Bob Balfe
Rockies / Padres Over 7
The pitchers in this ball game are downright awful. The Rockies hit left handed pitching well and if you look at Wielands numbers it will blow your mind that he makes more money than 95% of the US Population. The Rockies bullpen is brutal and this game has all the makings of going over the total very soon. The winning team tonight should score at least 7 by themselves.
Hollywood Sports
Mets at Nationals
Pick: Under
Washington (92-64) looks to close out this series after their 4-2 win over the Mets yesterday -- and the Under is 8-0-1 in their last 9 games after a victory. They send out Gonzalez for this one -- and the Under is also 8-1-2 in their last 11 games with Gonzalez on the mound after allowing two runs or less in their last contest. New York counters with Gee -- and they have played 8 of their last 11 road games Under the Total with the right-hander pitching as an underdog. And in their last 6 games as an underdog in the +151 to +200 price range, the Mets have seen the Under go 4-1-1.
Doug Upstone
New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals
Play: Washington Nationals -175
Play On NL home favorites with a money line of -150 or more like Washington in September, with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.70 to 4.20 on the season. It is a proven fact favorites this large with this kind of pitcher win this month. How true is it, how does 43-5, 89.6 percent sound to you!
Bruce Marshall
Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins
Pick: Miami Marlins
The Phils are not exactly charging through the regular-season tape, dropping 11 of their last 16 and in danger of reaching 90 losses for the season. Tuesday starter Kyle Kendrick has also been mostly ineffective lately, dropping his last two starts, decisions,the Phillies have also suffered a the plate with 2.81 runs per game and a .214 batting average over their 5-11 stretch. Miami is not scoring much in recent games either, but remains focused, as last night's 2-0 win suggests.
OC Dooley
Cubs +100
At most offshore locations St. Louis was cast as a much higher favorite (-125) than what we are looking at during the late afternoon hours. The line movement is a bit stunning when you consider every remaining game for St. Louis is critical as they are clinging to a 1-and-a-half game lead in the National League Central division chase and tonight are facing a bottom-feeder. On the mound for the Cubs this evening is the same Jake Arrieta who began his career as a “blue chip” prospect in the Orioles organization before Baltimore finally gave up waiting for him to become a star. It may have taken awhile but Arrieta has found his stride in a Chicago uniform where his ERA for the team since an early May debut (2.65) has been spectacular. More importantly Arrieta is the first Cubs pitcher in more than SIXTY years (1950 to be exact) that has actually taken a NO HITTER into the seventh inning of of a mound assignment THREE different times. In his most recent mound appearance Arrieta twirled a “one hit” gem recording 13 different STRIKEOUT victims. I want all reading this analysis to be aware that the “team” ERA for the Cubs (5.15) is the highest in all of baseball so one cannot understate the vital importance of Arrieta being on the mound this evening. In UMPIRE news games where Mark Carlson has called balls-and-strikes has seen the HOME teams (19-9) hold a decided edge