Wednesday's MLB Early and Evening Games Best Bets !

EARLY GAMES:

Wednesday, June 30Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 12:35 PM ET Philadelphia -160 500
Cincinnati - Under 8.5 500

Detroit - 1:10 PM ET Minnesota -153 500
Minnesota - Under 9.5 500

Houston - 2:10 PM ET Houston +151 500*****
Milwaukee - Over 9 500 *****

Arizona - 2:15 PM ET St. Louis -135 500
St. Louis - Over 9.5 500 *****

Pittsburgh - 2:20 PM ET Pittsburgh +182 500 *****
Chi. Cubs -

LA Dodgers - 3:45 PM ET LA Dodgers +107 500 *****
San Francisco - Under 8.5 500*****

Wednesday Afternoon Tips

The final day of June provides bettors with plenty of afternoon action, including four games involving both teams in playoff contention. The NL West showcases its top four teams playing getaway day games, including the Giants hosting the Dodgers and the Padres entertaining the Rockies. We'll start first in Cincinnati with Dusty Baker's red-hot club trying to close out the Phillies.

Phillies at Reds - 12:35 PM EST

Cincinnati has slowly reclaimed the offense that it lost it Seattle, as the Reds are averaging 5.5 runs/game in a 6-1 run that has put them atop the NL Central. The Phillies' offense has been resurrected after a cold streak at the end of May, but Philadelphia needs to leap-frog a pair of teams in the NL East.

Roy Halladay's (9-6, 2.29 ERA) record may not look as sterling as you would expect with his ERA, as the Phillies' ace is coming off seven innings of scoreless baseball against his ex-mates in a 7-0 shutout of Toronto. Halladay has actually put up better numbers on the road, compiling a 5-2 mark on the highway to go along with an ERA of 2.09. The last time the righty faced the Reds was in 2008 as a member of the Jays, as Toronto tagged Halladay for five runs in a 6-5 road win.

The Reds counter with Aaron Harang (6-7, 5.07 ERA), who has been the model of inconsistency this season. Harang, who finished 16-6 in 2007, has won just 18 games over the last three seasons combined. The tall right-hander is coming off consecutive quality starts, even though it came against Cleveland and Seattle. Harang has actually pitched well against this Philadelphia club, beating the Phillies twice last season by allowing four earned wins in the two victories.

Cincinnati is 7-3 the last ten home day games, while cashing the 'under' in four straight day games overall. The Phillies have lost five of their previous seven road games under the sun, which includes a 1-1 mark over the weekend against the Jays in mythical away games at Citizens Bank Park.

Tigers at Twins - 1:10 PM EST

Minnesota is going backwards quickly inside the AL Central after dropping the series opener to Detroit on Monday night, 7-5. That marks the sixth loss in seven games for Ron Gardenhire's team, who is in a three-horse race with the Tigers and White Sox in the division. Kevin Slowey looks to stop the bleeding for Minnesota, but he's going to have to fix his woes if the Twins want to win.

Slowey (7-5, 4.79 ERA) has allowed 17 earned runs in his last three starts, which totals to an ERA of 12.41. Somehow, the Twins managed to win one of those games, rallying from five runs down in the ninth inning to shock the Phillies, 13-10 in extra innings. Slowey has always been a great control pitcher, issuing only 17 walks in 14 starts. The good news is that's not his problem; instead, Slowey is getting knocked all over the diamond by allowing at least six hits in eight of his last ten outings.

Rookie Andrew Oliver (0-1, 3.00 ERA) makes his second start, after falling in his debut at Atlanta, 3-1. The ex-Oklahoma State southpaw showed promise by delivering six innings of five-hit ball, but the Tigers' bats did little against Kris Medlen and the Braves. Oliver faces a Minnesota club that has been ruthless at home against left-handed starters, compiling a 7-2 mark at Target Field versus southpaws.

The Twins own a perfect 4-0 day record at home against left-handers, but are just 2-5 at Target Field in the third game of a series. The Tigers are 1-4 the last five matinees on the road, after starting the season 6-3 in this situation.

Rockies at Padres - 3:35 PM EST

Colorado drew first blood with a 10-6 victory on Monday night as Ubaldo Jimenez captured his league-leading 14th win of the season. The Rockies are now 5-2 against the leaders of the NL West, as the Padres try to hold onto the lead inside the division.

A pair of left-handers takes the mound at Petco Park as Jeff Francis and Clayton Richard square off. Francis (2-2, 3.53 ERA) has been a welcome return to the pitching staff after missing the entire 2009 season due to left shoulder surgery. The British Columbia native is coming off three straight quality starts, despite receiving credit for only one win (Colorado won all three games). Francis has been involved in five one-run games out of eight starts, while six outings have finished 'under' the total.

Richard (5-4, 2.75 ERA) won for the first time in four starts in a 3-0 victory at Florida last Friday. The ex-White Sox lefty has been the victim of poor run support, with the Padres providing less than three runs an outing for Richard. The Padres are 1-3 in Richard's last four home starts, as San Diego fell to a pair of AL cellar-dwellers in the Orioles and Mariners his last two outings. The Rockies have beaten Richard twice this season, including a 6-5 extra-innings win back in early May at Petco Park.

Colorado has won five of its past six matinee contests on the road, while seven of its last 11 day games on the highway have finished 'under' the total. The Padres have claimed four of six home games under the sun, but all four wins have come against below .500 teams.

Dodgers at Giants - 3:45 PM EST

San Francisco plays its final home game prior to the All-Star Break, as the Giants hit the road for a three-city, 11-game trip following Wednesday's matchup with Los Angeles. The Dodgers bounced back from Sunday's meltdown to the Yankees by knocking off the Giants in the series opener, 4-2.

Jonathan Sanchez (6-5, 3.03 ERA) hasn't been particularly sharp recently, allowing five earned runs and nine walks in his last two starts (8 IP). The Giants have won five of the southpaw's last six starts, despite only two of those outings being quality ones. The Dodgers beat Sanchez in four of five games last season, as the lefty didn't last past the fifth inning in any start.

Veteran Vicente Padilla (1-2, 5.82 ERA) is winless since coming off the disabled list on June 19, falling to the Red Sox and Yankees in one-run setbacks. Padilla is coming off a strong outing against New York, giving up six hits and two earned runs in seven innings, but the Dodgers provided little run support in a 2-1 defeat. Padilla limited the Giants four hits and three earned runs in seven innings of a 10-8 victory at Chavez Ravine back in April.

The Dodgers are 9-4 the last 13 meetings with the Giants, including the series victory in Los Angeles in April. San Francisco is 6-2 the previous eight day games at AT&T Park, while going 6-1 the last seven Game 3's at home.

Evening Games:

Oakland - 7:05 PM ET Oakland -114 500
Baltimore - Under 9 500 *****

Toronto - 7:05 PM ET Toronto -122 500
Cleveland - Over 10 500 *****

Seattle - 7:05 PM ET Seattle +139 500 *****
NY Yankees - Over 8 500

Tampa Bay - 7:10 PM ET Boston +100 500
Boston - Over 9.5 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Washington +159 500 *****
Atlanta - Under 9 500

NY Mets - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets -110 500
Florida - Under 9.5 500*****

Chi. White Sox - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +111 500 *****
Kansas City - Under 7 500

Texas - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels -115 500
LA Angels - Over 10 500 *****



Good Luck !

MLB


Wednesday, June 30

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds (+150, 8)

The injury bug is swarming through MLB clubhouses and recently sunk its stinger into the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Tuesday, the Phillies placed second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Placido Polanco on the 15-day disabled list. They join five other Philadelphia players who are out of action.

"When you lose Utley and Poly, that's a big part of our lineup," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "At the same time, that's when you give somebody else a chance."

Those other “somebodys” are Triple-A callups Greg Dobbs and Brian Bocock, who are basically “nobodys” to the casual baseball fan. Dobbs was 2-for-17 with Lehigh since being demoted June 23 and Bocock was hitting .179 in 65 games.

It will be tough for the Phillies to replace Utley’s and Polanco’s combined production of 64 RBIs and 88 runs scored. With these two integral pieces of Philly’s offense on the shelf, sharp bettors have already moved this total from an opener of 8.5 down to 8…follow the steam.

Pick: Under


Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-120, 8)

Are you starting to notice a trend with the Giants? The offense gets hot for a stretch and then cools off to sub-zero temperatures.

Currently, San Francisco is in an ice age. The Jints have plated a total of five runners in their last three games and each outing went under the posted total.

The guy that was expected to carry the lineup this season, Pablo Sandoval, has hit just six homers and driven in 30 runs. The switch-hitter better known as “Panda” in the Bay Area is hitting .296 against righties but just .211 against southpaws.

"With some switch-hitters, one side always demands a little more maintenance, little more work, and you get out of sync. It's tough, and I think that's just the case for Pablo right now," manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Giants hit into five double plays Monday night and lead the NL in that category with 81 on the season. Stranding runners on base is a big reason San Fran has dropped five-of-six.

"That's what's hurting us now," said Bochy. "We're having a tough time keeping the line moving. When you're not scoring a lot of runs, [double plays] hurt, because they stop the rallies.”

With the Giants in one of their offensive funks, bettors should look toward the opposition for a winning ticket.

Pick: Dodgers


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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.28), Seattle Mariners

Since getting roughed up by the rowdy Rangers on June 8, King Felix has been perched high atop his throne.

Hernandez has tossed complete games in his last two starts, giving up two and one earned run respectively. He worked 8.2 innings in a 4-2 win over the Padres in the outing prior. Over those three starts, Hernandez struck out 26 hitters while walking only three.

“He has turned into one of the true No. 1s on a major league staff,” Padres manager Bud Black said after Hernandez held his team to four hits.

The UNDER is 4-0-2 in Hernandez’s last six starts and opposing offenses are averaging 2.5 runs per game.


Slumping

Kevin Slowey (7-5, 4.79), Minnesota Twins

After a five-game tear that spanned from mid-May to June 8, Slowey is slowly started to fall off the wagon.

The Twins right-hander has surrendered no less than five runs in each of his last three outings. Slowey yielded five home runs and 17 earned runs during that stretch (12.1 innings) while striking out 10. Slowey suffered the shortest game of his career in the start before last. The Phillies touched him up for two homers and seven earned runs in 1.2 innings on the hill.

“I think everybody in this clubhouse is frustrated,” Slowey said. “We’re disappointed and frustrated and we know we’re better than this and that goes for me, too.”


Returning

Jair Jurrjens (0-3, 6.38), Atlanta Braves

Kenshin Kawakami was moved to the bullpen to make room for Jair Jurrjens, who has been on the disabled list since April 30 with a strained hamstring.

In 2009, Jurrjens was one of Atlanta’s top pitchers. He compiled a 14-10 record with a flashy 2.60 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. In his first start of 2010, the righty pitched shutout ball over 5.0 innings against the Cubs. But in four starts after, Jurrjens gave up eight, three, three and three earned runs.

Jurrjens will likely be on a tight pitch count Wednesday and the Braves are priced as -175 favorites against the visiting Nationals.


Debuting

Barry Enright (0-0, 0.00) Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs called up Barry Enright from Double-A Mobile to start Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals. In 15 starts at the minor-league level (93.2 innings), Enright is 4-1 with 2.88 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 15 walks.

The 24-year-old Enright is taking the place of Edwin Jackson, whose start was pushed back to Friday after throwing 149 pitches during his no-hitter last week. If he pitches well enough, Enright could snatch a spot in the rotation from the struggling Dontrelle Willis.


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This Day in Baseball
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On June 30 in Baseball History...

1908 - Cy Young's third career no-hitter is an 8-0 Boston win over New York. At 41 years and three months, he is the oldest pitcher to turn the no-hit trick. Nolan Ryan will beat him in 1990 at the age of 43.

1959 - In Chicago, two balls are in play at the same time. On a wild pitch from pitcher Bob Anderson, Stan Musial draws a walk. As the pitch gets by catcher Sammy Taylor, Musial tries for second base. Umpire Vic Delmore puts another ball in play by mistake. Taylor promptly throws the ball into center field. Third baseman Al Dark, who chased down the original ball, throws to shortstop Ernie Banks, who tags out a confused Musial. After a 10-minute conference, the umpires agree that Musial is out. Delmore will be fired because of the boner.

1962 - With the aid of 13 strikeouts and a Frank Howard home run, Sandy Koufax no-hits Bob Miller and the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles.

1970 - A sellout crowd of 51,050 is on hand for the dedication of Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, but Hank Aaron spoils the show as he hits the park's first home run. The Braves win 8-2.

1978 - Larry Doby becomes the second black major league manager, replacing Bob Lemon as skipper of the White Sox. Chicago has a 34-40 record at the time, and will go 37-50 the rest of the way.

1988 - Alarmed by the White Sox' threatened move to St. Petersburg, Florida, lawmakers in Illinois grant state subsidies for a new stadium to replace venerable but decaying Comiskey Park.

1994 - Giants center fielder Darren Lewis commits his first major league error to break his record of 392 flawless games in the outfield.

1995 - Eddie Murray collects his 3,000th career hit against Minnesota's Mike Trombley in a 4-1 Cleveland win at the Metrodome. The Indians slugger is the 20th player to reach the milestone and the third in franchise history to do it wearing a Cleveland uniform.

MLB
Write-Up


Wednesday, June 30

Hot pitchers
-- Harang is 3-2, 3.57 in his last six starts; Reds got shut out in both of the losses.
-- Bush is 2-0, 2.70 in his last couple starts.
-- Richard has a 2.32 RA in his last five starts.
-- Giants won five of last six Sanchez starts, scoring 24 runs in his last three outings.
-- Pelfrey is 6-1, 2.38 in his last eight starts.

-- Hernandez is 2-0, 1.69 in his last three starts. Vazquez is 3-1, 3.00 in his last five starts.
-- Red Sox won last three Matsuzaka starts (2-0, 2.29).
-- Peavy is 3-0, 0.78 in his last three starts. Greinke is 2-0, 3.38 in his last three outings.
-- Kazmir is 4-1, 3.71 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Halladay has a 7.25 RA in his last four starts.
-- WRodriguez is 2-6, 7.50 in his last eight starts.
-- Suppan is 0-1, 3.95 in three starts for St Louis. Enright was 4-1, 2.88 in 14 starts in AA Southern League.
-- Former Pirate Gorzelanny is 2-5, 4.96 in his last eight starts. Lincoln is 0-2, 6.75 in four starts this season.
-- Francis is 1-2, 5.02 in his last six starts.
-- Dodgers are 0-4 in Padilla road starts (0-1, 8.55).
-- Volstad is 1-5, 5.15 in his last nine starts.
-- Washington is 0-5 in Martin starts (0-3, 5.46). Jurrjens comes off DL to pitch here; he is 1-3, 7.13 in five starts.

-- Oliver lost his MLB debut 3-1, allowing Braves two runs in six IP. Slowey is 0-2, 13.14 in his last three starts.
-- Sheets has a 6.10 RA in his last five starts.
-- Laffey allowed five runs in four IP in losing his first '10 start, 10-3. Litsch is 0-2, 8.78 in three starts this season.
-- Garza has a 7.59 RA in his last six starts.
-- Millwood has an 8.55 RA in his last six starts, but Orioles won last two, scoring 16 runs.
-- Beltre was 0-5, 2.39 at AAA Oklahoma City; he's made only five starts at AAA, going more than five innings only once.

Totals
-- Over is 9-2 in Marlins' last eleven games away from Miami.
-- Over is 10-2-1 in last thirteen Cincinnati home games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Atlanta games.
-- Five of last six Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Houston games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Cardinal games.
-- Eight of last ten games at Petco Park went over the total.
-- Giants' last four games all stayed under the total.

-- Five of last six Bronx home games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Oriole home games went over the total.
-- army.com is America's favorite website.
-- Five of last six Cleveland home games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 10-4 in Detroit's last fourteen games.
-- Nine of last eleven White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Angel games went over the total.

Hot Teams
-- Mets are 7-1 in game following their last eight losses.
-- Phillies won eight of their last 12 games. Reds won six of their last eight games.
-- Braves won 16 of their last 19 home games.
-- Brewers are 12-6 in their last eighteen games at Miller Park.
-- Cardinals are 11-4 in their last fifteen home games.
-- Padres won six of their last nine games, but lost last two to Rockies, who won first two games of this series, scoring 16 runs.
-- Dodgers won three of their last four games.

-- Bronx Bombers are 6-3 in second game of series if they lose opener.
-- Indians won last three games, allowing total of eight runs.
-- Orioles won four of their last five games. A's won four straight games.
-- Red Sox won 13 of their last 15 home games.
-- White Sox won 12 of their last 14 games. Royals won four of their last six games.
-- Rangers won 16 of last 19 games, eight of last nine on road. Angels won six of their last eight home games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost four of their last six games.
-- Nationals lost 12 of their last 14 road games.
-- Cubs are 10-17 in their last 27 games. Pirates lost 18 of their last 19 road games.
-- Astros lost 12 of their last 17 games.
-- Arizona is 3-18 in its last 21 road games.
-- Giants lost last four games, scoring total of six runs.

-- Mariners are 0-5 in second game of road series if they won opener.
-- Rays lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Blue Jays are 4-12 in last 16 games away from Toronto.
-- Minnesota lost six of its last eight games. Tigers lost 14 of their last 19 road games.

Umpires
-- NY-Fla-- Four of last five McClelland games stayed under total.
-- Phil-Cin-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Eddings games.
-- Wsh-Atl-- Underdogs (+$353) won four of last five Hirschbeck tilts.
-- Pitt-Chi-- Underdogs (+$362) are 5-2 in Meals' last seven games.
-- Hst-Mil-- Last five Nauert games all went over the total.
-- Az-StL-- Nine of last twelve Campos games went over the total.
-- Colo-SD-- Underdogs are 9-5 (+$791) in Hudson games this year.
-- LA-SF-- Seven of last nine Hallion games stayed under total.

-- Det-Min-- Road team won five of last seven BWelke games.
-- A's-Balt-- Home team won last six Foster games.
-- Tor-Clev-- Under is 10-4 in Miller's last fourteen games.
-- Sea-NY-- Over is 10-2-1 in last thirteen Hernandez games.
-- TB-Bos-- Favorites won last six Cuzzi games.
-- Chi-KC-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Bellino games.
-- Tex-LA-- Home team won six of last seven Emmel games.

MLB


Wednesday, June 30

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
Cincinnati is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:10 PM
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Detroit is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games

2:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. MILWAUKEE
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing Houston
Milwaukee is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games

2:15 PM
ARIZONA vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona

2:20 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

3:35 PM
COLORADO vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing San Diego
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
San Diego is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

3:45 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Dodgers's last 11 games when playing San Francisco
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
San Francisco is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oakland's last 10 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games at home
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. NY YANKEES
Seattle is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Seattle is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 8 games when playing at home against Seattle
NY Yankees are 15-7 SU in their last 22 games when playing Seattle

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Cleveland is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Mets's last 9 games on the road
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Atlanta is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay

8:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 8 games
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Texas is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games

MLB


Wednesday, June 30

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Tips and Trends
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Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres [3:35 PM ET]

Rockies: Colorado's offense is heating up in the rarest of locations, Petco Park. Colorado has dominated offensively in San Diego, and as a result have back to back wins to show for it. The Rockies are 41-36 SU this year, 4 games behind the Padres in the National League West. Colorado is -0.08 and +1.33 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. The Rockies are 6-2 in their last 8 games against a left-handed starter. The Rockies are 5-1 in Francis' last 6 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. Colorado is 2-6 in Francis' last 8 starts as a road underdog of +110 to +150. The Rockies are 0-4 in Francis' last 4 starts against the National League West.

Rockies are 1-6 last 7 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
Under is 10-4 last 14 road games against a team with a winning home record.

Key Injuries - 1B Todd Helton (back) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Padres (-130, O/U 6.5): San Diego has suffered rare back to back home defeats against their National League West rival Rockies. The Padres will look to win this afternoon to avoid being swept at home. San Diego still has the best record in the National League at 45-32 SU. P Clayton Richard will make the start for San Diego today, as he's 5-4 with an ERA of 2.75 and a WHIP of 1.31 this year. The Padres are 6-1 in their last 7 home games against a left-handed starter. The Padres are 6-0 in Richard's last 6 home starts against a team with a winning record. San Diego is 0-5 in Richard's last 5 starts as a home favorite. San Diego is 0-4 in Richard's last 4 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.

Padres are 19-7 last 26 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Over is 6-0-1 last 7 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.

Key Injuries - LF Matt Stairs (knee) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (OVER - Total of the Day)



Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels [10:05 PM ET]

Rangers: Texas is human after all, as they finally lost a game. The Rangers have been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late, as they currently have the 2nd best record in baseball. Texas is an impressive 46-30 SU overall this season. Texas is also 13-6 SU against teams within their own American League West division. The Rangers are +11.95 and -3.94 units both SU and on the RL this year respectively. The Rangers are 7-2 in their last 9 games against the American League West. The Rangers are 14-3 in their last 17 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. Texas is 8-2 in their last 10 games against a left-handed starter. The Rangers are 22-48 in their last 70 road games against a left-handed starter.

Rangers are 7-1 last 8 games as a road underdog.
Over is 5-1 last 6 against a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - C Jason Saltalamacchia (back) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Angels (-120, O/U 9.5): Los Angeles is starting to heat up again in the middle of summer, as they have won 7 of their last 10 games overall. The Angels are taking care of business currently against the team they are chasing in the American League West, the Rangers. Lefty Scott Kazmir will take the mound today, as he is 7-6 with an ERA of 5.42 and a WHIP of 1.56 this year. The Angels are 6-0 in their last 6 games against a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. The Angels are 9-2 in their last 11 home games against a right-handed starter. Los Angeles is 23-9 in their last 32 games against a right-handed starter. The Angels are 4-1 in Kazmir's last 5 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. Los Angeles is 5-2 in Kazmir's last 7 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. The Angels are 2-5 in Kazmir's last 7 home starts overall.

Angels are 5-1 last 6 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Over is 14-6 last 20 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.

Key Injuries - SS Maicer Izturis (elbow) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)

MLB
Short Sheet


Wednesday, 6/30/2010

PHILADELPHIA at CINCINNATI, 12:35 PM ET
HALLADAY: PHILADELPHIA 23-9 in road games after 2 or more consecutive overs
HARANG: CINCINNATI 4-17 after 5 straight games where they stranded 7 or less runners on base

HOUSTON at MILWAUKEE, 2:10 PM ET
RODRIGUEZ: HOUSTON 9-3 when playing on Wednesday
BUSH: MILWAUKEE 5-14 after 4 or more consecutive home games

ARIZONA at ST LOUIS, 2:15 PM ET
ENRIGHT: ARIZONA 13-36 in road games with double revenge - 2 straight losses against opponent
SUPPAN: 22-7 TSR in home games when playing on Wednesday

PITTSBURGH at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
LINCOLN:
GORZELANNY:

COLORADO at SAN DIEGO, 3:35 PM ET
FRANCIS: COLORADO 11-20 when the money line is +125 to -125
RICHARD: SAN DIEGO is 8-1 after 2 or more consecutive losses

LA DODGERS at SAN FRANCISCO, 3:45 PM ET
PADILLA: 12-4 TSR on the road when the total is 7 to 8.5
SANCHEZ: SAN FRANCISCO is 8-16 against division opponents

NY METS at FLORIDA, 7:05 PM ET - * Played at Bithorn Stadium - San Juan, PR
PELFREY: 10-0 TSR in night games
VOLSTAD: 0-7 TSR after a win

WASHINGTON at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
MARTIN: WASHINGTON 15-52 in road games after a game where the bullpen gave up no runs
JURRJENS: ATLANTA 26-8 as a favorite of -125 to -175

DETROIT at MINNESOTA, 1:10 PM ET
OLIVER: DETROIT 1-12 in road games after allowing 9 runs or more
SLOWEY: MINNESOTA 36-11 after scoring 8 runs or more

OAKLAND at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
SHEETS: OAKLAND 8-19 on the road with a money line of -100 to -125
MILLWOOD: 18-6 TSR in home games in the first half of the season

TORONTO at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
LITSCH: TORONTO 14-6 after batting .225 or worse over a 5 game span
LAFFEY: CLEVELAND 12-26 when playing on Wednesday

SEATTLE at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: SEATTLE is 1-8 with a hot bullpen whose WHIP is under 1.200 the last 10 games
VAZQUEZ: NY YANKEES 104-40 as a favorite of -150 or more

TAMPA BAY at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
GARZA: TAMPA BAY 11-2 in road games against division opponents
MATSUZAKA: 32-14 UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5

CHI WHITE SOX at KANSAS CITY, 8:10 PM ET
PEAVY: CHI WHITE SOX 8-1 after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games
GREINKE: KANSAS CITY is 5-15 in home games revenging a one run loss to opponent

TEXAS at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
BELTRE: TEXAS 9-21 after having won 18 or more of their last 25 games
KAZMIR: 49-29 TSR after a win

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

MLB
Dunkel


Chicago White Sox at Kansas City
The White Sox look to build on their 7-1 record in their last 8 games as an underdog. Chicago is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Halladay) 16.270; Cincinnati (Harang) 15.134
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-165); Over

Game 903-904: Houston at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 15.680; Milwaukee (Bush) 16.308
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-165); Over

Game 905-906: Arizona at St. Louis (2:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Enright) 13.992; St. Louis (Suppan) 15.082
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-135); Under

Game 907-908: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Lincoln) 14.458; Cubs (Gorzelanny) 13.906
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-210); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+180); N/A

Game 909-910: Colorado at San Diego (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Francis) 15.000; San Diego (Richard) 15.368
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130); Under

Game 911-912: LA Dodgers at San Francisco (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Padilla) 15.254; San Francisco (Sanchez) 15.512
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120); Under

Game 913-914: NY Mets at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.096; Florida (Volstad) 16.200
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+100); Over

Game 915-916: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Martin) 14.098; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 15.194
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-170); Over

Game 917-918: Detroit at Minnesota (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Oliver) 16.144; Minnesota (Slowey) 15.715
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+135); Over

Game 919-920: Oakland at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Sheets) 13.932; Baltimore (Millwood) 14.961
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+100); Under

Game 921-922: Toronto at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Litsch) 14.231; Cleveland (Laffey) 15.273
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Toronto (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+110); Over

Game 923-924: Seattle at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 14.992; NY Yankees (Vazquez) 16.128
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-150); Over

Game 925-926: Tampa Bay at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Garza) 15.463; Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.249
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+100); Under

Game 927-928: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Peavy) 15.714; Kansas City (Greinke) 15.405
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100); Under

Game 929-930: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Beltre) 17.691; LA Angels (Kazmir) 16.458
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+105); Over

Daily Sports Roundup: June 30

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Rays close out a two-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, and the Phillies send their ace to the mound in Cincinnati.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League slate for Wednesday has Detroit at Minnesota, Oakland at Baltimore, Seattle at the Yankees, Toronto at Cleveland, the White Sox at Kansas City, Texas at the Angels, and Tampa Bay at Boston. The Rays will send Matt Garza (8-5, 4.10 ERA) to the hill in that last matchup, with the Red Sox countering with Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-2, 4.50 ERA). Righthander Garza beat the Padres in his most recent outing, but he fell to Boston on May 26 after allowing six earned runs over just five innings of work. Righthander Matsuzaka took a no-decision in his last start against the Rockies, surrendering two earned runs on five hits in five innings of work in the game.

Over in the National League on Wednesday it'll be Houston at Milwaukee, Arizona at St. Louis, Pittsburgh at the Cubs, Colorado at San Diego, the Dodgers at San Francisco, the Mets at Florida, Washington at Atlanta, and Philadelphia at Cincinnati. The Phillies will go with Roy Halladay (9-6, 2.29 ERA) in that last contest, with the Reds expected to send Aaron Harang (6-7, 5.07 ERA) to the mound. Righthander Halladay rolled to a win over his old team in his last outing, holding the Blue Jays scoreless on six hits over seven innings of work. Righthander Harang also earned a win last time out, surrendering three earned runs over seven innings of work to get past the Indians.

Wednesday's six-pack

-- Denard Span is first big leaguer in eight years (Furcal, '02) to hit three triples in the same game.

-- Daric Barton is first 1B with 10+ sacrifice bunts in same season since Wally Joyner in 1986. Not sure thats a good thing.

-- The price for Cliff Lee went way up after he tossed this third straight complete game, winning 7-4 in Bronx. Now is the time to trade him.

-- Tampa Bay Rays look like a team thats coming apart at the seams.

-- Matt Cain is now 0-8 in 14 career starts against the rival Dodgers.

-- Congrats to South Carolina for winning national title in baseball, their first national championship in any men's sport.


************************************


Wednesday's List of 13: My advice to any college student......

13) No one in the history of education graduated college while doing less work than I did; most of my college years were spent eating tuna subs in the campus center, watching Love Boat reruns, before I drifted down to the gym to play pickup basketball. My point is this: If I graduated from an accredited university, any human with a pulse can do it. Trust me.

12) The single most important thing I learned in college was this: No one in this world gives a rat's ass about you, so you better take care of your own business. Do what you're supposed to do.

11) The second most important thing I learned was time management; do the tough things, the inconvenient things first. You'll still have lot of time to do the fun things. My college life would've been so much easier if I had worked things that way. But like most 19-year olds, I never listened.

10) Get to know people. Make friends. Play intramurals. Go to parties. Network with your fellow students; its amazing the things you pick up from talking to other people. They know stuff you don't know, but need to know. You know stuff they might want to know. Sharing information makes everyone's lives easier.

9) Go to class. Show some effort. Sounds simple, but when wind chill is 20-below on a February morning, getting up to go to class can be tough. Or if you go to school in California and a beach beckons, its even worse.

8) Talk to your professors. Ask for help if you need it. Show you care. Take an interest in the subject. Professors are usually glad to help.

7) Learn how to write well, which includes spelling. You'd be amazed at some people who have great jobs who can't write, but anything that will make you more marketable is good. Learning to write well is a big thing.

6) The more things you do well, the easier you'll be to hire out there in the real world. Lets face it, the real world can be cruel. Being a nice guy won't be enough. The #1 question you'll have to answer in most job interviews will be "Why should we hire you?" Well, why should they?

5) Have a car. It increases the possibility of fun, it saves time, but never, ever, ever drink and drive. Not once.

Over the last 30 years, I've been ridiculed for never drinking when I drive. Well, when I was in college, I knew three people who died in separate car accidents, all involving drunk drivers. Its just not smart.

Its very possible to have a lot of fun without doing stupid things.

4) Use condoms. It reduces stress on several levels. Stress can make you sick. A cheap box of condoms can save you thousands of dollars.

3) It doesn't cost extra to be nice. The world needs more nice people.

2) Getting your college degree opens doors in life. Even if you choose not to go through those doors, its nice to have options. Plus, who wants to be taking orders from jackasses their whole working life? Don't get a degree, and chances are you'll always be taking orders. Thats no fun at all.

1) Be your own best friend. Do things that will help you. Have fun. You never have enough knowledge. Learn. College is supposed to be fun, but it is also supposed to be getting you ready for the real world, where the only person you can really depend on will be yourself. Good luck.

Bettor's best friend: Wednesday's wagering tips

Line off the board

Pirates at Cubs – The total for the game has not been released due to the uncertainty of wind speed and direction at Wrigley Field.

Line to keep an eye on

Phillies at Reds – The total for the game has dropped to 8 after opening at 8.5. The movement may have something to do with two injuries for Philadelphia (see below).

Dodgers at Giants – This total has moved from 8.5 to 8 on most boards.

Blue Jays at Indians – The Tribe opened as a -130 favorite but that number has reversed and moved to plus-money, making Cleveland the underdog.

Weather report
(Forecasts are extracted from Weather.com the night before the game.)

Mariners at Yankees – The forecast calls for a 11 mph wind to blow out to right-center field.

Nationals at Braves – There is a 40 percent chance of rain throughout the game.

Diamondbacks at Cardinals – A 15 mph wind is expected to blow out to right-center field.

Who’s hot

Atlanta is 16-2 in its last 18 home games.

The Orioles have scored 28 runs during a four-game winning streak.

Who’s not

Pittsburgh is 1-17 in its last 18 road games.

The Athletics have dropped 9-of-12 games away from home.

Key stat

24-33 – White Sox record against American League opponents. Chicago stormed back into contention after going 15-3 this season in interleague play. The South Siders will have to beat AL teams from here on out.

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

On Tuesday, the Phillies placed second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Placido Polanco on the 15-day disabled list. Utley injured his right thumb while sliding into second base on Monday and Polanco has missed the last three games with a sore elbow. Utley is batting .277 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs this season while Polanco is hitting .318 with five home runs and 27 RBIs for the Phils. Greg Dobbs and Brian Bocock will see action in their stead.

Notable quotable

"We don't negotiate in public, but I would find it highly, highly unlikely if both of them were not back with the Yankees. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are the Yankees."

-- Yankees President Randy Levine about the expiring contracts of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Tips and notes

- Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has been bothered by allergy and breathing problems this season. He had to call a medical timeout during his most recent Wimbledon match to take an allergy tablet and indicated to the doctor he was having trouble breathing. After the match Djokovic said he also had “a little bit of stomach discomfort.” The Joker will face Yen-hsun Lu (+450), who upset Andy Roddick, on Wednesday morning and is priced as a -600 favorite. The question for bettors, is Djokovic 100 percent healthy?

- Barry Enright will make his MLB debut Wednesday as the Diamondbacks starting pitcher. But Arizona fans are just as excited to see Enright swing the bat as they are to see him pitch. In 59 career at-bats in the minors, Enright recorded a .356 average which included eight doubles and a homer. Catcher Konrad Schmidt, who caught Enright at Double-A Mobile, said that it is “pretty impressive to watch him hit.” The D-Backs may have a better chance of winning Wednesday with a true hitter in the nine-hole, but a bettor might be wise to look at the total of 9.5 because St. Louis is probably going to touch up Enright for a few runs but he may help himself with a couple of RBIs.

- One Grand Slam eludes the No. 1 tennis player in the world Rafael Nadal and that may be his primary focus for the rest of the season. The Slam isn’t Wimbledon, but the U.S. Open. After winning the French last month, Nadal told John McEnroe at center court that he will “have a lot of motivation going into the U.S. Open” but didn’t mention anything about Wimbledon. Nadal was taken to five sets in his second and third round Wimbledon matches and could be due for a quarterfinal exit. Oddsmakers have pegged Nadal as the shortest favorite of the round, which seems fishy for the world No. 1, pricing the Spaniard at -170 over Robin Soderling (+145).