Charlies Sports
Cincinnati @ Houston under 8½ (500*)
Tampa Bay+105 (30*)
Atlanta-125 (20*)
Minnesota-105 (20*)
Arizona-135 (10*)
Oakland-135 (10*) free play
LT Profits
Kansas City Royals +120
The Oakland Athletics have lost five of six games to drop to the .500 mark at 53-53, and we would not lay any odds with this team right now, making the Kansas City Royals the play as underdogs.
The Athletics have struggled offensively all season, but they have actually gotten worse lately, batting a pathetic .215 over their last 10 games. Now Sean Gallagher has allowed two earned runs or less in all three of his Oakland starts, but he does have a terrible 1.73 WHIP in an Athletics uniform, and that propensity for putting men on base led him to allow four unearned runs in a 14-6 loss to Texas in his last start. He needs all the support he could get, and Oakland is simply incapable of providing that right now.
Granted, Brian Bannister has been terrible on the road this year for the Royals, going 2-5 with an 8.60 ERA. However, even he has appreciated facing the light-hitting Athletics, allowing exactly two runs in two of his three starts in Oakland over the last two years. Also the Royals are on a bit of a run having won three straight, as they won the last game of their series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays before traveling to Oakland.
As bad as Bannister has been on the road, we actually trust the Kansas City offense to scratch out runs against Gallagher more that we trust Oakland to score runs vs. anyone right now, so we will gladly take these plus odds.
Pick: Royals +120
Chicago White Sox -110
The Minnesota Twins have taken the first two games of this series, but we are looking for the Chicago White Sox to salvage a win tonight and avoid the sweep.
The White Sox have seen their first place lead over the Twins trimmed to one game in the loss column, but their starter Gavin Floyd has been solid all season, and we look for him to enable them to open a little daylight. Floyd is 10-6 with a very good 3.57 ERA in 123.2 innings, and he is a perfect three for three in Quality Starts vs. Minnesota this year, allowing a total of five earned runs and only 12 hits in 21.1 innings. Should he need some relief, the White Sox are still ranked fourth in the majors with a 3.29 bullpen ERA.
Now Livan Hernandez has a similar 10-7 record, but he has taken an entirely different route getting there, with a very high 5.21 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. He has benefitted from 5.77 runs per game of support, but he does not figure to get that much help here with Floyd as the opposing pitcher. Also, Hernandez was lit up the last time he faced the Sox, surrendering seven earned runs and nine baserunners while lasting just four innings.
We will go with the better pitcher and what we feel is the better team in a game that is close to a pick here.
Pick: White Sox -110
Ben Burns
Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians
PICK: Cleveland Indians
It's true that the Tigers typically hit a lot better against left-handers than they do vs. right-handed ones. However, Cliff Lee is no ordinary southpaw and he's having a truly sensational season. Indeed, he enters tonight's game with a remarkable 14-2 record and a stellar 2.29 ERA. That includes a 6-0 record with a 1.71 ERA at home. He's been at his very best lately, too. Over his last three starts, he's gone 3-0 with an outstanding 1.57 ERA. Note that Lee already beat the Tigers 8-2 in his lone start against them this season.
On the other hand, Robertson is 0-1 (Tigers are 0-3) with a terrible 8.81 ERA over his last three starts. He's given up nearly two baserunners (1.826 WHIP) per inning during that stretch, while averaging only 5 1/3 innings per start. Robertson lost his lone start against Cleveland this year and has an ugly 6.82 ERA on the road for the season. Consider a play on CLEVELAND.
Jake Timlin
In big need for salvage win look for the Rockies to earn that win thanks to Aaron Cook who is on fire winning his last two starts with easy. For Cook over his last two starts he has been on his game by only allowing 4 total earned runs in 15 innings of work. Meanwhile for the Pirates they turn to Duke who is struggling going 0-3 with a 10.06 ERA over his last three starts, including giving up 9 earned runs just two starts ago in an 11-3 loss to the Rockies and Cook in Denver. So thanks to the Rockies in need for a huge win and going with their ace look for the Rockies to bounce back as they avoid the sweep.
All Colorado
Matt Rivers
Wednesday take the coin back with the Tigers.
Cliff Lee is a superstar right now and as good as they come but to get such a price back with the hard hitting righthanded laden Tigers is just too good to pass up. Detroit boasts a ton of pop from that right side with Mags, Cabrera, Sheffield and a few others and even with the insanely amazing season for Lee cpuld get hit a little here.
Nate Robertson is far from a guy that you could ever trust but the Indians are far from a team that is going anywhere. They traded away CC Sabathia and Casey Blake and are pretty much just finishing out the string right now. Besides Grady Sizemore, who is awesome, there really aren't many other places that you can call better than okay. The Detroit lefty at times does look very good and this may be one of those spots against a fairly punch less Tribe bunch that has halfway quit on the season.
Lee has not given up much at all this season but the upside with this dog is tremendous and just too much to pass on as the Tigers may not exactly be an overachieving club this season but they do have a tremendous upside and can bash away at anytime.
This is the epitome of a no-lose situation.
Scott Delaney
Chad Billingsley comes in after serving up a much-needed quality start for the men in blue, and there's no bigger motivation for a Dodger pitcher than a slew of San Francisco hitters. His team certainly needs him again, as it opens up a crucial three-game set with Arizona tomorrow.
Thus, the Dodgers need to win for some momentum to carry into that series. In posting their third shutout in four games 2-0 last night over the Giants the Dodgers won for the fourth time in five games. We bank on Billingsley here since he's 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA in his last eight outings, and has struck out 55 over 52 innings in that span.
I know Billingsley has never beaten this team, but the tide has to turn at some point, and that time is now. San Fran's Jonathan Sanchez is 0-2 with an 8.47 ERA in his last four starts, lasting past the fifth inning just once in that span. Bank the Dodgers tonight.
2♦ DODGERS
Chris Jordan
Tampa Bay at TORONTO +105
It's a Major League-debut, so for me, it's a play. Today, it's complimentary, and we're listing Scott Richmond, who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, when the Jays placed reliever Brian Tallet on the 15-day disabled list because of a broken toe. The 28-year-old right-hander replaces John Parrish, who was moved to the bullpen.
Though his record is not indicative of how well he pitches, Richmond has good control of his stuff, and certainly knows how to limit opponents to the bare minimum at the plate. At Double-A New Hampshire he was 5-8 with a 4.95 ERA, but when after being promoted to Syracuse, he produced a 2.53 ERA and held opponents to a .210 batting average.
He struck out 31 across 35 innings, and against the D Rays, he should keep them guessing. I was at the game last night, and I can tell you now that Matt Garza was the sole reason the Jays lost. Other than that I was not impressed by the Devil Rays. With Edwin Jackson toeing the slab, there will be much more to choose from at the plate. Play the Jays in this mattine.
2♦ BLUE JAYS
Matty O'Shea Double Dime NL Total Play O' the Week
WAS / PHI Under 8.5
There have not been more than six runs scored in the last five meetings between Washington starting pitcher Tim Redding and the Phillies. In fact, the last three meetings have resulted in shutouts. Also add in that Philadelphia starting pitcher Jamie Moyer has seen the UNDER go 8-1 in his last nine starts overall, and the UNDER is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings between the teams overall after Tuesday's 2-1 win for the Phillies. What do you end up with? The recipe for another low-scoring game, and a winner on the UNDER as my Double Dime NL Total Play O' the Week.
Robert Ross
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians
Prediction: Detroit Tigers
DETROIT is 21-7 against the money line vs. a bad bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities this season. CLEVELAND is 15-23 against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season and 17-25 against the money line vs. an average bullpen whose ERA is 3.75 to 4.50 this season.
Take Detroit!
Drew Gordon
Chi. White Sox at MINNESOTA -110
We all know just how streaky this Twins club can be, and the good news for Minnesota-backers is they've now won 4 straight, and I expect they'll make it 5 in a row tonight at home against the White Sox and here's why:
First off, the pitching match up clearly favors the Twinkies, as they've got Livan Hernandez pitching tonight at home, where he's an impressive 8-1 with 3.91 ERA this season! Although he's lost 2 of his last 3 starts, both of his losses came on the road, with his only home start coming against the high-powered Rangers offense. How did he do? He allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits over 7 solid innings! Look for another rock-solid home start from Hernandez in this one.
Opposing Hernandez is the White Sox Gavin Floyd, who's clearly struggling over his last 3 starts, going 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA. Besides his recent play, he's got two issues in this one: A. The last place you'd expect a bouce back effort from Floyd is on the road, where he's just 3-4 with an ugly 5.29 ERA. And B. He's catching the Twins at the wrong time (in the midst of a 4-game win streak) and the wrong place (36-19 at Metrodome).
Finally, there's no question you also have to give the edge to the Twins offense, which is batting a solid .295 against righties over their last 10 games. Not only that, but when you consider the White Sox are batting only .247 against righties over the same span, the disparity is crystal clear. As a final note, the Twins are 24-15 at home against right-handed starters, while the White Sox are 16-21 against righties away. Hard to argue with those numbers, Twins roll!
Take Minnesota behind Hernandez over the Chicago White Sox and Floyd in this MLB match up.
3♦ MINNESOTA
MICHAEL CANNON
LA Angels +165 at BOSTON
Let's take the Angels as a big road dog tonight over the Red Sox.
Los Angeles is a first-place team with a starting pitcher that's won 13 games on the year and just acquired switch-hitting, power hitter Mark Texiera from the Braves.
And they're this big of a dog in Boston?
That's fine, I'll take a chance with it.
The Angels will start Joe Saunders, who is 13-5 on the year with a 3.10 ERA. He's 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five career games against the Red Sox, including a 1-0 mark with a 3.55 ERA in two starts this year.
Boston will counter with Josh Beckett, who is 9-7 on the year with a 3.83 ERA. He's dropped two of his last three starts.
At this price I just can't pass up a team that's playing as well as the Angels are, especially with the addition of Texiera.
Take the Angels as the big road dog winner tonight.
2♦ LA ANGELS
SportsKingz
PHILLIES -140
TEXAS -170
ARIZONA -135
COLORADO -145
TAMPA BAY -105
Winners Edge
Atlanta Braves -125 , 2 units
S.D Padres +125 , 1 unit
Jays/D-Rays Under 9½ , 1 unit
EZWINNERS
5 STAR: (921) KANSAS CITY (+$121) over Oakland
(Listing Bannister only) (Risking $500 to win $605)
2 STAR: (923) LA ANGELS (+141) over Boston
(Listing Saunders only) (Risking $200 to win $282)
2 STAR: (915) SAN FRANCISCO (+$172) over LA Dodgers
(Action) (Risking $200 to win $344)
2 STAR: (909) CHICAGO (+$100) over Milwaukee
(Listing Dempster and Parra) (Risking $200 to win $200)
2 STAR: (911) CINCINNATI (+$104) over Houston
(Listing Volquez only) (Risking $200 to win $208)
1 STAR: (917) TAMPA BAY (-$113) over Toronto
(Listing Jackson only) (Risking $113 to win $100)
Winning Points
FLORIDA +110 over NY METS
We'll revisit this series one more time and look for the home team to take the rubber match. The Marlins have posted outstanding numbers vs. righthanders this year (+$1555 overall) so they check in here with a huge advantage over a New York team that is only 10-19 (-$975) vs.righties in night games on the road. Josh Johnson has been flashing decent form since rejoining the team earlier this month (+$435, 3.71 ERA in three starts), so it's hard to pass up the underdog price on the host.