Monday's MLB National League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins (+105, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay defeated the Marlins last week, limiting them to a run on four hits over six innings of a 6-4 triumph.
Hot batting stat: Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton is 7-for-23 with a pair of homers lifetime versus Halladay.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with a 60 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms, so the roof at Marlins park may be closed. Wind will blow out to center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 24-5-1 in Halladay's last 30 road starts.
Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves (OFF, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Braves lefty Mike Minor has a 2.60 ERA and has limited Milwaukee to a .186 batting average in three starts against the Brewers.
Cold batting stat: Atlanta 2B Dan Uggla has just one hit in 11 career at-bats versus Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Brewers are 8-2 in Estrada's previous 10 starts on five days' rest.
New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (-240, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto was strong in his return from a lengthy DL stint, tossing five shutout innings in a 6-1 win over Houston.
Hot batting stat: Cincinnati OF Ryan Ludwick is a career .389 hitter with three home runs and nine RBIs in 36 at-bats against Mets starter Aaron Harang.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The under is 5-0-1 in Cueto's last six Monday starts.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs (+115, OFF)
Cold pitching stat: Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija is 3-3 with a 4.98 ERA and 10 home runs allowed in 12 starts since the All-Star break.
Cold batting stat: Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen has zero home runs, zero RBIs and nine strikeouts in 22 career at-bats versus Samardzija.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 7 mph.
Key betting note: Chicago is 1-7 in its last eight home games against teams with winning road records.
Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals (-165, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Tanner Roark has won all three of his starts as a rookie, allowing just two runs over 19 innings in that span.
Hot pitching stat: Cardinals righty Adam Wainwright is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 22 strikeouts over his past three starts.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s under clear skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 7-1 in the Cardinals' last eight encounters with the National League East.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (-115, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon McCarthy is 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA and one walk over his previous five starts.
Cold batting stat: Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt has just three hits in 15 career at-bats versus Padres left-hander Eric Stults.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 7-1 in San Diego's last eight home games against teams with losing road records.
Monday's MLB American League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays (-130, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Wei-Yin Chen is 3-4 with a 4.93 ERA - two runs higher than his first-half mark - in 12 starts since the All-Star break.
Cold batting stat: Members of the Baltimore roster have just five hits in 34 combined at-bats against Rays starter Chris Archer.
Weather: Dome.
Key betting note: Baltimore is 8-2 in Chen's last eight starts against teams with winning records.
Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (-285, 9)
Cold pitching stat: Rangers left-hander Derek Holland has struggled in September, going 0-2 with a 7.91 ERA in three starts this month.
Cold batting stat: Houston's Brandon Barnes, Matt Dominguez and Brett Wallace are a combined 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts against Holland.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with clear skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Houston is 4-25 in starter Jordan Lyles' last 29 outings against teams with winning records.
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (OFF, OFF)
Cold pitching stat: Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey is 1-6 with a 5.06 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break.
Hot batting stat: Tigers 1B Prince Fielder has dominated his matchup with Pelfrey, going 8-for-23 with three homers and 11 RBIs against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 11 mph.
Key betting note: Detroit is 1-7 in right-hander Justin Verlander's last eight starts.
Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox (-125, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in four career starts against the Blue Jays.
Hot batting stat: Chicago SS Alexei Ramirez is 9-for-21 with two doubles and three RBIs versus Toronto this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Chicago has lost nine of its last 10 games against American League East opponents.
Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels (OFF, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Oakland right-hander A.J. Griffin is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 30 strikeouts in four September starts.
Hot batting stat: Angels OF Mike Trout is batting .299 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in 16 games versus the Athletics in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 7-0 in Angels right-hander Garrett Richards' last seven home starts.
Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners (+125, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Seattle right-hander Brandon Maurer has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits over 9 1/3 innings in September.
Hot batting stat: Mariners 2B Kyle Seager is hitting .444 with two doubles and a homer in 18 at-bats against the Royals this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with a 60 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 11 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 4-0-2 in Maurer's last six starts.
Top 3 Hot Pitchers On The Mound Monday
By Covers.com
Baseball's final week starts Monday and there are three pitchers that will take the mound that have been saving their best work for the September run.
If you're looking to get some final regular season bets in, here are three hurlers that could be worth a look Monday.
A.J. Griffin, Oakland A's (14-9, 3.78 ERA)
The big righthander has put together an excellent September going 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA, compared to 1-2 with a 4.13 ERA in August. He still leads all AL pitchers in homers allowed as he's given up a whopping 35. He's given up three taters in September, but has fanned 30 batters in 26 innings of work, which is easily his best K/9 rate this year.
The A's send Griffin to the mound Monday to face the Los Angeles Angels.
Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (17-9, 2.98 ERA)
The Cards' righty has rebounded from a poor (by his standards) August with a 2-1 record and 3.14 ERA in four September starts. He's strung together three excellent starts in a row and is 2-0 over that stretch.
Wainwright will toe the rubber Monday as the Cards host the Washington Nationals.
Brandon McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks (5-9, 4.57 ERA)
McCarthy has saved his best for last. The righty is 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in the month and has pitched the DBacks to victories over the Dodgers and Giants. He tossed nine innings of work on Sept. 2 versus the Jays but was a hard-luck loser in a 4-1 decision.
The Diamondbacks are in San Diego to face the Padres Monday night. McCarthy is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts versus the Friars this season.
MLB Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Washington Nationals at St Louis Cardinals
The St Louis Cardinals hoping to build their lead atop the NL Central have ace Adam Wainwright schedule to take the ball when they open a three-game set against Nationals. Cardinals put this one in the win column knowing they're already 3-0 vs Nationals this season including a shutout win with Wainwright taking the ball. This being the first home game of the series sets up nicely for the Cardinals as they're 18-5 opening a set at Busch Stadium including an impressive 8-2 off a road swing. Cardinals 13-3 last five years hosting Nationals move a step closer to clinching the division title.
MLB Odds and Picks - Nationals looking to stay alive against Cardinals
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
The Cardinals swept the Nationals in a three-game series in Washington back in April, their only meeting during the season. Yesterday, the Cardinals clinched a playoff birth when the Nationals lost the first game of a double-header which now puts Washington in a do-or-die situation. They are five games back from the second wild card with six games to go, but this is nothing new for them. Their backs have been up against the wall for the last two months, and they have played brilliantly.
Adam Wainwright (17-9, 2.98 ERA) is a -163 home favorite tonight against rookie right-hander Tanner Roark (7-0, 1.08 ERA). Wainwright beat the Nationals 2-0 in one of their April meetings and is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his past three starts coming into tonight.
Even though the Cardinals have secured a playoff spot, the Cardinals' main goal is winning the NL Central where they currently hold a two-game advantage over the Pirates and Reds. This is a huge series for the Cardinals as the Pirates play the Cubs and the Reds hook-up with the Mets. For the Nationals, it's win or the season is over.
Since being inserted into the starting rotation, Roark has won three times and posted an ERA of 0.95. On Tuesday, he went seven innings in a 4-0 win over the Braves.
We like the desperation mode in the Nationals that has seen them win 30 of their last 42 games, and if there is one team they would like to stick it to, it might be the Cardinals who knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
Monday selections:
Nationals (Roark) +153 at Cardinals
Rays (Archer) -129 vs. Orioles
Astros (Lyles) +230 at Rangers
Second-half record: 95-98 (+384)