Freddy Wills
Houston Astros vs. St Louis Cardinals
Play: Under 7.5
We are taking the under here today as Carpenter has been nothing but money during the day. He has two great starts against the Astros going a total of 17 IP 16H 3 ER and 10K's both games were under the total with a 4 run game and a 7 R game. Houston has struggled to score runs as of late with a .218 avg and 3.12 R/9 vs. RHP in their last 10 and the bullpen for the Cards has been solid at 1.88 ERA in their last 10. Cardinals face Moehler who has also been solid with 2 GS against the Cardinals and 2 unders. 7R game and a 5R game. He has 13 IP 13H and 10K's with 4 ER. The Astros bullpen also solid with a 1.74 ERA in their last 10. Moehler actually has 4 straight quality starts against the CArdinals. Astros and Cardinals are under 20-6-1 in their last 27 mettings with each other. Astros are u 5-0 in their last 5 as an under dog 6-1 last 7 vs. RH starter and 4-1 in Moehlers last 5 vs. STL. While the Cardinals are under 12-3-1 last 16 at home vs. a losing team, 7-0 in Carpenters last 7 vs. a losing team and 19-5 in Carpenters last 24 home games as a favorite -201 or greater.
Jorge Gonzalez
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
Play: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers got a much needed win in their 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers remain in first place and are currently 3 games ahead of the Rockies. The Dodgers know the importance of winning today's game. “It gives us a chance going into tomorrow to distance ourselves a game and give us a little bit a room,” said outfielder Andre Ethier, who homered twice and drove in three runs in last night's action. In today's action the Dodgers will send newly acquired Vincente Padilla to the mound to face the Rockies' Jorge De LaRosa (12-8, 4.76). The Dodgers have struggled as of late but will be happy to be facing a Rockies team that they have beaten in 11 of their last 14 meetings. Despite having 10 wins over his last 11 starts, De La Rosa hasn’t earned any such breaks against the Dodgers. He’s 0-4 with a 7.99 ERA in five career starts against them, including 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two starts this season. This will be the last game between theses two teams before a season-ending three-game home stand in Los Angeles in the first week of October. Take the Dodgers here as an underdog.
MTi Sports
Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs
Prediction: Chicago Cubs
The Nationals are 0-8 THIS season on the road after a loss in which they were tied at the end of 6 innings and 3-28 as a 140+ dog when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is not the first game of a series. The Cubs are 22-2 THIS season at home after scoring 6+ runs. This price is large, but its still cheap.
Dave Price
1 Unit on Philadelphia Phillies -188
Last night's extra innings win shot the Pirates right in the heart and Philly has the big edge on the hill with Happ tonight. Happ is 5-1 on the road this season with a 1.85 ERA and 2-0 over his last 3 starts with a 1.74 ERA. Morton is just 4-8 against the money line this season and brings in a 9.49 ERA over his last 3 starts, not to mention, Philly crushed him for 5 earned in 2 innings last July. Take the Phillies.
Wunderdog
Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Play: Milwaukee Brewers -1½
The Cincinnati Reds hung in the NL Central race for awhile, but those hopes have all disappeared as this team has sunk hard and fast, thanks to a bad run of 12-28 in their last 40 games. The Reds are off of a win which has been the worst possible spot for them this season. They have turned in a .358 winning percentage on the season off a win, and that mark is now 7-21 after their last 28 wins. Against the run line they are 21-32 this season after a win. Bush has beaten the teams he is supposed to beat as the Brewers are 13-3 in his last 16 starts as a favorite. When placed as a run line favorite with odds at +135 to -190, Bush is 9-0 the past three seasons. He has pitched well enough at home for the Brewers to take command, where they are 35-16 in his last 51 home starts. I'll side with Milwaukee on the run line in this one.
Doc's Sports
Take Milwaukee -130 over San Diego
The Brewers have not been playing well of late and we look to earn the victory on getaway day at Miller Park. They will send Manny Parra to the mound and he has not lost a game since June 13th. He is 4-0 since then and has improved his record to 7-8 on the season. San Diego does not have much firepower offensively and if Parra can stop Gonzalez, he will earn the victory.
Allen Eastman
Take Jacksonville (+7.5) over Philadelphia
Simply put, this is too many points. Andy Reid is just 15-27 against the spread in his career in the preseason. He just doesn’t care about winning these games. Everyone wants to jump on the Eagles because Mike Vick is going to see some action. But I don’t expect him to make a difference. If anything, it should hurt the Eagles because he’ll be rusty. Jack Del Rio is 17-9 ATS in the preseason and I think he covers this line.
ATS Consultants
Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Miami Dolphins OVER 36
Both of these offenses have been a pleasant surprise so far in the preseason. Raheem Edwards has opened up the offense in Tampa and things will be much different in Central Florida this season. The QB competition between Leftwich and McNown has really brought out the best in both. At Running back, Earnest Graham and Cadilac Williams are also each vying for the starting job and doing a nice job thus far.
The Dolphins have done a nice job as well, and tonight we expect Chad Pennington to play at least into the third quarter, and strong armed Chad Henne takes over for the rest. Another team deep at the running back position should be able to put up some points in what looks like the dress rehersal for both teams.
Los Angeles Dodgers/Colorado Rockies OVER 10
Colorado needs to win this one to make up a little ground in the NL West. The Rockies have all of the momentum here despite LA winning last night at Coors Field. Los Angeles leads the NL West, but the lead is dwindling weekly.
Vicente Padilla makes his Dodger debut tonight after being released by the Rangers earlier this month. He’s never regained his form that made him an All Star in 2002. Padilla is 2-3 with a 6.07 ERA in his last 5 starts.
Jorge DeLa Rosa (12-8, 4.76) has done a nice job for the Rockies thus far in 2009. He was an afterthought coming out of spring training, but has really established himself as the Rockies make a push for the playoffs. In his two starts this season against Los Angeles he’s 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched.
Yankee Capper
LA Dodgers/Colorado Over 10
Philadelphia Phillies - RL
San Diego/Atlanta Over 9
Miami Dolphins +2.5
Bob Donahue
White Sox at Red Sox
Chicago is thick in a pennant race and their pitching is very good, as we saw last night, holding the red-hot Boston offense to 3 runs in their home park. Starter John Danks is sizzling, at 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA his last three starts, yet he opened a dog here too Boston rookie righty Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa d! oes not throw hard and has walked 7 batters in 17 innings, not a good ratio. He has also been hittable, allowing 26 hits in 17IP.
Play the White Sox.
Larry Ness
TAM / MIA Over 37
The Dolphins have opened the 2009 preseason 2-0 but play on the road (albeit not too far) for the first time Thursday night in Tampa. It's a short week for both teams, as each played last Saturday. The Dolphins beat the Jaguars in Week 1, 12-9 while the Bucs won up in Jacksonville last Saturday night, while scoring 24 points. As is the case in most games during Week 3, the starters will likely play most if not all of the first half on both sides of the ball for each team. Miami has announced that Chad Pennington will start at QB and play into 3rd quarter with Chad Henne replacing him. Byron Leftwich (12-of-26 for 124 yards with one TD and zero INTs), who signed with Tampa as a free agent during the off-season, will start and is expected to play about 1 1/2 quarters. Luke McCown (10-of-17 for 70 yards with two TDs and zero INTs), who is battling Leftwich for the No. 1 job, will follow and play until the fourth quarter. Watch out for rookie Josh Freeman (Kansas St), who is the Bucs' presumed QB of the future. He is not thought to be in the running for starting QB duties this year but has completed 8-of-14 passes for 99 yards (one INT) in two games. He ran for a 28-yard TD in last week's third quarter and this very mobile and athletic QB could be very dangerous for Tampa Bay in the latter stages of this game. Henne has looked good in the preseason (17-of-27 for 169 yards with two TDs and one INT) but Pennington's starting job is not in danger, just yet. Meanwhile, Leftwich and McCown are in a real battle plus as already mentioned, Freeman has all the tools to put points on the board against the backups in the fourth quarter. This is a "feel-good" scenario for the Bucs, as their new head coach makes his home debut (on national TV no less) against the franchise's cross-state rivals. Both teams will give their starters plenty of time (Tampa has said into the third quarter), meaning Pennington and Henne plus Leftwich and McCown will be playing an awful lot with the first-teamers. That bodes well for points plus as mentioned, Freeman could give us some needed fourth quarter points. Take the over.
Andre Gomes
Phoenix Mercury @ LA Sparks
The Sparks are right now the hottest team in the league with 6 consecutive wins and this is a perfect set up for them to show why they are still the favorites to win the championship. Finally with a full healthy roster, they are dominating every single opponent down the post and controlling the glass. They are by a vastly margin the better rebounding team in the league with +6.00 rebounds per game and this will be the key factor for this game.
Phoenix is 2-3 in their last 5 games in a sign of inconsistency, but the common factor in those 3 losses was the fact that the Mercury was badly outrebounded in each game. Against Indiana they were pounded 26-43 and 3 vs. 15 offensive boards; Against San Antonio 28-34 and 6 vs. 11 offensive boards and finally last game against Washington, the Mystics crushed them 46-26 with an 14-8 offensive boards edge, so tonight I expect a similar mismatch favoring the Sparks.
This is the third game between these two teams and Phoenix won the first two matches. In the last game, the Sparks were embarrassed at home in a national tv game by losing the game 89-104 and being outscored by 21 points in the second half, so the Sparks will have double revenge tonight against the Mercury. That game was the first game of Candace Parker after her return and right now she is playing almost at her best and expect her to have impressive numbers tonight. My real line for this game is 2 full possessions for the Sparks and that?s why I?m taking them in here.
Single Dime Play on Los Angeles Sparks (-3.5)
Tony George
Red Sox / White Sox UNDER 10
Danks has been hot for Chicago, both starters are solid, low ERA's, Danks 1.66 and Tazawa 2.81 in their last 3 starts, and both bullpens ERA is 3.43 and 3.08 respectively. The UNDER is 7-1 in the WS last 8 games, and the last 2 out of 3 in this series have gone well under. A ptichers duel tonight in my opinion.