Tuesday's National League Betting Cheat Sheet and Tips
By Covers.com
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (-115, OFF) (Game 1)
Cold pitching stat: Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo was chased from the game in his last start against the Cubs on June 26. The righty lasted just four innings, giving up eight hits, four walks and three earned runs en route to the 5-4 loss.
Hot batting stat: Cubs SS Starlin Castro is 13-for-31 in his career against Gallardo.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with cloudy skies and a 30 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 9 mph.
Key betting note: The Brewers are 12-2 in Gallardo's last 14 road starts versus a team with a losing record.
St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (OFF, OFF) (Game 1)
Hot pitching stat: Pirates starter A.J. Burnett is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his two starts versus the Cardinals this season.
Cold batting stat: Cards hitters have managed just six hits and a .136 average versus Burnett this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 2 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh.
San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies (-133, 9)
Cold pitching stat: Giants starter Barry Zito is 0-1 with a 7.02 ERA in four July starts.
Hot batting stat: Giants OF Jeff Francoeur is 15-for-28 (.536) lifetime versus Phillies starter John Lannan. He has six doubles, one homer and six RBIs.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly sunny skies and a 10 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The Phillies are 0-8 in their last eight overall.
Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves (-152, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Rockies starter Juan Nicasio is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his last two road starts.
Hot batting stat: Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki went 6-for-12 with two homers and a double in the Rockies' previous three-game series against Milwaukee.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 1 mph.
Key betting note: Rockies are 1-5 in Nicasio's last six starts versus the National League East.
New York Mets at Miami Marlins (-114, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Zack Wheeler is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA in four July starts. The Mets have won all four games.
Hot batting stat: Mets 1B Ike Davis is 3-for-8 (.375) with two homers and six RBIs in his career against Marlins starter Nate Eovaldi.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 8 mph. There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast, so the roof in Miami could be closed.
Key betting note: The Marlins are 4-10 in their last 14 games with umpire Joe West behind home plate.
St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (OFF, OFF) (Game 2)
Hot pitching stat: Cards starter Tyler Lyons is 0-3 with an 8.68 ERA in July.
Cold batting stat: Pirates slugger Pedro Alvarez hit his first homer of the season against Cardinals pitching Monday night.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 2 mph.
Key betting note: The Cardinals are 8-1 in their last nine second games of a double-header.
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (OFF, OFF) (Game 2)
Cold pitching stat: Scheduled Brewers starter Tyler Thornburg has a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in three July appearances.
Hot batting stat: Prior to Monday's game, Brewers SS Jean Segura was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple this season at Wrigley Field.
Weather: There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the low-70s with cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 9 mph.
Key betting note: The Brewers are 5-21 in their last 26 during Game 3 of a series.
Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres (+138, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Padres starter Edinson Volquez has not lasted longer than 5 1/3 innings in each of his previous four starts. He is 2-2 with a 7.84 ERA in those four starts.
Cold batting stat: The Padres roster has a collective batting average of .214 versus Reds starter Mat Latos.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Reds are 12-2 in Latos' last 14 starts during Game 2 of a series.
Interleague
New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers (-170, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke is 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA in five July starts.
Hot batting stat: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez is 6-for-10 with two doubles and three RBIs in his career versus Yankees starter Andy Pettitte.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Dodgers are 7-0 in their last seven Tuesday games.
Tuesday's American League Betting Cheat Sheet and Tips
By Covers.com
Houston Astros at Baltimore Orioles (-245, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: Astros starter Bud Norris has surrendered 21 hits, 16 earned runs and four homers in his last three starts. Houston has lost all three outings.
Cold batting stat: O's slugger Chris Davis has not homered in the Orioles' 10 games since the All-Star break.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 1 mph.
Key betting note: The Astros are 0-12 in Norris' last 12 road starts versus a team with a winning record.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians (-145, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Indians starter Scott Kazmir was excellent in his last start. He went eight innings giving up one hit en route to a 10-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on July 24.
Cold batting stat: White Sox OF Alex Rios is 8-for-40 (.200) lifetime versus Kazmir. Of the eight hits, however, Rios has two doubles, two triples and a homer.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The White Sox are 0-5 in the last five meetings.
Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox (-165, 10)
Cold pitching stat: Mariners starter Joe Saunders was hammered in his last outing. He gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 10-1 loss versus Cleveland.
Cold batting stat: Sox C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 1-for-11 (.091) in his career versus Saunders.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The Mariners are 8-0 in their last eight during Game 1 of a series.
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (-129, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: Rangers starter Derek Holland has given up eight earned runs in 12 2/3 innings over his two starts versus the Angels this season.
Hot batting stat: Angels 2B Howie Kendrick owns Holland. Kendrick is 16-for-43 (.372) with seven doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs in his career versus the Texas lefty.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 9 mph.
Key betting note: The Angels are 7-1 in SP C.J. Wilson's last eight starts.
Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins (+115, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Royals starter Ervin Santana is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two starts versus the Twins this season.
Cold batting stat: Royals 3B Miguel Tejada is 1-for-12 (.083) in his career versus slated Twins starter Mike Pelfrey.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Royals are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.
Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland A's (-153, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Jays hurler Mark Buehrle had his best outing of the season in his last start. Buehrle tossed a two-hit complete game in a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on July 25.
Hot batting stat: A's OF Coco Crisp is 16-for-49 (.327) with three homers in his career against Buehrle.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 11 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 6-1 in Buehrle's last seven road starts.
Interleague
Washington Nationals at Detroit Tigers (-130, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Nats ace Stephen Strasburg has given up one home run in each of his last four starts. He is 1-2 in those starts and the Nats are 1-3.
Cold batting stat: Nats OF Jayson Werth is 5-for-30 (.167) in his career versus Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 5-1-1 in Sanchez's last seven starts overall.
Arizona Diamondbacks at Tampa Bay Rays (-147, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: DBacks starter Ian Kennedy is 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA in his last four starts overall.
Hot batting stat: DBacks OF Jason Kubel is 14-for-38 (.368) with three homers and 11 RBIs lifetime versus Rays starter Roberto Hernandez.
Weather: Dome.
Key betting note: The Diamondbacks are 0-5 in Kennedy's last five interleague starts.
San Francisco at Philadelphia: Preview & Pick
Bovada.lv
Another matchup between southpaws highlights tonight’s baseball betting selection as the Philadelphia Phillies host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series in the City of Brotherly Love.
According to the current betting odds at Bovada, the Phillies are a -135 home favorite with a run total of 7.5. The betting odds are not so much an endorsement of Philadelphia, but more an indictment of how far the defending World Series champions have slipped.
Lefthander John Lannan will start for the Phillies, bringing a 2-4 record with a 4.13 ERA to the mound. In his last two starts at home, Lannan has dominated in notching a pair of victories, allowing just one earned run in 16 innings for an ERA of 0.56.
Fellow southpaw Barry Zito will handle the starting duties for the Giants, holding a 4-7 record with a 4.92 ERA. Zito is looking for his first victory in two months, having struggled with a 6.35 ERA over that stretch.
When Philadelphia has put a starting lefthander on the mound, the team is 8-3 in its last 11, including the last five in a row. Also the team is 6-1 in its last seven home games following a defeat, while Lannan is 4-1 at home in his first season with the team.
That defeat and the one before it, were batterings by the Detroit Tigers in which the Phillies gave up double digits in each contest. This season, when any major league team has given up more than eight runs in consecutive games, the team is 5-0 in its next game.
In contrast to such glowing numbers for Philadelphia, San Francisco must find a way to improve against lefthanders, which it is 4-11 against this year. Even with a lefty of its own on the mound, the Giants have problems, since the team is 1-8 in 2013 when Zito starts on the road.
San Francisco also needs to find a way to get runners home, having scored just once in its last outing, a 2-1 home loss to the Cubs. The team is just 4-8 in the next game after scoring one run or less.
Taking a team that has just endured consecutive poundings might not sound like solid baseball betting logic, but with the pitchers involved, it becomes easier to make this our Free MLB Pick for this afternoon as
Play Philadelphia -135
MLB Odds and Picks – Giants vs, Phillies, matchup of slumping teams, provides solid wagering opportunity
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS -- We’ve got 17 games on the MLB board today, including a doubleheader between the Cardinals and Pirates for NL Central supremacy and the rebirth of the classic Dodgers-Yankees rivalry. Those games may be the most attractive to watch today, but when gambling, it’s not about the most intriguing game, it’s about the mismatch where the largest perceived edge can be found.
The biggest edge today comes in a game between two teams going through some major problems. The Giants, losers of their last four, travel to Philadelphia to take on a Phillies squad that has dropped eight straight. This ugly game features individual players on both sides mired in horrific slumps, but the biggest slump of all comes from one of the most important players on the field – the pitcher. Specifically, the Giants’ Barry Zito.
Not only has Zito gone 0-4 with a 6.35 ERA over his last nine outings, he’s also winless on the road this season with an 0-6 record and 9.89 ERA in eight games. Opponents are hitting .426 against him in those road outings.
In Zito’s last road game, a 10-1 loss at San Diego, manager Bruce Bochy could only take two innings of Zito before yanking him after he gave up four runs. It was Zito’s shortest start in more than two years.
The Giants’ chances appear even worse tonight when considering how their bats have performed. Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to the Cubs marked San Francisco’ eighth loss in their last 11 games, a stretch during which they've scored only 22 runs and hit only one home run. Their top player, Buster Posey, hit that lone homer, but is in a 1-for-23 slump over his past eight games.
Before this awful stretch by the Giants, they were only 6.5 games out of first in the NL West, but the combination of them losing and the Dodgers winning has them 10 back, all alone in last place.
We hate laying a price (-119) with a Phillies squad that has lost eight games in a row and any hope of a return to the wild card race along with it. We speculated last month that the Phillies might be able to get themselves back in the hunt and become buyers at the trade deadline, but they’ll actually be sellers, dangling the big carrot of Cliff Lee for a contending team’s highest bid.
John Lannan (2-4, 4.13 ERA) takes the mound tonight for Philadelphia, and we think he can at least stymie the Giants’ slumping bats and hold a lead against Zito for six innings. Prior to the All-Star break, Lannan allowed only one run over 16 innings in two starts, but an 11-day wait for his next start threw him off his game. He gave up four runs in four innings in an 11-3 loss at St. Louis on Wednesday.
Lannan hasn’t faced the Giants since 2011, when he was a member of the Nationals. While he’s 0-1 in three starts vs. the Giants, he has managed to produce a very respectable 1.74 ERA against them.
With a half-game separating the Pirates from the Cardinals, it might seem like fun to have some action on A.J. Burnett against Lance Lynn this afternoon. But it's always more fun cashing a ticket – and the Phillies look like the best opportunity to make that happen.
Tuesday’s selections:
Phillies (Lannan) -119 vs. Giants
Mets (Wheeler) +117 at Marlins
Second-half record: 27-16 (+1,261)