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Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox MLB Betting Preview

The Cleveland Indians have reportedly made a huge acquisition as they start a series at the Boston Red Sox on ESPN Monday Night Baseball.

First pitch from historic Fenway Park will be at 4:00 p.m. (PT). John Lackey will oppose Josh Tomlin.

The Indians (53-51) have acquired Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado for a bevy of talented prospects. Jimenez has an affordable contract for the next few years and should be the team ace.

There was more good news Saturday night versus Kansas City when the team rallied for four runs in the ninth inning in a 5-2 win. Matt LaPorta hit a 3-run walk-off homer. Cleveland was in freefall mode before then, losers of seven of eight.

The Indians now trail Detroit by just 1.5-games in the AL Central standings (pending Sunday’s finale) and should be revitalized for the stretch run. They already acquired outfielder Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs and he had a crucial sacrifice fly last night, although still hitless in two games.

Tomlin (11-5, 4.01 ERA) will be pitching on an extra day’s rest, last hosting the Angels on Tuesday. He had a very solid outing, allowing just two runs on four hits over eight innings, but Cleveland still lost 2-1.

The 26-year-old right-hander continued his trend of pitching better at home (3.25 ERA) than away (4.88 ERA). Cleveland is 2-4 in his last six road outings, with just one quality start and his ERA ballooning to 6.94.

The ‘over’ is 4-0-1 in Tomlin’s last five road starts.

Tomlin did have a great outing against Boston this year, surrendering one earned run (three hits) over seven innings in an April home win (3-1). His one career appearance at Fenway was last August, allowing four earned over seven innings in a 6-2 loss.

The Red Sox (65-40) were also in the Jimenez sweepstakes, at least to some degree. They didn’t need to be as aggressive given their excellent shot of making the playoffs. They still might make a deal for Oakland starter Rich Harden and that will help with Clay Buchholz (back) hurting.

Boston split two games at the White Sox this weekend, with Sunday’s contest still pending. The Red Sox won 10-2 on Saturday night behind Jon Lester, breaking a string that saw the Pale Hose take 14 of 16 against them.

Lackey (9-8, 6.20 ERA) has drawn the ire of Red Sox fans as his production seldom matches his bloated paycheck, but he has been better his last four starts (4-0, 2.52 ERA). Three of those were at home and against the AL’s three worst teams (Baltimore, Seattle and Kansas City).

The ‘over’ is 7-2 in Lackey’s last nine starts against a team with a winning record.

The 32-year-old right-hander will now face a Cleveland offense that is averaging just 3.4 runs since the All-Star break (12th in the AL) and hasn’t hit well since leading the Junior Circuit in April (5.42).

Lackey hasn’t faced the Indians this year and has seen them just once while with Boston (six earned runs over 5 1/3 innings last August at home). His career mark against them is 6-7 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts.

These teams have played two series this year, both in Cleveland. Boston lost the first four games and won the last two. Cleveland is 2-7 in its last nine at Fenway.

Boston is 5-2 at home since the break and 25-10 in its last 35 there. Cleveland is 4-4 away since the break, starting both series with two wins before losing the final two.

The ‘under’ is 6-1 in Cleveland’s last seven games. The ‘over’ is 19-6-1 in Boston’s last 26 home games against a right-handed starter.

Cleveland should be boosted later this month by the return of outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (thumb injury), with Grady Sizemore (hernia) behind him.

Weather should be around 80 degrees with thunderstorms possible. Cleveland faces the tough Josh Beckett on Tuesday, while scheduled to throw out David Huff.

Chicago White Sox Face Sabathia, NY Yankees

Postseason contenders in the American League do battle starting on Monday night in the Windy City, and MLB betting fans won't want to miss this duel between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox.

The Yanks are heading into the week with a chokehold on the AL Wild Card slot, but their ultimate goal is to run down the Boston Red Sox at the top of the AL East standings and earn the best overall record in the AL. Chicago meanwhile, is still hovering right around that .500 mark and needs a successful series against the Bronx Bombers to really stay within shouting distance of the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians atop the AL Central.

Live TV coverage of Monday night's clash starts at 5:10 (PT) on Comcast Sports North and the YES Network.

Just one day after Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver took the mound against each other, the third major contender for the AL Cy Young Award will be dealing. CC Sabathia had an absolutely stunning month of July, going 4-1 with a 0.92 ERA, and with those numbers he has arguably become the frontrunner for the biggest pitching prize in the league.

Sabathia is up to 15-5 on the campaign and can become the major's first 16-game winner with a 'W' on Monday. The southpaw is well on his way to a fifth straight season with at least 17 wins, but this year might prove to be his most dominating.

The lefty fanned 14 in his last outing against the Seattle Mariners, raising his total to 156 for the campaign. Should Sabathia keep this up, he'll end up with roughly 240 strikeouts, which would fall just shy of the 251 he had in 2008 with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers combined. A 2.56 ERA is the best in Sabathia's career.

The White Sox definitely don't want to have to face Sabathia based on history. He is 17-4 with a 3.68 ERA against them in his 30 career starts. Sabathia is also 9-1 in his 15 starts here at US Cellular Field.

If the South Siders are making the postseason this year, they're going to need better pitching out of Jake Peavy. The righty is 4-4 on the campaign and has a 5.27 ERA, numbers which we are definitely not accustomed to.

These last five starts have been suspect at best for Peavy. He has watched his ERA balloon from 4.23 up an entire run by allowing 21 runs in just 28 1/3-innings of work, and the team has lost four straight starts.

Peavy has only faced the Bronx Bombers twice in his career, taking the loss both times. He lasted just 10 total innings in those games and allowed five runs combined.

Historically, August is the best month of the year for Peavy, though. He is 21-12 in 41 August starts in his career, and has a personal best 2.61 ERA to show for it as well.

These two teams played a 4-game set in the Bronx in April. The Sox split that series. However, they are still just 4-10 in their last 14 attempts against the boys in pinstripes. Three of the four meetings failed to reach the 'total', a stern contrast from the 5-1 mark that 'over' bettors had a year ago.

Temperatures will be steamy at US Cellular Field on Monday night. It should be in the mid-80s when the first pitch is thrown with a minimal chance of rain.

NL Central Leaders Collide In Milwaukee

Less than nine weeks remain on the Major League Baseball schedule and the month of August opens with a critical series between the top two clubs in the NL Central Division. The front-running Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to build on their division lead as well as their MLB-best home record when they conclude a 9-game homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Monday's opener gets underway at 5:10 p.m. (PT) with the marquee names from both starting rotations matching up at Miller Park for a second time this season. Assuming neither rotation is shuffled in the near future, the same two hurlers will meet again next week when the clubs get together at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Both clubs spent the weekend beating up on the dregs of the division standings and entered their series finales on Sunday poised for sweeps. The Brewers were heavy favorites in the 180-190 range to complete their broom job of the lowly Astros while the Cardinals were at home and drawing 140 chalk to sweep the Cubs on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

The Cardinals won two of three from the Brewers in St. Louis early-May, all three games staying 'under' the MLB betting totals. A month later in Milwaukee, the Brewers swept three from the Cards with the totals splitting (1-1-1 O/U/P).

One of the Brew Crew's wins at home came with the same mound matchup as Monday's clash that has Zack Greinke (11-5, 4.50) opposing Chris Carpenter (10-12, 3.68). Their June collision is the only one of six meetings between the clubs this season to go 'over' the closing total.

Greinke and the Brewers were -130 on the MLB money line for that contest and gave the home fans a 5-3 win. Carpenter allowed all five Milwaukee runs during the course of his six innings of work while Greinke allowed all three St. Louis runs in seven innings and struck out nine.

Milwaukee won three of Greinke's five July outings and is a perfect 8-0 when he takes the mound at Miller Park where the right-hander has a superb 71:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His victory over the Redbirds in June marked his fourth consecutive start vs. St. Louis that ended with a win for his squad, a streak that includes his final three assignments vs. the Cardinals while pitching for the Royals.

Carpenter continues to try and turn around a bad beginning to the 2011 season that has seen St. Louis' offense frequently take the night off when he's on the mound. The club dropped 11 of Carpenter's first 15 assignments with the lineup averaging more than a full run less than its NL-leading mark.

The loss in June vs. the Brewers wasn't out of character for Carpenter who has had his troubles in the past with their lineup. St. Louis is 4-6 in his 10 starts since joining the club in 2004 and has lost his last three outings against Milwaukee. Carpenter is catching a bit of a break with this start coming while Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks (ankle) is on the disabled list. Weeks is 6-for-10 lifetime vs. the St. Louis righty, three of those six hits clearing the outfield fence.

St. Louis was without Lance Berkman in the lineup for the bulk of the past week as the NL's top home run hitter was nursing a shoulder injury. He's expected back in the lineup Monday and has taken Greinke deep once before when the two met.

There's a slight chance of rain in Milwaukee on Monday but should be clear enough by game time to have the roof open. The clubs continue their series on Tuesday with left-hander Jaime Garcia on the bump for the Cards and Shaun Marcum scheduled for the Brewers.

Trade Winners & Losers

July 31, 2011

Nearly every team in playoff contention made an attempt to better themselves for the final two months by acquiring players from other teams that consider themselves out of contention. Most teams addressed their most glaring weaknesses, while others just sat around and let all the key available players slip away to someone else, or simply let them stay put.
The most notable absentee through the trade frenzy was the New York Yankees who are only 1 ½- games behind the Boston Red Sox with a 4 ½-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the Wild Card race. The Yankees have been traditionally known as the evil empire because of their ability to not blink at a players high price by either free-agency or rental for a postseason push.

Their most glaring weakness has been starting pitching. It’s basically been C.C. Sabathia and they pray for rain so they can get back to him quicker in the rotation. The Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez was on the table but the Yankees scoffed at the deal in a ploy hoping that the rest of the league wouldn’t give in to the Rockies asking price. But they waited too long and the Indians paid the price in their quest to win the AL Central. Perhaps the Yankees feel they have all the tools in place while waiting for Alex Rodriguez, which will be their boost.

The Angels are fighting for the division crown, only 1 ½ games behind the Rangers, and yet they sat idle during the entire process opting to go on with their dink-and-dunk lineup of hitters and questionable bullpen. All this was going on while the Rangers got better by making deals for Mike Adams and Koji Uehara to bolster their one glaring weakness, middle-relief. Even in the last minutes heading towards the deadline, the Angels made no serious efforts to acquire Heath Bell from the Padres.

A team that could have also used Bell’s services as a closer, and not the set-up role that many coveted him for, was the Cardinals. They have 19 blown saves this season -- second most in baseball -- and added gasoline to the fire in their deals last week by trading for Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepcynski. This was after nearly three weeks of seeing what their chief competitor for the NL Central, the Brewers, did to shore up their weakness by starting the trade season off by acquiring Francisco Rodriguez from the Mets. The Brewers chances of winning the division just got drastically improved by the Cardinals standing still.

The one area the Cardinals have no problems with is hitting, but somehow they felt they needed Rafael Furcal (.197) to shore up their infield. The Cardinals did get Edwin Jackson to help their starting pitching earlier last week, but the Cardinals rotation wasn’t that bad to begin with when comparing it to the pressing need of help in the bullpen.

Despite the Yankees and Angels not making any moves, the Cardinals stand alone as the biggest LOSER of the trade season. Not only did they not seriously address their deficiencies, but they also gave away some of their top prospects, including a star on the rise in Colby Rasmus.

The Padres and Astros gained a few top prospects in all their trades that depleted their rosters, but still weren’t able to make it happen for Bell, who is a free-agent after the season. It’s likely that they won’t be able to sign Bell which makes it all the more puzzling that they could get a good enough offer for him, but found enough for Mike Adams who is under contract through next year on a dirt cheap deal. The Padres raked in the Rangers top pitching prospects in the deal, but what do they now do with Bell, just let him walk without getting a thing for him?

The Giants solidified their lineup in a quest to repeat as they added Carlos Beltran, Jeff Keppinger and perennial playoff participant Orlando Cabrera. Their top rival for the NL crown, the Phillies, kept pace by getting All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence from the Astros garage sale. The Braves picked up a bargain as well by acquiring speedy Astros outfielder Michael Bourn who should give Atlanta a jolt of adrenaline on a nightly basis keeping them in strong contention for the wild card.

Teams that are on the outside looking in, like the Pirates and Diamondbacks, made a couple of deals as well. For the Pirates, even though they didn’t get a top player, at least they made the effort in buying after being sellers for the last 18 seasons. Eric Ludwick is a good addition to an outfield that is struggling in left and right field, but the Derek Lee deal makes you scratch your head in wonderment. Derek Lee? This is the savior to the lineup?

Lee wasn’t any hurry to get with his new team, either, as he didn’t show up after the trade even though Philadelphia, where the Pirates were playing, is less than two hours away on train from New York where the Orioles were playing. It’s amazing that he wouldn’t jump at the chance to be on the first airplane out of a losing team’s locker room. And still, it’s even more amazing that any team would want to trade for a player seven years past his prime. Last year at this same time, Lee vetoed a trade to the contending Angels, but then later accepted a deal to the Braves and didn't live up their hopes.

The buying in Pittsburgh may all be for naught as they have stumbled like all the experts have been predicting for the last three months. After getting swept by the Phillies, the Bucs have now lost eight of their last 11 games through Sunday. But there still may be hope as the sluggish Cubs and Padres can help them regain some momentum this week.

Arizona acquired one of the best relievers in baseball by getting Oakland’s Brad Ziegler (2.39 ERA) in exchange for slugging first-baseman Brando Allen. The D-Backs also traded for Nationals starting pitcher Jason Marquis giving them much more depth in their rotation. These were quite moves, but very affective ones as they addressed major needs in Arizona, a team that is only 2 1/2 games behind the Giants in the NL West and four back of the Braves for the wild card.

The winners in the trade season are Cleveland, Texas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Arizona and Atlanta. The losers, besides all the obvious sellers who will have to wait a few years to see how the prospects turn out, are the Yankees, Angels and Cardinals. It may not be fair to call teams that didn't make any deals a loser, but the perception from the fans and players make it a major blow from the mindset that the organization didn't do whatever was possible to ensure they did the best to get their team a title.

Joining Bell as players who stayed put were the Cubs’ Aramis Ramirez, Tampa's B.J. Upton, James Shields and Johnny Damon. Baltimore couldn't find an AL team to take Vladimir Guerrero and the Twins thought better of trading Jason Kubel and Denard Span in order to make their own run in an obtainable division with what they have. The Yankees were close to a deal that would have brought highly sought after Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to New York, but Kuroda nixed the deal.

The trade talk, and the aftermath, is more or less just something for baseball fans to talk about and either get excited or upset. In Las Vegas sports books, it really doesn't have that much of an impact on future odds.

"You still have the Phillies and Red Sox as being the top teams and every team that has made these deals still has to go through them, to advance, explained Las Vegas Hilton sports book's Jeff Sherman."Our futures are adjusted on a daily basis and are more about what teams are actually doing right now, rather than the possibility of what may happen from any one of these players over the final two months. If a team starts to heat up, they'll be adjusted at that time. It's nothing like what we've done with the Eagles following their free-agent signings in our NFL futures (a move from 12/1 to 6/1 as co-favorite to win Super Bowl)."

Coast Resorts sports book director Bob Scucci agrees.

"We already have the Phillies at less than 2/1 as the favorite to win the World Series and one player, no matter how great, isn't going to change their odds. We're just going to let the money wagered dictate where we go from here."

Scucci noted that even with the Beltran trade to the Giants going on at the same time they were beating the Phillies two games out of three, he didn't touch his odds where the Giants were listed at 12/1. Perceptions could change for bettors this week should the Giants handle the Phillies during a four-game set this weekend in San Francisco. Some may even wager on it rather just talking about it.

August Pitchers Report

July 31, 2011

With the MLB trade deadline at hand and the NFL preseason whetting our pigskin appetite, the month of August sets the table for the stretch run of the baseball season. Which pitchers can we count on to satisfy our tastes, and which ones figure to turn our stomach? Take a look below.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a 2:1 or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of August. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in August team starts, winning 33 percent or less of their efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each August over the last three years. I’ll be back next month with September’s Good Month Pitchers.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS

Baker, Scott - 13-4
The Twins best pitcher since the middle of May has lowered his ERA a run and quarter being able to throw strikes and establishing his two and four seam fastball. If Minnesota generates enough offense, Baker should have another memorable August.

Bush, David - 8-3
Pitching out the bullpen for Texas, Bush has been ineffective with an ERA approaching six. Something would have to go very wrong for manager Ron Washington to start Bush anytime soon.

Hernandez, Felix - 12-6
King Felix ended Seattle’s franchise record 17-game losing streak in his most recent start against the Yankees and has to hope he can start securing more offensive support to continue his normally fine record.

Lilly, Ted - 10-5
The left-hander has been like the Dodgers payroll department, coming up empty since June 11 with an ERA over 6.00 in his last six starts. Walks and long counts have been Lilly’s undoing and he’ll hope the dog days of summer bring improved control.

Oswalt, Roy - 14-3
Philadelphia is hopeful Oswalt will return from the bulging disks in his back in the first 10 days of the month and be his usual self in the last third of the season.

Richard, Clayton - 10-5
The San Diego hurler has not pitched since feeling tightness in his throwing shoulder on July 4th. It was thought Richard would miss just one start, but went on the DL soon afterward. He’s been playing catch, but has not thrown off the mound since being injured. His return date is uncertain.

Sabathia, CC - 17-1
The Yankees ace is having a sensational season and August is when Sabathia really heats up. His ERA has been under one the past month and opposing teams are trying if possible to use all right-handed sticks, since the southpaw is wasting lefty batters with their .176 batting average. And much like his August performance numbers, Sabathia’s daylight ERA is sick 1.76.

Santana, Ervin - 12-5
The Angels righty must have thought it was already August, throwing a no-hitter in his last start in Cleveland. Santana has been mixing his pitches well for some time and has a 2.52 ERA in his last 10 outings.

Shields, James - 12-6
The Tampa Bay front office has said they will not trade their right-hander, which is a good decision. Shields has allowed opponents to hit only .225 against him (.264 career average) and has nearly a 4-to-1 strikeout to walk ration.

Wolf, Randy - 13-6
The Milwaukee port-sider isn’t going to dominate, however he gives an honest effort, keeps his team in games with his tailing fastball. He can also jam right-hand batters with a slider that has cutter-action.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS

Billingsley, Chad - 5-11
The thick-legged Dodgers pitcher has been like owner Frank McCourt’s chances of making payroll each month, 50-50. Having just turned 27, Billingsley has never materialized into the ace many forecasted and has had a tendency to fade late in the season.

Cueto, Johnny - 4-9
Having his best season numbers-wise, foes from the other teams are hitting a measly .204 versus the Reds righty. Will Cueto be able to help Cincinnati get hot and back into the NL Central race?

Gorzelanny, Tom - 3-8
Strictly back of the rotation pitcher, who’s never matched his 14-10 2007 campaign with Pittsburgh. Once Washington can find another young starting pitcher, Gorzelanny becomes a reliever or is traded again.

Hamels, Cole - 5-12
Given Hamels’ ability and how good the Phillies are, this is a shocking record for this slender left-hander. However, in the past he’s never had the cutter in his arsenal like this season.

Hernandez, Livan - 3-12
Hernandez is not what you call a physical specimen and as the season wears on; his inability to keep the ball down leaves him vulnerable, since his fastball rarely hits the 90’s late in the year.

Kershaw, Clayton - 6-12
Don’t expect this trend to continue as Kershaw is having a breakout season and is fulfilling his predetermined promise. He’s averaging over nine strikeouts a start in last seven mound trips for Los Angeles.

Lohse, Kyle - 4-9
This is the kind of pitcher that points to the genius of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan. Every year the Cardinals find a pitcher off the junk heap and Duncan manages to change their approach and squeeze out positive results. Lohse is allowing teams to bat .243 against him which is almost 40 points lower than his career average for the 32-year old. Manager Tony LaRussa needs Lohse to win the NL Central, but history is not on his side.

Maholm, Paul - 6-12
For the first time in his career, Maholm has pitched better than his record (6-10 in 2011). The Pittsburgh chucker has conceded fewer hits than innings pitched for just the second time since joining the big leagues in 2006 as a regular starter and could help the Pirates finish above .500 for the first time in 19 years.

Rodriguez, Wandy • 6-12
This Astros pitcher is a mere 5’11 and has to be more skillful than his taller counterparts in creating leverage and arm angles. Rodriguez can be effective, however he has been on some mediocre Houston clubs and his record is unlikely to improve this month since the “Stros are odious.

Around the Horn - Monday

July 31, 2011


NATIONAL LEAGUE


Chicago at Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Zambrano (7-6, 4.59 ERA) 1-5 L6 OVER 5-0-1 away on Mondays
Maholm (6-10, 3.16 ERA) 1-5 L6 4-1 L5 home Game 1's

Cubs beat Cardinals, 6-3 on Sunday
Pirates lost to Phillies, 6-5 on Sunday

Atlanta at Washington - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Jurrjens (12-3, 2.38 ERA) 4-2 L6 UNDER 5-1 L6 away vs division
Hernandez (5-10, 4.19 ERA) 2-6 L8 11-3 L14 home off win

Braves lost to Marlins, 3-1 on Sunday
Nationals beat Mets, 3-2 on Sunday

Florida at N.Y. Mets - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Vazquez (7-9, 5.10 ERA) 6-2 L8 7-2 L9 away off win
Pelfrey (6-9, 4.55 ERA) 5-2 L7 UNDER 6-2 L8 home off loss

Marlins beat Braves, 3-1 on Sunday
Mets lost to Nationals, 3-2 on Sunday

Cincinnati at Houston - 8:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Arroyo (7-9, 5.58 ERA) 5-5 L10 3-8 L11 away vs division
Norris (5-7, 3.39 ERA) 2-8 L10 2-12 L14 home vs RHP

Reds beat Giants, 9-0 on Sunday
Astros lost to Brewers, 5-4 on Sunday

St. Louis at Milwaukee - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Carpenter (6-7, 3.68 ERA) 7-4 L11 3-6 L9 away vs division
Greinke (8-4, 4.50 ERA) 6-0 L6 16-3 L19 home vs RHP

Cardinals lost to Cubs, 6-3 on Sunday
Brewers beat Astros, 5-4 on Sunday

Philadelphia at Colorado - 8:40 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Hamels (12-6, 2.61 ERA) 9-3 L12 6-3 L9 away Game 1's
Chacin (8-8, 3.50 ERA) 5-5 L10 1-5 L6 on Mondays

Phillies beat Pirates, 6-5 on Sunday
Rockies lost to Padres, 8-3 on Sunday

Los Angeles at San Diego - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Kershaw (12-4, 2.72 ERA) 5-3 L8 2-5 away on Mondays
Luebke (3-5, 2.92 ERA) 2-8 L10 OVER 5-2 L7 home Game 1's

Padres beat Rockies, 8-3 on Sunday

Arizona at San Francisco - 10:15 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Kennedy (12-3, 3.22 ERA) 6-2 L8 5-2 L7 away on Mondays
Cain (9-6, 2.91 ERA) 4-6 L10 4-1 L5 home off loss




AMERICAN LEAGUE


Cleveland at Boston - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Tomlin (11-5, 4.01 ERA) 2-8 L10 5-1 away on Mondays
Lackey (9-8, 6.20 ERA) 8-3 L11 OVER 14-2 home Game 1's

Indians lost to Royals, 5-3 on Sunday
Red Sox beat White Sox, 5-3 on Sunday

N.Y. Yankees at Chicago - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/4)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Sabathia (15-5, 2.56 ERA) 6-2 L8 UNDER 8-2 L10 away off win
Peavy (4-4, 5.27 ERA) 5-3 L8 9-3 L12 home off loss

Yankees beat Orioles, 4-2 on Sunday
White Sox lost to Red Sox, 5-3 on Sunday

Oakland at Seattle - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Cahill (9-9, 3.58 ERA) 5-2 L7 2-7 L9 away vs division
Beavan (1-2, 3.04 ERA) 2-8 L10 UNDER 8-1 L9 home vs division

Athletics beat Twins, 7-3 on Sunday
Mariners lost to Rays, 8-1 on Sunday

Monday’s betting tips: CHW still riding under trend

Who’s hot

MLB: The under is 19-5-4 in the last 28 games the White Sox have played.

MLB: Philadelphia is 19-7 in its last 26 games against Colorado.

Who’s not

MLB: The Cubs are 2-9 in their last 11 games in Pittsburgh.

MLB: Washington is 3-13 in Livan Hernandez’s last 16 starts.

Key stat

+1200 – Oddsmakers currently have Tiger Woods set at +1200 to win the PGA Championship in a couple of weeks despite the fact he hasn’t played in almost three months. Woods announced he will play in the tournament Sunday after missing the first two majors of the year. Rory McIlroy is the tournament favorite at +800 while Phil Mickelson is at +1000.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees – Jeter was forced to leave Sunday’s game after he was hit in the hand with a pitch. His status is uncertain for Monday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Jeter is hitting .269 with four home runs and 36 RBIs this season.

Game of the day

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (-130, 6)

Notable quotable

"There is every medical indication that he is progressing steadily. While he looks fine, he still has some rehabilitation to go. Recovery from disc surgery is unpredictable and it is not a medical concern that he is not ready at this time." – Indianapolis Colts neurosurgeon Dr. Hank Feuer said about Peyton Manning’s neck injury in a statement. Manning, who has never missed a regular season game, signed a five-year, $90-million contract over the weekend and was placed on the PUP list as he rehabs from offseason neck surgery. The Colts are set as +1600 to win Super Bowl XLVI.

Notes and tips

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman returned to the lineup Sunday after missing some time last week with a shoulder injury. Berkman is batting .286 with 27 home runs and 69 RBIs this season. St. Louis is set as a +110 underdog Tuesday in Milwaukee.

It went down to the wire of Sunday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, but the Boston Red Sox did secure some starting pitching help by acquiring lefty Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners. Boston thought it had a deal in place for Oakland's Rich Harden on Saturday, but that deal fell through. "He's a guy who has shown he can pitch in the American League East. First half of the year before he tweaked that knee he was pretty solid," manager Terry Francona said of Bedard. "His stuff was good. We're excited." The Red Sox have yet to decide on when he'll make his first start with his new team.

Monday's six-pack

-- Why did the Astros sell off Pence/Bourn for prospects? Their top three farm clubs are all in last place. Their farm system was barren.

-- No team has ever lost 100+ games, then made the playoffs the next season. Pittsburgh lost 105 games last season.

-- That said, the '79 A's lost 108 games and made the playoffs in '81.

-- Davey Johnson managed the '86 Mets to a world title; since then, he is 25-25 managing against the Mets.

-- Osi Umenyiora blew $30,000 when he didn't show up for the first day of Giants' training camp; hope he did something fun.

-- Very weird that the Dodgers spent the least money of any big league team last season on Caribbean scouting. Whomever Frank McCourt sells the team to is going to have a big mess to clean up.


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Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend......

13) I'm in a 16-team keeper fantasy league, 25 guys on a team; there are guys in this league in the low minor leagues. Rosters were frozen for the playoffs when the calendar turned to August-- the last player cut was Vernon Wells of the Angels. Wells makes $26,642,857 this year, and he is on the scrap heap in a 16-team keeper fantasy league. Go figure.

12) My point is this: How would you like to be the guy who advised his boss to trade for Wells for real and pay him $26,642,857 this year? The Angels didn't make any moves at the trading deadline either, and they're only two games out of first place. Angels GM Tony Reagins must be a nervous guy these days.

11) Will NFL preseason games be somewhat interesting this summer? Do some teams approach these games differently with so little time to get ready for the regular season? My guess is some teams will try harder to win these meaningless games. Just wish I knew which teams.

10) Jon Gruden's brother Jay is the new offensive coordinator with the Bengals; he's got a tough task, since Carson Palmer won't be playing for Cincinnati, but Gruden has been through it all, coaching in the UFL and the Arena League-- he even quit as a coach in the AFL to go back to being a quarterback in the league. He also played in the old WLAF.

His resume in the NFL Media Guide lists him as an assistant with Tampa Bay from 2002-08, when Jon was coaching the Bucs. Weird thing is, he was an active player in the Arena League then, too. Has to be a first, to be playing in one pro league and coaching in another.

9) Got lot of e-mails since the lockout ended advertising websites for the NFL fantasy leagues. Big money in fantasy football. Very big money.

8) New Cleveland Browns' coach Pat Shurmur spent seven years as the QB coach with the Eagles; what makes that unusual is that Shurmur was a center at Michigan State when he played. Most QB coaches, well, you know, played quarterback in their playing days.

Shurmur was the Rams' offensive coordinator last two years and did a terrific job with Sam Bradford last year. He'll do well with Colt McCoy.

7) Early on in his NFL career, Cam Newton hasn't been media friendly, often turning down requests for interviews. Panthers need to sell tickets, and the highly-paid QB needs to be the face of the franchise.

6) Newton played at both Florida/Auburn in the SEC; Carolina's new QB coach is none other than former Alabama coach Mike Shula. Don't mean to be negative, but this has disaster written all over it.

5) Former Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt has surfaced as a linebackers' coach with the Buffalo Bills.

4) Edwin Jackson is 27 years old and has already been traded six times; he has a career record of 56-58 but makes $8.35M a year. What a country. That said, I'm totally convinced Dave Duncan will make him a star.

3) Over is now 6-0-1 in Johnny Cueto's home starts, and 2-6-1 in his road outings.

2) Not the best year to be an Astros' fan; they just traded their CF/RF/2B to contenders, and sent their 3B/1B to the minors. Their rotation isn't that bad, with a Norris/Myers/Rodriguez/Lyles nucleus, but JA Happ hasn't been very good. You almost hope they lower ticket prices for the rest of this season, because the team they're putting on the field is inferior, and their prospects of being any good in the next few years are pretty bleak. .

1) We mentioned before how Vernon Wells makes over $26M this season and isn't even on a roster in our fantasy league; the entire roster in Kansas City earns $38,176,000. But former used car salesman Bud Selig insists the sport has competitive balance and is as healthy as ever. Yeah, right.

MLB
Dunkel


LA Dodgers at San Diego
The Dodgers look to take advantage of a San Diego team that is 2-10 in its last 12 games with the total set at 6 1/2 or lower. Los Angeles is the pick (-125) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-125). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 1

Game 901-902: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Jurrjens) 14.981; Washington (Hernandez) 14.694
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-150); Under

Game 903-904: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 13.564; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.631
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-145); Over

Game 905-906: Florida at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Vazquez) 16.083; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 14.872
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+100); Over

Game 907-908: Cincinnati at Houston (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.839; Houston (Norris) 15.181
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+100); Under

Game 909-910: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.543; Milwaukee (Greinke) 16.770
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Under

Game 911-912: Philadelphia at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.236; Colorado (Chacin) 14.795
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-135); Over

Game 913-914: LA Dodgers at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.617; San Diego (Luebke) 14.124
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-125); Over

Game 915-916: Arizona at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 14.801; San Francisco (Cain) 15.592
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 5
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-130); Under

Game 917-918: Cleveland at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Tomlin) 14.255; Boston (Lackey) 16.835
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Under

Game 919-920: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.196; White Sox (Peavy) 15.110
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-165); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-165); Over

Game 921-922: Oakland at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Cahill) 16.274; Seattle (Beavan) 13.928
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-115); Over

MLB
Write-Up


Monday, August 1

Hot pitchers
-- Braves won last seven Jurrjens starts (4-0, 2.84).
-- Zambrano is 1-1, 3.05 in his last three road starts.
-- Vazquez is 2-1, 2.33 in his last four road starts.
-- Milwaukee is 8-0 at home when Greinke starts (2.29 RA last three). Carpenter is 5-0, 2.38 in his last seven starts.
-- Chacin is 3-0, 3.28 in his last four home starts. Hamels is 6-4, 2.14 in his last dozen starts.
-- Kershaw is 4-0, 1.82 in his last four starts.
-- Kennedy is 4-0, 2.42 in his last four starts; he's allowed one run in 16 innings in two starts vs SF this year, but didn't get decision either time. Cain is 2-1, 2.88 in his last four starts.

-- Lackey is 4-0, 3.38 in his last four starts (Red Sox scored 32 runs).
-- Sabathia is 6-1, 0.82 in his last seven starts.
-- Beaven is 1-2, 3.04 in four starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- LHernandez is 0-2, 8.24 in his last four starts.
-- Pirates lost last three Maholm starts (0-1, 4.50).
-- Pelfrey is 1-1, 5.68 in his last three starts.
-- Norris is 1-1, 4.65 in his last five starts. Arroyo is 1-3, 7.61 in his last six starts.
-- Luebke is 1-3, 4.13 in his last four starts.

-- Tomlin is 1-1, 5.40 in his last four starts.
-- Peavy is 0-3, 6.67 in his last five starts.
-- Cahill is 1-3, 8.69 in his last four road starts.

Totals
-- Three of last four Jurrjens starts went over the total.
-- Five of last six Maholm starts went over. Four of last five Zambrano starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 10-5-1 in Mets' last sixteen games.
-- Five of last six Arroyo starts went over the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Cardinal games.
-- Over is 7-0-2 in Chacin's last nine home starts.
-- Over is 8-0-1 in last nine games at Petco Park.
-- Four of Kennedy's last five road starts went over the total.

-- Over is 9-2 in Lackey's last eleven starts.
-- Six of last nine Peavy starts went over the total.
-- 11 of last 12 Oakland games went over the total.

Hot Teams
-- Atlanta won four of its last six games.
-- Florida won nine of its last twelve road games.
-- Brewers won nine of their last ten home games. Cardinals won seven of their last ten games overall.
-- Cincinnati won its last three games, scoring 20 runs, but they're 4-8 in their last dozen road games.
-- Phillies won nine of their last 12 games. Colorado won three of its last four games.
-- Arizona won seven of its last nine games.

-- Red Sox won 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Bronx won 11 of its last 16 games.
-- A's are 10-6 since the All-Star break.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost eight of their last eleven games, but won last two.
-- Mets are 1-6 in last seven home series openers.
-- Pittsburgh lost five of its last six games. Cubs lost 12 of their last 15 road games.
-- Astros lost eight of their last ten games.
-- San Diego lost 15 of its last 22 games. Dodgers lost three of four, and are 3-8 in their last eleven road games.
-- Giants lost their last three games, outscored 20-5.

-- Indians lost eight of their last ten games.
-- White Sox lost eight of their last 12 home games.
-- Mariners lost 19 of their last 21 games.

MLB


Monday, August 1

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 11 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 8 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games at home
Washington is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Boston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Florida's last 17 games when playing NY Mets
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Florida

8:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Cincinnati is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Houston is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 16 games when playing at home against St. Louis

8:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CHI WHITE SOX
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Chi White Sox are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games at home

8:40 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Colorado's last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of San Diego's last 16 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games

10:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Oakland's last 20 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 2-19 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing Oakland

10:15 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arizona's last 13 games when playing San Francisco
Arizona is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 10 games

MLB


Monday, August 1

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (12-4, 2.72 ERA)

Even when Kershaw isn’t at his best, he’s still pretty dominant. He gave up two runs in a 3-2 win over Colorado, allowing eight hits and walking a couple of batters. It was the first time he had allowed a run in four starts.

"I wasn't getting ahead of hitters," Kershaw told reporters after firing a career-high 125 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. "And when I did get ahead of them, I really couldn't put them away."

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers (8-4, 4.50 ERA)

Greinke is coming off a 2-0 win over Chicago that saw him go 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine batters, the sixth time in 10 starts that he has at least that many strikeouts.

We haven’t seen that sort of mastery from Greinke in a while; it was the first scoreless outing for the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner since he joined the Brewers and maybe that was what he needed to get back on track.


Slumping

Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox (4-4, 5.27 ERA)

The White Sox are still waiting for the real Jake Peavy to come around. Chicago has dropped each of his last four starts and Peavy is working on a 0-3 record with a 6.67 ERA in his last five. He gave up 10 hits and four earned runs on 10 hits during a 5-4 loss to the Tigers the last time he climbed the bump.

“Ran out of gas a little bit. Went as hard as I could for as long as I could,” Peavy told reporters. “But didn’t have good stuff the later the game went.”

Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds (7-9, 5.58 ERA)

We really didn’t want to throw Arroyo in our Slumping section again today, but the guy isn’t giving us much choice. He gave up four runs in his last trip to the hill, including another home run, in an 8-2 loss to the New York Mets.

He has now allowed at least four runs in each of his last six outings. Not surprisingly, the Reds have lost four of those contests.

MLB


Monday, August 1

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Hot lines: Monday’s best MLB bets
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Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates (-140, 7.5)

No one expected the Pirates to be in this position in the NL Central at this point of the year, but now that they’re in the thick of the race, they’re going all in.

Pittsburgh picked up first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night in an effort to give Andrew McCutchen some protection in the batting order. Lee is only hitting .246 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs, though he has really turned things around lately, batting .309 with 16 RBIs in his last 19 games.

"We are pleased to add a quality veteran player like Derrek Lee to our ballclub," general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement. "He is an experienced, productive right-handed hitter and solid defender who should add to our team on the field and in the clubhouse."

There was some talk the Bucs were upset Lee didn’t join the club in time for Sunday’s game, but he’ll make a difference Monday.

Pick: Pirates


Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (+130, 7.5)

The Atlanta Braves finally got the leadoff speedster they’ve been looking for when they acquired Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros over the weekend.

"Michael Bourn is a perfect fit for our club, which focuses on speed and defense to match up with our strong pitching," Braves general manager Frank Wren told reporters. "This trade gives us the first true leadoff hitter we've had in a number of years."

Bourn instantly makes this offense a lot more potent with his speed on the base paths, not to mention the defensive impact he’ll make in the outfield.

Atlanta routinely takes Washington to the cleaners and there isn’t much value on a Braves bet so we’ll jump on the over, which is 7-0-1 in the last eight meetings between the two clubs.

Pick: Over

MLB


Monday, August 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Monday’s best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates (-140, 7.5)

No one expected the Pirates to be in this position in the NL Central at this point of the year, but now that they’re in the thick of the race, they’re going all in.

Pittsburgh picked up first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night in an effort to give Andrew McCutchen some protection in the batting order. Lee is only hitting .246 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs, though he has really turned things around lately, batting .309 with 16 RBIs in his last 19 games.

"We are pleased to add a quality veteran player like Derrek Lee to our ballclub," general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement. "He is an experienced, productive right-handed hitter and solid defender who should add to our team on the field and in the clubhouse."

There was some talk the Bucs were upset Lee didn’t join the club in time for Sunday’s game, but he’ll make a difference Monday.

Pick: Pirates


Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (+130, 7.5)

The Atlanta Braves finally got the leadoff speedster they’ve been looking for when they acquired Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros over the weekend.

"Michael Bourn is a perfect fit for our club, which focuses on speed and defense to match up with our strong pitching," Braves general manager Frank Wren told reporters. "This trade gives us the first true leadoff hitter we've had in a number of years."

Bourn instantly makes this offense a lot more potent with his speed on the base paths, not to mention the defensive impact he’ll make in the outfield.

Atlanta routinely takes Washington to the cleaners and there isn’t much value on a Braves bet so we’ll jump on the over, which is 7-0-1 in the last eight meetings between the two clubs.

Pick: Over

Looking fwd to your plays as always.....

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, August 1

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ATLANTA (63 - 46) at WASHINGTON (51 - 56) - 7:05 PM
JAIR JURRJENS (R) vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 18-7 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
WASHINGTON is 25-23 (+7.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-22 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-22 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 34-33 (+6.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HERNANDEZ is 18-10 (+14.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 111-76 (+15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
JURRJENS is 15-4 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
JURRJENS is 15-4 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
JURRJENS is 21-6 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 6-16 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 6-16 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-5 (+1.6 Units) against ATLANTA this season
7 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.2 Units)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
JURRJENS is 3-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.88 and a WHIP of 1.359.
His team's record is 5-5 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-6. (-3.2 units)

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 9-18 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.66 and a WHIP of 1.460.
His team's record is 12-24 (-7.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 20-14. (+4.5 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (43 - 65) at PITTSBURGH (54 - 52) - 7:05 PM
CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R) vs. PAUL MAHOLM (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 43-65 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 11-32 (-21.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 43-65 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-29 (-14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 36-34 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-23 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-52 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 66-65 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 25-16 (+14.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 52-51 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MAHOLM is 23-17 (+13.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 24-15 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 13-5 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 24-15 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 61-40 (+22.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 39-26 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 23-12 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 33-61 (-26.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-3 (+4.1 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 12-6 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 17-10 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 17-9. (+7.0 units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
MAHOLM is 9-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.321.
His team's record is 12-4 (+13.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-6. (+3.7 units)

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FLORIDA (53 - 55) at NY METS (55 - 53) - 7:10 PM
JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 83-109 (-28.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 69-63 (+10.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 55-53 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 55-53 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 38-35 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PELFREY is 17-10 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 38-34 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 298-313 (+54.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
FLORIDA is 474-434 (+52.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
FLORIDA is 12-5 (+8.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
FLORIDA is 29-23 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 53-41 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 30-22 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 22-14 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
VAZQUEZ is 9-2 (+8.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 244-244 (-66.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 14-21 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
PELFREY is 22-42 (-25.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 5-3 (+1.3 Units) against NY METS this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.9 Units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 10-10 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.121.
His team's record is 14-12 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-14. (-6.2 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. FLORIDA since 1997
PELFREY is 1-7 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 4-11 (-9.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-9. (-3.9 units)

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CINCINNATI (53 - 55) at HOUSTON (35 - 73) - 8:05 PM
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. BUD NORRIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 20-32 (-16.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CINCINNATI is 53-55 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 51-54 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 80-51 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 53-27 (+21.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 552-635 (+50.8 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 78-52 (+19.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 365-412 (+38.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 76-76 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
ARROYO is 17-10 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 17-10 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 20-12 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 14-5 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 11-2 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 33-72 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 25-48 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 20-56 (-31.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 25-47 (-16.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 36-55 (-22.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 35-73 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 9-38 (-28.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 17-36 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 7-21 (-14.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
HOUSTON is 17-34 (-13.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 6-3 (+1.7 Units) against HOUSTON this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
ARROYO is 10-6 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.51 and a WHIP of 1.249.
His team's record is 12-8 (+4.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-9. (+1.5 units)

BUD NORRIS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
NORRIS is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 7.36 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.3 units)

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ST LOUIS (57 - 51) at MILWAUKEE (60 - 49) - 8:10 PM
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 143-127 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 63-74 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 64-59 (-25.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 140-124 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 24-9 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 31-10 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-14 (+20.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 20-5 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-14 (+20.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 30-16 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CARPENTER is 19-9 (+11.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 15-30 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-2 (+2.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
CARPENTER is 4-5 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.08 and a WHIP of 1.332.
His team's record is 4-8 (-7.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-6. (-0.8 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GREINKE is 3-2 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.156.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (68 - 39) at COLORADO (51 - 57) - 8:40 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. JHOULYS CHACIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-19 (-13.2 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 116-96 (+30.5 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 123-76 (+23.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 68-39 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 127-94 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 169-106 (+23.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 121-71 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 51-57 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 88-93 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 51-57 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. COLORADO since 1997
HAMELS is 1-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.78 and a WHIP of 1.371.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
CHACIN is 1-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.46 and a WHIP of 0.973.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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LA DODGERS (48 - 59) at SAN DIEGO (47 - 62) - 10:05 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. CORY LUEBKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 48-59 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 48-59 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 32-42 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KERSHAW is 30-34 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 137-135 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KERSHAW is 18-6 (+12.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 22-34 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 23-45 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 17-29 (-11.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN DIEGO is 33-48 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 22-34 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 22-34 (-14.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 6-3 (+2.4 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.0 Units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KERSHAW is 4-3 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 6-4 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.4 units)

CORY LUEBKE vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LUEBKE is 1-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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ARIZONA (59 - 49) at SAN FRANCISCO (61 - 47) - 10:15 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. MATT CAIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-15 (+10.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 61-47 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-26 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 116-93 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 25-8 (+18.6 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 70-50 (+16.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-19 (+8.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-28 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 61-47 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 79-49 (+22.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 86-52 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-28 (+16.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
CAIN is 56-35 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 33-13 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 56-34 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 28-14 (+12.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 18-11 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 27-21 (+8.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARIZONA is 59-50 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 30-26 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ARIZONA is 59-50 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 44-34 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 43-34 (+11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KENNEDY is 15-7 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 8-2 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 7-1 (+7.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 15-7 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 13-5 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 7-2 (+5.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.7 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KENNEDY is 1-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.81 and a WHIP of 0.926.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

MATT CAIN vs. ARIZONA since 1997
CAIN is 9-4 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.139.
His team's record is 12-8 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-11. (-4.6 units)

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CLEVELAND (53 - 52) at BOSTON (66 - 40) - 7:10 PM
JOSH TOMLIN (R) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 46-20 (+16.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 31-11 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 51-49 (+5.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 41-32 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 41-35 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 31-28 (+7.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 54-52 (+6.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-2 (+3.8 Units) against BOSTON this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.5 Units)

JOSH TOMLIN vs. BOSTON since 1997
TOMLIN is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
LACKEY is 6-7 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.07 and a WHIP of 1.463.
His team's record is 8-7 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-7. (-1.4 units)

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NY YANKEES (64 - 42) at CHI WHITE SOX (52 - 54) - 8:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 33-35 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-21 (+8.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-28 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-28 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-2 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SABATHIA is 17-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.68 and a WHIP of 1.249.
His team's record is 21-9 (+11.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-16. (-4.6 units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
PEAVY is 0-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.300.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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OAKLAND (49 - 59) at SEATTLE (45 - 62) - 10:10 PM
TREVOR CAHILL (R) vs. BLAKE BEAVAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 48-57 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 29-38 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 33-44 (-13.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 16-24 (-12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OAKLAND is 49-59 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 4-12 (-9.2 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
OAKLAND is 18-35 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SEATTLE is 58-104 (-43.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 43-63 (-24.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 274-263 (-80.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SEATTLE is 45-62 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 59-73 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 28-58 (-29.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 45-59 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 77-109 (-27.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 6-4 (+2.7 Units) against OAKLAND this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

TREVOR CAHILL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
CAHILL is 2-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.42 and a WHIP of 1.262.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (-0.7 units)

BLAKE BEAVAN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

MLB
Short Sheet


Monday, August 1

National League

ATLANTA at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
JURRJENS: ATLANTA 8-20 in road games after 2 straight games where the bullpen gave up no runs
HERNANDEZ: WASHINGTON 14-5 after a one run win

CHICAGO CUBS at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
ZAMBRANO: CHICAGO CUBS 14-32 as a road underdog
MAHOLM: PITTSBURGH 25-16 against division opponents

FLORIDA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
VAZQUEZ: 9-2 TSR on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5
PELFREY: 22-42 TSR against division opponents

CINCINNATI at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
ARROYO: 17-10 TSR in road games
NORRIS: HOUSTON 25-48 in night games

ST LOUIS at MILWAUKEE, 8:10 PM ET
CARPENTER: ST LOUIS 15-5 OVER in road games against division opponents
GREINKE: MILWAUKEE 21-7 in home games after a one run win

PHILADELPHIA at COLORADO, 8:40 PM ET
HAMELS: PHILADELPHIA 60-30 as a favorite
CHACIN: COLORADO 9-17 after 9 consecutive games versus division rivals

LA DODGERS at SAN DIEGO, 10:05 PM ET
KERSHAW: 18-6 TSR against division opponents
LUEBKE: SAN DIEGO 17-29 after a win

ARIZONA at SAN FRANCISCO, 10:15 PM ET
KENNEDY: ARIZONA 18-11 in road games after a win
CAIN: 11-3 UNDER as a favorite

American League

CLEVELAND at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
TOMLIN: CLEVELAND 17-4 OVER after 7 or more consecutive home games
LACKEY: 14-4 OVER as a home favorite of -125 to -175

NY YANKEES at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:10 PM ET
SABATHIA: 55-16 TSR as a favorite of -150 or more
PEAVY: CHI WHITE SOX 16-21 at home when the total is 7 to 8.5

OAKLAND at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
CAHILL: OAKLAND 4-12 on the road with a money line of -100 to -125
BEAVAN: SEATTLE 21-10 UNDER after 3 or more consecutive home games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Indians-Red Sox begin 4-game set at Fenway

CLEVELAND INDIANS (53-52, +5.3 Units)

at BOSTON RED SOX (66-40, +7.1 Units)


First pitch: Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -175, Cleveland +165, Total: 10

The Cleveland Indians made a statement over the weekend by adding some key additions including Rockies’ ace, Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians, who are 2½ games out in the AL Central, acted like contenders at the trade deadline but now need to prove they are contenders down the stretch. The Red Sox were relatively quiet over the weekend before landing left-hander Erik Bedard in a three-team deal on Sunday.

Cleveland has not been very strong on the road this year going 24-28, but has enjoyed playing night games where it is a solid 40-32 (+10.2 Units). The Indians have been struggling over their past 10 games (2-8), but Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.01 ERA) has been good all year and even better of late, going 4-1 in his past eight starts with a 3.81 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Boston has been terrific against teams with winning records this year (31-11), but has actually been a losing bet at home (-1.2 Units) despite a fantastic record at Fenway (33-19). The Sox are just 9-10 this year when they are home favorites of -150 to -175. Monday’s money line of -175 is a big price to pay with John Lackey on the mound, a pitcher with a 6.20 ERA, and that’s after posting a 2.52 ERA his past four starts. The pick here is CLEVELAND at +165.

Some more FoxSheets trends leaning towards the Indians include this pair:

CLEVELAND is 37-25 (59.7%, +13.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8.5 to 10 this season. The average score was CLEVELAND 5.0, OPPONENT 4.3 - (Rating = 2*).

CLEVELAND is 18-11 (62.1%, +9.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8.5 to 10 this season. The average score was CLEVELAND 5.4, OPPONENT 4.3 - (Rating = 1*).

Josh Tomlin beat Boston April 5, by throwing a seven-inning, one-run gem. The Red Sox have batted a lowly .149 (7-for-47) the two times they faced Tomlin in his career. Tomlin also pitched very well his last start, going eight innings and allowing two earned runs on only four hits but suffered an unfortunate loss. His control has been unbelievable this year, as Tomlin has just 10 total walks in his past 121 innings, refusing to give up more than one free pass in any of these 19 starts. The Indians need their slugger, Travis Hafner (.294 BA, 9 HR, 42 RBI) to pick up his bat in the middle of the lineup. Hafner has gone 3-for-27 over his past eight games in which the Tribe are 2-6.

John Lackey has been terrific his past four starts (4-0, 2.52 ERA, 21 K, 3 BB) but it his hard to forget about the struggles he withstood before this recent string. A month ago, Lackey’s ERA was at a sky-high 7.47. He has also struggled against Cleveland in recent years. In his past five starts against the Indians, he has a 6.91 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. Lackey has recently benefited from the red-hot Boston lineup, receiving 26 runs of support in 25 innings pitched. Dustin Pedroia (.301 BA, 15 HR, 57 RBI) has been tearing the cover off the ball, hitting safely in 45 of his past 48 games.

Brewers aim for 7th straight win hosting Cards

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (57-51, -3.9 Units)

at MILWAUKEE BREWERS (60-49, +7.1 Units)


First pitch: Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Milwaukee -115, St. Louis +105, Total: 7.5

The streaking Brewers look to win their seventh in a row against a Cardinals team that has stumbled against some lesser teams of late. Milwaukee and St. Louis will send their best to the mound Monday as the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, Chris Carpenter, will face the 2009 AL Cy Young, Zack Greinke.

The Cardinals have been average on the road this year (28-27, +0.6 Units) and just 18-20 when playing a team with a winning record. St. Louis is also 2-6 in Carpenter’s last eight starts against Milwaukee, as Carpenter has carried a 6.14 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in these eight outings. Greinke hasn’t lost to the Cards since 2005, going 4-0 with a 2.30 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in the past five games against them. The Brewers hold the best home record in the majors (39-14) and are 26-17 against division foes. The Brewers have fared well against right-handers this year too, going 49-36. Expect MILWAUKEE to stay hot and win at home as it has done so often this year.

Here are two more FoxSheets trends backing the Brew Crew.

MILWAUKEE is 35-12 (74.5%, +19.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 to 8.5 this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.1, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 2*).

ST. LOUIS is 11-21 (34.4%, -13.4 Units) against the money line vs. teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game this season. The average score was ST LOUIS 4.0, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 2*).

Chris Carpenter (6-7, 3.68 ERA) started off the 2011 season with just one win in his first 15 starts (1-7 record), but has been sizzling lately, going 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in his past seven starts. The Cardinals just finished up a seven-game homestand against the NL Central’s two cellar teams (Astros and Cubs) in which they only went 4-3. Albert Pujols (.283 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI) has not had much success against Greinke (4-for-20), but has recorded eight hits (.471 BA) in his past four games and has a lifetime .340 BA and 1.053 OPS in 75 games at Miller Park.

Zack Greinke (8-4, 4.50 ERA), has not pitched as well as Milwaukee had hoped when they signed the former Cy Young winner to a big contract in the offseason. Despite his high ERA, Greinke has managed an impressive 8-4 record and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings (123 K in 94 IP). Greinke is coming off a nice pitching victory Wednesday when he threw 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out nine. The Brewers will need that type of effort out of Greinke against the hot Chris Carpenter. The Brew Crew also need Ryan Braun (.322 BA, 21 HR, 71 RBI) to change his unsuccessful history against Carpenter: 3-for-15, four strikeouts.

Diamond Trends - Monday

August 1, 2011


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Nationals are 0-12 since May 25, 2010 as a dog after a win in which they left 18+ men on base and scored more than two runs for a net profit of $1200 when playing against.



OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Pirates are 9-0-1 OU since July 18, 2010 when they are off a walk off loss in their starter’s last start for a net profit of $900 when playing the over.



STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Red Sox are 11-0-1 OU since May 10, 2010 when John Lackey starts as a favorite in the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing the over.



MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Giants are 19-3 (+2.9 rpg) since June 2008 at home when they are of a loss in which they drew one or fewer walks.



TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Dodgers are 6-0 since April 15, 2010 as a favorite after a loss in which they had 12+ hits for a net profit of $600.

The Brewers are 6-0 since May 25, 2010 at home after a one run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $610.

The Yankees are 0-9-1 OU since June 04, 2010 on the road after a win in which they left 18+ men on base and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $900 when playing the under.