WEDNESDAY PREMIUM SERVICE PLAYS

John Ryan

New York Rangers

Ai Simulator 7* graded play on the Ny Rangers as they face Washington slated to start at 7:05 EST. Supporting this graded play is a strong system that has posted a 372-365 mark for just 51% winners, but has made a whopping 103.1 units since 1996. As all of you know, who have followed me this season and perhaps since the start of my career 15 years ago, this system is one of the best. What is great about it is not the winning percentage certainly, but the fact that it has made well over 100 units in the past 13 years. It is rare to find a solid system in any sport that has made over 100 units in profits. This is one of them so write it down and use it to make eve more profits. Remember too, the supporting cast of systems, angles, and research serve only to reinforce the graded play. AiS shows an 85% probability that the Rangers will allow 2 or fewer goals. Note that they are a solid 35-12 making 18.4 units this season and 114-28 making 82.6 units the past 3 seasons and 328-82 making 257.8 units since 1996. Washington is just 7-19 against the money line (-17.5 Units) in home games against good starting goalies saving >= 91.5% of shots faced in the 2nd half of the season since 1996. Take the Rangers.

BEN BURNS

EARLY ANNIHILATOR

I'm laying the price with DETROIT. I feel that yesterday's postponement will work in the Tigers' favor, as they now send a much better pitcher (Armando Galarraga) to the mound. On the other hand, the White Sox will go with the same starter, Jose Contreras, that they were planning on using yesterday. While most pitchers don't like to have their routine altered, Contreras is a veteran, so that may not bother him that much. Either way, I believe that Contreras' better days are behind him and that he'll be outclassed by the younger Galarraga.

Contreras had surgery for an elbow injury and wasn't even expected to be back this early in the season. He made it back earlier than expected but that's not necessarily going to be a good thing for the Sox. In his first start, Contreras allowed seven hits, four runs and three walks in five innings. That gives him a 7.20 ERA coming into this afternoon's game. Contreras did manage a somewhat respectable 4.54 ERA last season, going 7-6. However, he was 10-17 with a poor 5.57 ERA the previous season. Additionally, he really struggled vs. the Tigers last season, going 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in three starts against them, including an 0-1 mark with an ugly 8.18 ERA in two starts at Comerica Park. In those games he gave up 23 hits and five walks in 11 innings.

I played on Detroit in Galarraga's first start. Galarraga was excellent and the Tigers won by a score of 15-2. He held the Rangers to a single run on just five hits through seven complete innings, striking out eight along the way. Note that was an afternoon start and that Galarraga was 6-2 with a stellar 2.69 ERA in his afternoon starts last season.

While the Tigers know all about Contreras, Galarraga will have the advantage of facing the Sox for the first time. Backed by a Tigers lineup which is averaging 7.7 runs per game here at home, look for him to build on his strong opening start and for the Tigers to close out the series with a victory. *7 Annihilator

Hey Blade, anything on Michael Cannon, and Craig Davis? They have been HOT the last few weeks!

LARRY NESS

8* Getaway Day Super Total

The Red Sox opened last night's game by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning but starter Daisuke Matsuzaka then allowed five runs in the bottom half of the inning before leaving the game with arm fatigue (you think?). Boston's bullpen followed with 10 shutout innings but the Red Sox lost 6-5 on Travis Buck’s infield single with the bases loaded and two outs in the 12th. It marked the team's sixth loss in its last seven games, as the Red Sox already trail AL East-leading Baltimore by four games. The team is now on its second three-game losing streak of a season which is only eight games old. Five regulars are hitting .206 or lower and the pitching staff owns a team ERA of 5.40. What's going on here? Meanwhile, Oakland has totaled 14 runs in the first two games of this series and has now won five straight at home against Boston, going back to a sweep last May 23-2. Attempting to "put a lid" on the A's on Wednesday afternoon (short rest for both teams) will be veteran knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield. Wakefield never seems to go away but the record shows he hasn't had an ERA of under 4.00 in a season since going 11-5 (2.81) in 2002. He has started 30 or more games in FIVE of his last seasons (a testament to his toughness) but his ERA in that six-year span is 4.42. While his ERA was 3.50 in Fenway last season, it was 5.14 on the road. Recent history reveals that Wakefield has dropped seven straight road starts against AL West opponents, with a 7.51 ERA. He hasn't won in Oakland since 1999 and gave up EIGHT runs in five innings in his lone start there last year. The A's have scored 14 runs with 23 hits in the first two games of this series and last season, went 13-6 vs right-handed starters in home day games, averaging 5.1 RPG. Opposing Wakefield will be Oakland's highly touted 21-year-old left-hander, Brett Anderson. Anderson started last Friday at home vs the Mariners, allowing five ERs on seven hits in six innings of a 5-4 loss 5-4. All the runs came in the second inning, as the Mariners put together five hits. Anderson is joining Oakland’s rotation after making only six previous starts above Single-A. Remember, the Red Sox were 27-13 vs lefties last season, averaging 5.9 RPG. They'll be facing a lefty for the third straight time here in this series. The Red Sox struggled against Dallas Braden on Monday in an 8-2 loss but they chased Dana Eveland after 4.2 innings Tuesday, scoring five runs on eight hits. Expect plenty of scoring in today's game as well.

Getaway Day Super Total on Bos/Oak Over

9* PERFECT STORM

Micah Owings owns a lifetime batting average of .322 with five HRs and 21 RBI in his 118 ABs. We all know Owings can hit but the real question for the Reds is, can he pitch? Owings makes his Cincinnati mound debut tonight in Milwaukee. He was acquired last September in the trade that sent Adam Dunn to Arizona but was dealing with a strained shoulder and never took the mound. He went 8-8 with a 4.30 ERA in 2007 for the D'backs and 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA last season in 18 starts (team was 7-11). The Brewers will counter Ownings in this final game of a three-game series (Reds have won the first two) with newcomer Braden Looper. Looper signed with Milwaukee as a free agent but missed much of spring training because of a tight left oblique muscle. He allowed five hits while striking out four last Friday in his Milwaukee debut vs the Cubs, a game the Brewers won 4-3. Looper did not factor in the final decision but said his side feels fine, although he still didn't feel like he had his best stuff. Looper began his career with the Cards in 1998, then spent five years with the Marlins and two with the Mets before returning to St Louis in 2006. He went 9-3 with 3.56 ERA in 69 relief appearances that season, as the Cards won the World Series. Heading into the 2007 season, all 572 of his MLB appearances (1998-2006) had been out of the bullpen but the Cards converted him into a starter for that season. He went 12-12 with a 4.94 ERA in 2007 and then 12-14 (4.16) last year, although the team did win 10 of his 15 home starts in 2008. I like this guy and he'll face a Cincinnati team which was a pathetic 31-50 on the road last year (minus-$1,246). Let's also note that most of Cincy's road woes came against right-handers, as the Reds were 17-33 (minus-$1.285) vs them, scoring only 3.9 RPG. Pitching for St Louis last season, Looper went 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in four starts against the Reds (Cards were 3-1). The Brewers owned one of MLB's biggest home/away dichotomies in 2006 and 2007, going 99-63 at home but just 59-103 on the road. That changed somewhat last year, although NOT because the Brewers didn't play well in Miller Park (they did at 49-32) but rather because the team improved its road play (41-40). Milwaukee's improved road play was the main reason the Brewers reached the postseason for the first time since 1982 in 2008. The Brewers are off to a 2-6 start in '09, including 1-4 here at home, after losing the first two games of this series to the Reds. Milwaukee is batting just .217 as a team, with key players like Prince Fielder (.179) and Ryan Braun (.200) really struggling. However, those bats will 'wake up' soon and tonight is not a bad spot. Owings is 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA lifetime in two career starts versus the Brewers (both in Milwaukee) and let's note that the Reds haven't swept the Brewers in a series at Milwaukee since July 11-13 of 2003. Let's review Cincy's road numbers from LY of 31-50 in all games and 17-33 vs right-handers plus Milwaukee's three-year home mark of 148-95 (.609) from 2006-08.

9* PERFECT STORM on the Mil Brewers

7* Pitching Mismatch

Enough was enough. It took 11 innings but the Twins finally beat the Blue Jays last night (3-2), ending a 10-game losing streak to Toronto. The Twins lost a one-game playoff with the White Sox last year for a postseason berth, a tie-breaker which would NOT have been needed had the Twins won just ONE of their six games with the Blue Jays in 2008. The Twins were a dominating 53-28 at home last year, winning more money (plus-$1,854) than any team NOT named the Rays in their home park. They will try and win tonight's third game of a four-game series with the Blue Jays, sending Scott Baker to the mound. Baker was just 17-20 with a 4.71 ERA from 2005 through 2007 in 48 starts (team was 25-23). However, the now 27-year-old went 11-4 with a 3.45 ERA in a career-high 28 starts in 2008, as the Twins went 17-11. He ended 2008 going 4-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last six starts and was 5-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 home starts last season (Twins went 9-3!). Baker signed a $15.25 million, four-year contract last month and was named Minnesota's opening day starter. However, he developed some soreness in his shoulder on April 1 and Minnesota opted to place him on the 15-day DL. He was activated on Tuesday and is all set to go. However, he'll be facing a Toronto team which leads all of MLB with a team batting average of .303 and has scored a ML-high 56 runs (despite getting just seven hits and scoring only two runs last night). Baker did not face the Blue Jays last season but he owned a 3.72 ERA against them in three outings in 2007. Scott Richmond gets his second start of 2009 tonight for Toronto and it's only the SEVENTH start of his career. Richmond pitched four innings in a rain-shortened start at Cleveland on Friday (game was eventually completed with the Blue Jays winning 13-7), allowing five hits and three ERs. He struck out four and allowed two walks in the no-decision effort. One fantasy site reported that Richmond "didn't look half-bad in his debut against the Indians but wasn't overly impressive either." That's not exactly a 'ringing' endorsement. I 'LOVE' Baker over Richmond in this one, especially here in the Metrodome, where the Twins are so very tough.

7* Pitching Mismatch on the Min Twins

BIG AL

Anaheim/Seattle Over

Baltimore/Texas Over

Los Angeles Dodgers

BEN BURNS

NY Rangers / Washington Under

Philadelphia / Pittsburgh Under

St. Louis / Vancouver Under

Joe Wizard NBA

Premium DENVER
Pay after INDIANA

Kyle Bales

5* LA Clippers +1.5
5* Cincinnati Reds/Owings +115
5* NY Yankees/Pettitte -110

Free pick Milwaukee Bucks +8

Discount Sports Picks

10* Baltimore (Hendrickson) +100 over Texas (Benson)

5* Boston (Wakefield) -110 over Oakland (Anderson)

Elite Sports Picks

San Francisco (Cain)/L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw) UNDER 7.5

Raging Bull

Soccer:

Porto/Man United over 2.5

NBA:
Knicks -4
Magic -3

MLB:
Nationals +120
Tigers/White Sox over 9.5 -120

Insider Sports Report

4* N.Y. Yankees (Pettitte) -110 over Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine)
Range: +110 to -130

4* L.A. Angels (Weaver)/Seattle (Washburn) UNDER 8.5
Range: 9 to 8

3* Detroit (Galarraga) -140 over Chicago White Sox (Contreras)
Range: -125 to -160

MONEYLOCKOFTHEDAY

Premium Pick

Giants +140 (2 Units)

Squarepicks

2* Florida ML +172
3* Boston ML -111
2* Pittsburgh ML -116
2* Philadelphia ML -122
4* Milwaukee -1.5 +156