HalfBets
OK its finally here. The World Series Game 1 starts with a mammoth pitching matchup between CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. The Phils come in as a pretty big underdog of +150 right now and the O/U is at around 8 right now. If you think about this game a bit, you have the returning world champs as a +150 dog Huh add to that their ace on the mound Its games like this that have carried us all season long. We just are real suckers for great value and we see a ton of it here with the Phillies at this price. We will also be adding some additional prop plays for your added pleasure!! Look for a pitching dual and a low scoring game as well.
10* Phillies ML +150 (10**) Game of the week
4* UNDER 8 -120 Game (4*)
3* UNDER 4 1st 5 innings (3*)
2* Phillies score 1st (2*)
Street Rosenthal
*200 New York Yankees -163
I am taking the Yankees at Home in game one. The Yankees starting Pitcher CC Sabathia has been hot and I think he keeps his streak going. I have CC Sabathia as 14-1 SU when he starts as a favorite and his opponent's starting pitcher pitched more than 6 innings in his last start. I also have Sabathia as 9-0 SU when he starts as a favorite of -140 to -265 and his team led for more than 5 innings in their last game. Take the Yankees for the win.
Brandon Lang
20 DIME - PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES IN THE SERIES
15 DIME - PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
5 DIME - ORLANDO MAGIC
I don't care how good he has been this post season, the Phillies know how to beat this guy and they will do it again tonight.Last year in the NLDS, Sabathia was on a roll only to watch the Phillies rock him for 5 earned in just over 4 innings highlighted by a grand slam by Shane Victorino. Now I know it was on 3 days rest, but in 4 career starts versus Philadelphia he is 1-2 with an ERA of 5.55. The Phillies were great against lefties all year and furthermore, they were great on the road. Lee won the first game at the new Yankee Stadium with the Indians 10-2, beating Sabathia that night and I feel he will beat them here. He is 2-0 this post season with a 0.74 ERA over 24 innings and what makes this an even better play other than the great price you are getting with the Phillies is their record in Lee's 15 starts for them this year. Try on 11-4 for size. I like that size and I like it tonight. Great value, great price with the defending champs to take game one. For the series, I like the Phillies as well. I like the matchup of Lee, Hamels and Pedro over Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte. I like the offense of the Phillies more than the Yankees as I feel the Phillies will be able to manufacture more runs with their lineup. Small ball suits the Phillies. I like the defense of the Phillies more than the Yankees, and middle relief also favors the Phillies. Rolling with the Phillies to repeat as your world champions.
5 DIME - ORLANDO MAGIC
The Magic took their preseason very seriously as evidenced by their perfect 8-0 mark winning every game by an average of 18 points.They catch a Sixers team opening up on the road with a new coach, a new point guard and an unproven lineup from head to toe.Lou Williams is going to be good but trust me folks, he doesn't bring the veteran presence you had from Andre Miller, who will be sorely missed. This is a statement game right out of the box for the Magic, and I believe it will end in a double digit win. Wire-to-wire here, as the Magic take their momentum from the preseason and carry it over to game one for them here in 2009. Love the addition of Vince Carter and with Dwight Howard commanding double teams...watch out rim! Carter hasn't had a low post presence like this to play off of in his career. ESPN highlight reel get ready. I am laying the wood with the Magic tonight.
FREE SELECTION - PHILADELPHIA-NY YANKEES OVER
Ben Burns
9* TOW - Nuggets/Jazz Under
5* Big Chalk Blowout - Calgary
5* Annihilator - Yankees
Rocketman
4* Carolina Hurricanes
Tony Salinas
25* NY Yankees (-165) over Phillies
26* Phillies / Yankees UNDER 7½
Doc's Sports
5 Units Bobcats +10.5
Chris Jordan
600♦ N.Y. YANKEES RUN LINE
I did a lot of pondering with this one, knowing how well both hurlers can throw, knowing how powerful C.C. Sabathia is and knowing the heat Cliff Lee brings every inning he is in the game.
But you know, when I weigh the pros and cons of both, there is more reason to side with Sabathia than there is to taking Lee in Yankees Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series. Honestly, as much as I believe the Yankees win this series – but would never lay 2-to-1 odds against the defending World Series champs – I also believe this is the must-win game for the Bombers right off the bat.
“Beat Cliff Lee bad, own the series!” That should be the mantra.
Lee, admittedly, has improved his delivery each season. And being in the National League, he’s much more impressive. But where he is going to struggle is with his aggressiveness. He cannot do the same types of things he did against the Rockies and Dodgers, in the World Series against the Yankees. I know he can attack the strike zone with four solid pitches, and I know that change fades nicely from right-handed batters; but the fact is, prior to the postseason, Lee was 2-4 with a no decision over his last seven starts.
And if I go back to when he was pitching against American League teams regularly, I see he was 7-9 with six no-decisions; and the Indians were 1-5 in those no-decisions, which means Cleveland was 8-14 in his 22 starts this season. And if you’re wondering, the answer is YES, Lee did face the Bombers once this season. On May 29 he lasted six innings and gave up three earned runs in Cleveland in a 3-1 loss.
Hey, I agree that Lee has been a spark to this rotation. I agree it’s uncanny the two best pitchers in the postseason were teammates just a season and a half ago and are now facing one another tonight. But let’s be real … the Dodgers’ hitters even compare to the Yankees? What about the Rockies? And that 2-4 stretch over his last seven starts, you know who the wins came against? The lowly Washington Nationals. And in D.C., he was pelted for 10 hits and four earned runs. His ERA since Aug. 29 is 4.07.
Sorry, but his fast-paced pitching style is going to be tempered nicely by New York’s veteran lineup, and the Yankees sluggers are going to work him over nicely tonight.
As for Sabathia, well, he brings that long three-quarters overhead arm action that is enhanced with a slight hesitation over the rubber. It’s a deceptive delivery because he hides the ball well and it’s extremely tough to gauge when he’s bringing heat, not to mention playing catch up with it because he varies the speed between 91 and 96 miles per hour. His heater has very good life, and he’s found a knack for jamming the crossbreed of a cut fastball and a slider up and in on right-handed hitters. I mean it comes in perfectly right at the hands, and it’s devastating to power hitters. He also has a flair for opening up the strike zone with a wicked slurve to batters on the left side of the dish. And when he really decides to get nasty, his overpowering presence employs good arm speed to fire a circle change at hitters.
I think the Phils are a capable bunch, with their American League-like lineup, but tonight is not their night. I just don’t see it. You know who might do well, because he can utilize his bat speed and power from either side of the plate … Shane Victorino. But he’s going to be left on base one too many times tonight. Ryan Howard you say? He’s going to have problems in Game 1. That’s my feeling.
Look, this is going to be a great series, don’t get me wrong; but tonight this is going to be a run-line gift. Look for the Yanks to win by a score of something like 5- or 6-2.
Anthony Redd
5-Dime Magic
Wunderdog
Philadelphia at New York Yankees
3 units New York Yankees -170
The Philadelphia Phillies begin their quest to repeat as baseball's World Champions against the NY Yankees at the Stadium in game one. The Phillies will wheel out Cliff Lee, who has come up big since they acquired him from the Indians, but he will face off against a pitcher that is at the top of his game right now in CC Sabathia. Sabathia has been impossible to beat and aside from a season ending tuneup against Tampa Bay, the Yankees are now 14-0 in his last 14 starts and the last 13 have all been quality starts. Sabathia, discounting the meaningless finale against Tampa Bay, has pitched to an 0.74 ERA in his last five starts with opposing hitters batting .165. Lee has been tough in the post-season, but the Yankees lineup has a way of making a starter throw a lot of pitches and making an early exit because of pitch counts. The Yanks have the advantage here in many ways. They have been lights out at home where they have not only gone 5-0 in the playoffs, they have won their last 13 here vs teams with a winning record with the last loss occurring over two months ago. They have the starting pitching edge here, as well as the better pen and closer for game one. I'm going with the Yankees here.
Philadelphia at New York Yankees
2 units OVER 7.5
The Yankees have played Nine post-season games and have yet to be held under four runs. They have scored 23 in their last three and have averaged 5.3 runs a game. The playoffs are supposed to take away the long ball with the strong pitching, but that hasn't slowed the Bombers who have slugged 14 in the nine games. The Phillies have been similar as they have plated four runs or more in eight of their nine games and have averaged over six runs a game. That makes for two teams that have each reached the four run mark in 17 out of 18 possibilities. The Phillies have matched the Yankees home run total of 14, so combined they have 28 HR's in 18 games and the Stadium has allowed more HR's than any park in baseball. The last 14 starts Sabathia has made with a total of 7-8.5 has seen 11 of the 14 go OVER. The Phillies have also played to an 18-6-2 OVER mark in their last 26. I like this one to go OVER the total.
Jimmy Boyd
3* World Series Game 1 SMASH
Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees
Play: New York Yankees -166 at 5dimes
The Yankees are a ridiculous 41-10 in their last 51 home games and a dominant 7-0 in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite. On top of that, the Yankees have won 10 of their last 11 home games with Sabathia hurling and his last 6 starts when priced as a favorite of -151 to -200. With the majority of Philly's power bats being left-handed, I look for Sabathia to have the edge in this duel with Cliff Lee tonight. The Phillies have hit lefty starters well on the season, don't get me wrong, but not like the Yankees have, who are hitting .287 against them and scoring 5.6 runs per game. I'll take the Bronx Bombers at home tonight.
Tim Trushel
20* Charlotte +11
Doc's Sports
3-Unit Play Take Phila. Phils +150 over New York Yankees
Mean Green Profit Machine
Carolina Hurricanes
LA Kings
Rocketman
Toronto vs. Dallas
Dallas is only 1-3 at home this season. Stars are 15-36 in their last 51 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. Stars are 16-39 in their last 55 games following a win. Stars are 2-7 in their last 9 home games. Stars are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference. Stars are 1-5 in their last 6 games as a home favorite. Stars are 1-5 in their last 6 games as a favorite. Stars are 1-6 in their last 7 vs. Northeast. DALLAS is 10-30 (-22.5 Units) against the money line after a game where they covered the spread over the last 2 seasons. DALLAS is 10-30 (-22.5 Units) against the money line off a win or tie in their previous game over the last 2 seasons. We'll play Toronto for 3 units tonight!