AntonWins
3 units Atlanta +149
Indiancowboy
Twins +117 (POD)
I rolled with Minny yesterday and they got it done 4-0 and they face the Yankees yet again today, once again they are a road favorite and considering the Twins are 40-21 at home while the Yankees are 27-30 on the road, this is a bit interesting, of course, the Yankees are on a bounce-back but the Twins pitchers do considerably better at home overall, Mussina has been on fire of late pitching 6 of 7 quality starts and he comes off giving up 8 hits in 7 inns on the road at Texas but no runs in a splendid performance, he has given up 1 just 1 run in his last 14 innings and is a remarkable 6-1 with a 2.94 era on the road. He has faced Minny twice this year and has gone 14 innings giving up just 2 runs, but the same principle applies here as it did for yesterday, it is very tough for a pitcher to beat a team 3 times in a row, and that is what Mussina tries to do today, he is due for a bad start in my opinion especially after a shutout performance, Blackburn beat the Yankees 5-1 at home in his first start and had a 16.27 era on the road against them in his last start losing 4-12 and he didn't have all that of a great start at Seattle despite winning giving up 9 hits in 6 inns, lean on the Twins here.
Rangers +144
Feldman goes against Link today, Feldman pitched great against the Yankees in his last home start with a 2.57 era but still came away with the loss in an 0-3 ballgame as Mussina didn't yield a run to the potent Texas offense, he hasn't won a ballgame since July 21st, Boston puts a newbie on the mound today but his start has been much anticipated so the juice sits at -160, but I would likely take the Texas offense here given they can pound the ball, Feldman desperately needs a win here and has been pitching well and the new kid could have some nerves, remember, Feldman beat the Whitesox, Yankees and Baltimore all on the road in his last 3 road starts, so the Rangers could very well win this game - Feldman also went nearly 3 innings without yielding a run to this team last year. Rangers have won Feldman's last 4 starts.
Mariners +171
Washburn has had a rough go of it in his last 2 road starts, but always remember, he faces his old ballclub today so the nerves and the fire will be there today, the Angels do have a 6 and a 6.75 era against him this year though defeating him both times 1-4 and 2-4, Garland rarely does not lose back to back games and had nearly a 4 era in his last start which he lost and Seattle roughed him up in Seattle last time getting 12 hits in 5 innings off of him - I remember, I was on Seattle in that game and if anything, Garland bounces back here - BUT wait, over 70% are riding the Angels, nearly 2:1 value here on Washburn, and remember what I always say, it is very, very tough for a team to defeat a pitcher 3 times in a row. I am tempted to take the Angels here just based on value as it is the biggest public fade today in mlb and that is with nearly 2:1 value. It takes a lot of galls to make this play, but remember, Garland is just 2-5 when he faces teams with a losing record, the Mariners have had success against him, this is one of the biggest public plays on the board today and Washburn looks to avoid losing 3 games in a row to his old ballclub, I'll take my chances here given the payout as I am no stranger to underdogs which have cashed at a solid rate the last 3 months including the Indians the other night with a similar payout with Paul Byrd on the mound at around +174.
Kevin Francis Guaranteed Selections
5000* DIAMOND DOMINATOR BASEBALL WINNER
Cleveland w/Sowers -130
Oscarxena Sports
Florida -1.07 (3 Unit Play)
The Marlins will have Chris Volstad on the mound and what can you say so far about this 21 year old as he is 3-2 in five starts with a 2.67 ERA in 33 2/3 innings with a 1.34 WHIP. He has never faced the Cardinals but is off of shutting out the Phillies on the road for six innings and every game so far that he has started has went Under the total. Volstad will be opposed by Kyle Lohse who after an incredible start is beginning to fall back to earth and overall on the road this year he has a 5.16 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. Lohse is only 1-2 over his last four starts with a 6.04 ERA so he is regressing to really where he should be as he overpitched earlier this year. Today's HP umpire is Lance Barksdale who is 12-12 so far this year for the home team which is not great but Lohse has started four games with him and went only 1-3. The Cardinals are also only 3-7 in their past 10 games with Barksdale while the Marlins are 7-3. I like Florida to even up this series tonight.
Baltimore/Cleveland Over 10 1/2 +1.05 (3 Unit Play)
This total has climbed up a little bit but I still like it at 10 1/2. The Orioles will have Garrett Olson on the hill and he will be trying to recover from a horrendous outing against the Angels last game but it is hard to have faith in someone who has a 6.93 ERA on the road this year and a 1.76 WHIP. Olson has never faced the Indians in his career. The Indians will have Jeremy Sowers on the mound and he has been pitching better lately but still has a 6.34 ERA overall this year and in three career starts against the Orioles the Indians have lost all three games and Sowers is 0-2 with a 11.57 ERA and in fact all three of those games went Over the total. I usually don't like to follow up on an Over after teams score a lot of runs but this is the only way I see this game going this evening. Tonight's HP umpire is Hunter Wendelstedt and so far this year he has went Over 14 out of 25 times and in Baltimore's last 10 games with Hunter they are 7-3 to the Over while the Indians are 7-2-1 over the same period of games. More runs scored tonight in this series seems likely with these two pitchers and the bullpens of these two teams.
Pittsburgh +1.01 (3 Unit Play)
My last play today will be on the Pirates to get the heads up in this series with Cincinnati. The Pirates would love to stay out of last place and although they made some big trades in dumping Xavier Nady and Jason Bay they have kept competing and just seem to have a lot of heart right now. They battled back yesterday in a game that they were losing 5-1 in what was a makeup game and forced them to travel an extra day and that just tells me that they are still determined to win. The Pirates will hand the ball to Jeff Karstens who has been outstanding since coming over from the Yankees as he has made two starts(at Chicago and at. Arizona) and simply threw 15 shutout innings against those two teams. The Reds meanwhile are in free fall and are off of a day where they traded Adam Dunn away for minor league prospects. The Reds have dropped 14 of their last 16 games and just seem to have no heart to win lately. They are an NL-worst 6-17 since the All Star break and in fact their starter for today Edinson Volquez has also been struggling as he has allowed 15 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings of his last four starts. I will take the team that seems to want to play lately against the team that is just riding out the season.
Sports Pro Unlimited
5 unit play on FLA -107 (POD)
5 unit play on LAA -1.5 +115
5 unit play on MIN +122
Anthony Capone
Cubs /Braves
Play : 3 * Cubs -160
I am firmly onthe Cubs tonight and arguably one of the best pitchers in the majors Rich Harden to get the Win over the Braves and Charlie Morton .The Cubs are playing solid ball winning 4 of their last 5 Ballgames , including 2 of those 3 wins against the Red Hot Astros .Rich Harden Takes to the Hill for the Cubs tonight and he has not missed a beat since coming over fron the AL . His ERA is tremendous at 2.10 and the Cubs have won in 5 of his last 7 starts .On the Road he has done some of his best work with a (1-1) record an a 1.29 ERA .How about his strikeout to walk ration of 19 SO and only 2 Walsk ,with a WHIP of o.64 . His control has been pinpoint and since coming to the Cubs he has only alowed 9 walks in 4 starts .The Braves have seemingly strightened out their road woes lately and it seems that the problems have been at Turner field . In their last nine Home games the Braves are (2-7) .Starting pitcher Charlie Morton has had his own problem at Turner where he has gone (0-4) with an ERA of over 8 .He has also surrendered 10 more hits than Innings pitched . In conclusion as much as I don't likelaying this much wood on the road I feel it's justified as we certainly have the better pitcher and the better team as welll .
D'Rays / A'S
Play : 2 * D'Rays -160
Tonight I am going with the D'rays as my second choice with Scott Kazmir on the Hill to face Gio Gonzalez for the A'S .The Rays are absolutely on fire after winning 8 of their last 10 and setting a franchise record with their 71 st win the other night .The A'S on the other hand, where do I begin they have lost 2 in a row and 9 of their last 10 .They are hitting under .250 against both Lefties and Righties , and in their last 10 games the team Average has continued to plumit to a drop over .200 .This is a team in complete dissaray .Kazmir has been very good this year going (8-5) with the D'Rays a healthy (13-5) in Kazmirs starts .Although he has slipped up a bit lately I full expect him to have a terrific performance against arguably one of the worst teams in baseball .Kazmir did beat the A'S the last 2 times he faced them , and I don't see anything different happening today with the A'S starters surrendering on Average over 6 Runs per start .The Rays are the way to go here .
VEGAS RUNNER
MLB 2* PARLAY PLAY of the DAY
TM 1: NY METS -200 (Santana vs Perez)
TM 2: WHITE SOX -180 (Vazquez vs Bannister)
2 Unit PARLAY To WIN 2.7 Units (+135)
CLE (-130) vs BAL 2* ML WAGER
SFG (-102) vs HOU MLB 3* GAME of the WEEK
Mike Rose
3* Orioles/Indians Over 10.5
3* NY Yankees -1.5
3* Diamondbacks/Rockies Under 9
LT Profits
2* Cardinals/Marlins Under 9
2* Rays/A's Under 7.5
2* Oakland A's
Alex Smart
2* Florida Marlins
3* Phillies/Dodgers Over 7
LARRY NESS
15* NL Game of the Week (58-43 TY / 179-93 two-year run with GOW plays)
Despite closing the month of July by getting swept in a four-game home series by the Cubs, the Brewers are just 3 1/2 games back of Chicago entering Tuesday's play. They take MLB's longest active winning streak into this game (six straight), as they completed a four-game sweep of their own yesterday, beating the Nationals 7-1. The Brewers did not "go in the tank" after losing to the Cubs but rather have opened the month of August, 8-2. Best-known these last two years as an excellent home team and a terrible road one, the Brewers are an impressive 13-3 on the road since July 1. Jeff Suppan, who posted a 3.87 home ERA last year (Brewers went 12-5) but a 5.38 road ERA (Brewers went 6-11), has followed the lead of the entire team, as the Brewers are 4-0 in his road starts since July 1. He's been very good in his last three road starts, posting a 2.57 ERA. The Padres were idle yesterday but are coming off a weekend in which they displayed some rare offensive 'fireworks.' For the season, the Padres are one of MLB's lowest scoring teams (3.89 RPG), while batting .248 (third-worst in the NL). However, they beat the Rockies 8-3 in Coors Field on Saturday with 13 hits and then got 20 hits in a 16-7 win on Sunday. A return home though, is not necessarily good news. The Padres are only 25-34 on their home field, averaging a puny 3.51 RPG. Getting the start for San Diego is Cha Seung Baek (4-5, 4.90 ERA), who was acquired from Seattle in late May. He only made one start while with the Mariners, being used mostly out of the bullpen. It's been different for him with the Padres, as 11 of his 13 appearances have come as a starter. However, the strange fact is, while he's pitched well on the road (3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts / team is 4-1), he's been AWFUL in San Diego. He's made six starts in Petco Park (known as a pitcher-friendly stadium), going 0-5 (team is 1-5) with a 6.39 ERA (46 hits allowed in just 31 innings). The Brewers are playing with confidence on the road these days, while the Padres are 4-16 at home since June 20, having lost seven consecutive series. NL Game of the Week 15* Mil Brewers.
Larry Ness' Oddsmaker's Error-MLB (10-5 in MLB since June 17)
Tim Lincecum has often been compared to Roy Oswalt as they have similar pitching deliveries and despite slight builds, both can "bring it!" Lincecum has had by far the more effective season in '08, as he'll take a 12-3 mark with a 2.68 ERA into this game. As for Oswalt, who owns an impressive .661 winning percentage (121-62) since opening his career by going 14-3 in 2001, is just 9-8 with a 4.56 ERA in 22 starts this year (team is 11-11). Oswalt had mechanical problems with his delivery early on and missed almost all of July on the DL. He retrurned on July 28 and though he allowed four ERs in each of his first two outings, both were Houston wins. In his last start (Aug 7 at Cincy), Oswalt looked pretty good, allowing nine hits but just one run in seven inngs of a 7-4 win. Lincecum has been terrific on the road this year, going 7-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 12 starts (team is 8-4). I will note though, that the All Star is showing signs of wearing down. He never once allowed more than three ERs in any of his first 13 starts in '08 (2.00 ERA) but after allowing four ERs vs Detroit on June 16, allowed five ERs in his very next start at KC. A check of the boxscores show that he's now allowed four or more ERs in FOUR of his last 10 starts, while posting a 3.63 ERA. That 's not a high figure these days but it is more than 1 1/2 runs higher than his ERA was over his first 13 starts this year. Let's also remember he's pitching for the Giants, owners of a 50-67 record, while scoring fewer runs (3.82 per) than any team in MLB not named the Nationals. Meanwhile, Oswalt will take the mound for a team playing great. Last night's 3-1 win over the Giants was Houston's FIFTH straight win and its 13th win in its last 17. The Astros have now taken FOUR of five games from the Giants this year and couldn't be playing better. With Oswalt looking as good as he has all season, the Astros are a bargain at this price. Oddsmaker's Error on the Hou Astros.
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider (35-21 since May 26)
The Yanks came out of the All Star break with eight straight wins but since losing that Sunday Night game 9-2 on ESPN at Fenway back on July 27, have gone only 5-11, after losing 4-0 last night in Minnesota. During their 8-0 post-break start, the Yanks swept the Twins in a three-game series in The Bronx (July 21-23), outscoring them 25-7. However, the Twins have gone 11-6 since that debacle and last night's win (coupled with Chicago's 5-1 loss to Boston) gives them a half-game lead in the AL Central. The Twins have been excellent at home in �08, going 41-20, while outscoring opponents 5.13-to-3.70 RPG. The Yanks are just 27-30 on the road this year but have "Twin-killer" Mike Mussina ready to go. Mussina opened the '08 season 1-3 but has gone 14-4 since, to take a 15-7 mark with a 3.27 ERA into tonight's contest. He lost his first road start this year at Fenway but is 6-0 with a 2.49 ERA in seven road starts since (Yanks are 6-1). Overall, since July 1, Mussina has made seven starts. He just "didn't have it" in a home start against Baltimore on (5 IP / 8 hits / 6 ERs) but in the other six, the 39-year-old has allowed only four ERs over 40 innings (0.90 ERA). Then of course, there's Mussina's total domination of the Twins throughout his career. He's 22-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 career starts vs Minnesota, including a 2-0 mark this year, allowing two ERs in 14 innings (1.29 ERA). Nick Blackburn (9-6, 3.60 ERA) will oppose Mussina for Minnesota. He's been solid this season, after making only six relief appearances in his major league debut last year. Like the Twins themselves, Blackburn's best work has been here in the Metrodome, as compared to a 4.48 ERA in 13 road starts, his home ERA is 2.55 in 10 starts (Twins are 8-2). As much as I respect the Twins at home, I'm NOT taking them against their nemesis. Las Vegas Insider on the NY Yankees.
Scott Spreitzer
MLB Tues Nite TOP HAMMER MISMATCH! *9-4, 69%!
Righthander Zach Miner has pitched quite well since becoming a part of the Tiger rotation. His last four appearances have all been starts, and he's allowed just six earned runs and 27 base runners in 23 1/3 IP. He's 3-1 in those outings, sporting a strong, 2.32 ERA & 1.16 WHIP. And, while the Jays have been nothing special at the plate in road night games against righties, the Tigers have crushed opposing righthanders in home night tilts, averaging 6.8 runs per game in 22 tries. A.J. Burnett has really struggled against the Tigers in his career, allowing 18 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings of action. He's been even worse at Comerica where he sports a hefty 11.88 ERA! Look for Miner and the Tiger bats to cool off the Blue Jays on Tuesday. My Top Hammer Mismatch is a play on Detroit.
BEAT YOUR BOOKIE
100 - Mets
50 - Pitt
50 - Tampa Bay
Teddy Covers
4* Rays/A's Under 7.5
AJ Apollo
3* San Diego Padres
3* Oakland A's