Service Plays Wed Aug 8

Since Bookie Buster got butt-hurt, here...I'll start the shit

Ben Burns | NFL Total
<DT>270 TAM / 269 NEP Over 33.0 </DT>Analysis:
I feel that Friday's Tampa Bay New England "total," which currently sits below the key number of 34, seems a little on the low side. Both teams have shown a tendency to score a reasonable number of points in their preseason opener. Let's take a look at their opening games from the last four preseason campaigns. In 2003, the Patriots scored 26 points vs. the Giants while Tampa tallied 20 vs. Miami. The following year, in 2004, the Bucs again scored 20 points in their preason opener (vs. Cincinnati) while New England posted 24 points vs. the Eagles. Two years ago, the Patriots scored 24 points vs. Cincinnati while Tampa Bay scored 20 points (vs. Tennessee) for their third straight opener. Last season, New England scored 23 while Tampa slipped to 16. Despite last season's lower score, the Bucs have still managed an average of 19 points in their last four preason openers while the Pats have averaged greater than 24. The teams will only need to average 17 each to finish above Friday's low number. Consider a play on the OVER

Tony George | MLB Money Line
959 CHC (-102) vs 960 HOU
Analysis:
Free MLB Baseball Play courtesy of Tony George

The Cubs Rally tonight as road Dogs!

Chicago Cubs +105 @ Houston Astros 8 EST

After two straight beat downs by the Astros in his series, I look for the Cubs get one tonight. A Pitchers duel between ace's Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago and Roy Oswalt of Houston should be a good one. Zambrano has went 2-0 in his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 1.45 and a WHIP of 1.18. He is 7-1 on the road this year allowing 26 runs. Roy Oswalt has stiffened up against hitters the past 3 outings, and they were all very impressive, with an overall ERA of 0.95 and an WHIP of 0.84. Now that is some impressive numbers from the mound for both teams, but something has got top give tonight.

Looking at pitchers duels between 2 good pitchers, I look in 2 areas for opportunity, since almost always the moneyline is at -100 or less for either team which is the case tonight. Hitting as a team, especially recent form, which is important, shows that the bottom line is Houston has struggled at the plate, hitting just .219 against right handers, so run support may not be there for Oswalt. The Cubs are hitting a decent .272 against righties in their last 10, and that is not setting the world on fire, but better than the Stro's. Oddsmakers think also this is a duel of pitchers, and less than impressive hitting teams, as the total is set at 7.5 for tonight's tilt in Houston.

Another issue to concern yourself with on a tight moneyline and a pitchers duel, is the bullpens of each team. The Cubs bullpen has a respectable ERA of 4.32 in their last 10 games while Houston's has been lit up with a 6.11 ERA. As I breakdown the relief pitching for middle innings for the Astro's, they have tossed out a 5.27 ERA on the year, less than impressive, while the Cubs are under 4 in the same department.

The Cubs are needing a win to keep pace in their division as they are a game behind the Brewers and have a 4 game weekend series against Colorado on deck. I doubt the miss an opportunity tonight with their best hurler on the mound to avoid a sweep by the Astro's. The Cubbies also get back Arimis Ramirez tonight on 3rd base with a batting average of .313 on the season to bolster their chance at the plate tonight. This should be a good game tonight with evenly matched pitchers on the hill, but the intagibles lie with the Cubs.

A Bonus Play on the Cubbies tonight.

Ben Burns Personal Favorite

GIANTS

Game: Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants Game Time: 8/8/2007 10:10:00 PM Prediction: San Francisco Giants Reason: I'm laying the price with SAN FRANCISCO. Cain has been a hard-luck loser this entire year. Indeed, how else can one explain the fact that he has a highly respectable 3.93 ERA but that he also has a dismal 3-12 record? Facing the lowest scoring team in the majors, I expect Cain to earn a rare victory this evening. Regardless of whether or not Bonds plays (I won't be surprised if he doesn't) I feel that there has been a great deal of pressure lifted from the entire team after "the record" finally got broken last night. Although he has pitched well since being recalled from the minors, the Giants should be able to hit Redding, as he has really struggled in three career starts against them. In fact, Redding is 0-2 (team is 0-3) with an absolutely awful 11.58 ERA and 2.572 WHIP in three career starts vs. the Giants. Redding failed to pitch past the fourth inning in any of those starts and his team lost by scores of 10-3, 13-9 and 11-8. Despite yesterday's victory, the Nationals remain a dismal 7-27 when playing a game with an over/under line of either eight or 8.5. Look for Cain to rise to the occasion with a big effort as he outpitches Redding with the Giants improving to 6-2 their last eight at home. *Personal Favorite

Michael Cannon Money Train

15 Dime – BRAVES (With Smoltz as listed pitcher)
Take the Braves at this near even price tonight over the Mets.
Atlanta has owned the Mets this year, winning seven of the 10 meetings. In fact, the only games the Mets have won were games started by Oliver Perez, who took the loss last night.
If their best couldn’t get it done against Atlanta last night, I don’t like their chances against John Smoltz tonight.
Smoltz checks in with a 10-6 record and a 3.04 ERA this year. He’s 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts against the Mets this season.
His mound opponent, Orlando Hernandez, is going to find the sledding rough against a Braves lineup that has been bolstered by the acquisition of first-baseman Mark Teixeira. The slugger has homered three times in his first six games with the Braves and his presence makes it that much tougher to pitch around the likes of Chipper and Andruw Jones.
Take the Braves as they grab the road win.

5 Dime – PADRES (With Maddux and Wells as listed pitchers)
Take the Padres as the cheap road chalk for the win over the Cardinals.
Greg Maddux will get the start for San Diego and if he can’t out pitch his mound opponent Kip Wells, I’ll be shocked.
Maddux is showing his age a bit this year, but he still has the capability of shutting down a weak Cardinals lineup.
The same can’t be said for Wells. He’s pitched better recently, but he had nowhere to go but up after the way he started the season. Still, the right-hander is just 4-13 with a 5.58 ERA on the year and he hasn’t shown the ability to keep the Cards in the game in his starts.
Take San Diego for the road win.

5 Dime – YANKEES (With Wang as listed pitcher)
Take the Yankees for the road win tonight over the Blue Jays.
I know it’s a tough matchup, but the Yankees are sending Chien-Ming Wang to the hill and he’s proven to be New York’s most reliable pitcher over the past two seasons.
Wang has won six of seven starts since July 3 and hasn’t allowed more than four runs in any of those outings. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in five career games against the Blue Jays.
Toronto will send Roy Halladay to the mound, but the way the Yankees are swinging the bats right now his best may not be enough.
Take the Yankees for the win as they get it done again over Toronto.

EZ Winners

5 STAR: (957) ATLANTA (+$100) over NY Mets
(Listing Smoltz only)
(Risking $500 to win $500)


5 STAR: (959) CHICAGO (+$100) over Houston
(Listing Zambrano only)
(Risking $500 to win $500)

2007 PAID SELECTION RECORD
10 STAR 1-0 (+10.00 UNITS)
5 Star 11-9 (+12.75 UNITS)
3 STAR 32-13-1 (+58.17 UNITS)
2 STAR 49-57-1 (-4.80 UNITS)
1 STAR 168-182-5 (+24.79 UNITS)
OVERALL RECORD 261-261-7 (+100.19 UNITS)
A $100 player would be up $10,019

Ben Burns
MLB for 08/08/2007 - Nationals at Giants
(free pick) Prediction: 'Under'

Yesterday's game finished above the 'total' of 8.5. Despite that result, the 'under' remains a profitable 21-12-1 in 34 games that the Nationals have played with an over/under line of either 8 or 8.5, including a 10-5 mark in 15 games on the road. Meanwhile, the Giants have now seen the 'under' go 22-15-3 in 40 home games with an over/under line of either 8 or 8.5. I won't be surprised if we see another relatively low-scoring contest this evening. Washington RHP Tim Redding (1-2) has a 2.43 ERA in six starts this season. The 'under' was 5-0-1 in those six games, including 3-0 the last three. Although he hasn't pitched too well, it's also worth noting that Redding has seen the 'under' go 3-0 in three career starts versus San Francisco. Meanwhile, San Francisco righty Matt Cain (3-12, 3.93 ERA) has seen the 'under' go 3-0 in his last three starts and 12-6 in his last 18 at home. Cain has faced the Nationals at home once (last August) and he allowed only four hits and two runs through seven complete innings. That game finished well below the number with a final score of 4-1. Excluding a few games which landed directly on the number, the Giants have seen the 'under' go 30-20 at home this season. Consider a play on the 'under'.

Big Al McMordie
MLB for 08/08/2007 - Cubs at Astros
(free pick) Prediction: Cubs

Chicago left-fielder Alfonso Soriano is out through August with an injury, and the Cubs' offense certainly is struggling without his bat. But I'm not sure that will make a difference tonight with Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano (14-7, 3.42 ERA) on the mound. Consider that he is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA in his last five outings. That alone is impressive, but he also dominates Houston bats - he has won four straight starts overall versus the Astros and is 5-0 with a 0.51 ERA in his last seven games against Houston. Overall in his career, he's 10-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 21 appearances versus the 'Stros. He has thrown a remarkable 21 consecutive scoreless innings at Minute Maid Park. In his last five starts at Houston, he is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA. Finally, Zambrano has been solid on the road this season with a 9-2 record and a 2.83 ERA. Take the Cubs.

Marc Lawrence
MLB for 08/08/2007 - Padres at Cardinals
(free pick) Prediction: Padres

Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux (7-8, 4.20 ERA) takes on Kip Wells (4-13, 5.58 ERA) and the Cardinals in St. Louis this evening. Maddux is 15-5 in his last 20 team starts in August. Meanwhile, Wells has dropped 16 of his 20 team starts this season, including 11 of his 13 starts at night. With Maddux a strong second-half hurler over the years, we'll back the 41-year-old right-hander and the Padres tonight.

Jimmy The Moose
Game: Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox
Aug 8 2007 8:10PM

Prediction: Cleveland Indians

Reason: The Indians are struggling having won 4 of their last 10 games but tonight CC is on the mound facing a team he likes to pitch against. The Indians are 23-7 in Sabathia's last 30 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. In his last 22 starts as a favorite the Indians are a money making 16-6. Cleveland is 18-7 in his last 25 starts overall. Chicago has dropped 4 of their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter. In their last 17 games as a home dog of +110 - +150 they are 5-12. Garland starts tonight and the White Sox are 4-10 in his last 14 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Indians are 8-2 in Sabathia's last 10 starts in Chicago. The White Sox are 3-7 in Garland's last 10 home starts vs. the Indians. With CC on the mound vs. Chicago, you have to play on the Indians

BRIAN GABRIELLE

At this week’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, take Tiger Woods (7-4), 1/6 unit: Repeat: he won by eight strokes in a major-like field last week. Eight strokes. Forget about past performances in Tulsa. Eight strokes. Forget about being in the final group at two majors this year and not winning either. Eight strokes. Actually, those seconds at the U.S. Open and the Masters might be motivating him more this week. He should have won at least one major this year. Reckon he’s not happy with those outcomes. Which is why he got to Oklahoma faster than a prairie dog down a hole. Look out world. Take Tim Herron (200-1), 1/6 unit: Lumpy’s going to be sweating this week. A lot. His shirt is going to look like a topographical map. Playing pretty well the last month or so (including a T2 a couple weeks ago at the U.S. Bank Championship), Herron finished T14 in last year’s PGA. Take Jeff Quinney (200-1), 1/6 unit: Two missed cuts recently but he’s got five top-10s this year. He got a quick endorsement deal because of the early success. I wonder if his tail off has something to do with it. Or fatigue, getting used to playing week in and week out on Tour. Whatever it is, one would think he could summon the strength to finish with a bang and secure his FedEx Cup standing (he’s currently 38th, on the bubble).

Chris Jordan

A clear-cut pitchers' duel takes place in Houston tonight, as the Under continues to be the play in this series.
The low number has gotten there 12 of the last 15 meetings, and with Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano taking the hill tonight against one another, there's no reason to believe things will change. Both are a combined 5-0 in each of their last six starts (with Zambrano getting the no-decision), while their teams are 5-1 in those games.
Oswalt has been the more impressive pitcher, sporting a 0.95 ERA and 0.84 Walks/Hits Per Inning number in his last three outings – two of those being on the road. Doesn't mean we can necessarily go with him and the 'Stros, however, as we'd have to oppose Zambrano, who is 14-7 this season with a 3.42 ERA. In the Big Z's last three starts he has a 1.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.
The Under has gotten there in 14 of Chicago's last 18 road games, and with the Central Division race getting tight each night, I'd say we're going to see Zambrano's best to oppose Oswalt's A-game. Play this one low tonight.
3♦ UNDER 7'


Bobby Maxwell

The Angels continue to be one of the best home teams in the AL with a 40-17 record. And tonight they've got Dustin Moseley (4-1, 4.43 ERA) on the hill and he loves pitching off the home mound.
Moseley is 4-0 at home and the offense really shows his good support when he's on the hill. In his last four starts at home, the Angels' offense has put up a total of 30 runs and gone 3-1 in those four outings.
Lefty Jon Lester (1-0, 5.09) makes just his fourth start of the season and his fourth start on the road. Last time out he gave up four runs on eight hits over five innings of a 7-4 loss to the Mariners. He's given up four runs in each of his last two outings.
Lester faced the Angels twice last year and gave up a combined eight runs on 16 hits over 11 1/3 innings in a win and loss to Los Angeles.
The Angels have hit .297 at home this season against lefties and should be able to score a few runs off Lester in this one. Let's play the red-hot home team and go with Los Angeles tonight.
3♦ L.A. ANGELS


Bryan Leonard
Red Sox at Angels (980)

Boston southpaw starter Jon Lester is still very young, with a 5.09 ERA in two starts. The Angels are 10-6 against lefties at home this season. They?ve also seen Jon Lester, as Lester has a 6.35 in 11.1 innings against them. The Red Sox have not seen much of LA?s Dustin Moseley (4-1). LA is 36-16 at home.
PLAY THE ANGELS


MATT RIVERS
For Wednesday take the Rockies at Coors.

I really do think that this kid Yovanni Gallardo is special and has future All-Star appearances, if not Cy Young's coming his way but the Brewers have been awful of late, unlike the Rockies, and Jeff Francis has been money ever since the slow start to the season.
This Colorado squad is no longer just potent at home thanks to the thin air at Coors and a joke overall. The Rockies are now a hard hitting club anywhere with legitimate as heck ballplayers like Holliday, Helton, Hawpe, Tulowitzki and Atkins. All of those guys can rope a double or go deep at anytime and with a solid last few months to the season have a shot to actually win the NL West.
Milwaukee certainly is a talented club with the Prince leading the way and other guys like Braun, Hardy and Jenkins proving to be very good as well. But Ned Yost's club has lost it of late after the phenomenal start to the season and with all of the bullpen issues recently this team is flat out reeling.
Both hurlers are excellent and should hold their own but with the Rockies being the superior team of late and having the home field advantage here I have no choice but to back them what seems to me to be a cheap price.

JEFF BENTON

For Wednesday, play the Blue Jays over the Yankees in a pick-em spot at home.
Yes, I know that New York is red hot, having won 21 of its last 28 games, including five in a row. And I know they’ve defeated the Blue Jays 5 out of 6 times during this streak. But I can’t pass up Roy Halladay at this price at home, just can’t do it. Halladay has posted 2.10 ERA over his last four starts, and he’s 8-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts at home this year (with Toronto going 9-2).
Moreover, he’s hardly been intimidated by the Yankees, as he’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 consecutive starts against them, with Toronto winning eight of those contests, including five in a row at home! And the only two losses came by one run back in July at Yankee Stadium and by two runs in the Bronx back in 2004.
For his career, Halladay is 9-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 22 starts against New York – and don’t forget, many of those starts came with a pretty bad Blue Jays team behind him, unlike the current version, which is pretty damn good.
Bottom line: The Yankees and starter Chien-Ming Wang may pull this game out and continue their winning ways, but it’s just as likely that Halladay throws some cold water on the smoldering Yanks in this one.
(based on a 1 to a 10 ♦ Rating)
2♦ TORONTO BLUE JAYS

MADDUX SPORTS
Texas -119

Sure Wager
Atlanta +148

HD'S ACTIONLINE
Cubs -110 over Houston

Guaranteed Picks
Pittsburgh

RAZOR SHARP
TAMPA BAY/DETROIT UNDER the total of 10

Templer's Sports Picks
8/8/2007 at 7:05:00 PM
Seattle Mariners/F Hernandez R at Baltimore Orioles/J Guthrie R
Baltimore Orioles

#1 SPORTS
KANSAS CITY + 205

DAVE COKIN
There just doesn't seem to be any stopping the Yankees right now. The Jays were on a prolonged home winning streak before th Yanks came to town, but that's all over. Wang is pitching terrific ball and even Roy Halladay's great record at Rogers can't sway my opinion here. I'll look for the Yankees to win another one.

Mensapicks
8/8/2007 at 7:05:00 PM
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/J Shields R at Detroit Tigers/C Durbin R
Detroit Tigers

JIM FEIST
Arizona is a good indoor hitter's park. That's not good news for Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm, who has a 7.20 ERA against the D-Backs this season. Arizona has the reputation of a great pitching team, which is true, but notice they are 28-22 over the total at home. And new starter Byung-Hyun Kim walks a lot of batters (57 in 81 innings). Look for plenty of runs, play the Pirates/D-Backs over the total!

TOTALS 4 U
BOSTON/L.A. ANGELS OVER 9 1/2

BIG TIME SPORTS
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8th
TAMPA BAY / DETROIT OVER 9.5

USA Sports Consulting -Brian Smith
8/8/2007
NEW YORK METS -109

MIKE WYNN
NY Mets w/Hernandez -110 Over Atlanta

Tom Freese

Game: Seattle Mariners at Baltimore Orioles
Aug 8 2007 7:05PM

Prediction: under

Reason: Two young righthanders with electric stuff hook up here in what we say will be low scoring game. Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie has allowed 3 or less runs in 16 of his 18 starts this year. The Orioles have gone 6-2-1 Under in his 9 home starts this year. Seattle starter Felix Hernandez has allowed 18 runs total in his last 7 starts. The Mariners have gone 6-2 Under in 8 road starts made by Hernandez. Play On 'Under' (Guthrie vs. Hernandez)

THE SPORTS ADVISORS

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (60-53) at N.Y. Mets (63-49)

The Braves continue their series at Shea Stadium tonight when they send ace John Smoltz (10-6, 3.04) to the mound, while the Mets will hand the ball to Orlando Hernandez (7-4, 3.00).
Atlanta cruised to a 7-3 victory last night and now trails the Mets by 3½ games in the N.L. East. The Braves are now on a 6-2 run, scoring six runs or more in all six wins, including 11 or more four times.
New York had won 12 of 17 home games prior to last night’s loss. Overall, Willie Randolph’s team is just 4-3 in its last seven games.
The Braves now lead the season series against the Mets 7-3, winning three of the four games played at Shea Stadium
Smoltz, who posted a 2.33 ERA in July, is coming off one the worst starts of his season, as he surrendered seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings in Friday’s 9-2 home loss to the Rockies. The veteran righthander is 5-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts on the road.
Smoltz is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year. Both wins came at home, though, as he gave up just two runs in 13 innings. In his one start at Shea Stadium, he got rocked for six runs in 5 2/3 innings, but Atlanta bailed him out in a 9-6 win. The Braves are 7-3 in Smoltz’s last 10 starts against the Mets, including four straight wins.
The Mets are 5-0 in Hernandez’s last five starts, including a 6-2 win at the Cubs on Thursday. In that one, El Duque surrendered both runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He’s yielded two earned runs or fewer in six of his last eight outings.
Hernandez is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in seven home starts, with the Mets winning five of those contests. He’s also 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in six career starts versus Atlanta. One of those starts came back in the first week of the season in Atlanta, and El Duque gave up just a run on two hits in six innings, failing to get a decision as New York fell, 3-2.
The over is 4-2 in Smoltz’s last six starts overall and his last six outings against the Mets. However, the under is 11-6-1 in El Duque’s 18 starts this year.
The Braves have topped the total in 27 of their last 35 games, including 13 of 18 on the road and six of the last eight overall. Also, the over is 5-0-1 in New York’s last six games.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER


AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (68-45) at L.A. Angels (66-46)

The top two teams in baseball conclude their three-game series in Southern California with a pair of youngsters set to duel on the mound, as Boston’s John Lester (1-0, 5.09) takes on the Angels’ Dustin Moseley (4-1, 4.43).
Los Angeles has won the first two games of this series by scores of 4-2 and 10-4. The Angels are now 41-17 in their last 57 home games, including 37-16 this year.
Boston has now followed up a 12-4 run by losing back-to-back games. The Red Sox have lost as many as three in a row just four times all season. Also, they’re still 19-9 in the last 28 meetings against the Angels, including 3-2 this season. The home team has won all five meetings in 2007.
Lester, who missed the first four months of the season while recovering from cancer treatment, was sharp in his 2007 debut at Cleveland on July 23 (two runs in six innings in a 6-2 win). Since then, however, the lefthander has struggled, giving up four runs in 6 2/3 innings at Tampa Bay and four runs in five innings on Friday at Seattle. All three of his starts have come on the road.
Lester’s final start of 2006 came at Angel Stadium back on Aug. 23, and he gave up three runs on six hits and four walks in five innings en route to a 5-4 win. He also faced the Halos at home last July and got pounded for five runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, losing 8-3.
Moseley has made just four starts this season for Los Angeles. He was brilliant in the first two back at the beginning of April, giving up just two runs in 12 innings before being shipped to the bullpen. However, in his two most recent starts, he’s given up seven runs in 10 innings, getting a no-decision in L.A.’s 13-4 home win over Detroit on July 29 and earning an 8-4 loss at Oakland on Friday.
Including relief appearances, Moseley is 4-0 with a 5.08 ERA at home. The Angels have prevailed in both of his home starts, scoring a total of 18 runs. The righthander’s only career appearance against the Red Sox came in relief earlier this year, and he pitched two scoreless innings.
Although Tuesday’s game flew over the total, the under is still 10-5-2 in the last 17 battles between these squads.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE

Stan Sharp--double Dime Insiders Big Bet Of Week--dodgers


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Donald Tran
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Sport: MLB
Matchup: San Diego at St. Louis
Prediction: San Diego Padres -105 W/ Maddux


=========================================


Jennifer Barry
Wednesday, August 8 2007

Sport: MLB
Matchup: Tampa Bay at Detroit

Prediction: Over 9.5 Runs (Shields vs. Durbin


=========================================


Chad Jordan
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Sport: MLB
Match up: Pittsburgh at Arizona
Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks -135 W/ Kim

WINNING POINTS

Chicago Cubs at Houston (3) 6th, 7th, 8th

The Cubs are rolling right now, as they continue to climb in the NL Central while their team ERA continues to decline (3.86, 2nd lowest in the league). But they’ve had a terrible time dealing with lefthanders (9-15, -$1030 overall with only 2.8 runs per game on the road), and Wandy Rodriguez has been superb in his 12 starts at Minute Maid Park (+$610, 1.77 ERA). PREFERRED: W. Rodriguez.

San Diego at St. Louis (4) 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th

We’re partial to the Padres in this series, given the fact that they tend to be more profitable when they venture outside of Petco Park (+$390). But despite last Sunday’s outburst they’ve struggled at the plate, and the Cardinals are still within striking distance in the NL Central. We’ll stay away for now. PREFERRED: None.

Milwaukee at Colorado (3) 6th, 7th, 8th

The Brewers are on the verge of falling out of first place in the NL Central, and they’ve not been successful against righthanders outside of Miller Park (only 15-23, -$905). The Rockies are hanging close to the leaders in the competitive NL West, thanks in large part to their strong showing against righthanders at Coors Field (23-13, +$975 with 5.8 runs per game). We should get some chances to use the home team. PREFERRED: Rockies when righty meets righty.

Washington at San Francisco (4) 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th

The Nationals are not a team you want to make a habit of betting against (+$1140 so far in 2007). The Giants are almost as bad a team, but unlike Washington, they tend to be favored at home much of the time. That will no doubt be the case in this series, so take a shot with the visitor any time they send a righty to the hill (SF -$745 vs. righties at ATT Park). PREFERRED: Righthanders vs. the Giants.

N.Y. Yankees at Toronto (3) 6th, 7th, 8th

The Yankees have looked sharp since the All-Star Break, taking 3 out of 4 from Toronto in the Bronx along the way. But the Blue Jays continue to play hard, and they look like an good value when Andy Pettitte (-$500) is on the mound, given their 13-3 (+$1010) record vs. lefties here at Rogers Centre. PREFERRED: Blue Jays vs. Pettitte.

Tampa Bay at Detroit (4) 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th

The Devil Rays somehow managed to take 2 out of 3 the only time these teams met this year (+$135), and when you consider how much money the Tigers have lost vs. righthanders here at Comerica (-$1025), the high priced visiting underdog looks very tempting. PREFERRED: Rightanders vs. the Tigers at +175 or better.

Oakland at Texas (3) 6th, 7th, 8th

The Athletics have been a major disappointment in 2007 (-$1445 overall), and while it’s difficult to endorse the last place Rangers, they have turned a modest profit against lefthanders at home (+$290), and they are likely to face at least one given that Lenny Dinardo & Dallas Braden (-$660, 5.65 ERA in 7 starts) are now being used as starters. PREFERRED: Rangers vs. lefthanders.

Boston at L.A. Angels (3) 6th, 7th, 8th

The Red Sox spanked The Angels when they visited Fenway Park back in April (3-0, +$300), and they are nicely poised to continue their winning ways here at Anaheim. They’ve been sensational vs. righthanders on the road (24-11, +$1480) and that’s what they’ll be up against here. LA is a formidable foe, but their pitching appears suspect at the moment. PREFERRED: Red Sox vs. righthanders.

BEGINNING TUESDAY AUGUST 7

Florida at Philadelphia (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

Despite their recent woes the Marlins have posted a nice profit in road games vs. righthanders (+$575). Their two starting lefties, Dontrelle Willis and Scott Olsen, have been getting roughed up lately, but considering the Phillies’ 15-20 (-$580) record vs. southpaws, they could both be a solid underdog value. At least one of them should see action. PREFERRED: Willis & Olsen vs. righthanders.

Atlanta at N.Y. Mets (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

The Mets are clinging to an increasingly tenuous grasp in first place in the NL East, and this could prove to be a pivotal series. The Braves have already taken 6 of 9 from the Mets (+$330) and they’ve had tremendous success on the road vs. righthanders (23-12, +$825) while New York has lost money here at Shea (-$600). The Braves are pitching well (3.37 ERA last 10 days) and have a great shot at making up some ground. PREFERRED: Braves vs. righthanders.

L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

The Dodgers swept the series when these teams squared off before (+$300) but the Reds seem to be playing somewhat better, so caution is advised. LA has had success against lefthanders, particularly in road games (10-4, +$650) so we’ll take a shot when Bobby Livingston, recently added to the Reds’ rotation takes the mound for Cincy. PREFERRED: Dodgers vs. Livingston.

Pittsburgh at Arizona (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

The Diamondbacks continue to excel here at Chase Field (33-21, +$810) and they should dispatch the hapless Pirates without much difficulty. Pittsburgh averages just 4.1 runs per game and they’ve lost money in all settings this year (-$1440). They’ll be hard pressed to salvage a win. PREFERRED: Diamondbacks in all games.

Seattle at Baltimore (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

The Mariners seem to have recovered from their sudden losing streak, and they continue to post outstanding numbers when opposing lefthanders (20-8, +$1475 in ‘07). They may miss Eric Bedard, but Brian Burres (4.89 as a starter) is likely to see action and he makes an inviting target. PREFERRED: Mariners vs. Burres.

Minnesota at Kansas City (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

The Twins have not looked sharp in recent days (4-6, -$155 with 3.3 runs per game and a 5.38 ERA among starters) so they could be vulnerable here. But the Royals are lousy here at Kaufman Stadium (24-31, -$300). We’ll pass for the time being. PREFERRED: None.

Cleveland at Chicago W. Sox (3) 7th, 8th, 9th

For all their woes in 2007, the White Sox have been making life miserable for the top contenders in their division. They’ve posted a modest profit vs. righties here at US Cellular (+$140) while the Tribe has lost money vs. righties outside of Jacobs Field (-$430). PREFERRED: White Sox when righty meets righty

Michael Cannon

Take the Indians tonight for the road win over the White Sox.

I know this is a heavy price to pay for a road team, but the way C.C. Sabathia is pitching I just can't pass him up here.
The left-hander is 14-6 with a 3.56 ERA in 24 games this year and he has a sparkling 1.74 ERA over his last three starts. He's just 1-2 over that span, but that's because of a lack of run support, obviously.
He shouldn't have any problems getting runs tonight against Chicago starter Jon Garland, who has been battered for 17 earned runs over his last 13 1-3 innings. The right-hander is 7-10 with a 5.83 ERA in 21 career games against the Tribe.
Sabathia is a solid 14-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 22 career games against the ChiSox, including 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two games this season.
Lay the chalk with the Indians as they grab the road win.
2? CLEVELAND


Vernon Croy
MLB Bonus Play
Bonus Plays (+2232) 50-24 L74 68%

1 Unit - Take the NY Mets Over 8 -108, Both of these teams are crushing the ball and they have combined to average over 14 rpg over their last 7 games played. The O/U is 7-1 for the Mets as a home favorite of -100 to -125 this season and the O/U is also 12-3 for Atlanta as a road dog of +100 to +125. Smoltz allowed 5 earned runs in his last outing and the O/U is 7-0 for the Braves over their last 7 games.

Michael Alexander
MLB Bonus Play - Washington at San Francisco
Play on Washington w/ Redding

Although the Washington Nationals are all but out of post season contention they continue to surprise the league. Washington has been red hot since the All Star Break and after last night's win over the Giants have now won 10 of their last 13 ball games. The win last night improved their record to 52-61 and moved them into a virtual tie with Florida for fourth in the NL East.

Part of the improvement can certainly be tracked to their recent offensive performance that has seen them increase their run production from 4.0 runs per game to 6.7 over their last seven while their hitting has improved from .247 to .325. In addition their pitching has stepped up as witnessed by tonight's starter, Tim Redding. Redding has been just about unhittable posting an impressive 2.43 ERA overall and a microscopic .95 over his last three starts. That is going to spell trouble for a San Francisco team who is only hitting .230 over their last seven games.

Now that Mr. Bonds has broken the homerun record in last night's game the Giants really have nothing more to look towards this season. After last night's loss the Giants are now 48-63 good for last place in the NL West.

They will attempt to stem the tide when they send right-hander, Matt Cain, to the hill. Cain has had a very disappointing season in the win column going a horrible 3-12 on the season. Home cooking hasn't helped either as Cain is only 1-7 in his home starts this season. In his career starts versus Washington, Cain is 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA.

SUPPORTING ANGLES: WASHINGTON is 20-13 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in the second half of the season this season. WASHINGTON is 36-28 (+16.3 Units) against the money line after having won 4 of their last 5 games over the last 3 seasons. CAIN is 1-14 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Not much fire left in the Giants while Washington is just playing great baseball right now. This price is just too good to pass up for a team playing as well right now. I'm taking Washington in this one.

Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Toronto +117 (listing Halladay)

The Jays have lost 2 straight to the Yankees, but they will save some face with Halladay on the hill tonight. Rarely will we get this good of value with Halladay on the hill at home. In fact, playing the overvalued Yankees is really the only chance for it to happen and we will take advantage. Halladay is 8-1 at home this season. He has been a Yankee killer going 9-4 with an ERA of 2.96 and a WHIP of 1.203 in his last 22 starts against them. He is 35-11 against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons, 23-9 against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997, and 27-6 against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons. Take the Jays.

JEFF ALEXANDER
MLB Tampa Bay vs. Detroit
Take Detroit Tigers

1 Unit on Detroit -135 (action) The D-Rays are 4-26 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. They are 4-32 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in road games vs. excellent fielding teams - averaging

Winners Inc
Atlanta Braves ~vs~ New York Mets
New York Mets -1.5 (+201)

John Fina
Selection: St. Louis Cardinals (-105)

SCOTT'S PICKS
Texas (Millwood) -110

CAPPERS ACCESS
MLB Brewers
MLB Indians

VEGAS SPORTS PICS
Milwaukee (Gallardo) +110** over Colorado (Francis)
Chicago Cubs (Zambrano) +100** over Houston (Oswalt)
Boston (Lester) / L.A.Angels (Moseley) OVER 9.5**

Tony Mathews
Matchup: Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox
Selection: Chicago White Sox (+125)

Prime Sports Picks
Bonus Play: Cleveland (Sabathia) -140

Matt Wrobel Sports
Comp - Milwaukee Brewers (Even)

USA SPORTS CONSULTING
Brian Smith
NY Mets -109 7:10 ET (free pick)

Alex Smart
Colorado Rockies (-120)

HotLocksports
St. Louis Cardinals -106

VIP Sports Picks
Colorado Rockies -120

NATIONAL SPORTS ADVISORS
FREE MLB BASEBALL PICKS
Florida @ Philadelphia
Time : 7:05 PM EST
Pick: OVER 10

Paul Leiner
Colorado/Milwaukee
Prediction: 5* Over 9.5 Col/Milw

BigRollers
MLB - Tampa Bay (+118)

cstarssportspicks
MLB - San Francisco (-150)

Priority Sports Info
MLB - Minnesota (-225)

Prime Sports Picks
MLB - Cleveland (-140)

Sebastian Sports
MLB - Houston Under (7.5)

IF people could get all these picks it would be great

MLB SCOTT SPREITZER'S AL GAME OF THE MONTH! *14-2, 88%
NFL SCOTT SPREITZER'S TKO GAME OF THE WEEK! *7-0, 100%
MLB Larry Ness' 20* AL Game of the Month
MLB Larry Ness' Oddsmaker's Error (7-1 s/July 18!)
MLB Larry Ness' 15* Team Mismatch GOW (now 84-30 TY!)
NFL Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider (12-5 LY w/sides!)
MLB **ALERT** Ben Burns Personal Favorite (5-0 L5 PFs
MLB Ben Burns "DOUBLE-8" Annihilator (44-22 L66!)
MLB Ben Burns' #1 Underdog of the Month (44-22 L66!)
NFL Ben Burns' Thursday Night "ROAST" (11-1 L12 NFL!)
NFL Burns NFLX Non-Conf GAME OF THE YEAR *9-1 L10 GOYs

Ben Burns "DOUBLE-8" Annihilator

CARDINALS

Game: San Diego Padres vs. St Louis Cardinals Game Time: 8/8/2007 8:10:00 PM Prediction: St Louis Cardinals Reason: I'm playing on ST. LOUIS. Wells admittedly has some brutal stats for the season. However, he's been pitching MUCH better lately. In fact, after allowing two runs through six innings in his most recent outing, Wells has now seen three of his last four starts be of the "quality" variety. Wells allowed two earned runs or less in three of those four starts and had a highly respectable 3.16 ERA during that stretch. Its also worth noting that Wells also pitched the last time (7/18) that the Cardinals were coming off a shutout loss. He stepped up bigtime in that game, allowing only two hits through eight complete innings, en route to a 6-0 victory. Additionally, Wells has enjoyed success vs. San Diego, going 4-2 (team was 5-2, +4.1) with a solid 3.65 ERA. Maddux also has decent career numbers vs. the Cardinals. However, he got rocked for nine hits and six earned runs in just five innings the last time that he visited here. The future hall-of-famer has also struggled on the road all season going 2-4 (team is 4-8) in 12 road starts with a relatively poor 4.57 ERA and 1.391 WHIP. Despite winning yesterday's game, the Padres remain a poor 7-13 their last 20 games played here and 5-8 their last 13 on the road overall. The Cards, on the other hand, remain a solid 4-1 their last five games here. The defending champs are also a perfect 9-0 this season when coming off a shutout loss in their previous game. Look for them to "bounce back" once again.

Ben Burns Underdog of the Month

JAYS

Game: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays Game Time: 8/8/2007 7:05:00 PM Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays Reason: I'm playing on TORONTO. I've got a lot of respect for Wang and for the Yankees. However, I also feel that Halladay is one of the best and most competitive pitchers in all of baseball and I expect the Jays' ace to be at his best for this "big" game. Indeed, the season is all but on the line for the Jays here, as they simply can't afford to get swept. Even if the Jays have already mentally (and understandably) written off the playoffs, the players will be highly motivated to get some payback after yesterday's "heated" affair. Wang has been fortunate to receive a lot of run support on the road this season as his 4.45 road ERA and 1.415 WHIP are clearly nothing special. He's unlikely to get much support today though as Halladay has been dominant at home. Halladay, who has a 2.35 ERA his last three starts, is 8-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.133 WHIP at home, averaging greater than seven innings per start. He has won six straight games here and hasn't lost here since early May. Note that Halladay will be supported by a Jays' bullpen that has a 2.99 ERA at home (1.072 WHIP) while the Yankees' bullpen has a 3.99 ERA and 1.461 WHIP on the road. Additionally, note that Halladay is 9-4 with a 2.96 ERA in 22 starts against New York and that the Jays are a perfect 5-0 the last five times he started against the Yankees here in Toronto. Look for him to outpitch Wang this evening as the Jays cool off their guests and climb back above the 500 mark. *underdog of the month

Ben Burns Personal Favorite

GIANTS

Game: Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants Game Time: 8/8/2007 10:10:00 PM Prediction: San Francisco Giants Reason: I'm laying the price with SAN FRANCISCO. Cain has been a hard-luck loser this entire year. Indeed, how else can one explain the fact that he has a highly respectable 3.93 ERA but that he also has a dismal 3-12 record? Facing the lowest scoring team in the majors, I expect Cain to earn a rare victory this evening. Regardless of whether or not Bonds plays (I won't be surprised if he doesn't) I feel that there has been a great deal of pressure lifted from the entire team after "the record" finally got broken last night. Although he has pitched well since being recalled from the minors, the Giants should be able to hit Redding, as he has really struggled in three career starts against them. In fact, Redding is 0-2 (team is 0-3) with an absolutely awful 11.58 ERA and 2.572 WHIP in three career starts vs. the Giants. Redding failed to pitch past the fourth inning in any of those starts and his team lost by scores of 10-3, 13-9 and 11-8. Despite yesterday's victory, the Nationals remain a dismal 7-27 when playing a game with an over/under line of either eight or 8.5. Look for Cain to rise to the occasion with a big effort as he outpitches Redding with the Giants improving to 6-2 their last eight at home. *Personal Favorite

ness
oddsmakers error - detroit
team mismatch - arizona
20* AL GOM - cleveland

rusty can u get the writeups aswell?

Ben Burns NFLx Non-Conf. GOY

TAMPA BAY

Game: New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Time: 8/10/2007 7:30:00 PM Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Reason: I'm playing on TAMPA BAY. Due to their dominance this millennium, the Patriots are always a popular "public" pick and often see rather inflated lines. They've received a lot of attention in the offseason, due in large part to the signing of Randy Moss, and I believe that has helped to give us excellent value on their opponent, Tampa Bay, for Friday's opener. It's important to know coach's and team's past preseason tendencies, not just for the exhibition season as a whole, but also for specific individual weeks. Looking back to last season and we find that the Pats played in Atlanta for their preseason opener. They ended up losing that game by three points. However, a closer look shows that they were down by 10 entering the fourth quarter and that they never held a lead at any part of the game. Looking back at the Patriots' opener the previous season and we find that they earned a victory at Cincinnati. The Pats had some extra motivation for that game though as the Bengals had crushed them 31-3 the previous year, which happened to also be New England's first road game of the preseason. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has been dominant every year (5-0 ATS last five years) in their preseason opener. In 2003, the Bucs won by one point as road underdogs at Miami. Note that they were leading 20-6 entering the fourth quarter. They also won their home opener (10-6 vs. Jax) the same season. In 2004, the Bucs won 20-6 vs. Cincinnati. In 2005, they defeated the Titans by three points in their preseason opener. In last season's opening preseason contest, here at home, the Bucs dominated the Jets by a score of 16-3. In addition to the Bucs' tendency to win their opener, I also feel that their quarterback rotation (Simms, Gradkowski, Garcia, McCown) is signficantly stronger than New England's rotation of Brady, Cassel and Gutierrez, considering that Brady won't see much action. In addition to playing at home, the Bucs are off a disappointing year and have a lot more to prove. Look for them to be the hungrier team and for that to result in a victory. *NFLx Non-Conf. GOY