Cnotes Monday's MLB Best Bets !

Diamondbacks Begin Week At LA Dodgers

Bettors may soon start to identify the acronym TGIF as standing for Thank God It's Free cash day at MLB betting windows. Friday's results saw a season-long trend continue that's getting difficult to ignore, even if it is without rhyme or reason.

Eleven of the 15 games on the May 11 slate went 'over' the total, marking the fifth time in six Fridays that high-side wagers have won out. For the season, the 'over' now stands 49-30-4 on the final day of the conventional workweek, while the 'under' is 209-178-15 the other six days.

Again, there isn't a logical explanation other than maybe it's tied to this 2012 Mayan calendar stuff. We'll keep an eye on the strange little phenomenon as the season progresses, but in the meantime, here's a look at a Sunday contest to wrap up Week 6 and another to begin Week 7.

Hamilton Continues Tear As Halos, Rangers Wrap Up Series
The price of Josh Hamilton's next contract continues to go up as the Texas Rangers slugger maintains his assault on American League pitchers. Hamilton popped two more homers in Friday's 10-3 Texas win over the Los Angeles Angels, giving him eight long balls this week and an MLB-best 17 for the season.

Game 2 of the series includes a strange twist as CJ Wilson, whose Friday outing was cut very short by a rain delay, will start again Saturday for LA. Texas counters with Matt Harrison, and the Rangers are priced around $1.60 for the matchup that is carrying a 9½-run total on the Don Best odds screen.

The series finale will be the weekly ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast (8:00 p.m. ET), and pits Jered Weaver on the hill for the Angels against Texas' Neftali Feliz.

It will be Feliz' first career assignment vs. the Halos after spending the past three seasons in the Rangers bullpen. It's also just his second start this year at home, the other coming more than a month ago when he tossed seven scoreless frames vs. Seattle in his season debut. Feliz is coming off an excellent performance Tuesday in Baltimore where he worked six innings, allowed just one run and four hits, and struck out a career-high eight batters.

Weaver brings a perfect 5-0 record (Angels 5-2) into Sunday's clash to go with his 1.60 ERA, second in the AL. He has won two straight starts while allowing just a single run over the last three, a span that includes his May 2 no-hitter vs. Minnesota. He has seen the Rangers plenty during his career, and has struggled at their ballpark in Arlington. The Halos have won just two of his last nine starts in Texas while Weaver's ERA is a lofty 5.74 in the hitter-friendly confines.

D-Backs & Dodgers Begin Series In LA
We've reached that quirky part of the MLB schedule when teams play a pair of short 2-game series before heading into next weekend's round of interleague play. One of those 2-game quickies gets underway Monday in Los Angeles where the Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 10:10 p.m. (ET) first pitch.

The starting pitching matchup for Game 1 lends promise for a low-scoring affair as Ian Kennedy gets the call for Arizona opposite LA's Clayton Kershaw.

It's the first meeting of the season between the division rivals, and an important one for Arizona who snapped a 5-game skid Friday with a 5-1 home triumph over San Francisco. The Dodgers are all alone at the top of the NL West standings, and the D-Backs can ill-afford to drop both games at Chavez Ravine despite it still being early.

It is also an important start for Kennedy who is coming off a rough outing vs. St. Louis in general and Carlos Beltran specifically (7 IP, 6 ER, 2 Beltran HR). Arizona has now lost his last three trips to the mound, but perhaps a game away from Chase Field can help get Kennedy back on track. The California native owns a 5.40 ERA at home compared to a 1.86 mark on the road.

The good news for the D-Backs is they went a perfect 4-0 in Kennedy's matchups with the Dodgers a year ago, including a couple of dubyas in Los Angeles.

The bad news is Arizona will be going up against a tough customer in reigning NL Cy Young winner Kershaw. After winning the southpaw's first five starts of the season, LA has now dropped his last two assignments. Kershaw was 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA when facing the Diamondbacks in 2011, and the Dodgers have won 16 of his last 20 starts at home (1.85 ERA in those games).

Diamond Trends - Monday

May 14, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Diamondbacks are 10-0 since June 21, 2011 as a road dog and it is the first game of the series after playing in a day game for a net profit of $1253.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Angels are 0-15-3 OU since April 12, 2011 as a favorite after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1500 when playing the under.


STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:


The Rangers are 0-8 since September 29, 2009 when Scott Feldman starts after he had a WHIP of at least 2 his last start for a net profit of $945 when playing against.


MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:


The Dodgers are 12-1 (3.8 rpg) since 2011 as a favorite after a 5+ run win.


TODAY’S TRENDS:


The Tigers are 15-0 since June 04, 2011 when playing a night game as a road favorite vs a divisional foe that is behind them in the divisional standings for a net profit of $1500

The Dodgers are 11-0 since May 29, 2011 when Clayton Kershaw starts at home after more strike outs than hits allowed for a net profit of $1100

Hot and Not

May 14, 2012

Warmer weather is right around the corner as the 2012 MLB regular season heads into the third week of May which marks the beginning of Interleague play. Here’s a look at what some of the hottest and coldest teams did on the diamond this past week.
Money Makers

Kansas City Royals (4-2, $312): Slowly but surely, the Royals are starting to win some games and play like the up and coming team many expected them to be at the outset of the 2012 season. Though Eric Hosmer and his mates dropped each series opener against both the Red and White Sox last week, they went on to win each of the next two games to head into the upcoming week 2-0-1 in their last three series played. Unfortunately, manager Ned Yost must deal with injuries within his starting rotation with lefty Jonathan Sanchez having already been placed on the 15-day DL and Danny Duffy most likely to join him after getting an MRI on his throwing elbow on Monday.

On The Docket: The schedule starts off very unkind with a pair of mini-series set to go in Arlington against the red-hot Texas Rangers before returning home to host the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles. They might get a reprieve through the weekend at home in interleague action against the struggling Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles Dodgers (5-1, $299): The Dodgers took advantage of the Rockies putrid pitching and the Giants pathetic excuse for an offense this past week winning five of the team’s six divisional match-ups. Manager Don Mattingly’s outfit is now the lone team within the NL West that sports a record above .500 they’re currently six-games ahead of the Giants atop the standings. Not all is good in La La Land however with potential NL MVP Matt Kemp’s hamstring giving him problems. He’s scheduled for an MRI on Monday, and considering he’s done most of the offensive damage for LA on the young season, his departure from the starting line-up could be crippling.

On The Docket: The Dodgers continue with divisional play to start the week with two games scheduled against both Arizona and San Diego before welcoming in St. Louis for three in the only non-interleague match-up of the weekend.

Atlanta Braves (4-2, $278): The Braves started off last week by dropping two of three against a resurgent Cubs outfit at Wrigley, but manager Fredi Gonzalez’s squad bounced back in a big way by handing the St. Louis Cardinals three straight home defeats as nice sized underdogs. In doing so, Atlanta became the fourth best bet in baseball with a seasonal return just under $690! The offense is starting to take on the persona of a “Murderers Row” with Michael Bourn (.399 OBP) and Martin Prado (.363 OBP) setting the table routinely for Freddie Freeman and the rest of the Braves sluggers to knock them in. If only the starting staff would shape up!

On The Docket: The Braves will play two with both the Cincinnati Reds and division rival Miami Marlins before heading to Tropicana Field to battle the Tampa Bay Rays in Interleague play. Atlanta’s 8-2 its L/10 versus AL East opposition.

Money Burners

Cleveland Indians (3-5, -$208): It was a brutal week for the Tribe who started it off by sweeping a double-header from the division rival White Sox on Monday before dropping the next two to fall to 8-10 (-$230) as a host on the year. After taking the opener at Fenway, they proceeded to lose each of the next three against a Red Sox outfit that was scuffling mightily themselves entering the series. Though they’re the current leaders atop the AL Central and the only team in that division that’s turned a profit on the year, the pitching staff (4.39 ERA) needs to establish itself so as to take some pressure off the offense.

On The Docket: If ever the pitching was going to turn it around it would be this week with four-games set to go against the weak hitting Twins and Mariners before hosting Miami in Interleague play.

Colorado Rockies (2-4, -$273): You know it’s bad when you can’t even win a series against a Padres squad that possessed just one series win heading into the team’s first showdown at Petco Park last Monday night. After dropping two of three there, the Rockies were swept in Chavez Ravine and got outscored by the aggregate score of 20-9. Manager Jim Tracy has gotten just 12 quality starts from his staff, and the unit’s 5.10 ERA is the worst mark in the NL and would be the worst mark in the league if not for the Minnesota Twins. When you seemingly can’t prohibit the opposition from getting on base, you don’t stand a chance in this league!

On The Docket: Luckily for the Rox pitching staff, it’ll run up against the offensively challenged Giants to start the week and follow that two-game mini-series up with a pair at home against the D’Backs before hosting Seattle in Interleague play.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1-5, -$430): Speaking of Arizona, what the heck is going down in the desert? Manager Kirk Gibson’s club looks to be a shell of its former self. Justin Upton’s batting .225 and has only gone yard three times? Ian Kennedy’s allowed more hits than innings pitched? With this slow start, last season looks to have been an enormous overachievement for this franchise. Injuries have played a major role, so look to continue fading this club until the likes of Chris Young, Stephen Drew and Daniel Hudson return to the everyday roster.

On The Docket: It only gets worse for the Snakes this week with all seven games against the Dodgers, Rockies and Royals coming on the road. That said; the team has managed a profit splitting its 16 games as a visitor to date ($170), so a departure from the desert just might be what the doctor ordered.

MLB Betting Notes

May 14, 2012

Hamilton chasing History

We’ve been wowed a few times this season by certain individual play such as Matt Kemp’s red-hot start, Jared Weaver’s no-hitter, Joey Votto’s three home run day ending with a walk-off grand slam, and even to some extent, Bryce Harper’s splash into the game. But the tear that Josh Hamilton is on right now is absolutely insane.
His last week of play was so eye opening that only two other players in history have bettered the six-game stretch Hamilton had last week where he hit nine home runs with 15 RBIs. One of those games was a Roy Hobbs moment on Tuesday where he blasted four bombs with 8 RBIs at Baltimore.

Hamilton is now leading all of baseball, not just the American League, in the “Triple Crown” categories with a .402 average, 18 home runs and 44 RBIs. Those numbers make it hard to believe we still have half the month of May to go, let alone four more months of the season. It‘s still way too early to be talking about the “Triple Crown,” but the fact that only 13 players in baseball history have done it, and none since 1967, make it all the more exciting to discuss.

At the beginning of the season the LVH Super Book posted a bunch of player props for the 2012 season with the OVER-UNDER total on most home runs hit being 42.5 and the most RBI’s at 128.5. Hamilton’s individual home run number was posted at 25.5, which could go OVER by the end of the month at his current pace.

The reason for the low total was due to Hamilton being injury prone the last three seasons. Since playing in 156 games in 2008, he’s played a partial schedule over the next three years with 89, 133 and 121 games respectively.

Interleague Play Begins Friday

It’s that time of year again where NL and AL parks get fresh new visitors from the other league which is always a big attendance boost. This week we have a couple of territorial battles with the White Sox at Wrigley Field, Rangers at Houston and the first-place Orioles at second-place Nationals.

We also get a couple of World Series rematches from yesteryear with the Pirates playing at Detroit (1909), the Reds at Yankees (1975-76) and the Marlins at Cleveland (1997).

And perhaps the best on-going series of all-time in baseball, the Cardinals and Dodgers, are the two teams left out of interleague play this week due to the imbalanced teams in the NL. The two clubs have played 1,897 games against each other in their history with the Cardinals holding a slim 958-926 edge. The great Vin Scully called more than half of those games and since the games are in Los Angeles this weekend, it will be a treat to hear Scully reflect on the terrific history of the two franchises. Baltimore was able to hang on for another week in first-place, quieting some critics and helped their own cause by taking two of three from the Rays. Before playing the Nats this weekend, they’ll have to prove themselves again for two games against the Yankees and hope there’s no let down for a two-game set at Kansas City.

The Red Sox played well over the weekend taking three straight from the first-place Indians and have to be one of the streakiest teams in the league. It’s almost like you can bet the Red Sox based on what they did the day prior. They‘ve had losing streaks of three and five games twice each and win streaks of three games twice along with a five-game streak.

The best news for Boston is that they have finally found Kevin Youkilis’ bat and it’s being used by rookie Will Middlebrooks who has been posting Youkilis-type numbers (4 HR, 13 RBI, .356) since being called up two weeks ago.

The Red Sox were one of the favorites to win the World Series in the beginning of the year at 8/1, but are now 20/1. One the same note, the Orioles were 100/1 and have been dropped only to 60/1. The Yankees were 6/1 and now sit at 7/1.

The Angels are taking their time to show improvements, but they are slowly coming along and when Pujols hits consistently -- which should be very soon -- the Angels will be the contenders most of us expected. They still have to get to .500, but the signs are there.

You know things are getting better when a major streak begins or stops, such as Ervin Santana who had been shutout in five straight games before the Angels finally hit for him Wednesday and won. The Angels were like the Red Sox at 8/1 to begin the season, but are now holding steady at 14/1 for the last two weeks.

One of the most impressive, but overlooked, teams in baseball has been the Atlanta Braves. They don’t have the superstars we all want to see, but they just get the job done nightly with great pitching and surprising good, timely hitting. They took first place away from the Nationals on Sunday, thanks to Joey Votto, but through six weeks of the season they look like one of the best teams and the updated odds reflect it with them dropping from 15/1 down to 10/1.

Part of the reason for the odds dropping on the Braves is because of the Phillies falling fast. When the Phillies lose four straight Roy Halladay starts, it’s time to start panicking. Once a preseason favorite to win the World Series at 5/1, now they’re 12/1. You know the pitching is going to be there, but it’s got to be disheartening for a starting pitcher to give all he’s got and lose 2-1 on a consistent basis.

The Phillies shouldn’t be waiting around until July to make a move to get some offensive firepower and they can begin with first-base. Ty Wigginton is a fine role player, but not as the everyday anchor to the lineup. The Angels could be sold on a trade for Mark Trumbo for some relief pitching help and he would definitely help the offense until Ryan Howard and Chase Utley come back, whenever that is.

Harper Props

I love the way Lucky’s Sports Books is always on top of things ready to capitalize on the popularity of hot topic and satisfy the public’s thirst for action on it. The latest one is a few props centered around rookie Bryce Harper. They have offered totals on his hits (80.5), doubles (28.5) and batting average (.240). The one stipulation is that Harper must play at least 100 games this season. Harper is currently batting .231 with no home runs and six doubles.

Dempster looks to add to Cards struggles Monday


CHICAGO CUBS (14-20)

at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (20-14)


First pitch: Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT
Line: St. Louis -165, Chicago +155, Total: 7

The Chicago Cubs will look to make up some ground in the NL Central by taking on the division leading Cardinals in St. Louis in the opener of a short two-game series Monday night.

The Cardinals come into this game cold, having been swept by the Braves in a three-game set over the weekend. It does not help them getting to face Ryan Dempster, who despite being 0-1 on the season is off to an incredible start. Dempster currently sports a miniscule 1.02 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, with opponents hitting just .164 against him. And, even though he had a DL stint at the end of April, he has shown no signs of slowing down with 15 innings in his two starts since then, allowing just one run. At 4-2, Jake Westbrook is also off to a strong start, fashioning a 1.76 ERA, and even tamed the Cubs in an early-season start for a win. But Dempster has far more skill striking out batters, something that could be key in this game, and deserves the play given the overwhelming odds in favor of the Cardinals. Take CHICAGO to tame the potent St. Louis offense as underdogs.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also favors the Cubs:

Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (CHICAGO CUBS) - team with a terrible OBP (<=.300) against a very good starting pitcher (WHIP<=1.250) -NL, with a starting pitcher whose gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start. (49-31 since 1997.) (61.2%, +36.6 units. Rating = 3*).

Dempster’s absurd start begins with his ability to fan hitters, registering 36 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. Although his career numbers against St. Louis are mediocre with a 4.52 career ERA in 47 games (21 of which were starts), he has not seen them this year when he is putting together a career season. Additionally, pitching on the road has been no problem for him—he has yet to give up an earned run in two starts (14 IP) away from home so far this season. The Cubs have provided Dempster with an average of 1.8 runs per start this season, explaining why he does not have a victory. He is due for some run support finally, so play on him as the heavy underdog.

Like Dempster, Westbrook is off to a stellar start, and is coming off tossing seven shutout innings with 8 K in his last time out in Arizona. But he has mediocre career numbers against the Cubs. In six career starts, he has a 4.54 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Unlike Dempster, he has been the beneficiary of incredible run support, with the Cardinals scoring double-digit runs twice so far. The Cardinals sport one of baseball’s best offenses, leading the league in OBP and ranking in the top-three in runs, batting average and slugging percentage. But given the heavy lines expecting his strong run support to continue, avoid betting on the Cardinals.

Monday's betting tips: Matt Kemp strains hamstring again

Who’s hot

NBA: Celtics are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 home games.

NBA: Over is 5-0 in Thunder last five games as a favorite.

NHL: Rangers are 41-20 in their last 61 games as a favorite.

MLB: Marlins are 10-2 in their last 12 overall.

Who’s not

NBA: The under is 2-8 in the 76ers' last 10 road games.

NBA: The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in Oklahoma City.

NHL: Devils are 2-5 in the last seven meetings in New York.

MLB: Cubs are 2-12 in Ryan Dempster's last 14 starts.

Key stat

15 – The New Jersey Devils’ balanced scoring helped them cruise into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Devils have had 15 different goal scorers in their 12 playoff games and have been resting since ousting the Philadelphia Flyers on May 8.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Erik Bedard, Pittsburgh Pirates – Bedard will miss Monday’s scheduled start with back spasms after leaving last week’s start against Washington after just one inning. Bedard will be replaced by Brad Lincoln, who makes his first start of the season against the Marlins.

Game of the day

Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-7.5, 171.5)

Notable quotable

"This is a difficult matchup for us -- probably in some ways more so (than Chicago) because they have more athleticism. The athleticism is what's bothered us in the past. They have speed and athleticism and youth. That has been just as deadly for us." – Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of their matchup with the 76ers.

Notes and tips

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp left Sunday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring, the same injury that had him bow out of a contest last week as well. His status for Monday’s game against Arizona is uncertain. Kemp has played in 399 consecutive games, but the hamstring continues to give him problems. After setting the Dodgers franchise record for home runs in April, Kemp is yet to hit one in May. Kemp is hitting .359 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs.

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin has named left-hander Brian Fuentes as his closer on Saturday. "We're closing with Fuentes for now," Melvin said after Saturday's game. "I didn't announce that, but that's the position that we're in right now. We're giving (Grant Balfour) a little bit of a break, and we're going to close with Fuentes for the foreseeable future." Balfour was named the closer entering the season. He has converted seven of his nine save chances, but has a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. Fuentes, who saved Saturday's 3-1 victory over Detroit, has two saves in 14 innings this season with a 3.86 ERA. Fuentes, who has previously been the closer for Colorado and the Los Angeles Angles, earned this 200th career save on May 2.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 96-87 victory Saturday night over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their first-round series allowed the Lakers to advance. But the Lakers face a quick turnaround before Game 1 against Oklahoma City at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Monday night. "We've got one day to rest," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said. "We're going to get it done and be ready to play those guys." The Lakers went 1-2 against Oklahoma City in the regular season, the victory coming April 22 in a controversial game. Lakers forward Metta World Peace was suspended seven games by the NBA for elbowing Oklahoma City's James Harden in that game, and World Peace just came off suspension Saturday night in Game 7 vs. Denver.

MLB
Dunkel

Detroit at Chicago White Sox
The White Sox look to take advantage of a Detroit team that is 0-6 in its last 6 games against a left-handed starter. Chicago is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, MAY 14

Game 951-952: San Diego at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 13.479; Washington (Detwiler) 15.513
Dunkel Line: Washington by 2; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-150); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-150); Under

Game 953-954: Houston at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Harell) 13.618; Philadelphia (Blanton) 15.096
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-170); Over

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.483; NY Mets (Batista) 14.852
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-140); Over

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Lincoln) 16.309; Miami (Sanchez) 14.741
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Miami (-180); 7
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+160); Under

Game 959-960: Cincinnati at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Bailey) 16.739; Atlanta (Delgado) 16.038
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+120); Over

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.295; St. Louis (Westbrook) 16.258
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-165); Under

Game 963-964: Arizona at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 13.256; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 16.156
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 3; 5
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-180); 6
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-180); Under

Game 965-966: Colorado at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Friedrich) 14.887; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 13.544
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+120); Over

Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Niemann) 15.616; Toronto (Morrow) 16.461
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-135); Over

Game 969-970: NY Yankees at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nova) 15.256; Baltimore (Hammel) 15.745
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-105); Under

Game 971-972: Seattle at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Vargas) 15.270; Boston (Lester) 16.064
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Under

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 16.546; Texas (Feldman) 16.282
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Texas (-200); 10
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+170); Over

Game 975-976: Cleveland at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Gomez) 14.826; Minnesota (Pavano) 13.311
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-135); Over

Game 977-978: Detroit at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Smyly) 14.697; White Sox (Danks) 15.631
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105); Under

Game 979-980: Oakland at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Ross) 15.657; LA Angels (Haren) 16.441
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-185); Under

MLB

Monday, May 14

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games when playing Philadelphia
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 9 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing Washington
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 10 games
Baltimore is 7-17 SU in their last 24 games when playing NY Yankees

7:07 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Toronto's last 12 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cincinnati's last 21 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Seattle is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games at home
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seattle

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. NY METS
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

7:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing Chi Cubs

8:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TEXAS
Kansas City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Texas is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
Chi White Sox are 6-13 SU in their last 19 games

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Oakland's last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games at home

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games

10:15 PM
COLORADO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Colorado's last 15 games
San Francisco is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Colorado
San Francisco is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Colorado

MLB

Monday, May 14

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Brandon Morrow, Toronto Blue Jays (4-1, 2.27 ERA)

Morrow has some nasty stuff going on right now. He has won four straight starts and owns a 0.95 ERA over that span. He threw 23 2/3 innings of scoreless ball at one point over that stretch and struck out a season-high 10 batters in his win over the Athletics last week.

Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners (4-2, 2.79 ERA)

Vargas is staking claim to the No.2 spot in the rotation behind King Felix. In eight starts, he has struck out 38 batters and boasts a 0.97 WHIP. He held the Tigers to one run on six hits in his last outing and didn’t walk a batter in a 2-1 victory. He threw 90 pitches and wanted to come out to finish off the game, but manager Eric Wedge decided to give the ball to closer Brandon League.


Slumping

Tyson Ross, Oakland Athletics (1-3, 7.71 ERA)

After allowing 16 runs over 7 1/3 innings in consecutive starts, Ross settled down a bit in his last trip to the hill, but still picked up another loss. He gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out three in a 5-2 defeat to the Blue Jays. Ross is still on a tight leash as there was talk they he’d be demoted recently.

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds (1-3, 4.93 ERA)

Bailey was spanked for six hits and six earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings last week against Milwaukee. His velocity was fine (hitting the mid-90s consistently) but he struggled with location and ended up walking three batters. In his start before that, he served up three homers in a loss to the Cubs, which was the second time he’s allowed three dingers in a game this season.


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MLB

Monday, May 14

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Rounding the bases: This week's best MLB bets
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Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in Major League Baseball (All records and statistics through Saturday):
HOT TEAM: Oakland Athletics

THIS SEASON: 18-16
LAST WEEK: 4-2

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Angels for two, at the Rangers for two, at the Giants for three.

THE SKINNY: It was good news, bad news for the Athletics on Saturday. Oakland outlasted Detroit, 3-1, backed by a strong outing from starter Brandon McCarthy. It was their seventh win in last 10 tries. But the Athletics also lost cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes to the disabled list. Cespedes has a strained muscle in his left hand, and will be missed.

The A’s have been underdogs in each of their last 10 games, so this hot streak is really padding the wallets of Oakland backers. You’d be up 6.32 units if you bet the Athletics in each of their last 10 contests.

COLD TEAM: Tampa Bay Rays

THIS SEASON: 20-14
LAST WEEK: 1-5

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Blue Jays for two, home to the Red Sox for two, home to the Braves for three.

THE SKINNY: The AL East is shaping up to be one unique race this season. Teams are flip-flopped. Injuries to key players have taken a toll. And overall, there's just a new feeling that everyone's in it. The Rays play into that.

Tampa Bay committed five errors in a 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Saturday, and on Friday, the club allowed three home runs en route to a 4-3 defeat to Baltimore. Not good. The offense has been light, too. First baseman Carlos Pena was given the day off Saturday to figure things out. He entered later as pinch hitter, went 0-for-1, and began Mother's Day 3-for-36 with 13 strikeouts in the month.

OVER TEAM: Milwaukee Brewers

O/U THIS SEASON: 20-12-1
O/U LAST WEEK: 4-2

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Mets for two, at the Astros for two, home to the Twins for three.

THE SKINNY: Saturday was a microcosm of Milwaukee's new-look lineup. With fewer big boppers in there, the Brewers need a little bit from a lot of people. And so far, they've been getting it. In an 8-2 win over the Cubs, Milwaukee pounded out 13 hits from nine different players, including starting pitcher Shaun Marcum.

It's that kind of balance that is a perfect recipe for overs, and Milwaukee appears like it will be one of the stronger over teams the rest of the way. The Brewers entered Sunday's game versus Chicago with three overs in the last four games, and they had five players -- Ryan Braun (21), Aramis Ramirez (19), Corey Hart (16), Jonathan Lucroy (16), and Alex Gonzalez (15) -- with at least 15 RBIs.

And after an offseason of discontent, Braun has been Braun again, sporting a .382 on-base percentage, a .644 slugging percentage, and a 1.026 OPS. You can do much worse than riding the Brewers’ over train these days.

UNDER TEAM: Chicago Cubs

O/U THIS SEASON: 14-18-1
O/U LAST WEEK: 2-4

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Cardinals for two, home to the Phillies for two, home to the White Sox for three.

THE SKINNY: The Cubs walked into Sunday’s series finale against Milwaukee with seven unders already cashed in May, and it’s been a collaborative effort. When the Cubs are stifled by strong pitching, their staff often cooperates right along.

Last week, when they took two of three from Atlanta, for instance, was a perfect example. All three contests went under, and the finale was a 1-0 victory. That’s the sign of a good under team. It also helps when you have a lineup that if you take out Bryan LaHair and his eight home runs, there are only three other players -- Ian Stewart (3), Geovany Soto (3), and Joe Mather (2) -- with more than one longball.

That’s not a lot of pop there, so take advantage of this team while you can. Consider the 29-year-old LaHair -- a good player with plenty of upside, but perhaps too inexperienced to carry an entire club -- has only 10 RBIs, folks. And he’s the team leader.

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 14

Hot pitchers
-- Detwiler has a 2.59 RA in his last four starts.
-- Blanton is 2-0, 2.35 in his last three starts.
-- ASanchez is 1-0, 2.25 in his last four starts.
-- Delgado has a 1.98 RA in his last couple starts.
-- Westbrook is 4-2, 2.20 in six starts. Dempster has a 1.53 RA in five starts, but Cubs lost all five games, scoring a total of eight runs.
-- Kershaw is 1-1, 2.86 in his four home starts. Kennedy is 1-1, 1.86 in his three road starts.
-- Friedrich allowed two runs on five hits in six IP in his MLB debut. Vogelsong has a 3.21 RA in six starts this season.

-- Morrow is 4-0, 0.65 in his last four starts. Niemann is 2-1, 3.42 in his last four starts.
-- Hammel is 4-1, 2.09 in six starts this season.
-- Vargas has a 1.77 RA in his last three starts.
-- Smyly is 1-0, 1.85 in six starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Stauffer is 23-31, 3.92 in 69 big league starts; he allowed three runs in 15 IP in rehab this year. This is his first MLB start this year.
-- Harrell is 1-2, 7.48 in his last four starts.
-- Gallardo is 1-2, 8.36 in his last three starts. Batista is 0-1, 10.00 in his two starts this season.
-- Lincoln is 5-7, 5.10 in 17 big league starts; this year, he allowed two runs in 14 IP in seven relief stints.
-- Bailey is 1-3, 5.97 in six starts this season.

-- Nova is 1-1, 6.27 in his last three starts.
-- Lester has an 11.25 RA in his two home starts.
-- BChen is 1-4, 6.00 in his last five starts. Feldman allowed two runs in 3.1 IP (62 PT) in his only start this season. He is 33-33, 4.75 in his 81 career starts.
-- Gomez is 1-2, 5.95 in his last three starts. Pavano is 1-2, 6.04 in his last four outings.
-- Danks is 1-2, 7.01 in his last four starts.
-- Ross is 0-3, 13.15 in his last three starts. Haren is 0-2, 8.44 in his last two outings.

Hot teams
-- Washington won three of its last four games.
-- Mets won six of their last eight games.
-- Miami won 10 of its last 12 gamea. Pirates are 6-4 in their last ten.
-- Atlanta won four of its last five games. Reds won seven of their last ten road games.
-- Dodgers won eight of their last nine home games.
-- Giants won their last two games, allowing five runs.

-- Blue Jays won four of their last five home games.
-- Bronx won five of its last seven games. Orioles are 8-5 in their last 13 home games.
-- Royals are 10-6 in their last sixteen games. Texas won five of its last seven games.
-- Tigers are 9-5 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Angels won seven of their last ten home games. Oakland won four of its last five road games.

Cold teams
-- Padres are 3-9 on the road this season.
-- Phillies lost six of their last nine games. Astros are 4-10 in their last 14 away games.
-- Brewers lost four of their last five road games.
-- Cubs are 4-10 in their last fourteen road games. St Louis lost its last three games, allowing 23 runs.
-- Arizona lost six of its last eight games.
-- Rockies lost eight of their last nine games.

-- Rays lost six of their last eight games.
-- Mariners lost eight of their last nine road games. Boston lost nine of its last twelve games.
-- Indians lost five of their last six games. Minnesota lost 15 of its last 20 games.
-- White Sox lost 11 of their last 15 home games.

Totals
-- Four of last five Washington home games went over.
-- Seven of Phillies' last nine games went over the total.
-- Five of last six games at Citi Field stayed under total.
-- Last four Pittsburgh road games went over the total.
-- Last three Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Cubs' last three games all went over the total.
-- Three of last four Dodger game went over the total.
-- Giants' last five home games all stayed under the total.

-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Tampa Bay road games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Bronx games.
-- Eight of last ten Boston games went over the total.
-- Under is 11-5 in Texas home games this season.
-- Six of last seven Cleveland road games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Angel home games stayed under.

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, May 14

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SAN DIEGO (12 - 23) at WASHINGTON (21 - 13) - 7:05 PM
TIM STAUFFER (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 58-84 (-24.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 9-27 (-14.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 83-115 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-84 (-35.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 2-12 (-10.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 83-115 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 101-95 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 78-74 (+12.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 101-95 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 56-40 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 18-10 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

TIM STAUFFER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
STAUFFER is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.66 and a WHIP of 1.338.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (15 - 19) at PHILADELPHIA (16 - 19) - 7:05 PM
LUCAS HARRELL (R) vs. JOE BLANTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 72-126 (-33.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 30-68 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 199-236 (-57.0 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 70-125 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 47-95 (-33.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

LUCAS HARRELL vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

JOE BLANTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
BLANTON is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.100.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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MILWAUKEE (15 - 19) at NY METS (19 - 15) - 7:10 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. MIGUEL BATISTA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 13-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 96-100 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 96-100 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BATISTA is 74-52 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 58-36 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 41-25 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 20-32 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. NY METS since 1997
GALLARDO is 2-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.47 and a WHIP of 1.459.
His team's record is 3-3 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

MIGUEL BATISTA vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BATISTA is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.14 and a WHIP of 0.905.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

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PITTSBURGH (16 - 18) at MIAMI (18 - 16) - 7:10 PM
BRAD LINCOLN (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 34-84 (-30.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 204-419 (-97.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 16-8 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 39-53 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 39-53 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 29-41 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 25-40 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

BRAD LINCOLN vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SANCHEZ is 2-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.64 and a WHIP of 0.864.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.3 units)

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CINCINNATI (17 - 16) at ATLANTA (22 - 13) - 7:10 PM
HOMER BAILEY (R) vs. RANDALL DELGADO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 40-57 (-25.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 95-98 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 4-12 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 12-3 (+8.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 45-23 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 574-659 (+47.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 424-478 (+47.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

HOMER BAILEY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
BAILEY is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

RANDALL DELGADO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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CHICAGO CUBS (14 - 20) at ST LOUIS (20 - 14) - 7:05 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. JAKE WESTBROOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 885-947 (-161.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 30-55 (-22.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1201-1286 (-237.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 3-21 (-16.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 76-103 (-33.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1144-1202 (-215.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
DEMPSTER is 10-21 (-13.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 89-57 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 111-100 (-33.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 3-3 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
DEMPSTER is 6-7 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.538.
His team's record is 9-12 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-9. (+1.5 units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WESTBROOK is 4-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.55 and a WHIP of 1.277.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

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ARIZONA (15 - 20) at LA DODGERS (23 - 11) - 10:10 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 107-90 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 65-41 (+20.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 15-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 45-24 (+17.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 53-37 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 15-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 16-6 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KERSHAW is 25-8 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KERSHAW is 26-9 (+15.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 51-34 (+17.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 112-92 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 82-64 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 112-92 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 51-49 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KENNEDY is 28-14 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 16-1 (+16.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 28-14 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 22-10 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

IAN KENNEDY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
KENNEDY is 3-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.75 and a WHIP of 1.220.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. ARIZONA since 1997
KERSHAW is 6-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.15 and a WHIP of 1.040.
His team's record is 7-3 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.1 units)

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COLORADO (13 - 20) at SAN FRANCISCO (17 - 17) - 10:15 PM
CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH (L) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 151-221 (-51.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 71-108 (-38.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 10-30 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 36-55 (-26.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 86-111 (-39.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 111-130 (-40.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 58-80 (-33.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 73-148 (-52.5 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
COLORADO is 86-111 (-39.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 157-98 (+57.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 857-714 (+104.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 197-119 (+49.5 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. COLORADO since 1997
VOGELSONG is 4-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 1.01 and a WHIP of 0.713.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

TAMPA BAY (21 - 14) at TORONTO (19 - 16) - 7:05 PM
JEFF NIEMANN (R) vs. BRANDON MORROW (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MORROW is 23-11 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 443-539 (+22.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
NIEMANN is 20-10 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NIEMANN is 11-3 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NIEMANN is 24-10 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MORROW is 2-8 (-9.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. TORONTO since 1997
NIEMANN is 4-4 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.11 and a WHIP of 1.194.
His team's record is 7-5 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+3.9 units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MORROW is 4-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.105.
His team's record is 4-5 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.4 units)

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NY YANKEES (19 - 15) at BALTIMORE (22 - 13) - 7:05 PM
IVAN NOVA (R) vs. JASON HAMMEL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 68-65 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 14-5 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 22-13 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 12-6 (+9.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BALTIMORE is 20-12 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 18-10 (+12.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 279-355 (-98.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-2 (+0.7 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

IVAN NOVA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
NOVA is 3-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.96 and a WHIP of 1.423.
His team's record is 4-2 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HAMMEL is 1-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.87 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 2-4 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

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SEATTLE (16 - 20) at BOSTON (15 - 19) - 7:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 55-77 (-26.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 145-216 (-59.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 30-69 (-34.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 107-91 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-44 (-21.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 54-47 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-27 (-17.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 54-47 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 82-66 (-24.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
LESTER is 19-20 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 3-8 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JASON VARGAS vs. BOSTON since 1997
VARGAS is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.604.
His team's record is 2-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

JON LESTER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LESTER is 2-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.323.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

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KANSAS CITY (13 - 20) at TEXAS (23 - 12) - 8:05 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. SCOTT FELDMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 123-77 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 96-55 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 130-84 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

BRUCE CHEN vs. TEXAS since 1997
CHEN is 1-2 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 9.82 and a WHIP of 2.237.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.2 units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
FELDMAN is 2-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.208.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

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CLEVELAND (18 - 16) at MINNESOTA (10 - 24) - 8:10 PM
JEANMAR GOMEZ (R) vs. CARL PAVANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PAVANO is 152-133 (+24.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 76-52 (+25.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 77-57 (+35.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 101-98 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-4 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CLEVELAND is 79-49 (+42.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 98-95 (+6.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 75-62 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 73-64 (+13.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GOMEZ is 17-10 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GOMEZ is 8-0 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 73-124 (-35.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-62 (-27.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 39-61 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-20 (-14.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 70-117 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 47-80 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 48-93 (-34.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JEANMAR GOMEZ vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
GOMEZ is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.60 and a WHIP of 1.585.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

CARL PAVANO vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
PAVANO is 3-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.186.
His team's record is 5-5 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.5 units)

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DETROIT (17 - 17) at CHI WHITE SOX (16 - 19) - 8:10 PM
DREW SMYLY (L) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 58-26 (+25.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 46-60 (-22.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 42-56 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 3-10 (-8.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-26 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 42-56 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-38 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 21-33 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-3 (+0.0 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

DREW SMYLY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SMYLY is 0-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JOHN DANKS vs. DETROIT since 1997
DANKS is 4-7 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.04 and a WHIP of 1.478.
His team's record is 7-8 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-6. (+2.2 units)

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OAKLAND (18 - 17) at LA ANGELS (15 - 20) - 10:05 PM
TYSON ROSS (R) vs. DAN HAREN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 625-539 (+66.3 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997.
OAKLAND is 35-33 (+31.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 28-36 (-14.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 67-70 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 15-20 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HAREN is 1-6 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 10-18 (-12.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 1-6 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 21-32 (-20.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-1 (+4.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

TYSON ROSS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
ROSS is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 2-1 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

DAN HAREN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
HAREN is 2-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.45 and a WHIP of 1.043.
His team's record is 3-4 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.6 units)

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, May 14

National League

San Diego at Washington, 7:05 ET
Stauffer: San Diego 2-12 SU vs. left-handed starters
Detwiler: 11-2 Under in night games

Houston at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Harrell: Houston 12-44 SU as a road underdog of +150 or higher
Blanton: 12-3 Over pitching on 5 or 6 days rest

Milwaukee at NY Mets, 7:10 ET
Gallardo: Milwaukee 9-1 Over after scoring 2 runs or less
Batista: Mets 2-13 SU at home off 5+ road games

Pittsburgh at Miami, 7:10 ET
Lincoln: Pittsburgh 14-29 SU after winning 4 or 5 of their last 6 games
Sanchez: Miami 24-12 SU after scoring 8+ runs

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
Bailey: Cincinnati 1-9 SU away after scoring 9+ runs
Delgado: Atlanta 8-1 SU off 5+ road games

(TC) Chicago Cubs at St. Louis, 7:05 ET ESPN
Demptser: Cubs 6-29 SU as a road underdog of +150 or higher
Westbrook: St. Louis 25-10 SU after losing 3 of their last 4 games

Arizona at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Kennedy: 14-4 Under pitching off a team loss
Kershaw: 17-2 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -200

Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 ET
Friedrich: Colorado 5-14 SU with a line of +125 to -125
Vogelsong: 9-1 Under after allowing 1 or 0 ER's last start


American League

Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:07 ET
Niemann: 11-3 TSR away vs. division opponents
Morrow: 2-8 TSR at home with a total of 8 to 8.5 runs

NY Yankees at Baltimore, 7:05 ET
Nova: Yankees 23-8 Over revenging a loss as a home favorite
Hammel: Baltimore 14-4 SU with a line of +125 to -125

Seattle at Boston, 7:10 ET
Vargas: 11-5 TSR as an underdog of +125 to +175
Lester: 2-7 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -200

Kansas City at Texas, 8:05 ET
Chen: Kansas City 1-12 SU away off BB wins
Feldman: Texas 31-11 SU off 3+ division games

Cleveland at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
Gomez: 8-0 TSR with a total of 8 to 8.5 runs
Pavano: Minnesota 5-20 SU on Mondays

Detroit at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Smyly: Detroit 11-0 Over off 7+ road games
Danks: White Sox 1-10 SU at home off a loss by 6+ runs

Oakland at LA Angels, 10:05 ET
Ross: Oakland 17-6 Under vs. right-handed starters
Haren: 1-6 TSR as a favorite

(TC) Time Change

Monday, May 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Yankees - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore +105 500
Baltimore - Under 9 500

Houston - 7:05 PM ET Houston +155 500
Philadelphia - Over 8.5 500

San Diego - 7:05 PM ET Washington -155 500
Washington - Under 7 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs +146 500
St. Louis - Over 7.5 500

Tampa Bay - 7:07 PM ET Tampa Bay +135 500
Toronto - Over 8 500

Seattle - 7:10 PM ET Seattle +170 500
Boston - Over 9 500

Cincinnati - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta -134 500
Atlanta - Over 8.5 500

Pittsburgh - 7:10 PM ET Miami -191 500
Miami - Under 7 500

Milwaukee - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +138 500
NY Mets - Over 8.5 500

Kansas City - 8:05 PM ET Texas -178 500
Texas - Under 10 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +119 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 8 500

Cleveland - 8:10 PM ET Cleveland -120 500
Minnesota - Over 9 500

Oakland - 10:05 PM ET Oakland +188 500
LA Angels - Over 7 500

Arizona - 10:10 PM ET Arizona +140 500
LA Dodgers - Over 6 500

Colorado - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -112 500
San Francisco - Under 7