox and Padres
Jim Feist (Bonus Play)
<o
></o>My free pick of the day is the game between (917) BAL Orioles and (918) BOS Red Sox. Take "(918) BOS Red Sox". Baltimore is struggling badly because of a rash of injuries to the starting pitching. It has depleted their strong early season bullpen numbers and forced them to throw relievers into the starting role. It's tough enough to pitch in Fenway park, and they are forced to go with lefty Brian Burres. Burres walks too many batters (10 in 17 innings) and that will really hurt in this park against a Boston offense that preaches patience at the plate while looking to draw walks. Red Sox starter Julian Tavarez has been better than that 6.48 ERA. He's given them two straight strong starts against the Twins and Yankees, with a 15-6 K/BB ratio his last 4 starts. Play the Red Sox!
Dave Cokin (Bonus Play)
<o
></o>My free pick of the day is the game between (927) CLE Indians and (928) OAK Athletics. Take "(927) CLE Indians". Dave's $10 Upset Special was a laugher from start to finish as the Red Sox buried the Blue Jays, 8-0! "The Indians got wiped out in the finale of their series at Anaheim, but I like the Tribe to get back to winning tonight. Sabathia has always excelled on the road, and this year the big lefty is on a huge early season roll. 5-0 with a dynamite 53/9 BB/K ratio is more than outstanding. Joe Blanton has been okay for Oakland as well, but the better pitcher and the better offense make Cleveland the side tonight as moderately priced road favorites."
Marc Lawrence (Bonus Play)
Bonus Play: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Houston Astros
Arizona w/Webb over Houston D'Backs' Brandon Webb takes the hill in Houston knowing he is 4-1 in his career team starts against the Astros. With Arizona 4-1 in road series openers, and Houston 1-4 in home series openers this season, look for Webb to continue his winning ways here tonight. Marc Lawrence's NBA Fan Appreciation Play on Friday night's Game Three matchup between the Jazz & Warriors is backed by a dynamite winning angle inside the game that is 21-0 ATS! Get it now - you'll be glad you did.
Fade King
6* Minny -195
6* Cinci +105
4* Pitt - 110
4* Seattle +105
2* Angels -125
2* Baltimore + 150
2* St. Louis + 190
2* Washington + 105
Karl Garrett
60 DIMER - GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS....10 DIMERS - OAKLAND WITH BLANTON, & ATLANTA WITH DAVIES
10 DIMER - OAKLAND A'S WITH BLANTON
Great value tonight with a decent Oakland pitcher who is going up against a pitcher who is undefeated at 5-0, but has been getting hit hard his last few times to the bump.
CC Sabathia has allowed 11 runs over his last 19 innings of work, and his team has been held to just 2 runs over their last 18 innings of play, as the Tribe bring a 2-game losing streak into play tonight.
Sabathia is due for a loss, and the Indians look like they may be a little tired on this current west coast swing.
Take the Athletics plus the money tonight.
10 DIMER - ATLANTA BRAVES WITH DAVIES
The Braves just swept the Padres in Atlanta, and now they put their 9-5 road mark on the line in Pittsburgh against a Pirates team they beat twice in three games last year in the Steel City.
Kyle Davies has yet to win, and while I will admit Zach Duke is probably the better pitcher right now, I simply can't trust the Pirates bats to deliver in the clutch.
Pittsburgh did get 6 yesterday in their win at Chicago, but the Pirates are only 5-8 at home this year.
Atlanta is surely the better team, and while Davies hasn't looked great, the Atlanta pen has been a gem this year, so I am not worried if Davies gets knocked around a little.
Trust the Braves bats to deliver more than I trust the Pirates bats! Go with Atlanta.
Chris Jordan
500? WHITE SOX RUN LINE
LIST Garland and Perez
200? CUBS
LIST Hill and Hamels
Ben Burns
National League Game of the Week
Phillies
Personal Favorite
Toronto BlueJays
Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
Service Plays from Bookie Buster:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
Mike Cannon
10* Minnesota Twins - 1 1/2
5* Toronto
5* Florida Marlins
5* Oakland A's
Paul Leiner
Game: Seattle/New York
Prediction: 5 Star Yankees -115
John Martin
Bonus Play: Florida Marlins vs Washington Nationals
1 Unit on Florida Marlins -111 (Listing Olsen) The Florida Marlins will make a joke out of this terrible Nationals squad today. Scott Olsen is 7-1 against the money line in road games vs. teams outscored by opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. Olsen is 8-2 against the money line in road games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons. WASHINGTON is 3-16 against the money line after 7 or more consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons. Washington is just 4-13 in their last 17 home games. The Marlins are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings with Washington. The Nationals are 1-5 in Shawn Hill's last 6 starts as a home underdog. Take the Marlins on the road Friday
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<!-- / message -->GOLD KEY GAMES
3*(Bonus Play): Texas Rangers +1.5 runs -135
Silver Key (Bonus Play): Oakland A's +1.5 runs -150
SCOTTSPICKS
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Bonus Plays
Pittsburgh Pirates -110
Wunderdog
Game: Baltimore at Boston (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Boston -175 (risk 4 to win 2.3)
The Red Sox are clicking in every facet of the game right now. They are hitting and now come home, where they hit even better, and the pitching has not allowed more than three runs in a game over the last six, and the bullpen has been the best in baseball. Fenway Park and the Red Sox in general have been bad news for the Birds. The Sox have taken 18 of the last 21 from the O's overall, and at Fenway have won 10 of the last 11. The Red Sox are outscoring the O's by 81-40 in those 11 games. The O's were able to dominate TB at home, but the road is completely different. The Birds were just 30-51 outside of the confines of Camden Yards last year and have showed no improvement this year as they have struggled to a 5-10 road mark. Red Sox continue their domination of the O's at Fenway.
Game: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Minnesota -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
There is always value in our eyes when Santana is on the hill at the Metrodome. The Twins have won in 32 of his last 38 starts here, or 84% of the time. Here we are laying a tad less than 2-1 odds on a starter that has proven over his entire career he is worth better than 4-1. Mike Maroth has been pitching to an ERA closing in on 5 for his career and even higher so far this year. Santana has won 10 of 12 decisions against the Tigers over his career or 83.3%, again another 4-1 ratio. Maroth has won just 3 of 12 decisions over the Twins, or 25%, and his ERA is right around his career average. There is no doubt where the value lies in this one and Santana and the Twins get the nod.
Game: St. Louis at San Diego (10:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on San Diego -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
One of the hottest pitchers in the league squaring off with one of the coldest. Kip Wells is 1-6, and the only consistency he has shown is he has gotten progressively worse from start-to-start. His season has shown earned runs of 0, 3, 4, 7, 7 and 7 in consecutive starts and he has now become bat shy. He walked 5 in his first 3 starts and 10 in his last 3, with more each outing - a sure sign of a pitcher devoid of confidence. He has now pitched to an ERA of 10.71 in his last four starts and the opponents have scored 36 runs in those starts. Jake Peavy is allowing just a .181 batting average against him and his ERA is below 2. The Cards scored nine runs last game, but don't be fooled. Rolen (1-18), Pujols (3-19), Edmonds (4-19), Eckstein (3-13), and Taqachi (2-10) in the last week and combined they have only one extra-base hit and zero HRs. The Cards ! offense has done nothing and when they face quality pitching, even less. They have faced eight starters on the season with an ERA of 3.00 or less on the season and this is what they produced: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 and 2 runs. That is 11 runs in 8 games or 1.38-runs per game! It is hard to conceive a lineup that is struggling to break-out against the league’s top pitcher so far and equally ill-conceived to see a pitcher that has progressively worsened start to start and one that has become bat shy will suddenly respond on the road.
Michael Cannon Money Train
10 Dime –
TWINS -1 ½ RUN LINE (With Maroth and Santana as listed pitchers)
I know it’s a big price, but when you have a pitcher like Johan Santana at home it’s as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get.
Santana has dominated the Tigers in his career, much like every other major league club. He’s 10-2 with a 2.68 ERA in 16 games. In 110 2-3 innings, Santana has given up only 81 hits while striking out 117 Detroit batters.
Mike Maroth will go for the Tigers and he’s had his problems with the Twins. The left-hander is 3-9 with a 4.69 ERA in 17 games against Minnesota.
I’ll gladly lay the run and a half if it means getting Santana at home at this price.
Take the Twins on the run line behind their ace.
5 Dime –
BLUE JAYS (With Burnett as listed pitcher)
I’ll admit I’m a big fan of A.J. Burnett. The guy has incredible stuff but just seems to be cursed by the injury bug which explains why he hasn’t been able to put together a string of successful seasons one after another.
But if there’s any guy who has the stuff to match Scott Kazmir, it’s Burnett.
The Devil Ray’s ace is an extremely talented, young pitcher. But he’s going to find the offensive support he needs to win on the road wanting against Burnett.
Kazmir is 2-3 in his career against the Blue Jays, including a loss on April 8, when he gave up four earned runs in seven innings of a 6-3 home loss.
Burnett will have success tonight against the free-swinging Devil Rays lineup. He has the ability to blow his fastball by hitters and will get Tampa Bay to chase some of his offspeed stuff out of the zone.
The Toronto right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.56 ERA in nine career games against Tampa, allowing only 42 hits in 70 1-3 innings with 60 strikeouts.
Lay the small juice with Toronto behind Burnett tonight at home.
MARLINS (With Olsen as listed pitcher)
This is a small price to pay with the better lineup and better pitcher tonight.
Take the Marlins with Scott Olsen tonight over Washington.
The young left-hander has straightened himself out after a rough early start to the season. He’s 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA over his last three starts, with 19 strikeouts and only six walks over 20 2-3 innings.
He’ll be going against a putrid Nationals lineup that doesn’t offer much punch, especially not in cavernous RFK Stadium.
The Marlins do have a talented bunch of hitters in their lineup, and I expect them to wear out the Washington pitching staff tonight.
Lay the small juice with Florida behind Olsen.
A’s (With Sabathia and Blanton as listed pitchers)
Take the A’s tonight at home over the Indians as a small dog.
We’re getting great value with Oakland tonight because of the strong start Cleveland pitcher C.C. Sabathia has had.
Sabathia is 5-0 on the season with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts, but he has a poor track record against Oakland. The big southpaw is 1-4 with a 6.40 ERA in 10 career games against the A’s.
I wouldn’t be comfortable laying the wood with him on the road with that kind of history against Oakland.
A’s starter Joe Blanton is a tough, no-nonsense kind of pitcher who seems to give Oakland a quality start every time out, regardless of venue. He’s 3-1 on the year with a 3.61 ERA in seven starts.
Take the A’s as a small home dog as they grab the win over Cleveland.
Bonus Play: BREWERS (For analysis watch the daily video posted in the Friday Talk Thread)
Bobby Maxwell
100-Unit NL Road Warrior - D'BACKS
100-Unit AL 'Dog of the Day - DEVIL RAYS
OTL'S FREE PICK OF THE DAY
Texas +110 over Anaheim
PURE LOCK
Milwaukee
Tampa Bay/Toronto OVER
MIKEY SPORTS
5* Chicago White Sox
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
3* Seattle +110 (Rasner/Washburn) Listed
Trev Rogers Bonus Plays
San Fran ML
AZ/Hou Under 8.5
Florida ML
Larry Ness' 15* Situational Game of the Week-MLB (now 27-6 since Opening Day!)
My 15* play is on the Cle Indians at 10:05 ET. This is a great spot for the Indians for a number of reasons. The A's have been away from home since May 1 and traveled back from KC last night. Meanwhile, the Indians were already on the west coast, flying up from LA. Cleveland sends ace CC Sabathia to the hill, who has opened 5-0 with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts this year, all Cleveland wins! He's lasted at least six innings in every start and allowed more than three ERs just once. He'll face an Oakland team that's had trouble scoring runs all year (especially at home where the team averages 3.38 runs per game), coming off its biggest output of the season on Thursday. The A's had season-highs in runs (17), hits (18) and HRs (six) in yesterday's clubbing of the pathetic Royals. The A's are just 6-7 at home this year but will be sending a quality pitcher to the mound in Joe Blanton.. Blanton is 3-1, 3.61 in seven starts this year, lasting at least six innings in all but one start and never allowing more than four runs in any game. However, the righty has allowed seven ERs in 12 innings (two starts) against the Indians, for an ERA of 5.25. Cleveland is 17-6 this year against righties, so expect Sabathia to get some support, as he faces a team that may just have "hit itself out" yesterday. Situational Game of the Week 15* Cle Indians.
Larry Ness' Friday Nite Delight-MLB (14-5 run the L/11 days!)
My Friday Nite Delight is on the Pit Pirates at 7:05 ETThe Braves open this weekend series at Pittsburgh at 22-12, giving them a half-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. However, the Braves are just 8-8 this year when facing a left-handed starter and I expect Pittsburgh's Zach Duke to give them trouble tonight. Duke had two brutal back-to-back outings this year against SF and Mil (18 hits and 14 ERs allowed in just six innings) but in his other five starts, he's allowed just nine ERs in 31.2 innings (2.56 ERA). That includes his last three starts in which he's allowed only four ERs in 18.2 innings for a 1.93 ERA. Pittsburgh is just 5-8 at home this year but that's not much of a sample and let's remember this team was 43-38 at home in 2006, going 35-22 vs righties (team was 11-6 in Duke's home starts, as compared to 1-16 on the road!). The Pirates sure have a righty they can hit tonight, in Atlanta's Ken Davies. In 14 starts last year, he was 3-7 with an 8.39 ERA (team was 5-9) and in five starts this year, has a 6.41 ERA. That mark includes a very solid first start but in his last four outings, he's allowed 17 ERs in 20 innings, for a 7.65 ERA. Friday Night Delight on the Pit Pirates.
Tony Onio
500?dodgers
200?florida
Power Play Sports
NYY -125
Maverick
<o></o>
Cub under 8.5
Ariz.
Winning Points
<o></o>
6* Cubs
5* Ariz
4* Clev
Panhandle Sports
Chicago Wsox
San Francisco
LA Angels
Profitt Plays
Boston
Atlanta
Detroit
Sebastian
5*-Stl
5*-KC
7*Cubs
10*-Clev
10*-Ariz
10*-Balt.
John Ryan
3* Phillies
Jim Fiest
Inner Circle - mariners (washburn)
ATS Lock Club
5 D-Backs -120
4 Marlins -115
4 D-Rays +120
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fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Mike Cannon
10* Minnesota Twins - 1 1/2
5* Toronto
5* Florida Marlins
5* Oakland A's
Paul Leiner
Game: Seattle/New York
Prediction: 5 Star Yankees -115
John Martin
Bonus Play: Florida Marlins vs Washington Nationals
1 Unit on Florida Marlins -111 (Listing Olsen) The Florida Marlins will make a joke out of this terrible Nationals squad today. Scott Olsen is 7-1 against the money line in road games vs. teams outscored by opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. Olsen is 8-2 against the money line in road games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons. WASHINGTON is 3-16 against the money line after 7 or more consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons. Washington is just 4-13 in their last 17 home games. The Marlins are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings with Washington. The Nationals are 1-5 in Shawn Hill's last 6 starts as a home underdog. Take the Marlins on the road Friday
<o
></o><!-- / message -->GOLD KEY GAMES
3*(Bonus Play): Texas Rangers +1.5 runs -135
Silver Key (Bonus Play): Oakland A's +1.5 runs -150
SCOTTSPICKS
<o
></o>Bonus Plays
Pittsburgh Pirates -110
Wunderdog
Game: Baltimore at Boston (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Boston -175 (risk 4 to win 2.3)
The Red Sox are clicking in every facet of the game right now. They are hitting and now come home, where they hit even better, and the pitching has not allowed more than three runs in a game over the last six, and the bullpen has been the best in baseball. Fenway Park and the Red Sox in general have been bad news for the Birds. The Sox have taken 18 of the last 21 from the O's overall, and at Fenway have won 10 of the last 11. The Red Sox are outscoring the O's by 81-40 in those 11 games. The O's were able to dominate TB at home, but the road is completely different. The Birds were just 30-51 outside of the confines of Camden Yards last year and have showed no improvement this year as they have struggled to a 5-10 road mark. Red Sox continue their domination of the O's at Fenway.
Game: Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Minnesota -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
There is always value in our eyes when Santana is on the hill at the Metrodome. The Twins have won in 32 of his last 38 starts here, or 84% of the time. Here we are laying a tad less than 2-1 odds on a starter that has proven over his entire career he is worth better than 4-1. Mike Maroth has been pitching to an ERA closing in on 5 for his career and even higher so far this year. Santana has won 10 of 12 decisions against the Tigers over his career or 83.3%, again another 4-1 ratio. Maroth has won just 3 of 12 decisions over the Twins, or 25%, and his ERA is right around his career average. There is no doubt where the value lies in this one and Santana and the Twins get the nod.
Game: St. Louis at San Diego (10:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on San Diego -200 (risk 4 to win 2)
One of the hottest pitchers in the league squaring off with one of the coldest. Kip Wells is 1-6, and the only consistency he has shown is he has gotten progressively worse from start-to-start. His season has shown earned runs of 0, 3, 4, 7, 7 and 7 in consecutive starts and he has now become bat shy. He walked 5 in his first 3 starts and 10 in his last 3, with more each outing - a sure sign of a pitcher devoid of confidence. He has now pitched to an ERA of 10.71 in his last four starts and the opponents have scored 36 runs in those starts. Jake Peavy is allowing just a .181 batting average against him and his ERA is below 2. The Cards scored nine runs last game, but don't be fooled. Rolen (1-18), Pujols (3-19), Edmonds (4-19), Eckstein (3-13), and Taqachi (2-10) in the last week and combined they have only one extra-base hit and zero HRs. The Cards ! offense has done nothing and when they face quality pitching, even less. They have faced eight starters on the season with an ERA of 3.00 or less on the season and this is what they produced: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 and 2 runs. That is 11 runs in 8 games or 1.38-runs per game! It is hard to conceive a lineup that is struggling to break-out against the league’s top pitcher so far and equally ill-conceived to see a pitcher that has progressively worsened start to start and one that has become bat shy will suddenly respond on the road.
Michael Cannon Money Train
10 Dime –
TWINS -1 ½ RUN LINE (With Maroth and Santana as listed pitchers)
I know it’s a big price, but when you have a pitcher like Johan Santana at home it’s as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get.
Santana has dominated the Tigers in his career, much like every other major league club. He’s 10-2 with a 2.68 ERA in 16 games. In 110 2-3 innings, Santana has given up only 81 hits while striking out 117 Detroit batters.
Mike Maroth will go for the Tigers and he’s had his problems with the Twins. The left-hander is 3-9 with a 4.69 ERA in 17 games against Minnesota.
I’ll gladly lay the run and a half if it means getting Santana at home at this price.
Take the Twins on the run line behind their ace.
5 Dime –
BLUE JAYS (With Burnett as listed pitcher)
I’ll admit I’m a big fan of A.J. Burnett. The guy has incredible stuff but just seems to be cursed by the injury bug which explains why he hasn’t been able to put together a string of successful seasons one after another.
But if there’s any guy who has the stuff to match Scott Kazmir, it’s Burnett.
The Devil Ray’s ace is an extremely talented, young pitcher. But he’s going to find the offensive support he needs to win on the road wanting against Burnett.
Kazmir is 2-3 in his career against the Blue Jays, including a loss on April 8, when he gave up four earned runs in seven innings of a 6-3 home loss.
Burnett will have success tonight against the free-swinging Devil Rays lineup. He has the ability to blow his fastball by hitters and will get Tampa Bay to chase some of his offspeed stuff out of the zone.
The Toronto right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.56 ERA in nine career games against Tampa, allowing only 42 hits in 70 1-3 innings with 60 strikeouts.
Lay the small juice with Toronto behind Burnett tonight at home.
MARLINS (With Olsen as listed pitcher)
This is a small price to pay with the better lineup and better pitcher tonight.
Take the Marlins with Scott Olsen tonight over Washington.
The young left-hander has straightened himself out after a rough early start to the season. He’s 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA over his last three starts, with 19 strikeouts and only six walks over 20 2-3 innings.
He’ll be going against a putrid Nationals lineup that doesn’t offer much punch, especially not in cavernous RFK Stadium.
The Marlins do have a talented bunch of hitters in their lineup, and I expect them to wear out the Washington pitching staff tonight.
Lay the small juice with Florida behind Olsen.
A’s (With Sabathia and Blanton as listed pitchers)
Take the A’s tonight at home over the Indians as a small dog.
We’re getting great value with Oakland tonight because of the strong start Cleveland pitcher C.C. Sabathia has had.
Sabathia is 5-0 on the season with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts, but he has a poor track record against Oakland. The big southpaw is 1-4 with a 6.40 ERA in 10 career games against the A’s.
I wouldn’t be comfortable laying the wood with him on the road with that kind of history against Oakland.
A’s starter Joe Blanton is a tough, no-nonsense kind of pitcher who seems to give Oakland a quality start every time out, regardless of venue. He’s 3-1 on the year with a 3.61 ERA in seven starts.
Take the A’s as a small home dog as they grab the win over Cleveland.
Bonus Play: BREWERS (For analysis watch the daily video posted in the Friday Talk Thread)
Bobby Maxwell
100-Unit NL Road Warrior - D'BACKS
100-Unit AL 'Dog of the Day - DEVIL RAYS
OTL'S FREE PICK OF THE DAY
Texas +110 over Anaheim
PURE LOCK
Milwaukee
Tampa Bay/Toronto OVER
MIKEY SPORTS
5* Chicago White Sox
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
3* Seattle +110 (Rasner/Washburn) Listed
Trev Rogers Bonus Plays
San Fran ML
AZ/Hou Under 8.5
Florida ML
Larry Ness' 15* Situational Game of the Week-MLB (now 27-6 since Opening Day!)
My 15* play is on the Cle Indians at 10:05 ET. This is a great spot for the Indians for a number of reasons. The A's have been away from home since May 1 and traveled back from KC last night. Meanwhile, the Indians were already on the west coast, flying up from LA. Cleveland sends ace CC Sabathia to the hill, who has opened 5-0 with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts this year, all Cleveland wins! He's lasted at least six innings in every start and allowed more than three ERs just once. He'll face an Oakland team that's had trouble scoring runs all year (especially at home where the team averages 3.38 runs per game), coming off its biggest output of the season on Thursday. The A's had season-highs in runs (17), hits (18) and HRs (six) in yesterday's clubbing of the pathetic Royals. The A's are just 6-7 at home this year but will be sending a quality pitcher to the mound in Joe Blanton.. Blanton is 3-1, 3.61 in seven starts this year, lasting at least six innings in all but one start and never allowing more than four runs in any game. However, the righty has allowed seven ERs in 12 innings (two starts) against the Indians, for an ERA of 5.25. Cleveland is 17-6 this year against righties, so expect Sabathia to get some support, as he faces a team that may just have "hit itself out" yesterday. Situational Game of the Week 15* Cle Indians.
Larry Ness' Friday Nite Delight-MLB (14-5 run the L/11 days!)
My Friday Nite Delight is on the Pit Pirates at 7:05 ETThe Braves open this weekend series at Pittsburgh at 22-12, giving them a half-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. However, the Braves are just 8-8 this year when facing a left-handed starter and I expect Pittsburgh's Zach Duke to give them trouble tonight. Duke had two brutal back-to-back outings this year against SF and Mil (18 hits and 14 ERs allowed in just six innings) but in his other five starts, he's allowed just nine ERs in 31.2 innings (2.56 ERA). That includes his last three starts in which he's allowed only four ERs in 18.2 innings for a 1.93 ERA. Pittsburgh is just 5-8 at home this year but that's not much of a sample and let's remember this team was 43-38 at home in 2006, going 35-22 vs righties (team was 11-6 in Duke's home starts, as compared to 1-16 on the road!). The Pirates sure have a righty they can hit tonight, in Atlanta's Ken Davies. In 14 starts last year, he was 3-7 with an 8.39 ERA (team was 5-9) and in five starts this year, has a 6.41 ERA. That mark includes a very solid first start but in his last four outings, he's allowed 17 ERs in 20 innings, for a 7.65 ERA. Friday Night Delight on the Pit Pirates.
Tony Onio
500?dodgers
200?florida
Power Play Sports
NYY -125
Maverick
<o
></o>Cub under 8.5
Ariz.
Winning Points
<o
></o>6* Cubs
5* Ariz
4* Clev
Panhandle Sports
Chicago Wsox
San Francisco
LA Angels
Profitt Plays
Boston
Atlanta
Detroit
Sebastian
5*-Stl
5*-KC
7*Cubs
10*-Clev
10*-Ariz
10*-Balt.
John Ryan
3* Phillies
Jim Fiest
Inner Circle - mariners (washburn)
ATS Lock Club
5 D-Backs -120
4 Marlins -115
4 D-Rays +120
<o
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Service Plays from Bookie Buster:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Donald Tran
<o></o>
Matchup: San Francisco at Colorado
Prediction: Colorado Rockies -110 W/ Fogg
Jennifer Barry
Matchup: Milwaukee at NY
Prediction: Milwaukee +120 W/ Suppan
Eddie McKinney
Fast Eddie Sports
10* Cleveland Indians - 125
BRIAN JAMES
<o></o>
Free Pick for Friday, May 11th:
Detroit Tigers +188
Lets face the facts: Most of us out there want to like the Twins. For whatever reason they are one of baseballs love-able teams. The real fact is, they are playing crap ball right now. In one of the rare home fields in baseball that is actually supposed to be an advantage the Twins are dropping games like a little league team drops fly balls. And its just as ugly. Even with Santana on the mound the Twins can not get run support. Santana would have to throw a near perfect game to ensure a victory and its just not likely. With the big bats coming out of Detroit I expect to see this one stay close and low scoring until Santana comes out of the game around the 8th inning when Detroit will taking BP on the Twins bullpen
<o></o>
Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
<o></o>
Billy Coleman (Confirmed)
4* reds
3* brewers under
John Martin
5 Unit Black Magic AL Dog of the Week on Oakland +116
3 Unit Sharp Play on Milwaukee +112
1 Unit on Florida Marlins -111
Info Plays / Larry Cook
10* NL Heavy Hitter Game of the Week on Colorado -106
7* MAJOR on Boston -156
3* on Chicago Cubs +111
C-Star Sports
1000 Units AL Lock Of The Month! Toronto -120
1000 Units NL Game Of The Month! NY Mets -120
1000 Units MLB Friday Night Value Crusher! Chicago White Sox -165
50 Units NY Yankees/Seattle Under 9.5
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
3* Seattle +110
Brand X Sports
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
Cleveland Indians
<o></o>
Malinsky
6 atl o 9 -130 (5* at 9')
4 cinc u 8 -110
3 boston –170
<o></o>
<o></o>
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Donald Tran
<o
></o>Matchup: San Francisco at Colorado
Prediction: Colorado Rockies -110 W/ Fogg
Jennifer Barry
Matchup: Milwaukee at NY
Prediction: Milwaukee +120 W/ Suppan
Eddie McKinney
Fast Eddie Sports
10* Cleveland Indians - 125
BRIAN JAMES
<o
></o>Free Pick for Friday, May 11th:
Detroit Tigers +188
Lets face the facts: Most of us out there want to like the Twins. For whatever reason they are one of baseballs love-able teams. The real fact is, they are playing crap ball right now. In one of the rare home fields in baseball that is actually supposed to be an advantage the Twins are dropping games like a little league team drops fly balls. And its just as ugly. Even with Santana on the mound the Twins can not get run support. Santana would have to throw a near perfect game to ensure a victory and its just not likely. With the big bats coming out of Detroit I expect to see this one stay close and low scoring until Santana comes out of the game around the 8th inning when Detroit will taking BP on the Twins bullpen
<o
></o>Best Bet
Tampa Bay/Toronto Under the Total
<o
></o>Billy Coleman (Confirmed)
4* reds
3* brewers under
John Martin
5 Unit Black Magic AL Dog of the Week on Oakland +116
3 Unit Sharp Play on Milwaukee +112
1 Unit on Florida Marlins -111
Info Plays / Larry Cook
10* NL Heavy Hitter Game of the Week on Colorado -106
7* MAJOR on Boston -156
3* on Chicago Cubs +111
C-Star Sports
1000 Units AL Lock Of The Month! Toronto -120
1000 Units NL Game Of The Month! NY Mets -120
1000 Units MLB Friday Night Value Crusher! Chicago White Sox -165
50 Units NY Yankees/Seattle Under 9.5
ROCKETMAN SPORTS
3* Seattle +110
Brand X Sports
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
Cleveland Indians
<o
></o>Malinsky
6 atl o 9 -130 (5* at 9')
4 cinc u 8 -110
3 boston –170
<o
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<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=caption3>Handicapper</TD><TD class=caption3>Record</TD><TD class=caption3>Sport</TD><TD class=caption3>Line</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>BigDonsWCH.com</TD><TD>13 - 1 (62.25)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 9 (-110)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Silvas Sports</TD><TD>8 - 1 (36.80)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Chicago Cubs +105</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>PicksMaker</TD><TD>9 - 4 (24.64)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Boston Red Sox -166</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>David Page</TD><TD>8 - 4 (15.75)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Toronto Blue Jays -128</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>C-Stars Sports</TD><TD>5 - 2 (15.65)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Pittsburgh Pirates ~vs~ Atlanta Braves
Over 9 (-115)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Prodigy Picks</TD><TD>7 - 5 (14.40)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>San Diego Padres -1.5 (+111)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Thesportspros</TD><TD>8 - 6 (7.60)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 8 (-118)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Burz</TD><TD>4 - 3 (3.00)</TD><TD>NHL</TD><TD>Detroit Red Wings -138</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>All Angles Spts</TD><TD>6 - 4 (1.81)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>New York Mets -132</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Fast Eddie Spor</TD><TD>6 - 5 (1.40)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Cleveland Indians -124</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Brett Maverick</TD><TD>6 - 6 (-3.53)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Seattle Mariners +107</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>The Prophet</TD><TD>4 - 5 (-5.93)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Milwaukee Brewers +119</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>KS Sports</TD><TD>8 - 7 (-6.00)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>New York Mets -127</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Lipstic Lady Sports</TD><TD>4 - 5 (-9.22)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Texas Rangers +112</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Point Shaver</TD><TD>7 - 8 (-15.30)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 8.5 (+101)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>GameTimeSports</TD><TD>3 - 7 (-19.20)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Cincinnati Reds +115</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Keith Martin</TD><TD>4 - 9 (-24.35)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>San Diego Padres -1.5 (+118)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Ace's Pick$</TD><TD>3 - 9 (-31.07)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+178)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=caption3>Handicapper</TD><TD class=caption3>Record</TD><TD class=caption3>Sport</TD><TD class=caption3>Line</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>BigDonsWCH.com</TD><TD>13 - 1 (62.25)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 9 (-110)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Silvas Sports</TD><TD>8 - 1 (36.80)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Chicago Cubs +105</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>PicksMaker</TD><TD>9 - 4 (24.64)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Boston Red Sox -166</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>David Page</TD><TD>8 - 4 (15.75)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Toronto Blue Jays -128</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>C-Stars Sports</TD><TD>5 - 2 (15.65)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Pittsburgh Pirates ~vs~ Atlanta Braves
Over 9 (-115)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Prodigy Picks</TD><TD>7 - 5 (14.40)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>San Diego Padres -1.5 (+111)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Thesportspros</TD><TD>8 - 6 (7.60)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 8 (-118)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Burz</TD><TD>4 - 3 (3.00)</TD><TD>NHL</TD><TD>Detroit Red Wings -138</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>All Angles Spts</TD><TD>6 - 4 (1.81)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>New York Mets -132</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Fast Eddie Spor</TD><TD>6 - 5 (1.40)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Cleveland Indians -124</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Brett Maverick</TD><TD>6 - 6 (-3.53)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Seattle Mariners +107</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>The Prophet</TD><TD>4 - 5 (-5.93)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Milwaukee Brewers +119</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>KS Sports</TD><TD>8 - 7 (-6.00)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>New York Mets -127</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Lipstic Lady Sports</TD><TD>4 - 5 (-9.22)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Texas Rangers +112</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Point Shaver</TD><TD>7 - 8 (-15.30)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Under 8.5 (+101)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>GameTimeSports</TD><TD>3 - 7 (-19.20)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Cincinnati Reds +115</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_even><TD>Keith Martin</TD><TD>4 - 9 (-24.35)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>San Diego Padres -1.5 (+118)</TD></TR><TR class=cellback_odd><TD>Ace's Pick$</TD><TD>3 - 9 (-31.07)</TD><TD>MLB</TD><TD>Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+178)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The handicappers listed above are Only those who have a Free Pick Today. Others have Premium Picks available so check the leaderboards!
Free Sports Picks Network sports monitor. Sports betting picks and tipping from procappers. Your trusted source for winning sports picks, handicapping betting info, premium & free NFL football picks, NCAA football picks, NBA basketball picks, college basketball picks, MLB baseball picks, NHL hockey picks. Follow the right handicapper today! Make sure to stop by and check out our free sports picks listed below. Documented sports picks 365 days a year! Your Winning sportsmonitor source is right here! Make sure you check out all the other features we have on the site like the Chick Central Sections, Handicapping articles, polls. Add comments to any of the articles you read. A National Sports Monitor that trackpicks all of our members. The real procappers are found right here. Its always another winning season at FPN, so make sure you get in the game. Honesty, Integrity, Winning!
<TABLE id=Table2 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR align=middle bgColor=#ffffff><TD class=body colSpan=6 height=40>*This site monitors FREE picks only. Visit sites directly for higher rated picks*
LW=Last Week"s Record TW=This Week"s Record - *Did not meet minimum*</TD></TR><TR class=body><TD width=20>RK</TD><TD>Service</TD><TD width=43>Sport</TD><TD>Today"s Pick</TD><TD width=86>TW</TD><TD width=93>LW</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#1[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Picks4Lesshttp://www.picks4less.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>MLB</TD><TD width=350>Pittsburgh (-115) </TD><TD>3-0-1 +305</TD><TD width=93>5-2 +255</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#2[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]cstarssportspickshttp://www.c-starssportspicks.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State (-330) </TD><TD>2-2 -80</TD><TD width=93>5-2 +190</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#3[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Joe Wizhttp://www.joewiz.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>MLB</TD><TD width=350>Arizona (-121) </TD><TD>2-2 -25</TD><TD width=93>4-2 +180</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#4[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sports Advisorshttp://www.sportsadvisors.net/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State (-6.5) </TD><TD>1-3 -230</TD><TD width=93>4-3 +70</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#5[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sharp Cappershttp://www.sharpcappers.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State Over (217) </TD><TD>3-1 +190</TD><TD width=93>4-3 +70</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#6[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]BigRollershttp://www.bigrollers.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NHL</TD><TD width=350>Ottawa (+115) </TD><TD>3-1 +175</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -235</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#7[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Kevin Allenhttp://www.bettorsdepot.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NHL</TD><TD width=350>Anaheim (+125) </TD><TD>4-0 +435</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -300</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#8[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Gambling Farmhttp://www.gamblingfarm.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State Over (217) </TD><TD>2-2 +8</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -340</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#9[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sports Commissionhttp://www.sportscommission.net/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>0-2 -200</TD><TD width=93>2-1 +155*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#10[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]VegasSI.comhttp://www.vegassi.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>1-1 -5</TD><TD width=93>0-0 +0*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#11[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]NSA Winshttp://www.nsawins.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>1-1 -25</TD><TD width=93>0-0 +0*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#12[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Psychic Sports http://www.psychicsportspicks.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>0-0 +0</TD><TD width=93>0-1 -100*</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Free Sports Picks Network sports monitor. Sports betting picks and tipping from procappers. Your trusted source for winning sports picks, handicapping betting info, premium & free NFL football picks, NCAA football picks, NBA basketball picks, college basketball picks, MLB baseball picks, NHL hockey picks. Follow the right handicapper today! Make sure to stop by and check out our free sports picks listed below. Documented sports picks 365 days a year! Your Winning sportsmonitor source is right here! Make sure you check out all the other features we have on the site like the Chick Central Sections, Handicapping articles, polls. Add comments to any of the articles you read. A National Sports Monitor that trackpicks all of our members. The real procappers are found right here. Its always another winning season at FPN, so make sure you get in the game. Honesty, Integrity, Winning!
<TABLE id=Table2 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR align=middle bgColor=#ffffff><TD class=body colSpan=6 height=40>*This site monitors FREE picks only. Visit sites directly for higher rated picks*
LW=Last Week"s Record TW=This Week"s Record - *Did not meet minimum*</TD></TR><TR class=body><TD width=20>RK</TD><TD>Service</TD><TD width=43>Sport</TD><TD>Today"s Pick</TD><TD width=86>TW</TD><TD width=93>LW</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#1[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Picks4Lesshttp://www.picks4less.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>MLB</TD><TD width=350>Pittsburgh (-115) </TD><TD>3-0-1 +305</TD><TD width=93>5-2 +255</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#2[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]cstarssportspickshttp://www.c-starssportspicks.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State (-330) </TD><TD>2-2 -80</TD><TD width=93>5-2 +190</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#3[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Joe Wizhttp://www.joewiz.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>MLB</TD><TD width=350>Arizona (-121) </TD><TD>2-2 -25</TD><TD width=93>4-2 +180</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#4[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sports Advisorshttp://www.sportsadvisors.net/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State (-6.5) </TD><TD>1-3 -230</TD><TD width=93>4-3 +70</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#5[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sharp Cappershttp://www.sharpcappers.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State Over (217) </TD><TD>3-1 +190</TD><TD width=93>4-3 +70</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#6[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]BigRollershttp://www.bigrollers.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NHL</TD><TD width=350>Ottawa (+115) </TD><TD>3-1 +175</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -235</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#7[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Kevin Allenhttp://www.bettorsdepot.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NHL</TD><TD width=350>Anaheim (+125) </TD><TD>4-0 +435</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -300</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#8[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Gambling Farmhttp://www.gamblingfarm.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43>NBA</TD><TD width=350>Golden State Over (217) </TD><TD>2-2 +8</TD><TD width=93>2-5 -340</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#9[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Sports Commissionhttp://www.sportscommission.net/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>0-2 -200</TD><TD width=93>2-1 +155*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#10[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]VegasSI.comhttp://www.vegassi.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>1-1 -5</TD><TD width=93>0-0 +0*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#f1f1f1><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#11[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#f1f1f1>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]NSA Winshttp://www.nsawins.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>1-1 -25</TD><TD width=93>0-0 +0*</TD></TR><TR class=body bgColor=#fbfbfb><TD width=20>[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]#12[/FONT]</TD><TD width=251 bgColor=#fbfbfb>[FONT=Geneva, arial, helvetica, san-serif]Psychic Sports http://www.psychicsportspicks.com/[/FONT]</TD><TD width=43></TD><TD width=350></TD><TD>0-0 +0</TD><TD width=93>0-1 -100*</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Thank you very much for posting all the service plays Phantom. 
I reposted some from Bookie Buster's thread that I didn't see among the ones you posted. There are some repeats, but I wanted to make sure we got them all out for everyone to see.
:toast: Great job Phantom! BOL tonight to you sir.:toast:
I reposted some from Bookie Buster's thread that I didn't see among the ones you posted. There are some repeats, but I wanted to make sure we got them all out for everyone to see.
:toast: Great job Phantom! BOL tonight to you sir.:toast:
Service Plays from Bookie Buster:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
Ethan Law
The Cubs head east for a seven-game road trip to Philadelphia and New York, beginning Friday night at Philly's Citizens Bank Park. Rich Hill will open the trip against Philly left-hander Cole Hamels. The Cubs got off to a slow start but they've pulled themselves back to .500 and into second place, in large part due to the emergence of Rich Hill. The lefthander has been outstanding in his six starts (1.73 ERA) and he should fare well against a Philadelphia club that is only 4-9 (-$490) vs. left-handers this season. Hill has also fared well on the road, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA away from Wrigley Field this season. Hill ranks fourth in the National League in ERA, behind teammate Jason Marquis (1.70 ERA). Hill also ranks among the top 20 in the NL in strikeout-to-walk ratio a category Ted Lilly leads. Hill’s supporting cast on the offensive side is now begging to show some very positive signs. Free agent acquisition Alfonso Soriano has reached base safely in all 26 games he's played in, and he also has a career-high 18-game hitting streak. Derrick Lee meanwhile, reached on an infield single in the fourth inning Thursday to extend two streaks: He's hit safely in 17 consecutive games and reached base safely in all 32 games this season. Aramis Ramirez has a career .314 average at Citizens Bank Park and last season he hit .433 (13-for-30) with three home runs against the Phillies. Philadephia is also 0-2 -$215 in home/night games against left-handers. My only concern, however, is the fact that the Cubbies have also struggled a bit against right-handers 2-2 this season, but they have turned a profit in away games this season. Couple that with the fact that Philadelphia’s starting pitcher, Cole Hamels checks in to this contest in giving up over 1 hit for every inning pitched and we really have to go with this value play. We've got a superior pitcher, a better team and an underdog price, so grab the visitor at Citizens Bank tonight.
Verdict: Chicago (NL) 6, Philadelphia 3
PLAY 1* UNIT ON CHICAGO +$110
Alex Smart
Detroit Tigers
(205) *OPINION* The Tigers enter into this contest against the host Twins on fire having won 9 of their L/10 games. Mike Maroth Motowns southpaw starting pitcher has seen his team win his L/6 starts , including defeating the Twins, the last time he faced them. The struggling Twins who have lost 7 of their L/10 overall, will send Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to the hill to face a Tigers team that had success against him the last time they met recording 3 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings of work in their April 29 meeting. Santana has seen his team lose 3 of his L/5 starts, partly due to a lack of run support, but also because of some rare concentration inconsistencies. With that said, lets ride the momentum of the Tigers. Final notes & Trends: Minnesota has failed in 6 of their L/8 opportunities as favorites. Tigers have won 5 straight as underdogs. Tigers are 6-0 in Maroths L/5 road starts. Twins have lost 4 straight at home against a lefty starter.
Play on Detroit
LT Profits
UNDER 7.0 (110) *OPINION* Cards, Padres Under 7 (+110)
We are usually not in the habit of playing the Under with a posted total this low, but in this case we will make an exception.
Jake Peavy has pitched brilliantly for the Padres this season, posting a 1.75 ERA and an outstanding 0.97 WHIP with 56 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. He has now posted double-digit strikeout totals in three consecutive starts while allowing a grand total of three runs and nine hits in 21 innings over those outings. Considering that he is facing a putrid Cardinal lineup that is hitting .220 as a team over the last 10 games, we would not be at all shocked if St. Louis scores either one or no runs tonight!
Now granted Kip Wells has been a horror show lately, but for whatever reason, he has always pitched well vs. San Diego, allowing two runs or less in five of his six career starts against them. Besides, the Padres are not exactly scorching the ball themselves, batting just .224 vs. right-handed pitching in the last 10 contests.
Finally, both of these bullpens are ranked in the top four in the Major Leagues in ERA, with San Diego third at 2.53 and St. Louis fourth at 2.97, which become even more important when going Under a low total like this.
Los Angeles Dodgers
(-120) *OPINION* Dodgers -120 with Wolf vs. Reds
The Dodgers swept all six games in the season series with the Reds last year, and we look for them to continue that dominance for at least one more game tonight.
Although Cincinnati beat Houston 9-5 yesterday, the Reds are still reeling as that was just their second win in nine games. Bronson Arroyo was a pleasant surprise last season, but teams have figured him out a bit this year, and he did not exactly fool the Dodger hitters the last time he faced them, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings.
<o></o>
Conversely, the southpaw Randy Wolf allowed just one run and six hits with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings in Atlanta in his last start, and he has two Quality Starts in his last three outings against the Reds.
<o></o>
Finally, Los Angeles has the far superior bullpen ERA here at 3.00, compared to 4.50 for the Reds, making the Dodgers worth an investment here at this modest price at home.
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Ethan Law
The Cubs head east for a seven-game road trip to Philadelphia and New York, beginning Friday night at Philly's Citizens Bank Park. Rich Hill will open the trip against Philly left-hander Cole Hamels. The Cubs got off to a slow start but they've pulled themselves back to .500 and into second place, in large part due to the emergence of Rich Hill. The lefthander has been outstanding in his six starts (1.73 ERA) and he should fare well against a Philadelphia club that is only 4-9 (-$490) vs. left-handers this season. Hill has also fared well on the road, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA away from Wrigley Field this season. Hill ranks fourth in the National League in ERA, behind teammate Jason Marquis (1.70 ERA). Hill also ranks among the top 20 in the NL in strikeout-to-walk ratio a category Ted Lilly leads. Hill’s supporting cast on the offensive side is now begging to show some very positive signs. Free agent acquisition Alfonso Soriano has reached base safely in all 26 games he's played in, and he also has a career-high 18-game hitting streak. Derrick Lee meanwhile, reached on an infield single in the fourth inning Thursday to extend two streaks: He's hit safely in 17 consecutive games and reached base safely in all 32 games this season. Aramis Ramirez has a career .314 average at Citizens Bank Park and last season he hit .433 (13-for-30) with three home runs against the Phillies. Philadephia is also 0-2 -$215 in home/night games against left-handers. My only concern, however, is the fact that the Cubbies have also struggled a bit against right-handers 2-2 this season, but they have turned a profit in away games this season. Couple that with the fact that Philadelphia’s starting pitcher, Cole Hamels checks in to this contest in giving up over 1 hit for every inning pitched and we really have to go with this value play. We've got a superior pitcher, a better team and an underdog price, so grab the visitor at Citizens Bank tonight.
Verdict: Chicago (NL) 6, Philadelphia 3
PLAY 1* UNIT ON CHICAGO +$110
Alex Smart
Detroit Tigers
(205) *OPINION* The Tigers enter into this contest against the host Twins on fire having won 9 of their L/10 games. Mike Maroth Motowns southpaw starting pitcher has seen his team win his L/6 starts , including defeating the Twins, the last time he faced them. The struggling Twins who have lost 7 of their L/10 overall, will send Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to the hill to face a Tigers team that had success against him the last time they met recording 3 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings of work in their April 29 meeting. Santana has seen his team lose 3 of his L/5 starts, partly due to a lack of run support, but also because of some rare concentration inconsistencies. With that said, lets ride the momentum of the Tigers. Final notes & Trends: Minnesota has failed in 6 of their L/8 opportunities as favorites. Tigers have won 5 straight as underdogs. Tigers are 6-0 in Maroths L/5 road starts. Twins have lost 4 straight at home against a lefty starter.
Play on Detroit
LT Profits
UNDER 7.0 (110) *OPINION* Cards, Padres Under 7 (+110)
We are usually not in the habit of playing the Under with a posted total this low, but in this case we will make an exception.
Jake Peavy has pitched brilliantly for the Padres this season, posting a 1.75 ERA and an outstanding 0.97 WHIP with 56 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. He has now posted double-digit strikeout totals in three consecutive starts while allowing a grand total of three runs and nine hits in 21 innings over those outings. Considering that he is facing a putrid Cardinal lineup that is hitting .220 as a team over the last 10 games, we would not be at all shocked if St. Louis scores either one or no runs tonight!
Now granted Kip Wells has been a horror show lately, but for whatever reason, he has always pitched well vs. San Diego, allowing two runs or less in five of his six career starts against them. Besides, the Padres are not exactly scorching the ball themselves, batting just .224 vs. right-handed pitching in the last 10 contests.
Finally, both of these bullpens are ranked in the top four in the Major Leagues in ERA, with San Diego third at 2.53 and St. Louis fourth at 2.97, which become even more important when going Under a low total like this.
Los Angeles Dodgers
(-120) *OPINION* Dodgers -120 with Wolf vs. Reds
The Dodgers swept all six games in the season series with the Reds last year, and we look for them to continue that dominance for at least one more game tonight.
Although Cincinnati beat Houston 9-5 yesterday, the Reds are still reeling as that was just their second win in nine games. Bronson Arroyo was a pleasant surprise last season, but teams have figured him out a bit this year, and he did not exactly fool the Dodger hitters the last time he faced them, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings.
<o
></o>Conversely, the southpaw Randy Wolf allowed just one run and six hits with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings in Atlanta in his last start, and he has two Quality Starts in his last three outings against the Reds.
<o
></o>Finally, Los Angeles has the far superior bullpen ERA here at 3.00, compared to 4.50 for the Reds, making the Dodgers worth an investment here at this modest price at home.
Bookie Buster MLB 5/11 (3 Day Record: 8-3)
Lines at Bodog:
Chicago White Sox
Jon Garland (R)
-1½ (-105)
Cards at Padres Over 7 (-125)o
Lines at Bodog:
Chicago White Sox
Jon Garland (R)
-1½ (-105)
Cards at Padres Over 7 (-125)o
Service Plays from Bookie Buster:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
Russ Culver -18.36u ytd
Nationals Even
Pirates -108
Devil Rays +121
Rangers +107
Royals +174
Mariners +107
Milwaukee-NY UNDER 9 -105 (Suppan-Sosa)
Arizona-Houston UNDER 8 -120 (Webb-Sampson)
SF-Colorado UNDER 10 1/2 +110 (Lincecum-Fogg)
Cincinnati-LA UNDER 8 -105 (Arroyo-Wolf)
Baltimore-Boston UNDER 10 1/2 +120 (Burres-Tavarez)
Detroit-Minnesota OVER 8 -120 (Maroth-Santana)
Cleveland-Oakland UNDER 8 -115 (Sabathia-Blanton)
Friday Comps <o></o>
<o></o>
<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Sebastian-San Francisco
USA Sports-Doegers
Winner Line-Cleveland
Computer Boys-Coloradp
OTM-Dodgers
Feiner-Milwaukee
All Star Sports-UNDER Tampa Bay
chicago hotsides +70.92u for 2007 baseball / -72.11 units for the 2006 baseball
2 Units on Boston Red Sox -155
2 Units on Chicago White Sox -180
2 Units on Minnesota Twins -1.5 +110
2 Units on Florida Marlins -115
2 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates -110
2 Units on Chicago Cubs +100
2 Units on San Diego Over 7 -140
Izzy
Cubs 5 Unit
Coaches Corner <o></o>
<o></o>
<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->903 Atl Braves Pk 05/11/07 3
907 Mil Brewers +120 05/11/07 4
912 Col Rockies +105 05/11/07 4
916 LA Dodgers -130 05/11/07 3
919 TB Devil Rays +125 05/11/07 3
919/920 ovTB/Tor 8- 05/11/07 4
Randall H <o></o>
<o></o>
<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Milwaukee +1.14 over NY METS PINNACLE
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. There’s not a team in the majors that’s playing better then the Brewers and a little trip to the Big Apple is surely not going to bring out the worst in them. This is a focused, confident and talented group that is not only getting timely hitting but their pitching and bullpen has been brilliant. Mets are tough, no doubt but they haven’t been that tough at Shea, where their record is just 7-7. Jeff Suppan has pitched his best games at this venue and he’s sharper right now then he’s ever been. In fact, Suppan has given up just three runs over his last 22 2-3 innings. Jorge Sosa makes just his second start of the year after being sent down to the minors because of an ineffective spring. We’ve seen Sosa dazzle but we’ve also seen him struggle miserably and he’s just not been able to stay consistent enough at this level. Play: Milwaukee +1.14 (Risking 2 units).
Chicago +1.11 over PHILADELPHIA PINNACLE
With names over the past few years like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano and this year, Ted Lilly, the guy that has emerged as the best of the bunch is the guy nobody knows. Southpaw Rich Hill has been as solid and efficient as any pitcher in the business. The league is hitting a puny .183 off Hill and he’s been just as good on the road as he’s been at home. He comes in with an ERA of just 1.73 and perhaps the most impressive number is his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), which is an unheard of 0.91. Furthermore, the Phillies are just 4-9 against lefties this season and have yet to record a single win against a lefty at Citizens Bank Park this season. Cole Hamels has been very ordinary for the Phillies and it’s also worth noting that the Cubbies have really picked it up recently with seven wins in their last 10 games. A tag on Hill is going to be a rarity very soon so grab it while it lasts. Play: Chicago +1.11 (Risking w units).
Tampa Bay +1.18 over TORONTO PINNACLE
The Blue Jays are sinking faster than Tank Johnson’s career and we just hope we’re not too late to cash in. Things are so bad that even Doc Halliday has gotten into the act by losing two straight and getting hit pretty hard in the process. The Blue Jays aren’t hitting (27 runs scored in their last nine games), the pitching has been atrocious (72 runs allowed over those same nine games), and now the news spread quickly that B.J. Ryan is out for the year. With Frank Thomas either striking out or hitting into a double-play almost every AB, with the pitching staff in complete disarray, with confidence being extremely low, with a nine-game losing streak hanging over their heads, the Blue Jays are in big trouble and we doubt it’ll end here. Scott Kazmir is a quality pitcher and the D-Rays still possess one of the more dangerous offenses in the majors. Expect A.J. Burnett to get into the act tonight too, as losing is very contagious. Play: Tampa Bay +1.18 (Risking 2 units).
CHICAGO –1½ +1.17 over Kansas City PINNACLE
The White Sox have suddenly come to life much later than most expected but nonetheless, it’s happened. Chicago went into Minnesota in an important series and took two of three. They’ve now won four of five and will take a giant step down in class here. The Royals only lost by two touchdowns yesterday to Oakland, which could’ve been different had they not missed that field goal late in the first half. Now the Royals will try to rebound with Odalis Perez on the hill. Fat chance. Perez has been batting practice for the opposition, as the league is hitting .347 off him. On the road the opposition is hitting .389 off him. Perez comes in with an ERA of 6.75 and a road ERA of 8.03. Against the White Sox in his career he’s 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA. Overall the Royals have lost something like 400 of their last 410 games and their chances of hanging around here against Garland and the White Sox is worse then Mike Tyson’s chances of getting a job as a speech therapist. Play: Chicago –1½ +1.17 (Risking 2 units).
MTI
4* Under LA Dodgers
Merf Miles <o></o>
<o></o>
National League
SIDES
Braves + 101
Brewers - 122
Cubs + 111
TOTALS
Marlins Over 8½
Brewers Under 9
American League
SIDES
Orioles + 153
Tigers + 188
Yankees - 112
TOTALS
Orioles Over 9½
Tigers Under 8
Royals Under 9½
Yankees Over 9½
<o></o>
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Russ Culver -18.36u ytd
Nationals Even
Pirates -108
Devil Rays +121
Rangers +107
Royals +174
Mariners +107
Milwaukee-NY UNDER 9 -105 (Suppan-Sosa)
Arizona-Houston UNDER 8 -120 (Webb-Sampson)
SF-Colorado UNDER 10 1/2 +110 (Lincecum-Fogg)
Cincinnati-LA UNDER 8 -105 (Arroyo-Wolf)
Baltimore-Boston UNDER 10 1/2 +120 (Burres-Tavarez)
Detroit-Minnesota OVER 8 -120 (Maroth-Santana)
Cleveland-Oakland UNDER 8 -115 (Sabathia-Blanton)
Friday Comps <o
></o><o
></o><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Sebastian-San Francisco
USA Sports-Doegers
Winner Line-Cleveland
Computer Boys-Coloradp
OTM-Dodgers
Feiner-Milwaukee
All Star Sports-UNDER Tampa Bay
chicago hotsides +70.92u for 2007 baseball / -72.11 units for the 2006 baseball
2 Units on Boston Red Sox -155
2 Units on Chicago White Sox -180
2 Units on Minnesota Twins -1.5 +110
2 Units on Florida Marlins -115
2 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates -110
2 Units on Chicago Cubs +100
2 Units on San Diego Over 7 -140
Izzy
Cubs 5 Unit
Coaches Corner <o
></o><o
></o><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->903 Atl Braves Pk 05/11/07 3
907 Mil Brewers +120 05/11/07 4
912 Col Rockies +105 05/11/07 4
916 LA Dodgers -130 05/11/07 3
919 TB Devil Rays +125 05/11/07 3
919/920 ovTB/Tor 8- 05/11/07 4
Randall H <o
></o><o
></o><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Milwaukee +1.14 over NY METS PINNACLE
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. There’s not a team in the majors that’s playing better then the Brewers and a little trip to the Big Apple is surely not going to bring out the worst in them. This is a focused, confident and talented group that is not only getting timely hitting but their pitching and bullpen has been brilliant. Mets are tough, no doubt but they haven’t been that tough at Shea, where their record is just 7-7. Jeff Suppan has pitched his best games at this venue and he’s sharper right now then he’s ever been. In fact, Suppan has given up just three runs over his last 22 2-3 innings. Jorge Sosa makes just his second start of the year after being sent down to the minors because of an ineffective spring. We’ve seen Sosa dazzle but we’ve also seen him struggle miserably and he’s just not been able to stay consistent enough at this level. Play: Milwaukee +1.14 (Risking 2 units).
Chicago +1.11 over PHILADELPHIA PINNACLE
With names over the past few years like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano and this year, Ted Lilly, the guy that has emerged as the best of the bunch is the guy nobody knows. Southpaw Rich Hill has been as solid and efficient as any pitcher in the business. The league is hitting a puny .183 off Hill and he’s been just as good on the road as he’s been at home. He comes in with an ERA of just 1.73 and perhaps the most impressive number is his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), which is an unheard of 0.91. Furthermore, the Phillies are just 4-9 against lefties this season and have yet to record a single win against a lefty at Citizens Bank Park this season. Cole Hamels has been very ordinary for the Phillies and it’s also worth noting that the Cubbies have really picked it up recently with seven wins in their last 10 games. A tag on Hill is going to be a rarity very soon so grab it while it lasts. Play: Chicago +1.11 (Risking w units).
Tampa Bay +1.18 over TORONTO PINNACLE
The Blue Jays are sinking faster than Tank Johnson’s career and we just hope we’re not too late to cash in. Things are so bad that even Doc Halliday has gotten into the act by losing two straight and getting hit pretty hard in the process. The Blue Jays aren’t hitting (27 runs scored in their last nine games), the pitching has been atrocious (72 runs allowed over those same nine games), and now the news spread quickly that B.J. Ryan is out for the year. With Frank Thomas either striking out or hitting into a double-play almost every AB, with the pitching staff in complete disarray, with confidence being extremely low, with a nine-game losing streak hanging over their heads, the Blue Jays are in big trouble and we doubt it’ll end here. Scott Kazmir is a quality pitcher and the D-Rays still possess one of the more dangerous offenses in the majors. Expect A.J. Burnett to get into the act tonight too, as losing is very contagious. Play: Tampa Bay +1.18 (Risking 2 units).
CHICAGO –1½ +1.17 over Kansas City PINNACLE
The White Sox have suddenly come to life much later than most expected but nonetheless, it’s happened. Chicago went into Minnesota in an important series and took two of three. They’ve now won four of five and will take a giant step down in class here. The Royals only lost by two touchdowns yesterday to Oakland, which could’ve been different had they not missed that field goal late in the first half. Now the Royals will try to rebound with Odalis Perez on the hill. Fat chance. Perez has been batting practice for the opposition, as the league is hitting .347 off him. On the road the opposition is hitting .389 off him. Perez comes in with an ERA of 6.75 and a road ERA of 8.03. Against the White Sox in his career he’s 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA. Overall the Royals have lost something like 400 of their last 410 games and their chances of hanging around here against Garland and the White Sox is worse then Mike Tyson’s chances of getting a job as a speech therapist. Play: Chicago –1½ +1.17 (Risking 2 units).
MTI
4* Under LA Dodgers
Merf Miles <o
></o><o
></o>National League
SIDES
Braves + 101
Brewers - 122
Cubs + 111
TOTALS
Marlins Over 8½
Brewers Under 9
American League
SIDES
Orioles + 153
Tigers + 188
Yankees - 112
TOTALS
Orioles Over 9½
Tigers Under 8
Royals Under 9½
Yankees Over 9½
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></o>
