MLB Systems that circle the bases
By Doug Upstone
Winning at baseball betting comes in many shapes and sizes. One method to consider is baseball systems, since you don’t have a point spread involved and just have to win the game to win the money. For Thursday uncovered four strong MLB systems that could well provide delectable results.
Chicago Cubs at Seattle 3:40E
Two crummy teams presently headed in opposite directions are the Cubs and Mariners. Chicago (31-40) has dropped four of five to AL West teams and has fallen into third place tie with Milwaukee in the NL Central. Seattle (30-41) on the other hand has strung together six straight wins and moved to within 2.5 games of vacating the basement of their division.
The Mariners go after their longest win streak since they won eight straight from June 23-July 1, 2007, giving the ball to Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.39 ERA), who is back to pitching like King Felix in his last couple of outings (17 2/3 innings, three runs allowed). Seattle is a -156 money line favorite and the M’s and Hernandez are 19-4 in June when he is the starter. You have to like the Mariners chances since home teams having won six or more consecutive contests in June are 112-44 the last 13 years including 7-1 this season.
Florida at Baltimore 7:05E
This isn’t exactly news like a United States general has been removed from his duty, as the Baltimore Orioles (19-52) pitching staff continues to give up hits at an alarming rate. O’s pitchers have been touched for 69 base hits in their last six outings, permitting 6.5 runs per game in losing five of six. The past three contests have been especially egregious, as 26 opposing runners have touched home plate.
It’s not like Baltimore has a tremendous offense to offset their pitching woes, ranked 12th in on-base percentage in the American League at .310, averaging a league low 3.3 RPG. Oddsmakers have this contest set for 9.5 total and in this spot look to go below the number as AL teams with on-base percentage .310 or worse on the season, having allowed seven runs or more three straight games are 38-12 UNDER.
St. Louis at Toronto 7:07E
The Blue Jays are like basketball team that lives and dies with the three-point shot. When it goes in the basket, the club looks awesome, when it does not, they definitely come up short. Toronto (38-34) leads all of baseball with 108 home runs; however they are dead last in the AL in batting average (.239) and on-base percentage (.307).
As good as the Jays starting pitching has been, St. Louis (40-31) is the type of team that can match or surpass Toronto’s pitchers and keep their bats under control like they have the first two games of the series. With the Blue Jays a +116 home underdog against Adam Wainwright (10-4, 2.23) and Redbirds, consider playing against underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher, with below average AL hitting team (BA .265 or less), against a good NL starting pitcher with an ERA of 3.70 or lower, who are batting .250 or worse over their last 20 games. The favorite in this situation is 97-28 since 1997.
Pittsburgh at Texas 8:05E
The Texas Rangers (43-38) are hotter than the midday Dallas summer sun with 10 consecutive victories. The same cannot be said about Pittsburgh (25-46), who has been a victim on the road 13 games in a row. The Texas bats are afire, scoring 6.4 RPG in this streak and will face ground-ball pitcher Jeff Karstens (2-2, 4.72).
Rangers’ hitters battered the first two Pirates pitchers for 13 runs last night, forcing them to use five relievers over the last eight innings. Karstens has to pinpoint the ball to be effective and only has walked 11 batters in seven starts; however he can’t overpower opponents either, as his total of 19 strikeouts proves.
The Rangers are a Texas-sized -250 ML favorite to sweep the series and underdogs of +150 or more, with a starting pitcher who strikes out three or less batters per start, after a game where the bullpen threw six or more innings are dreadful 10-58.
All systems from the Foxsheets.