Friday’s Betting Tips
By Covers.com
Weather to watch
Ukraine vs. France: Temperatures are expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius (91 Farenheit).
Who’s hot
Euro 2012: France is unbeaten in its last 22 games.
MLB: San Francisco has won 12 of its last 14 overall and 10 of its last 14 interleague games.
WNBA: The Minnesota Lynx can set a WNBA record by winning their 10th straight game to start a season Friday. They’ve opened the year 6-3 against the
spread.
Who’s not
Euro 2012: Ukraine is 0-3-3 in its six matches with France.
MLB: The Colorado Rockies have lost seven straight and 13 of their last 16 in interleague play.
WNBA: The Washington Mystics are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
Key stat
1 – The Seattle Storm visit the winless Tulsa Shock with just one win on the year themselves. The Storm have dropped eight of their last 10 games against the spread and own the league’s worst scoring offense, averaging only 64.9 points per contest. Seattle is set as a 2-point road underdog.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals – LaRoche fouled a ball off his foot Tuesday and didn’t play Wednesday. After Thursday’s off day, the Nats are hoping he can return to the lineup, but his status is still questionable. He’s hitting .261 with 11 homers and 42 RBI.
Game of the day
Ukraine (+250) vs. France (+100) Draw (+215)
Notable quotable
"I did not call my players cowards. [But] we were playing a little cautious, we didn't show the aggression I wanted to see. I think some of the players were nervous in the first half, but we played a good game in the second half." –Sweden coach Erik Hamren, disputing reports that he called his players “cowards” following the club’s loss to Ukraine. Sweden is set as a +240 underdog to England (+100). The draw is priced at +225.
Notes and tips
England will reportedly start 6-foot-3 striker Andy Carroll alongside Danny Welbeck Friday. Considering nine of the last 11 goals Sweden has conceded (including Andriy Shevchenko’s pair for Ukraine in the opener), it might be a good idea. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will begin the game on the bench to make room for Carroll, while Ashley Cole will start wide on the left.
The Seattle Mariners made some big changes to their lineup and sent struggling starter Blake Beavan and troubled third baseman Alex Liddi to Class AAA Tacoma. At the same time, the Mariners put right-handed reliever Stephen Pryor and left fielder Mike Carp on the disabled list. New to the roster are two positions players, outfielders Casper Wells and Franklin Gutierrez, and two right-handed pitchers, Erasmo Ramirez and Steve Delabar.
The Bobcats could be looking to trade the No. 2 overall pick in the June 28 draft. There is a workout set for two of the top candidates for that pick, Florida's Bradley Beal and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, either of whom would be considered an upgrade in the backcourt for different reasons. It's thought the Bobcats could either trade down to get multiple picks or even trade out of the first round, as they did in 2007.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran went to the emergency room Wednesday night for what manager Mike Matheny called stomach virus. He wasn’t expected to play Thursday and his status for Friday’s game is questionable. Beltran is hitting .298 with 19 homers and 47 RBI.