National League
Pirates @ Cubs
Liriano is 2-0, 1.98 in his last two starts (over 3-3).
Hammel is 4-0, 1.85 in six starts this year; over is 3-1-1 in his last five starts.
Pirates won seven of last nine road games; over is 12-4 n their last 16 road contests. Cubs won eight of their last ten games; five of their last six went over.
Marlins @ Nationals
Koehler is 2-3, 6.44 in six starts this year (over 3-3).
Gonzalez is 2-1, 2.68 in six starts this year (under 4-2).
Miami is 12-4 in its last 16 games; over is 7-2-1 in their last ten road tilts. Nationals lost five of their last seven games; five of their last six went over.
Reds @ Phillies
Finnegan is 0-1, 6.75 in his last four starts; five of his six starts went over.
Hellickson is 1-2, 6.84 in his last five starts (over 4-3).
Reds are 2-10 on road, 3-3 in last six games overall; four of their last five road games stayed under. Philly won four of its last five games- their last three home games went under the total.
Padres @ Brewers
Lefty Friedrich comes up from AAA to make his first '16 start; he is 5-16, 5.81 in 100 big league games (19 starts), 16 of the 19 starts were in 2012.
Guerra is 1-0, 6.00 in his two starts, both of which pushed total.
Milwaukee lost six of last nine games; three of its last four games stayed under total. Padres are 9-5 in last 14 games; under is 10-4 in their last 14 road games.
Mets @ Rockies
Harvey is 3-1, 3.57 in his last four starts, last three of which stayed under.
Gray is 0-0, 11.82 at home, 0-1, 1.38 on road (over 2-0 at home).
New York won 10 of last 15 road games; five of last seven road games went under total. Colorado lost seven of last eight home games; over is 8-3 in their last 11 games at Coors Field.
Giants @ Diamondbacks
Samardzija is 3-1, 2.79 in his last four starts (4-0, 1.67 on road); five of his seven starts stayed under the total.
Miller is 1-3, 7.36 in his first seven Arizona starts, 0-3, 8.24 at home (over 3-1).
Giants won four of last five road games; over is 8-3-1 in their last 12 road games. Arizona lost six of last seven home games; its last five home games stayed under.
Cardinals @ Dodgers
Wacha is 0-3, 3.43 in his last three starts (over 4-3).
Stripling is 0-2, 5.64 in three home starts; under is 5-0-1 in his starts.
St Louis is 7-3 in its last ten games; seven of its last nine road games went over total. Dodgers lost eight of last 11 at home; under is 12-4-1 in LA home games.
American League
White Sox @ Bronx
Sale is 5-0, 1.24 in his last five starts, last three of which went over.
Severino is 0-5, 6.40 in six starts; Bronx was outscored 37-7 in those games. Four of his six starts stayed under.
New York won seven of last ten home games; five of its last six games went over the total. White Sox are 3-4 in last seen road games; over is 9-1 in last ten road games.
Tigers @ Orioles
Verlander is 1-2, 4.26 in his last four starts (over 5-1-1).
Tillman is 3-0, 2.05 in his last four starts (under 5-2).
Detroit lost nine of last ten games; five of its last six games went over. Orioles won seven of last nine games; three of their last four games went over.
Twins @ Indians
Nolasco is 0-1, 8.00 in his last three starts; his last five starts went over.
Tomlin is 5-0, 4.03 in five starts; Indians scored 27 runs for him (over 4-1).
Minnesota is 2-15 on the road; they've lost seven in row overall. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Cleveland won five of its last six home games; five of their last seven home games went over the total.
Astros @ Red Sox
McCullers is making first '16 start after being hurt; he was 6-7, 3.22 in 22 MLB starts as a rookie LY.
Wright is. 3-1, 1.88 in his last four starts (under 4-1 last five starts).
Astros lost nine of last 11 road games; under is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Boston won 16 of its last 20 games; eight of its last 11 home games went over.
A's @ Rays
Hill is 4-0, 1.46 in his four road starts (under 4-2-1).
Odorizzi is 1-0, 2.00 in his last three starts (under 6-1)
Oakland lost 10 of last 12 road games; over is 11-3 in their last 14 road tilts. Tampa Bay lost its last three games; under is 13-3 in their last 16 home games.
Blue Jays @ Rangers
Dickey is 0-4, 6.43 in his last six starts (over 4-3).
Perez is 1-0, 2.12 in his last three starts; three of his last four starts stayed under.
Toronto won six of last nine games; under is 14-1 in their last 15 road games. Texas won its last six games; over is 12-4-1 in their last 17 home games.
Angels @ Mariners
Tropeano is 0-2, 4.39 in his last five starts (under 4-0-2).
Karns is 3-0, 3.03 in his last five starts (under 4-2).
Angels lost ten of last 12 games; over is 3-0-1 in their last four road games. Seattle won eight of last ten home games; over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games overall.
Interleague
Braves @ Royals
Teheran is 0-1, 1.42 in his last three starts (over 4-2-1).
Volquez is 0-3, 7.94 in his last three starts (under 5-2).
Atlanta lost six of its last seven games. Royals lost 12 of their last 16 games; eight of their last nine games went over the total.
Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:
Pitt-Chi-- Liriano 5-1; Hammel 5-1
Mia-Wsh-- Koehler 2-4; Gonzalez 3-3
Cin-Phil-- Finnegan 2-5; Hellickson 4-3
SD-Mil-- Friedrich 0-0; Guerra 2-0
NY-Col-- Harvey 3-4; Gray 1-3
SF-Az-- Samardzija 4-3; Miller 3-4
StL-LA-- Wacha 3-4; Stripling 3-3
Chi-NY-- Sale 7-0; Severino 0-6
Det-Balt-- Verlander 3-4; Tillman 6-1
Minn-Clev-- Nolasco 3-3; Tomlin 5-0
Hst-Bos-- McCullers 0-0; Wright 3-3
A's-TB-- Hill 4-3; Odorizzi 4-3
Tor-Tex-- Dickey 1-6; Perez 2-5
LA-Sea-- Tropeano 2-4; Karns 5-1
Atl-KC-- Teheran 1-6; Volquez 4-3
Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:
Pitt-Chi-- Liriano 2-6; Hammel 1-6
Mia-Wsh-- Koehler 4-6; Gonzalez 0-6
Cin-Phil-- Finnegan 2-7; Hellickson 2-7
SD-Mil-- Friedrich 0-0; Guerra 1-2
NY-Col-- Harvey 2-7; Gray 2-4
SF-Az-- Samardzija 2-7; Miller 1-7
StL-LA-- Wacha 2-7; Stripling 0-6
Chi-NY-- Sale 1-7; Severino 3-6
Det-Balt-- Verlander 4-7; Tillman 3-7
Minn-Clev-- Nolasco 3-6; Tomlin 2-5
Hst-Bos-- McCullers 0-0; Wright 3-6
A's-TB-- Hill 2-7; Odorizzi 1-7
Tor-Tex-- Dickey 2-7; Perez 1-7
LA-Sea-- Tropeano 2-6; Karns 2-6
Atl-KC-- Teheran 1-7; Volquez 2-7
Armadillosports.com
MLB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals
Conventional wisdom suggests that you shouldn’t really judge any major league baseball team until sometime around Memorial Day. Teams that came flying out of the gate may have come back to earth, while the slower starting teams will have settled into a groove. This is an incredibly long season, and there is no point in getting too up or down based on what goes down in April and May. The Washington Nationals were a team that looked almost unbeatable in the early stages, but they have taken a pretty sizeable step back in the last couple of weeks. No-one really knew what to expect from the Miami Marlins after a disastrous season last year, and it’s pleasantly surprising that they are just 3 games out of first in the NL East. These two teams will hook up in Washington on Friday to begin a 4-game series that could shake up the division standings just a little. You can wager on this one by visiting the MLB betting lines page at MyBookie.ag.
Why bet on the Miami Marlins
A 5-11 start suggested that the Marlins (18-15) might be the same type of team as last year, but they then went on a run that saw them win 11 of 12 games. That has hauled them right back into the fray atop the division, where they are now just 3 games back of the pace setting Mets. Having a healthy Giancarlo Stanton back in the line-up this season has certainly helped, as he has already hit 10 dingers and driven home 24 runs. Despite that display of power, the Marlins are still down the rankings in runs scored, and are middle of the pack in team ERA. This looks like a team that may eventually fall off, but they are certainly fun to watch right now. Tom Koehler (2-3, 5.83 ERA) will start for the Marlins.
Why bet on the Washington Nationals
As mentioned at the start of this preview, the Nationals (21-13) got out to an amazing start, although it should be noted that they had a pretty favorable schedule in the opening weeks. Once their schedule started to include teams expected to contend this season, things started to go a little south. The Nationals are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, which included a 4-game sweep at the hands of the red hot Chicago Cubs. They returned home after a lengthy road trip and started out with a series win over the Tigers. The goal for the Nats is to win their division this year, and the next 2 series, where they play the Marlins and the Mets, should give us a better idea of where they stand. Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 2.19 ERA) will start for Washington.
Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Marlins and Nationals have split the 6 games they have played this season, which makes me believe this will be another tight series. I like the pitching match-up for the Nationals here, and I think they will take Game 1.
Miami Marlins 2 Washington Nationals 5
MLB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees
Are the New York Yankees at the end of their rope? Baseball's most storied franchise is off to a disappointing start this year at 13-19, dropping 8.08 betting units along the way. Things will only get tougher this Friday when the Yankees host the Chicago White Sox (23-12, +11.75 units) in the opening game of a three-game series. First pitch is at 7:05 PM ET on the MLB Network.
Not only will the Yankees face the top team in the American League standings, they'll also have to face Chicago's top pitcher. Chris Sale (2.76 FIP) is slated to take the mound for the White Sox; the perennial All-Star has already racked up seven units in profit on a record of 7-0, giving up just four earned runs in his last five starts combined.
New York responds with Luis Severino (4.91 FIP), a blue-chip prospect who's struggled this season after showing promise in 2015. The Yankees are 0-6 in Severino's six starts for a loss of 6.93 units – the worst performance of any pitcher in the majors against the moneyline. Severino's teammates have hung him out to dry, scoring a total of seven runs in those six games.
Friday's Diamond Notes
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Hottest team: Mariners (10-3 last 13)
Seattle has ascended to the top of the AL West with a 21-13 record, while coming off a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay. The Mariners continue their homestand with the struggling Angels invading Safeco Field, as Seattle has won six consecutive series openers. During this current run, the M’s have won eight of their past 10 home games, while scoring 23 runs in their last four home victories. Nathan Karns takes the mound in the series opener, as the Mariners have won five straight starts made by the Seattle right-hander.
Coldest team: Twins (1-9 last 10)
It’s been a tough go for Minnesota through the first six weeks of the season, owning a dreadful 8-25 record. The Twins have lost 15 of 17 games away from Target Field, as their last road victory came as a +155 underdog at Houston on May 2. Minnesota’s pitching hasn’t helped the cause during this seven-game losing streak, allowing at least five runs in six of those defeats. Ricky Nolasco has given up 16 runs in his past three outings for Minnesota, but the Twins beat the Indians the last time the right-hander faced them in late April.
Hottest pitcher: Chris Sale, White Sox (7-0, 1.79 ERA)
It’s hard to find a pitcher in the American League performing better than Sale, who has won all seven of his decisions. The Chicago ace has yielded five earned runs in his last five outings, while the Sox have outscored their opponents, 24-4 in his past three trips to the mound. Sale has lost his last two starts to the Yankees since 2014 (both in the Bronx), while giving up three earned runs in seven innings of a 3-2 defeat to New York last September.
Coldest pitcher: R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays (1-4, 5.18 ERA)
Toronto heads to Texas after taking three of four from the Rangers at home earlier this month. Dickey is winless in his last six outings, including a 2-1 defeat to Texas on May 2, in spite of scattering six hits in 6.1 innings. The Jays are 1-2 in Dickey’s three road starts, while picking up a no-decision in his last visit to Arlington in the ALDS last October as the Jays beat the Rangers, 8-4. In Dickey’s past five trips to the mound, the Toronto offense hasn’t helped much, scoring three runs or less each time.
Biggest UNDER run: Rays (13-4 at home)
Tampa Bay closed out its road trip at Seattle with consecutive ‘overs,’ while allowing 17 runs in the three losses. The Rays’ offense hasn’t plated many runs at home this season, as Tampa Bay has finished ‘under’ the total in seven of the last nine games at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay has cashed the ‘under’ in four of the past five home series openers, while right-hander Jake Odorizzi is 3-0 to the ‘under’ in his last three starts for the Rays.
Biggest OVER run: Royals (5-0 last five)
Kansas City has played in plenty of high-scoring games of late, eclipsing the ‘over’ in seven of the last nine contests. The Royals’ pitching couldn’t slow down the Yankees this week, allowing at least six runs in each of their three losses in the four-game series. In the past two home games, Kansas City has given up 19 runs, as the Royals welcome in the dreadful Braves tonight. Atlanta has finished ‘over’ the total in seven of the last 10 road contests, while Julio Teheran is 2-0 to the ‘over’ in his two away starts.
Matchup to watch: Cardinals vs. Dodgers
St. Louis has turned things around since a slow start, as the Cardinals are one win away from 20 victories on the season. The Cardinals remain in Southern California after pulling off a three-game sweep the Angels, while improving to 7-3 in the past 10 contests. The Dodgers blanked the Mets on Thursday to pick up a four-game split, as Ross Stripling takes the mound for Los Angeles in the opener. Stripling allowed one hit in six innings in his last outing at Toronto, a 4-2 victory as a +140 underdog. However, Stripling has lost his last two starts at Dodger Stadium, giving up eight earned runs in defeats to the Marlins and Padres. Michael Wacha is winless in his past three starts for St. Louis, while the Cardinals own a 1-2 record in his three road outings.
Betcha didn’t know: The Mets have won 11 consecutive meetings with the Rockies dating back to 2014, including a three-game sweep at Coors Field last season. New York has compiled a 6-3 record in Matt Harvey’s last nine starts as a road favorite, as the New York right-hander makes his first career start at Coors Field.
Biggest public favorite: Red Sox (-155) vs. Astros
Biggest public underdog: Rangers (+100) vs. Blue Jays
Biggest line move: Rockies (+125 to +105) vs. Mets
Jays, Rangers meet in Texas
By Sportsbook.ag
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (18-18) at TEXAS RANGERS (20-15)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Toronto -107, Texas -103, Total: 10
Martin Perez and the Rangers kick off a three-game series with R.A. Dickey and the Blue Jays in Arlington.
The Rangers (20-15) are coming off an impressive series win over the first-place White Sox, and have won five of six.
The Blue Jays (18-18) have won seven of 11, and took two of three from the first-place Giants in San Francisco earlier this week.
These two teams played last week in Toronto, and the Jays took three out of four from the Rangers. Three of those four games went UNDER the total.
Over the past three seasons, Toronto has gone 14-7 against Texas, and 12 of the 20 games have gone UNDER the total.
On the mound for the Rangers will be LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 3.51 ERA, 25 SO, 23 BB, 3 HR in 41 IP). Perez faced the Blue Jays on May 3 and earned a no-decision despite throwing five scoreless frames.
He’ll be opposed by Blue Jays RHP R.A. Dickey (1-4, 5.18 ERA, 28 SO, 15 BB, 5 HR in 40 IP). Dickey faced the Rangers on May 2 and also took a no-decision despite pitching well. He allowed one earned run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Blue Jays have gone 9-8 on the road, while the Rangers have posted a 12-6 mark at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
The Blue Jays’ best hitter this season has been LF Michael Saunders (.315, 5 HR, 11 RBI, .388 OBP), and they’ve gotten plenty of production from 3B Josh Donaldson (.285, 9 HR, 21 RBI, .391 OBP), last year’s American League MVP.
DH Edwin Encarnacion (.245, 6 HR, 27 RBI, .307 OBP), RF Jose Bautista (.208, 6 HR, 22 RBI, .357 OBP) and SS Troy Tulowitzki (.172, 6 HR, 16 RBI, .275 OBP) have underachieved at the plate, but they’re always threats to go deep.
Donaldson has absolutely teed off against Perez in his career, going 6-for-15 with a homer, three doubles, two RBIs and four walks.
1B Justin Smoak (.297, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .430 OBP) has also had success against the 25-year-old lefty, going 5-for-13 with a pair of doubles.
In six career starts against the Rangers, Dickey has gone 2-2 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.141 WHIP. Over the last two seasons, Toronto has gone 13-4 OVER in road games against AL West opponents.
The Rangers are second in the AL in runs (166), third in average (.263) and fourth in on-base percentage (.321), so Dickey will have his work cut out for him.
Rookie RF Nomar Mazara (.314, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .372 OBP) has had a terrific year for manager Jeff Banister, as has 22-year-old 2B Rougned Odor (.298, 7 HR, 21 RBI, .327 OBP).
SS Elvis Andrus (.284, 0 HR, 14 RBI, .325 OBP) has cooled off since his scorching start, and 3B Adrian Beltre (.282, 5 HR, 25 RBI, .331 OBP)—despite his advanced age—remains the most dangerous hitter in this lineup.
DH Prince Fielder (.198, 2 HR, 20 RBI, .260) looks like a shell of his former self at the plate. LF Ian Desmond (.260, 4 HR, 19 RBI, .336 OBP) has seen the most of Dickey of any Ranger, and has gone 6-for-28 with a double and a triple against him.
Beltre, Fielder and 1B Mitch Moreland (.252, 4 HR, 16 RBI, .325 OBP) have all homered off the knuckleballer. In two career starts against the Blue Jays, Perez has gone 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.600 WHIP.