Bobby Maxwell
Who would have thought the D'Rays would be getting this kind of pitching and be at the top of the A.L. East standings? No matter, a month into the season they've looked like the best team in the division and tonight have James Shields (3-1, 2.54 ERA) going up against the Red Sox and ace Josh Beckett (2-2, 4.10)
We're going to take the plus-money on the red-hot D'Rays in this one. Tampa Bay is 6-6 on the road this season after a 32-85 run on the highway over the last couple seasons.
This pitching matchup is a rematch from last weekend when Shields outdueled Beckett in Tampa Bay. Shields threw a complete-game two-hitter, walking one and striking out seven in the 3-0 Devil Rays' win. Going back to last season he has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts and the DRays are 9-3 in his last 12 outings.
In Shields' lone start at Fenway last season he allowed one run in six innings but lost 3-0.
Sunday, Beckett gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings to the DRays and lost. He is now 3-3 with a 3.72 ERA in six career starts against Tampa Bay.
A couple of hot pitchers on the hill, but we're siding with Shields to keep this Tampa Bay run going. This is a good young team and while they might fade down the second-half stretch, they are serving notice they're going to be around for a few seasons.
Get that plus-money and play the DRays in this one.
3* TAMPA BAY
JIM FEIST
Philadelphia is an offensive park, a tough place to pitch in. That's bad news for San Francisco hurler Matt Cain, who has control troubles. Cain has walked 23 batters in 32 innings, with a poor 29-23 K/BB ratio. He's had a lot of trouble with this talented Philly lineup, at 0-2 with a 9.69 ERA against the Phillies, walking 11 in 13 innings. The Phillies have their offense clicking, on a 6-4 run over the total. Philly righty Brett Myers has struggled with a 5.11 ERA and in his career he's 1-3 with an 8.53 ERA against the Giants. Look for an offensive duel with these shaky pitchers in this small park.
Play the Giants/Phillies over the total!
Tony Mathews
Matchup: Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins
Selection: Detroit/Minnesota Over 9.5
Explanation: We expect a high-scoring game as the Detroit Tigers face-off against the Minnesota Twins in Saturday's MLB contest.
The Detroit Tigers will use starting pitcher Justin Verlander. Justin Verlander has struggled this season. In fact, Justin Verlander has a 6.50 ERA on the season. We see Justin Verlander giving up many runs once again tonight.
The Minnesota Twins will use starting pitcher Scott Baker. Scott Baker has also struggled this season. In fact, Scott Baker has a 4.50 ERA on the season. We see Scott Baker also giving up many runs once again tonight.
The Over is a Perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams, and we see both these teams scoring many runs once again tonight!
Take the Detroit Tigers/Minnesota Twins Over 9.5
PLATINUM PLAYS
Magic & Pistons Under
MIKE WYNN
Oakland w/Gaudin -170
TOTALS 4U
PADRES/MARLINS UNDER 9
HUDDLE UP
LA Dodgers Loaiza -110
RAZOR SHARP
MILWAUKEE
COMPUTER SPORTS
WHITE SOX +105
BIG TIME SPORTS
ORIOLES / ANGELS OVER 9.5
#1 SPORTS
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
TV HOTLINE
BOSTON -150
THE VEGAS STEAMLINE
Oakland w/Gaudin -170
DR VEGAS
Oakland -170
Paul Leiner
5* Diamondbacks -170
las vegas sports advisors
FLYERS +1.5
Global Handicapping
Arizona/Brandon Webb -1.5
Lekota Sports
San Antonio/New Orleans Over 183.5
Templer's Sports Picks
Arizona
Chris Jordan
RANGERS
INSIDER SPORTS REPORT
Pittsburgh -110
FAT JACK SPORTS
San Antonio/New Orleans Under 183.5
Evan Altemus
San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Hornets
Pick: New Orleans Hornets
New Orleans comes into this game with a tremendous amount of confidence. They soundly defeated Dallas in the first round, and now they face a San Antonio team that they have had a tremendous amount of success against this season. The first thing to consider when looking at the Hornets is their youth. They are a very young, emotional, but talented team. I look for them to play with a lot of intensity in this game, and they will not be overwhelmed by the Spurs aging veterans. I expect this series to go six or seven games, but this game will belong to the Hornets. They won the last two out of three games between these teams this season. They blew out the Spurs in both wins. I feel that San Antonio is somewhat over-rated, and New Orleans is a better overall team. However, their youth will come into play later in this series on the road. However, the Hornets will play with much more intensity than the Spurs and their younger, better talent will be the difference. New Orleans looked fantastic in all three home playoff games against Dallas, and they will soundly defeat the Spurs tonight.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals
Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh was able to pound Washington pitching last night, and they will do the same tonight. They hit much better against left handers, and they are facing Nationals lefty Matt Chico, who has really struggled this season. He has only lasted 13 innings in his last three starts, while giving up 16 runs. Pittsburgh is batting almost 30 percentage points better against lefties also. The Pirates send starter Paul Maholm to the mound, who has been their best starter this season. He has a 3.26 ERA and has allowed 1 run in his last two starts. He also pitched a complete game against Philadelphia in his last outing. They only team to hit him hard this season was Los Angeles, who crushes left handed pitching. He will have no problem handling the weak Nationals hitting though. Look for Maholm to dominate and the Pirates bats to smash Chico and the Nationals.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles has crushed left handed pitching this season, and now they face a very poor lefty, Jorge De La Rosa. He was completely pounded last year as a member of the Royals rotation, and the Dodgers will get to him early in this game. They are hitting well over .300 as a team against lefties. Esteban Loaiza gets the start for the Dodgers. He pitched very well against the Rockies in his first start of the season which was his last outing. He allowed them to only two runs and five hits in five innings of work. Overall Los Angeles has a much better bullpen than the Rockies. Bullpens will play a big part in this game. However, the Dodgers will be up by a substantial amount after the first few innings. I look for them to get an easy win here.
Baltimore Orioles vs. LAA Angels
Pick: Baltimore Orioles
Daniel Cabrera has been a big surprise for the Orioles this season. He has rebounded from a poor 2007. Cabrera has allowed two runs or less in his last four starts. Those starts have also come against good hitting teams both at home and on the road. He has allowed only two earned runs in his starts against Seattle, Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. He also only allowed one earned run against Tampa Bay on the road. He has shown that he can pitch great games on the road against good teams. However, Jon Garland has had a horrendous season so far. He has been completely hammered both at home and on the road. Oakland, Texas, Seattle, and Boston have all hammered him. It appears that he is losing control of his best pitches. He has to rely on his team’s defense to get batters out. Baltimore has good enough hitters to capitalize on Garland’s poor control. I look for Cabrera to be too tough for the Angels and Garland. Look for an Orioles road win.
Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins
Pick: Minnesota Twins
Justin Verlander has had a very bad start to this season. His ERA is 6.50 and he has allowed five earned runs or more in four out of his six starts this season. His only good outing was against Texas at home when they were struggling to hit. Minnesota hits very well at home, and they have had success against Verlander before. They completely crushed him in both of his starts against them last season. The Twins are also hitting almost 60 percentage points higher against righties at home. Scott Baker pitched very well on the road against Detroit earlier in the season. In fact, the Tigers three runs all came from solo home runs, as Baker was able to keep them off the bases. He went seven innings in that game, only allowing five hits and striking out three batters. I look for Minnesota to come into this game with a lot of confidence after their win against the Tigers last night. Look for Minnesota to win this game as the underdog.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Pick: Under
Josh Beckett and Scott Shields are aces for their respective teams. They proved their talents against each other earlier in the season. Josh Beckett had his best outing of the season against Tampa Bay, holding them to only two runs, one earned, in seven innings of work. In that game, he struck out 13 batters, while only walking one hitter! He has also dominated Tampa Bay throughout his career. Scott Shields through a complete game against the Red Sox this season. He shut them out and only allowed two hits. I look for each of these pitchers to be very motivated for this game, as they will want to outduel the other. Because of that motivation they will both be performing at their peak level. In addition, each team has struggled to hit lately. I expect this game to be an outstanding pitchers duel. Look for a very low scoring game.
PlayByPlayInc.
SAN ANTONIO at NEW ORLEANS Over 183.5
SportsKingz
ST. LOUIS -110
OAKLAND -190
SAN DIEGO UNDER 8 -120
ARIZONA -190
MLB DUNKEL
The White Sox look to end a three-game slide behind left-hander John Danks, who has a 0.86 ERA over his last three starts and should pose a problem for a Toronto team that is just 1-5 against lefties this season. Chicago is the underdog pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100). Here are all of today's games.
Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.967; Washington (Chico) 14.494
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Washington (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+100); Under
Game 953-954: NY Mets at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 14.602; Arizona (Webb) 16.206
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Arizona (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-175); Over
Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lilly) 14.963; St. Louis (Lohse) 16.665
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-115); Under
Game 957-958: San Francisco at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.104; Philadelphia (Myers) 15.367
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under
Game 959-960: Milwaukee at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 14.736; Houston (Backe) 15.718
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+100); Over
Game 961-962: San Diego at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Peavy) 14.597; Florida (Nolasco) 14.949
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: San Diego (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+145); Over
Game 963-964: Cincinnati at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Belisle) 15.013; Atlanta (Reyes) 15.351
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-135); Under
Game 965-966: LA Dodgers at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Loaiza) 16.082; Colorado (De La Rosa) 14.694
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 12
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-105); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-105); Over
Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.993; Toronto (Litsch) 14.371
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100); Under
Game 969-970: Seattle at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.857; NY Yankees (Mussina) 15.627
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-115); Under
Game 971-972: Baltimore at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Cabrera) 15.687; LA Angels (Garland) 16.178
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-125); Under
Game 973-974: Tampa Bay at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.315; Boston (Beckett) 15.459
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+140); Under
Game 975-976: Kansas City at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Hochevar) 13.714; Cleveland (Sabathia) 15.292
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-195); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-195); Over
Game 977-978: Detroit at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 15.564; Minnesota (Baker) 15.075
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Under
Game 979-980: Texas at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Murray) 13.920; Oakland (Gaudin) 17.507
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 3 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-165); Over
Brandon Lang
20 Dime - Astros
20 Dime - Red Sox
20 Dime - Magic
10 Dime - A's Run Line
10 Dime - Spurs
Free Pick - Cards
Purelock
Premium Play
NY METS @ ARIZONA
PLAY ON: NY METS (PELFREY/WEBB) LISTED
Comp Play
TAMPA BAY @ BOSTON
PLAY ON: BOSTON (SHIELDS/BECKETT) LISTED
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Cincinnati Reds +126
(listing Reyes and Belisle)
Belisle is the guy the Reds want to have on the mound today because of his toughness. It comes as no surprise that the Reds are 5-0 in Belisle's last 5 road starts vs. a team with a losing record and 5-1 in Belisle's last 6 road starts period. The Braves are just 3-7 in Reyes' last 10 starts, 2-5 in Reyes' last 7 starts vs. the National League Central, and 2-5 in Reyes' last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Reds have won 6 of the last 8 meetings in this matchup and after being shutout yesterday, I expect them to come storming back tonight.
MATT FARGO
The Mets took Game One last night in relatively easy fashion and there is no reason to buck them now. They are 4-1 over their last five games following a horrendous 1-5 run. It has obviously been a streaky year for New York and this is definitely the time for a big possible upswing. The offense got it going last night, pounding out 12 hits and it could be clicking at the right time in facing one of the best pitchers in baseball. Brandon Webb or not, this price is too good to pass up.
Arizona brings in the best record in baseball and there is not a whole of bad about this team right now. Similar to last night, the Diamondbacks need to be played against in spots and this is another one of those spots. Arizona has hit .245 or less in six of its last 10 games and over that stretch, it is hitting only .238. Pitching has been the strength all season but the Diamondbacks have allowed 20 runs over the last three games and six or more runs in five of their last nine games.
What can you say about Webb? He is pitching tremendous with a 6-0 record and a 1.80 ERA in his six starts. I hate to say that the start is flawed but it is slightly. Half of his starts have come against San Diego and San Francisco, the two lowest run producers in baseball while two others came against Colorado, the 6th worst, and the last against Cincinnati, the 8th worst. At Shea Stadium, Webb is 2-1 with a 0.31 ERA in four starts. In five home starts against the Mets, he is 0-5 with a 3.89 ERA.
Mike Pelfrey counters for the Mets and this is a good bounce back opportunity. His last two outings have been well below average having allowed nine runs and 19 hits in 10.1 innings. It could be a cause for concern but in his first two starts this season, he was dead on as he allowed just two runs in 12 innings. He faced Arizona once last season, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings and he picked up the loss despite a decent outing. He catches a cold Arizona offense that is hitting just .229 against righties over its last 10 games.
Play New York Mets 1.5 Units
Alex Smart
Game: Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons
Prediction: Orlando Magic
Reason: I know Detroit is a great basketball team, but their opposition today, despite of being a young squad, are a bad matchup for the Motown crew. The Magic are every bit as athletic and versatile as the Pistons, and despite of lacking the experience of their opposition, have a coach in Van Gundy that can help them bridge the gap. Final notes & Key Trends: The road team is 16-4-3 ATS L/23 in this series.
Play on Orlando
ARMVIN SPORTS
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS -177
SEATTLE MARINERS -111