by WINNERS_ONLY
Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday August 21, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews
Probably the best double-play combination in Philadelphia Phillies history will be reunited with the Los Angeles Dodgers as early as Friday night after Los Angeles acquired former All-Star second baseman Chase Utley from the Phillies with some cash for two minor-leaguers. The Dodgers were looking for help at the position because Howie Kendrick remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Utley had to waive his no-trade clause to approve the deal, but he grew up in nearby Long Beach and gets to end his career — Utley can be a free agent after the season and might not get much interest if he still wants to play — with a contender. Of course, this past offseason, the Dodgers traded for ex-Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Too bad this isn’t 2008 or so as then L.A. might be the NL favorite. But Utley and Rollins are way past their primes, although Utley is 15-for-31 since coming off the disabled list.
♦ Dodgers at Astros (-120, 8)
Presumably Utley will be in the starting lineup for this series opener, but the team has made it clear the second base job is Kendrick’s when he comes back in about three weeks. Utley has played some first base and has worked out at third base with the Phillies, so he could move into a utility role after Kendrick returns. The Dodgers had been using Enrique Hernandez at second but now can also use him in center to spell rookie Joc Pederson, who has been in a major funk since the All-Star break. Lefty Brett Anderson (7-7, 3.48) goes here for L.A. He bounced back from his worst start of the year by allowing three runs over six innings in a win over the Reds last time out. Houston’s Carlos Gomez is 1-for-5 with two RBIs career off him. It’s Mike Fiers (5-9, 3.87) for the Astros as he looks for his first win since coming over from Milwaukee. He faced the Dodgers on May 7 and allowed five runs over five innings. Utley is 1-for-2 off him. Andre Ethier is 4-for-6 with two extra-base hits.
Key trends: The Dodgers have lost five straight series openers. They are 1-4 in Anderson’s past five vs. teams with a winning record. The Astros have won nine straight vs. left-handers. The “over/under” has gone under in six of Anderson’s past eight on the road. The over is 4-1 in Houston’s past five vs. a lefty.
Early lean: Dodgers and under.
♦ Twins at Orioles (-169, 8.5)
Minnesota has put good-looking rookie outfielder Aaron Hicks on the disabled list with a strained hamstring. To replace him, the club called up the former No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, outfielder Byron Buxton, from Triple-A. He was up for about two weeks earlier this year but that was cut short due to a thumb injury. Buxton had been crushing Triple-A pitching of late. He will take his first hacks Friday against Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen (7-6, 3.20). The Orioles have won the lefty’s past five outings. He faced the Twins on July 6 and allowed two runs over seven innings. Joe Mauer is 5-for-14 off him. Brian Dozier is 5-for-13 with a homer. Lefty Tommy Milone (6-3, 3.65) gets the call for Minnesota. He won against Baltimore on July 8, allowing a run over seven innings. Chris Davis is 4-for-11 with two homers off him.
Key trends: The Twins are 2-5 in Milone’s past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The Orioles are 5-0 in Chen’s past five vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 4-1 in Chen’s past five vs. Minnesota.
Early lean: Orioles and under.
♦ Diamondbacks at Reds (+113, 8)
Cincinnati will be without outfielder and big-league stolen base leader Billy Hamilton for the next few weeks as he was placed on the DL on Wednesday with a sprained capsule in his right shoulder. He is hitting just .226 but has 54 steals. Also monitor the status of second baseman Brandon Phillips after he left Wednesday’s game with inflammation in his right biceps tendon. He might have to sit for a few. The Reds go with rookie left-hander David Holmberg (1-2, 5.95) here. He has made four starts this season and lost the past three. Holmberg hasn’t faced Arizona. The Snakes’ Rubby De La Rosa (10-5, 4.40) is 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA in his last six outings. He has never faced Cincinnati.
Key trends: Arizona is 2-5 in its past seven vs. a lefty. It is 5-1 in De La Rosa’s past six overall. The under is 4-1 in De La Rosa’s past five road starts vs. teams with a losing record.
Early lean: Diamondbacks and over.
♦ Blue Jays at Angels (+128, 7)
Potentially big series here as the Jays are currently the AL wild-card leader and the Angels the No. 2 team. But both still could win their respective divisions as well. If season ended today, the Jays would host the Angels in that one-game playoff. It’s a matchup of left-handed All-Stars in Friday’s opener. For the Jays, it’s David Price (11-4, 2.41). In three starts since his arrival from Detroit, Price is 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA. He lost in Anaheim with the Tigers on May 31, allowing four runs over 7.2 innings. Albert Pujols is just 3-for-15 off him but does have two solo homers. Mike Trout is 3-for-13 with seven strikeouts. The Angels have lost four of the past five starts of Hector Santiago (7-6, 2.86). He won in Toronto on May 19, allowing one earned over seven innings. Josh Donaldson is just 2-for-16 off him in his career.
Key trends: The Jays are 7-1 in their past eight after an off day. The Angels are 5-1 in Santiago’s past six at home. The under is 7-1 in his past eight at home vs. teams with a winning record.
Early lean: Jays and over.
♦ White Sox at Mariners (-122, 6)
Clearly the pitching matchup of the night as the guys who finished second and third in last year’s Cy Young voting square off. Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (14-7, 3.65) just lost out to Corey Kluber for the award in 2014. King Felix hasn’t been near as dominant this season, especially lately. He has allowed at least 11 hits and four runs in three of his past four starts. Hernandez’s ERA is 11.23 in his seven losses. He hasn’t faced the Pale Hose in 2015. Alexei Ramirez is 9-for-30 with two doubles off him. Adam LaRoche is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts. For the Sox, it’s lefty Chris Sale (11-7, 3.32). He ended the Cubs’ nine-game winning streak on Sunday with his best start of the year, shutting them on out one hit and striking out 15 over seven innings. Sale eats Austin Jackson’s lunch as Jackson is 2-for-30 off him with 12 strikeouts. Thinking he might get the night off. Nelson Cruz hits Sale well, going 6-for-13 with two homers.
Key trends: The White Sox are 6-1 in Sale’s past seven in Game 1 of a series. The Mariners are 12-5 in Hernandez’s past 17 vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 4-1 in Sale’s past five. The over is 4-1 in Hernandez’s past five. Seattle has won five straight at home vs. Chicago behind Hernandez.
Early lean: Mariners and under.
2015 BASEBALL
National League
Braves @ Cubs
Braves scored total of 15 runs in losing 10 of last 11 Miller starts; he is 0-1, 2.37 in his last three starts- -seven of his last eight stayed under
Hendricks is 2-1, 6.07 in his last five starts (over 4-1).
Braves lost eight of last ten games overall. Cubs lost three of their last four games– five of their last seven games went over. Atlanta lost last three games with the Cubs, with last four going under- they scored two runs total in last three series games.
Giants @ Pirates
Bumgarner is 3-0, 0.71 in his last three starts; under is 4-0-2 in his last six.
Locke is 0-1, 5.06 in his last three starts; over is 3-0-2 in his last five..
Pittsburgh won eight of last ten games with the Giants; over is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Pirates won 11 of last 13 games (over 8-4-2). SF lost three of last four games; under is 8-2-1 in its last eleven.
Brewers @ Nationals
Nelson is 2-0, 1.83 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).
Gonzalez is 3-1, 4.02 in his last six starts (over 5-1).
Milwaukee lost four of last six games with Washington (over 5-1); Brewers won four of last six games overall; over is 2-0-1 in last three. Nationals lost seven of last nine games (under 6-3).
Diamondbacks @ Reds
de la Rosa is 4-0, 2.54 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.
Holmberg is 0-2, 7.24 in his last three starts (under 4-3).
Arizona won four of last five games with Cincinnati; eight of last nine games in series stayed under the total. D’backs lost five of last eight games; four of last five stayed under. Reds lost nine of last eleven games; their last four all stayed under the total.
Phillies @ Marlins
Eickhoff is making MLB debut; he was acquired in Hamels trade, is 11-5, 4.01 in 20 AAA starts this year..
Flores is making first MLB start; he is 3-2, 2.61 in ten AAA starts this year, has allowed three runs in 7.2 IP in six big league relief stints.
Philly won three of last five games with Miami (over 4-1); Phils lost seven of last nine games (over 7-3 in last ten). Marlins scored 37 runs in winning four of last five games; over is 7-1-1 in their last nine.
Mets @ Rockies
Colon is 1-1, 2.49 in his last four starts; three of last four went over.
Gray is 0-0, 3.00 in his three starts (over 2-1).
Mets won their last eight games with Colorado; home side won nine of last 10 in series; seven of last eight stayed under- they lost four of last five games overall; their last four games went over. Rockies lost eight of last ten games; three of their last four games stayed under the total.
Cardinals @ Padres
Lackey is 3-2, 2.55 in his last six starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.
Cashner is 0-2, 6.35 in his last four starts (over 3-1).
St Louis won six of last nine games with San Diego; last three series games stayed under total. Cardinals won six of last nine games (under 2-0-1 in last three). Padres won seven of last nine games; six of last eight went over.
American League
Indians @ Bronx
Carrasco is 1-1, 1.36 in his last four starts (under 3-1).
Tanaka is 2-1, 2.57 in his last three starts (under 5-2 in last seven).
Bronx lost five of last six games with Cleveland (over 6-4 in last ten), but they won six of last eight games overall; six of their last nine stayed under total. Indians lost four of last six games (three of last four went over).
Rangers @ Tigers
Lewis is 5-1, 3.95 in his last six starts (over 6-3 in last nine).
Verlander is 1-2, 2.25 in his last five starts (under 4-1).
Texas lost its last four games with Detroit; six of last eight series games got over the total. Rangers won six of last eight games overall; under is 5-1-1 in their last seven. Tigers won four of last five games, scoring 29 runs the last three nights- three of their last four games went over.
Twins @ Orioles
Milone is 1-2, 7.32 in his last four starts; under is 5-3-2 in his last ten.
Chen is 2-0, 2.03 in his last two starts; three of his last four went over.
Minnesota won its last five games with Baltimore; over is 4-1-1 in last six in series. Twins lost five of last eight games; four of last seven stayed under. Orioles won five of last seven games; four of their last five went over the total.
Royals @ Red Sox
Cueto is 2-0, 0.53 in two starts for KC; four of his last six road starts stayed under the total.
Owens is 1-1, 6.19 in his three stats; all three went over.
Royals lost nine of last 11 games with Boston; five of last six series games went over the total. KC won five of its last six games, allowing 16 runs (under 5-1). Red Sox won five of last seven games; 10 of their last 11 games went over.
Rays @ A’s
Smyly is 0-2, 4.35 in his last four starts; nine of his last ten stayed under.
Bassitt is 1-0, 1.66 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under.
Tampa Bay lost five of last seven games; under is 4-1 in last five games; Rays are 4-6 in last ten games with Oakland (under 6-2-2). A’s won their last five home games.
Blue Jays @ Angels
Price is 2-0, 1.61 in three Toronto starts; six of his last seven stayed under.
Santiago is 0-2, 5.40 in his last five starts; his last three stayed under.
Blue Jays are 13-3 in their last 16 games; seven of last ten stayed under total. Angels are 6-4 in last ten games with Toronto. Halos won three of last four games overall; under is 6-4 in their last ten games.
White Sox @ Mariners
Sale is 2-0, 1.26 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over.
Hernandez is 2-2, 9.13 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over. He has allowed 41 hits in his last 22.2 IP.
White Sox lost five of last six games; over is 2-3 in its last five games. ChiSox lost three of last four games with Seattle; five of last six series games went under the total. Mariners lost four of last six games (under 2-0-1 in last three).
Interleague
Dodgers @ Astros
Anderson is 3-0, 2.38 in his last four road starts (under 2-1-1).
Fiers is 0-0, 2.25 in two Houston starts; five of his last seven starts went over.
Dodgers won eight of last ten games with Houston (under 6-3-1). LA lost eight of its last ten road games- four of its last six games overall went over. Astros won five of last eight games; their last three games stayed under total.
Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
SF-Pitt– Bumgarner 15-9; Locke 13-10 (4-1 last 5)
Az-Cin– de la Rosa 14-10 (5-1 last 6); Holmberg 1-3
Mil-Wsh– Nelson 12-12 (5-1 last 6); Gonzalez 13-9
Phil-Mia– Eickhoff 0-0; Flores 0-0
Atl-Chi– Miller 10-14 (1-10 last 11); Hendricks 14-10 (4-0 last 4)
NY-Col– Colon 10-13 (1-9 last 10); Gray 0-3
StL-SD– Lackey 13-11; Cashner 9-14
Clev-NY– Carrasco 14-10; Tanaka 12-5
Tex-Det– Lewis 12-12; Verlander 2-9
Min-Balt– Milone 8-7; Chen 15-8 (5-0 last 5)
KC-Bos– Cueto 13-10/2-2; Owens 1-2
TB-A’s– Smyly 2-2; Bassitt 3-5
Tor-LAA– Price 17-8/2-1; Santiago 12-11 (1-4 last 5)
Chi-Sea– Sale 14-9; Hernandez 16-8
LA-Hst– Anderson 12-11; Fiers 12-11/1-1
Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
SF-Pitt– Bumgarner 4-24; Locke 5-23
Az-Cin– de la Rosa 6-24; Holmberg 0-4
Mil-Wsh– Nelson 8-24; Gonzalez 2-22
Phil-Mia– Eickhoff 0-0; Flores 0-0
Atl-Chi– Miller 4-24; Hendricks 4-24
NY-Col– Colon 7-23; Gray 2-3
StL-SD– Lackey 5-24; Cashner 10-23 (4 of last 5)
Clev-NY– Carrasco 11-24; Tanaka 4-17
Tex-Det– Lewis 5-24; Verlander 3-11
Min-Balt– Milone 2-15; Chen 6-23
KC-Bos– Cueto 5-23; Owens 2-3
TB-A’s– Smyly 1-4; Bassitt 1-8
Tor-LAA– Price 4-24; Santiago 7-23
Chi-Sea– Sale 8-23; Hernandez 7-24
LA-Hst– Anderson 9-23; Fiers 2-23
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
MLB | KANSAS CITY at BOSTON
Play Against – Road favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (KANSAS CITY) good team, outscoring opponents by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season, after scoring and allowing 5 runs or less last 4 games
77-54 over the last 5 seasons. ( 58.8% | 39.1 units )
11-12 this year. ( 47.8% | 1.0 units )
StatFox Situational Power Trends™ – FoxSheets
MLB | LA DODGERS at HOUSTON
HOUSTON is 30-11 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in Home games vs. a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better this season.
The average score was: HOUSTON (4.7) , OPPONENT (3.2)
MLB Betting Cheat Sheet: Sleeper in the AL East
Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for the week-end major-league schedule:
Home Sweet Home
The Washington Nationals return home to host the Brewers in a three game series starting Friday, coming off a brutal road trip losing six of nine. Despite the fact that they’ve lost 12 of 18 games in August, the Nats are still only 3.5 games back of the Mets for first place in the AL East.
The Brewers have lost seven of their last eight on the road, and Game 1 appears to be a particularly tough spot for Milwaukee. Gio Gonzalez will go for the Nats, and he’s won four straight versus the Brewers, and he’s 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA at home in 2015.
Sleeper In The AL East
While the Blue Jays and Yankees are getting all the headlines in the AL East, the Orioles are only five games back. Baltimore has won 10 of its last 14 home games and it will host the Minnesota Twins this weekend.
The Twins took the opener in a blowout by a score of 15-2, but they had lost nine of their previous 10 on the road, and they are a pathetic 22-37 away from home this season. Baltimore could make up some ground over the weekend.
Here Come The Tigers
On Monday I mentioned that Miguel Cabrera was back for Detroit, and that they would likely be getting great value as an underdog in Chicago. Well they’ve since won three straight, including back to back games at Wrigley as a 2-1 dog.
Cabrera is hitting .400 in six games since coming off the DL, and Detroit is a far better team with the slugger in the lineup. They host the Rangers over the weekend, and we could see fireworks in the Motor City as six of the last eight in this series have gone over the total.
The Tigers don’t play many low scoring games, as they’ve gone over the number at a rate of 36-16-3 in their last 55 overall.
Hitting Notes
* Travis Shaw is hardly a household name, but the rookie first baseman is making the most of his opportunities in Boston. He’s played 15 games so far in August, batting .420, with six home runs and 11 RBIs.
* The Detroit Tigers are batting a major league best .284 versus left-handed pitching, and they will face southpaw Cole Hamels on Sunday. Miguel Cabrera is 6-for-8 lifetime versus Hamels.
Pitching Notes
* Gerrit Cole has been stuck on 14 wins since July, and that has allowed Jake Arrieta to take over the major league lead with his 15th win on Thursday night at Wrigley. Cole will get a chance to draw level as he starts at home against the Giants this Saturday. Cole is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA versus the Giants this year, and he’s won all three of his career starts against San Francisco.
* Luis Severino is still in search of his first win, despite the fact that the Yankees rookie right-hander has pitched quite well in his first three starts. He gave up three runs on five hits, but struck out nine over six innings in a 3-1 loss to Toronto his last time out. His next start comes on Saturday at home versus Cleveland, and he did look good striking out seven in five innings in a loss to the Red Sox in his only prior start in the Bronx.
Totals Steak
* The Milwaukee Brewers are trending under on the road, only managing to go over the total once in their last nine away from Miller Park. They are in Washington this weekend, and the Nats have been really struggling to score runs. Washington is batting a major league worst .226 since the All Star break. We could see a low scoring series here in the nation’s Capital.
Injury Notes
*The injury bug has really hit the St. Louis Cardinals, with Randal Grichuk and Jason Heyward both joining Matt Holliday on the DL this week. That’s going to leave the Cardinals with a pretty thin lineup as they visit San Diego over the weekend.
*Yasiel Puig suffered a hamstring injury on August 18, and his availability is questionable heading into this weekend’s series at Houston.
Umpire Notes
* The Minnesota Twins are 0-5 in their last five games with Eric Cooper behind home plate. That’s where he’ll be when the Twins visit the Baltimore Orioles Friday.
* Over wagers have gone 6-0 in the last six Saturday games that Pat Hoberg has worked the dish. He’ll be calling balls and strikes in Miami when the Phillies visit the Marlins Saturday.
Weather Notes
* There is a 66 percent chance of thunderstorms in Boston as the Red Sox host the Kansas City Royals Friday evening.
* Forecasts are projecting winds will be blowing from rightfield to leftfied at around 13 mph when at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs host the Atlanta Braves Saturday afternoon.
Giants suffering from road woes as of late
Stephen Campbell
The San Francisco Giants have been far from road warriors recently, dropping seven out of their past eight contests away from home.
Madison Bumgarner and the Giants will seek to buck that trend Friday opposite Jeff Locke and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Sportsbooks are currently dealing the Giants in the -127 ballpark. The total for the game was sitting at 7 as of 8:30 a.m. ET.
Brewers failing to provide value as underdogs
Stephen Campbell
Over the course of the long and grinding Major League Baseball season, underdogs can provide a lot of value when bettors properly pick their spots. The Milwaukee Brewers haven’t been one of those teams.
The Brew Crew are an ugly 2-12 in their last 14 games when tabbed as underdogs. Pinnacle Sports is presently offering Milwaukee as +142 moneyline pups for Friday’s matchup with the Washington Nationals.
After opening with a 7.5 run total, the sportsbook has dropped that number slightly to 7.
Coach Fletcher
MLB Friday Scouting Edge
1:05 pm Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Hard Luck Miller Big Dog in Chicago
Shelby Miller is obviously a good pitcher. His 2.43 era surely attests to that. But playing for the weak hitting Atlanta Braves, Miller’s record is a salty 5-9. Tomorrow he’ll be facing the Cubs who go with Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks is 6-5 with a 3.97 era. In Miller’s last start he went into the 8th with a no-hitter against the D-backs. And as so often happens, Miller ended up with a no decision while giving up 1 run and fanning 10. In his last 15 starts, Miller is 0-8 with a 3.03 era. That almost defies logic. The Cubs opened up as a -230 favorite. Hendricks, in case you are interested, gave up 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings in his start last Friday.
4:05 pm Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
Underrated Carrasco Goes Against Bronx Bombers Friday
Carlos Carrasco hasn’t received many kudos for the good season he’s having. Maybe because he plays for the Cleveland Indians. Carrasco is 11-9 on the year with a 3.63 era. But he’s been especially strong since the All-Star break. Not only has Carrasco had a 2.51 era since the break, opponents are hitting just .163 against him in that span. Only 1 Yankee, Steven Drew, is hitting over .300 against Carrasco lifetime. Carlos Beltran is hitting .200; Jacoby Ellsbury, .091; Brett Gardner, .273 ; Brian McCann, .200 ; Mark Teixeira, 0.91 and Alex Rodriguez is hitting .222. The Yankees opened at -155.
4:05 pm Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
Nelson Going After Rejuvenated Nationals
Maybe today’s theme should be “Underrated Pitchers.” Of course, one thing they have in common is that they all toss for sub-par teams, and that’s being kind. The Brewers are 52-70 on the year. But Nelson has held his own and is 9-9 with a 3.67 era. He’s a respectable 5-6 on the road with a 3.95 era. In his last 3 starts, he’s gone 1-0 with a 2.65 era. Compare that to Gio Gonzalez’s last 3 where he is at 4.59. One sizeable difference between the 2 is that in Nelson’s June 13 start against the Nats, he was torched for 7 runs, 10 hits, and 2 round trippers – all in just 5 innings. Of course, in Gio’s last start against the Brew Crew, he lasted just 3 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs and 4 hits and walking 3. But overall, Gonzalez is 2-0 against the Brewers with a 2.82 era. The Nats opened at -163.
4:05 pm San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates
Bumgarner Goes Against Locke in Pittsburgh
Madison Bumgarner has his work cut out for him today at PNC Park. Not only will he have to deal with a team that has one of the best home records in MLB, he’ll be without the help of Panik, Pence and Pagan in all likelihood. Luckily for the Giants, Bumgarner is the guy who can handle it if anyone can. Bumgarner had a rough July where he went 3-2 with an era of 4.85 But he has apparently solved any issues he may have had and has come back in August to go 3-0 with a miniscule 0.71 era. He may have to improve on his road era, which sits at a lofty 4.16, but Madison is 7-4 on the road. He’s also boosted his strike out totals significantly fanning 9, 12, and 14 respectively in his last 3 starts. He’ll face Jeff Locke who is 6-7 with a 4.31 era. At PNC Park he is 3-3 with a 3.13 era in 13 home starts. The oddsmakers are going with Bumgarner making him the -139 opening favorite.
4:08 pm Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
Verlander Better Than His 1-5 Record Suggests
Don’t let that 1-5 record and 4.11 era fool you. I’m not here to say that Justin Verlander is back to his old form. That’s not likely to ever happen . But in his last 36 innings over 5 starts, Verlander has recorded a very Verlander-like 1.75 era. In fact, in his last 7 starts Justin is 1-3 with a 2.85 era. In his last 2 starts he’s gone 13 innings against the Red Sox and Astros and given up 0 runs, 7 hits and struck out 14. These recent numbers exceed Verlander’s career totals where he is 153-94 with a 3.55 era. Detroit opened as a -125 favorite.
4:10 pm Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins
Two Newcomers Face Off in Miami
Jerad Eickhoff goes for the Phillies in his 1st major league start. The 25 year old Eickhoff is a big boy at 6’4” and 240 lbs. In 5 minor league seasons, Eickhoff has gone 44-27 with a 4.14 era. At Triple-A this year he went 9-4 at round Rock with a 4,25 era and 2-1 at Lehigh Valley with a 2.49 era. The Marlins will send out newbie Kendry Flores. Flores is 6’2” tall and weighs 175. The 22 year old from the Dominican Republic was up for a second last season and made 6 relief appearances. He went 1-1 with a 2.35 era in that span. Flores spent 2015 at Double-A and Triple –A before his call up and was effective. He went 3-3 in Double-A with a 2.06 era as a starter and 3-2 with a 2.61 era as a starter in Triple-A. The oddsmakers seem to be on top of this one making Flores and the Fish -135 at opening.
FREE PLAY – Oakland Athletics -105 —— Free Pick – On 3-0 Run
Friday’s NFL Week 2 Preseason Betting Primer
By Justin Hartling
Preseason football keeps trudging towards the regular season with two games on the schedule Friday. Though you can expect to see a lot more of the first ream offenses, several key pieces are not expected to be suited up for their teams.
Here is your need-to-know notes for all of Friday’s preseason action.
♠ Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets (-1, 39)
* The Falcons seem unlikely to have either of their top two running backs in the field Friday, but coach Dan Quinn has not ruled it out. “We are just going to take it up through tomorrow and make a decision,” Quinn said. Both Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman are nursing hamstring injuries.
* Jets fans will go another game without defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson on the field, as the former first round pick suffered a set-back with his hamstring injury. Coach Todd Bowles said that Leonard Williams and Stephen Bowen are expected to start at DE.
♠ Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 40.5)
* It does not seem that Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor will be on the field any time soon. The disgruntled safety’s agent said “He will not report without his contract being addressed this season. The team and I have been in contact, but we haven’t been able to agree on any compromise.”
* If practice this week is any indication, than Alex Smith may be in for a good showing Friday. The Chief’s quarterback went 13 of 14 passing in 11-on-11 portions of practice Thursday. Four of those receptions to went to Travis Kelce.
Friday’s Preseason Tips
By Kevin Rogers
Week 2 of the preseason began on Thursday night with a pair of low-scoring games as the Redskins and Bills each picked up victories. Washington rallied past Detroit, 21-17, while Buffalo edged Cleveland on the road, 11-10. Home teams own a 12-6 straight-up and against the spread mark in the preseason, while the ‘under’ sits at 10-8-1.
♣ Falcons at Jets (-1 ½, 39) – 7:30 PM EST
Atlanta
Head Coach: Dan Quinn (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree
The Falcons jumped out to a 17-0 lead over the Titans last Friday before Tennessee rallied to tie things up 24-24. Atlanta scored the go-ahead touchdown with 7:35 left in the fourth quarter to beat Tennessee, 31-24, while cashing as 2 ½-point favorites. The rushing game struggled to muster up 69 yards on 32 carries, but Matt Ryan looked sharp by completing all six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Atlanta has dropped five consecutive Game 2’s of the preseason dating back to 2010, including three losses away from the Georgia Dome. The Falcons cashed the ‘under’ in all four preseason contests in 2014, but easily finished ‘over’ the total against the Titans. This is the first time the Falcons and Jets are hooking up in the preseason since 2007, when New York rolled to a 31-16 home victory.
New York
Head Coach: Todd Bowles (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty (Rookie), Jake Heaps (Rookie)
The Jets didn’t exactly impress anybody in their preseason opener, getting steamrolled by the Lions, 23-3 as four-point road underdogs. Nothing went right for New York, who got outgained 428-123, while Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Jets’ debut was less than memorable, throwing for 16 yards on 2-of-3 passing.
New York has failed to cover in four of its previous five exhibition contests, but the Jets have won three of their past four preseason games at Met Life Stadium. The ‘over’ is 7-2 in New York’s last nine preseason contests since 2013, including a 3-1 mark at home.
♣ Seahawks at Chiefs (-3, 40 ½) – 8:00 PM EST
Seattle
Head Coach: Pete Carroll (23-15 SU, 25-12-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson, R.J. Archer
The Seahawks entered the preseason with seven consecutive exhibition wins at Qwest Field since 2011, but Seattle was tripped up last Friday by Denver, 22-20. Tyler Lockett provided one of Seattle’s two touchdowns by returning a kickoff 103 yards, while third-string quarterback R.J. Archer threw a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks racked up just 181 yards, as the defending NFC champions fell to 2-3 ATS in their last five preseason games as a favorite.
Last season, Seattle lost both road games in the preseason, but the Seahawks have still thrived with a 10-3 SU/ATS record in exhibition play since 2012.
Kansas City
Head Coach: Andy Reid (29-36 SU, 28-33-4 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray
The Chiefs overcame a 10-0 deficit to knock off the Cardinals, 34-19 in Glendale, as Chase Daniel tossed three touchdown passes in the win. Jamaal Charles sat out for Kansas City, but the Chiefs’ ground game dominated for 143 yards rushing, including a touchdown run by Darrin Reaves.
Kansas City didn’t show much in the 2014 preseason by posting a 1-3 mark, but the Chiefs have been involved in high-scoring affairs by cashing the ‘over’ in four of the last five exhibition contests. The Chiefs are riding an amazing 10-game losing streak in the second game of the preseason dating back to 2005, while not starting 2-0 in the preseason since 2002.
THE SHEEP – NFLx
‘OO’ – JETS -1 $800
GP FROM VEGAS – NFLx
JETS-1.5 -110
Game of the Day: Tiger-Cats at Eskimos
♠ Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Eskimos (+2, 50)
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats try to extend their winning streak to five games when they travel to Edmonton to tangle with the Eskimos on Friday. The Tiger-Cats have scored at least 31 points in each of their last four victories, including an impressive 52-22 win over the BC Lions, and have reached 52 twice this season.
Hamilton’s defence has recorded six interception returns for touchdowns – one off the CFL record set by Toronto in 2006 – and has eight scores overall as it hopes to shut down Edmonton and move into sole possession of first place in the East Division. The Eskimos have a stout defence of their own as they racked up a season-high eight sacks in the 15-12 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in Week 8. Edmonton quarterback Matt Nichols has been given the green light to play Friday after a big hit sent him to the sidelines late in the third quarter to undergo concussion protocol testing. The Eskimos have won all three of their home games this season and their last seven overall at Commonwealth Stadium as they hope to pull ahead of the Calgary Stampeders in the race for first place in the West Division.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN
LINE HISTORY: The Eskies opened as 2.5-point favorites but were quickly moved to -2. The total has remained at 50 since open.
INJURY REPORT: Tiger-Cats – DT Drake Nevis (Ques-Undisclosed), OL Landon Rice (Ques-Undisclosed), OL Brian Simmons (Ques-Undisclosed) Eskimos – SB Adarius Bowman (Ques-Lower Body)
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (5-2): Zach Collaros was named one of the CFL Top Performers of the Week after he completed 19-of-23 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions. Defensive end Eric Norwood also garnered honours from the league after recording four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown in Week 8. Hamilton wide receiver Bakari Grant, who leads the team with four touchdown receptions, missed last week’s game with an undisclosed injury and is doubtful after missing practice Monday.
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (5-2): Nichols was limited to 15-of-24 passing with two interceptions before making way for James Franklin, who finished 9-of-13 for 144 yards, and led Edmonton on the game-winning field goal drive in the final minute. Adarius Bowman, who has caught 28 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns, returned to practice after sitting out last week’s game with a hip injury and is expected to suit up against the Tiger-Cats. “I call it the game of the year,” Bowman told reporters. “I think our guys understand the challenge at hand and are going to show up.”
TRENDS:
* Tiger-Cats are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
* Eskimos are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Under is 7-2 in Tiger-Cats last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Eskimos last 7 home games.
CONSENSUS: 54 percent are backing the Ti-Cats and 51 percent on the under.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
CFL | HAMILTON at EDMONTON
Play On – Home teams vs. the money line (EDMONTON) after outgaining opp by 70 or more total yards in their previous game against opponent after gaining 8.6 or more yards/play in their previous game
30-4 since 1997. ( 88.2% | 0.0 units )
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
WNBA | CONNECTICUT at TULSA
Play Under – Home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, in August or September games
54-23 over the last 5 seasons. ( 70.1% | 28.7 units )
5-2 this year. ( 71.4% | 2.8 units )
WNBA | MINNESOTA at SAN ANTONIO
Play Against – Underdogs vs the money line (SAN ANTONIO) after 1 or more consecutive unders, an average offensive team (65-72 PPG) against an average defensive team (65-72 PPG)
269-94 since 1997. ( 74.1% | 0.0 units )
6-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 0.0 units )
WNBA | MINNESOTA at SAN ANTONIO
Play Under – Home teams where the first half total is between 65.5 and 70.5 points after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6 games, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record
46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
2-2 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.2 units )
Earn-Picks
Soccer Pick
Norway Tippeligaen
Lillestrom vs Tromso
Over 2.75
1.94
MLB Pick
PIT Pirates vs SF Giants
Over 7
1.96
Tennis Pick
ATP Cincinnati
Lopez vs Federer
Lopez +4.5 games
2.03
Multisport Pick
ATP Cincinnati
Dolgopolov vs Berdych/Gasquet vs Murray
Berdych win/Murray win
1.86
CRUSHER
Baseball Crusher
Texas Rangers + Detroit Tigers – OVER 8.5
(System Record: 65-2, lost last 2 games)
Overall Record: 65-61-2
Basketball Crusher
Indiana Fever + Seattle Storm – OVER 150
(System Record: 22-2, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 22-20-4
Soccer Crusher
Atletico Rafaela + Newells Old Boys – UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in Argentina
(System Record: 803-26, lost last game)
Overall Record: 803-654-124
Here are the rest of his baseball and basketball plays for today…
Baseball
San Francisco Giants -130 over Pittsburgh Pirates
Colorado Rockies -106 over New York Mets
St. Louis Cardinals + San Diego Padres – OVER 6.5
Basketball
Los Angeles Sparks + Phoenix Mercury – UNDER 146.5
Connecticut Sun + Tulsa Shock – OVER 155
EZWINNERS
MLB – (ACTION)
3* (975) Blue Jays -$154
1* (979) Dodgers +$113
(Lines from Americasbookie)
NEWSLETTER NFL Preseason Prediction From Doc’s Sports
Take #405 Atlanta (-1) over New York Jets (7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21)
The Jets are in freefall at the moment without a starting quarterback and turmoil on both sides of the football. Both teams have new head coaches, so thus that angle is negated and we will just side with the better team. The Jets cannot afford another quarterback injury, and thus you can expect to see Ryan Fitzpatrick sparingly to make sure he is healthy come week one of the regular season. Look for Atlanta to move to 2-0 on the season with a road victory in East Rutherford, NJ.
NEWSLETTER WNBA Basketball Prediction From Indian Cowboy
Take ‘Over’ Washington vs. Chicago (8:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21)
You will notice Washington visiting Chicago on the road. This game is intriguing for a couple of reasons. For starters, Washington is one of the best revenge teams in the league. This is a squad that has a fantastic coaching staff and has come a long way from years’ past. This team just beat Minnesota at home as a small underdog, winning Outright by a score of 77-69. They fell short to Chicago earlier this year 68-71, and 57-85 prior to that (note, that this team had beat them in the first meeting of the season 86-71). Whereas Washington is one of the best revenge teams in the league, Chicago is one of the best offensive teams in the league and in particular bouncing-back offensively after a poor offensive showing in their previous game. Note each time this team has scored in the 60’s their next game has been much better per offensive efficiency. For example from the beginning of the season here are the scores: 65, 98, 71, 81, 66, 93, 63, 94 and most recently 64 at Los Angeles. See a trend? We look for Chicago to bounce-back offensively, we look for Washington with revenge here as they are likely a quality active underdog and consequently we look for this game to go ‘Over’ Friday evening.
PAUL LEINER
100* Astros -115
100* Giants -135
Sports Cash System
Texas Rangers + Detroit Tigers – OVER 8.5 (Total Runs Scored)
San Francisco Giants -130 over Pittsburgh Pirates (Money Line Bet)
Colorado Rockies -106 over New York Mets (Money Line Bet)
St. Louis Cardinals + San Diego Padres – OVER 6.5 (Total Runs Scored)
95-110 (46.3%) and down -24.74 units.
Insider Sports Report
5* Kansas City (Cueto) -145 over Boston (Owens)
3* Atlanta +2 over N.Y. Jets (NFLx)
3* St. Louis (Lackey) -125 over San Diego (Cashner)
Comp: Detroit (Verlander) -125 over Texas (Lewis)
52-39 (57.1%) and +14.6 units.
JO JO – TENNIS (-8.67)
ATP – WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN @ CINCINNATI, OH
NO SELECTIONS FOR TODAY
WTA – WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN @ CINCINNATI, OH
J JANKOVIC -170 A SCHMIEDLOVA (7PM)
SIMON – SOCCER (+2.88)
SPAIN LA LIGA (UNDER 2.5 -115) FC SEVILLA @ CF MALAJA (230PM)
GERMANY BUNDESLIGA (UNDER 2.5 -125) WEDER BERMAN @ HERTHA BSC BERLIN (230PM)
POLAND EKSTRAKLAJA (UNDER 2.5 -133) GORNIK LECZNA @ LECHIA GDANSK (230PM)
CHASE DIAMOND
Aug 21 ’15, 10:05 PM in 10h
MLB | Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland A’s
10* Play on: Oakland A’s -110 at Americasbookie
This game has the 60-61 Rays at the 53-60 Oakland. Big advantage for Oakland tonight this team is still playing hard despite being out of it. They have one of there young arms going tonight in Chris Bassitt who is just 1-4 but has a 2.60 ERA. Public is basically 50/50 but this line is really moving showing us sharp action on the Home A’s tonight. Take Oakland.
FRANK PATRON
10,000 Unit MLB Lock
St Louis Cardinals -120 over Padres
PROPHET PLAYS
10* Giants vs Pirates – UNDER 7
SMART SPORTS INVESTMENTS
Risk 4.00 to win 3.33 [953] San Francisco Giants -120 vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Risk 5.00 to win 3.68 [968] New York Yankees -136 vs Cleveland Indians
Risk 3.00 to win 2.00 [971] Kansas City Royals -150 vs Boston Red Sox
Risk 3.00 to win 2.86 NFLx -[405] Atlanta Falcons +1 -105 vs New York Jets
Risk 3.00 to win 2.50 NFLx – [408] Kansas City Chiefs -3 -120 vs Seattle Seahawks
Risk 4.00 to win 2.80 [975] Toronto Blue Jays -143 vs Los Angeles Angels
Risk 3.00 to win 2.40 [963] St. Louis Cardinals -125 vs San Diego Padres
The “Champ” team – JM
Baltimore {B} bet – This is currently a confirmed official bet
San Francisco {B} bet – This is an unofficial bet (does not pass RPI filter)
Remember to bet on the +1.5 run line if it is offered, or the money line if it is not offered.
Bookieshunter
MLB Blue Jays @ Angels
(1*) UNDER 7
BRANDON LANG
40 Dime – Seattle Seahawks +3Buy the 1/2 up to +3.5
The Stratosphere
Detroit Tigers – 120 over Texas
#1 Sports MLB Selections
500,000* National League Triple Lock Parlay of the Month!!!!!
Arizona Diamondbacks – 110
Miami Marlins – 125
Colorado Rockies even
MLB Best Bets
San Francisco – 125
NY Yankees – 145
Kansas City – 145
POWER PLAYS WIN
POWER PLAY OF THE DAY – MIAMI MARLINS -125 (FLORES)
Opinion on the Orioles -155
WISE GUY INSIDER
* MLB Wiseguy Detroit Tigers -125
* MLB Wiseguy Kansas City Royals -145
* MLB Wiseguy New York Yankees -140
DHAYES2
1* WhiteSox
VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER – WNBA
7 Unit Play. Take #610 Indiana -5 over Seattle (10:05 p.m., Friday, August 21)
VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER – CFL WEEK 9
5 Unit Play. #293 Hamilton -2 over Edmonton (9:05p.m., Friday, Aug 21)