Thursday's MLB Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
American League
Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles (-135, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle is 7-3 with a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts since the All-Star break.
Hot batting stat: Orioles OF Nick Markakis has dominated the head-to-head matchup with Buehrle, hitting .444 with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs in 36 career at-bats.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The under is 14-2 in Buehrle's previous 16 starts on four days' rest.
Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (+100, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova is coming off his second complete-game shutout of the season, limiting the San Francisco Giants to six hits in a 6-0 triumph.
Hot batting stat: New York 2B Robinson Cano is 7-for-19 with three home runs and six RBIs lifetime versus Rays starter Alex Cobb.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 3 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 6-0 in Nova's last six home starts against Tampa Bay.
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (-170, 9)
Hot pitching stat: Angels right-hander Jerome Williams has won four straight starts and has allowed just two combined runs over his previous two outings.
Hot batting stat: Los Angeles OF Mike Trout has a .365/.515/.558 slash line in 52 at-bats against the Rangers in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s under clear skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 9 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 7-1 in the Angels' last eight series openers.
Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox (+125, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: White Sox right-hander Andre Rienzo was roughed up in his last outing, surrendering five runs on seven hits - including a pair of homers - over four innings of an 8-1 loss to Cleveland.
Cold batting stat: Chicago 1B/DH Adam Dunn is hitting just .154 with 12 strikeouts in 26 at-bats against Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 16-6-4 in Guthrie's previous 26 starts on four days' rest.
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (+143, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Twins left-hander Andrew Albers has been torched in consecutive starts, surrendering 12 combined runs over 8 2/3 innings in losses to the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics.
Hot batting stat: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is hitting a sizzling .600 with three homers and six RBIs in 10 at-bats against Indians starter Zach McAllister.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s under sunny skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 12 mph.
Key betting note: Cleveland is 11-1 in its last 12 road games against teams with losing records.
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (-110, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Arizona right-hander Trevor Cahill is 2-3 but has a 2.72 ERA and has surrendered just two home runs in six career starts against San Diego.
Cold batting stat: Padres SS Ronny Cedeno and 1B Jesus Guzman are a combined 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts against Cahill.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 10 mph.
Key betting note: The Diamondbacks are 4-1 in Cahill's previous five starts against a division foe.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (-176, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Phillies right-hander Tyler Cloyd is 0-3 with an 11.77 ERA over his last three starts.
Cold batting stat: Braves 1B Freddie Freeman is batting just .246 with one home run and 17 strikeouts in 61 at-bats against Philadelphia in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Phillies are 2-10 in their last 12 road outings against teams with winning records.
Milwaukee Brewers at New York Mets (-142, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Brewers righty Johnny Hellweg surrendered seven runs on seven hits while walking five in 3 2/3 innings in his previous encounter with the Mets, a 12-5 loss on July 5.
Hot batting stat: Milwaukee OF Norichika Aoki is hitting 6-for-13 with a double in 13 at-bats against New York this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 3 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 13-3 in Mets right-hander Dillon Gee's last 16 home starts.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-121, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Dodgers right-hander Edinson Volquez is 2-2 with a 5.92 ERA in 10 career starts against San Francisco.
Cold batting stat: Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez is a career .200 hitter with 16 strikeouts in 50 at-bats versus Giants starter Tim Lincecum.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 10 mph.
Key betting note: San Francisco is 3-10 in Lincecum's previous 13 starts against teams with winning records.
Friday's MLB National League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Milwaukee Brewers at New York Mets (+100, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Mets right-hander Carlos Torres is 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA in four starts and 12 relief appearances at Citi Field this season.
Cold batting stat: New York 3B David Wright is 3-for-19 with eight strikeouts in his career against Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: Milwaukee is 8-1 in Gallardo's last nine starts as a road favorite.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds (-133, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Cincinnati right-hander Homer Bailey has fared well against Pittsburgh in his career, going 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 15 starts.
Cold batting stat: Pittsburgh OF Andrew McCutchen is a .242 hitter in 273 all-time at-bats against Cincinnati.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: Cincinnati is 9-2 in Bailey's last 11 starts with five days' rest.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (-130, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee dazzled the Braves in their last encounter, limiting them to a run on two hits while fanning 10 over eight innings of a 2-1 victory.
Hot batting stat: Philadelphia 2B Chase Utley is a .429 career hitter with a homer and a double in 14 at-bats against Braves starter Kris Medlen.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s under sunny skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Phillies are 19-4 in Lee's last 23 road starts against teams with winning records.
Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (-180, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Cubs left-hander Travis Wood is 3-4 with a 4.80 ERA and 12 home runs allowed in 10 career starts versus the Cardinals.
Hot batting stat: Chicago SS Starlin Castro is hitting .303 in 243 all-time at-bats against St. Louis.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with clear skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: St. Louis is 12-3 in starter Lance Lynn's last 15 home outings against teams with losing records.
Washington Nationals at Arizona Diamondbacks (+123, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is just 2-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 14 road starts in 2013.
Cold batting stat: Members of the Washington roster are hitting a collective .209 in 43 at-bats against Arizona starter Patrick Corbin.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 8-2-1 in Corbin's previous 11 starts against teams with winning records.
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers (-260, 6.5)
Cold pitching stat: Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has allowed 11 earned runs to the Rockies this season - the most of any opponent.
Cold batting stat: Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki is a career .227 hitter with 11 strikeouts in 44 at-bats against Kershaw.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: Colorado is 8-1 in its last nine Friday games.
San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (-133, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA and seven home runs allowed in 10 home starts in 2013.
Cold batting stat: San Francisco OF Hunter Pence is a .234 hitter - 50 points below his career average - in 222 at-bats versus the Padres.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 10-1-1 in Vogelsong's last 12 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Interleague
Detroit Tigers at Miami Marlins (+146, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello is 3-0 in five interleague starts this season.
Cold batting stat: Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton has just two home runs and six RBIs in 45 interleague at-bats in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right-center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 13-2-2 in Miami's last 17 interleague games against a right-handed starter.
Friday's MLB American League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (+115, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz has been sensational on the road, going 5-0 with a 0.95 ERA and two homers allowed over six starts.
Hot batting stat: Red Sox C/1B Mike Napoli is a career .407 hitter with two homers and six RBIs in 27 career at-bats against Orioles starter Scott Feldman.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 12-3-1 in Baltimore's last 16 games against teams with winning percentages of .600 or higher.
Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays (+101, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is 5-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Blue Jays.
Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is batting .386 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 16 games against Toronto this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 7 mph.
Key betting note: The Rays are 7-1 in Hellickson's previous eight starts against the American League East.
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (-139, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: Angels lefty C.J. Wilson, drafted by the Rangers in 2001, is 1-2 with a 7.92 ERA in seven career starts against them.
Hot batting stat: Los Angeles OF Mike Trout is 4-for-9 with a homer and six RBIs lifetime against Texas starter Alexi Ogando.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s under sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 11 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 24-2-2 in Wilson's last 28 road starts.
Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox (-104, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Royals right-hander James Shields is 2-0 over his previous three starts, and has allowed just three runs in 22 innings over that stretch.
Cold batting stat: White Sox OF Alejandro De Aza is batting just .118 with zero extra base-hits in 17 at-bats against Shields in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 13 mph.
Key betting note: Kansas City has won 10 of Shields' last 11 road starts.
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (+165, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Twins left-hander Pedro Hernandez was rocked in his previous start, allowing six runs on eight hits over two innings of a 9-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Cold batting stat: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham has one hit in eight career at-bats against Indians starter Corey Kluber.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 13 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 8-2-1 in Kluber's last 11 road outings.
New York Yankees at Houston Astros (OFF, OFF)
Cold pitching stat: Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer has lost three straight starts since tossing a complete-game four-hit shutout against Seattle.
Hot batting stat: Houston 2B Jose Altuve is 6-for-15 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored in his career against the Yankees
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 8 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 5-0 in the last five meetings between the teams.
Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners (-105, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Athletics right-hander Bartolo Colon has won three straight starts while allowing just one run over 20 innings in that span.
Cold batting stat: Mariners OF Michael Saunders is just 2-for-14 with five strikeouts lifetime versus Colon.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with showers expected throughout the night. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 11 mph.
Key betting note: Oakland is 24-5 in Colon's last 29 outings following a quality start in his previous appearance.
MLB Odds and Picks - Home field at stake as Pirates take on Reds
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS -- The Pittsburgh Pirates chances of winning the NL Central are slim, but there still is the possibility if they were to sweep the Reds this weekend and the Cubs sweep the Cardinals in the final series of the season. The scenario seems unlikely, so this series becomes all about who will have home field in the NL wild card game Tuesday. If Pittsburgh takes at least two of three here, PNC Park will host its first postseason game since 1992. If Cincinnati takes two of three, the two teams would be tied in the standings, but the Reds would win the tie-breaker because of winning the season series.
After 16 head-to-head meetings this season, it’s all square at 8-8, but it’s the Reds who have done more damage lately. The Pirates started their season off 1-5, and it was an early April sweep against the Reds that gave everyone a glimpse that this year’s Pirates might do some special things. However, that would be the Pirates only series win of the year against Cincinnati. The Reds have gone 8-5 against the Bucos since then, winning three series and splitting a four-game set.
The two teams met in Pittsburgh last weekend with the Reds taking the Friday and Sunday games, and the Pirates winning on Saturday. That Saturday match-up between A.J. Burnett (9-11, 3.39 ERA) and Homer Bailey (11-11, 3.40 ERA) will be on display in the series opener again tonight at the Great American Ballpark, with the Reds being a -130 favorite.
Burnett might have had his best stuff all season as he struck out a season high 12 batters, allowing only two runs over seven innings in a 4-2 win. Bailey had been sizzling hot before that game going 6-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his previous nine starts. In his last outing against the Pirates, he ended up giving up all four runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
We like the Pirates to grab tonight’s win, the Reds to win Saturday behind Bronson Arroyo, and then Gerrit Cole to continue his impressive September run and get the wild card home game clinching win on Sunday afternoon. That scenario is a big underdog as the Reds are a -170 favorite to win the series, but if liking the Pirates tonight -- as we do, taking them in the series at +150 is also a must.
Friday selections:
Pirates (Burnett) +120 at Reds
Rays (Hellickson) -115 at Blue Jays
Second-half record: 97-102 (+184)