On Friday, some may argue that the Subway Series deserves all the headlines.  Don’t mention that to the die-hard fans of these two clubs.

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies

Boston picked up a quick two-game home sweep against the Minnesota Twins and now head off for a three-game series against Philadelphia.  The Red Sox finished with a losing 2-3 record on their last road trip against the Tigers and Yankees.  The team pushed its record against left-handed starters to 10-5 (+420) on the year with Thursday night’s victory and will get ready to face another tonight.  Playing the two-time defending NL Champions is certainly no picnic, but the Red Sox have destroyed the NL East in their last 51 matchups, going 38-13.  Phillies’ fans will be holding their breath during Interleague play, as the team is just 30-51 against the AL since Charlie Manuel took over the controls in 2005. 

Continue reading “Friday MLB Betting Preview”

There are some pitchers out there who are consistently good at going under the posted total, and others who have never met a total that they can’t go over. Some of that is related to their ERA and the way they are pitching – bad pitcher are going to allow a lot of runs and make t easier to go over, while great pitchers are stingy with runs and go deep in games, and it is hard to go over. There is more to it than just that, though. The pitchers have a big impact on the total that the oddsmakers set, so it only makes sense that both the performance and the public perception of those pitchers factors heavily into the line as it is set. A pitcher that performs at a higher level than the public perceives him to, then, could be a useful pitcher to play on the over/under. Here’s a look at 10 guys who have been particularly useful against the total so far this year:

Continue reading “Pitchers Going Consistently Over or Under This Season”

Thursday MLB Handicapper Report – (Final)

Atlanta Braves

  • Since snapping a season-high nine-game losing streak on 4/30, the Braves have gone 12-6 and have evened their record at 20-20.  Atlanta is .500 for the first time since 4/23 (8-8).
  • Tied with the Brewers and Rockies for the fewest home games (18) in the National League so far this season.  Atlanta is 12-6 at home.
  • Tonight the Braves will depart on a six-game, seven-day road trip, opening a stretch in which they will play 17 of 23 games on the road.
  • INF/OF Eric Hinske is batting .464 with two home runs and 10 RBI in his last eight starts, spurring the Braves to pick up victories in six of those eight games.
  • Atlanta batters have collected a major-league-best 181 walks this season (NYY – 175), but rank just eighth in the majors with a .342 on-base percentage.
  • SP Tommy Hanson has just one career start against the Reds, picking up a victory while allowing just three hits.
  • The right-hander is 8-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 career starts at home, striking out 101 batters and walking just 28 over 94 innings.

Continue reading “Thursday MLB Handicapper Report”

Today we spotlight a great matchup in each league before the focus turns to interleague baseball this weekend.

Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox

Minnesota is 2-4 on its current road trip, after dropping Wednesday night’s game, 3-2, to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.  The Twins now have a 6-7 record against the American League East, their only losing record against a division this season (15-8 vs. Central, 3-1 vs. West).  Ending the current road trip in winning fashion may prove difficult, with the team now having lost six straight games at Fenway Park to the Red Sox.   However, they do find themselves in a favorable position on Thursday, facing a left-handed starter.  The Twins are 9-3 (+620) versus southpaws during the 2010 season and the opposing starter has yet to pick up a career win against them in his career.  Minnesota is batting .295 overall against left-handers – good for second in the majors to only the New York Yankees.  C Joe Mauer (.390) and Justin Morneau (.382) lead the way in that category.

Continue reading “Thursday MLB Betting Preview”

Wednesday MLB Handicapper Report

Baltimore Orioles
  • The Orioles are coming off a 4-4 homestand against Seattle (2-1), Cleveland (1-2) and Kansas City (1-1).  Baltimore is 11-11 in its last 22 games, after starting the year 2-16.
  • IF Ty Wigginton has set a team-high by hitting in nine straight games, going 14-for-36 (.389) with two homers and six RBI.
  • Team has posted a 3-9 record versus left-handed starters this season and 10-18 against righties.
  • In their last 15 games, the Orioles have been held to one run five times and were held scoreless once.  Overall, the team has had 12 games this year where they scored one run or fewer.
  • Defense has made just one error in the last 62.2 innings of play.  The Orioles are fifth in the AL in fielding percentage (.984).
  • After going 1-6 in their first seven one-run games, the O’s have won six of their last seven one-run games.
  • Three Orioles starters rank in the Top 26 in the AL in strikeout-to-walk ratio.  Kevin Milwood is 10th (3.20), Jeremy Guthrie is 11th (3.00) and Brian Matusz is 26th (2.17)
  • In five career starts against Texas, SP Jeremy Guthrie is 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA.  He has not started a game in Arlington since 7/6/07.
  • The right-hander snapped his career-high eight game losing streak on May 8 at Minnesota, outdueling Minnesota LHP Francisco Liriano.  He has won his last two starts since the skid.

Continue reading “Wednesday MLB Handicapper Report”

Miami, Chicago, New York, or Cleveland? Where will LeBron James, end up for the 2010 – 2011 season? The Cavaliers’ team leading small forward will become a free agent on July first.

The veteran small forward going into his seventh year of NBA basketball with over 15,000 career points is rumored to be looking for a new home. This news comes bundled with talk of Cavaliers coach Mike Brown not returning next season.

Continue reading “Lebron James Odds On Where the King Lands Next Year”

If you were lucky enough to play the Rays season win total over the number in Vegas before the season, it’s almost time to crack the bottle of champagne.  Tampa Bay enters a mid-week series against the New York Yankees with an MLB-best record of 28-11 (+1,040).  Just how good is this record you might ask?  Simply put, only nine teams since 1969 have produced a better record at this point of the season.

Continue reading “Tampa Bay Rays: An MLB Bettor’s Best Friend in 2010”

Today we take a look at what should be 2 of the best games of the day.

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

Tampa Bay travels to the Bronx in an unfamiliar role this late in the season, carrying an MLB-best record of 28-11 (+1,014) into this series.  To put the current record in perspective, the Rays didn’t win their 28th game of the 2009 season until June 4 (56th game).   The Rays are 1-2 against the Yankees in 2010, losing the series at Tropicana Field in April.  Overall, the team has dropped 10 of the last 15 meetings, including seven straight at Yankee Stadium.  Their fortune may change in New York this time around, carrying an impressive 15-4 road mark (+1,050) into this division battle.

Continue reading “Wednesday MLB Betting Preview”

As a baseball bettor there is one thing I dream about – a pitcher who is consistently better than the public realizes he is. Thankfully, that’s not that hard to find. There are so many pitchers in the league that’s it hard for all but the most devoted followers of the sport to keep track of them all, and many good ones can fall through the cracks. Here’s a look at five guys who have been kind to observantbettors so far this year:

Continue reading “This Seasons Most Underappreciated Pitchers”

Here is Tuesdays MLB Handicapping Report

Chicago White Sox

  • The White Sox are currently 2-3 on their seven-game road trip.  Chicago has also lost six of its last nine games overall.
  • Chicago is 9-1-1 in the last 11 season series against Detroit.
  • Team has compiled a 6-11 record against the AL Central this season.  Chicago went 34-38 against the division in 2009.
  • Lead the American League with 44 stolen bases this season.  OF Juan Pierre leads the Majors with 18 steals.
  • SP Freddy Garcia is 7-1 with a 3.77 ERA in his last nine starts versus the Tigers and 16-6 with a 3.76 ERA lifetime.  His 16 wins against Detroit is tied with Boston’s Tim Wakefield for the most among active pitchers.
  • Garcia is a perfect 7-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his last seven road starts versus Detroit.

Continue reading “Tuesday MLB Handicapping Report”

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