HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
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St. Louis +1.15 over MILWAUKEE (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
Both these bullpens are about as erratic as it gets so we’re going to try and eliminate anything bad happening deep into the game. What remains true is that the Cardinals are still very warm while the Brew Crew have dropped six of seven. Braden Looper has been sharp all year while Jeff Suppan has not even come close. Looper has made seven starts and all but one has been of the quality variety. Looper has a very respectable 3.95 ERA and it’s also worth noting that he’s solid at the plate with a .385 batting average and that definitely make a difference. Jeff Suppan’s ERA sits at 5.22 but over his last three starts it’s 6.89. Suppan has not won in his last six starts and we don’t see him keeping this opponent at bay either. Oh, the Cardinals are 16-7 against righties too. Play: St. Louis +1.15 in the first five innings (Risking 2 units).
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TAMPA BAY –1.07 over L.A. Angels
Earvin (Magic) Santana is the front-runner for this year’s CY Young award, as he’s been lights out thus far. All Santana has done is post a 6-0 record to go along with his 2.02 ERA. He has pitched deep into every one of his seven starts and has not been yanked before six full innings yet. The Angels are a popular betting choice and have been for the past few years while the Rays have been one of the league’s doormats since their inception many, many years ago. With that said, it would appear that the books are predicting a loss for the Angels here because they’ve made them a very appealing pooch in this one and they’re going to welcome all the Angel money that comes in. They could have made Santana and the Angels a –1.15 favorite here and not swayed a single bet. We’re playing the line here and that line suggests the Rays are supposed to win and the books are usually right about such things. Play: Tampa Bay –1.07 (Risking 2.14 units to win 2).