Chris Jordan
Toronto at DETROIT
Let’s count on Armando Galarraga in this one, as he’s been the best starter for the team this season and comes into this one having won three straight decisions. He also has a rather stingy 2.52 ERA over his last four starts, and should have confidence thank to an April performance at Rogers Centre, where he tossed five shutout innings and got the win over these same Jays.
Jesse Litsch is going for Detroit, and right now he’s mired in a 1-6 slum, with a 6.12 ERA. Today marks his first big-league start since July 21, as he was reassigned to Triple-A Syracuse after giving up six earned runs over five innings in Baltimore. It was the second straight road game he gave up six earned runs.
Lay the run line and take the money in this game.
2♦ TIGERS RUN LINE
Drew Gordon
Chi. Cubs -135 at ATLANTA
Got to like the Cubs in this spot for several reasons, but let's start with the fact they're red-hot, going 13-3 over their last 16 games! Also, for all the talk about their "road woes," the Cubs have now won 7 straight away, including crushing the Braves in both games of their doubleheader yesterday! Needless to say, I'm looking for Chicago to break out the brooms tonight, and they've got just the pitching match up to do it.
Can't argue with Ted Lilly's success since the Break, going 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA over his last 5 starts. Not only that, but he's been extremely effective on the road, going 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA over his last 7 away! Also, remember he already beat the Braves once this season, back on June 10th, allowing 3 runs 6 2/3 innings! Look guys, with the way the Braves have been swinging the bats lately, there's no question Lilly can and will deliver tonight.
Tom Glavine on the other hand is hardly a lock, as the veteran lefty is coming off the DL, and has yet to prove he can be consistently effective this season, going 2-3 with a 4.85 ERA. He's facing off against a Cubs team that has eaten him alive the last 5 times they've seen him, going 1-3 with an ugly 6.08 ERA over that span! Not only that, but if there's one team that loves to hit lefties, its the Cubs, averaging 5.3 runs per game against them on the road, batting .270 in the process!
Bottom line, the Braves are sputtering, while the Cubs are surging, and that much will be very clear at the end of this contest. Lilly has been razor sharp since the Break, and light out over his last 7 road starts, and there's little reason not to expect more of the same tonight. Glavine meanwhile, faces an uphill climb against a red-hot Cubs batting order, that has not been kind to the veteran lefty in the past. Cubs roll!
Take the Chicago Cubs behind Lilly over Atlanta and Glavine in this MLB match up.
2♦ CHI. CUBS
Brad Diamond Sports
Play on:St. Louis over Florida
Always liked lefty Scott Olsen of the Marlins, but can’t trust his history marks against the pesky Cardinals that illustrate a 1-2 life time record with a 7.00 ERA. Currently, the Marlins have dropped the last four starts with Olsen. RHP Wellemeyer of St. Louis opposes this evening with a 3-0 road mark and a decent 3.36 ERA. He is normally on a pitch count and accrues an average of six innings per outing, so the Cards pen will be tested. With St. Louis 8-2 at Florida I’ll lean to the visitor on Thursday.
Dennis Macklin
Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland Athletics
The Rays just keeping way to get it done (pitching/defense) despite their top two position players shelved with injuries. Tampa Bay is 6-2 in L8 and James Shields is rock steady 3-1 and 3.03 in his L5 starts. The A's are in freefall losing eight of ten homies and has scored one run or less an unbelievable 33 times in 2008. Sean Gallagher is rocking an 8.38 ERA in his L3 and doesn't figure to provide much help.
Play on: Tampa Bay
Yankee Capper
3 Units - Cardinals/Marlins Over 8.5
2 Units - Panthers/Eagles Over 35.5
Maddux Sports
Buffalo +2
PlayByPlayInc.
PITTSBURGH/BUFFALO Over 33
Tony Stoffo
Pitt/Buff Under 33
Rocco Spacamuro
100* Bills +2
Kerbysbaseball
DETROIT TIGERS -163
MIGHTY QUINN
Tigers
The Scout
Cubs
Dark Horse Sports
Dbacks
Cappers Access
Panthers
Brewers
Online Sports Winners
Detroit
JerseySteveWins
Milwaukee
lasvegassportsadvisors
Boston -1.5
floridabookybusters
Florida
Guido's Sports Page
Chi Cubs
JIM'S HOT PICKS
Chi Cubs
Global Sports Picks
MARLINS -115
JH-SPORTSLINE
LA Dodgers -125
John Fina
Arizona -145
FAO SPORTS
Pittsburgh/Buffalo Under
JOE WIZ
Arizona -145
NICK JONES
ROCKIES +130
Insider Sports Report
Philadelphia +105
PAUL LEINER
10* Brewers -105
TRACE ADAMS
Oakland A's
SCOTT DELANEY
BREWERS
TONY MATHEWS
Padres
NEVADA SHARPSHOOTER
PHILLIES +120
THE SCOUT
Cubs -115
ARTHUR RALPH
Astros
HUDDLE UP
Cincinnati +115
BOB HARVEY
Eagles
Panthers/Eagles Over
Pitt/Buff Over
DARK HORSE
Arizona -140
TV HOTLINE
PITT/BUFF UNDER
THE VEGAS STEAMLINE
CINCINNATI/PITTSBURGH UNDER
SOUTHSIDE SPORTS
MILWAUKEE
PLATINUM PLAYS
PIRATES -120
MIKE WYNN
NY Mets -150
RAZOR SHARP
PHILADELPHIA/LA DODGERS OVER
#1 SPORTS
MARLINS - 115
BIG TIME SPORTS
BALTIMORE/CLEVELAND OVER
LEE STEVENS
FLORIDA -115
COMPUTER SPORTS
D-BACKS-140
Priceless Picks
1 Unit on LA Dodgers -130
LA has had Philly's number in this series and I like the blue and white to pull off the sweep tonight. The Dodgers are 5-0 in their last 5 home games, 7-0 in their last 7 vs. the National League East, 5-0 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record, and 9-3 in Kuroda's last 12 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. The Phillies are just 3-12 in Myers' last 15 road starts and 1-6 in Myers' last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. Take the Dodgers.
Jason Lowry
Arizona D-Backs vs. Colorado Rockies
Play: Colorado Rockies
We are thinking an upset is in the making in Colorado on Thursday. The Rockies not only bring a 22-12 record against the money line as a home underdog of +100 or higher over the last 2 seasons, but they are a very nice 27-13 against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.00 or better over the last 2 seasons. This all works out well for the Rockies as starter Dan Haren has not only struggled of late with a 6.38 ERA in his last 3 starts, he has never won at Coors Field. Look for the Rockies bats to come alive at home, and for them to win this one pretty easily.
Dustin Hawkins
Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves
Play:Chicago Cubs
The soft throwing lefty Lilly has been getting it done for the Cubs this year!! They keep winning and keeping putting the pressure on the Cards and Brewers!!! Glavine is back off the DL, but the Cubs wont give him a nice welcome back. He wont getting any scoring help the way the Braves have been swinging the bats. Take the Cubs - 130
Steve Janus
Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres
Play: Milwaukee Brewers
The Padres host the Brewers Thursday. Milwaukee has everything moving in the right direction, while the Pardes couldn't be having a more disappointing season. San Diego is just 13-39 in their last 52 games against teams with a winning record and they've lost 17 of their last 21 home games. Even behind their ace, Jake Peavy, the Padres can't get anything going. They've lost 6 of Peavy's last 8 home starts and 4 of his starts in a row against winning teams. Milwaukee continues to make a run at the Cubs for the NL Central title. They've been getting it done in every imaginable situation. They've won 6 in a row against right-handed starters, they are 12-3 as favorites on the road, and they've won an impressive 35 of the last 51 games they have been favored in. These numbers tell us a simple but important fact about each team. The Brewers have been winning, and winning in bunches when they are expected to do so, and the Padres are living down to the expectations everyone has for them at this point in the year. No surprises here, Brewers get another important win on the road Thursday night.
Jeff Benton
I scored a huge 30 Dime winner with Milwaukee on the run-line last night, as the Brewers ran their winning streak to eight in a row behind a stellar outing from CC Sabathia. Today, they send co-ace Ben Sheets to the mound, and while he's opposed by stud Jake Peavy, I just don't see how you can pass up Milwaukee here.
For one thing, as good as Peavy is he's tied for the N.L. lead in ERA his team gives him no offensive support. That's why he's only 8-8 despite a 2.68 ERA, including 4-4 at home despite a 1.43 ERA. In fact, even though Peavy has allowed just 11 runs in 69 innings at Petco Park, San Diego is just 4-6 in his 10 home starts!
On the other hand, Sheets is 6-2 with a 2.83 ERA on the road, with Milwaukee winning 10 of his 14 road starts. Throw in the fact that the Padres are now a pathetic 4-18 in their last 22 home games, and I?m jumping on Sheets and the scorching Brewers in what figures to be a low-scoring affair.
3♦ MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Tony Weston
Tonight, as Week 2 of the preseason gets under way we're going with the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto at the Rogers Centre.
A couple things you need to know about tonight. First, after Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch went down last week with a broken collarbone the team went out and signed proven starting QB Byron Leftwich to serve as Ben Roethlisberger's primary backup. So, in the first quarter you're going to have Roethlisberger then in the second quarter you're going to have Leftwich. As if things weren't bad enough for the Bills defense, the Steelers will then turn to former Oregon freak of nature Dennis Dixon to take over.
Also, the Steelers have been pretty solid in the preseason under head coach Mike Tomlin. Since he took over last year the Steelers are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS. The team is also 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS on the road in the preseason dating back to last season.
Pittsburgh will dominate the Bills and get over easily on a Buffalo team that will see its starting offense play limited action.
Go with the Steelers in Toronto tonight.
3♦ STEELERS
EZWINNERS
2 STAR: OVER 9.5 (+$105) San Francisco @ Houston
(Listing Correia and Moehler)
(Risking $200 to win $210)
2 STAR: (954) COLORADO (+$129) over Arizona
(Action)
(Risking $200 to win $258)
2 STAR: (962) FLORIDA (-$112) over St. Louis
(Action)
(Risking $224 to win $200)
2 STAR: (966) LA DODGERS (-$131) over Philadelphia
(Listing Kuroda and Myers)
(Risking $262 to win $200)
CFL
1 STAR: (434) WINNIPEG (-3) over Hamilton
(Risking $110 to win $100)
Wild Bill
Giants +150 (5 units)
Arizona -135 (5 units)
Brewers +100 (5 units)
Reds +115 (5 units)
Cubs -125 (5 units)
St Louis +110 (5 units)
Phillies +120 (5 units)
Rays -140 (5 units)
Orioles -110 (5 units)
Texas +250 (5 units)
Texas-Boston Over 10½ (5 units)
Carolina-Philly Over 35½ (5 units)
Eagles -3 (5 units)
Tom Freese
43-16-1 MLB 10* Day Game Side BURIAL!
Tampa Bay