2012 MLB O/U Record: 280-262-29, -$1,492 (Was making bigger bets earlier in the year, with countless fluke bad breaks, obviously. I also undoubtedly lead the country in half-run/one-run losses)
2011 MLB O/U Record: 366-270-42, +$1,104
Baseball betting is a funny endeavor, isn’t it? I had a 26-9-2 run going into Monday over the past couple of weeks, but now all of a sudden, I find myself 0-3 in the two days since. It’s human nature, though, heading into a new week and kind of resetting yourself after doing amazing work - it’s the ability to limit inevitable damage that keeps you rolling, and I think I did a fine job of that yesterday in only taking one game, considering even the games I recommended and didn’t bet on weren’t mostly victorious (1-2), which is unusual when I almost always win the majority of my recommended over/unders. Anyway, let’s hope this Wednesday turns things back around in my favor and shoots me back into that remarkable high…
Houston Astros @ Chicago Cubs - $37 for $37
Bud Norris vs Justin Germano
UNDER 8.5 (Interesting that it’s not 9 with the wind blowing out a bit)
Yup, going back to Wrigley Field to start today’s card, although doing so yesterday resulted in a loss (Despite being 100-percent right, as usual, with top-five favorite pitcher Lucas Harrell. He just continues to dazzle). Still, though, there’s promise here. First of all, as regular readers out there know, this contest will feature my favorite pitcher in all of baseball, that being good ol’ Bud Norris, who I continue to stick up for and defend as one of the most underrated starting hurlers in the game today - I can’t preach it enough. There’s no use in writing the saaaameeee things I seemingly write every single week for the guy; the bottom line is, despite his overall numbers this year, he’s a truly excellent pitcher with plus stuff, good velocity, and a high strikeout rate. Those types of guys aren’t exactly common to have in one’s starting rotation. Since I spout out the same statistics every week about Mr. Norris, I’ll just add this one important item: Astros’ catcher Jason Castro, who just recently came off the DL, will be starting today behind the plate. Why is that important, you ask? Well it was Castro who was behind the plate for Norris’ success throughout the early portion of this year, and you can argue that the righty wasn’t as effective when he was throwing to Carlos Corporan or Chris Snyder. In fact, it was Castro who caught Norris during each of his May starts… if you don’t track Bud Norrisas much as I do, you’re probably not aware that he was well on pace to winning Pitcher of the Month for May (In his first four starts: 26 IP, 1 ER, 29 Ks!), before a horrendous outing in Colorado derailed his statline completely. In any case, everyone should know that Norris is a legitimate upper-echelon pitcher, and when 2012 is all said and done, you should realize his ERA will be well below the 4.93 mark that it currently stands at. That effort should push forward today, especially with him being locked in again recently.
While I know pretty much everything that there is to know concerning Bud Norris, I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum as it pertains to Justin Germano, but who isn’t? After all, this is someone who has been on five teams, yet has only pitched in 84 career games. In other words, he’s a career journeyman, but that doesn’t mean he has no potential. In fact, I distinctly remember Germano a bit with the Padres a few years ago, starting almost a full season workload of games in 2007. In those 23 starts, he compiled a fine 4.46 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, while recording 7 wins. That was the past, though, and now it’s 2012, where Germano perhaps is starting to fulfill some ofthat potential he flashed long ago. In three starts since slotting into the rotation to replace Matt Garza, Germano is yet to exceed six innings, but he actually hasn’t been bad at all. He’s gone at least five in those three assignments, giving up just two runs in two of them. While his strikeouts are down, so are his walks, and that’s his strength his days: He pitches to contact, but he knows how to pound the strike zone. As this season wears on, Germano will continue to get re-acclimated with the routine of being a Major League starting pitcher, and this being his fourth start, I think he might just be entering that comfort zone, recognizing that this newfound gig of his is only his to lose (Garza reportedly out for the rest of the season), and I’m sure he has to realize that he thought he might never get this opportunity again, after making just one start since 2008. Going up against the Astros’ unintimidating lineup is not something to waste as he seeks to improve his resume, so to speak, for next season.
Also interesting of note, I just looked through my 2011 paperwork from last year, and spotted that my best bet on this exact Wednesday last year (August 17, 2011) was actually a Bud Norris versus the Cubs matchup. To be exact, it was the seemingly forgotten Casey Coleman (Why didn’t he get the first crack at Garza’s departed rotation spot?) against Norris in an under of 8 in Houston, which I barely hung on to in a 4-3 outcome. Those types of things always catch my attention, so let’s hope this Wednesday plays out the exact same way it did a year ago (Which means we’d have to sweat this one out, as I had to sweat out that game last year: The Cubs had a runner on third in the ninth with nobody out and couldn’t bring him home. Rare lucky break for me in 2011).
Other 8/15 MLB Over/Unders I’m Taking:
Joe Saunders vs Adam Wainwright UNDER 8 - $22 for $20
**May Add More Over/Under(s) Throughout Day Leading Up To Gametime**
**Remember that if you have a question concerning an over/under, I will gladly assist you with it if I see it before the game starts, even the ones I don’t bet on, as I have at least a small vibe on every single over/under from studying this stuff several hours every single day and night**
2011 MLB O/U Record: 366-270-42, +$1,104
Baseball betting is a funny endeavor, isn’t it? I had a 26-9-2 run going into Monday over the past couple of weeks, but now all of a sudden, I find myself 0-3 in the two days since. It’s human nature, though, heading into a new week and kind of resetting yourself after doing amazing work - it’s the ability to limit inevitable damage that keeps you rolling, and I think I did a fine job of that yesterday in only taking one game, considering even the games I recommended and didn’t bet on weren’t mostly victorious (1-2), which is unusual when I almost always win the majority of my recommended over/unders. Anyway, let’s hope this Wednesday turns things back around in my favor and shoots me back into that remarkable high…
Houston Astros @ Chicago Cubs - $37 for $37
Bud Norris vs Justin Germano
UNDER 8.5 (Interesting that it’s not 9 with the wind blowing out a bit)
Yup, going back to Wrigley Field to start today’s card, although doing so yesterday resulted in a loss (Despite being 100-percent right, as usual, with top-five favorite pitcher Lucas Harrell. He just continues to dazzle). Still, though, there’s promise here. First of all, as regular readers out there know, this contest will feature my favorite pitcher in all of baseball, that being good ol’ Bud Norris, who I continue to stick up for and defend as one of the most underrated starting hurlers in the game today - I can’t preach it enough. There’s no use in writing the saaaameeee things I seemingly write every single week for the guy; the bottom line is, despite his overall numbers this year, he’s a truly excellent pitcher with plus stuff, good velocity, and a high strikeout rate. Those types of guys aren’t exactly common to have in one’s starting rotation. Since I spout out the same statistics every week about Mr. Norris, I’ll just add this one important item: Astros’ catcher Jason Castro, who just recently came off the DL, will be starting today behind the plate. Why is that important, you ask? Well it was Castro who was behind the plate for Norris’ success throughout the early portion of this year, and you can argue that the righty wasn’t as effective when he was throwing to Carlos Corporan or Chris Snyder. In fact, it was Castro who caught Norris during each of his May starts… if you don’t track Bud Norrisas much as I do, you’re probably not aware that he was well on pace to winning Pitcher of the Month for May (In his first four starts: 26 IP, 1 ER, 29 Ks!), before a horrendous outing in Colorado derailed his statline completely. In any case, everyone should know that Norris is a legitimate upper-echelon pitcher, and when 2012 is all said and done, you should realize his ERA will be well below the 4.93 mark that it currently stands at. That effort should push forward today, especially with him being locked in again recently.
While I know pretty much everything that there is to know concerning Bud Norris, I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum as it pertains to Justin Germano, but who isn’t? After all, this is someone who has been on five teams, yet has only pitched in 84 career games. In other words, he’s a career journeyman, but that doesn’t mean he has no potential. In fact, I distinctly remember Germano a bit with the Padres a few years ago, starting almost a full season workload of games in 2007. In those 23 starts, he compiled a fine 4.46 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, while recording 7 wins. That was the past, though, and now it’s 2012, where Germano perhaps is starting to fulfill some ofthat potential he flashed long ago. In three starts since slotting into the rotation to replace Matt Garza, Germano is yet to exceed six innings, but he actually hasn’t been bad at all. He’s gone at least five in those three assignments, giving up just two runs in two of them. While his strikeouts are down, so are his walks, and that’s his strength his days: He pitches to contact, but he knows how to pound the strike zone. As this season wears on, Germano will continue to get re-acclimated with the routine of being a Major League starting pitcher, and this being his fourth start, I think he might just be entering that comfort zone, recognizing that this newfound gig of his is only his to lose (Garza reportedly out for the rest of the season), and I’m sure he has to realize that he thought he might never get this opportunity again, after making just one start since 2008. Going up against the Astros’ unintimidating lineup is not something to waste as he seeks to improve his resume, so to speak, for next season.
Also interesting of note, I just looked through my 2011 paperwork from last year, and spotted that my best bet on this exact Wednesday last year (August 17, 2011) was actually a Bud Norris versus the Cubs matchup. To be exact, it was the seemingly forgotten Casey Coleman (Why didn’t he get the first crack at Garza’s departed rotation spot?) against Norris in an under of 8 in Houston, which I barely hung on to in a 4-3 outcome. Those types of things always catch my attention, so let’s hope this Wednesday plays out the exact same way it did a year ago (Which means we’d have to sweat this one out, as I had to sweat out that game last year: The Cubs had a runner on third in the ninth with nobody out and couldn’t bring him home. Rare lucky break for me in 2011).
Other 8/15 MLB Over/Unders I’m Taking:
Joe Saunders vs Adam Wainwright UNDER 8 - $22 for $20
**May Add More Over/Under(s) Throughout Day Leading Up To Gametime**
**Remember that if you have a question concerning an over/under, I will gladly assist you with it if I see it before the game starts, even the ones I don’t bet on, as I have at least a small vibe on every single over/under from studying this stuff several hours every single day and night**
