MLB Gambling Previews- Friday, April 6 Parlay
The 2012 MLB regular season started with a two-game set between Seattle and Oakland last week but the action really gets underway this Thursday with seven games on the slate.
This Friday marks the second full day of MLB season openers, offering a number of opportunities to get on the plus side of the ledger if you know where to look. The following is two-team parlay for two of the biggest gifts on Friday’s slate.
Game 1 – New York Yankees (0-0) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (0-0)
Money Line: New York +115 Tampa Bay -120
3:10 pm ET
Total Line: 6.5
New York begins the defense of its 2011 AL East title with its ace C.C. Sabathia on the mound. This will be his fourth-straight opening-day appearance for the Yankees.
The hard-throwing left-hander went 19-8 last season with a 3.00 ERA. Lifetime against the Rays, he is 9-7 with an ERA of 3.10.
Tampa Bay will look to right-hander James Shields to help draw first blood against its bitter rivals as the opening-day starter. He is coming off his best year in the Majors with an ERA of 2.82 and a 1.04 WHIP while posting a 16-12 record that included 11 complete games. His track record against the Yankees is not as impressive with an overall record of 5-11 in 20 starts and a 4.14 ERA.
These two pitchers went head-to-head twice last season and while each team won at home, they combined for a total of just four runs in the two games.
The Rays have beaten New York four straight times at home, but the play in this game is the ‘under’ on the total line. The Pick: UNDER
Game 2 – San Francisco Giants (0-0) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (0-0)
Money Line: San Francisco +110 Arizona -115
7:10 Pm ET
Total Line: 7.5
San Francisco kicks-off its quest to get back to the postseason with its ace Tim Lincecum making his fourth-straight opening day start. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The 2011 season was not one of his best for wins and losses with a 13-14 record in 33 starts but he finished the year with an ERA of 2.74 and a 1.21 WHIP. Lincecum is 7-5 against the D-Backs with a 2.95 ERA.
The reining NL West champs will go with Ian Kennedy as its opening-day starter for the second straight year.
His performance in 2011 landed him fourth in the Cy Young voting with a 21-4 record and a 2.88 ERA. Lifetime, Kennedy is 4-2 against the Giants with a 1.91 ERA, but he was especially sharp against San Francisco last season with a perfect 3-0 record and a sterling ERA of just 1.22 in five starts.
Arizona had a 5-4 edge at home in last year’s series including a three-game sweep to close-out the regular season. The sweep extended the Diamondbacks’ current winning streak over the Giants to five games.
This should be low-scoring affair with Lincecum and Kennedy on the mound, but stick with Arizona to grind-out a win at home. The Pick: Arizona 4 San Francisco 2
