STEVE JANUS
ASTROS
The Astros are 6-1 in their last 7 games after coming off of a day of rest. Houston has also been supporting Roy Oswalt as of late, particularly as a favorite of between -110 and -150 where the Astros are 9-2 in Oswalt's starts. The Nationals continue to struggle. They've lost 6 of their last 7 games as an underdog, they've lost 6 in a row against teams from the NL Central, and they are 0-7 in their last 7 games at home against a team with an overall losing record.
WINNING SPORTS
Tampa Bay/Cleveland Under 8
Put us down on the Tampa Bay Rays/Cleveland Indians Under 8 for our Free MLB Selection on Friday. Today we see a low-scoring game as the Tampa Bay Rays do battle with the Cleveland Indians. One reason why we see a low-scoring game is because both these teams will be sending to the mound solid starting pitchers. This says it all... The Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitcher (James Shields) has a 2.21 ERA in his last 3 starts, while Cleveland Indians Starting Pitcher (Cliff Lee) has a 2.35 ERA in his last 3 starts. As you can see, both these teams will be using solid starting pitchers. In addition, these teams have played low-scoring games in recent meetings. In fact, the Under is 10-4-1 in the last 15 meetings between these teams. We see another low-scoring game tonight! Take the Tampa Bay Rays/Cleveland Indians Under 8
BRIAN MARSHALL
Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres
Plays On: San Diego Padres -150
The Atlanta Braves will be lead by starting pitcher Jo Jo Reyes. Jo Jo Reyes has struggled this season. In fact, Jo Jo Reyes has a 4.40 ERA on the season. In addition, Jo Jo Reyes has a 5.93 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Jo Jo Reyes giving up many runs once again today.
The San Diego Padres will be lead by starting pitcher Jake Peavy. Jake Peavy has been pitching well this season. In fact, Jake Peavy has a 2.67 ERA on the season. In addition, Jake Peavy has a 1.89 ERA in his last 3 starts. We see Jake Peavy giving up very few hits and runs today.
To say the least, the San Diego Padres should have no problem beating the Atlanta Braves tonight!
Take the San Diego Padres!
JOHN FINA
Tampa Bay/Cleveland Under 8 (-110)
Today we see a low-scoring game as the Tampa Bay Rays do battle with the Cleveland Indians. One reason why we see a low-scoring game is because both these teams will be sending to the mound solid starting pitchers. This says it all... The Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitcher (James Shields) has a 2.21 ERA in his last 3 starts, while Cleveland Indians Starting Pitcher (Cliff Lee) has a 2.35 ERA in his last 3 starts. As you can see, both these teams will be using solid starting pitchers. In addition, these teams have played low-scoring games in recent meetings. In fact, the Under is 10-4-1 in the last 15 meetings between these teams. We see another low-scoring game tonight! Take the Tampa Bay Rays/Cleveland Indians Under 8
James Patrick Sports
White Sox-Rangers Over
Jack Clayton
White Sox
JerseySteveWins
Cubs
Templer's Sports Picks
Colorado +1.5
Global Sports Picks
REDS +155
Maddux Sports
NY Mets -136
SHARPSHOOTER
CARDINALS -115
HAWKEYE
Tampa Bay +105
HUDDLE UP
FLORIDA +140
LEE STEVENS
MINNESOTA +155
TOTALS 4U
SEATTLE/KANSAS CITY OVER
VEGAS STEAMLINE
HOUSTON/WASHINGTON UNDER
DARKHORSE
San Francisco +140
RAZOR SHARP
ST LOUIS/PITTSBURGH OVER
#1 SPORTS
ATHLETICS
Glen Mcgrew
Dodgers
Arthur Ralph
Blue Jays
Joe Wiz
Tigers
Cardinals
Scott Spreitzer
Astros
Moneylockoftheday
Rockies/Mets Under
Frank Patron
Indians -115
Paul Leiner
10* White Sox -115
floridabookybusters
Atlanta
PRIORITY SPORTS INFO
Milwaukee -200
BILLY IRISH
San Diego -160
NICK JONES
Houston Astros -122
Insider Sports Report
N.Y. Mets -130
TRACE ADAMS
ASTROS
DONALD TRAN
Twins +140
Jennifer Barry
Blue Jays -120
Chad Jordan
Seattle at KC Under 8.5
PLATINUM PLAYS
TWINS + 145
DARK HORSE
San Francisco +140
BIG TIME SPORTS
HOUSTON / WASHINGTON UNDER 8
CAPPERS ACCESS
Cubs
Blue Jays
Terron Chapman
Chicago White Sox vs. Texas Rangers
Play:Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox will become the latest team to improve on their offensive numbers with a visit to Arlington Park this evening as they begin a weekend set with the Texas Rangers.
Luis Mendoza will take the hill for the Rangers off a rough outing and we can expect him to struggle once again this evening. Mendoza was tagged for 9 hits and 8 earned runs in only 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing 3 homers in the process in the Rangers 9-6 loss the Halos. He has yet to make it past the fifth inninng this year and will be making his first start against the Pale hose. I'm not sure if Mendoza should even be starting but he gets the call due to the Rangers depleted starting staff.
Gavin Floyd of the White Sox will put his 10-4 record and 3.22 ERA on the line when he takes the hill this evening against one of the most productive lineups in baseball. Floyd has yet to face the Rangers this year. He allowed three earned runs in his only start against them last year, a 4-3 loss in Arlington. Despite the White Sox road struggles they are 6-1 in their last 7 road games with the chalk.
The Rangers bullpen was once again forced in to early duty last night as the Rangers couldn't complete their comeback against the Halos and lost 11-10. With Mendoza on the mound we can expect to see the bullpen early once again tonight. The Rangers bullpen has an ERA of 4.49 with a whip of 1.39 on the season and have been overworked. They've issued out 165 walks on the season, second most in the majors. The Rangers will be spent after a grueling four game series against their division rivals.Play on the Chicago White Sox for 1 unit.
SportsKingz
CUBS -155
PHILLIES -145
ST. LOUIS -110
MILWAUKEE -185
ANGELS -110
BIG AL's 5* MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME OF THE YEAR
Colorado Rockies vs. New York Mets
Pick: New York Mets
At 7:10pm our selection is on the New York Mets over the Colorado Rockies. Based on recent history, it would seem that the Mets' veteran lefthander Oliver Perez has his mojo back and working again. After two very ugly back-to-back interleague starts against Anaheim and Seattle on June 18 and 24, Perez has now thrown back-to-back gems against two of the best offenses in baseball, the Yankees and Phillies. And with the Mets' offense seemingly heating up in the last few weeks, this could be very good news for Perez for the remainder of the season. His opponent tonight is 29-year-old righthander and first-time All-Star Aaron Cook, although Cook certainly has not pitched like he's belonged on anybody's All Star team in three of his last four outings. His last start, in particular, against Florida on July 6 was extremely ugly as Cook gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs in only slightly over seven innings. Cook and outfielder Matt Holliday are the only representatives to the mid-summer classic from a team that in 2007 seemed like it had nothing but All-Stars on its roster. Cook's last matchup against the Mets was at home only about 20 days ago, and it was one of his worst of the season as he surrendered 12 hits and six earned runs in only seven innings. The fear is that as the season goes on, this unlikeliest of All-Stars will continue to revert back to his sub-par form of the last couple of seasons. And his opponent tonight has clearly been sparked by the firing of Willie Randolph and the hiring of new manager Jerry Manuel. They've won six straight and the rejuvenated Mets look ready to dive back into the mix in the NL East as they're within a couple of games of the division lead and may even get there before the break. The Mets have won 15 of 17 games vs. Colorado at Shea Stadium. 5* MLB Game of the Year on New York.
WILD BILL
White Sox -110 (5 units)
Angels +100 (5 units)
Yankees +110 (5 units)
Under 8 Yankees-Jays (5 units)
Cincinnati +175 (5 units)
St Louis +100 (5 units)
Mr. A
New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have won five straight at home, but have not done well at home against the New York Yankees. Toronto has lost five of their last seven at home versus New York.
New York's Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 2.45 ERA), is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander beat the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay, 9-3 at Yankee Stadium in his first career start on June 3.
Toronto's Roy Halladay (10-6, 2.88) is 2-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his last three starts, 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA over his last 11. The right-hander is 11-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 28 appearances, including 26 starts against the Yankees.
The Blue Jays have won eight of Roy Halladay's last 10 starts versus the Yankees and the last six at Rogers Centre. Take Toronto with their ace on the mound.
Toronto Blue Jays -120
David Malinsky
St. Louis @ Pittsburgh Pirates
PICK: 4* Under
A high line here for a couple of starters that the betting markets have not given their due, and with both bullpens bringing all key arms rested and ready that means time to play.
Zach Duke will never approach the 8-2/1.81 of his rookie season; he does not have that kind of stuff. In today’s Betting and Fantasy MLB community, if you are 4-5/4.23 with only 40 strikeouts in 104.1 innings, you go on the “avoid” list. We should know, when the season began we had him their ourselves. But in an 11-6 run to the Under in his starts we have been able to find a couple of opportunities, largely because there is a bond of trust in what Duke is doing right. If you lack the stuff to strike out hitters you had better be very good at locating your pitches, and he is doing just that. With only 32 walks in those 104.1 frames, and with only seven home runs allowed, Duke is forcing the opposition to earn their runs by getting multiple hits in an inning. That is a recipe for success - particularly when working from this mound, where he has been a solid 3.38 through 56 innings this season. And a Cardinal offense that has produced just 13 runs in the last seven games can allow him a chance to get right into rhythm.
Kyle Lohse brings some of the same properties as Duke - his 10-2/3.61 is not getting priced properly because he is doing it more with precision than power. But when you only allow 28 walks and eight home runs in 112.1 innings you are once again forcing the opposition to cluster hits together in order to score. And lately Lohse is even making hits difficult to come by - only one time in his last nine starts has he allowed more hits than innings pitched, and that is despite the fact that the recent stretch has been a most challenging one, with his last five starts coming against the Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Mets and Cubs.
ROCKETMAN
Chicago White Sox @ Texas
Play: 1* Chicago White Sox -115
White Sox are 50-28 on grass this year. White Sox bullpen has a very nice 2.79 ERA overall this year and a 2.66 ERA on the road this season. Gavin Floyd is 10-4 with a 3.22 ERA overall this year and 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA his last 3 starts. Luis Mendoza is 1-3 with a 7.54 ERA in all games this year, 0-3 with a 10.91 ERA in all starts, 0-2 with a 12.80 ERA at home and 0-1 with a 12.91 ERA his last 3 starts. We'll recommend a small play on the Chicago White Sox tonight!
Nelly
Washington + over Houston
Houston is 3-6 in road games that Roy Oswalt has started this season and his overall numbers are very mediocre this season. Oswalt has allowed 35 runs in his last ten starts and opponents are hitting .276 against him. Washington is 14-5 behind Tim Redding this season and 8-3 in his home starts. He has pitched better than the numbers indicate and he should have success against an Astros lineup that is hitting .218 against right-handers in the past ten games. Both teams are slumping right now but Washington is back at home after a long stretch of road games while Houston is traveling to its third different city on the current trip. The Astros are 20-29 away from home this year and with Oswalt less than 100 percent this looks like a good underdog spot for the Nats.
DREW GORDON
Colorado +120 at NY METS
Now, we all know the Mets are surging, winners of 6 straight, but let's not get carried away. I'll say the same thing about Oliver Perez, as he's pitched well over his last 2 starts, but again, let's not get carried away and here's why:
First, its not just the Mets that are playing well, as the Rockies have won 7 of their last 10 games, and splitting 2-2 with the Brewers at Miller is nothing to be embarassed about. We know both of these teams can be extremely streaky, and the fact of the matter is they're both playing well.
The difference in this contest comes on the mound, where you have to give the edge the Rockies All-Star Aaron Cook. True, he was terrible in his last start, but that was more an aberration than anything else. Cook has seen the Mets twice this year with mixed results - The first was a gem (1 run over 9 innings), the second was garbage (6 runs over 7 innings)... Coming off that ugly loss to Florida, I say he comes into this one RAZOR SHARP , and the fact he's 6-3 with 3.96 ERA on the road this season only strengthens my point!
Then there's Oliver Perez, who admittingly looked great in his last two starts. However, before you jumping all over the Mets in this one, try and remember, the only thing consistent about Perez is his inconsistency. This is the same guy who got rocked by the pathetic Mariners before the two starts against the Yankees and Phillies. This is the same guy who's ERA is worse at home than on the road, going 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA at Shea this season. Consider these things before you go against a pitcher like Aaron Cook!
Bottom line, while the Mets are playing well, so are the Rockies, and there's just too much value with their ace on the hill to look any other way. Let's grab that plus money with Cook, as he bounces back strong tonight at Shea!
Take Colorado behind Cook over the NY Mets and Perez in this MLB match up.
2♦ COLORADO
Tony Karpinski
Seattle Mariners vs. Kansas City Royals
Play: Kansas City Royals
Big bounce back win from Kansas City last night over the White Sox. They had two tough losses at home against the White Sox. Both games they lost by one run, but just as we said here yesterday the Royals bounced back and won the final game. How can the Seattle Mariners be favored in this spot? How can the Mariners who are 12 games under .500 on the road be the favorites? The Mariners just don’t have enough talent to win and things are getting so bad in Seattle, that they released Richie Sexton and a few Starbucks closed on Thursday. . They are twenty games under .500 and we'll take the better team at home. Play on the KC ROYALS