Brian Hansen
Game: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels
Prediction: Over
Reason: The Blue Jays don't get a lot of headlines because they play in the AL East where the Red Sox and Yankees dominate the media coverage. Also,a third story has developed and that is the amazing start that the upstart Rays are off to this season. This has allowed the Blue Jays to go largely unnoticed and this is giving us value in situations like this where their current level of play is not being factored into a total. An extremely low total is being posted on this game even though the Blue Jays were 13-4 their last 17 games heading into Friday night's action. In those 17 games, Toronto has averaged a respectable 4.6 runs per game and yet this total opened up at a 7.5 on Saturday's game! The Jays should be able to get to the Angels John Lackey. The Los Angeles right-hander just faced the Blue Jays in his start on May 20th so Toronto will be getting a quick 'second look' at Lackey. Even though he only allowed one earned run against them in the first match-up the Blue Jays did get seven hits against him.Toronto also had four line drive outs and a couple of deep fly ball outs in that game. Those who watched the game know that Lackey wasn't quite as dominant as his line score might indicate. Shaun Marcum is also unlikely to be dominant in this game. He just faced the Angels at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on May 21st and he allowed four earned runs including two homers in that start. In his only career start at Angel Stadium, Marcum allowed eight hits in six innings of work. He also struck out just one in that outing and the Angels are likely to be seeing the ball well against him in this start too. The Angels came into this series off of a winning series versus Detroit where they won two of the three games but averaged just two runs per game! Give credit to the Tigers pitching in that series because the Angels offense had been quite 'healthy' at home before running into Detroit. Los Angeles had averaged five runs per game over their last dozen home games before the series with the Tigers. With such a low total on this game, it's not going to take much to get over the total and yet, as detailed above, it is quite likely that each team should enjoy some offensive success tonight. One final item of importance when playing any total is the bullpen and, although the Blue Jays pen has been solid this season, the Angels bullpen has been a surprising weakness for the club this season.
Bobby Maxwell
Have to go with the home team in this one as the Mets take on the Dodgers, who have won just twice in their last eight games.
New York has Mike Pelfrey (2-6, 5.33 ERA) on the hill facing Chad Billingsley (4-6, 3.68) today. These two teams have split the first two games of this series and the Dodgers have struggled at the plate, scoring one run or less in five of their last six losses.
The Mets had won three in a row until Friday's loss and they are 5-2 in their last seven against the Dodgers at Shea Stadium.
Pelfrey hasn't been horrible at home this season, going 2-4 with a respectable 3.60 ERA in six starts. He's never seen the Dodgers before and on the opposite side, Billingsley has only faced the Mets once.
The Dodgers were in the midst of a five-game road losing streak until Friday's win, and they have lost 19 of their last 28 games on Saturday.
We're playing the home team in this one to get the cash.
4* N.Y. METS
Drew Gordon
Trust the Red Sox on the road at your own risk, they may have won yesterday (it only took them 13 innings), but that doesn't take away from the fact they're 2-9 over their last 11 away. Their formidable offense is a shell of itself on the highway, and a match up with a suddenly surging Garret Olson is the last thing they need.
Speaking of Olson, the young lefty is coming off the best start of his career, tossing 7 scoreless innings against the Yankees, allowing only 3 hits, while striking out 7! That's nothing new this season, as he's been downright nasty at home, going 3-0 with a lockdown 2.41 ERA! While the Red Sox have hit lefties well, right now their catching Olson at the wrong time (off an huge confidence building win) and the wrong place (at Camden Yards).
While its true the Orioles have struggled of late, don't confuse their road woes with their play at home, where they're a solid 16-9 on the season! They took 2 of 3 from the Yankees in the series prior, thanks in part to Olson, and I say the young southpaw helps right the ship once again here tonight.
As a final note, for as good as Jon Lester is, he hasn't been nearly as effective on the road, going 1-2 with a 4.60 ERA on the season away. He lost his last start, in Oakland, allowing 3 runs over 5 innings, and looked far more human than when he no-hit the Royals at Fenway. Also of note, the Orioles do hit lefties well at home, averaging .270 against them on the season. Grab the plus money with O's at home in this one!
Take Baltimore behind Olson over Boston and Lester in this MLB match up.
2* BALTIMORE
Sports Gambling Hotline
While we believe the Rays are for real this season, we cannot lay this kind of lumber on Tampa against a Chicago team that has been playing some quality baseball this season as well.
The White Sox have actually won 3 of the 5 meetings this season played in Tampa, and they are 7-2 overall against the Rays at the Trop since last season.
Javier Vazquez has pitched well this year, and he does own an April win over Tampa.
Scott Kazmir has been unconscious of late, that is for sure, but to lay this price against the White Sox does not seem wise to us.
We will go with the underdog Pale Hose, and nab the nice take-back in this spot.
Play on Chicago.
2* WHITE SOX
Karl Garrett, Featured Handicapper
Last night, Boston won an extra-inning affair to snap a two game losing streak, and send the O's to their second straight loss, and their 7th loss in their last 9 games.
The G-Man gets the feeling that Baltimore has definitely overachieved through the first two months of the season, while Boston has underachieved on the road thus far.
Boston has gone 14-7 at Camden Yards since the '06 season, and they are 28-11 overall against the Orioles since that time.
Lester and Olson should be a good pitching matchup, but it is Lester who is 3-0 over his last 4 starts against Baltimore, while Olson is 0-2 over his last 3 starts against Boston, allowing 13 runs in 15 innings of work.
Go with Boston tonight.
4* BOSTON
Gamblers World
TIP OF THE DAY
Houston Astros vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Prediction: Milwaukee Brewers
Reason: If familiarity breeds contempt, there should be animosity aplenty on Saturday when the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers meet at Miller Park.The Astros will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander Brian Moehler in this game. Moehler has a 2-1 record and a 3.43 ERA this season.Meanwhile, it'll be ace Ben Sheets who starts for the Brewers. Righthander Sheets is 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA so far this season.Oddsmakers currently have the Brewers listed as 180-moneyline favorite versus the Astros, while the game's total is sitting at 8½.Ryan Braun went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs on Friday, as the Brewers defeated the Astros 5-1. The Brewers won the game as -135 favorites, while the six runs fell UNDER the posted over/under (9.5).Prince Fielder belted a two-run homer and Mike Cameron also went deep for the Brewers. Manny Parra allowed just one run off four hits over six innings to post the victory.J.R. Towles drove in the only run for the Astros, who were +125 underdogs.Brandon Backe was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs off six hits in five innings of work.
JAKE TIMLIN
Saturday selection is the Chicago Cubs
Take the Cubs minus the Run Line today!
After escaping with a home win yesterday I look for things to be much easier for the Cubs today. After all they are playing a very bad Colorado team. Just how bad is it for Colorado? Well after losing a game yesterday where they scored 9 runs with their best pitcher on the mound for their 10th straight loss on the road the Rockies have officially hit rock bottom. Now keeping the Rockies there is the fact that I dont see them standing a chance today in Chicago thanks to pitching where the Cubs turn to Dempster who is 6-2 with a 2.56 ERA while Colorado calls up Rusch making his first MLB start since 06 when pitching for the Cubs. Flat out due to Colorado going with a reject on the mound and still without four of their starters the Rockies struggles are going to continue today.
All Chicago -1.5 Runs!
Gold Medal Club
Atlanta @ Cincinnati
PLAY OVER 9.5
Fogg has been serving up batting practice, with an era of 9, and 13.09 in his last 3 starts, failing to get out of the 4th inning.
The Reds are the sultans of swat in the NL, and for this game to be close they are going to have to go deep several times today!
Jack Clayton
Indians
JerseySteveWins
Seattle
floridabookybusters
Penguins
Paul Leiner
10* Redsox -120
COMPUTER SPORTS
SEATTLE
VEGAS STEAMLINE
NY YANKEES
DR. VEGAS
Seattle
Arthur Ralph Sports
RED WINGS
Vegas Steamline
Yankees
Bob Donahue
Cardinals
PRIORITY SPORTS INFO
Milwaukee
BILLY IRISH
DBACKS
Cappers Access
Oakland
Seattle
MadduxSports
Boston Red Sox -138
#1 SPORTS
RANGERS
SCOUT
San Francisco
JACK JONES
INDIANS
ARMVIN SPORTS
TWINS
Vernon Croy
Atlanta
TOTALS4U
TORONTO/ANGELS OVER
MIKE WYNN
Milwaukee -175
PLATINUM PLAYS
RED SOX - 125
RAZOR SHARP
SEATTLE
BIG TIME SPORTS
DETROIT/SEATTLE OVER 8.5
DARK HORSE
San Francisco -110
Tony Mathews
Blue Jays
John Fina
Padres
ATS Arena Football Lock Club
5 units on Dallas -3 over Cleveland
3 units on Arizona +10 over Orlando
SportsKingz
MLB
BOSTON -130
ATLANTA -135
PHILLY R/L -115
GIANTS -120
LT Profits
Chicago White Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays Under 7.0
Both Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Rays and Javier Vazquez are having great years and both are in peak form, so runs should be at a premium in this contest.
Kazmir lost his seasonal debut vs. the Boston Red Sox after beginning the year on the Disabled List, but he has since won four straight starts while allowing either one or no runs on each occasion! He has allowed only 20 baserunners in 26 innings over those last four outings, which translates to a magnificent 0.77 WHIP, and he is facing a White Sox lineup that is batting just .236 vs. left-handed pitching this season.
Meanwhile, Vazquez is 5-3 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.23 WHIP overall, and he has three Quality Starts in his last four outings, allowing two earned runs or less in two of those outings. He also already owns a Quality Start vs. Tampa Bay this season where he allowed two runs and six hits in 6.1 innings. Furthermore, the Chicago bullpen now ranks second in the American League with a 2.98 pen ERA, which should keep late tack-on runs at a minimum.
The end result should be a very low scoring affair.
Pick: White Sox, Rays Under 7
Toronto Blue Jays +120
The Toronto Blue Jays are coming on offensively, and they exploded for a 10-4 win here over these Los Angeles Angels last night. Look for their success to continue behind Shaun Marcum tonight.
Marcum has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season with his 2.64 ERA and remarkable 0.87 WHIP in 71.2 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in eight of his ten starts, and he allowed just four earned runs in each of the other two outings. He also pitched well in his only career starts in Anaheim last season allowing two runs in six innings of a 9-2 win, and he now has the support of an improving offense and a bullpen that leads the Major Leagues with a collective 2.72 ERA.
Now John Lackey has pitched very well in his three starts this year after coming off of the Disabled List, but he did come up short vs. the White Sox last Sunday and his stamina still appears to be a concern. That could be bad news considering that the Angels rank 28th out of 30 Major League teams with a 4.43 bullpen ERA.
All things considered, the Blue Jays and Marcum offer nice value at this underdog price.
Pick: Blue Jays +120
VEGAS EXPERTS
Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels
Having won eight of their last nine, the Toronto Blue Jays are a dangerous underdog right, especially considering who's on the hill for them. Starter Shaun Marcum owns a devastating 9-0 team start record as a road dog of +150 or less, including a shutout win over Cliff Lee and Cleveland back on 5/12. Side with the hot team at a great price.
Play on: Toronto
Larry Ness
New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins
Prediction: New York Yankees
The Yankees fell behind 4-1 in the first inning last night in the Metrodome but rallied to win 6-5. The Yanks had 16 hits and won for the seventh time in their last nine games, while averaging 6.7 RPG. Runs should not be hard to come by tonight vs Boof Bonser. Bonser has been just dreadful over his last five starts, allowing 33 hits and 27 ERs over 25.1 innings (9.59 ERA). He's coming off a three-inning effort in his last outing (last Saturday at Detroit), when he gave up a career-high nine runs (eight earned). In two career starts vs the Yanks (both last year), Bonser lasted just 9.2 innings, while allowing 15 hits, five walks and 10 ERs (9.31 ERA). This hardly seems like a good spot for the Twins, who have now lost nine of their last 12 games against the Yankees and are only 12-35 vs the New Yorkers since 2002, including two ALDS matchups. Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82 ERA) gets the call for New York. He opened the '08 season 6-0 with the Yankees winning his first seven starts but he hasn't won any of his last four starts (Yanks are 1-3). He's been roughed up pretty good in his last two outings, allowing 13 hits and 12 ERs over 14 innings (7.71 ERA). However, he is 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in four road starts this year plus is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three career starts vs the Twins (all Yankee wins). Lay it with Wang and the Yankees.
Priceless Picks
1 Unit on Atlanta Braves -128
I like the Braves to bounce back with a win following yesterday's loss. The Braves are 7-1 in their last 8 games following a loss, 10-4 in their last 14 games as a favorite of -110 to -150, and 4-1 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts. The Reds are 3-12 in their last 15 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game, 0-4 in their last 4 games as an underdog of +110 to +150, and 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Braves are playing good baseball right now and I think we'll start to see them winning some more games on the road starting with this one.