By Doug Upstone
Sports bettors and oddsmakers are pretty much in harmony as the baseball season heads into it final month of the regular season. Only three games have any notable discrepancy, two on the money line and one on the total. Listed below are the potential reasons as to why.
MLB- Baltimore at Boston 7:05 EDT NESN, MASN
The hopes of the injury-plagued Boston Red Sox are dwindling like amount of sunshine left on summer days. The Red Sox are eight games behind first-place New York in the AL East and seven behind Tampa Bay for wild card. Boston has totaled just 12 runs in losing four of five games and will send Jon Lester (14-8, 3.12 ERA) to climb the hill. Lester is 12-0 lifetime against Baltimore with a 2.00 ERA. Despite his stellar efforts and his team’s recent lack of scoring, those participating in sports betting renounce the oddsmakers total of 8 and have chased it upwards to 8.5. With the BoSox a -210 money line favorite, they and Lester are only 2-6 as a favorite of -175 to -250 this season, with the average total score 10.9 runs. Additionally, Baltimore is 16-2 at home after allowing two runs or less three straight games, with normal score at 9.2 RPG.
MLB- Detroit at Minnesota 8:10 EDT
The recent exploits of Detroit’s Max Scherzer (10-9, 3.60) has online sports betting participants thinking about the Tigers as underdogs. It’s easy to pick against Detroit since they’ve dropped four of six since winning five in a row. Nonetheless, Scherzer has won three straight and has a 1.31 ERA in past six outings, thus Detroit has been bumped from +149 underdogs to +139 or lower. While the logic behind the sports bettor is certainly in place, the facts don’t bear that out. The Tigers are repulsive 22-42 in traveling gray uniforms and 4-22 in road games vs. a very good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.250 or better over the last three seasons. Minnesota is 41-22 at their new ballpark and 26-7 as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season. Can the Tigers tumble the Twins, sure, but it doesn’t appear that way.
MLB- Texas at Kansas City 8:10 EDT
The Rangers are 2-4 in last six outings and that play has baseball bettors a bit skittish tonight about backing Texas, lowering them from -184 ML choice to -171 or less. The Rangers still lead the AL West by 8.5 games and Josh Hamilton will sit, taking a very influential bat out of the lineup. Texas is only 27-28 in last 55 contests and will start Tommy Hunter (11-2, 3.66). The Rangers righty is more effective pitching at home, nevertheless Hunter and teammates are 17-3 as a favorite of -110 or higher over the last two years. Coming off two straight miserable outings, the Royals Bryan Bullington (1-3, 6.00) looks to help his club win their first home series against Texas in three years. Despite their 10-9 triumph over the Rangers last night, K.C. is 19-34 at Kauffman Stadium after allowing eight runs or more.
3DW Bonus Info
Baseball ML Nugget
Roy Oswalt is 26-6 against the ML when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 54%) in the second half of the season during his career. (Team’s record)
Baseball Totals Nugget
Johnny Cueto of the Reds is 13-3 OVER as a home favorite of -110 or higher over the last two seasons.
Baseball Run Line Nugget
Mat Latos of the Padres is 9-0 against the run line playing against a team with a losing record this year, winning by 4.7 RPG.