Mr East
Game: New York Mets @ Colorado Rockies
Pick: 3 units Colorado Rockies -140
The Mets have now dropped 5 straight, and the fans after last years collapse, are calling for Willie Randolph's job. They are now 2 games below .500 and just can't get it going. Claudio Vargas isn't the answer as he has a career 5 ERA in almost 700 innings pitched, and has already dropped his 2 Met starts. Jeff Francis has struggled, but he is a top pitcher, and the fact that he has not gotten to where he is capeable adds value to this pick, because he has shutout potential everytime he steps on the mound, especially against a struggling team. The Mets have had road woes at 10-15 and the Rockies are starting to rev it up at home, and we will back them here.
Teddy Covers
MLB 3 * Washington Nationals
NBA 4* Boston Celtics
Winners Inc. Guaranteed Selections
5000* BASEBALL BLOWOUT WINNER
Tampa Bay w/Jackson -162
Info Plays
3* on San Diego Padres +103
Play On - Any team (SAN DIEGO) - terrible offensive team (=5.70) (NL), after a loss by 2 runs or less. This is a 37-11 ML System hitting 77.1% since 1997. Play Against - Road favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (CINCINNATI) - allowing 4.8 or more runs/game on the season (NL) against opponent horrible team, outscored by opponents by 1 or more runs/game on the season. This is a 48-29 ML System hitting 62.3% over the last 5 seasons. Bronson Arroyo is 1-12 against the money line in road games vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game since 1997. Bet the Padres at home.
Aj Apollo
MLB KC Royals 3*
Ferrall
AL FREE B's for SAT
INDIANS -180 on ML over Rangers--Cliff Lee stops the bleeding in Cleveland
Tigers -160 on ML over Twins--TAKE THE OVER 10 RUNS because both pitchers are aweful. Tigers get lucky
BOSTON -150 on ML over Oakland--Beckett gets the Red Sox back in the WIN column. Ferrall with the nice snag of the A's Friday night
NL FREE B's for SAT
Nationals -110 on ML over Brewers--I'm taking LANNAN even though the Nats are shitty. I nailed them Friday, so let's go for it again !
Padres -105 on ML over Reds--San Diego has to get lucky once in a while don't they ?
DODGERS -155 on ML over Cardinals--Brad Penny is the man in Lipstick City tonight baby ! TAKE THE OVER 8.5 RUNS
The Killer Move's pick for Saturday
10* Boston Celtics
Special K Phone
5* Oak
5* Tor Under
7* WSox Under
10* Pistons
LT Profits
MLB Philadelphia Phillies 2*
MLB Florida Marlins 2*
MLB Oakland A's 2*
NHL Penguins/Red Wings Under 5.5 2*
NBA Celtics/Pistons Over 175.5 2*
PROPHET
STANLEY CUP WINNER: Gold Member's Alert***
STRONG PK 1*: Detroit Red Wings -165
This game one is probably the hardest game to predict in any of the series games. After careful consideration, I am taking the Detroit Red Wings in this Game One matchup. I am absolultely sure that this series goes back to Pittsburgh 1-1. It would be alot easier to wait until Game 2 then to load up. So I am one unit. Overall, we believe that Detroit has a fabulous roster. Lets face it, they won the President's Trophy for good reason. They are not pushovers and Game One, in Hockey Town, will definitely edge the home team. In that regard, we are laying the wood in Game One. But, do not discount the Pens either. I think they will make some mistakes tonight that cost them this game, but they will make adjustments too that get them back in the series quickly.
Oscarxena Sports
NY Mets +1.33 (4 Unit Play)
The Mets were riding high after sweeping the Yankees in a rain shortened series last weekend but now find themselves in free fall as they have lost 5 games in a row and are 2 game below .500 for the season. Willie Randolph is on the firing block unless this team starts to win soon but I like their chances today against the Rockies. Claudio Vargas will make the start for New York and he has went 4-1 in his career taking on the Rockies although his ERA is slightly high against them at 5.16. His teams have also went 6-2 in his starts against Colorado. Meanwhile for the Rockies they are putting Jeff Francis on the mound and he has been awful all year so far with a 5.87 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and the Rocks are only 3-6 so far this year in his starts. The HP Umpire for today's contest is Chad Fairchild who has shown some love for the road teams so far this year as the road team has won 6 out of 10 meetings with Chad behind the plate. Vargas has also had the luxury of Fairchild behind the plate as he has went 2-0 in those starts while Francis has not had any appearances with "The Chad." I think the Mets break their losing streak today with a big win in Colorado.
Bob Akmens
NHL Detroit Red Wings -170 10 *
MLB Reds/Padres Over 8 4*
MLB Cardinals/Dodgers Over 8.5 4*
NBA Detroit Pistons 3*
AFL Chicago Rush 3*
Indian Cowboy POD
Boston Celtics +5.5
Ben Burns
NHL Penguins/Red Wings Under 5.5 4 units
NBA Celtics/Pistons Under 175.5 4 units
NBA Celtics 4 units
MLB LA Dodgers 4 units
DAVID MALINSKY
Milwaukee Brewers @ Washington Nationals
PICK: Washington Nationals
We have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting out the slow trickles in the marketplace this morning that have moving Milwaukee to the favorite in this one. That maximizes our opportunity in a play that should not come as any surprise. Last weekend we exploited the Brewers to a count of 15*s in Fenway Park, and a slumping team that has gone 2-11 in their last five road series absolutely should not be in this role, particularly in a Seth McClung vs. John Lannan hook-up.
Seth McClung failed as a starter at Tampa Bay, and was cut loose at a time when the Rays (then Devil) badly needed pitching. That is not a good sign. His last start came in 2006, which means that even if he has his good stuff he is not going to have the stamina to work deeply into a game - particularly because he still needs a GPS device for the strike zone most nights, with 13 walks in 20.1 innings so far. And when the starter does not eat innings, a weak Brewer bullpen brings its own vulnerabilities to the table.
As for Lannan, he becomes one of those examples of how the peripheral numbers can be strong early indicators that can get us ahead of the curve. We first got behind him in a 5* Under win vs. Atlanta about a month ago, and here was the prelude to the play -
We like Lannan as a prospect but the betting markets do not have to raise an eyebrow yet off of his 0-2/4.86 opening to the season. There has been something real good behind those base numbers, however - like solid ratio?s of 17 strikeouts vs. seven walks allowed and 24 ground ball outs vs. nine in the air. When you are getting strikeouts, and also making batters hit the ball on the ground, it is a sign of having good stuff, and with only nine of his 50 outs coming through the air, he brings something substantial to the table.So where are we now? In seven starts since then he has worked to a 2.55 tune over 42.1 innings, and for the full season his Out ratio?s are outstanding - of the 159 batters that he has retired, only 41 were able to hit the ball in the air. He has had a positive ground-out to fly-out ratio in all nine starts, and as his confidence grows so does his willingness to attack the strike zone - just three walks in 19.1 innings over this last three starts, despite the fact that they all came on the road. He is a strong counter into an undisciplined Milwaukee lineup, and there are no fatigue ratings at all from the bullpen behind him.
The Nationals are an under-rated item. They have only played five games all season against teams that entered Friday with a losing record, and went 4-1 in those games. Off of last nights confidence-boosting win, they are easy to back in this one.