Wednesday's MLB National League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers (-225, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Cubs right-hander Edwin Jackson has struggled of late, going 0-2 in his previous four starts while surrendering 20 runs over that stretch.
Hot batting stat: Chicago C Dioner Navarro has seven hits in 15 career-at bats against Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco, with two double and a homer.
Weather: Clear skies are expected with temperatures in the mid-80s. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The Dodgers are 8-1 in their last nine Wednesday games.
Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (-161, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton is enjoying his best stretch of the season, posting four consecutive quality starts while allowing just seven runs over 27 2/3 innings in that span.
Cold batting stat: Pittsburgh 3B Pedro Alvarez is 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in his career against Brewers starter Tom Gorzelanny.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with a 60 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms that will taper off by 8 pm. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 14-3 in Morton's last 17 home starts.
Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals (-260, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg had one of the worst starts of his career in his last encounter with Miami, lasting just two innings while allowing seven runs on five hits and four walks.
Hot batting stat: Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton has had the upper hand on Strasburg to date, going 7-for-17 with two homers and five RBIs in his career.
Weather: There is a 35 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s while wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The under is 6-1-1 in Strasburg's last eight Wednesday starts.
Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets (+137, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels has surrendered a paltry 10 runs over his last six starts, though he's only 1-1 over that stretch.
Cold batting stat: Hamels has dominated Mets OF Lucas Duda, who is just 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow out to left field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Mets have lost seven consecutive games against left-handed starters.
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals (-149, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Reds right-hander homer Bailey is just 3-9 with a 5.61 ERA in 15 career starts against the Cardinals.
Cold batting stat: Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright is one of the few pitchers to have contained Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto, holding him to three hits in 23 at-bats against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-80s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: Cincinnati has lost Bailey's last seven road starts against St. Louis.
San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies (-104, 9)
Hot pitching stat: Giants right-hander Madison Bumgarner was masterful in his last encounter with the Rockies, limiting them to a run on four hits over seven innings of a 5-2 win.
Hot batting stat: San Francisco C Buster Posey has seven hits in 13 career at-bats against Colorado starter Jhoulys Chacin.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The Giants have won just twice in their last 14 Wednesday games.
San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (-177, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Diamondbacks right-hander Wade Miley has surrendered three runs or fewer in 14 of his last 15 starts, and has given up just three home runs in his previous seven outings.
Hot batting stat: Giants SS Everth Cabrera has eight hits - including a triple and a homer - in 14 career at-bats against Miley, and went 2-for-3 with a walk in their last encounter June 15.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-90s under mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 6-0 in umpire Cory Blaser's last six games behind home plate.
Interleague
Cleveland Indians at Atlanta Braves (-112, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Indians right-hander Justin Masterson has been strong in back-to-back road starts, allowing four runs over 14 1/3 innings against Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels.
Hot batting stat: Braves OF B.J. Upton is 4-for-10 with a home run and four walks in his career against Masterson.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: Cleveland has won 12 of its last 15 games against a lefty starter.
Wednesday's MLB American League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners (-153, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez allowed five runs over five innings in his last encounter with the Rangers, falling to 12-19 against them in his career.
Hot batting stat: Rangers OF David Murphy is a .329 career hitter with three homers and 16 RBIs in 73 at-bats against Hernandez.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s under mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: Seattle is 1-9 in Hernandez's last 10 home starts against teams with winning records.
Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers (-161, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Doug Fister is 5-4 with a 2.45 ERA and just three home runs allowed in 66 career innings against the Athletics.
Hot batting stat: Detroit OF Torii Hunter, the only Tigers batter to have faced Athletics starter Dan Straily, is 4-for-7 with a pair of solo home runs against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Detroit has won seven consecutive Wednesday games.
New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays (+123, 9)
Cold pitching stat: Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda has been dreadful in back-to-back road starts, surrendering 12 runs over 11 2/3 innings in losses to Boston and Tampa Bay.
Hot batting stat: Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes is 7-for-15 with a double and two triples in his career against Kuroda.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 22-5-1 in Kuroda's last 28 road starts.
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (-141, 9.5)
Hot pitching stat: Red Sox right-hander John Lackey is 12-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 142 1/3 career innings against the Orioles.
Hot batting stat: Every member of the Boston roster to have faced Orioles starter Bud Norris has at least one hit against him except for OF Jacoby Ellsbury, who is 0-for-4.
Weather: There will be a 25 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms at gametime. Temperatures will be in the low-70s with wind blowing from right to left field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 9-1-1 in Lackey's last 11 starts against a team with a winning record.
Los Angeles Angels at Tampa Bay Rays (-161, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Rays right-hander Chris Archer is coming off back-to-back impressive outings, allowing a combined three runs on eight hits in 14 innings against the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.
Hot batting stat: Angels OF Mike Trout will bat better than .300 for a career-best fourth consecutive month.
Weather: Dome.
Key betting note: The under is 11-2 in Tampa Bay's last 13 Wednesday games.
Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins (+122, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Royals left-hander Bruce Chen is coming off consecutive rough outings against Detroit and Washington, surrendering 13 runs over nine innings in that span.
Cold batting stat: Twins 1B Justin Morneau is 5-for-22 with seven strikeouts in his career against Chen.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: Kansas City is 6-0 in Chen's last six Wednesday starts.
Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox (-205, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Astros right-hander Jarred Cosart has yet to allow more than three runs in any of his first seven major-league starts.
Cold batting stat: Members of the Houston roster are a combined 7-for-38 with 16 strikeouts against Chicago starter Chris Sale.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 10 mph.
Key betting note: Chicago is 6-1 in Sale's last seven home starts against a team with a losing record.
Wednesday's Top Action
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Yankees at Blue Jays
Probables: H. Kuroda (11-9, 2.71 ERA) vs. T. Redmond (1-2, 4.44 ERA)
Series recap: Toronto captured the series opener on Monday, 5-2 to snap a 10-game skid to New York. However, the Yankees rebounded with a bang last night by blasting four homers in a 7-1 victory as a short road favorite. Each of the last five meetings between these AL East rivals has finished 'under' the total.
Current trends: The Yankees have drilled the 'under' in seven of the last eight games overall, while Hiroki Kuroda has hit the 'under' in 10 of his past 11 starts. The Jays have split their last 10 home contests, while posting a 1-6 record in the previous seven games against AL East opponents.
Athletics at Tigers
Probables: D. Straily (6-7, 4.56 ERA) vs. D. Fister (11-6, 3.54 ERA)
Series recap: The A's have stepped up in the first two games of this series by beating the Tigers as heavy road underdogs. Oakland held off Detroit in the opener, 8-6, while following up with a 6-3 victory in a rain-shortened six-inning game last night. The 'over' has hit in each of the last four meetings between these clubs.
Current trends: Oakland is riding a 6-1 'over' run the last seven games, while winning four of its last six Game 3's of a road series. The Tigers have dropped four of their last five home contests, with each defeat coming as a $1.60 favorite or higher.
Orioles at Red Sox
Probables: B. Norris (9-10, 4.22 ERA) vs. J. Lackey (8-11, 3.17 ERA)
Series recap: Boston crushed Baltimore on Tuesday, 13-2 to easily cash as a $1.25 home favorite. The Red Sox have won each of the last three meetings with the Orioles, as Boston has scored at least five runs in each of those victories.
Current trends: The Orioles have struggled recently in the second game of a series, losing eight of the previous 10 in this situation (seven losses in favorite role). Boston has cashed the 'under' in 12 of John Lackey's last 13 starts overall, while the Red Sox own a 2-5 record in his past seven outings.
Angels at Rays
Probables: G. Richards (4-5, 3.95 ERA) vs. C. Archer (7-5, 2.93 ERA)
Series recap: Los Angeles stunned Tampa Bay with two runs in the top of the ninth inning of last night's 6-5 road triumph as a $1.25 underdog. The victory was the first in the last seven meetings against the Rays, as each of those six losses by the Angels actually came at home.
Current trends: The Angels have won five straight road games, including four in the underdog role. The Rays are suffering through a three-game skid, which has interestingly enough come against three different teams (Yankees, Royals, and Angels). Tampa Bay has won eight of its last 10 Game 2's at Tropicana Field.
Indians at Braves
Probables: J. Masterson (14-9, 3.50 ERA) vs. P. Maholm (9-10, 4.51 ERA)
Series recap: Atlanta blanked Cleveland, 2-0 last night as a $1.30 home favorite, the ninth home series opening victory in the last 10 tries. The Braves have split their last 10 games against American League competition, while hosting the Indians for the first time since 2004.
Current trends: The Indians have hit the 'under' in six of their last seven games overall, including four straight on the highway. After winning his first two starts in the road underdog role, Justin Masterson is just 1-6 in his past seven trips to the mound in this situation. Since the All-Star break, the Braves own a sterling 14-2 record at Turner Field.
Reds at Cardinals
Probables: H. Bailey (8-10, 3.71 ERA) vs. A. Wainwright (15-7, 2.58 ERA)
Series recap: The Cardinals are starting to distance themselves from the Pirates and Reds inside the NL Central race. St. Louis captured another victory over Cincinnati last night, cruising to a 6-1 triumph as a short home underdog, while the total stayed 'under' eight.
Current trends: The Redbirds have won eight of the last 10 meetings with Cincinnati, while putting a together a 7-2 record the past nine home contests. Cincinnati has dropped four of its last five games away from the Great American Ballpark, all against division opponents. The Reds are trying to avoid their third losing streak of four games this season, with each of the first two skids also coming on the road.
MLB Odds and Picks – Do we try again with the Reds?
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS – Our original intention today was either to stroll to the cashiers’ window or right off the cliff by riding the Reds and hope they show at least something in their critical three-game series with the Cardinals. We supported them the first two games, and felt really good Tuesday behind Mat Latos, but Cincy has now lost two straight in this series and three in a row overall to fall 4.5 games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis.
The Cardinals are showing right now why they are the best team in the division, and it gets easier for them when their closest competitors are losing. Like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh is on a three-game losing streak and has fallen 1.5 out of first place. The Pirates and Cards meet up this weekend in Pittsburgh for a three-game series that could put Pittsburgh and Cincinnati even further back.
The initial belief today was that the Reds wouldn’t go down like this. Getting swept at St. Louis at the most pivotal stage of the season? Really? We have a lot of respect for the Reds’ brand of baseball, and they haven’t been swept at Busch Stadium in almost five years. The Reds get even more attractive when looking at their +145 price tonight against Adam Wainwright. Although Wainwright (15-7, 2.58 ERA) is going for his NL-leading 16th win of the season, he has been beatable, especially when facing the Reds.
But the big stop sign on the way to bet window came when scrolling through the career stats of Homer Bailey (8-10, 3.71 ERA) at Busch Stadium. He’s been absolutely dreadful with an 0-5 record and 6.90 ERA in seven starts at St. Louis. That includes two loses this season, over which he gave up 11 runs and 18 hits, including four homers, in 10 1/3 innings.
Since he threw his second career no-hitter on July 2 against the Giants, the Reds have gone 4-5 in nine games behind Bailey, including a loss in his last start at home against the Brewers. He’s not a pitcher who can be trusted right now, especially against the best-hitting team in the league.
While we don’t recommend taking the Reds today – even though we hope they show some fight – we do think Bailey is primed to help this game get OVER the total, just like his past four starts have done. For all of Wainwright’s greatness this season, he’s split his two starts against the Reds on the year, and the Reds have won four of the last six games against him, including three straight in St. Louis. They can hit him, but we still don’t trust Bailey enough to back Cincy today.
Tonight’s total is posted at 7.5, and with the help of Bailey continuing his trend, and maybe Joey Votto finally taking the bat off his shoulder and swinging, the best play in this game looks to be the OVER.
Yankees to pound Jays again?
The good news for the Yankees tonight is that Hiroki Kuroda (11-9, 2.71 ERA) has gone 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA over his last five starts against the Blue Jays. The bad news is that Kuroda has lost his past three road starts and comes off the worst performance of his career.
On Friday, he gave up a career worst-tying seven runs and four homers during six innings in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss at Tampa Bay. Over his past four starts, his season ERA has risen from a league-leading 2.38 to 2.71, as he’s surrendered 13 runs.
Now, back to the good news: the Yankees are laying -135, a low price reflective of Kuroda’s current struggles, and 28-year-old rookie right-hander Todd Redmond takes the mound for Toronto. In his last start Friday – against baseball’s worst team, the Astros – Redmond lasted just 3 1/3 innings and got shelled for eight runs off of eight hits and three walks, in a game the Blue Jays lost, 12-4. It was the Jays’ fourth-straight loss behind Redmond.
The Yankees have won five of their six against the Blue Jays – all within the last week – and, just 4.5 games behind Oakland for a wild-card spot, still have hope of the postseason motivating them. We like the Yankees here and think we’ll see a high-scoring game.
Wednesday selections:
Reds/Cardinals OVER 7.5 (-110)
Yankees (Kuroda) -135 at Blue Jays
Yankees.Blue Jays OVER 8.5 (-105)
Angels (Richards) +165 at Rays
Giants (Bumgarner) -105 at Rockies
Second-half record: 71-61 (+1,522)