James Patrick
White Sox vs. Twins
The Twins have to be very happy to see the Hubert H. Humphrey Dome as they are returning from a brutal road trip. Chicago has struggled in the Twin Cities as they have lost 6 of 8 recent meetings with the Twins in Minnesota and that includes 5 in a row. Minnesota is 18-5 in their recent home games and Monday’s starter Slowley is 6-1 in his home starts. Our Monday American League selection is Minnesota Twins.
Jimmy The Moose
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians
Prediction: Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are 11-1 in their last 12 games as a road favorite. In their last 29 games overall as a favorite Detroit is 23-6. Detroit has won their last 4 road games. In their last 28 games vs. a team with a losing record they are 21-7. Detroit is 10-2 in Rogers last 12 starts as a road favorite. In his last 42 starts as a favorite the Tigers are 31-11. The Indians are 7-16 in their last 23 games vs. a team with a winning record. In their last 30 games as an underdog they are 6-24. Cleveland has lost 6 of Byrd's last 7 starts. On the year the Indians are 5-14 when Byrd takes the mound. Play on the Detroit Tigers -.
Bryan Leonard
Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees
PICK: New York Yankees
The Yankees had their post All-Star game winning streak snapped last night in Boston, but that's probably good news here as they won't enter the game overconfident. New York has won 10 straight in Yankee Stadium and tonight they try to extend their recent surge against the Orioles.
Baltimore will start Jeremy Guthrie knowing that New York averages a solid 5.49 runs per game at home vs right-handed starters. The Orioles are just 3-8 in Guthrie's road starts. They are 2-3 in his last five road outings despite allowing just a single home run against Guthrie in those starts. As hot as the Yankee's lefties are right now we can't expect the Oriole righty to keep the ball in the park tonight.
The Yankees counter with veteran Mike Mussina who has been tremendous for most of the year. "The Moose" has produced 10 straight quality starts entering tonight and he has an amazing 31 to 3 strikeout to walk ratio his last five starts. He has now gone 10 straight starts of six innings or more as he continues to set up the Yankee bullpen to have success. With the back of the New York bullpen rested we can expect a solid pitching performance from the hosts tonight.
The number's a bit cheap considering how well the Yankees are playing and how good Mussina has been as of late.
PLAY NEW YORK
Scott Ferrall
Oakland and Braden -125 over Greinke and KC--The Royals starter is beginning to fade and they suck on the road
Texas +105 and Feldman over Seattle and Felix the King
Boston -145 and Dice K over the Angels--it's revenge time after they got swept out in Anaheim
Dodgers -200 and Kuroda over Correia and the Giants at the Revine. LA has to keep pace with Arizona so they'll get it done
Houston -155 over Cincy--Cueto isn't the same away from the Queen City and Oswalt is due for a good start
Atlanta -115 and Jo Jo Reyes upset the Cards and Braden Looper. The Barves are 11 games over .500 at Turner Fioeld and the Cards had a tiring series at Shea, so they'll be flat and sick of the road
This is Jim Feist
DET Tigers and CLE Indians
Take CLE Indians
The reeling Detroit Tigers leave the motor city with their tail between their legs after a beating they took by the White Sox. They look to get well here against the Indians, but that may be easier said then done. The Tigers send Kenny Rogers to the mound who is 8-6 on the season with a 4.55 era. However, against the Indians, he's has a lifetime 5.02 era and has allowed a batting average of .284. The Indians send Paul Byrd to the hill and he finally got a win after five consecutive losses. Byrd pitched a fine one earned run game against the Angels last time out for a 5-2 win. Against the Tigers, Byrd has really shined, with a 9-2 lifetime record and 3.54 era. Byrd has already beaten the Tigers once this year and we don't look for that trend to change here on Monday.
Dave Cokin
DET Tigers and CLE Indians
Take DET Tigers
The Tigers lost their weekend series to the White Sox but at least salvaged the finale. I like their chances of garnering some good results as they head to Cleveland to take on the towel-tossing Indians, who are in full fledged sell mode. Kenny Rogers should at least equal whatever the Tribe can count on from Paul Byrd, and the Detroit offense is vastly superior to that owned by the Indians. The price is very reasonable, so the Tigers are the selection.
DUNKEL
Seattle at Texas
The Rangers return home after a nine-game road trip and look to take advantage of Seattle's 2-5 record as a road favorite between -100 and -125. Texas is the underdog pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Texas (+110). Here are all of today's games.
MONDAY, JULY 28
Game 901-902: Colorado at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Hirsh) 16.251; Pittsburgh (Snell) 14.586
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+105); Over
Game 903-904: St. Louis at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Looper) 15.806; Atlanta (Morton) 14.757
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 10
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 905-906: NY Mets at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Maine) 15.435; Florida (Nolasco) 14.991
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Under
Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lilly) 14.794; Milwaukee (Sabathia) 15.209
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-185); Over
Game 909-910: Cincinnati at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.889; Houston (Oswalt) 14.715
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+150); Over
Game 911-912: Arizona at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Owings) 14.896; San Diego (Maddux) 15.595
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-110); Over
Game 913-914: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Correia) 13.671; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 16.087
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-200); Under
Game 915-916: LA Angels at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 15.974; Boston (Matsuzaka) 17.222
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-140); Under
Game 917-918: Baltimore at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 15.631; NY Yankees (Mussina) 15.372
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+155); Under
Game 919-920: Tampa Bay at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 14.941; Toronto (Burnett) 14.329
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+105); Under
Game 921-922: Detroit at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Rogers) 15.587; Cleveland (Byrd) 15.958
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+105); Over
Game 923-924: Seattle at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.275; Texas (Feldman) 16.317
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Seattle (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+110); Over
Game 925-926: Chicago White Sox at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago White Sox (Buehrle) 15.853; Minnesota (Slowey) 17.170
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+105); Over
Game 927-928: Kansas City at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Greinke) 13.701; Oakland (Braden) 14.903
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-125); Over
Bobby Maxwell
L.A. Angels +135 at BOSTON
The Angels are the best road team in baseball at 33-18 away from home. Boston got a late start with their Sunday night game against the Yankees and thus taking away any added benefit of playing at home and getting extra rest.
We'll play Los Angeles in this one as they are 10-3 the last 13 times they've been underdogs and they have won five straight against the Red Sox this season, including two in a row at Fenway.
Jered Weaver (8-8, 4.08 ERA) is on the mound for the Angels against the Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka (11-1, 2.63). Weaver has held the opposition to two runs or less in five straight starts and he's held the Red sox to three runs or less in four of his six career starts against them.
The Angels are 21-8 in their last 29 against teams with a winning record and 39-19 in their last 58 overall. We like the way this team is rolling right now and we'll take the plus-money with them tonight.
3♦ L.A. ANGELS
Alex Smart
New York Mets -116
The NY Mets enter into Mondays action against their hosts the Florida Marlins in red hot form having won 15 of their L/19 games overall . NY has also enjoyed playing in Dolphin Stadium, cashing tickets for their backers in 12 of their L/14 outings here. The Marlins, on the other hand, are operating at the proverbial opposite end of the performance spectrum, especially on offense, where their batting order is hitting just .188 during a current 8 game span.
The Mets positive momentum has a good chance of continuing as they send hurler John Maine (9-7, 4.20 ERA) out to hill to face a Marlins team he has had success against in the recent past . The right hander recorded a 3-0 record along with a stingy 2.45 ERA in his four outings against the Marlins during his 2007 campaign, and will primed and motivated to stop them again in this spot.
Meanwhile ,his pitching opponent Ricky Nalasco (10-6, 3.99 ERA)is in a bit of funk, losing his last two outings since the all star break, allowing 9 runs on 15 hits in just 12 innings of work. The former Rialto High School star has not faired well at home in the past against the Mets, registering a 0-2 record along with a ugly looking 9.00 ERA in four appearances ( 2 starts).
The Mets are currently operating on all cylinders, making them good bets against any team in the National League right now.
Final notes & Key Trends: Mets are 22-5 in Maines last 27 starts vs. National League East. Marlins are hitting just .237 at home this season. The Mets David Wright owns a powerful .408 BA in his last 24 games in this series.
Play on the NY Mets
Steve Janus
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Play: Tampa Bay Rays
There's always good value on the Rays when James Shields takes the mound for them. Tampa Bay is 6-1 in his last seven starts overall. The Rays have also played up to their competition and the proof is in their 11-3 record in their last 14 games against a team with an overall winning record. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have gone just 2-5 in their last seven games when AJ Burnett starts against a team with an overall winning record.
JB's Computer Picks
Minnesota Twins -115
Oakland Athletics -125
Los Angeles Dodgers -200
Big Al McMordie
Arizona D-Backs vs. San Diego Padres
Play: San Diego Padres
At 10:05pm our complimentary selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Veteran righthander and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux has gone an incredible thirteen starts without a victory and in more than one of those outings, he has been the victim of weak run support, poor defense, and sub-par relief pitching from his teammates. But he has continued to stay focused and has really pitched pretty well through this unfortunate streak, keeping his ERA only slightly above four runs per game, despite only three wins on the season. Tonight could be the night that Maddux breaks through against a D-Backs team that has struggled on the road this season. After being demoted to the bullpen earlier in the month, 25-year-old righthander Micah Owings returns to the rotation for this start. Owings was having problems with his mechanics which seemingly has turned him from an extremely effective starter to a pitcher struggling to gain his control in the second half of only his second season in the Majors. He has been working with pitching coach Brian Price on this mechanical problem and there's no way to know whether the work has paid off until Owings steps on the mound tonight. With trade rumors swirling around veteran Maddux (the most likely scenario has him going to division rival Los Angeles), expect him to come out and put on a clinic this evening and earn his first victory since May 10. Take the Padres.
Carlo Campanella
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres
The Padres start Greg Maddux on the mound to host Arizona on Monday. At 42 years-old, Maddux isn't the same pitcher he once was, clearly indicated by his 3-8 record this season. In fact, SD has lost 5 of his last 6 trips to the mound, including 4 in a row. His arm is feeling the ware and tear as this is his 23rd start of the year and he has been knocked out in 6 Innings or less in 16 of his first 22 starts. Arizona already shelled Maddux, 9-0, back on April 18 and things only get worse as the arm gets more tired.
Play on: Arizona
Vegas Experts
Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros
Cincinnati simply got owned over the weekend, by Colorado of all teams and at home no less. Sunday's 11-0 setback was pretty much the capper and tonight they begin a new series against Houston and Roy Oswalt, who has absolutely owned the Reds throughout his career. How dominant has Oswalt been against his division rival? How about 18-1 lifetime? Astros took both earlier season meetings as well.
Play on: Houston
Gina
Chicago Cubs (61-44) at Milwaukee Brewers (60-45)
The Chicago Cubs have played horrible away from home, dropping 13 of their last 19 road games. The Cubs will have a big task facing Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia (10-8, 3.30) tonight in Milwaukee, who is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his last three starts.
Go with Milwaukee at Miller Park with CC Sabathia on the hill. The Brewers have won nine of their last 11 games and are 4-0 in lefthander CC Sabathia last 4 starts. Chicago's Ted Lilly (10-6, 4.49), is 1-2 with a 5.64 ERA in five outings, including four starts versus Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers -175