Tony Mathews
Florida Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Selection: Florida/Philadelphia Over 10.5
Explanation: We expect a high-scoring game as the Florida Marlins face-off against the Philadelphia Phillies in Friday's MLB contest.
The Florida Marlins will use starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson. Mark Hendrickson has struggled as of late. In fact, Mark Hendrickson has a 6.00 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Mark Hendrickson having another bad game.
The Philadelphia Phillies will use starting pitcher Brett Myers. Brett Myers has also struggled as of late. In fact, Brett Myers has a 7.16 ERA in his last 3 starts. We also see Brett Myers having another bad game.
These teams have a history of playing high-scoring games when they meet. In fact, the Over is 35-16-2 in the last 53 meetings between these teams.
Take the Florida Marlins/Philadelphia Phillies Over 10.5
Ethan Law
CWC: RHP Jose Contreras (5-3, 3.06) at TB: RHP James Shields (4-3, 3.38)
Its incredibly hard to imagine that a team that I used constantly over the last few seasons to turn tidy profits is beginning to actually become the enemythe team that is now overvalued by the odd makers. I cannot deny that the added price to the Tampa line is not without justification as they remain in first place in arguably the toughest division in the Majors. But this poses a questiondoes their recent success warrant a -$145 price tag against one of the hottest pitchers in baseball Absolutely not! The true line in this contest should in the neighborhood of -$120 against, so we know from the start we are backing an underdog that is undervalued. I must admit I was hoping that that Chicago would lose on Thursday because that would have given us some more value to this line, but their 5-1 win might just also add some confidence and give momentum to this very dangerous underdog who is sending arguably one of the hottest pitchers in baseball in right-hander Jose Contreras. Contreras is fresh off a dominating performance against the Angles this past Sunday going 8.0 strong innings and giving up only 2 earned runs and 3 hits while striking out 10. With that start, Contreras comes into this contest with four quality starts in a row where he has posted an impressive 1.61 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, giving up just 5.5 hits per nine innings and is averaging 6.75 strikeouts per nine innings. There is no question that Contreras should be in for a challenge (considering Tampa Bay is 11-6 +$485 where they average 5.4 runs per games in home/night settings). Tampa will counter with a quality pitcher of their own in right-hander James Shields. Shields could find some trouble against a Chicago team that has been profitable all season long and one that is +$380 against right-handers in all settings where their offense averages a respectable 4.7 runs per game. Shields has also not performed very well against Chicago as he is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. That is direct contrast to Contreras performance against Tampa where he comes into Friday 5-0 when starting against Tampa bay with an ERA of 2.96 and a WHIP of just 1.182. What whos favored here. We also cannot discount the series dominance of Chicago against the Devil Rays as they are 11-5 +$390 against Tampa Bay (in all settings) over the last 3 seasons and 7-3 +$390 in games played at Tampa over the last 3 seasons! Whos favored here? Lets take a shot at the surging Sox with the nice price tag!
Verdict: Chi White Sox 6, Tampa Bay 3
PLAY 1* UNIT (2%) ON CHICAGO (AL) +$125
Sports Gambling Hotline
After playing UNDER the total in the Games 3, and 4, the Pistons and the Celtics lit up the TD Banknorth Garden scoreboard for a combined 208-points, and the easiest OVER of your life in Game 5.
While we don't expect both teams to be scoring in the 100's in this one, we do feel that this game is going to once again land OVER the posted price.
Elimination games tend to be a little more high-scoring, as the team faced with the prospect of going home for the summer will throw up a few more three-pointers than usual, and will foul more regularly than they would in a normal playoff game.
We know the UNDER has been the way to go for the most part, but after watching these teams go on the offensive in the last game, we will take our chances and play this game to find its way into the OVER column once again.
Play the HIGH.
4* OVER
JAKE TIMLIN
Friday selection is the Colorado Rockies.
After going against the Rockies all week long it's now time to back Colorado this afternoon. You see after watching the Rockies lose their last 9 games on the road I feel Colorado is due for a win all thanks to their best pitcher going today in Cook. For Cook he has been the one bright spot for the Rockies posting a 7-3 record for an ERA of 2.82. Even better for Cook he has good numbers against the Cubs going 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 5 career games against the Cubs. Meanwhile for the Cubs today they are turning to Lilly and his 5.23 ERA which should stay that way thanks to the Rockies young hitters finally starting to the big leagues. Flat out Colorado is due for a win and they are in good shape to get it today thanks to Cook. Take Colorado plus great money today!
John Fina
Chicago White Sox +130
Reason: Put us down on the Chicago White Sox +130 for our Free MLB Selection on Friday. Today the Chicago White Sox will be on the road as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays. We will side with the Chicago White Sox! One reason why we will side with the Chicago White Sox is because they will be sending to the mound the starting pitcher who has been pitching a lot better as of late. This says it all... The Chicago White Sox Starting Pitcher (Jose Contreras) has a solid 1.71 ERA in his last 3 starts, while Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitcher (James Shields) has a poor 3.91 ERA in his last 3 starts. As you can see, the Chicago White Sox will be sending to the mound the much better starting pitcher. In addition, the Chicago White Sox have proven they can beat the Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, the Chicago White Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 meetings against the Tampa Bay Rays. We see the Chicago White Sox getting another win tonight!
Take the Chicago White Sox!
LT Profits
Oakland Athletics -110
This looks like a pitching mismatch for the Oakland Athletics when they visit the Texas Rangers tonight, so the A’s get the call even on the road.
Justin Duchscherer has been terrific this season despite his modest 4-3 record, as he has an excellent 2.16 ERA and a sensational 0.98 WHIP in seven starts covering 41.2 innings. He has yet to allow more than three earned runs in any start, and he only did that once, allowing two earned runs or less in his other six starts. Duchscherer is coming off of the best start of his career, as he allowed only one hit in eight scoreless innings vs. the Boston Red Sox last Saturday. Best of all, if he is in need of relief, Oakland is ranked fourth in the American League with a 3.32 bullpen ERA, making them a Bullpen System play vs. the dismal Rangers pen.
Meanwhile, Kevin Millwood is making his first start off of the Disabled List for Texas, and he has been horrible to this point with a 4.88 ERA and a poor 1.69 WHIP in 48 innings. His last appearance came against these A’s, but he was pulled after 0.2 innings after injuring his groin and hasn’t been seen in a game since. In his last start vs. Oakland last season, Millwood was lit up for seven earned runs and nine hits in just three innings. Also, do not expect much help from a Texas bullpen that ranks dead last in the Major Leagues with a collective 4.81 ERA.
Finally, there is virtually no difference between the Athletics’ road record (12-12) and the Rangers’ home mark (12-11), so it is not as if Texas enjoys a huge home field advantage here.
Pick: Athletics -110
Pittsburgh Pirates +150
The Pittsburgh Pirates surprised the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 on the road last night, and we look for a second straight upset by the Bucs when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals tonight.
Maybe Zach Duke has struggled since his great rookie season, but the youngster has continued to be tough on the Cardinals. Duke now has three Quality Starts in his last four outings vs. St. Louis, and the last time he faced them he allowed only one run on eight hits in seven innings. Also, while Pittsburgh is ranked 18th in the majors with a 4.08 bullpen ERA, it should be noted that much of that damage was done by pitchers no longer with the club, and that the current active bullpen actually has a very respectable 3.85 ERA cumulatively.
Now Todd Wellemeyer has pitched out of his mind this season with a 3.36 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 11 starts, but that is exactly the problem, as we feel Wellemeyer has pitched over his head. He did not last past the sixth inning of a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start though, so maybe his descent back to earth has begun. Look for more regression today vs. a Pirates lineup that actually has a higher team batting average over the last 10 games (.270) than the Cardinals do in that same span (.258).
That makes the Pirates worth a long look at this generous price.
Pick: Pirates +150
Ferrall
NL FREE B's FOR FRI
CARDINALS -165 on ML over Pirates--TAKE THE OVER 9 RUNS--and Wellemeyer beats the Bucs. He's 5-1 with a 3.36 ERA. Wellemeyer is 3-0 in five starts this month. Zach Duke's ERA was almost above 7 in his last two starts and went 0-1 in those.
D'BACKS -170 on ML over Nationals--Owings over Redding here in Desert. Arizona has dropped four straight games but went 6-1 vs the Nats last year. Redding is coming off his worst start of the season
Giants -125 on ML over Padres--Cain beats Greg Maddux in the Bay. SF is coming off the sweep of the D'Backs in Arizona. They went 6-3 on their road trip and are home for 6 games now. Padres are 8-19 on the road--worst in majors.
AL FREE B's FOR FRI
INDIANS -140 on ML over Royals--KC has dropped 11 straight games and Cliff Lee(7-1) is the snag against them tonight
Angels -130 on ML over Toronto--The Jays have been playing tough ball, but it ends tonight in Anaheim vs Jared Weaver. The Angels have won four straight series.
Tigers -120 on ML over Mariners--Robertson over Silva in the Emerald City. Silva hasn't won a game since April 17th--he sucks !
DUNKEL
MLB
LA Dodgers at NY Mets
Dodger rookie Clayton Kershaw follows up a solid debut against a Mets team that is just 4-6 when listed as a home favorite between -125 and -150. Los Angeles is the underdog pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+125). Here are all of today's games.
FRIDAY, MAY 30
Game 901-902: Colorado at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Cook) 15.158; Cubs (Lilly) 14.927
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-140); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130); N/A
Game 903-904: Florida at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Hendrickson) 16.829; Philadelphia (Myers) 16.106
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-150); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+140); Over
Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.320; NY Mets (Maine) 14.236
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+125); Under
Game 907-908: Atlanta at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Glavine) 14.328; Cincinnati (Volquez) 15.880
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-155); Under
Game 909-910: Houston at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Backe) 14.029; Milwaukee (Parra) 14.533
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-120); Under
Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.017; St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 15.979
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-170); Over
Game 913-914: Washington at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Redding) 14.963; Arizona (Owings) 14.132
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+160); Under
Game 915-916: San Diego at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Maddux) 15.360; San Francisco (Cain) 15.007
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+125); Over
Game 917-918: Boston at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 15.073; Baltimore (Cabrera) 14.128
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-140); Under
Game 919-920: Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Contreras) 14.829; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.435
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-130); Over
Game 921-922: Oakland at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Duchscherer) 14.749; Texas (Millwood) 15.574
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-125); Under
Game 923-924: NY Yankees at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Mussina) 15.936; Minnesota (Perkins) 14.705
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Over
Game 925-926: Cleveland at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Lee) 15.595; Kansas City (Meche) 13.737
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-150); Over
Game 927-928: Toronto at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (McGowan) 15.829; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.862
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-125); Under
Game 929-930: Detroit at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Robertson) 14.224; Seattle (Silva) 14.667
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+110); Under
NBA
Boston at Detroit
The Celtics look to clinch the series tonight and come into the contest with a 5-1 ATS record when listed as a road underdog between 3 1/2 and 6 points. Boston is the underdog pick (+5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Pistons favored by just 3. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+5 1/2). Here are all of today's games.
FRIDAY, MAY 30
Game 721-722: Boston at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 123.365; Detroit 126.190
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 3; 172
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 5 1/2; 175
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+5 1/2); Under
Dr Baseball Guaranteed Selections
GRAND SLAM AFTERNOON BASEBALL WINNER
Chicago Cubs w/Lilly -150
Gavazzi Hoops + Baseball 5/30
Opinion-- Detroit Pistons under 175.5
2% Chicago Cubs
2% Florida Marlins
2% Baltimore Orioles over 8.5
2% Oakland A's over 9.5
Jeffmoney
Mets -140 (pod)
Indians -125
Twins Ev
Angels -120
Pistons -5.5
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Tampa Bay Rays -143
I like the Rays to bounce back at home tonight behind their ace. The Rays are 15-6 in their last 21 overall, 11-3 in their last 14 games as a home favorite, and 11-1 in their last 12 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. They are also 6-1 in their last 7 games following a loss. This kind of resiliency has been what has allowed this young team to flourish in the early going. Tampa Bay is a force every time Shield toes the rubber. The Rays are 6-0 in Shields' last 6 home starts vs. a team with a winning record, 9-1 in Shields' last 10 home starts, and 10-2 in Shields' last 12 starts as a favorite. We'll make a small play on the Rays at home.
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Chicago Cubs -149
We'll lay some juice here to get the Cubs at home with Lilly on the hill. We have one of the best home teams in baseball against one of the worst road teams here so I'd say the juice is worth the squeeze. The Rockies are 0-6 in their last 6 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150 and a pathetic 32-78 in their last 110 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. The Cubs are 5-0 in their last 5 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and 10-1 in their last 11 vs. the National League West. They have won 7 of Lilly's last 9 home starts. The Rockies are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago and we expect the Cubs to continue to have their number here.
Bryan Leonard
Atlanta Braves @ Cincinnati Reds
PICK: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have pounded left-handers at home this year scoring 7.07 runs per game while posting a .318 batting average. Cincinnati has won 9 of their last 10 home games and the host in this series has won six straight. The Reds beat up Glavine pretty bad in their only meeting this season, getting to the veteran for six earned runs and 12 base runners in just 4.2 innings of work.
Volquez faced the Braves in that same early May series and held them to just one earned run in six innings of work. Yet the Braves came away with a 2-0 victory giving the youngster his only loss this season as a starter. He pitched in relief in that extra inning affair last Sunday in San Diego picking up the loss. He should fare well against an Atlanta team with a terrible 7-18 record on the road.
PLAY CINCINNATI
John Ryan
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St Louis Cardinals
Play: Pittsburgh Pirates
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Pittsburgh – Pirates are quietly flying under the radar and are a team that cannot be taken lightly at all. Their bats have come alive hitting 0.288 with an OBP of 344 spanning 7 games and 271 AB, 28 EB and 10 HR. STL bats have been quiet over their last 7 games hitting 0.231 with an OBP of 297 getting just 13 EB with 5 HR. Supporting this graded play is a system that has produced a record of 81-61 and has made 43.9 units since 1997. Play against home teams revenging a loss where opponent scored 10 or more runs and with a hot starting pitcher sporting an ERA less than 2.50 over his last 5 starts. Pirates are solid investment with a 12-6 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when facing a NL team with an on base percentage of .350 or better this season; 13-8 (+7.9 Units) against the money line when facing teams outscoring opposition by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. Take the Pirates.