Tuesday's MLB National League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies (-122, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse was just 4-6 with a 3.76 ERA on the road in 2013, compared to a 7-4, 2.97 mark at home.
Hot batting stat: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is 10-for 22 with a pair of homers in his career versus Lohse.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from left to right field at 16 mph.
Key betting note: Under is 12-3-1 in Milwaukee's last 16 games as a road underdog.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (-154, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Giants right-hander Tim Hudson threw 7 2/3 shutout innings with seven strikeouts to win his San Francisco debut.
Cold batting stat: Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero has just three hits in 16 career at-bats against Hudson, striking out five times.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s under clear skies with wind blowing out to center field at 8 mph.
Key betting note: Arizona is 3-13 in its last 16 series openers.
Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals (-184, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez dominated Miami in 2013, going 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts.
Hot batting stat: Washington outfielder Bryce harper his 5-for-10 with two homers against Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing from left to right field at 7 mph.
Key betting note: Marlins are 6-0 in their last six games against a left-handed starter.
New York Mets at Atlanta Braves (-135, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon was 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 14 road starts last season.
Hot batting stat: New York third baseman David Wright is batting 11-for-21 with seven RBIs lifetime against Braves starter Aaron Harang.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with cloudy skies and wind blowing from left to right field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Under is 6-1 in Atlanta's last seven Tuesday games.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs (113, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Cubs right-hander Edwin Jackson allowed just six home runs in 78 home innings a season ago.
Hot batting stat: Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is 8-for-21 with a pair of home runs against Jackson.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-40s with partly cloudy skies.
Key betting note: Pittsburgh is 9-2 in starter Charlie Morton's last 11 outings against teams with losing records.
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals (-137, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: The Reds are 16-5 in right-hander Homer Bailey's previous 21 Tuesday starts.
Hot batting stat: Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter has dominated Bailey, going 11-for-19 lifetime against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from left to right field at 8 mph.
Key betting note: Under is 6-1-1 in Bailey's last eight starts as an underdog.
Interleague
Chicago White Sox at Colorado Rockies (-120, 10)
Cold pitching stat: White Sox lefty Jose Quintana was roughed up for five runs over six innings in his first start of 2014.
Cold batting stat: Members of the Chicago roster are a combined 2-for-16 against Colorado starter Franklin Morales.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under clear skies with wind blowing from left to right field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: White Sox are 2-9 in their last 11 interleague road games.
Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers (115, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Detroit is 9-2 in right-hander Max Scherzer's last 11 starts as a road favorite.
Cold batting stat: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has just three hits in 17 lifetime at-bats versus Scherzer.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with clear skies.
Key betting note: Under is 14-3 in the Tigers' last 17 games as a road favorite.
Tuesday's MLB American League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees (-142, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova was 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA and two complete games against Baltimore last season.
Hot batting stat: Orioles slugger Chris Davis is batting .348 with three homers in 23 at-bats against Nova.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing out to center field at 14 mph.
Key betting note: Orioles are 8-2 in starter Wei-Yin Chen's last 10 Tuesday outings.
Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox (-139, 9.5)
Hot pitching stat: Rangers starter Martin Perez was 7-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 11 road starts in 2013.
Hot batting stat: Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre batted a scorching .524 (11-for-21) versus the Red Sox a season ago.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing out to center field at 15 mph.
Key betting note: Over is 15-5-1 in Boston starter Felix Doubront's last 21 outings as a home favorite.
Houston Astros at Toronto Blue Jays (-168, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle tossed 8 2/3 shutout innings to earn the win in his first start of the season.
Cold batting stat: Houston second baseman Jose Altuve is just 1-for-8 in his career against Buehrle.
Weather: N/A
Key betting note: Under is 22-4-1 in Buehrle's last 27 starts.
Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals (100, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Rays right-hander Chris Archer won his season debut, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven over six innings.
Cold batting stat: Tampa Bay outfielder Wil Myers was hitless in four at-bats last season against Kansas City - the team that drafted him in 2009.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s under clear skies with wind blowing in from left field at 10 mph and tapering off.
Key betting note: Under is 4-0 in Archer's last four starts against the American League Central.
Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners (-125, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Mariners left-hander James Paxton struck out nine over seven dominant innings to win his first start of 2014.
Cold batting stat: Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano is 1-for-7 lifetime versus Angels starter Hector Santiago.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with rain in the forecast and wind blowing out to center field at 13 mph.
Key betting note: Angels are 10-1 in their last 11 series-opening games.
Interleague
San Diego Padres at Cleveland Indians (OFF)
Cold pitching stat: The Indians as a team have issued 30 walks through 53 innings - the worst ratio in the majors.
Hot/Cold batting stat: Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera batted .313 in 67 interleague at-bats a season ago.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-40s with a 58 percent chance of rain and wind blowing from left to right field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Padres are 23-47 in their last 70 interleague games as an underdog.
MLB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers
The matchup between Dodgers and Tigers at Dodger Stadium is today's baseball betting focus. Dan Haren will toe the rubber for L.A. in this the first of a mini two game inter-league set. The righthander picked up a 'W' in his first start for L.A. going a strong 6 innings of 4 hit 1 run ball in Dodgers 5-1 win over Padres. Haren will be matching pitches with Detroit's Max Scherzer who is off an 8.0 inning gem vs KC allowing 4 hits no runs while striking out 7 but was tagged with a ND in Detroit's 2-1 victory. What should get the attention of sports handicappers keeping close tabs on regular season inter-league games is that Dodgers were a smart 7-3 at home hosting the Junior League last year. Those digging deeper will unearth Tigers have stumble when in a National League Park posting a 14-23 mark the past four years including 2-4 in Dodger Stadium. According to current odds at Bovada.lv the Dodgers are +$1.10 underdogs with the total set at 6.5.
Tigers head to L.A.
By Sportsbook.ag
Detroit Tigers (4-1) at Los Angeles Dodgers (5-3)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Detroit -115, Los Angeles +105, Total: 6.5
The two runners-up for their respective league championships, the Tigers and Dodgers, meet for a quick two-game series in L.A. starting Tuesday night.
Detroit has started its 2014 campaign out strong after losing to the eventual World Series champions, the Red Sox, in six games last season in the ALCS. The Tigers took their first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon, losing 3-1 to the Orioles, but were excited to see Torii Hunter explode for his third home run (7 RBI) of the three-game series. Los Angeles started the year off strong with wins in four of its first five games, but most recently lost a three-game set against the Giants this past weekend.
The Dodgers did pull out one win in the series on Sunday, winning 6-2 behind the strong pitching performance from Zack Greinke (6 IP, 2 ER, 8 K’s) who was backed by two home runs from both Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez. OF Yasiel Puig (thumb) did not play in the game and is considered day-to-day for now. Detroit will be sending reigning AL Cy Young Award winner RHP Max Scherzer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to toe the rubber after he earned the no-decision in his season debut despite pitching eight scoreless innings. Veteran RHP Dan Haren (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start for L.A. and also looked very impressive in his debut with the Dodgers, earning a win after allowing just one unearned run in his six innings. Bettors should take notice that when Haren is pitching at home with the total being 7.5 or less over the past two seasons, his team has a record of only 4-13. But, Detroit is a paltry 9-20 after batting .333 or better over a three-game span since the beginning of last season. These two teams do not face each other often, and June 22, 2011 was the last time they played. The Dodgers won that series 2-1 and are 9-6 against the Tigers since 2000.
Max Scherzer dominated the American League during the 2013 season, ranking 1st in wins (21), 5th in ERA (2.90), 1st in WHIP (0.97) and 2nd in strikeouts (240) on his way to his first career Cy Young Award. He also owned the Royals in his 2014 debut, striking out seven while allowing just four hits (0 ER) in eight innings, but came away with a no-decision. He has faced the Dodgers just five times over his career, putting together a 1-3 record (1-4 team record) and 4.55 ERA (1.20 WHIP). His last start came back in 2011 when he received a loss after surrendering six runs on nine hits while striking out just three in six frames.
OF Andre Ethier has given him the most trouble, going 6-for-15 (.400) with a home run. On the other hand, both OF Matt Kemp (0-for-16, 4 K’s) and 1B Adrian Gonzalez (3-for-17, 3 K’s) have had major trouble against Scherzer. The Tigers bullpen, which has been their crutch over the past few seasons, has pitched poorly to start the year, combining for a 6.08 ERA (1.65 WHIP) and converting only one of two save opportunities. Their offense has bailed them out thus far, though, as the relievers have combined for a 3-0 early season record despite the subpar numbers. Closer Joe Nathan (6.75 ERA, 1 save) blew that save last Wednesday for Detroit, but his team rallied back and eventually won the game by a score of 2-1.
The Dan Haren acquisition is looking that much better for the Dodgers now that their No. 1 starter, Clayton Kershaw, is on the DL. Haren did not disappoint in his first game with L.A. either, throwing six strong innings against the Padres, allowing one run (0 ER), four hits and striking out six with zero walks in the winning effort. He has actually seen his ERA rise from 3.17 to 4.33 to 4.67 over the past three seasons, so this season-opening outing was hopefully a sign of things to come for the 11-year veteran. Haren has started 12 times against the Tigers over his career, putting together a record of 5-4 (6-6 team record) with a 3.92 ERA (1.20 WHIP). His past two games against them have not been great though, as he has given up 17 hits and six runs in just 11.2 innings, while compiling an impressive 11-to-1 K-to-BB ratio.
Detroit’s top bats could run into trouble in this contest with 1B Miguel Cabrera (4-for-19, 3 K’s), OF Torii Hunter (1-for-11, 3 K’s), OF Austin Jackson (2-for-11) and 2B Ian Kinsler (8-for-36, 6 K’s) all hitting poorly against Haren. The one player who has done well in the matchup is DH Victor Martinez, who has gone 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles, a homer and 4 RBI when facing the righty. The Dodgers’ bullpen has been tremendous so far in the early going with a 2.79 ERA (1.24 WHIP) and 37 strikeouts (16 walks) in 29 innings pitched. Kenley Jansen (2.25 ERA, 2 saves) has already pitched in five games (4 IP), going 2-for-2 in save opportunities and striking out eight batters (18.00 K/9).
MLB Odds and Picks
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS -- The Cardinals and Reds have met four times already this season with St. Louis holding a 3-1 advantage. The Reds' 2-5 start isn't what they had in mind when the season began under new manager Bryan Price, who was supposed to be the answer for a team that couldn't seem to get over the hump with Dusty Baker. St. Louis is 4-3 on the year, but played the Reds and Pirates -- two playoff teams from last season -- to get there.
The Cardinals have to be ecstatic about their record not only because of who they played within the NL Central, but because their hitting has been well-below par. Last season they hit .269 and an astounding .330 with runners in scoring position. This season, they're hitting .199 -- one of four teams below the Mendoza line -- and only .167 with runners in scoring position. So to have a winning record with those numbers is a nice achievement.
The only player consistently hitting the ball has been 1B Matt Adams (.346), a player that may have been the biggest early question mark in their lineup. Matt Carpenter (.292) has been steady as well, but Matt Holliday (.222), Yadier Molina (.222) and Allen Craig (.115) have been well below their standards and the new arrivals Peter Bourjos (.111) and Jhonny Peralta (.083) haven't come close to matching expectations. Peralta's only two hits on the season have been home runs which is two more than Craig and Holliday.
However, things could get better for the Red Birds' bats tonight against Homer Bailey. They met Thursday at Cincinnati and got their best offensive output of the young season with seven runs and 11 hits. Bailey would last only 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs. He missed the final two weeks of spring training with a groin strain and worked three innings in Triple-A rehab assignment before Thursday's start.
In Bailey's final two starts against the Cardinals last season, he mowed them down in back-to-back pennant race games, 10-0 at St. Louis and 1-0 at Cincinnati. Can he be that pitcher again tonight, or can we expect one or two more shaky starts out of him as he continues to round into regular-season form?
The Cardinals will counter with Lance Lynn, who opposed Bailey on Thursday and got the win, but he wasn't very impressive himself, allowing eight hits -- two for hom runs -- and three runs while laboring in five innings with 107 pitches thrown. Early last season, Lynn won twice at home against the Reds, but in September at Cincinnati, his stat line was almost a carbon copy of Thursday's outing while taking a 6-2 loss.
Despite the offensive woes of both teams thus far, the two starters present a great opportunity for the bats to get healthy. The Cardinals are a -137 favorite with the total at 7 OVER -115. Let's go with the OVER.
Tuesday selections:
Reds/Cardinals OVER 7 (-115)
Tigers (Scherzer) -114 at Dodgers
Rangers (Perez) +127 at Red Sox
White Sox/Rockies OVER 10 (EV)