SAPKOWSKI
Premium
LA Dodgers
DET Tigers
Free picks
WAS Nationals vs. CIN Reds Under 9
FLO Marlins vs. COL Rockies Over 10.5
EZWINNERS
MLB
1 STAR: (906) SAN FRANCISCO (-$128) over Chicago
(Listing Lincecum only) (Risking $128 to win $100)
1 STAR: (916) NY YANKEES (-$128) over Boston
(Listing Pettitte only) (Risking $126 to win $100)
1 STAR: (914) ST. LOUIS (-$109) over NY Mets
(Action) (Risking $109 to win $100)
1 STAR: (903) MILWAUKEE (+$145) over Arizona
(Action) (Risking $100 to win $145)
CFL
5 STAR: (404) EDMONTON (+2) over Calgary
(Risking $550 to win $500)
This is a big game for the Eskimos even though it is only week two. With the strength of the west, Edmonton can't afford to start the season at 0-2. Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray is healthy again this season after struggling with a shoulder injury last year and he has more weapons in his arsenal as well. Calgary is playing with confidence after last weeks home win over BC, but now they hit the road where they are only 9-18 straight up in their last 27 games. The Eskimos thrive in this role as a home underdog posting a 4-1 record against the spread in their last five chances. Take the points!
2 STAR: (402) TORONTO (-9.5) over Hamilton
(Risking $220 to win $200)
The Tiger-Cats have a long way to go. Their play was horrible last week with their only bright spot being Casey Printers play at quarterback. Hamilton looks like the worst team in the CFL right now. Their offense is a work in progress and they just don't have the fire power to hang with the Argos on the road. Toronto showed last week that their defense is playing very well and their offense looked as if they are about to start to clicking. The Tiger-Cats are only 5-13-1 against the spread since 1996 when visiting Toronto. I like the Argos by double digits here.
NATIONAL SPORTS ADVISORS
Boston @ NY Yankees OVER 9.5
VEGASSI
Cubs @ San Francisco UNDER 7.5
GAMEDAY SPORTS NETWORK
NY Mets @ St Louis OVER 9
SPORTS ACTION 365
Detroit @ Seattle OVER 8.5
RED ZONE
Nats/Reds Under
PRIORITY SPORTS
St Louis -120
The Parlay King
Cards -1.5
FRANK PATRON
Tigers -135
PAUL LEINER
10* Dodgers -125
Jennifer Barry
Rockies -130
Chad Jordan
Orioles -135
USA Sports Consulting
METS/CARDINALS Over 9
PlayByPlayInc.
DODGERS -121
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Phillies -114
I have the Phillies pulling off the road sweep against their division rivals here behind their ace. The Phillies are 6-0 in the last 6 meetings, 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Atlanta , and 4-0 in Hamels' last 4 starts vs. the Braves. The Phillies are also 10-1 in their last 11 vs. a team with a losing record, 22-5 in Hamels' last 27 starts vs. a team with a losing record, and 8-1 in Hamels' last 9 starts during game 3 of a series. The Braves are 1-7 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning record and 0-5 in their last 5 vs. the National League East. Bet the Phillies here.
WILD BILL
Astros +120 (5 units)
Arizona -165 (5 units)
SF -135 (5 units)
Atlanta +105 (5 units)
White Sox -125 (5 units)
Mr East
Game: Detroit Tigers @ Seattle Mariners
Pick: 3 units MONEYLINE: Seattle Mariners +121
The Mariners are amid their best stretch of the season having gone 7-2 over their last 9 games. They fit into a nice little system of ours that plays against certain road teams, which Detroit fits into. Detroit dropped their last 2 games to Minnesota, making it the first time in almost a month they dropped back to back games. Justin Verlander just hasn't resembled the 18-6 pitcher he was last season, and at this point the Tigers are just 5-12 over his first 17 starts. We like the M's as a home dog in this one.
MICHAEL CANNON
Milwaukee +155 at ARIZONA
Take the Brewers as the big road dog this afternoon over the Diamondbacks.
I know it?s Brandon Webb and it?s in Arizona, but come on now, what have the D?Backs done lately that would make you feel comfortable laying this kind of price with them?
Even Webb has struggled, going 1-2 with a 7.16 ERA in his last three starts.
The Brewers will counter with Manny Parra, who is pitching like Webb was in the beginning of the season. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last three starts. Overall he sports an 8-2 record with a 3.95 ERA.
Parra beat the D?backs in his only appearance against them this season, tossing seven innings of one-run ball while striking out eight.
Take the Brewers on the big plus return for the win.
3♦ MILWAUKEE
DREW GORDON
Oakland +115 at CHI. WHITE SOX
The White Sox may be surging right now, looking to win their 10th straight at home tonight, but the same cannot be said for their starter, Javier Vazquez, who was nothing but garbage throughout the month of June, going 2-2 with an ugly 7.48 ERA in 5 starts. The fact he also hasn't had much success against the A's doesn't bode well, going 1-2 with 6.00 ERA in 5 career starts against them.
Herein lies the problem for Vazquez, as the one thing this A's club does really well is hit righties on the road, averaging an impressive 5.8 runs per game in that spot! With Vazquez struggling mightily, look for the A's to punish him, just like the Twins, Pirates, and Cubs did in 3 home starts last month!
Opposing Vazquez is the A's Justin Duchsherer, who's allowed just 2 earned or fewer in all but one of his 13 starts this season! In other words, Vazquez will have little room for error being opposed by the consistent Duchsherer, and let's not forget, he's also 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA against the White Sox in 13 career relief appearances.
Bottom line, while it may seem difficult to side against the White Sox right now, if there's any pitcher who can throw a wet blanket over their surge, it's Duchsherer. When you couple that with Vazquez's obvious struggles and the A's ability to score runs against righties on the road... You've got the perect recipe for A's win in this one!
Take Oakland behind Duchsherer over the Chicago White Sox and Vazquez in this MLB match up.
3♦ OAKLAND
TONY KARPINSKI
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Play: 10* BOSTON REDSOX.
Big showdown here tonight in the Bronx. Both of these teams are coming off tough series. The Yankees dropped two games to Texas at home. They scored 18 runs last night and will be pooped tonight. Their Offense was non-existent in game one and game two against the Rangers.
The Red Sox are coming off there tough series against the Rays. I think everyone knows what happened in that three game set. The Sox bullpen let them down time and time again.
Andy Pettitte is 9-5 this season despite his tough start. The Red Sox usually hit him around pretty good and the Yankees struggle against left handers at home. Look for BOSTON to win this game, as the Yankees lineup will be lifeless after scoring 18 runs.
Larry Ness Oddsmaker's Error-MLB (4-1 s/June 4)
Atlanta Braves
TONY KARPINSKI
Look for the Tigers to bounce back here tonight after getting shutout on Wednesday afternoon. Carlos Silva is not a strikeout pitcher and I expect the Detroit lineup to tee-off on him tonight. Its pretty clear which team is more dominant here and the Tigers should get an easy victory on Independence Day Eve. Play the Detroit Tigers
DETROIT TIGERS -138
LT Profits
Los Angeles Dodgers -125
The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken the last two games of this four-game series with the Houston Astros, and we look for LA to win the road series this afternoon, given this pitching matchup.
Chad Billingsley deserves much better than his 7-7 record, considering that he has a nice 3.38 ERA in 96 innings, and he is averaging better than one strikeout per innings with 102 punch-outs. He has held his fine form with a sparkling 1.96 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in his last three starts, and he has done his best pitching in the daytime this year, with a 2.83 ERA in six starts under the sun.
Meanwhile, Brandon Backe is 5-8 with a 5.12 ERA and a terrible 1.61 WHIP for the year, and the worst part is that he is not really improving. He has just one Quality Start in his last six outings after getting beat up for six earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings last Saturday night.
Finally, the Dodgers also rank third in the major leagues with a 3.05 bullpen ERA, while the Astros are at number 22 with a 4.19 pen ERA.
Pick: Dodgers -125
Washington Nationals +140
We cashed a nice ticket playing against John Lannan of the Washington Nationals in his last start, feeling that he had been pitching over his head, but we actually think this is a nice spot for Lannan to succeed at a nice price vs. the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds have struggled vs. left-handers in recent years, and after showing some improvement this season, they have reverted to their old ways lately, batting just .212 vs. southpaws over the last 10 games. Lannan did face the Reds once last season, and he pitched well allowing two runs in 5.2 innings of a 7-2 Nationals victory.
Now we have no doubt that Johnny Cueto will be a stud in this league for years to come, and he is certainly in raging current form, allowing only three earned runs in 18.1 innings over his last three starts. But still, he is just 6-8 with a 4.68 ERA for the season, so we are not sure he is quite worthy yet of this much favoritism.
We will go for the value play here, as we look for Lannan to regain his good for vs. a lefty-laden Reds lineup.
Pick: Nationals +140
Erin Rynning
Playmaker Atl-Philly Under
MR A
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
The Royals have lost four of their last 5 games overall, but have won six of its last 8 on the road. However, they have difficulties against the Orioles. Baltimore has won 17 of the last 20 meetings versus Kansas City, including nine of the last 10 in Baltimore.
Kansas City's Kyle Davies is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander allowed five runs and eight hits over six innings of a 7-5 victory in his only career start against Baltimore on June 24, 2005. The Royals are 4-1 in Davies' last 5 road starts
Baltimore's Garrett Olson is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in his last three starts. The lefthander allowed three runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 6-5 victory in his only career start against Kansas City on May 10. The Orioles are 4-1 in Olson's last 5 home starts.
Take the Baltimore Orioles to continue their supremacy against the Kansas City Royals. The Orioles have won five of their last 6 games at home and have beaten the Royals in 21 of the last 28 meetings at Camden Yards.
Baltimore Orioles -140
Smooth44
MILWAUKEE +145 PLAY OF THE DAY
WHITE SOX -120