Bob Balfe
Grizzles -5 over Thunder
I think the line in this game really says it all. Vegas has no confidence in the Thunder being able to win this game. If you watched OKC all they do is give the ball to Durant. Memphis is geared up to win a title. This team really has no flaws and plays the game the correct way. Without Westbrook the Thunder just do not have enough juice. I would really be shocked if Memphis does not win this game by double digits. Take the Grizzles
Mets -110 over Pirates
Francisco Liriano will make his season debut today coming off a broken arm. This is his non throwing arm, but I don't expect him to get worked that hard today. John Niese has been up and down this year, but he pitches well at home and has great numbers when facing the Pirates. Take the Mets.
Big Kat Sports
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Take: Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies will look to bounce back after back to back one run losses to the Diamondbacks when the two teams meet tonight at Chase Field in Arizona. The Phillies got an excellent pitching performance from call-up Tyler Cloyd last night, who pitched into the 7th, giving up just 2 hits and 2 runs but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead for him as Mike Adams gave up a run in the bottom of the 8th. Cliff Lee, who has been good for the Phillies this year, will be on the hill this evening. He has posted a 3-2 record with a 3.26 ERA so far on the season and got the win on Monday over the Giants, giving up 2 runs over 8 innings. Lee has struck out 40 hitters while walking only 7 in 49.2 innings and he has been good in his career against Arizona, going 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA. Trevor Cahill, who has won his last two starts, will be on the mound tonight for the DBacks. He started the season 0-3, but he has pitched much better than that as he has posted a 2.80 and opponents are hitting just .225 against him. He has struggled a bit against Philadelphia in his career, posting a 0-1 record in 2 starts last year while allowing 7 runs in 12 innings. Despite losing the first two games of the series, the Phillies have actually been good in the spot they are in here tonight in Arizona. They are 17-4 in Lee’s last 21 starts on the road against teams with a winning record and have won 4 straight games started by Lee on the road when they were listed as an underdog. They have also had success against the NL West with Lee on the bump, winning 13 of 19. The DBacks, who are tied with the Giants for the lead in the NL West, have actually struggled in the situation they find themselves here at home tonight. They are just 3-7 with Cahill on the mound against teams with a losing record and have lost Cahill’s last 5 starts against teams from the NL East. Pair that with the fact that the DBacks have lost 7 of their last 10 at home against teams with a losing record and we’ll roll with the Phillies tonight to get the win.
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Atlanta Braves at San Francisco GiantsFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Prediction: Atlanta BravesFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The simulator shows a high probability that the Braves will win this game. Atlanta is 11-4 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games facing a starting pitcher that throws more than 6.5 innings per start in games played over the last two seasons. Moreover, Atlanta is a solid 22-9 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games facing a starting pitcher that gives up 5.5 or less hits/start over the last 3 seasons. Giants will start Bumgarner and he has not done well against the NL East posting a 3-11 (-10.4 Units) against the money line over the last 3 seasons. Bumgarner is just 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.276 WHIP in five career starts against the Braves. Braves starter Maholm got roughed up in his third-to-last start, but has responded very well allowing two earned runs in each of his last two starts. Take the Braves.
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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York MetsFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Play: New York MetsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Mets will get to see their third lefty in a row as Francisco Liriano makes his 2013 debut. Liriano made three starts for the Pirates AAA team giving up 6 runs and 15 hits in 16 innings. The southpaw's worst start came in his last outing when he gave up 4 runs and seven hits in five innings. Only three Mets’ hitters have seen the former Twins’ pitcher before with Marlon Byrd getting three hits in four at-bats against him. The Mets are hitting .227 in the daytime and they are putting up over 4 runs per game in those contests. Jon Niese enjoys pitching at home. He has allowed 8 runs and 21 hits in four starts in Citi Field. Niese beat the Pirates last year in Pittsburgh, and he has yet to lose to the Pirates in three career starts against them. Gaby Sanchez (4-19) has faced Niese the most with Russell Martin (1-8) and Neil Walker (1-6) also struggling against him. The Pirates are hitting .200 in nine games against left-handed starters. The Mets have won six of their last ten games at home against the Pirates, and they should win again on Saturday afternoon.
Greg ShakerFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Oakland / Seattle Over 7.5FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Despite the fact that both teams are not in their Overall Best Hitting Posture facing righthanded pitching my number for this game is 8.5 and good enough for 2%. Most recently and over the last 5 games both teams are experiencing sub-par work from their Pen and there is certainly a good chance that we will see those people enter the game tonight, perhaps earlier than planned. Jarrod Parker is snot living up to his Billing, whatever that might be. This guys has let the Bad Guys get 50 Hits in 34 innings of work and he has been very consistently bad. He is also dealing with neck soreness but says he is going to give it a try tonight. Ok then! For whatever reason the Seattle Starter has not liked pitching here at this park and is sporting a 6.35 ERA in 4 starts. He is capable of throwing a decent game though and the only reason why this play is not rated higher than it is. For this time of year we are going to have better than average weather for the hitters and there is no doubt that the Roof will be open. That's a good thing right? Oakland continues to be an OVER machine and especially when they venture out of town, and when they play on real grass.
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Cincinnati Reds -1½FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Brewers have lost 7 of 8 and will have a tough time snapping out of their funk against Mat Latos. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA in 7 starts with the Reds winning 5 of those. He's 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA over his last 3 starts. The Reds are 25-8 in Latos' last 33 starts, 10-1 in his last 11 starts on 5 days' rest and 8-0 in his last 8 starts as a home favorite of -151 to -200. Latos gave up just 1 run in each of his 3 starts versus Milwaukee last season. Cincy is 8-2 in its last 10 and 21-7 in its last 28 at home versus the Brewers. Milwaukee has lost each of Hiram Burgos' last 2 starts by 2 runs. Bet the Reds on the run line.
Jeff AlexanderFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Texas Rangers -1½FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Darvish has faced the Astros twice and has destroyed them both times. He's 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in those starts, giving up just 2 runs in 16 2-3 innings while striking out 25 and walking just 2. The Rangers are 4-0 in his last 4 starts with 3 of these wins coming by 4 runs or more. Houston's Bedard is 0-2 with a 9.98 ERA in 5 starts. The Astros are 0-4 in his last 4 starts, losing them by 3.75 runs on average. Rangers run line.
Jesse SchuleFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Marlins / Dodgers Under 6½FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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There are only two teams in Major League Baseball that have scored fewer runs than the offensively inept Dodgers. L.A. will host one of those teams tonight, taking on the Marlins in Game 2 of this series, with the Fish coming off a win in Game 1.
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Miami sends Kevin Slowey to the mound, and he's having himself a fantastic season so far. Slowey (1-2, 1.81 ERA) allowed just a pair of hits while shutting out the Phillies over seven innings in a 14-2 win his last time out. Prior to that he went eight innings, allowing one run on four hits in a 2-1 win over the Mets. He has held opponents to one run or fewer in five of his seven starts this season.
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The Dodgers hand the ball to Hyun-Jin Ryu, he's looking to bounce back from a loss to San Francsico his last time out. Lucky for Ryu, these Marlins aren't quite as dangerous with the bats as the Giants are.
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Ryu is 2-1 with a 2.41 ERA at home this season, while he's 1-1 with a 4.68 ERA on the road.
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I don't expect to see a lot of scoring between these two clubs, especially with a couple of above average pitchers on the mound.
Chase DiamondFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White SoxSERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Play: Los Angeles AngelsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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This game features the 13-22 Angels at the 14-19 White Sox. When will the Angels wake up? I think the Angels start to turn it around today as Jerome Willams takes the mound with his 1-1 record and 3.16 ERA he has been a bright spot early on. Jose Quintana struggled last time out as the Sox dropped one to the Royals. Betting public is backing the White Sox but despite that the line appears to be moving in reverse. So we are taking the sharp approach here and taking the Angels to start their turnaround today.
Andrew LangeFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Oakland at SeattleFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Play: OverFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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I thought for sure that the Oakland A's would place Jarrod Parker on the DL, especially after hearing quotes like this...
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"It's been something that's been bothering me a little bit," Parker said. "I got some pitches that were up in the zone. If I was 100 percent, I don't think they would be at that location."
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He hasn't had the velocity he had last year," Melvin said. "The neck strain could have something to do with that."
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Parker is apparently dealing with a neck strain that has likely contributed to his significant decline (7.34 ERA, 34. 1IP, 50 hits, 18 BBs, 25 Ks). And he doesn't have the element of surprise having faced the Mariners four times already, including earlier this season (5 IP, 4 ERs, 3 BBs, 1 K).
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Seattle's Brandon Maurer has done just enough to stay at the MLB level but the overall product is nothing to get excited about. In 29.2 IP, Maurer has allowed 35 hits, 5 homers, and owns a so-so 18-to-8 K/BB ratio. The A's saw him earlier this season and pounded him around for six runs.
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Always tricky trying to get a game up an over 7.5 in Safeco but considering the two starting pitchers, we should be able to get there.
Jeff Scott SportsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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4 UNIT PLAYFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Detroit/ Cleveland Over 7.5: Both of these offenses come in extremely hot as the Tribe has scored 6.4 rpg in their last 11 games, while Detroit has put up 6.45 rpg in their last 11 games. At home this year the Tigers have averaged 6.25 rpg, while Cleveland has put up 5.7 rpg on the road. Granted it will be hard for Cleveland to get to their averages vs Verlander, but he has not been prefect vs them in his career with a 4.55 ERA in 30 starts, so to expect 3 or 4 runs from them is realistic. Now the Tigers do have a shot to hit their recent averages as they will be facing a struggling Ubaldo Jimenez, who comes in with a 6.37 ERA on the year. He does have a 2.50 ERA in 3 road starts this year, but that won't last as he has a 4.36 ERA on the road in his career and this park has been a house of horrors for him, as he has gone 1-6 with a 7.45 ERA in 7 career starts here. Hell Detroit might get the Over on their own in this one. It may happen, but I do at least expect 5 runs from them, while Cleveland will put up at least 3 or 4 of their own. Look or at the very least 9 runs in this one.
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3 UNIT PLAYFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Philadelphia/ Arizona Under 8: Neither offense has scored much in this series as 8 total runs have been put up in the first 2 games. well I expect that to continue tonight, as e have a solid pitching matchup on the mound. Cliff Lee comes in with a solid 3.26 ERA so far, but the Phils are 3-4 in his starts and that because they give him just 3.1 rpg worth of support when he pitches. The Phils gave him little run support last year and it has carried over to this year. The Under is 12-1 when Lee had a quality start in his last game and 7-1 in his last 8 road starts, including 3-1 in this years road starts, with those games averaging just 5.5 rpg. Trevor Cahill has also been a victim of low run support this year. In 7 starts this year Trevor has a 2.80 ERA, but he is just 2-3 in those starts thanks to his mates giving him just 3 rpg worth of support.At home its even worse as he is 1-2 in 5 starts, but with a 2.61 ERA. At home his team has given him just 1.8 rpg worth of support and those games have averaged a mere 4.8 rpg. Neither offense is playing all that well right and they have not played well hen these starters have been on the mound. The first two in this series has been all about the pitching and this one will as well.
Harry Bondi
Oklahoma City +5
One thing is sure when these two get together and that is that the game will be tight. The first two games in Oklahoma City came down to the games final minutes and that will be the case as the series moves to Memphis. The underdog is 6-1 ATS the last seven meetings between Memphis and OKC and the Thunder have been solid on the road going 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games. It's another tight one today. Take Kevin Durant and the Thunder plus the points.
Joe GavazziFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Baltimore -115FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Baltimore is proving to be one of the most resilient teams in MLB. After being the MLB leader in 1 run wins last season, the Orioles are proving their mettle again this year with a record of 11-3/loss. This resilience also shows up in games like last night where the never-say-die attitude resulted in a 9-6 extra inning victory after trailing 6-0. It means Baltimore is now on a 15-7 and 5-1 uptick and has the most road wins in MLB at 13-8. It also increases their record at this site to 7-2. Today they send Johnson to the mound who, after battling for the 5th spot in the Spring, was forced to rehab in the Minor Leagues following a right lat injury. In 12 appearances last season including 4 starts, Johnson posted a 2.11 ERA. Anything close to that will be better than what Minnesota gets from the underachieving Worley. Worley enters this game winless in his last 12 starts with a record fading to last year of 0-7 with a 6.87 ERA in that time frame. That includes 0-4 this year with a 6.95 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP. Edges across the board to Baltimore.
Wunderdog
Miami at Los Angeles Dodgers
Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5
Last year was supposed to be a breakout season for the Marlins. They opened a new stadium with a roster chock full of high-quality free agents, but the season never got off the ground, and was a total bust. Now the free agents are gone, and the roster is full of rookies, and inexperienced players, and the 11-25 record shows it. They have won multiple games in a row just twice all season, and nine against a winning team. You can bet the Dodgers will come out steaming after suffering the loss to the lowly Marlins last night at home. The Marlins have scored 5 runs or more just eight times all season, and in their first seven have been outscored in their next game by a 36-16 count, or by 3 runs per game. Take the Dodgers on the runline.
Sam Martin
Knicks at Pacers
Play: Over
Both games played in New York went over the total and we expect a faster pace tonight as this series shifts to Indiana knotted up at 1-1. Indiana plays much better offensively here at home than they do on the road and will be looking to bounce back after a horrible second half in New York's blowout win. The Knicks are coming off their highest-scoring game of the playoffs in that Game Two victory, scoring 105 points. That should give New York some much-need confidence offensively after struggling against Boston as well as the series opener against the Pacers. Indiana is 15-7 Over playing with same-season revenge, and with a faster-tempo and both teams playing for a series lead we look for offenses to rule tonight.