Free Picks: Service Plays for Friday, June 28

DUNKEL INDEX

WNBA

Los Angeles at Minnesota
The Lynx look to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games against the Sparks in Minnesota. Minnesota is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5)

Game 601-602: Tulsa at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 109.665; Indiana 108.704
Dunkel Line & Total: Tulsa by 1; 146
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 1 1/2; 141 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+1 1/2); Over

Game 603-604: Washington at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 106.851; Atlanta 115.704
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 9; 151
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 11; 156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+11); Under

Game 605-606: Los Angeles at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 113.217; Minnesota 120.122
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 7; 158
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 5; 163 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5); Under

Game 607-608: New York at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 111.628; Seattle 109.471
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 2; 148
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 4 1/2; 143
Dunkel Pick: New York (+4 1/2); Over

CFL

BC at Calgary
The Stampeders look to take advantage of a BC team that is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 road games. Calgary is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Stampeders favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3)

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

Game 123-124: Hamilton at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hamilton 110.452; Toronto 112.262
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 2; 59
Vegas Line: Toronto by 4; 55
Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (+4); Over

Game 125-126: BC at Calgary (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 117.660; Calgary 122.616
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 5; 48
Vegas Line: Calgary by 3; 51 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3); Under

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

Game 127-128: Saskatchewan at Edmonton (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Saskatchewan 110.756; Edmonton 109.624
Dunkel Line: Saskatchewan by 1; 53
Vegas Line: Edmonton by 1 1/2; 49 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+1 1/2); Over

Jimmy Boyd

Chicago Cubs +130

The Cubs offense is rolling right now and they are coming off a seven run performance on Thursday against Milwaukee. They will have one of their best pitchers on the mound with Travis Wood. This season Wood has posted a 2.85 ERA. He has a 0.968 WHIP on the road and has allowed just 22 hits in those 31 innings pitched. Wood's record may be 5-6 this season, but that is because the Cubs inability to provide run support. I don't anticipate that being an issue today considering how well the Cubs have been hitting. They are averaging over five runs per game the past seven games.

Iwaukuma will get the start for Seattle today and he has been trending in the wrong direction. Normally a solid pitcher, Iwakuma has a 1-2 record in his last three starts. He has given up a home run in each of those games. Run support will be an issue for the Mariners against Wood. They have a .228 batting average against left handed starters. Seattle has also struggled in Interleague play batting .187 and averaging a mere 3.5 runs per game.

Jack Jones

Blue Jays/Red Sox OVER 9.5

I look for an absolute slug fest tonight between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these teams cover this OVER on their own Friday night.

We have two terrible starting pitchers going at it. Josh Johnson just hasn't been able to return to his old self, going 1-2 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.489 WHIP through eight starts this season. That includes an 0-2 record and a monster 7.56 ERA and 1.801 WHIP in two road starts.

While Allen Webster has only seen limited action for Boston, I've seen enough to know that this guy does not belong in the big leagues. Webster has gone 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA and 2.083 WHIP over three starts this season.

The OVER is 14-4 in Blue Jays last 18 games as a favorite. The OVER is 5-1 in Boston's last 6 games overall. Boston is the top-scoring team in the league at 5.1 runs/game. Toronto checks in at No. 10 at 4.6 runs/game. Bet the OVER in this game Friday.

Art Aronson

Giants vs. Rockies
Play: Over 10

Barry Zito (4-5, 4.40 ERA) gets the call for the visitors; Zito is coming off a no-decision vs. the the soft-hitting Marlins on Saturday, allowing one run off six hits over seven innings of work. The southpaw has been consistently inconsistent this year though and sports an absolutely horrendous 0-4, 11.28 ERA road record. The veteran will be opposed by Jhoulys Chacin (6-3, 3.92 ERA) who is coming off a good outing vs. the Nats on Saturday and has now given up just two runs over his last 15 2/3's innings of work. Chacin has looked brilliant at times this year and pretty pedestrian in others, but note that he owns a very unremarkable 4.92 ERA in front of the home town crowd this season. These teams have faced each other a total of ten times in 2013 and the O/U is 7-3; with these inconsistent hurlers facing off in Game 1 of this three-game set, expect this contest to follow suit and consider a second look at the "over".

Freddy Wills

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Oakland A's
Play: Oakland A's

Bartolo Colon has been linked to performance enhancing drugs, but as long as he is on the mound the A's have been winning going 21-6 in his last 27 starts alone. Colon has a 1.96 ERA over 4 starts in June and posts a 2.68 ERA at home this season while the Oakland bullpen has a 2.66 ERA at home. What is even more impressive is Colon on 5 days rest where he posts a 1.83 ERA over 6 starts. Oakland is also scoring 2 runs more per 9 innings vs. RHP over their last 10 games than the Cardinals who also start a RHP.

Shelby Miller has looked solid for a 23 year old, but now he goes out West to face an AL team with 9 hitters for the first time. This will be the first time he won't get the easy out of a pitcher and he's doing it on the road in a different time zone on 4 days rest. I don't see him going deep into this game as he's averaged less than 6 innings on 4 days rest which means Oakland should be able to score some runs off the Cardinals bullpen.

Notable Hot Starters L3 GS:
Trevor Bauer (1-2, 16.1 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 2.76 ERA)
Matt Harvey (2-1, 20 IP, 0.75 WHIP, 1.80 ERA)
Max Scherzer (3-0, 20 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 2.25 ERA)
Jhoulys Chacin (3-0, 20.2 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 1.74 ERA)
Wade Davis (1-2, 19.2 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 2.75 ERA)
Chris Capuano (2-1, 16.2 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 1.62 ERA)

Notable Cold Starters L3 GS:
Ross Detwiler (1-2, 14.2 IP, 1.57 WHIP, 8.59 ERA)
Allen Webster (0-3, 12 IP, 2.08 WHIP, 11.25 ERA)
PJ Walters (1-2, 13.1 IP, 1.88 WHIP, 7.42 ERA)
John Lannan (1-2, 11.2 IP, 2.31 WHIP, 9.26 ERA)

Rob Vinciletti

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Oakland A's
Play: St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals tonight fit one of our exclusive baseball Systems. We wan to play on road favorites with a total that is 8 or less and comes in off a road favored loss by 1 runs at -140 or higher, while scoring 4 or less in the loss and committing no more than one error. These teams have cashed 9 of the last 10 times. St. Louis is a tremendous 12-0 on the road off a loss and 19-9 on the road vs right handers. They have won 8 of 11 with a day off and 6 of the last 7 on he road vs American League teams. Tonight they have young Shelby Miller going and he has a fine 2,35 era. He will oppose Oakland Righty Bartolo Colon who has an equally impressive era. However he will have to face a much tougher St. Louis lineup. Look for the Cardinals to take game on of the series tonight.

Jeffrey Brandes

Los Angeles Dodgers -1½ +155

Pitchers:
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: JOHN LANNAN (L) ERA: 5.84 W/L: 0-2
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: CHRIS CAPUANO (L) ERA: 4.09 W/L: 2-4

At this point in the season, as I said yesterday, the Phillies are almost always a bet against unless Cliff Lee is on the mound. Lefty JOHN LANNAN takes the mound for them tonight in this west coast affair and he is winless so far this season. In his last start, he allowed six runs (four earned) in five innings on Sunday against the Mets. He's 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA in his last 3 starts. Nuff said.

CHRIS CAPUANO pitched 11 scoreless innings in two starts last week, including five Sunday on three days' rest. The Dodgers are riding a 6 game win streak and they appear ready to once again take the measure of the hapless Phillies. Interestingly, the Dodgers and Phillies are the only two teams in the Majors to not score at least 10 runs in a game this season. Look and see if the Dodgers can rectify that tonight as a sidelight.

Bryan PowerFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Milwaukee vs. PittsburghFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: PittsburghFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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It's Friday, so that means we're going to be able to find a few teams with a scheduling advantage, being that some had the day off yesterday. One such team is the red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates, and while the juice is somewhat high, they're at home and facing a Brewers team that just got whipped at home by Chicago Thursday afternoon. I don't see why Pittsburgh shouldn't continue rolling here.
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The Bucs have won six in a row and all those wins came out on the road. Now they're back home at PNC Park where they've gone 25-13 for the season. Wouldn't you know it, they enter the day tied for the best record in baseball with division rival St. Louis at 48-30? Their pitching staff has given up the fewest runs in all of MLB and this Gerrit Cole has been a wonderful addition to an already strong staff by winning all three starts and posting a 1.037 WHIP. He gets the nod Friday, having already beaten Tim Lincecum, Zach Grienke and Jered Weaver!
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Milwaukee is a dreadful road team and currently occupies the opposite end of the spectrum in the NL Central. Their pitching staff has allowed the most runs in the Senior Circuit. Making his MLB debut tonight will be Johnny Hellwig, who gets to face a Pittsburgh offense that's scored 39 runs and hit 13 HR's during its win streak. Since the start of last season, the Brew Crew are just 18-42 as a road underdog.

Will RogersFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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San Francisco vs. ColoradoFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: ColoradoFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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For Giants starter Barry Zito it's been night and day when comparing his performances on the road to at home this season. Unfortunately for him and his suddenly slumping team, it will be the darkness of the road Friday night as they visit Colorado for the weekend. This is a free play on the Rockies.
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Here are my keys to the game:FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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1. Zito - As I mentioned, the veteran southpaw is a totally different pitcher on the road compared to at home. In five starts away from home this season, Zito has yet to taste victory and his ERA is a terrible 11.28. His last start on the road saw him surrender eight runs in less than five innings.
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2. Jhoulys Chacin - Colorado's starter for Friday checks in fine form as he has won three straight starts, posting a 1.74 ERA. He threw seven shutout innings last time out against Washington. That followed a near complete game victory here at home vs. Philadelphia.
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3. X-Factor - Neither team is playing well right now coming into this three-game series, but the Giants are 4-12 off a loss by two runs or less this season.

Jesse SchuleFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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San Diego vs. MiamiFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: MiamiFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Marlins are coming off a three game sweep of the Twins, and they have won five of their last six overall. Giancarlo Stanton was 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over Minnesota, and the Fish have been winning ever since his return to the lineup.
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The Padres are in town on Friday, and San Diego has lost four of five overall. Edinson Volquez will get the nod for the visitors, and he was just awful in his last appearance. Volquez (5-6, 5.67 ERA) walked seven batters, allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-1 loss to the Dodgers. He's struggled with his command for quite some time, with 44 walks in 16 starts this season.
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The aforementioned Stanton, has been successful in past meetings, going 2-for-5 with a home run lifetime versus Volquez. Placido Palanco has also done damage, going 3-for-8 with a double.
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The Fish hand the ball to veteran right hander Ricky Nolasco, who has put together consecutive sold outings. Nolasco (4-7, 3.68 ERA) allowed one run on three hits over seven innings in a 7-2 win over the Cardinals in his last start at Marlins Park.
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After posting a 2.87 ERA in his last five starts, Nolasco has a realistic chance of being traded to a contender. He's a capable pitcher that can give a team a chance to win, and I expect to see him do just that in this game. With the Marlins improved offensive play, they should make life difficult for the Padres.

Marc LawrenceFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh PiratesSERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Prediction: Milwaukee BrewersFORFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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When the Brewers and Pirates meet at PNC Park in the opener of this three-game series in Pittsburgh Friday night it will be a matchup of rookie right-handers when Milwaukee's Johnny Hellweg makes his MLB debut against Gerritt Cole. The 6' 9" Hellweg was called up from Nashville when the Brewers placed Alfredo Figaro on the 15-day DL. Hellweg was 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA at AAA Nashville this season. With Cole riding high with three wins in his first three MLB starts, look for the shoe to fit on the other foot here tonight as the Pirates fall to 6-12 as a host in this series here tonight. We recommend a 1-unit play on Milwaukee.

Jim Feist

Cincinnati Reds at Texas Rangers
Pick: Texas Rangers

Cincinnati is on a long road trip, their 6th straight game away from home, from the West Coast in Oakland and now down in Texas. The Reds are 0-7 in their last 7 interleague road games. They looked worn out in Oakland, too, the last series. Reds starter Johnny Cueto is great at home (2.08 ERA) but has a 4.57 ERA on the road. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, is a tough place to pitch in. The Rangers are 12th in baseball in runs scored, 5th in slugging and Cincinnati has never seen starter Martin Perez (3.65 ERA) before. And the Rangers are 23-4 in their last 27 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days. Play the Rangers.

Bruce MarshallFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Arizona at AtlantaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: ArizonaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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It's a special night for Arizona starting pitcher Randall Delgado, returning to Atlanta for the first time to face the Braves since they traded him to the D-backs in the offseason. It's a homecoming, too, for Arizona 3B Martin Prado, also involved in that trade. Delgado makes his third start of the season on Friday nght after posting a 3.75 ERA in his first two outings; though Delgado took the loss in his last start on Sunday vs. the Reds, he settled down nicely at Chase Field after a rough first inning when allowing a pair of homers. The D-backs showed their resourcefulness when rallying for a 3-2 win in erxtra innings on Thursday at Washington, and catch a slumping Atlanta team that has lost six of its last nine. The recent return of 2B Aaron Hill to the Arizona lineup from the DL has already paid dividends, as his 2-run homer was key in yesterday's win vs. the Nats. Play D-backs on Money Line

Don Best ConsensusFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Nationals at MetsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: OverFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Over is 4-1 in Detwilers last 5 starts vs. Mets. Over is 4-1-1 in Mets last 6 games as a home favorite of -151 to -200. Over is 5-1 in Nationals last 6 games following a loss.