Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Texas Rangers +106
After getting crushed yesterday, I like Texas to bounce right back against a starting pitcher who has really struggled against them. The Orioles are 0-5 in Cabrera's last 5 starts vs. the Rangers, 4-10 in Cabrera's last 14 starts, and 2-7 in Cabrera's last 9 starts vs. the American League West. The Rangers are 23-9 in their last 32 games following a loss, 7-0 in Padilla's last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record, and 13-3 in Padilla's last 16 road starts. Bet the Rangers.
Ron Raymond
San Diego – Colorado OVER 9.5
Good ole Coors field! In fact, you never know what you will get with an OVER/UNDER selections at Coors, but we will side with the OVER 9.5 (+100) this evening with Greg Maddux toeing the rubber for the Padres and Aaron Cook for the Rockies. The OVER is 15-8-0 in Maddux’s starts this season and the team is allowing 5.38 runs against in his starts. Furthermore, you have to start wondering if the age factor is kicking in with Maddux now that he’s pitching in the month of August; the OVER is 6-2 in his last 8 starts. Plus, the OVER is 4-0 in Cook’s last 4 starts and 5 of his last 6 starts have gone OVER the total.
Here’s an interesting statistical angle backing up our OVER selection tonight.
When a SAN DIEGO PADRES played as a Road team and they are coming off the following sequences;
Coming off vs. National League opponent
During a night game
Coming off a Road loss
Coming off a 1 game push
The OVER is 7-3-1 for the Padres in the next game since 1997. Play the OVER 9.5 (+100).
Seabass
50* LAD/SF Under
100* CINCY
300* MILW -1.5
MTi Sports
Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles
Prediction: over
Reason: The Rangers are 17-0-1 OU since April 14, 2008 after a loss in which their opponent left 18+ men on base and the Orioles are 6-0 OU since May 09, 2008 after a win in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits. Consider Texas and Baltimore OVER
Dennis Macklin
Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles
Prediction: Over
Cant see this being anything but chuck and duck. Vine Padilla is 12-5 but his ERA is 5.00+ and he's 1-4 with 8.51 ERA in five starts versus Birds. Daniel Cabrera is rocking an ERA of 5.00+, 8.00+ in his L3, and he's 1-6 and 6.33 against the Rangers. We know both teams have top offenses and no pitching, Take the over and don't blink
Scott Spreitzer
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals
Prediction: Kansas City Royals
I had the Twins for a 25* winner last night, but I'm coming back with the Royals in the matchup between Greinke and Liriano on Saturday. The Royals are a healthy 7-2 in Greinke's nine home starts, where he's allowed just 20 earned runs in 61 1/3 innings, for a 2.93 ERA to go along with a strong, 1.14 WHIP. Greinke also has had little trouble with the Twins, making no less than a dozen strong appearances against his Central Division rival. Greinke sports a 3.61 ERA & 1.22 WHIP in those outings. Meanwhile, as Francisco Liriano continues his attempt at coming back from injury, he has not had much luck in his couple of appearances against the Royals. In fact, KC is one of four opponents for the Minnesota lefty this season, and Liriano was rocked for four earned runs and 11 base runners in just 4 2/3 innings of action. Liriano is 0-2 away from home this season with an ERA over 16. Greinke has led the Royals to a 6-1 mark in his seven home night starts where he owns a a 2.39 ERA! The Royals blew some opportunities last night. Tonight, behind Greinke, I believe they will take care of business. Kansas City gets the win on Saturday.
Ben Burns
Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts
Reason: The Colts lost the Hall of Fame Game by two touchdowns. However, they played much better than the final score indicated. In fact, they held an edge in first downs and total yards and were leading 16-9 in the third quarter. If not for a huge game from Redskins' third-stringer (he'll be moving up fast if keeps playing like that!) Colt Brennan, the Colts very likely would have earned at least the cover, if not the outright win. Yes, Manning will still be out. However, Sorgi was very solid and I expect him to play well again. The Colts have got a game under their belts and the loss in the H.O.F. game should provide some additional motivation for a better result in Week 2. Look for the Colts actual 'game experience' to play dividends here as they bounce back with (at least) a cover. Consider Indianapolis
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
Triple-Dime Bet
SDC -3.0 vs DAL
Gavazzi
NFL
4* Wash
3* Mia
3* Car
Lockline Sports
NFL
Wash
Tenn
David Malinsky
New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels
PICK: Los Angeles Angels 3*
The formula for last night’s easy 4* Angel rout was a simple one - the best team in the game, playing with more freshness and a starting pitcher that brought a chip on his shoulder, stepped up in a major way against an opponent that they really wanted to beat. This is more of the same, and once again the oddsmakers are short in their evaluations of the true current realities between these teams.
The Angels are 15-5 since the All Star break. That is good enough on its own, but it has also been a commanding 9-2 run against the Red Sox and Yankees in that span. And there has not been anything fluky about the run - they have out-scored the two A.L. East powers by a combined 26 runs in those 11 games. Now the momentum of the team stays high, and ace closer Franky Rodriguez is also well-rested once again, with last Friday’s working margin enabling him to sit out. That puts the rest on the shoulders of John Lackey, and those are good shoulders to carry this load.
Lackey may not get to work enough innings to get into the full Cy Young contention, but he knows that he let one get away in his last outing - he was given a 5-0 lead in Yankee Stadium on Sunday, but allowed it to get back to 5-4 before leaving, and the subsequent meltdowns by the Angel defense and bullpen took away a “W”. He is the kind of competitor that will rebound with a special fire off of that kind of result, and with his previous start being that near no-hitter in Fenway Park the form is there to get the job done.
For Joe Girardi there are no such shoulders to carry the pitching load. He did not want to have to put Dan Giese back into the starting rotation, and the last thing that he wanted to have happen on Friday was a short outing from Ian Kennedy, which would leave the bullpen short for this quick night-to-day transition. But that is exactly what happened, with Kennedy lasting only two innings, burning out Darrell Rasner completely from this one, and probably Bob Bruney (28 pitches over 1.2 innings) as well. So not only is Giese overmatched early, and unlikely to eat many innings, the Yankees will also have to get into an erratic middle relief corps that is short on options.
STEPHEN NOVER
Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays
PICK: Cleveland Indians
Roy Halladay is a great pitcher. But Cleveland starter Paul Byrd, believe it or not, has trumped Halladay since the All-Star break.
Byrd has been tremendous in his last three starts going 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He's allowed just two earned runs in his last 20 innings. He matches up well to the Blue Jays' lineup and catches a break with Scott Rolen out because of a sore shoulder.
Cleveland has scored 21 runs in its last four games. Halladay has a mediocre 4.04 lifetime career ERA against the Indians.
There's a lot of value taking the underdog Indians at plus $2.00.
Ted Sevransky
Atlanta Falcons @ Jacksonville Jaguars
PICK: Over
The Jags have been a relatively aggressive offensive team in the preseason under head coach Jack Del Rio; 3-1 to the Over in each of their last three preaseasons. They’ve scored at least 20 points in nine of their last twelve preseason ballgames, including a pair of 31 point outbursts in their two preseason home games last August, the only team in the entire NFL to reach that level of point production that consistently in exhibition play.
There’s little reason to think the Jags won’t approach or exceed three touchdowns again tonight. Starting QB David Garrard is expected to get more playing time with the starters than normal for a preseason opener, while backups Cleo Lemon and Todd Bouman are exactly the type of veteran QB’s with starting experience who can pick apart third and fourth string defenders in the second half, especially when we consider the new defense scheme that Atlanta is installing in camp this summer.
But the Falcons are primed for a strong offensive showing of their own. Sure, we can’t expect much from rookie QB Matt Ryan in his NFL debut, but starter Chris Redman and third stringer Joey Harrington can both be expected to be able to move the offense. And with a creative playmaker like DJ Shockley in action in the second half, don’t be surprised if the Falcons score a cheap touchdown or two late, sending this game flying Over the total. 1* Take the Over.
BRYAN LEONARD
Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Francisco Giants
PICK: San Francisco Giants
The Dodgers haven't hit right-handed starts nearly as well as lefties this year. And with the new addtion of Manny Ramirez they are starting to be overpriced, especially against a team like the Giants. But San Francisco has won four of their last seven games and they are getting great pitching. They have allowed four runs or less in seven of their last nine games.
Hiroki Kuroda gets the start tonight and he has really lacked consistency this year. He had three horrible starts where he allowed 17 earned runs in just 11.2 innings before pitching very well in his last outing. With a 2-7 record on the road with a 5.25 ERA we want no part of him tonight as a favorite.
We will back the home team in a fierce rivalry tonight at a nice underdog price.
PLAY SAN FRANCISCO
AJ Apollo
3* Miami Dolphins -2.5