BOB BALFE
Brazil -120
The Netherlands have a great squad, however they are facing the best team in the world today and have met their demise. Brazil is way too talented to be exiting the World Cup this early. Look for a tight game in the first half with Brazil opening it up in the second. Take Brazil.
Uruguay -105
Uruguay has overachieved like many South American teams this World Cup, but should live to see one more match as they are facing a Ghana team that, in my opinon, has out-stayed their welcome. The better team is Uruguay and they will advance.
Pittsburgh Pirates +142
The Phillies are in a bit of trouble with injuries and lack of scoring as of late. Ohlendorf is still searching for his first win of the year and is getting closer and closer each start. Philadelphia does a pretty good job at losing to teams that they should beat - and the old man Moyer is due for a sub-par game. Take Pittsburgh
Asian Exec CFL - Hamilton
Writeup: Hamilton offense is underrated. Combine this with the small line and the public money pushing it down I will put my 20+ years of executive experience behind this Hamilton group. Do not trust a blue collar handicapper with your money. Trust the executive with 20+ years in corporate America. Hamilton's QB is a top 5 offensive weapon and his receiving corr are premium offensive weapons. Hamilton wins by over 20 based on my rating projection.
Scott Rickenbach
6* Chicago Cubs Money Line (-) vs Cincinnati
Though the Cubs were outhit in yesterday’s game, they still had a great opportunity to win it and yet, the Cubs fell short in extra innings. After struggling with a rookie hurler they were not familiar with, look for the Cubs sticks to get back on track against a starting pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, whom they certainly have seen plenty of. This will be Arroyo’s 20th appearance against the Cubs, and 18th start. Though he’s had some success against the Cubs through the years, the Reds right-hander comes into this start having allowed 4 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 8 starts. He’s also walked 8 while striking out just 5 in his last three starts. Arroyo is 4-2 on the road this season but note his 4.78 ERA away from home. He’s also allowed 3 homers in his last 2 starts and the wind is expected to be blowing out at Wrigley Field this afternoon. That wind situation actually favors Ryan Dempster of the Cubs. While Arroyo is 18-10 in night games the last two seasons, he is 4-7 in day games.
As for Dempster, he loves pitching at Wrigley Field and day game with the wind blowing out is not as much of an issue for him. He’s an expert at keeping the ball down in the strike zone as that has been his “meal ticket” to success in the majors. Though Dempster gave up five earned runs to the Reds in his last start against them that outing was in Cincinnati. In Chicago this season, Dempster has compiled a solid 3.58 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .214 BAA. In his career outings at Wrigley Field, Dempster has compiled a solid 3.57 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .234 BAA. That is over the course of 418 career innings at Wrigley Field – solid, long-term success. Dempster comes into this start having allowed six hits or less in seven of his last ten starts! He’s also recorded at least seven strikeouts in nine of his last eleven starts. The Cubs are 4-2 the last six times they’ve been coming off of a one run loss. The 4 wins have come by a combined score of 21-11 and, after a tough extra innings loss, we look for the Cubs to bounce back here. As for the Reds, they are 1-3 the last four times when coming off of a road win by just one run. After squeaking one out yesterday, look for the Reds to fall short today as the pitching match-up favors the home team in this one and we see great value here with the low price on the Cubs. Play the Chicago Cubs on the money line as a *6* Regular Play selection.
10* Cleveland / Oakland Over
The Indians are off of a 6-1 win yesterday. That marked the 15th time in their last 21 games that Cleveland has scored at least four runs. What’s this significance of that? Getting each team to four runs today guarantees us of a win as the game can’t end 4-4 and if we get to 9 runs (a 5-4 final) we’re cashing this ticket. The Indians come into this game on a solid winning streak and the odds are in our favor that they produce at least four runs in this game. As for Oakland, though they are not on a 5-game win streak like Cleveland is, the Athletics are on a solid 5-1 run after yesterday’s big 8-1 win at Baltimore. Oakland has scored 40 runs in their last 6 games and they’ve scored at least four runs in five of those games! The A’s come into this game confident and so do the Indians and that’s good news for these lineups and bad news for this starting pitchers. Both starting pitchers will face a stiff challenge tonight as Mitch Talbot has been much better on the road than at home while Gio Gonzalez has been much better at home compared to on the road. The Indians Talbot has a 5.64 ERA in his home outings this season and it’s no fluke. Talbot has been hammered at a .305 clip in his starts at Progressive Field this season. He had a great start at home back in mid-April but, since then, Talbot has been hit hard in five of his last six home starts! As for Oakland’s Gonzalez, he certainly has produced some impressive numbers at home this season. However, on the road he’s been knocked around this season.
Gonzalez is 2-3 with a 5.44 ERA and a .298 batting average on the road this season. Also, though he’s dominated lefties this season, almost every Indian will be stepping in on the right-hand side of the batters box tonight and Gonzalez has been hit 119 points higher by righties compared to lefties while compiling a 1.51 WHIP against right-handed batters. Also, while Gonzalez is 4-0 in day games this season, he’s an ugly 2-5 at night with a 5.11 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. In his career, he’s 7-3 in day games but 6-13 at night so this season’s numbers are no fluke. Gonzalez has been hit 51 points higher in night games compared to day games in his career. Though he has good career numbers against Cleveland, Gonzalez has only faced them once at Progressive Field and the Indians are a very confident team at the plate right now. Also, when at home with a total of 8 or 8.5 this season, the Indians are 12-7 to the over. Also, as a home dog of +100 to +125, the Indians are 12-5 to the over this season. Both the A’s and Indians are 7-4 to the over in Friday games this season. Also, Cleveland’s bullpen ranks among the worst in the majors this season while Oakland’s bullpen ranks 19th (based on ERA) out of the 30 MLB teams. Look for runs early, often, and throughout this match-up tonight and we’ll take advantage of the low total here that is posted on a match-up involving two very confident teams (both are hot) who absolutely have the edge over the starting pitcher they are facing tonight. Play OVER the total in Cleveland as a *10* Top Play selection
Tony George
LA Dodgers -110
Cheap number for the better team who is finding some serious offense. The absolutely pummeled the D Backs last time they played them in a series sweep and more or less have their number. I look for teams who get out of the gate early on in series, and out of the last 13 weeks, LA has opened with a win 9 times, and Joe Torre always likes to get a leg up in series games, he always has. LA is a DOMINATE 24-8 in the last 32 meetings, and Arizona just lays down as a dog, they have only won 15 games as an underdog in their last 54 attempts. Should be higher scoring game here, but LA has the hotter bats and Kuroda, their starter tonight has given up less than a hit per inning in his last 3 starts. Play 1 Unit on the Dodgers.
Totals 4 U
Top Play (Parlay)
NYM UNDER 9.5
CARDS OVER 8.5
KC OVER 9
Reg Plays
NYY OVER 9.5
Det UNDER 8.5
Atl UNDER 7
Tex OVER 9.5
Paul Leiner
100* Giants -130
50* Dodgers -110
25* Mets -120
JR O'Donnell
3* Orioles / Red Sox Over 9.5
Marc Lawrence
L.A. Dodgers -110
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks meet in the N.L. West division brouhaha Friday night when Hiroki Kuroda meets Edwin Jackson in Arizona. Kuroda enters tonight's game in fine KW form with seven walks and 28 strikeouts in his last four starts. He's also owns a sharp 2.21 ERA in his last three starts in this series, with one walk and 17 strikeouts in those efforts. With Jackson in off a no-hitter in which he allowed eight walks, and just 3-8 in his last 11 home team starts, look for Los Angeles to make it eight straight wins over Arizona here tonight. We recommend a 3-unit play in the Dodgers.
Derek Mancini
60 Dime - Nationals
Vince Akins
Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins
Pick: Minnesota Twins +108
Minnesota had game one of this series in its grasp yesterday, before blowing the lead late and losing, 5-4, in extra frames. Look for them to bounce back tonight.
Bounce back is also what Minnesota starter Scott Baker will be looking to do tonight, and thankfully he’s been consistently good at it. In his last outing, he lasted just four and a third innings and 23 batters, allowing 11 hits in a loss to the Mets. The Twins are 10-0 since May 08, 2009 when Scott Baker starts after facing 25 or fewer hitters and they lost in his previous start for a net profit of $1000. Also, the Twins are 10-1 since May 08, 2009 when Scott Baker starts at home after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $810.
David Price hasn’t been able to keep up his torrid early season pace but is still pitching well recently. Strikeouts have been a strong key for Price along the way. However, the Twins have the third fewer strikeouts in the Major Leagues. The Rays are 0-3 since April 20, 2010 when David Price starts vs a team that has averaged fewer than six strikeouts per game. for a net profit of $520 when playing against.
In that series opener yesterday, left just eight on base individually in the loss. The Twins are 19-2 since July 28, 2009 after a game in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $1035.
SPORTSBOOK BREAKERS PREDICTION: MINNESOTA 4, Tampa Bay 2
Sports Investment Group
Toronto / NYY Under 9.5
RICH GREEN
3* Philadelphia Phillies -160
5* SPORTS PICKS
4* Cleveland + 106
3* LA Dodgers - 115
3* Houston + 149
3* Minnesota + 108
Scott Spreitzer
CFL Knockout - Hamilton
Executive
250% Arizona