Wednesday's MLB National League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (-190, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Reds right-hander Mat Latos is 9-1 with a 2.89 ERA and .228 opposition batting average in 13 home starts.
Hot batting stat: Cincinnati OF Shin-Soo Choo is a .286 career hitter with two home runs in 14 at-bats against Mets righty Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The Reds are 10-1 in their last 11 Wednesday games.
Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals (-133, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has struggled against St. Louis in his career, going 0-2 with a 9.12 ERA and six home runs allowed over 25 2/3 innings.
Hot batting stat: Cardinals C Yadier Molina is a career .455 hitter in 11 at-bats versus Zimmermann.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: St. Louis is 5-0 in rookie starter Shelby Miller's last five outings on four days' rest.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs (+160, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 34 strkeouts in five career starts against the Cubs.
Cold batting stat: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is batting just .184 in 185 at-bats against lefties this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right-center field at 10 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 5-1 in Liriano's previous six starts as a road favorite.
Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves (-154, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse is just 3-6 with a 4.15 ERA and 13 home runs against in 15 starts away from Milwaukee.
Hot batting stat: Milwaukee OF Carlos Gomez is 8-for-19 with a home run lifetime against Braves starter Paul Maholm.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with a 65 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 14-3 in Lohse's last 17 starts against teams with winning records.
Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins (+126, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels was sensational in his previous start against the Marlins, limiting them to a run on four hits while racking up 11 strikeouts in a 6-1 win.
Hot batting stat: Miami OF Chris Coghlan is a career .346 hitter with two home runs in 26 at-bats against Hamels.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s, but with a 55 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms, the roof at Marlins Park may be closed. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: Philadelphia is 19-7 in Hamels' previous 26 Wednesday starts.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (-125, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy struggled in his only career start against his former team, surrendering six runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings of a 10-9 loss.
Cold batting stat: San Diego hitters are batting just 3-for-30 against Arizona starter Randall Delgado.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 6-1 in Delgado's last seven starts on four days' rest.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-130, 6.5)
Cold pitching stat: Dodgers righty Ricky Nolasco has surrendered 13 runs on 16 hits over his last two starts, spanning 6 1/3 innings.
Cold batting stat: Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez has struggled mightily against Gianst starter Madison Bumgarner, managing just two hits in 20 career at-bats.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 13 mph.
Key betting note: The Dodgers have won seven of Nolasco's last eight road starts.
Interleague
Boston Red Sox at Colorado Rockies (+160, 10)
Hot pitching stat: Rockies right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is 9-4 with a 3.77 ERA in 17 home starts this season.
Hot/Cold batting stat: Colorado 1B Todd Helton is a career .348 hitter with three homers in 46 at-bats versus Red Sox starter Jake Peavy.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 4-1-2 in Colorado's last seven Wednesday games.
Wednesday's MLB American League Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels (-137, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Angels right-hander Jered Weaver is 10-7 with a 2.27 ERA in 166 2/3 career innings versus the Athletics.
Cold batting stat: Athletics OF Coco Crisp is a career .146 hitter with zero home runs or RBIs and 10 strikeouts in 48 at-bats against Weaver.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Los Angeles is 8-0 in Weaver's last eight starts on 10 or more days of rest.
Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles (-152, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Bud Norris is 4-4 with a 5.06 ERA in 10 starts and two relief appearances since the All-Star break.
Hot batting stat: Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes has five hits in 13 all-time at-bats against Norris.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The over is 7-0 in umpire Chris Guccione's last seven games behind home plate involving Baltimore.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians (-265, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: White Sox righty Dylan Axelrod has been dreadful on the road, going 1-8 with a 7.36 ERA in 11 starts and four relief outings.
Cold batting stat: Indians OF Nick Swisher is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Axelrod, though he has walked twice.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 9 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 6-0 in Axelrod's last six starts as a road underdog.
Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (OFF, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Rays left-hander David Price is 5-3 with a 2.98 ERA and just six home runs allowed in 13 second-half starts.
Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay OF Matt Joyce and DH Luke Scott are a combined 14-for-33 against Yankees starter Phil Hughes.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: New York is 2-11 in Hughes' last 13 Wednesday starts.
Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (-280, 8.5)
Cold pitching stat: Rangers left-hander Martin Perez is 0-2 in three starts since reeling off a six-game winning streak.
Cold batting stat: Astros OF Chris Carter is batting .225 with 63 strikeouts in 142 at-bats against lefties so far this season.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: Houston is 1-11 in starter Dallas Keuchel's last 12 appearances on five days' rest.
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (OFF, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer is 8-2 with a 2.44 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings away from Detroit.
Hot batting stat: Detroit 3B Miguel Cabrera is batting a sizzling .440 with a homer and eight RBIs in 25 at-bats against Twins starter Kevin Correia.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.
Key betting note: The Twins are 3-13 in Correia's last 16 starts.
Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners (-109, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma has held opponents scoreless in three of his last four starts.
Hot batting stat: Seattle 2B Kyle Seager is hitting .277 with 14 homers in 310 at-bats against right-handers in 2013.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 9-1 in Seattle's last 10 Wednesday games.
Rays at Yankees: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (N/A)
The New York Yankees have absolutely no margin for error left. The Yankees are one loss - or one win by the Cleveland Indians - away from mathematical elimination and will try to stay alive when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The Rays are winners of five straight games and are leading the wild-card race, a game ahead of Cleveland and two clear of third-place Texas.
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff is allowing an average of two runs during its five-game winning streak and shut out New York 7-0 in the series opener on Tuesday. The Rays are closing out the season on the road and will finish up at last-place Toronto after wrapping up with the Yankees. New York pushed itself out of contention by dropping seven of its last 10 games.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the high 60s, partly cloudy skies and winds blowing north at 5 mph.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (8-8, 3.43 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Phil Hughes (4-13, 5.07)
Price is winless in his last five starts and failed to get through seven innings in the last two. The reigning Cy Young Award winner scattered two runs and nine hits over five innings in a no decision against Baltimore on Friday. Price’s last win came against New York on Aug. 24, when he surrendered two runs on five hits over six innings.
Hughes was pushed back into the rotation when CC Sabathia was shut down with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old has been working on a time-share in the fifth spot of the rotation with David Huff and will be looking to complete five innings for the first time since Aug. 20. Hughes was knocked around by Tampa Bay on July 28, allowing five runs on nine hits in four innings.
TRENDS:
* Over is 6-1 in Prices last seven road starts vs. Yankees.
* Yankees are 4-1 in Hughes' last five starts vs. Rays.
* Over is 3-1-1 in Hughes' last five starts vs. Rays.
* Rays are 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 5-2-1 in Prices last eight starts vs. Yankees.
UMP TRENDS - Mike Winters:
* Under is 7-3 in Winters' last 10 games behind home plate.
* Under is 13-6-1 in Winters' last 20 games behind home plate vs. New York.
* Road team is 4-0 in Winters' last four games behind home plate vs. Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS:
1. Rays CF Desmond Jennings (hamstring) missed the last two games and remains day-to-day.
2. New York has missed the playoffs once in the last 18 seasons (2008).
3. Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar (left ankle) and C Jose Lobaton (bruised right elbow) both left Tuesday’s series opener and are day-to-day.