Jeff Benton
20 Dime MLB Totals Winner
20 DIME: Marlins-Dodgers UNDER the total
NOTE: Josh Johnson (Florida) and Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles) MUST start this game, or this is a "no play"!
Marlins-Dodgers UNDER
I know this series between the Dodgers and Marlins features two of the best hitters in baseball, both with the surname Ramirez (Manny for L.A.; Hanley for Florida). I also understand that runs generally come in bunches when these teams get together ? they?ve combined for nine runs or more in 10 of the last 13 meetings, including all three in mid-May in Miami.That said, this pitching matchup of Marlins ace Josh Johnson (8-2, 2.74 ERA) and Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.95 ERA) has 2-1 final written ALL over it! Let?s start with Johnson. The hard-throwing right-hander has given up three runs or fewer in 16 consecutive starts ? a franchise record ? and 18 of his 19 outings this season, including eight straight on the road. Taking it a step further, Johnson has allowed two earned runs or fewer 12 times. Not counting his last start, which was called because of rain after two scoreless innings versus Philadelphia, Johnson has pitched at least six innings in 17 of his 19 outings this season, and he?s gone at least into the seventh inning on 14 occasions.Johnson is barely giving up a baserunner per inning this year (1.13 WHIP), and over 128 total innings pitched, he?s got a 109-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he?s yielded just seven gopher balls all year, including three in his last 10 starts. Suffice to say, Johnson?s a stud. But as impressive as his numbers have been all season, they pale in comparison to what Kershaw has done over the past 5? weeks. Starting with a game against Oakland on June 16, the southpaw has made seven starts and gone 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA ? yes, that?s accurate: a 0.63 ERA. He?s allowed just three runs 21 hits in those seven starts covering a total of 42 2/3 innings, and in his last four starts at home, Kershaw has given up two runs (all in one start against the Mariners) on 12 hits in 23 2/3 innings.For the season, Kershaw has a 1.62 ERA in 10 starts at Dodger Stadium, and he?s given up just one home run in 55 2/3 innings at home. In fact, nobody has taken Kershaw deep since May 27 at Coors Field ? a string of nine consecutive outings! Oh, and 10 days before yielding that home run in Colorado, Kershaw was in South Beach shutting down these Marlins, allowing just one run on one hit with nine strikeouts in seven innings. Tonight, Kershaw faces a Marlins offense that has struggled all year against left-handed pitching, batting .247 overall, .243 on the road and .211 over the past 10 games. Meanwhile, Johnson is facing a potent Dodger lineup to be sure, but it?s one that hits 40 points better at home against left-handed pitching (.294) than right-handed pitching (.259).Finally, because I don?t think either Kershaw or Johnson will go the distance tonight, I?m obligated to bring up the relief pitching. First off, both teams were idle Thursday, meaning all hands (er, arms) are on deck for this contests, including both closers. Secondly, these are two of the best bullpens in baseball, with Florida?s relievers posting a 3.75 ERA and the Dodgers? bully registering a scant 2.19 ERA. On the road, the Marlins? bullpen ERA drops to 2.09 (the Dodgers? to 2.59). And over the last 10 games, Florida?s relievers have a 1.46 ERA compared with 3.11 for L.A.The Marlins enter this contest on ?under? streaks of 4-0 overall, 4-0-1 on the road, 7-1-1 against left-handed starters and 17-5-2 on the road against southpaw starters. Similarly, the ?under? is 8-3-1 in the Dodgers? last 12 home games, 5-2 in Kershaw?s last seven home starts and 8-3 when Kershaw pitches in a game with the total at 8? or lower. This is the lowest total on the board tonight for a reason, folks ? because both starters are outstanding and both bullpens are rock-solid. Play this UNDER the posted number (but again, be sure to shop around for 7? if you can find it! Don?t play this game at 7 unless you absolutely have to!).
Karl Garrett
20 DIMER - SEATTLE (Rowland-Smith over Laffey)
10 DIMER - SAN FRANCISCO
(Cain over Hammel) 20 DIMER
SEATTLE MARINERS (Rowland-Smith over Laffey)
Quick turnaround for these teams, as Seattle just took 3 of 4 at Cleveland last weekend, including the last 3. The Mariners come back home having also won the last pair of their 3 game set against the Tigers, so now the M's are on a 7-2 run their last 9 games.Better still, Seattle has won 11 of their last 15 at home, while the Indians are just 9-22 their last 31 games.Cleveland's Aaron Laffey just pitched against Seattle, working 6 innings of 3 run ball in a no decision. I don't expect Laffey who has a near 7 road ERA in limited duty to fool the hot Mariners tonight in their park.Rowland-Smith is back up with the big club for his first start since last September, and I look for this southpaw to perform well as he bids to stay in the rotation down the stretch.
M's still in the mix out west, and I am on them tonight.
10 DIMER - SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (Cain over Hammel)
The Giants are making their way back west, and they were able to get out of Atlanta on Thursday by avoiding the 4-game sweep.Big weekend set against their division-rival, and I am backing the better pitcher tonight.Matt Cain is just 2-3 his last 5 starts against the Rockies, but I have a feeling he is game tonight. Cain is 11-2 for the year, and has allowed 1 run or less in 4 straight starts, and 5 of his last 6.His counterpart Jason Hammel is just 1-2 in his 7 home starts this year with an ERA of 7.68. I tend to believe the Giants offensive struggles will come to an end in this one.San Fran has won 3 of the 5 series meetings thus far this season, and I am on them tonight to open the weekend with a much-needed win.
Lou Panelli
20* MLB Detroit -125(Gm 2)(100 Dime VEGAS KEY INFO)
10* MLB Arizona -115
10* MLB Toronto under 7.5
10* MLB Angels over 8.5
10* MLB Detroit over 8.5(Gm 1)
10* MLB Dodgers -150
Stu Feiner
Stu's 1000 Dime Baseball
METS @ ASTROS 8:05 ET
SANTANA WILL GET THE ROAD W TONIGHT FOR THE METS. 2-0 LIFETIME AGAINST HOUSTON AND HE WOULD HAVE 15 WINS IF THE METS GAVE HIM ANY SUPPORT. HIS NUMBERS ARE STILL SOLID 11-7 WITH AN ERA OF 2.92. HIS LAST 21 INNINGS HE IS 2-1 WITH AN ERA OF .86. HAMPTON HAS STRUGGLED ALL YEAR. HIS TEAM HAS WON ONLY 5 OF HIS 16 STARTS AND IN HIS LAST 16 INNINGS HE IS 1-2 WITH AN ERA 5.63. ALL METS TONIGHT.
METS -130 FOR A 1000 DIME SELECTION
Michael Cannon
20 Dimes BRAVES (With Vazquez as listed pitcher)
Take the Braves for the road win over the Brewers.
Atlanta is playing solid baseball right now and they are catching a Brewers team that is struggling.The Braves have won 15 of their last 22 and have won the last three games that Javier Vazquez has started.Vazquez ranks among the league leaders in ERA and strikeouts this year. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA in his last five starts.The Brewers have lost 12 of 18, including two of three to the last-place Pirates in their last series. Manny Parra gets the start tonight and he?s 4-8 with a 6.37 ERA on the year. I?ll admit the left-hander has pitched well in his two games since spending a month in the minors, but he doesn?t have the stuff to hang with Vazquez tonight.
Take the Braves as they grab the road win.
Drew Gordon
1. 200,000♦ Mariners
2. 50,000♦ Blue Jays
Robert Ferringo
1.5-Unit Play. Take #901 Chicago Cubs (-155) over Cincinnati
Cubs are playing at a pretty high, focused level right now. They come home to the welcoming arms or Wrigley after a tough series with red hot Philly. But if they play at that level this weekend they could be set up for a sweep. Aaron Harang has had a lot of success in Wrigley, but the Reds are just 5-17 in his last 22 road starts and 9-23 overall in their last 32 road games. Neither Harang nor Randy Wells has been much of a prize in their last few outings but Wells has been better and is backed by the better team right now.
1.5-Unit Play. Take #906 Philadelphia (-140) over St. Louis
The Phillies just keep on rolling and we’ll keep on backing them. The Phillies are an exceptional 73-35 in Game 1 of a series and they just jump all over teams. They are 12-1 as a home favorite and 12-2 at home recently. They are throwing lefty J.A. Happ at the Cards and St. Louis is just 2-8 against southpaws. Other than Pujols, this Cards team is just terrible against lefties. We’ll take the hot team and look for the Phils to just keep doing what they do.
1-Unit Play. Take #909 Atlanta (-130) over Milwaukee (8 p.m., Friday, July 24)
I find it really odd that the Braves are favored in this game right here. I know that the main thing is that Manny Parra sucks (7-21 last 28 starts) but it’s gotta be more than that. The Braves are streaking and are playing great baseball. But I’m not 100 percent sold until I see them take it on the road. The Brewers are struggling though. There is just something wrong with this team and they are slipping fast. They haven’t performed well against teams with winning records and I think Javy Vazquez will be a tough customer for them tonight.
1.5-Unit Play. Take #912 Colorado (-125) over San Francisco
San Francisco is just a different team on the road and they are running into a buzz saw in Colorado. At first glance the pitching matchup heavily favors the Giants. However, Cain has been pretty average in his career in Coors Field (2-2, 4.09) and he is just 8-21 as a road underdog. He is just 11-26 as a dog overall and is just 12-26 in games against the N.L. West. Jason Hammels is a guy the Giants are not familiar with and he is a solid 9-2 in this last 11 starts. The Rockies are on a 32-11 rush and are the hottest team in baseball right now. They had an off day yesterday to prep while the Giants were clawing their way for a win in Atlanta. Good price on the better team.
1.5-Unit Play. Take #924 Boston (-160) over Baltimore
Total
1.5-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 9.5 Baltimore at Boston
The Red Sox have problems. But the two best remedies for those problems are A) coming back to Fenway, where they dominate and B) playing the Orioles, who they dominate. The Red Sox are 27-6 against the Orioles in Fenway and are 50-16 in their last 66 meetings overall. They have also won all seven meetings this year. And while the probably means that Baltimore is going to win once this weekend I don’t think it’s going to be this one right here.
1.5-Unit Play. Take #918 N.Y. Yankees (-1.5, -105) over Oakland
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Yankees kill left-handed pitching and are throwing another starter with potentially dominant stuff at a right-hand heavy A’s lineup.
Young Gun Sports
3 Unit
907 NY METS with Santana Under 8 Runs
igz1 sports
MLB Lucky 7
5* NY Mets -130 (Santana) 2-0 5*s MLB
4* Under 9 (+105) St. Louis (Pineiro) vs Philadelphia (Happ)
4* San Francisco +110 (Cain)
3* Under 7.5 (-120) Tampa Bay (Garza) vs Toronto (Halladay)
3* Baltimore +150 (Bergesen)
3* Atlanta -125 (Vazquez)
3* Under 8 (-105) Texas (Feldman) vs KC Royals (Greinke)
KBHoops
5* Whitesoxs/Tigers UNDER 10 +100 **POD** GAME 2 (Colon vs. Bonine)
5* Rays/Jays OVER 7.5 +110
5* Marlins/Dodgers OVER 7
Tony Salinas
26* Rangers (+135) over Royals
24* Diamondbacks (-115) over Pirates
23* La Angels (-150) over Twins
TONY BRUNO WINS
10X BALT
Doc's Sports
3-Unit Play Take #911 San Francisco Giants +105
3-Unit Play Take #923 Baltimore Orioles +145
3-Unit Play Take #915 Florida Marlins +140
JACK JONES
15* San Francisco Giants +117
You can't deny that the Rockies are playing well lately, but you can't pass up on Matt Cain as an underdog or slight favorite tonight. Cain has been incredible so far this year, earning an 11-2 record with a 2.32 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Cain is also unbeaten in his last 3 starts, posting a 1.17 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over that stretch. The Rockies throw Jason Hammel, and it's becoming clear that he is not comfortable throwing in Colorado. He has 8 home starts to his credit this season, but has a 7.68 ERA and 1.93 WHIP in those games. The Giants picked up a much-needed win over Atlanta last night and that momentum, coupled with the golden arm of Matt Cain should earn them the victory on Friday.
Rest of Jack Jones
20* No-Brainer on Atlanta Braves -124
Jump on the Braves as they are being undervalued here with Javier Vazquez on the mound. Vazquez has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. He's earned a 2.86 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 19 starts and has struck out 141 batters in 126 innings. Over his last three starts he is 2-0 (Atlanta is 3-0) with a 1.86 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Meanwhile, Brewers' starter, Manny Parra has continued to struggle, posting a 4-8 record so far this season with a 6.37 ERA and 1.75 WHIP. I know that as a team the Braves haven't been great on the road, but Vazquez is 4-2 as the visiting pitcher this year, earning a 2.90 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in those appearances.
15* on Oakland A's +178
We are looking strictly at value here and this game has a lot of it. Oakland starter, Brett Anderson had a so-so year up until his last three starts. He's now showing a 0.00 ERA and 0.47 WHIP in his last three appearances, throwing a shutout on July 6th, followed by a 4 innings of scoreless pitching against the Rays, and topped off by his most recent start on 7/19, and 8 inning gem in which he gave up just 2 hits and no runs to the LA Angels. Joba Chamberlain throws for the Yankees tonight, and while he keeps getting wins, he really has not pitched well. He has a 4.05 ERA and 1.56 WHIP this season, which includes just a 1-2 record in Yankee Stadium, where he has a 4.81 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 10 starts. The Yankees are the better hitting team, there is no disputing that, but Anderson gives the A's a solid chance at winning, and that's enough to take them at this price.
Sam Clayton
This Is one of his Biggest Games this Year
25 dime - Dodgers
Hell of a pitchers duel out west tonight as two of baseball's bright young studs square off in Hollywood. One of these two phenoms, however, happens to be riding a video game-like streak -- and that's Clayton Kershaw. The Los Angeles southpaw is 5-0 with a ridiculous 0.62 ERA his last seven starts, all of which the Dodgers have won. He's also 3-2 at home with an 1.62 ERA, another statistic that boggles my mind. Now don't get me wrong, Josh Johnson can flat out deal, but I question him on the road and I'm not sure that the Fish can score enough runs off of Kershaw to pull out the 'W.' Johnson's ERA jumps almost a full two points on the road and his two losses this season came against the NL West. Also, I'm the biggest advocate of winning the first game and the Dodgers have won 8 of their last 10 series openers. If you get a chance to watch this game, I highly suggest you do so. This is going to be one of the best games of the season with these two aces on the bump. Too much offense and too much Kershaw though as L.A. cashes yet another 25 dime winner.
Play the Dodgers.