Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
04-29-22 | Reds v. Rockies -112 | Top | 4-10 | Win | 100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
The pitching matchup is Cincinnati rookie Hunter Greene versus Antonio Sezatela. Green has a 5.27 ERA. I don't think he's fully ready yet for the majors. But this is an action play for me with the major handicap being a fade on the Reds. Cincinnati is the worst team in baseball right now with a 3-16 record. The Reds are 6-21 in their last 27 road games, including 2-9 this year. The Rockies are a much better team when playing at Coors Field where once again they own a winning record. The Rockies should take care of business at home against a Reds squad that has the worst run-differential by a wide margin at minus 14. The Reds have scored the third-fewest runs in the league and are last in ERA at 5.83. Cincinnati is a total mess. This is an easy lay number to fade the Reds. | |||||||
04-14-22 | Cubs v. Rockies -118 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -118 | 19 h 57 m | Show |
The Rockies are tough at home. The Cubs are weak against lefty starters. So a combination of Chicago playing at Coors Field and facing southpaw Kyle Freeland does not bode well for the Cubs. Colorado is 50-34 in its last 84 home games. The Cubs are 9-21 in their last 30 games when going against a southpaw starter. They have lost 13 of the past 17 times (76 percent) taking on a lefty starter on the road. The oddsmaker is giving too much respect to Justin Steele, who looked good for the Cubs in his first start this season but has yet to prove anything in the majors. Freeland is a reliable starter for Colorado and he knows how to pitch at Coors Field. The Cubs have been held to seven runs during their last three games. | |||||||
04-11-22 | Padres v. Giants -139 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -139 | 21 h 42 m | Show |
Remember Nick Martinez? Can't blame you if you don't. He pitched for the Rangers from 2014-2017 before going to Japan. Martinez, who was 17-30 with a 4.77 ERA for the Rangers, is back in the majors and getting the start here for San Diego. I much prefer the Giants at home going with Alex Wood. San Diego is stepping way up in class going from playing the worst team, the Diamondbacks, to the best. San Francisco had the most regular season wins in the majors last year. They are 44-18 in their last 62 games when favored at home. The Padres are 9-23 during their last 32 road games. Wood has been very solid. He was 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA last year. Wood was tremendous last September in his final four starts posting a 1.38 ERA during that span. Wood won't have to deal with Fernando Tatis Jr., who is out with a wrist injury. | |||||||
04-10-22 | Marlins v. Giants -120 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 15 h 22 m | Show |
This is my Max Unit Sunday Special. The Giants won a franchise-record 107 games last season. While I don't believe the Giants can match that mark this season they still rate a strong edge against the Marlins, who were 67-95 last year. Miami has been terrible on the road going 14-42 in its last 56 away games. The pitching matchup is southpaw Trevor Rogers versus Anthony Desclafani. The Giants were 27-20 against lefty starters in 2021. Rogers has potential, but I like Desclafani better especially now that he's away from Cincinnati and throwing in a pitcher's park. Desclafani had a career season in his first season in San Francisco last season going 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA. He was at his best at home, too, going 8-3 with a 3.10 ERA. | |||||||
04-07-22 | Mets v. Nationals +120 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 14 m | Show |
The Nationals are a home 'dog to the Mets. That's not surprising considering New York has Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. Neither of those two studs is pitching, though. Instead the Mets are going with second-year Tylor Megill, who was 4-6 with a 4.52 ERA in 18 starts last year. I'm projecting a nice comeback season for Washington starter Patrick Corbin. So I'm going to take a plus price with Washington. Corbin was terrible last season. But the southpaw appears to have straightened things out looking great during his two spring training starts posting a 0.00 ERA. Corbin struck out 10 in nine innings while permitting just six hits. The Mets were 18-33 versus lefty starters last year. The National League is using the DH now. The Nationals signed one of the best DH's in Nelson Cruz. | |||||||
10-31-21 | Astros -111 v. Braves | Top | 9-5 | Win | 100 | 17 h 18 m | Show |
Maybe the Braves will beat the Astros and win the World Series. But I don't see it happening here in this Game 5. The Astros have the best offense in baseball having led the majors in runs scored, batting average and on base percentage. Yet Houston has scored only two runs during the past two games, unable to break through against Atlanta's bullpen. The Astros are ready to bust loose. They left 11 men on base in Saturday's 3-2 loss, including eight in scoring position. This is the fifth game in six days and third straight. The Braves' bullpen has fatigue concerns and are forced to use their relief pitchers a lot in this game. While the Astros have Framber Valdez starting, the Braves likely are going to need Tucker Davidson and Drew Smyly to eat the bulk of the innings in this Game 5. That favors the Astros more than this opening number indicates. | |||||||
10-20-21 | Astros +112 v. Red Sox | Top | 9-1 | Win | 112 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
By stunning the Red Sox with a seven-run ninth inning last night, the Astros have regained momentum in this AL championship series. I believe Houston should have opened the favorite. So I'm on the Astros at a plus price. The Red Sox have pounded the ball during the postseason. But the Astros have the best offense in baseball. Houston is averaging 6.9 runs in its last 11 games. The pitching matchup is Framber Valdez versus Chris Sale. Those two pitched against each other this past Friday and Houston won, 5-4. Valdez is 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six career playoff games, including five starts. Valdez is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in four lifetime appearances against the Red Sox, including two starts. Sale hasn't been effective down the stretch. He has a 14.73 ERA in the playoffs this season and a lifetime 6.91 ERA in six career postseason starts. Sale's big name and past accomplishments don't come close to matching how poorly he's pitching now. | |||||||
09-28-21 | Nationals v. Rockies -133 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 51 m | Show |
The Rockies have been outstanding in one role this season - that as a home favorite where they are 24-7. I like the Rockies as home chalk in a pitching matchup of Patrick Corbin versus Kyle Freeland. Corbin has been among the most disappointing pitchers this season with a 9-15 record and 5.92 ERA. Corbin's night ERA is even worse at 6.28. The Rockies average 5.6 runs at home. Freeland is experienced pitching at Coors Field. He's been solid in his last three overall starts with a 3.50 ERA. | |||||||
09-21-21 | Royals v. Indians -138 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 18 h 31 m | Show |
Given the pitching matchup, the Indians are priced way too low. Cal Quantrill remains below the radar. He's 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA. Quantrill has been at his best at home, too, where he's 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. Quantrill didn't allow an earned run in 6 2/3 innings during his last start, which came against the Twins. The Royals are pitching Daniel Lynch, who is 4-5 with a 5.34 ERA. Lynch last started against the A's this past Thursday. He was pulled after two-plus innings because of tightness in his left calf. He had allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits. | |||||||
09-17-21 | Padres v. Cardinals -130 | Top | 2-8 | Win | 100 | 17 h 12 m | Show |
The Padres' season could be on the line here. So who do the Padres call upon? Vince Velasquez. Ouch! That's the best the Padres could do was go to the junkyard to pick up Velasquez and his 5.95 ERA following injuries to Blake Snell and Chris Paddack. Velasquez faces a hot Cardinals team that has won seven of eight, including the last five. Miles Mikolas, who was outstanding last season, gets the start for St. Louis. He's rounding into shape after being out several months due to a forearm injury. The Cardinals have a rested bullpen after being idle on Thursday. San Diego has lost 11 of the last 13 times it has been a road 'dog. | |||||||
09-15-21 | Indians -104 v. Twins | Top | 12-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 32 m | Show |
This one is simple. The Indians have the much better starter and superior bullpen. The low price gets me involved. Cal Quantrill is flying below the radar. He's 5-3 with a 3.04 ERA. He just faced the Twins six days ago and held them to one earned run on four hits, two walks with five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. Quantrill was the winner in that 4-1 victory. Griffin Jax gets the call for Minnesota. He's 3-3 with a 6.72 ERA. The Twins have a bottom-10 bullpen. The Indians have won 13 of the last 17 times they've been favored. | |||||||
09-08-21 | Twins v. Indians -125 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -125 | 15 h 7 m | Show |
The Twins have been one of the biggest money-burning teams in the league. They are 29-41 on the road. Aside from some power, the Twins are just average in runs and batting average. Their pitching is well below average. The Twins draw a hot Triston McKenzie, one of the Indians' top pitching prospects. McKenzie has turned his season around finding his confidence. He's given up only two runs and five hits during his last three starts spanning 21 innings. Minnesota is starting rookie Joe Ryan, who has a 5.40 ERA. This will be just his second career start. The Indians have homered at least once in 19 of their last 20 games. They also have stolen 29 straight bases. | |||||||
09-07-21 | Phillies v. Brewers -102 | Top | 0-10 | Win | 100 | 22 h 50 m | Show |
It's like Aaron Nola and Eric Lauer have switched identities. The unheralded Lauer has been pitching great for the Brewers giving up two or fewer earned runs in eight of his last nine starts. He's permitted just eight walks in his last seven starts. He held the Giants to one run on three hits in seven innings during his last start this past Thursday. Nola no longer is the ace of the Phillies. He's been extremely mediocre this season with a 7-7 record and 4.54 ERA. Nola has yielded 14 earned runs in his last four starts spanning 22 1/3 innings. The Phillies are six games below .500 when playing on the road. Nola's road ERA is 5.57. Milwaukee is 38-31 at home. The Brewers shouldn't lack motivation after being embarrassed, 12-0, by the Phillies on Labor Day. | |||||||
09-06-21 | Giants v. Rockies +157 | Top | 10-5 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 46 m | Show |
The Rockies are extremely dangerous when playing at Coors Field. This is evidenced by their 45-24 home record. They lead the majors in homers, batting average and slugging percentage when playing at home. The Giants are off a huge Sunday night home win against the Dodgers that concluded their three-game series. San Francisco accomplished this by beating the likely NL Cy Young Award winner, Walker Buehler. It was the first time in 12 career games the Giants defeated Buehler. It was just the Giants' third win in their last eight games. Kyle Freeland gets the start for Colorado, which is 7-3 the past 10 times it has been an underdog. Freeland knows how to pitch at Coors Field. He has a 3.21 ERA in his last three starts. Giants starter Kevin Gausman is falling back to earth after a big season. He's given up nine earned runs in his past four starts spanning 19 2/3 innings. | |||||||
09-03-21 | Braves v. Rockies +129 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 129 | 19 h 40 m | Show |
It's a mistake to go against the Rockies at home especially with a young unproven pitcher. Colorado leads the majors in homers, batting average and slugging percentage when playing at home. The Rockies are 43-23 - 20 games above .500 - when playing at Coors Field. Braves righty Huascar Ynoa has thrown fewer than 87 big league innings. He has a 3.71 road ERA compared to a 2.29 home ERA. Colorado is 21-6 in its last 27 home games versus a righty starter. Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela is that rare pitcher who pitches better at Coors Field. He has a 3.89 home ERA and a 4.56 road ERA. Senzatela is pitching the best stretch of his career with a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts. He just shut out the mighty Dodgers on two hits and a walk in seven innings during a 5-0 victory this past Sunday. Star second baseman Ozzie Albies is questionable for the Braves with a knee injury that caused him to miss Thursday's game. | |||||||
09-01-21 | Astros -125 v. Mariners | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -125 | 5 h 57 m | Show |
I like the superior Astros to bounce back today after losing, 4-0, to Seattle Tuesday night. The Astros rank in the top two in runs and batting average. The Mariners are 30th in batting average and 22nd in runs. Houston starter Jake Odorizzi is pitching better, holding three of his last four opponents to two earned runs or fewer. He just beat the Mariners, 15-1, on Aug. 21 giving up one run in 5 2/3 innings. Rookie Logan Gilbert is 5-5 with a 5.44 ERA for Seattle. He's been rocked for a 13.50 ERA during his last three starts. | |||||||
08-30-21 | Twins v. Tigers +112 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 60 m | Show |
The game may be meaningless. But the price isn't. I don't understand the Twins opening a road favorite in a pitching matchup of Bailey Ober versus Casey Mize. Before getting to that, though, consider the situation and Minnesota's road record. The Twins are 25-39 away from home. Detroit has a winning home record and is a respectable 14-14 in its last 28 games. Minnesota is the fourth-biggest money loser this season for bettors. The Twins have dropped five of their last six road contests and are 0-4 during their past four games at Comerica Park. Now the situation. Minnesota just hosted the Brewers for three games this past weekend. The Twins have to shoot off to Detroit for this lone game and then return home to host the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday. That's an unusual occurrence caused by a July 16 rainout. This is the makeup game from that date. So I question how caring and focused the Twins will be. Ober and Mize are young pitchers. Mize has the higher ceiling being one of the top prospects in baseball. He's 7-6 with a 3.55 ERA. Ober is 1-2 with a 4.06 ERA. Ober's ERA in day games is 4.43. I like Mize much better. So I don't get why Minnesota opened the favorite here? | |||||||
08-25-21 | Dodgers -136 v. Padres | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 13 h 18 m | Show |
Blake Snell has a solid history against the Dodgers. But he's trumped by Walker Buehler, who I consider the best pitcher in the National League with Jacob deGrom injured. Buehler hasn't yielded more than two runs during any of his last eight starts. Lifetime against the Padres, he's 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA. The Padres aren't playing well, losers of 10 of their past 12 games. The Dodgers, by contrast, have won 10 of their last 11 games. | |||||||
08-24-21 | Angels -131 v. Orioles | Top | 14-8 | Win | 100 | 18 h 44 m | Show |
The Orioles are bad. How bad? Historically bad. Baltimore has lost by an average of 5.6 runs during its last 18 games - all losses. No team has dropped that many games in a row in 16 years. Not surprisingly, Baltimore is the worst team in the majors at 38-85. No way does Dylan Bundy want to lose to his former team. Bundy has been disappointing this season. Lately, though, he's been pitching better. He has a 3.00 ERA in his past three starts. The Angels' bullpen has shown improvement, too, posting a 3.51 ERA this month. Spenser Watkins goes for Baltimore. He's fit right in with the other horrible Orioles starters. This month Watkins is 0-4 with an 8.24 ERA. He's backed by the worst bullpen in the American League. Perhaps the Orioles finally end their long losing streak. But as long as the price is reasonable, which it is here, I'll go against Baltimore. Tuesday Free Play Twins plus $2.03 at Red Sox This is a monster price the Red Sox are being asked to lay, especially considering they aren't playing well and have unfavorable circumstances. Boston is 2-4 in its last six games. The Red Sox were embarrassed, 10-1, by the Rangers this past Saturday committing a season-high five errors. Boston's Sunday game was postponed and then the Red Sox had to go 11 innings on Monday to defeat the Rangers, who are 8-26 since the All-Star break. That's the fewest wins of any team during this time span. The Twins are in rebuild, but are better than the Rangers and in a good spot having been idle the past two days. They get back Miguel Sano from paternity leave. He's second on the team in homers and RBI's. The Twins have hit 15 more home runs than the Red Sox. The pitching matchup is Griffin Jax versus Tanner Houck, who has better season numbers than Jax. However, the Red Sox are just 3-3 in Houck's last six starts. Jax has been pitching better going 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his last three starts. So at this huge 'dog price, I'll throw a peanut on the Twins. | |||||||
08-15-21 | Cardinals v. Royals +112 | Top | 7-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
A home 'dog with the better pitcher going. Sign me up for the Royals here. Sooner or later, major league teams are going to figure out that time has run out on J.A. Happ. He's just not effective as his 6.34 ERA and 1.51 WHIP indicates. The Cardinals are the ninth team the lefty has been on since breaking into the big leagues in 2007. The Royals play much better at home - 17 games better to be exact. Kansas City also has a winning record versus lefties. Royals starter, lefty Kris Bubic, is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA at home. The Cardinals are three games below .500 when playing on the road. The Cardinals rank 21st in batting average versus southpaws while the Royals have the eighth highest batting average against lefties. Wrong team favored here. | |||||||
08-11-21 | Tigers -114 v. Orioles | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
The Tigers are better than perceived winning 25 of their last 43 games. The Orioles are as bad as perceived with a 38-73 record. Baltimore has lost five in a row, giving up at least 9 runs in each of these losses. I'm going to ride the superior Tigers at this low of a lay price in a pitching matchup of leftyTarik Skubal versus Matt Harvey. Skubal is coming off five scoreless innings against the Red Sox in an 8-1 victory six days ago. Baltimore is 8-18 in its last 26 games versus a lefty starter. Harvey had pitched 18 1/3 scoreless innings until his last outing when he gave up two runs in four innings against the Yankees. Despite that hot streak, Harvey still has a 6.13 ERA. I consider that hot streak a fluke judging by various pitching metrics and how poorly he has pitched most of the season and the past four years before that. | |||||||
08-10-21 | Tigers +100 v. Orioles | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 16 h 14 m | Show |
I had the Tigers as very strong favorites in this game with a pitching matchup of Casey Mize versus Keegan Akin. So I'm pleasantly surprised to see this line. Mize is one the top pitching prospects in baseball. The right-hander faced the Orioles on July 29 and held them to one unearned run on four hits in seven innings. The Orioles are second-to-last in the American League in on-base percentage versus righties and 13th in slugging percentage against righthanders. The Tigers are 24-18 in their last 42 games. The Orioles own the second-worst record in baseball at 38-72. Baltimore has lost 75 percent of its last 51 games when facing a righty starter. Lefty Keegan Akin goes for Baltimóre backed by one of the worst bullpens in the majors. Akin gave up six runs on eight hits in only three innings during his previous start, which came on July 16 against the Royals. Akin is 0-5 on the season with a 7.66 ERA. | |||||||
08-07-21 | Marlins v. Rockies -155 | Top | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 16 h 10 m | Show |
Austin Gomber sounds like he could be a relative of Gomber and Goober Pyle. But there's nothing funny about how he has been pitching. Gomber is 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA during his last 10 starts. Gomber knows how to pitch at Coors Field, too, where he is 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA this season. Pitching at Coors is a relatively new experience for Jesus Luzardo. So is pitching in the majors. This is just his second big league start of the season for Luzardo, who has thrown 5 2/3 career innings at Coors and has a 7.94 ERA to show for that. The Rockies and Marlins are bottom-feeders. But Colorado is a completely different team at Coors compiling a 36-21 mark there this season. The Marlins traded Starling Marte, their lone dynamic player. | |||||||
08-04-21 | Braves -115 v. Cardinals | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 49 m | Show |
The Braves scored five runs in the first inning on lefty Jon Lester on Tuesday. Now the Braves get to face another over-the-hill southpaw, J.A. Happ. Atlanta strengthened itself at the trade deadline especially when it comes to right-handed power getting Jorge Soler and Adam Duvall. I can see the Braves steamrolling Happ, who has given up 4 or more earned runs in 10 of his last 14 starts. Drew Smyly goes for Atlanta. He's allowed 3 runs or fewer in each of his last 10 starts. Smyly is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in two career starts versus St. Louis. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Cardinals on June 20 giving up only an infield single. | |||||||
08-01-21 | Brewers +137 v. Braves | Top | 2-1 | Win | 137 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
The Braves have home field and the better starting pitcher. But that's it. The Brewers hold the rest of the edges and are a superior team. Milwaukee is 19 games above .500. Atlanta has a losing record. The Brewers have proven themselves on the road going 33-19. There's too much value to pass up Milwaukee here. The pitching matchup is Brett Anderson versus Charlie Morton. Anderson has a 3.86 ERA. He's a bottom-of-the-rotation type starter, but a very legitimate one. Anderson is more than capable of throwing five solid innings before turning things over to a very strong Brewers bullpen. The Braves dealt for Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario to beef up their offense. Their attack, though, needed beefing up after losing Ronald Acuna to injury and Marcell Ozuna to suspension. The right-handed Morton has a 3.72 ERA, which isn't that much lower than Anderson's. Milwaukee is 20-6 (77 percent) the past 26 times facing a righty starter. The Braves bullpen is slightly below average with a 4.39 ERA. | |||||||
07-30-21 | Astros v. Giants -111 | Top | 9-6 | Loss | -111 | 18 h 8 m | Show |
You don't fade the Astros. You just like the other side better when the price is right. That's the case here. San Francisco has the highest winning percentage in the majors. The Giants are 33-16 at home and have their ace, Kevin Gausman, going. He's having a breakthrough season with a 9-4 record, 2.21 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 20 starts. The Astros are going with Framber Valdez, who I like but not as much as Gausman. Prior to shutting out the punchless Rangers for six innings during his last start, Valdez has given up 11 earned runs in three prior starts spanning 15 1/3 innings. The Giants also have the stronger bullpen with the sixth-lowest ERA in the majors. The Astros' bullpen is mediocre. | |||||||
07-29-21 | Reds -116 v. Cubs | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
After a horrendous start, Luis Castillo has been one of the most effective pitchers in his last 10 starts posing a 1.71 ERA during this span. Castillo goes against a banged-up and demoralized Cubs squad that are highly likely to be sellers leading up to Friday's trade deadline. It's a dark cloud hovering above the Cubs. Castillo should dominate again with the wind blowing in at around 14 mph and facing a Chicago lineup that could be without Javier Baez for a fourth straight day and leading hitter Nico Hoerner, who left Wednesday's game with an oblique strain. The Cubs finished Wednesday's 8-2 loss with Kris Bryant playing shortstop. Cincinnati has fortified its vulnerable middle relief trading for Mychal Givens, Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson. The Cubs are slated to start Alec Mills, who has a 4.55 ERA. He'l be dealing with a red-hot Joey Votto, who has homered in five consecutive games. | |||||||
07-27-21 | A's +144 v. Padres | Top | 4-7 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 35 m | Show |
The rebuilt Padres, sparked by superstar Fernando Tatis, are getting lots of love and attention. Not so for Oakland. Yet the A's have just one fewer loss than San Diego. I find good value with the A's here in a pitching matchup of James Kaprielian versus Chris Paddack. Kaprielian has exceeded expectations going 5-3 with a 2.65 ERA. He has a 1.18 WHIP and has held opponents to a .202 batting average in his dozen starts. His ERA in three starts this month is 1.50. Both teams were idle on Monday. Oakland is 11-2 following an off day. Paddack has mainly disappointed this season going 6-6 with a 5.17 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Kaprielian has been the more consistent pitcher. | |||||||
07-25-21 | Tigers -107 v. Royals | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
He's only made three starts, but the Royals' Daniel Lynch is laying claim to being the worst starter in the American League if not all of baseball. Lynch is 0-2 with a 15.75 ERA! The lefty doesn't even have the element of surprise going for him. The Tigers saw him earlier this season for 2 2/3 innings and reached him for four runs, three of which were earned. The Tigers were riding a season-best seven-game win streak before losing the first two games of this series. Detroit blew a 6-0 lead in losing by a run to the Royals on Saturday. So the frustrated Tigers should be focused. Detroit doesn't get much respect from the oddsmaker, but the Tigers have won six more games than the Royals. Detroit has some decent below-the-radar pitchers. Southpaw Tarik Skubal is one such starter. He's held the opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 starts. He ranks 16th in the American League in strikeouts. Skubal is at his best in day games, too, with a 4-1 record and 3.15 ERA. The Tigers have a rested closer in Gregory Soto. He's better than any of Kansas City's relievers. The Tigers have a winning record versus lefty starters, while the Royals are below .500 when facing southpaw starters. | |||||||
07-23-21 | Nationals -128 v. Orioles | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -128 | 16 h 5 m | Show |
Trailing the first-place Mets by six games in the NL East, the Nationals are poised to make a move. This is their opportunity with three games against the Orioles, who have the worst home mark in the majors at 13-30. The Nationals get to open against Jorge Lopez, one of the worst starters in baseball with a 2-12 record and 6.04 ERA. Lopez has reached the sixth inning just once in his last seven starts. The Nationals got their bad game out of the way during their last game, a 3-1 loss to the Marlins where they hit into four double plays. Prior to that, though, the hot hitting Nationals were averaging 8.8 runs during their last five games. Washington starter Patrick Corbin had a very strong year two seasons ago. He started this year slow, but had an excellent June. This month not so good. Still, I like Corbin to get things turned around here against a Baltimore club that ranks 24th in runs and 25th in homers. | |||||||
07-21-21 | Mariners v. Rockies -135 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 5 h 6 m | Show |
Back at home, fade on the road. That's the betting mantra of the Colorado Rockies. I passed on the Rockies yesterday and they were upset at home by Seattle. I don't see a repeat of that occurring today. Colorado is 32-20 at Coors Field. The Rockies are No. 1 in baseball in runs scored at home, while also ranking second in home batting average and third in slugging percentage in their home contests. Seattle has a losing road record. Moreso, Colorado starter Austin Gomber has proven effective at Coors Field where he's 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA this season. Gomber is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA during his past three starts. The Mariners are using this as a bullpen game. So their mediocre relief corps gets to deal with Coors Field. Chances are good that several of Seattle relievers are going to experience difficulty. | |||||||
07-18-21 | Red Sox +105 v. Yankees | Top | 1-9 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 36 m | Show |
It took Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, a series of questionable calls and a rain-shortened six inning game, but the Yankees finally beat the Red Sox. Boston had won the first seven games against the Yankees this season until New York squeaked out a 3-1 win Saturday. This doesn't hide the fact the Red Sox have nine more wins this season than the Yankees and are the superior team especially given current conditions. No Cole now for today's series finale. The pitching matchup is lefty Martin Perez versus Jameson Taillon. I like Perez especially on the road where he's pitched much better. But this is an action play for me. The Yankees are reeling even with Cole's victory. It was just a band aid on what has been a lost season for New York. New York is 24-23 at home. Boston is 28-18 on the road. The Yankees have a losing record versus lefty starters and average-to-below average hitting statistics against southpaws. Perez is 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA on the road this season. Making things worse for the Yankees is they've been hit by a COVID-19 episode costing them numerous players and coaches. Among those out are power hitters Aaron Judge and Luke Voit. Taillon is a bottom tier starter with a 4.90 ERA that rises to 5.29 in night games. The Red Sox are 17-6 in their last 23 games against righty starters. | |||||||
07-16-21 | Rays +115 v. Braves | Top | 7-6 | Win | 115 | 10 h 8 m | Show |
This is an action play based on value. I'm not a big fan of Michael Wacha, but the Rays have a deep and fresh bullpen. Kevin Cash isn't afraid to use his relief pitchers either. I like Charlie Morton better than Wacha. But Morton isn't having one of his better seasons and the Rays are much superior to the Braves. Morton has a losing lifetime record against the Rays. Tampa Bay is 16 games above .500. The Rays are 25-20 on the road and have beaten a righty starter 21 of the past 30 times. Atlanta is a below .500 team. The Braves aren't that good at home either going 24-22. They are 1-8 the past nine times they've been an interleague favorite. The Braves are minus their superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who is out for the season with a torn ACL. | |||||||
07-09-21 | White Sox -130 v. Orioles | Top | 12-1 | Win | 100 | 16 h 42 m | Show |
Dallas Keuchel is past his prime. That's a given. But this line still is way too short. The Orioles are 12-39 in their last 51 games. They are terrible and they have a terrible pitcher going in righty Jorge Lopez. He's 2-11 with a 6.02 ERA. The White Sox terrorize lefties, but they also are 7-2 in their last nine games versus righthanders. The White Sox have the fifth-highest batting average in the majors and also have scored the fifth-most runs per game. Lopez has a 5.48 career ERA versus the White Sox in four games, including three starts. Keuchel has a 3.23 career ERA against Baltimore in nine starts. The White Sox have won the last five games between the two teams. | |||||||
07-05-21 | White Sox -111 v. Twins | Top | 5-8 | Loss | -111 | 14 h 20 m | Show |
The White Sox are 8-1 against the Twins this season. Chicago just swept three games from Minnesota last week at home. One of those games was a 13-3 victory when the pitching matchup was Dylan Cease versus Bailey Ober. Cease gave up two runs on three hits in six innings during that victory with seven strikeouts. The Twins' run came on homers by Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson. Both of those players didn't play yesterday because of injuries so their status is questionable. Cease is 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA. Ober is 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA. The White Sox are 49-34. The Twins are 34-48. This is a clear mismatch. Getting the White Sox at this price is cheap. | |||||||
06-27-21 | Yankees -150 v. Red Sox | Top | 2-9 | Loss | -150 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
Divisions aren't determined by a single June gme. But this may be the Yankees' most important game of the season. New York is 0-5 versus Boston this season, outplayed in every game. The Yankees trail the Rays by six games in the AL East. The Yankees need to beat Boston and they're in great position to accomplish that with a pitching matchup of Gerrit Cole against Eduardo Rodriguez. It's a mid-size lay price, but I find value since I would make the Yankees nearly a 2-to-1 favorite to win this game. Cole continues to live up to his huge contract and superstar status. He's 8-3 with a 2.33 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. His 123 strikeouts through 15 starts are the most in Yankee history of any pitcher's first 15 starts. Rodriguez, on the other hand, is enduring his worst season. He has a 6.07 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. I don't know if he's fully healthy. He hasn't been good all year and his current form is even worse than his season numbers - an 0-4 record and 7.94 ERA during his last eight games. Opponents are batting .325 against him during this span. | |||||||
06-23-21 | Cardinals -120 v. Tigers | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -120 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Injuries to Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull have forced the Tigers to call up Matt Manning. He's Detroit's top pitching prospect. However, Manning's time hasn't come yet. He's being rushed to the lineup too far ahead of schedule. Manning still was learning the ropes in Triple-A where he had an 8.07 ERA for Toledo while surrendering 11 homers in 32 1/3 innings. This will be Manning's second big league start. He pitched five innings against the Angels this past Thursday giving up two runs on four hits in five innings. Now the Cardinals have a first-hand scouting report on Manning. They know for instance that he threw 70 percent fastball against the Angels. It's hard to rely solely on just one pitch in the big leagues. John Gant goes for St. Louis. He has a respectable 3.50 ERA and a 2.08 lifetime ERA against the Tigers in three appearances, including one start. The Cardinals own a huge bullpen edge especially at closer with Alex Reyes, who has 17 saves and a 0.82 ERA. | |||||||
06-22-21 | Giants +116 v. Angels | Top | 5-0 | Win | 116 | 20 h 18 m | Show |
Anthony DeSclafani is underrated. Just like his team, the Giants. San Francisco has the best record in baseball. The Angels are a .500 club and without their best player, Mike Trout. DeSclafani is 7-2 with a 3.01 ERA. He's 3-0 in his past three starts with a 1.35 ERA during this time span. Angels starter Andrew Heaney has been inconsistent his entire career and he's been inconsistent against this season. Heaney has a 6.75 ERA in two career starts versus San Francisco. The more reliable pitcher is DeSclafani and the Giants are much the superior team. So I'll gladly accept a plus price with them. The Giants have won 13 of their last 17 road contests. They were idle on Monday so their bullpen is rested. The Giants have won each of the past seven times following a day off. | |||||||
06-21-21 | Brewers -123 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -123 | 19 h 10 m | Show |
If the Diamondbacks aren't on your autofade list they certainly should be especially when the lay price is manageable like this one. Arizona has lost 17 in a row! The Diamondbacks are 2-30 in their last 32 games! Shades of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. The Brewers enter this matchup going with Brett Anderson and with a rested Josh Hader in the bullpen. Anderson has a 4.24 ERA, which is still better than Arizona starter Merrill Kelly's 5.40 ERA. Anderson is coming off a magnificent start against the Reds, a much stronger offensive team than the Diamondbacks. Anderson held the Reds to no runs in seven innings allowing only one hit, one walk and striking out nine this past Tuesday. The Diamondbacks will be missing catcher Carson Kelly, who ranked third on the team in homers and RBI's. He suffered a broken wrist against the Dodgers two days ago. | |||||||
06-20-21 | A's +120 v. Yankees | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Perhaps it's the Yankee mystique. Whatever it is, the wrong team is favored here. The A's are 44-28. That's their best start in 31 years. They are 13-3 this month and have won seven of their past eight games. The Yankees have a losing home record. They are 1-6 in their last seven home contests. Oakland is 19-10 on the road. The pitching matchup is lefty Sean Manaea versus southpaw Jordan Montgomery. The Yankees have a losing record versus lefties. The A's have a higher batting average and slugging percentage versus southpaws than the Yankees. Oakland is 18-9 against lefthanders. Manaea is 6-2 with a 2.99 ERA. He has been one of the hottest pitchers with a 3.0 mark and 0.84 ERA in his last five starts. Montgomery is a bottom-of-the-rotation type starter. He has a 4.20 ERA. His day time ERA is 7.11. | |||||||
06-18-21 | Phillies v. Giants -126 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 16 m | Show |
It's past time to give the Giants their due. San Francisco is 44-25, which is the best record in baseball. The Phillies are 12-25 on the road this year. The pitching matchup is Vince Velasquez, who has a 4.25 ERA, versus Johnny Cueto, who has a 4.00 ERA. Velasquez has a 12.9 percent walk rate. Cueto's walk rate is 4.8 percent. The price is fair. So I'm going to ride the Giants. San Francisco has been tremendous in this role winning 25 of the last 31 times it has been home chalk. The Phillies have lost 16 of the last 21 times playing in San Francisco. The Phillies have scored just six runs in their last three games. They are likely to get Bryce Harper back, but are down two key mid-infielders with Jean Segura joining Didi Gregorius on IL. | |||||||
06-17-21 | Cardinals +170 v. Braves | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
Maybe the Braves should be favorites here, slight favorites. But at this price the line is outrageous. It presents tremendous value on the Cardinals. St. Louis has won three in a row. The Cardinals have allowed only five runs in their last four games. The Braves are 1-6 in their last seven games. Atlanta is a season-worst five games below .500. The pitching matchup is John Gant versus Charlie Morton. It's Morton who has the bigger name, but you can make the argument Gant has been the more effective pitcher this season. Morton has a 4.50 ERA. Gant's ERA is 3.36. Gant has been better on the road, too, where his away ERA is 2.27. Morton has a bad history against the Cardinals. He's 2-12 lifetime versus them with a 5.68 ERA in 18 starts. It has been 10 years since Morton last defeated the Cardinals. Atlanta's bullpen has been disappointing, while the Cardinals' Alex Reyes has developed into a top closer ranking fourth in saves with 17 while holding a 0.82 ERA. The Braves' bullpen carries a high fatigue ranking also. Atlanta has permitted 10 runs in each of the past two days. Braves relievers have logged 11 2/3 innings during these last two days. St. Louis has enjoyed good success against the Braves in Atlanta winning 11 of its past 15 visits. | |||||||
06-15-21 | Angels v. A's -120 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 100 | 16 h 54 m | Show |
Nothing against southpaw Andrew Heaney, who has been pitching well. But I want the A's going for me here and this price allows me to get involved. Oakland has won 10 of its last 12 games. The A's are off to their best start in seven years going 41-27. Oakland is 44-21 the past 65 times facing a lefty starter at home. Like many teams, the Angels have problems when playing at Oakland losing 11 of the past 15 times there. A's starter Frankie Montas has the same ERA as Heaney at 4.37 with four more strikeouts. Montas has a 2.65 ERA during his last three starts. The Angels are down superstar Mike Trout and also could be without third baseman Anthony Rendon, who suffered a triceps injury last night. | |||||||
06-10-21 | Brewers -113 v. Reds | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 4 h 48 m | Show |
Freddy Peralta is having the type of season many envisioned Luis Castillo to be having. Peralta has been one of the best - and most underrated - pitchers in the National League with a 6-1 record and 2.25 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. He enters today's game 12 strikeouts away from leading the league with 92 in 64 innings. Milwaukee is 9-3 in Peralta's starts this year. Castillo has been one of the most disappointing pitchers in baseball with a 2-8 record, 6.63 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. I cut him from my Rotisserie team weeks ago without even bothering to try to trade him. I just wanted him off my team. Peralta and Castillo squared off on May 23. The Brewers won, 9-4, getting to Castillo for five runs in five innings. The Brewers also rate a strong bullpen advantage. Milwaukee is 10-2 in its last 12 games. The Reds have lost eight of their last 11 home contests. | |||||||
06-09-21 | Mariners v. Tigers -116 | Top | 9-6 | Loss | -116 | 17 h 45 m | Show |
Casey Mize is here and the Mariners know it. Mize, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, has given up two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. He's dropping way down in class here facing the Mariners after his last two starts were against the White Sox and Yankees. The Mariners saw Mize in Seattle last month - and he dominated them. Mize held Seattle to one earned run on three hits in 7 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Detroit is a semi-respectable 14-15 at home. Seattle is 13-18 on the road. The Mariners had five players in their starting lineup last night batting .220 or under. Their team batting average is .208, worst in the majors. Chris Flexen pitches for Seattle. He has a 4.70 ERA and 1.42 WHIP on the season. He's pitched much better at home. His road ERA is 8.10 in four starts. | |||||||
06-08-21 | Giants -129 v. Rangers | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 24 h 34 m | Show |
Maybe the Giants are playing above their heads. Or maybe they are for real. All I know is San Francisco has the best record in baseball. The Rangers own the third-worst mark in the majors. Texas is 1-11 in its last 12 games. The Giants are 7-2 in their last nine games. They have won 10 of their past 11 road games. Alex Wood goes against journeyman Jordan Lyles. Wood is 5-3 with a 3.48 ERA. He is 2-0 lifetime versus the Rangers with a 0.86 ERA in three career starts versus Texas. Lyles is 2-4 with a 5.75 ERA. He is 4-5 career-wise against the Giants with a 5.31 ERA in 22 appearances, including 10 starts. Wood is my clear choice above Lyles, but this is an action play for me. I want the hot Giants against this bad and cold opponent especially when the line is reasonable like it is here. The Giants did suffer a major injury with Evan Longoria being put on the injured list with a shoulder strain. The good news for San Francisco is it expects to get back Brandon Belt. Tuesday Free Play A's minus 1 1/2 runs plus $1.09 (run line) hosting Diamondbacks Unless you're in the habit of laying monster juice, which I'm not, the only way to fade the Diamondbacks on the road is to play the run line. That's what I'm doing here with the A's. Arizona has lost a franchise-record 17 straight games on the road! The Diamondbacks have lost 29 of their past 35 overall games. Oakland is 4-1 in its last five games and was idle on Monday. The A's are 8-0 this season following a day off. The pitching matchup also lends itself to backing the A's. It's Arizona rookie Jon Duplantier versus Chris Bassitt. Duplantier has been talked about the past couple of seasons as a promising pitcher with a high ceiling. That hasn't materialized. Duplantier wasn't good at Triple-A Reno this year with a 7.71 ERA and his big league ERA is 9.35 in two starts. Duplantier last faced the Brewers this past Thursday and surrendered five runs in four innings. Bassitt has been very solid. Oakland is 9-1 in his 10 starts this year. Only once during his past eight starts has Bassitt walked more than one batter and that was just two. | |||||||
06-04-21 | Indians -112 v. Orioles | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -112 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
Break up the Orioles. They've won two in a row. They also had lost 14 straight games before then. Baltimore also has the worst home mark in the majors by far at 8-19. The price is cheap to back the road Indians here. The pitching matchup is Jean Carlos Mejia versus lefty Keegan Akin. It's the first big league start for Mejia and second start of the year for Akin. Mejia hasn't been scored on this season in five innings of relief. He's given up just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts. Akin has a 4.80 ERA. The Indians are 8-2 in their past 10 road games when facing a lefty starter. But the pitching matchup isn't the reason I want Cleveland. This is an action play for me based on laying a low price with a far superior team. Friday Free Play Nationals plus $1.02 at Phillies Keep an eye on emerging superstar Juan Soto. He's coming on. Soto is a factor, but there are other reasons why I like the Nationals as an underdog to the Phillies. The pitching matchup is Max Scherzer versus Zack Wheeler. I like Wheeler, who is 4-2 with a 2.52 ERA. But I like Scherzer better. The future Hall of Famer still is very good with a 2.34 ERA. He shouldn't have to deal with Bryce Harper and Didi Gregorius, both of whom are expected to be out due to injuries. Scherzer is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight career starts with the Nationals at Philadelphia. The Phillies blasted the Reds, 17-3, in their last game. That was back on Tuesday, though. The Phillies have been idle since so they could be a little rusty. Prior to that massacre of the Reds, the Phillies were averaging a puny 2.1 runs in their past six games. | |||||||
06-02-21 | Rangers v. Rockies -104 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 18 h 53 m | Show |
This is a great price to back the Rockies at home against a bad Rangers team that has lost seven in a row and 13 straight on the road. Colorado has won seven of its last nine games at Coors Field. The Rockies have won 69 percent of the past 98 times they've been a home favorite. The Rockies' home edge is enhanced with capacity increased to 70 percent, which could mean 35,000 fans in the stands. The pitching matchup is Jordan Lyles versus Antonio Senzatela. I'm not a fan of Lyles, who is a journeyman and has a 5.79 ERA. His ERA was 7.02 last season. Lyles has been on five teams in the last five years. The Rangers' bullpen is short on depth due to injuries. Senzatela has a 2.81 ERA in his last three starts. He's pitched better at home than on the road. But this is an action play for me. I want the Rockies at home at this short price against a Rangers squad trying to halt a 13-game road losing skid. | |||||||
06-01-21 | Rangers v. Rockies -111 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 22 m | Show |
The Rockies should be fine returning to Coors Field where they have won six of their last eight games. German Marquez knows how to pitch there. Marquez is in good form with a 2.37 ERA in his last three starts. The Rangers have lost 12 consecutive road games. They figure to have trouble at Coors Field. Dane Dunning gets the start for them. Dunning looked good early in the season, but he's fallen on hard times. He gave up seven runs on seven hits in just four innings this past Wednesday to the Angels. Dunning is 0-3 with a 7.97 ERA in five road starts this season. | |||||||
05-31-21 | Angels v. Giants -130 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show |
Because of having the worst bullpen ERA in the majors and being a below average defensive team, especially without Mike Trout, the Angels need strong starting pitching. They haven't been getting that from Dylan Bundy. Bundy has a whopping 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. The Giants faced Bundy last August and he couldn't reach the fifth inning giving up two homers in an 8-2 loss. The Giants have been a major surprise with the second-best record in the National League and third-best overall mark. San Francisco is a strong 22-7 as home chalk. The Giants hold bullpen, defense and starting pitching edges with Johnny Cueto on the mound to oppose the cold Bundy. Cueto isn't an ace anymore, but he's a dependable middle-of-the-rotation starter with a lifetime 1.35 ERA against the Angels in four starts, including a 7-2 win against them last Aug. | |||||||
05-28-21 | Padres +104 v. Astros | Top | 10-3 | Win | 104 | 16 h 6 m | Show |
Dinelson Lamet and Framber Valdez are promising young pitchers, who are coming back from injuries. Lamet has shown more upside and is further along than southpaw Valdez. I think it's wrong that Lamet and the Padres opened as underdogs. Lamet finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting last season. He's 1-0 with a 1.64 in five appearances this season. He's yet to pitch more than three innings because the Padres are being extremely careful with him. Lamet could start to get stretched out beginning with this game. Valdez is making his first start of 2021. He's probably going to be on a pitch count. Valdez was 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA last season. San Diego has won the last four times it has faced a lefty starter. The Padres have been red-hot winning 11 of their last 13 games. Houston is 1-4 in its last five games. This is just the second series of the season where the Padres get to use a DH. They swept the Rangers three games in their first road series against an AL opponent. | |||||||
05-25-21 | Cardinals +130 v. White Sox | Top | 3-8 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 6 m | Show |
Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito are heavyweight pitchers. But I'm siding with Flaherty especially in the rare role as an underdog. Flaherty is a solid Cy Young candidate being 8-0 with a 2.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. The White Sox have never faced him putting them at a disadvantage. The White Sox dominated against lefty starters, but are just 17-16 versus righthanded starters. Giolito has a 4.35 ERA this season, although he has been pitching better. This will be his third career start against St. Louis. He's allowed eight runs of which seven were earned in 11 1/3 innings against the Cardinals. Giolito has to deal with a hot Nolan Arenado, who has four homers and eight RBI's during his last 10 games. He's 3-for-3 lifetime lifetime versus Giolito. Tuesday Free Play Red Sox plus $1.09 hosting Braves The Red Sox have been a tremendous money-maker as an underdog winning 14 of the past 17 times in that role. They opened as a slight 'dog hosting the Braves in a pitching matchup of Charlie Morton versus Garrett Richards. Morton has a 4.60 ERA. His road ERA is 4.41. He's surrendered a home run in six of his last seven starts. This could prove significant because the Red Sox are nearly as powerful as the Braves. Atlanta leads the majors with 78 homers after smacking 15 of them during their recently concluded four-game series against the hapless Pirates. The Red Sox, however, have hit the second-most homers in the American League with 65. They are the only team that has three players in double figures in homers with Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. Richards has pitched well very well this month going 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA. He's held the opposition to only two homers during his past seven starts. | |||||||
05-21-21 | White Sox +101 v. Yankees | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
After facing the Orioles and Rangers during the final seven games of their 10-game road swing, the Yankees return home to face a real team - the White Sox. The White Sox have turned the corner, owning the best record in the American League at 26-16. Carlos Rodon is one reason for this. He's been magnificent going 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA. Rodon has 49 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings this season. I prefer Rodon far more than Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery, who I view as the weak spot in their rotation. Montgomery has a 4.75 ERA and is coming off a poor outing against the Orioles giving up five runs in just three innings. Worse, Montgomery is lefthanded. The White Sox are a mind-boggling 23-2 (92 percent) versus southpaw starters since the start of last season! The White Sox rank in the top three in runs and batting average. The Yankees are 22nd in runs and 24th in batting average. Friday Free PlayCardinals plus $1.07 hosting Cubs Don't be fooled by the Cubs taking three of four from the Nationals. That series was played at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have yet to show they can perform well on the road losing 12 of their 18 away contests. This applies to Kyle Hendricks, too. He has a 6.17 road ERA. St. Louis has won 14 of its 22 home games. Carlos Martinez is coming off the injured list to start. Perhaps bothered by a sprained ankle that landed him on the IL, Martinez surrendered five runs on six hits and five walks in five innings against the Rockies during his previous start on May 8. Before that performance, Martinze had been dominant in three straight starts giving up two earned runs in 21 1/3 innings for a 0.84 ERA. The Cubs can't seem to get fully healthy as Jason Heyward just went on the injured list. | |||||||
05-17-21 | Indians +127 v. Angels | Top | 4-7 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 13 m | Show |
There are very few teams the Angels should be favored against when starting Patrick Sandoval - and the Indians aren't one of those teams. Cleveland has defeated the Angels eight straight times, outscoring them by nearly three runs a game during this win streak. The Indians own a winning road record. The Angels have a sub .500 home mark. Southpaw Sam Hentges is set to make his second career start for Cleveland. He tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his first start five days ago against the Cubs. Hentges has 14 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings this year. The Angels are 2-9 in their past 11 games versus a lefty starter, including 2-7 this season. They are batting .225 against southpaws. The Angels have scored three runs or fewer in 10 of their past 14 games. Sandoval has a 6.14 ERA and 1.50 WHIP pitching in relief. This will be his first start of the season. He's expected to be on around a 60-65 pitch count setting up a bullpen game for the Angels, who have the worst team ERA in the majors at 5.32. Monday Free Play White Sox minus $1.05 at Twins At some point the Twins have to improve on their 13-25 record. They certainly aren't that bad. But I don't see Minnesota starting to turn around its season in this game. Yes, the Twins draw aging and declining Dallas Keuchel. But the White Sox get southpaw J.A. Happ. The White Sox are a mind-boggling 22-2 against lefty starters since the start of last season. Chicago leads the majors in batting against lefties at .293. The next closest is the Red Sox at .282. Happ found out the hard way how well the White Sox hit and play against lefties when he faced them in a 13-8 loss this past Wednesday in Chicago. The White Sox battered Happ for nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, by far his worst outing of the season. The 38-year-old Happ is another over-the-hill veteran, who has a bad history against the White Sox. His ERA is 6.34 in nine career starts versus Chicago. The White Sox lead the American League with a .343 on-bast percentage. Current White Sox batters are hitting a combined .333 versus Happ. Chicago enters this series having won eight of its last 10, while the Twins have dropped nine of their last 11 games. Minnesota is giving up an average of 7.1 runs in its last seven games. | |||||||
05-16-21 | Phillies v. Blue Jays -163 | Top | 8-10 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Yes, we're getting into the high chalk range here as I usually don't like to lay more than minus $1.50 on a baseball game unless I perceive excellent value on the favorite. That's the case here. Lefty Robbie Ray is riding a tremendous hot streak, the Phillies have problems hitting southpaw starters and they are dealing with multiple injuries that could leave them without four starters for this game, including Bryce Harper. Another thing. The Phillies are starting Chase Anderson. The journeyman has a 5.23 ERA this season. The Blue Jays know him well since he was on their team last season. Ray has 33 strikeouts in his last four starts spanning 24 2/3 innings. Ray is a monster strikeout pitcher. The negative with Ray has been his high walk ratio and many base runners. However, Ray's WHIP is 1.10 this season. That shrinks to 0.91 going by his last four starts where he has a fantastic 33-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio! The Phillies have played 12 games against lefty starters. These opposing southpaws have a combined 2.80 ERA against Philadelphia with a 77-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Lefty Anthony Kay held the Phillies scoreless in four innings on Saturday giving up just one hit and striking out six. The Phillies are going to be without injured shortstop Didi Gregorius and also likely won't have Harper and catcher J.T. Realmuto. Both left Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays with injuries. Harper has shoulder soreness while Realmuto has a sore wrist. Andrew McCutchen also had a hip problem in that game so he may sit out today. | |||||||
05-14-21 | Cubs -132 v. Tigers | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 16 h 11 m | Show |
Cubs minus $1.35 at Tigers In Jake we trust? I don't know if I can fully commit to Jake Arrieta, but I do know I want to fade Tarik Skubal. The Tigers are 0-5 in Skubal's starts. A big reason for this is Skubal has a 5.67 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Skubal doesn't figure to get bailed out either by a bullpen that is the worst in baseball with a 6.55 ERA through this past Wednesday. Arrieta was pitching well up until his last start giving up two earned runs or fewer in four of his five starts. His ERA was 2.57 through five starts. But then he faced the Reds, the second-highest scoring team in the majors, and was hit for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings on April 30. Arrieta was bothered by a cut on his right thumb during that start, which could explain his poor performance. This will be Arrieta's first time pitching since then. He's facing a weak Detroit lineup that ranks 29th in runs and is last in OPS. The Cubs were 5-1 until losing a pair of one-run games to the Indians with one of those defeats occurring when going against Shane Bieber. So certainly no shame in that. The Cubs were getting base runners, but went a mind-boggling 2-for-27 in runners in scoring position during that Indians series. That should change against Skubal and a terrible Detroit bullpen. The Cubs are banged-up, but were idle on Thursday. So today they could see a return to the lineup of Kris Bryant, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner. | |||||||
05-11-21 | Yankees v. Rays +119 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 25 m | Show |
I can see the Yankees being a road favorite against the Rays if Gerrit Cole is on the mound. But he isn't here. It's Jordan Montgomery so this number is off. The Yankees have a lot of trouble against the Rays, going 5-18 during the last 23 meetings. New York has lost eight of the past 10 times on Astroturf, too. Quirky Tropicana Field gives the Rays a solid home field edge, especially against the Yankees. Montgomery won his first start back on April 5. He hasn't won since. He has a 4.41 ERA on the season and a bad history versus the Rays - 1-3 with a 5.63 ERA. This includes two starts against the Rays this season where he's 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings. The Yankees are going to have to deal with Luis Patino for a few innings. He's an exciting young fireballer with 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings and a 1.17 ERA. The Yankees have never faced him, which is to their disadvantage. Tampa Bay has continued its domination of the Yankees this year going 5-1. I don't see that domination ending in this matchup. | |||||||
05-05-21 | Blue Jays v. A's -118 | Top | 9-4 | Loss | -118 | 14 h 45 m | Show |
I had the A's at around this price Tuesday night and I'm coming right back on them. Oakland has won 11 of its last 13 home games. The A's have faced lefty starters in four of their last five games, going 4-1 in those games. Long-term, the A's have won 75 percent of their last 63 games versus southpaw starters. This doesn't bode well for Toronto starter, southpaw. Robbie Ray. I think every fantasy baseball owner has flirted with Ray at some point in some league. Ray always disappoints. Yes he gets strikeouts. But he also walks way too many batters, which leads to a high ERA and ratio. I prefer Oakland starter Chris Bassitt, who has become dependable. He's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts with at least eight strikeouts in each of these starts. The Blue Jays are missing several players as George Springer is hurt again. Also out is catcher Alejandro Kirk. | |||||||
04-29-21 | Dodgers -152 v. Brewers | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -152 | 14 h 14 m | Show |
Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and possibly even Freddy Peralta might give Trevor Bauer a close game. Not Eric Lauer. So this clearly is that rare case of a mid-size favorite having excellent value as I'd have made Bauer and the Dodgers close to a $2.00 favorite. Bauer had an NL-best 1.73 ERA last year. He's rounding into elite form this season with a 2-0 mark and 1.42 ERA with 25 strikeouts during his last three starts spanning 19 innings. Opponents are batting only .138 against Bauer during this span. The Dodgers have a rested bullpen, too, after Clayton Kershaw threw seven shutout innings in the Dodgers' 8-0 victory against the Reds on Wednesday. The Brewers are 20th in runs and 24th in batting average. Christian Yelich and Lornzo Cain are out. Bauer has a 2.66 ERA in three career starts versus the Brewers with a 32-to-4 strikeouts-to-walks ratio with one of those walks being intentional. Lauer, a lefty, was 0-2 with a 13.09 ERA in four appearances, including two starts, for Milwaukee last year. This is his season debut. The Dodgers, who ranked fourth in runs, have won 26 of their last 38 games against a southpaw starter. | |||||||
04-23-21 | Phillies v. Rockies -110 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 17 h 22 m | Show |
Like many teams, the Phillies are vulnerable when it comes to the bottom of their rotation. Philadelphia is in a tough spot today having to give Vince Velasquez a spot start at Colorado because normal starter Matt Moore is in COVID-19 protocol. Velasquez couldn't cut it as a starter before. He's been in long relief. I don't like his chances here against German Marquez. Marquez has been solid with a 3.57 ERA while pitching into the sixth inning in three of his four starts this season. He knows how to pitch effectively at Coors Field, too. The Rockies' bats are heating up. Colorado has scored 6 or more runs in three of its last four games. Velasquez has a 9.00 ERA. Velasquez has a career 4.91 ERA versus the Rockies in seven appearances. Philadelphia has lost in seven of its last eight games at Coors Field. The Phillies also are playing shorthanded. They are down several arms in their bullpen with Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado out and have a middle infield shortage with Jean Segura on the IL with a strained quad and Didi Gregorius questionable due to an elbow injury. | |||||||
04-20-21 | Blue Jays +105 v. Red Sox | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 28 m | Show |
Eduardo Rodriguez has been a nice early story for the Red Sox going 2-0 after having missed all of last season due to health issues. Rodriguez's starts have come against the Orioles and Twins. Now he faces a Blue Jays team that has a number of exciting young offensive stars. This is Rodriquez's first home start in two years. I'm not so much going against Rodriguez as I'm taking Hyun Jin Ryu at an underdog price. It's rare when Ryu is an underdog and this shouldn't be one of those times. Since 2018, Ryu has become an upper level pitcher with ERA's of 1.97, 2.32 and 2.69 last season. He's off to a great start this year with a 1.89 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in three starts. He has 19 strikeouts in 19 innings. Ryu trumps Rodriguez and the Blue Jays have enough quality hitters to warrant trust. | |||||||
04-07-21 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -109 | Top | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 15 h 15 m | Show |
Mad-Bum is turning into just Bum. OK, that is being too hard on Madison Bumgarner. He's not a bum, but he's certainly also not the pitcher he was during his prime with the Giants when he was throwing 94 mph. Bumgarner gets the start here at Coors Field, the best hitting park in the majors. The price is right to fade him especially with the Diamondbacks' bullpen in a state of flux with closer Joakim Soria out with a calf injury. Bumgarner went 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA last year, permitting an astonishing 66 baserunners in only 41 2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks signed him to a huge contract hoping his fastball would return and his command would improve. So far that hasn't happened. His velocity still is down and he hasn't regained his command. That was evident again in Bumgarner's first start when he gave up six runs on seven hits, including two homers, in four innings against the Padres opening day. That game was at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, too. Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela didn't pitch well either in his first start this season. He was tagged for seven on nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings by the Dodgers, who could have the best offense in baseball. I have more confidence in Senzatela bouncing back than Bumgarner. Senzatela turned a corner last season going 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA. I like the Rockies' lineup better than the Diamondbacks, especially with Arizona missing injured shortstop Nick Ahmed and outfielder Kole Calhoun. | |||||||
04-02-21 | Giants +116 v. Mariners | Top | 6-3 | Win | 116 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
No way am I buying Yusei Kikuchi as a favorite. The left-handed Kikuchi has been one of the worst starting pitchers in the majors during his two-year stint compiling a 5.46 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP in 2019 and a 5.17 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP last season. San Francisco just faced a lefty starter on Thursday and scored five earned runs in six innings off Marco Gonzales, a much better pitcher than Kikuchi. Seattle has one of the worst bullpens in the majors, too. Giants starter Johnny Cueto isn't the star he was with the Reds, but he's still solid. I consider him the Giants' best starter. Cueto has a 2.41 lifetime ERA against Seattle in three starts. San Francisco's bullpen is better than it showed in its 8-7 extra inning loss to the Mariners on Thursday. The Mariners remain without perhaps their most talented player as outfielder Kyle Lewis has a knee injury. | |||||||
10-27-20 | Rays +130 v. Dodgers | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 15 m | Show |
The Rays have met adversity several times in the postseason. I expect them to live again and force Game 7 of the World Series. I'll take a plus price with Blake Snell against Tony Gonsolin. Snell should give the Rays five solid innings. I can't say that about Gonsolin, who hasn't pitched as well in the playoffs as he did during the regular season. Gonsolin has pitched 7 2/3 innings in the postseason giving up seven walks and three homers. I also trust the Rays' bullpen more than the Dodgers' relievers. Closer Kenley Jansen certainly can't be trusted anymore. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is saving Walker Buehler in case there's a Game 7. He said Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias will not pitch in this game. Those are the three best Dodgers pitchers. | |||||||
10-21-20 | Rays v. Dodgers -145 | Top | 6-4 | Loss | -145 | 17 h 22 m | Show |
Momentum is crucial in the baseball playoffs. The Dodgers have it. The Rays don't. LA has won four in a row after being on the brink of elimination from the Braves. Tampa Bay is 1-4 in its last five games. The Rays haven't played well since going up 3-0 on the Astros in the ALCS. It doesn't hurt the Dodgers' chances that they are the superior team with both great hitting and pitching. The Dodgers led the Majors averaging 5.8 runs per game. They are averaging 5.5 runs in their last four games. Cody Bellinger has come alive smacking three homers during the last three games. The Rays don't have the offense to match LA's. Tampa Bay is averaging 3.1 runs in its last 10 games. The Rays are going with lefty Blake Snell, who has allowed seven runs in his last 14 postseason innings spread across three starts. He hasn't completed six innings during any of his playoff starts this season. This isn't the vintage Snell of three seasons ago. The Dodgers are 17-6 versus lefties this year, including 4-1 during the postseason. Tampa Bay is going up against Dodgers pitching that has allowed three or fewer runs in four straight games. The Rays are going to be looking at Tony Gonsolin and probably Julio Urias in this game. Gonsolin had a 2.31 ERA in the regular season with a 0.84 WHIP in 46 2/3 innings. Urias has a 0.56 ERA and 4-0 record in 16 playoff innings this season spread across four appearances. The Dodgers have won 77 percent of the time they've been favored during the past 56 instances. | |||||||
10-16-20 | Astros v. Rays -130 | Top | 7-4 | Loss | -130 | 15 h 14 m | Show |
The Astros have some momentum winning two in a row to keep their season alive down 3-2 in the best-of-seven ALCS. Only twice all season has Tampa Bay lost more than two in a row. I don't see the Rays losing a third consecutive game. Tampa Bay has the more established starting pitcher, superior bullpen and better manager. Blake Snell won the AL Cy Young Award three seasons ago. He's been strong this season and during the playoffs. Snell defeated Houston five days ago holding the Astros to one run in five innings. The Astros are going with Framber Valdez, who has posted solid numbers but has control issues and gives up the long ball. Valdez has issued seven walks in his 18 innings of postseason work and has surrendered three homers during his last two starts. | |||||||
10-13-20 | Rays v. Astros +101 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 30 m | Show |
I have nothing but admiration for Rays manager Kevin Cash. He's an out-of-the-box thinker and one of the best managers in baseball. He has the Rays on the verge of going to the World Series. Tampa Bay leads Houston 2-0 in the American League Championship Series. Now, though, is the time to step in with the Astros, who are 8-1 the last nine times they've been a playoff underdog. Tampa Bay has outscored Houston by just three runs in the two games. The Rays only have 10 hits in the series. The Astros have been dogged by leaving 21 men on base during these two games, victimized by outstanding and clutch Tampa Bay fielding plays and suffering bad luck and misfortune with some of their hard hit balls. Not that I feel sorry for the cheating Astros. But I do think they are due for a victory here. The starting pitching matchup is Jose Urquidy versus lefty Ryan Yarbrough. Urquidy had a 2.73 ERA in five regular-season starts. This will be his third postseason start. The Rays have never faced him giving Urquidy the element of surprise. Yarbrough has never started a playoff game. The Astros rank in the top five against lefthanded pitching in batting average and a number of metric categories, including slugging percentage and OPS. | |||||||
09-30-20 | White Sox v. A's -120 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
The road White Sox were a sharp play against the A's in Tuesday's opening series game. But the dynamics are different for this Game 2 in a pitching matchup of lefty Dallas Keuchel versus Chris Bassitt. This isn't a fade on Keuchel, who has pitched well again this season. The A's, though, are 11-3 against lefties this season and Bassitt has been highly underrated. He's given up just one run during his last four starts spanning 26 2/3 innings. Bassitt has been particularly strong at home with a 0.72 ERA in six starts at Oakland Coliseum this season. The White Sox have lost the last seven times they've gone against a righty starter. Chicago also has lost the past six times it has been an underdog. | |||||||
09-25-20 | Reds v. Twins -142 | Top | 7-2 | Loss | -142 | 12 h 53 m | Show |
The Twins, behind Jose Berrios, should take care of business at home against the Reds. Minnesota is 23-5 (82 percent) at home. That's the best home mark in baseball. The Reds have a losing road record. Berrios has a history of pitching his best at Target Field. He has a 2.67 ERA there this season holding batters to a .168 batting average. Berrios is in outstanding form, too, going 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four starts this month. Cincinnati has had a down year from many of its hitters. The Reds rank 30th in batting average and 28th in runs scored. The Reds also don't win when Tyler Mahle pitches. Mahle has a career Reds record of 13-25. His road ERA is 4.97 this season and he can be homer-prone. The Twins set a record for most homers last season and rank fifth in home runs this year. Minnesota won't lack incentive either being just one-half game ahead of the White Sox for first place in the AL Central. | |||||||
09-22-20 | Rays -122 v. Mets | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -122 | 20 h 59 m | Show |
The Mets have to be way down after their playoff chances were dealt a big blow with a 2-1 home loss to the Rays on Monday. The Mets had Jacob deGrom going in that game while the Rays went with an opener, a strategy their manager, Kevin Cash, came up with a couple of years ago and that has been widely copied. The Mets were 12-2 in deGrom's previous 14 starts. Now the Mets have to deal with lefty Blake Snell, who won the Cy Young Award in 2018. The Mets are 6-14 versus lefty starters this season. They have scored a combined three runs in three of their last four games. Snell is having a strong September with a 2.87 ERA. He's given up one run during his last two starts spanning 10 2/3 innings. Snell is 4-1 on the season with a 3.05 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Snell also is 3-0 on the road. Tampa Bay is 18-10 on the road. The Mets are 12-16 at home. The Mets are slated to start Seth Lugo, who is 2-3 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Lugo is off a terrible performance against the Phillies where he surrendered six runs on eight hits in 1 1/2 innings this past Thursday. | |||||||
09-02-20 | Nationals -114 v. Phillies | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -114 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
This is a low price to get an elite starter versus a No. 3 type pitcher with Max Scherzer facing Zach Wheeler. Scherzer may be past his prime, but he's still a dominant Tier 1 pitcher. He has a 3.86 ERA after a bad stretch. The buy sign is back on him, though, after his last performance. Scherzer gave up one run on six hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks in six innings against the Red Sox this past Friday. Scherzer said he tweaked his mechanics and that made a difference. Scherzer is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 20 career starts against the Phillies. This includes a 5-0 mark with a 2.40 ERA at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. This isn't a huge fade on Wheeler, who has pitched well this season. He's just not in the class of Scherzer and the Phillies have a worse bullpen than the Nationals. Wheeler also has a bad history versus the Nationals with a 5-10 record and 5.01 ERA in 18 starts. | |||||||
08-11-20 | A's +138 v. Angels | Top | 0-6 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 21 m | Show |
I can't help but be attracted to the better team getting a solid plus price. That's the case here. The A's are much superior to the Angels. They have been solid on the road, too, winning 12 of their last 16 away games. The Angels are favored being at home and because of how well Dylan Bundy has pitched this season. Bundy always flashed, but he never was this consistent when he was with the Orioles. The Angels are a much better fit for Bundy. I've always liked his potential. Perhaps, however, there is some regression coming. The basis of my handicap is a play on the A's and Mike Fiers at this 'dog price. All the A's do when the righthander pitches is win. They are 21-5 during Fiers' last 26 starts for 81 percent! This includes a 3-0 mark this season. The Angels have lost 39 of the last 52 times when they faced a righty starter. | |||||||
08-10-20 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -130 | Top | 12-8 | Loss | -130 | 18 h 48 m | Show |
Look at the National League standings and you'll find a surprise leader: the Colorado Rockies. They have the best mark in the NL at 11-4. The Rockies may be playing above their heads, but I like them to win here at home against the 6-10 Diamondbacks. Colorado is pitching its ace, Jon Gray. Arizona is going with lefty Robbie Ray. The Rockies are 7-0 the past seven times facing a southpaw starter. Ray is a great strikeout artist, but a mediocre pitcher. He's never been able to harnas his control and it's evident again this season. He has a 9.45 ERA and 1.95 WHIP. He doesn't go deep into games either because he throws so many pitches. Ray has a 5.20 career ERA in 17 starts against the Rockies. Current Rockies are batting a combined .328 against him in 214 plate appearances. Gray's .694 home winning percentage is second-best in franchise history. Arizona has lost 10 of the last 12 times it has been a road 'dog. Colorado has defeated the Diamondbacks six of the past eight times at Coors Field. | |||||||
08-05-20 | Red Sox v. Rays -145 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -145 | 14 h 12 m | Show |
The Rays are another reliable home favorite. They are 20-6 (77 percent) the past 26 times as home chalk. Tropicana Field is a very tough road venue for opponents because of its Field Turf and odd configurations. The Red Sox have lost in five of their last six visits. Boston also is 1-7 the past eight times meeting the Rays. Boston is down this season due to horrible pitching. The Red Sox are going with Martin Perez, who has an 8.39 ERA at Tropicana Field in five appearances, including four starts. He doesn't figure to be aided by one of the worst bullpens in the league. The Rays are going with Ryan Yarbrough, who is pitching extremely well with a 1.54 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. Tampa Bay owns the far superior bullpen, too. | |||||||
07-31-20 | Padres v. Rockies -105 | Top | 8-7 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 18 m | Show |
Colorado has been an early surprise opening 4-1 with all five of those games on the road. Now the Rockies are set for their home opener and they are in a great spot to win it. The price certainly is right to back them. The Rockies are throwing their ace, righty Jon Gray. The Rockies' bullpen has held up so far. Colorado has a 1.84 team ERA having faced the Rangers and A's. The Padres appear to be one of the most improved teams in baseball. But this is a bad spot for them. San Diego had to play late into the night on Thursday to defeat the Giants on the road in extra innings. Now they had to fly into Colorado. Colorado concluded last season winning seven of its last nine home games. They are tough to deal with at Coors Field especially if you lack experience at that ballpark. San Diego starter Garrett Richards has never pitched at Coors. He's likely in for a shock. San Diego has lost 12 of its last 15 road games when facing a righthanded starter and that includes its win Thursday against the weak Giants. The Padres are 1-4 in their last five games at Coors. They could be without steady first baseman Eric Hosmer, who has missed two straight games due to a stomach illness. | |||||||
07-29-20 | Royals +127 v. Tigers | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 50 m | Show |
Anytime I see the Tigers favored, I have to seriously consider the underdog. Detroit has lost 76 percent of its last 100 games! The Tigers are 1-4 the past five times they've been home chalk. The Royals aren't starting one of their not-ready-for-prime-time young pitchers. They are going with veteran lefty Danny Duffy. He held the Indians to two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings during his first start this season. Kansas City has the four best position players in this matchup. The Tigers are going with Matt Boyd, who looked terrible in his first start this year when he got hammered by the Reds. Boyd does not have a good history against the Royals either with a 5-9 mark and 6.46 ERA in 19 career outings versus them. Whit Merrifield, the best player on either team, has a lifetime batting average of nearly .500 against Boyd going 20-for-39. | |||||||
07-28-20 | Braves v. Rays -125 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
Tropicana Field is one of the tougher places to play especially for National League opponents. The Braves experienced the horrors of Tropicana Field losing by nine runs to the Rays on Monday. Atlanta fielders had difficulty dealing with the domed stadium's roof and background striking out 19 times. The price is low enough to back the Rays again today against the Braves, who are without their two top catchers. The Braves are going with Kyle Wright. He's a highly-rated prospect who is Atlanta's No. 5 pitcher now because Cole Hamels is out. Wright has failed to show anything in the majors yet posting a 7.71 ERA in 11 big league appearances. Lack of control has been a big issue with him. Yonny Chirinos gets the start for Tampa Bay. He has no problems at Tropicana Field holding opposing hitters to a .207 batting average there. Chirinos has much better control than Wright finishing with a 1.05 WHIP last year. The Rays usually come through as a home favorite winning 75 percent in that role the past 32 times. Tampa Bay also is 15-6 the past 21 games versus NL foes and 21-5 the last 26 times playing on astroturf. | |||||||
07-27-20 | Diamondbacks +110 v. Padres | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 13 m | Show |
After facing Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet and Garrett Richards, the Diamondbacks drop down in class today drawing Joey Lucchesi. He has a career record of 18-19 with a 4.14 ERA and has yet to prove he can be an above average starter. Right-handed Luke Weaver was a star holding 10 of 11 opponents to three runs or fewer last season before being sidelined until the final week of the season due to an elbow injury. The Padres have lost 20 of the past 26 times they've gone against a righty starter. | |||||||
07-24-20 | Twins -103 v. White Sox | Top | 10-5 | Win | 100 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
We know this about the Twins: They are coming off a 101-win season and a major league record 307 homers. We know this about the White Sox: They have some intriguing young talent and are projected to challenge for the AL Central Division title. But they are untested. The Twins are the proven commodity. The White Sox are unknown. I like Twins starter Jose Berrios more than White Sox starter Lucas Giolito in this matchup. The price is right to back Minnesota. The Twins dominated the White Sox last season winning 13 of 19 times. Minnesota scored 231 more runs than Chicago last year. Berrios has a strong history versus the White Sox with an 11-2 record and 2.40 ERA in 14 career starts. This includes a 4-1 mark and 2.88 ERA against the White Sox last season. By contrast, Giolito is 4-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Twins. | |||||||
10-25-19 | Astros v. Nationals +131 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 26 h 2 m | Show |
I can't - and won't - pass up a plus price offering on the red-hot Nationals. Not only is Washington the home team, where there will be no DH, but the Nationals are a blazing 18-2 in their last 20 games. They have won eight games in a row. The Nationals are 13-1 in their past 14 home games. Yet, despite these impressive streaks, Washington is the underdog. I don't get it. Houston is 2-3 on the road in the postseason. The Nationals beat Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. They can defeat Zach Greinke, too. I like Greinke and this isn't a fade on him as it is a play on the hot Nationals, who have scored 17 runs in the first two games of this series. Greinke, though, is 36. He's not an "A" pitcher anymore in my book. I rate him as a solid "B" being more craft and guile than blowout stuff like he used to be. Greinke has a far bigger name than Washington starter Anibal Sanchez. It's a mistake to believe Sanchez takes a backseat to Greinke in the postseason, though. Sanchez has proven to be a big-play pitcher. He has a 2.57 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 56 postseason innings with 60 strikeouts. Sanchez nearly threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLCS during his previous start. He has a 0.71 ERA in the playoffs this season. The Astros have a deeper bullpen than the Nationals, who are vulnerable in middle relief. But the Nationals' two best relievers, Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson, are rested. No DH is a plus for the Nationals, who are used to playing by those rules. The Astros now have to decide if they are going to sit out Yordan Alvarez, or start him in the outfield taking a risk with his questionable fielding compared to Josh Reddick. The Astros haven't won since the news about assistant general manager Brandon Taubman's behavior toward a group of female reporters in the Houston clubhouse following the Astros' game-clinching series victory against the Yankees. This incident has caused MLB to investigate and is a distraction for the Astros. Bottom line is there just too much value not to ride the Nationals again. | |||||||
10-14-19 | Cardinals +121 v. Nationals | Top | 1-8 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 38 m | Show |
I have the utmost respect for Stephen Strasburg. But I like Jack Flaherty better. I believe there is value getting Flaherty and the Cardinals - in a desperate spot down 0-2 - at an underdog price. Yes, St. Louis is on the road now. But the Cardinals have beaten the Nationals five of the past six times as a visitor. Yes, the Cardinals aren't hitting. But the Nationals aren't exactly tearing the cover off the ball having scored five runs in the first two games of the series. Yes, Strasburg is a stud pitcher. But Flaherty was the best pitcher in the National League during August and September with a 0.91 ERA following All-Star break. Flaherty has stayed hot in the postseason with a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings. St. Louis is 11-5 in his last 16 starts. | |||||||
10-04-19 | Cardinals -123 v. Braves | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -123 | 14 h 25 m | Show |
The Cardinals have been red-hot during the past two months winning 34 of their last 50 games, including seven of their last nine road contests. Jack Flaherty has been a major cog during the Cardinals' stretch drive. There hasn't been a better pitcher during August and September than Flaherty. He is 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA during his past 15 starts. He has a 0.41 ERA in his past three starts and a 1.48 day time ERA on the season. All this bodes well for the Cardinals, who knocked off the Braves by scoring a combined six runs in the eighth and ninth inning to win, 7-6, in Game 1 of the series on Thursday. It was the Cardinals' 10th win in their last 13 road games versus Atlanta. The Braves have outstanding young talent. But some of that talent needs more maturity and is in a rough bounce back spot after such a tough home loss in the series opener. Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz has not fared well historically against the Cardinals with a 3-4 mark and 7.64 ERA in seven career starts. | |||||||
09-25-19 | Brewers -138 v. Reds | Top | 9-2 | Win | 100 | 18 h 9 m | Show |
No team is hotter than Milwaukee. The Brewers are a major league-best 18-4 this month. They are 16-2 in their last 18 games. The price and pitching matchup is worth it to ride the Brewers again today. Jordan Lyles has been outstanding since coming to the Brewers on July 29. Milwaukee is 9-1 in Lyles' 10 starts. Lyles has a 2.35 ERA with the Brewers and is in excellent form with a 1.80 ERA during his past three starts. The Reds are averaging only 2.3 runs in their last eight games. The Reds are dealing with a virus that has affected several Cincinnati players, including infielder Freddy Galvis. The Brewers are highly motivated and have tremendous momentum. If they win this game, they clinch a wild-card berth. The Reds just want the season to end. They are giving Tyler Mahle an extended look. The results haven't been good. Mahle, who is slated to start here, hasn't won since May. He's 2-11 on the season with a 4.93 ERA. Mahle's ERA in his past three starts is 6.59. | |||||||
09-23-19 | Cardinals v. Diamondbacks +117 | Top | 9-7 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 45 m | Show |
The Cardinals were in a party mood after clinching their first playoff berth in four years after sweeping the Cubs with a 3-2 road win on Sunday. So the Cardinals might not have their full focus traveling West to take on the host Diamondbacks tonight. The pitching matchup is Adam Wainwright versus lefty Alex Young, who the Cardinals have never faced before. Wainwright is a brilliant 9-3 with a 2.03 ERA when pitching at home. However, his numbers are far worse on the road where he's 4-6 with a 6.03 ERA in 14 away starts. St. Louis is 1-7 the last eight times Wainwright has gone against a winning team on the road. The Cardinals are 21 games above .500 when facing a righthanded starter, but just 16-15 versus southpaw starters. Young is a rookie, but he has been a rock for Arizona holding 12 of his 15 opponents to three earned runs or fewer. He has a 2.30 ERA in his past six starts. | |||||||
09-17-19 | Mariners +123 v. Pirates | Top | 6-0 | Win | 123 | 16 h 24 m | Show |
Mitch Keller is the Pirates' top pitching prospect. He has yet to show it, though. Pressed into service due to the Pirates' multiple pitching injuries, Keller is struggling to solve big league hitters with an 8.29 ERA and 1.87 WHIP. He has a 10.97 ERA in his past three outings. Keller has given up at least one homer in four of his last five starts. The Mariners rank ninth in homers and expect to activate power-hitting outfielder Domingo Santana from the injured list in time for this game. Santana is second on the Mariners in RBI's. I'm not buying Keller as a favorite in this matchup of two bad teams. The Mariners are throwing their No. 1 pitcher, lefty Marco Gonzalez. If you discount his recent starts against the powerful Astros, Gonzaez has surrendered three or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts. He was solid in his past start, a 5-3 home victory against the Reds this past Wednesday. Gonzalez held Cincinnati to two runs on five hits in seven innings. Pittsburgh is 14-25 versus lefty starters this season. Seattle is 4-2 in its last six games. The Pirates are home for the first time in nine days. They just were swept three games by the Cubs getting outscored by 32 runs in that series. Pittsburgh has dropped 19 of its last 27 home games. | |||||||
09-12-19 | Braves -125 v. Phillies | Top | 5-9 | Loss | -125 | 16 h 28 m | Show |
If it weren't for Washington's Dave Martinez, I would select Philadephia's Gabe Kapler as the worst manager in the National League if not all of baseball. The Phillies haven't made the playoffs since 2011. Kabler hasn't changed that in the two years he has been manager despite management getting him a lot of talent. Kapler's bizarre in-game decisions, poor bullpen management and lack of communication have hindered the Phillies. So if I can find a reason to fade the Phillies, I usually will. In this matchup there are several major factors working against Philadelphia, beginning with the starting pitching matchup of Julio Teheran versus lefty Drew Smyly. Teheran is very reliable. The Braves are 16-7 in his last 23 starts. During these past 23 starts, Teheran has a 2.67 ERA. He's allowed only three runs during his past four starts spanning 25 innings. Opposing batters are hitting just .167 against him during this time frame. It took a while, but the Braves' high quality relievers they picked up at the trade deadline have settled down and are pitching well. Atlanta is one of the hottest teams in the majors having won 19 of its last 23 games. The Braves have won 67 percent of their games, too, when drawing a lefty starter this season going 22-11. Smyly was terrible with Texas this year going 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA and 1.91 WHIP. He pitched better initially since coming to the Phillies on July 21. But aside from his last start against the Mets this past Saturday, Smyly has reverted back to his terrible American League form giving up 21 earned runs in his previous six games. Smyly failed to go six innings in any of those six outings before his last start. The chance to back the hot Braves with the stronger pitcher at a reasonable price has me taking Atlanta. | |||||||
09-11-19 | Braves -124 v. Phillies | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
There is a class and pitching difference here that makes this a worthy investment to back the Braves. Dallas Keuchel is a "B" level pitcher, who has been throwing like his past Cy Young days. The lefty is 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA during his last five starts spanning 31 innings. The Phillies are 16-22 against lefty starters and going with Zach Eflin, who is a bottom of the rotation type starter at best. Eflin has really struggled against Atlanta this year surrendering 12 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Philadelphia can't beat a good team when Elfin starts. The Phillies are 2-12 the past 14 times Elfin has faced an above .500 opponent. Atlanta has been one of the hottest teams in baseball winning 18 of its last 22 games and seven of its past nine. | |||||||
09-04-19 | Mets v. Nationals -117 | Top | 8-4 | Loss | -117 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
Less than 24 hours after suffering their most brutal loss of the season - and one that realistically dents any playoff hopes - the Mets must play the Nationals on the road again with this day time start. The Nationals took out Jacob deGrom and the Mets by rallying for seven runs in the ninth inning to pull out a highly improbable 11-10 victory against the Mets on Tuesday night. Before this game, teams with a six-run lead in the ninth were unbeaten this season at 274-0. That loss was the Mets' eighth in their last 11 games and puts them five games behind the Cubs for the last wild card spot in the NL. The defeat also might have sealed the fate of Mets manager Mickey Callaway. The shell shocked Mets are in no shape mentally to face the Nationals in such a short turnaround. Washington is red-hot going 20-6 inits last 26 games. The pitching matchup is Zach Wheeler versus Anibal Sanchez. Wheeler is 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in four starts against Washington this season. The Nationals have scored seven or more runs in 13 of their last 16 games. Sanchez has a 3.80 ERA compared to Wheeler's 4.41 ERA. Sanchez is 8-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his last 16 starts. | |||||||
08-31-19 | Twins -130 v. Tigers | Top | 7-10 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
The Tigers are home. That's great news for the Twins since Detroit is 17-47 at home. The Twins are one of the better teams in baseball. They could break the single-season record for home runs during this series. That's how powerful they are. At this low road price, the Twins are a bargain versus this opponent. The pitching matchup is Martin Perez versus Matt Boyd. These two just faced each other six days ago in Minnesota. The Twins got to Boyd for seven earned runs in six innings, while Perez held the Tigers to two earned runs in six innings. Boyd still is getting some respect from the oddsmaker. He's perceived as Detroit's top pitcher. This isn't saying much. Boyd also hasn't been respectable like he was earlier in the season. He's allowed 19 earned runs in his last four starts spanning 21 innings. Boyd's ERA during his last 13 starts is a fat 6.05. He's also given up an average of 2.6 homers per nine innings in those last 13 outings. The Twins' power hitters should feast on him. Perez, by contrast, has allowed just four earned in his last three starts spanning 17 innings. The Twins' bullpen has been very good this month. Detroit has lost six in a row, averaging 2.8 runs per game during this losing streak. The Twins have won six straight. They are averaging 8.6 runs a game during their win streak. So, yeah, at this bargain price the Twins are worth laying road chalk. | |||||||
08-27-19 | Indians -131 v. Tigers | Top | 10-1 | Win | 100 | 17 h 33 m | Show |
If you can't beat righthanders you're not going to have a very good record. Detroit has the lowest winning percentage in baseball. One reason for this is the Tigers losing 45 of the past 55 times against a righty starter. Cleveland is going with righty Adam Plutko. He's settled into being a solid No. 4 type pitcher for Cleveland with a 3.53 ERA in his past six starts. The Indians are 11-4 in Plutko's last 15 starts. The Tigers are going with Spencer Turnbull, who hit the wall a long time ago. Detroit is 1-10 in Turnbull's last 11 home starts. The Indians were idle Monday giving them an extra day to stew about a tough 9-8 Sunday loss to the Royals. Cleveland should take out its frustrations on its favorite patsy as Detroit is 1-12 versus the Indians this season. | |||||||
08-26-19 | Dodgers v. Padres +147 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 147 | 22 h 45 m | Show |
I don't normally go against the Dodgers. But they are 34-28 on the road. That's certainly respectable, but nothing like their mind-boggling 52-18 home record. The Dodgers have trouble when facing Eric Lauer. San Diego is 5-1 in Lauer's six career starts versus the Dodgers. Laurer has a 1.72 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in these appearances. The Dodgers are batting only .175 against Lauer this season. Lauer has a 3.10 home ERA on the season. The Padres are 5-2 in his past seven starts at Petco Park. The Dodgers have been in a scoring slump scoring three or fewer runs in seven of their last eight games. Dodgers rookie Dustin May has a high ceiling. But he's up-and-down right now. May last pitched eight days ago in relief. He gave up four runs on three hits and a walk in two innings versus the Braves. The Padres went up against May on Aug. 2 getting to him for four runs - three of which were earned - and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Padres have already set a franchise-record for home runs in a season with 190. | |||||||
08-21-19 | Angels v. Rangers -121 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 16 h 19 m | Show |
I don't know if this is a case of giving Patrick Sandoval too much respect, or All-Star Mike Minor getting too little respect. It's likely a case of both. Nonetheless, the bottom line here is the Rangers are underpriced. Minor is worthy of being a much stronger favorite pitching at home against the Angels, who aside from superstar Mike Trout just aren't very good. Minor is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.19 WHIP during his last four starts. The lefty is 5-3 with a 3.25 ERA in a dozen home starts. He owns a 2.08 ERA and 3-0 mark the past two years in five starts against the Angels. LA is 17-25 versus southpaw starters on the season. The Angels also have dropped nine of their last 12 road matchups. Sandoval is one of those young Angels starters being force fed to major league hitters due to injuries and the untimely death of Tyler Skaggs. The lefty has a 5.79 ERA. He isn't ready, in my view, to be in a big league starting rotation. The Rangers are 6-2 the past eight times they've gone against a lefty starter. | |||||||
08-19-19 | Nationals -120 v. Pirates | Top | 13-0 | Win | 100 | 19 h 55 m | Show |
The Orioles and Tigers are the two worst teams in baseball. Since the All-Star break, the Pirates can join those two teams in the discussion of who is the worst. Pittsburgh is 7-27 post All-Star break. Washington is 9-3 in its last 12 games. The Nationals have the third-best record in the National League. Yet we have a very low opening line lay price for the Nationals. Why is that since the Nationals clearly are at least two levels higher than Pittsburgh? Trevor Williams gets the start for the Pirates. But that doesn't answer the question since Williams hasn't been very good with a 6.92 ERA in his last seven starts spanning 39 innings. The Nationals are swinging extremely hot bats averaging 9.4 runs during their past seven games. The answer then may lie in who Washington is starting on the mound: Joe Ross. His season numbers show a 5.91 ERA. That is misleading, however. Ross has been the Nationals' top pitcher if you go by the past three starts. Ross has fixed his mechanics and made key adjustments. These changes have helped him go 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA in his past three starts spanning 18 innings. The Pirates have the better closer, Felipe Vazquez. The Nationals have upgraded their middle and setup relief, though. It's doubtful if the Pirates will even get to use Vazquez. Pittsburgh is averaging only two runs per game during its last four games. It's also a bad situational spot for the Pirates as they had to play in the Sunday night game, which was played in Williamsport, Pa., against the Cubs in the MLB Little League Classic. | |||||||
08-16-19 | White Sox +115 v. Angels | Top | 7-2 | Win | 115 | 20 h 48 m | Show |
Injuries and the untimely death of Tyler Skaggs have left the Angels force-feeding young unprove pitching prospects. Southpaw Patrick Sandoval falls into that category. Sandoval draws the start here against All-Star Lucas Giolito. Sandoval has a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. This will be his second big league start. He isn't ready to be pitching in the majors. The Angels are 4-10 in their last 14 games. They have a burned out bullpen and are extremely weak in the middle infield with underrated shortstop Andrelton Simmons out. Giolito hit a bump in a couple of July starts, but is back on track with a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts in which he has fanned 30 batters in 19 innings. Chicago is 8-3 in Giolito's last 11 road starts. The White Sox are 12 games under .500 on the year. Hence, the Angels opening a favorite despite the huge starting pitching disparity. However, the White Sox are much better against lefthanded starters. Chicago's record versus lefties this season: 23-18. The White Sox are 6-1 the past seven times they've faced a southpaw starter. | |||||||
08-11-19 | Indians v. Twins -143 | Top | 7-3 | Loss | -143 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
The Twins are 25-10 the past 35 times Jose Berriors pitches at home. One of those losses, though, occurred the last time Berrios pitched at Target Field. That came this past Tuesday against Atlanta. The Braves blasted Berriors scoring nine runs on him in fewer than six innings. It was one of Berrios' worst days of his career. Prior to that, however, Berrios had gone 12 straight starts without surrendering more than three earned runs. He is an elite pitcher and extremely reliable. His home ERA is 3.15. His day time ERA is 3.20 I trust Berrios to come back strong following that rare humiliation. He's facing rookie Aaron Civale, who will be making back-to-back big league starts for the first time. This will be the toughest test Civale has faced. Minnesota ranks first in the majors in homers and is second in runs. The Indians, by contrast, rate 20th in homers and 19th in runs. | |||||||
08-10-19 | A's v. White Sox +159 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 159 | 18 h 50 m | Show |
Reynaldo Lopez is flying below the radar screen. Tanner Roark should never be a favorite in this high range. But the two together and you have a strong underdog value play on the White Sox. Lopez has been one of the hotter post All-Star break pitchers going 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA in his last five starts. Lopez has 34 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings during this span. Lopez has tamed the A's during his career, too, with a 1.50 lifetime ERA against them in two starts. Roark is a true mediocrity with a 7-7 mark and 4.14 ERA. Oakland has a losing record in his last seven road contests. | |||||||
08-07-19 | White Sox -105 v. Tigers | Top | 8-1 | Win | 100 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders. The 1962 New York Mets. The 2019 Detroit Tigers. Yes the Tigers are getting to be historically that bad having lost 30 of their last 35 home games. Detroit is 9-48 in its last 57 games against a righty starter and draw a hot Ivan Nova here. Nova is pitching his best ball of the season and maybe of his career with a 0.90 ERA during his last three starts. He's held the Marlins, Twins and Phillies to two earned runs in 20 innings during this span giving up 11 hits and three walks. The Tigers are second-to-last in runs, have only one decent starter and a terrible bullpen. The result is the worst record in baseball at 33-77. Lefty Tyler Alexander gets the call for Detroit. He has a 4.50 ERA. The White Sox are at their best versus southpaws compiling a 21-17 mark against them. Chicago is 5-1 in its last six road games when facing a lefty starter. | |||||||
08-06-19 | A's +129 v. Cubs | Top | 11-4 | Win | 129 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
We have a pair of lefty starters going here - Brett Anderson versus Jon Lester. Anderson has been solid on the road while Lester usually is tough at Wrigley Field. Oakland, though, is 19-8 this season versus southpaw starters, including winning five of its past six away games against them. Anderson's road numbers are a very respectable 5-2 record with a 3.49 ERA. He has limited 11 of his last 13 opponents to three earned runs or fewer. The A's have won Anderson's last six away outings. The Cubs hold a losing mark going against lefthanders. They also have a cluster injury situation in their bullpen and are without a closer. Chicago is minus injured catcher Wilson Contreras, too. | |||||||
08-05-19 | Phillies -102 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 7-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 10 m | Show |
I see the Phillies bouncing back against the Diamondbacks after losing at home to the White Sox on Sunday. Philadelphia is 7-1 the past eight times following a defeat. The Phillies have a pitching edge here both at starter in the bullpen where Arizona is vulnerable in middle relief and doesn't have a closer. Archie Bradley got the save for Arizona on Sunday but he had to log two innings and 28 pitches to do it. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly has been bad for more than a month. The Diamondbacks are 0-6 in his last six starts. Kelly has been racked for 14 earned runs in his last two starts spanning just 8 1/3 innings. He's been tagged for five homers during this short time frame. Phillies starter Vince Velasquez is pitching well giving up two earned runs in his last two starts spanning 10 2/3 innings. The righty has struck out 15 during this span. The Diamondbacks have a losing record against righthanded starters. | |||||||
08-03-19 | Cardinals v. A's -130 | Top | 3-8 | Win | 100 | 14 h 26 m | Show |
Mike Fiers may be the most underrated pitcher in the American League especially when he pitches at home where he is 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA. Fiers hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a game during his last 17 starts. Only Gerrit Cole has had a lower ERA in the American League since April 26 than Fiers. The Cardinals are playing well. However, the Oakland Coliseum is a tough place for visitors especially those who don't play there very often. Better teams than the Cardinals have gotten tripped up playing in the spacious and weird configurations of Oakland Coliseum. It's not a fluke the A's have won 11 of their last 15 home interleague games. St. Louis also is without three of its key players as Yadier Molina, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Carpenter are all injured. The Cardinals need a strong starting pitcher here and I don't see Dakota Hudson fitting that profile. He is bottom-of-the-rotation quality with a 4.63 ERA in his last seven starts. |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
Ross Benjamin | $790 |
William Burns | $516 |
Ricky Tran | $412 |
Sean Higgs | $152 |
Dan Kaiser | $151 |
Will Rogers | $131 |
Ray Monohan | $58 |
Jimmy Boyd | $47 |
Sean Murphy | $21 |
Joey Tron | $11 |