JAKE TIMLIN
Friday selection is the Colorado Rockies.
Colorado is a road favorite for one big reason and that is the right arm of Jimenez. For Jimenez despite his overall losing record he has been one of the better pitchers in the league of late as the righty has gone 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA over his last 6 starts. Meanwhile despite their set back last night it?s the Rockies who have won 6 of their last 8 games played against the Marlins in Florida. Well thanks to the ever improving Jimenez backed by a powerful lineup I look for the Rockies to even up the series tonight with a big road win.
All Colorado
WINNING POINTS
LA ANGELS -120 over NY YANKEES
The Angels look like the best team in MLB at the moment, and they are cutting up the top teams in the AL East this week without difficulty (9-2,+$745 in their last 11). They've got a solid Ervin Santana on the mound (3.57 ERA in 21 starts in 2008) taking on a NY team that is only 10-14,-$1240) in night games against righties in the Bronx. Sidney Ponson was slapped around by the Bosox at Fenway in his last outing, and LA has put up outstanding road numbers this year (37-19, +$1930). It's hard to pass up the red hot visitor under the circumstances.
Tony Stoffo
LAA Angels vs. New York Yankees
Play: LAA Angels
The reality of things is this Angels team has no holes, and just added Teixeira to a lineup that has beaten up on the Red Sox and Yankees so far this week out scoring them 34-15. Now tonight they get to face Sidney Ponson who got pounded in his last start against the Red Sox were he gave up 7 runs in only 4 innings pitched, plus is allowing opposing batters a hefty .322 average this season. Saying this look for another explosive showing for the Angels here. While I look for Erin Santana who is 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA on the road so far this season to keep the Yankees inconsistent bats in check for tonight. This Yankees squad shows no heart once they fall behind, and this is exactly what will happen again tonight. The Angels who closed out the month of July 19-6 continue their hot play tonight as everything points to another lopsided win here. Plus throw in the price the odds makers posted here makes the Angels the highly rated value play for tonight.
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Texas Rangers -105
Toronto is just 3-12 against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season. The Rangers will be looking to pay the Jays back here after Toronto swept them in Texas earlier this season. Texas is 100-54 against the money line in home games vs. AL teams scoring 4.7 or less runs/game in the second half of the season since 1997 and 94-52 against the money line in home games vs. an AL team with a batting average of .265 or worse in the second half of the season since 1997. Texas ' main objective has been outscoring teams all season long and that's what we'll see here tonight.
Yankee Capper
3 Units - Pittsburgh Pirates +200
2 Units - Philadelphia Phillies -130
Matty O'Shea AL Value Play O' the Day
MIN -1.5 (+130) vs CLE
Minnesota's Nick Blackburn makes his first home start since he earned the win in a 7-0 victory against the Tigers back on July 2nd. Blackburn is 5-2 in nine home starts with a 2.70 ERA, with the last two wins decided by a combined score of 13-1. Meanwhile, Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers is just 1-4 in six road starts with an inflated 7.28 ERA. All four of the losses have been decided by two runs or more. Nine of the last 11 wins for the Twins have also been decided by at least two runs, so bet them on the runline here as my Single Dime AL Value Play O' the Day.
Matty O'Shea NL Value Play O' the Day
PHI -1.5 (+125) vs STL
Analysis: I'm in "fade Kyle Lohse" mode after watching what he did against a good-hitting lineup in the Mets last Sunday. Lohse surrendered three homers and seven runs overall in just five innings last time out, as the Cardinals have now lost two straight with him on the mound after going 11-1 in his previous 12 starts. Outside of two losses at Florida, the Phillies have won the last five times ace Cole Hamels has pitched away from home, including four by two runs or more. Philadelphia has also dominated this series at St. Louis, winning 10 of the last 14 games there. The last time they met on a Friday night there to open a series, the Phillies won in a 20-2 rout. In fact, all of Philly's last eight wins at St. Louis have been decided by at least two runs. I think that will happen again in this spot, so bet the Phillies on the runline as my Single Dime NL Value Play O' the Day
=====================================================
The Bookie Pays You:
They used to have a web site but now they send out their one pick of
the day by email. Here is the email I got from them today.
------------------------------------------------------------
To all of our members... We are in the midst of a 16-2 MLB run! You
have to be happy knowing that your hard earned money was VERY
well spent. You can search the internet HIGH and LOW and you won't
find another service as consistent, dominant, and customer friendly
as us. Now... Enough of the small talk. We already know how damn
good we are. We know that the money-line doesn't pay good on the
Cubs today. But they are clearly the best bet on the schedule.
C'mon... the Pirates, who just lost their best player... Jason Bay, to
the Red-Sox, are not goin to beat this surging Cubs team in Wrigley
field. We see the Cubs taking this one fairly easily today. We always
stay try to stay away from the run-lines, BUT the Cubs should take
care of the Pirates easily today. **** Thanks. Also, can we get some
love for all the hard work and winning results we've been putting out
there. Don't be afraid to let us know just how damn good we are!
We love getting e-mails from our members. That's what keeps us
pushing for more winners. SHOW US SOME LOVE!
--------------------------------------
SportsKingz
MINNESOTA -155
GIANTS -120
ARIZONA -105
MILWAUKEE -125
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Arizona D-backs +105
Manny might be a Dodger now, but his bat isn't going to make enough of an impact against The Big Unit tonight. The D-backs have won 6 of their last 7 games, 5 straight game 2's of a series, and Johnson's last 4 starts. The Diamondbacks are 5-1 in Johnson's last 6 road starts vs. the Dodgers and 9-4 in the last 13 meetings overall. The Dodgers are just 1-5 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record. The Snakes are starting to click again and I like them showing solid value tonight.
Ted Sevransky
Cleveland Indians @ Minnesota Twins
PICK: Minnesota Twins
To say that Jeremy Sowers has struggled on the road this season is something of an understatement. The numbers don’t lie: six road starts in 2008, not one of them a quality start, with a 7.28 ERA and 1.72 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting .328 against Sowers on the highway. The bullpen behind him is a disaster area, ranked dead last in the majors in ERA. And the Twins just saw Sowers last week – his junkball ways will be much easier to solve the second time around. Minnesota’s offense is clicking on all cylinders right now, rallying the team from a four run deficit last night and pounding out 41 runs in their last six ballgames.
Meanwhile, Twins starter Nick Blackburn has been nothing short of dominant at the Metrodoem this year, with a 2.70 ERA in nine previous home starts. Blackburn has completely shut down the Indians suspect lineup in each of his three previous starts against them this season: 20.2 innings of work, three runs allowed, three Twins victories. That’s the type of consistent level of performance worth betting on! 1* Take Minnesota.
BIG AL's BASEBALL DIVISION GAME OF THE YEAR
GIANTS
JB"s COMPUTER PICKS
Tampa Bay Rays -185
Minnesota Twins -160
Arizona Diamondbacks -110
GINA
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs have won 12 of the last 15 games versus Pittsburgh Pirates and eight of its last 9 at home. Go with the Cubs this afternoon at Wrigley Field to continue their dominance over the Pirates. Pittsburgh's right-hander Jason Marquis has won five of his last 7 starts versus the Pirates and the Cubs have won his last for starts at Wrigley against Pittsburgh. The Pirates have struggle away from home, dropping seven of their last 10 road games.
Chicago Cubs -230
Mr A
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins
Minnesota has won ten of their last 12 games at home and the last five contests against Cleveland at the Metrodome. The Indians have lost 12 of their last 15 games on the road.
Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers (1-5, 5.86) is 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in his last three starts, but is 1-5 with a 6.44 ERA in his last 10. The Indians have lost six of Sowers' last 7 starts on the road..
Minnesota's Nick Blackburn (7-6, 3.69 ERA) is 0-2 with a 3.45 ERA in his last three starts, but 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in nine starts at the Metrodome. TheTwins are 4-0 in Blackburns last 4 starts at home.
The Twins are tough to beat at home, 37-20 thus far this season. Meanwhile, the Indians have been a dreadful road team, just 18-34 this season. Take the Twins at home. Minnesota's Nick Blackburn is 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in three starts versus the Indians this season.
Minnesota Twins -155
Dwayne Bryant
Oakland A's +130
I rarely ever go against Boston, especially at Fenway. But this game has a different feel to it, at least for me. The Red Sox have lost five of their last six games, all of which were at Fenway. Oakland is coming off getting swept at home by KC, but at least the A's get to get away from the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd.
Justin Duchscherer faced these Red Sox in Oakland back on May 24th. He went eight shutout innings and allowed just one hit. Consider these career numbers against Duchscherer: David Ortiz is 3-for-15 (.200, all singles); Coco Crisp is 1-for-6 (.167, single); J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia are all 0-for-3; Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis are both 0-for-5; newly-acquired Jason Bay has never faced Duchscherer, which gives the advantage to the pitcher.
Tim Wakefield has been roughed up since the All-Star break, allowing 10 earned runs and 14 hits in 12.1 innings. He also got rocked for eight runs and 8 hits in just 5 innings at Oakland on May 23rd. And consider these career numbers against Wakefield: Frank Thomas, who could be in the lineup, is 15-for-53 (.283, 7 homers, 2 doubles); Jack Cust is 4-for-9 (.444, 2 doubles); Mark Ellis is 7-for-17 (.412, 1 homer, 1 double); Bobby Crosby is 2-for-8 (.250, 1 double); Kurt Suzuki is 1-for-2 (.500, 1 double); Ryan Sweeney is 1-for-3 (.333).
The Red Sox are 1-10 in their last 11 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. Boston is also 0-5 in Wakefield's last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
Take Oakland