For any resources you could need like sports handicapping odds, handicapping stats, schedules, or handicappers free picks and tips please click on any of the links on the right hand side of this page.
CLICK A CAPPERS NAME TO SEE THEIR PREMIUM DAILY EXPERT PLAYS + PREDICTIONS!
Schedule: NFL |Â CFB |Â MLB |Â NBA |Â CBB |Â NHL
WANT FREE SPORTS PICKS to your inbox? | Newsletter Sign-UP!
Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
04-23-17 | Yankees v. Pirates -118 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 3 h 43 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #980 Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees (1:35pm EST) Ivan Nova goes up against his former team, the New York Yankees, that traded him away last season. Nova has been great since coming over to Pittsburgh and has an excellent 2.25 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over his first three starts in 2017. He has yet to walk a batter in 20 innings of work and has allowed just one home run. The Yankees send out rookie Jordan Montgomery to make the third start of his career. He's been mediocre at best so far and probably needs some more work in the minors. But with the Yankees stretched for rotation help, the left-hander is out there today. The Pirates have the much better pitcher on the hill today and they are probably the better overall team. Throw in the home field advantage and this line is just too low to pass up. Play the Pirates. Additional Plays |
|||||||
04-23-17 | Cubs v. Reds +155 | 5-7 | Win | 155 | 2 h 20 m | Show | |
2-unit Play Take #952 Cincinnati Reds over Chicago Cubs (1:10pm EST) The Chicago Cubs are going for the sweep today in Cincinnati, but it won't be easy. Cubs' starter John Lackey hasn't found his rhythm yet and last time out he struck out just two batters. There are several Cub hitters also struggling at the plate, including last year's NL MVP Kris Bryant. There's no question this Cubs team is loaded, but right now they're a little vulnerable. The Reds are off to a nice start early on at 9-9 through their first 18 games. Bronson Arroyo takes the mound today and what a great story he is returning to Cincinnati. He's been torched so far with an ugly 8.40 ERA, but he's crafty enough to figure it out. This one feels like a game where the bullpens will play a major role and Cincinnati's has been really good out of the gate. In fact, the Reds boast the third-best ERA in the NL at 2.76 in 71.2 innings of work. Take Cincinnati here. |
|||||||
04-22-17 | Red Sox +104 v. Orioles | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 30 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #925 Boston Red Sox over Baltimore Orioles (7:05pm EST) These two teams don't like one another and after losing yesterday, look for Boston to come locked and loaded. |
|||||||
04-22-17 | Braves v. Phillies -114 | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #905 Philadelphia Phillies over Atlanta Braves (7:05pm EST) Much like the Mets, the Braves injury to Matt Kemp is a huge loss that really puts a hole in the middle of their lineup. Kemp has put up MVP-like numbers since coming to Atlanta last season and they've struggled to consistently put up runs without him. The Phillies are quietly rebuilding themselves into a competitive squad and could make some noise this season. I like what right-hander Jerad Eickhoff has done in his young career, posting a 3.39 ERA in 268 innings over 2+ seasons. He doesn't get a lot of attention, but Eickhoff has future All-Star written all over him. The Braves counter with Jaime Garcia. It's been a tough go for Garcia since 2015, as he struggled last season with St. Louis and is off to a slow start so far here. Take the Phillies at this cheap price at home today. |
|||||||
04-22-17 | Nationals +108 v. Mets | 3-1 | Win | 108 | 5 h 49 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #903 Washington Nationals over New York Mets (4:05pm EST) If both teams were healthy the line on today's game between the Nationals and Mets would be about right. However, the Mets come in as a severely banged up team in the early going. Lucas Duda and David Wright are out, as well as Wilmer Flores and a couple of pitchers. The biggest lost is Yoenis Cespedes, who left the game the other night with a leg injury. There's a small chance that he's available tonight, bu the team will likely sit him out at least one more day to make sure he's right. Cespedes is the straw that stirs the drink in New York and he's about as valuable to the Mets as any other player in the sport is to his team. Meanwhile, Washington is slated to get back Trea Turner today, who will make a huge difference at the top of the lineup. The Nats have managed pretty well without Turner so far, but he's a game changer that makes guys like Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy that much better. The pitching matchup favors the Mets today, but Washington gets the check mark everywhere else. We're going with the underdog Nationals here. |
|||||||
04-22-17 | Cubs v. Reds +167 | 12-8 | Loss | -100 | 2 h 48 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #902 Cincinnati Reds over Chicago Cubs (1:10pm EST) We think the Reds match up well with the Cubs this year. After a loss yesterday, look for a little revenge today. |
|||||||
04-21-17 | Mariners v. A's -123 | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 38 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #978 Oakland A's over Seattle Mariners (10:05pm EST) Big edge on the mound today for the Oakland A's as they host the Seattle Mariners. Left-hander Sean Manaea had a really nice rookie season last year with a 3.86 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 144.2 innings of work. He has some of the best stuff in the league already, so he's only going to get better from here. He comes into today's contest with a 5.51 ERA in three starts in 2017, but don't let that fool you. Manaea has been pitching extremely well, evidenced by his 11.0 strikeout rate per nine innings and 63% groundball rate. If he can maintain something close to that, he's going to be an All-Star pitcher. On the other side is a declining Hisashi Iwakuma for the Mariners. Iwakuma has gotten progressively worse since his rookie season in 2013 when he broke on the scene with a 14-6 mark and 2.66 ERA. Last year his ERA finally climbed into the 4's and this year he has a 5.40 ERA in three starts that's well-deserved. Iwakuma only has six strikeouts through his first three outings, against six walks. The Mariners are off to a slow start this season at 7-10 and the pitching staff has been the main problem with a staff ERA of 4.52. They are also an abysmal 1-7 on the road, which is where they find themselves tonight. The A's have been playing much better ball at 8-8 and I like their chances to notch a victory in this one. Play Oakland in our MLB Game of the Week. |
|||||||
04-21-17 | Astros v. Rays +104 | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 43 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #968 Tampa Bay Rays over Houston Astros (7:10pm EST) Rays' starter Alex Cobb is better than what he's shown so far in limited action. The Astros are a much better home team than on the road and I don't care much for starter Mike Fiers. Play Tampa here. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
04-20-17 | Diamondbacks -110 v. Padres | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 10 m | Show |
10-unit Play Take #907 Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego Padres (9:10pm EST) The San Diego Padres are going to be a good fade candidate all season long. Last season they lost 94 games and their roster this season isn't any better. They had a tough time filling out their rotation over the winter, and that led to signing Clayton Richard to fill a hole. Richard has been alright out of the bullpen over the last couple of seasons, but I'm not confident of his ability to navigate the lineup multiple times. He just doesn't have good enough stuff and his peripheral numbers are already showing it through his first three starts. Richard is striking out just 4.5 batters per nine innings while walking 3.2 batters. He's managed a respectable 3.60 ERA so far, but that will rise in a hurry if he can't improve on the K/BB ratio. The Diamondbacks are to a fast 10-6 start to the season with a nice +15 run differential. This team has the ability to compete for a playoff spot if they stay healthy and get good production from the bullpen. Today's starter Patrick Corbin owns a tidy 2.81 ERA this season, although he has had trouble with his K/BB ratio as well. However, I think Corbin figures it out as he has a great repertoire and just needs to put it all together. Take Arizona in this one. |
|||||||
04-20-17 | Royals v. Rangers +107 | 0-1 | Win | 107 | 7 h 50 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #916 Texas Rangers (+105) over Kansas City Royals (8:05pm EST) The Royals are just a shadow of their former selves and they're better off rebuilding than trying to win in 2017. The Rangers are the better team here despite a slow start. Take Texas. |
|||||||
04-19-17 | Tigers +157 v. Rays | 7-8 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 53 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #969 Detroit Tigers over Tampa Bay Rays (7:10pm EST) The Tampa Bay Rays have some nice pitching, but there are clearly some holes in the lineup and the bullpen has some question marks as well. Chris Archer is due for a bounce back year, but this line is just way too high. The Tigers trot out Jordan Zimmermann to the hill in this one. He's also trying to bounce back after a tough first season in Detroit last year. Zimmermann posted an ugly 4.87 ERA in 2016, but still owns a strong 3.47 ERA for his career. Some guys take a year to adjust to a new league, so I'm predicting that Zimmermann ends up being a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year in 2017. Detroit has the much better lineup between these two and that could be the difference today. Play the Tigers as the big underdog here. |
|||||||
04-19-17 | Marlins +140 v. Mariners | 5-10 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 22 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #975 Miami Marlins Over Seattle Mariners (3:40pm EST) Felix Hernandez has had a great career, but Edinson Volquez is no pushover and Miami is the better team here. |
|||||||
04-19-17 | Rangers v. A's -108 | 1-9 | Win | 100 | 5 h 15 m | Show | |
4-Unit Play Take #964 Oakland A's Over Texas Rangers (3:35pm EST) Oakland is the better team, here. Don't be surprised if they're the favorite by game time. |
|||||||
04-19-17 | Pirates +115 v. Cardinals | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 24 m | Show | |
4-Unit Play Take #951 Pittsburgh Pirates Over St. Louis Cardinals (1:45pm EST) Pittsburgh needs to pick up some wins - They're a better ball club than what they've shown. This is a good spot. |
|||||||
04-18-17 | Diamondbacks -115 v. Padres | Top | 11-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 29 m | Show |
10-unit Play Take #909 Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego Padres (10:10pm EST) The San Diego Padres have the worst roster in baseball by far. They are 5-9 to open the season and they currently have the worst run differential in baseball at -23 runs. Don't expect things to get much better for the Pads. Today the linesmakers have this line close to even and that's a gift of a price when the Arizona Diamondbacks have the much better pitcher going. I'm looking for a huge bounce back season from Shelby Miller, who is striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings so far this season. I like Arizona in this one easy. |
|||||||
04-18-17 | Indians -117 v. Twins | 11-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #921 Cleveland Indians over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) The Cleveland Indians are off to a sluggish 6-7 start to the season. But make no mistake about it - this is the team to beat in the American League. They represented the American League in the World Series last year and have a much better roster this season. Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley are two big reasons to be optimistic and the starting rotation is finally healthy once again. Today they head to Minnesota to take on the Twins. Things have been going pretty well in Minnesota in the early going, but remember that the Twins lost 103 games last year. Josh Tomlin gets the ball for Cleveland and he has more confidence after some gutsy efforts in last year's postseason run. He's had a really tough start to the 2017 season with an 18.47 ERA, but Tomlin has much better peripheral numbers. He only has one direction to go and I think he keeps an aggressive-swinging Twins team at bay. Take the Tribe in this matchup. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
04-18-17 | Angels v. Astros -140 | 5-2 | Loss | -140 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #920 Houston Astros over Los Angeles Angels (8:10pm EST) The Houston Astros made some major moves in offseason and don't have any glaring weaknesses at the moment. They're a much better team than the Los Angeles Angels and I think this line is about 5-10 cents too short. The Astros have the better starting pitcher in Joe Musgrove, and they clearly have the better lineup and better bullpen. This one is simple, so we're on the Astros at a good price. |
|||||||
04-18-17 | Red Sox +165 v. Blue Jays | 8-7 | Win | 165 | 7 h 25 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #915 Boston Red Sox over Toronto Blue Jays (7:05pm EST) The Boston Red Sox came in as one of the favorites in the American League this season, but they haven't been getting much respect from the linesmakers and betting public so far. Today they are a decent-sized underdog to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays are off to a dismal 2-10 start (the worst record in baseball) and they're missing their best player in Josh Donaldson. Toronto will be better, but right now they can't lay this big of a price against a much better team. The Jays clearly have an edge on the mound, but it's not as big as it appears. I believe Marcus Stroman has been getting a little too much love after his heroic effort in the World Baseball Classic. He's also off to a strong start to the 2017 campaign with a 1.76 ERA. However, Stroman has a terrible 5.3 strikeout rate per nine innings and has been lucky to strand 89% of runners. He's going to come crashing back to down to earth and today could be the day against a potent Boston lineup. Take the Red Sox in this one. |
|||||||
04-17-17 | Diamondbacks v. Dodgers -143 | 4-2 | Loss | -143 | 11 h 15 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #958 Los Angeles Dodgers over Arizona Diamondbacks (10:10pm EST) The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting an awful lot of respect so far this season. Yes they are off to a solid 8-5 start, but this is basically the same roster that won just 69 games last season. Today they face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are right up there with the Cubs as the favorites in the National League. The Dodgers have the pitching edge today with Brandon McCarthy going up against Robbie Ray. Linesmakers have this line about 10-15 cents too low, so we'll pull the trigger on Los Angeles. |
|||||||
04-17-17 | Marlins v. Mariners -138 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
10-unit Play Take #970 Seattle Mariners over Miami Marlins (10:10pm EST) The Miami Marlins face a tough spot tonight as they travel cross country to Seattle to open a three-game series. This is the longest trip in baseball and they don't even get a day off before embarking in their West Coast roadie. The Marlins are off to a nice 7-5 start to the season, but it's tough to picture them being serious playoff contenders with the holes in their rotation. Today's starter Tom Koehler has a career 4.15 ERA, and half of those games were in pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Seattle has a potent lineup that has a little more balance this season and I think they'll give Koehler everything he can handle. The Mariners have won three straight games after a dismal opening two weeks. The M's notched an exciting ninth inning rally to beat the Rangers yesterday and complete the sweep. Today they send Ariel Miranda to the hill to make his third start of the 2017 season. Seattle is high on Miranda and his stuff is certainly better than his numbers indicate. He has had a problem with the home run ball, but pitching in Safeco Field should take care of that to a certain extent. We're taking Seattle in our Game of the Month. |
|||||||
04-17-17 | Angels v. Astros -151 | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #966 Houston Astros over Los Angeles Angels (8:10pm EST) The Houston Astros made more noise than just about everyone in the offseason and I don't see any glaring weaknesses on this team right now. The one spot that some people are pointing to is the starting rotation. But I think they have some underrated arms in the rotation, including today's starter Charlie Morton. The Astros are one of the smartest organizations in baseball and there's a reason that they gave him a $14 million two-year contract. He has an awful 4.53 career ERA, but Morton has had some really good peripheral numbers over the last couple of seasons. His strikeout rate has climbed up to nearly a strikeout per inning and Houston thinks they can keep it there. The Angels counter with Jesse Chavez, who pitched in the bullpen all last year. I don't think he has the stuff to be a starter and will probably end up back in the pen at some point in 2017. The line is pretty low so we're all over the Astros here. |
|||||||
04-17-17 | Pirates v. Cardinals -130 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
4-Unit Play Take #952 St. Louis Cardinals Over Pittsburgh Pirates (7:05am EST) Cardinals need to right the ship, fast - and there's no place like home. Look for Lynn to get back to form. |
|||||||
04-16-17 | Cardinals +134 v. Yankees | 3-9 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #929 St. Louis Cardinals (+130) over New York Yankees (8:05pm EST) |
|||||||
04-16-17 | Padres v. Braves -128 | 2-9 | Win | 100 | 2 h 13 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #908 Atlanta Braves (-115) over San Diego Padres (1:35pm EST) The Atlanta Braves have won three straight and have been sparked by the opening of brand new Sun Trust Park. This is an exciting young team that finished last season strong with a 34-27 record in the final two months (third best in the National League). They also have a solid mix of veterans on the squad, including today's starter Bartolo Colon. The 43-year old Colon has turned in some of his best seasons in recent years and doesn't seem to be slowing down any. Today they go for the sweep against the hapless San Diego Padres. There's no question that the Pads are the worst team in the sport. They'll likely eclipse 100 losses this year as they go through a long rebuilding process. Journeyman Trevor Cahill gets the ball for San Diego today. I think Cahill is better suited for a relief role at this point in his career, but the Padres don't have a lot of options at starting pitcher. This price is just too low, so we're on Atlanta. |
|||||||
04-16-17 | Brewers -101 v. Reds | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 2 h 44 m | Show | |
3-Unit Run Line Play Take #905 Milwaukee Brewers (-1.5, +145) Over Cincinnati Reds (1:10pm EST) Brewers are hitting the ball better and today have the better pitcher. |
|||||||
04-15-17 | Rangers v. Mariners -170 | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #978 Seattle Mariners over Texas Rangers (9:10pm EST) The Seattle Mariners are off to a rough 3-8 start to the season, but there has been at least one bright spot. Today's starter James Paxton has yet to allow a run yet this season. Through his first two starts he's thrown 13 scoreless innings while allowing just six hits and three walks. He's also struck out 13 batters and both outings were against a tough Astros lineup. Paxton has been highly touted over the last few years, but injuries have kept him from getting a chance to prove he belongs in the big leagues. He's flashed some unbelievable stuff in the short amount of time he's spent with the M's. Paxton regularly can dial it up into the high 90's in velocity and that's even more impressive coming from the left side. The Rangers were one of the luckiest teams in baseball last season, sporting a ridiculous 36-11 record in one-run games. So far in 2017 they are 0-2 in such instances. The starting rotation has some huge question marks and that also goes for today's starter Andrew Cashner. The 30-year old will be making his first start of the season after a stint on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Cashner came over to Texas in the offseason after a couple of subpar years with the Padres, and a brief stint with the Marlins. The Rangers are hoping he can regain his old form, but I don't see him figuring it out in a much tougher American League. We're backing Paxton and the Mariners in our MLB Game of the Month. |
|||||||
04-15-17 | Tigers +140 v. Indians | 6-13 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 4 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #965 Detroit Tigers over Cleveland Indians (4:10pm EST) Justin Verlander has had a lot of ups and downs over the last few seasons. But last year he seemed to put it all together and show that he can be dominant once again. Verlander was in the running for the AL Cy Young in 2016 and I don't see why he can't do it again. The Tigers are an aging team that is likely to break down before season's end, but they are relatively healthy right now (minus J.D. Martinez). When healthy, this Tigers team is going to be a tough team to beat, even for the defending AL Champion Cleveland Indians. The Tribe is off to a slow start with some heavy expectations resting on their shoulders this season. There's no question they are the team to beat in the American League, but there are some guys with new roles this season. That could make a little bit of a transition period and a slower start. Corey Kluber gets the ball for the Indians today and he's one of the best in the game. This should be a great pitcher's duel, but this line is just too high. Take Detroit. |
|||||||
04-15-17 | Astros v. A's +140 | 10-6 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 59 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #976 Oakland A's over Houston Astros (4:05pm EST) The Oakland A's may very well be the worst team in the American League, but this price is still too high. Sean Manaea emerged as a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation starter last season and the sky is the limit for the 25-year old. Houston counters with the talented Lance McCullers. This should be a fun game to watch, but we'll side with the home underdog here. Play Oakland. |
|||||||
04-15-17 | Cardinals -105 v. Yankees | 2-3 | Loss | -105 | 2 h 0 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #979 St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees (1:05pm EST) Huge pitching edge today for the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees. The Cardinals' bats have been ice cold this season in the early going, but they have their ace going today so they won't need much support. Carlos Martinez is a dark horse candidate to win the NL Cy Young this season and he's been impressive through two starts in 2017. The Cardinals will get some good swings on CC Sabathia, who hasn't looked as good as his 1.64 ERA indicates this season. Sabathia has struck out just five batters in 11 innings of work against six walks. That ratio isn't going to cut it. The Yanks are also missing their stud catcher Gary Sanchez, who is on the disabled list with a bicep injury. Play St. Louis in this matchup. |
|||||||
04-14-17 | Rangers +124 v. Mariners | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 20 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #927 Texas Rangers over Seattle Mariners (10:10pm EST) The Seattle Mariners are off a very slow start to the 2017 campaign and they need Felix Hernandez to step up and change their luck today. But King Felix no longer sits atop a high throne. He posted a mediocre 3.82 ERA last season and in his first two starts of 2017 has a 4.09 ERA. His rate statistics aren't bad, but I think this game is being priced like he's the old King Felix. Take Texas as the underdog here. |
|||||||
04-14-17 | Rays v. Red Sox -124 | 10-5 | Loss | -124 | 8 h 19 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #920 Boston Red Sox over Tampa Bay Rays (7:10pm EST) The Boston Red Sox have been picked by many to represent the American League in the World Series this season. However, they haven't been getting as much respect in the betting markets for some reason. Their lines have been a bit lower than they should be based on their win projections, and today is a good example. They are facing off against an inferior Tampa Bay Rays squad, but are still laying a very modest price at home. The pitching matchup is a virtual wash and there aren't any big injuries on either side. As a result, we're going to take the Red Sox. |
|||||||
04-14-17 | Brewers +110 v. Reds | 10-4 | Win | 110 | 8 h 18 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #909 Milwaukee Brewers over Cincinnati Reds (7:10pm EST) The Cincinnati Reds are off to a strong 7-3 start to the season and surprisingly have the best run differential in baseball right now (+21 runs). There's no question that they are going to come crashing down to earth at some point. But it seems like the betting markets are starting to believe in the Reds a little bit, as they are bigger favorites today than they should be. If this game was played two weeks ago, the Brewers surely would be favored, so I think we're getting some value on Milwaukee. The pitching matchup today is ugly, but I prefer Tommy Milone over Scott Feldman. Play Milwaukee in our MLB Game of the Week selection. |
|||||||
04-14-17 | Cardinals v. Yankees -141 | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 15 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #930 New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals (7:05pm EST) This is a tough spot for the St. Louis Cardinals, as they head into Yankees Stadium with ice cold bats. This is a hitter's park and the Cards are currently hitting .219 on the season thus far (second worst in the National League). In addition, they have to find another hitter of their bench to plug into the designated hitter spot. The Yanks have a huge edge on the mound with Masahiro Tanaka getting the ball versus Michael Wacha. There are some big questions surrounding Wacha and he probably wouldn't be the in the rotation if it weren't for the season-ending injury to Alex Reyes. Take the Yankees here. |
|||||||
04-13-17 | Orioles v. Blue Jays -117 | 2-1 | Loss | -117 | 8 h 20 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #968 Toronto Blue Jays over Baltimore Orioles (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a terrible 1-7 start to the 2017 campaign, but the line on this game is an overreaction to a small sample. The Jays will get it going as we know they have great starting pitching and a strong defense behind it. Francisco Liriano gets the ball for the Jays today and he's coming off of an absolutely terrible effort in his 2017 debut in Tampa. Liriano gave up five earned runs in just a third of an inning of work. He allowed four walks against a total of eight batters and just looked lost on the mound. It was certainly an embarrassing effort, so look for Liriano to redeem himself today against a good Orioles lineup. The O's have another solid squad in 2017, but they've been much more dangerous at home than on the road in recent years. They are one of the few teams in baseball that they built their team around their ballpark. Kevin Gausman goes for Baltimore and everyone is pegging him to have a huge year. I'm going to let him prove it to me before I assume the big breakout. So far in two starts Gausman has a terrible 5.40 ERA and has almost as many walks as strikeouts. This line is too low, so we're on Toronto. |
|||||||
04-13-17 | Dodgers v. Cubs -122 | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 3 h 24 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #954 Chicago Cubs over Los Angeles Dodgers (2:20pm EST) The Chicago Cubs received their World Series rings last night in an emotional event before the game. That might have made it a little bit tougher for the Cubs to focus, as they were shutout by the Dodgers 2-0. Look for Chicago to get back on track today with Brett Anderson on the mound to face off against his former team. The Dodgers were terrible against left-handed pitching last season, recording a league-worst .213 batting average versus southpaws during the regular season. And it got even worse in the postseason and may be the biggest reason for the Cubs sent the Dodgers home last year. Los Angeles adding home quality right-handed bats in the offseason, but they are still going to be much better versus righties this year. In 123 at bats versus left-handers so far in 2017, the Dodgers are hitting just .220 with just two home runs. Look for Anderson to shut down the Dodgers again today and for the Cubs to get enough runs off of Hyun-Jin Ryu. Play Chicago. |
|||||||
04-12-17 | Astros v. Mariners +105 | 10-5 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 57 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #928 Seattle Mariners over Houston Astros (10:10pm EST) Yovani Gallardo has outperformed everywhere he has been and I don't think that will change with the Seattle Mariners. He's not getting much love right now, but he's a much better pitcher than Mike Fiers of the Houston Astros. Fiers has great stuff but has yet to put it all together. Last season he posted a 4.48 ERA and fully deserved it with some poor strikeout ratios and a ton of long balls over the fence against him. The Astros are getting a lot of attention for all of the offseason moves they made, but it's going to take a while before they are all clicking together. I think Seattle is a strong play as a home underdog here. |
|||||||
04-12-17 | Rangers +128 v. Angels | 8-3 | Win | 128 | 12 h 52 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #925 Texas Rangers over Los Angeles Angels (10:05pm EST) The Texas Rangers blew a game last in Los Angeles last night to the Angels 6-5 in 10 innings. They had a 5-0 lead late, but the bullpen just couldn't get outs. The Angels are an improved team, but I think the betting markets are overreacting to a strong Angels start to the season. Texas has the edge on the mound today with A.J. Griffin going up against Jesse Chavez. The Rangers also get the check mark offensively with a balanced attack from top to bottom. Last season this line would have saw the Rangers favored, so we're going to definitely play them at this price today. |
|||||||
04-12-17 | Cardinals +184 v. Nationals | 6-1 | Win | 184 | 6 h 54 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #907 St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals (4:05pm EST) The St. Louis Cardinals are off to a poor 2-6 start and fans are starting to hit the panic button already. But rest assured Cardinals fans - this team will right the ship and be a factor in 2017. They have too good of a roster to continue playing this poorly and eight games is too small of a sample to read into. Mike Leake gets the ball for the Cards today and he looked spectacular in his season debut last week versus the Reds (8 IP, one run, six hits, six strikeouts and one walk). Leake is coming off of a bad year in St. Louis in 2016 where he posted an ugly 4.69 ERA. His peripheral numbers pointed to some misfortune, so I think we'll see a much better hurler in 2017. The Washington Nationals send Max Scherzer to the hill for this one. He won the NL Cy Young last season and is clearly one of the best pitchers in baseball. However, he had an injury scare in the offseason and has started the season slow throughout his career. In April and May, he has career ERA's of 3.65 and 4.00, respectively. This line is a bit too high, so we're playing St. Louis. |
|||||||
04-12-17 | Twins +123 v. Tigers | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 53 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #915 Minnesota Twins over Detroit Tigers (1:10pm EST) |
|||||||
04-12-17 | Rays -101 v. Yankees | 4-8 | Loss | -101 | 3 h 49 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #920 Tampa Bay Rays over New York Yankees (1:05pm EST) |
|||||||
04-11-17 | Diamondbacks v. Giants -125 | 4-3 | Loss | -125 | 11 h 58 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #962 San Francisco Giants over Arizona Diamondbacks (10:15pm EST) The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a fast 6-2 start this season, but that doesn't warrant the price on them today. The San Francisco Giants are a much better team from top to bottom, and they have the better pitcher going to the mound today. Jeff Samardzija had a really nice season (3.86 ERA) in his first year with the Giants and should be even more comfortable as he returns for his second year of a big contract. The Diamondbacks' Robbie Ray posted an ERA near 5.00 last season despite a very high strikeout rate of 11.3 per nine innings. He may eventually figure it out, but he gives up way too many home runs and loses his location often. Take the Giants at home at the small price here. |
|||||||
04-11-17 | Rangers v. Angels -108 | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #970 Los Angeles Angels over Texas Rangers (10:05pm EST) Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
04-11-17 | Braves +120 v. Marlins | 4-8 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 11 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #951 Atlanta Braves over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) The Atlanta Braves are off to a tough 1-5 start to the 2017 campaign, but this is an improved team. They finished last season on a strong 34-27 run (third best in the National League) and have a lot of young talent mixed in with proven veterans. I don't think that their opponent today, the Miami Marlins, are a much better than the Braves. Miami's biggest weakness is starting pitching and today's starter Dan Straily is a question mark. Straily put together a really nice 2016 season at 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA for Cincinnati. But he was tremendously fortunate to hold opponents to a .239 BABIP. His strikeout and walk rates indicate he's likely to be at least one run worse this season, and maybe even worse. The Braves counter with the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon. He's like a fine wine that just gets better with age, and I think he'll make bettors more money in 2017. Take Atlanta as the underdog here. |
|||||||
04-11-17 | Mets v. Phillies +130 | 14-4 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 23 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #956 Philadelphia Phillies over New York Mets (7:05pm EST) |
|||||||
04-11-17 | Cardinals +128 v. Nationals | 3-8 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 23 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #953 St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals (7:05pm EST) |
|||||||
04-10-17 | Red Sox v. Tigers -105 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 4 h 31 m | Show | |
4-unit Run Line Play Take #914 Detroit Tigers over Boston Red Sox (1:05pm EST) Justin Verlander's the better pitcher here and Detroit has some revenge coming after letting yesterday slip away. I think the Red Sox are getting a little too much love after the Chris Sale addition in the offseason. He only pitches every five days and the loss of David Ortiz is going to hurt this team every day. The Tigers are an aging team that is going to break down at some point this season, but early on they will be a good play. Take Detroit on the Run Line here. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
04-09-17 | Royals +185 v. Astros | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 45 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #975 Kansas City Royals (+180) over Houston Astros (2:10pm EST) |
|||||||
04-08-17 | Dodgers v. Rockies +185 | 2-4 | Win | 185 | 9 h 14 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #929 Colorado Rockies over L A Dodgers (8:10pm EST) |
|||||||
04-08-17 | Cubs -180 v. Brewers | 11-6 | Win | 100 | 23 h 50 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #909 Chicago Cubs over Milwaukee Brewers (4:10pm EST) I'm not sure what the Milwaukee Brewers saw in Tommy Milone to bring him in during the offseason. The 30-year old left-hander has a career 4.16 ERA and seems to be heading in the wrong direction in recent years. His first look in the National League could be a rough one as he faces one of the best lineups in baseball in the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers did not look good in their opening series at home versus the Rockies, dropping three of four. The Cubs on paper could be better than last year's addition as the lineup is instantly better with Kyle Schwarber healthy, and the bullpen is deeper and stronger. Today's starter Kyle Hendricks deserved to win the NL Cy Young award last season and he still isn't getting enough credit in the betting markets. This line should be at least 10-15 cents higher, so we're taking the Cubs to win today with ease. |
|||||||
04-08-17 | Nationals v. Phillies -119 | 3-17 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #904 Philadelphia Phillies over Washington Nationals (7:05pm EST) |
|||||||
04-08-17 | Reds +179 v. Cardinals | 4-10 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 16 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #901 Cincinnati Reds over STL (2:15pm EST) |
|||||||
04-07-17 | Marlins +118 v. Mets | 7-2 | Win | 118 | 18 h 28 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #959 Miami Marlins over New York Mets (7:10pm EST) The Miami Marlins were hit with a terrible tragedy last season when they lost Jose Fernandez in a boating accident in September. They were in a state of shock when it happened, and this year they are going to honor the man that was the face of the franchise (with a #16 patch) and use it as a source of motivation. The rotation is clearly going to be a weak spot now without an ace, but I think Wei-Yin Chen can step up and be someone they can lean on in 2017. Last season wasn't a good one for Chen as he tried to adjust to a new league. He posted a weak 4.96 ERA in 22 starts following four strong seasons with the Orioles. It's a little puzzling how Chen could post a mid-3's ERA in Baltimore (known as a very favorable hitters park) in a very good hitters division, and then go to Miami (in a big spacious pitcher's park) and struggle. It just doesn't make any sense, especially considering he gave up more home runs than he ever has. I'm betting he turns that around and we see the old Chen in 2017. The New York Mets are a banged up unit to start the season, with captain David Wright on the disabled list along with closer Jeurys Familia, centerfielder Juan Lagares and several others. Today's starter Zack Wheeler certainly knows a little something about the DL as he hasn't taken a major league mound since September 2014. That's over two full seasons, so you have to expect some major rust for a guy that recovered from Tommy John surgery. Wheeler is super talented and may have a strong season, but don't expect big results right off the bat. The Marlins have a dangerous lineup and it all starts with Giancarlo Stanton. He's coming off a down year, but don't be surprised if he's in the MVP discussion if the Marlins can stay in the race until the end. I like Miami to win this game today as an underdog in our MLB Game of the Week. |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Blue Jays v. Rays +115 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 58 m | Show |
10-unit Play Take #920 Tampa Bay Rays over Toronto Blue Jays (7:10pm EST) If you haven't seen Blake Snell pitch yet, you need to watch him. The young 24-year old sports an old-fashioned 12-to-6 curveball that might be one of the better ones in the game already. He has a ton of poise at his young age and is a future ace of Tampa. He'll go up against a dangerous Toronto Blue Jays lineup today. But the Jays aren't the same without Edwin Encarnacion in the middle of the order. They're going to miss him a lot more than people think, as Jose Bautista is on the decline and they can pitch around Josh Donaldson now. Marcus Stroman takes the mound for Toronto and he had that memorable performance in the World Baseball Classic in the championship game. As a result, he might be getting a little bit too much love in the betting markets. Play the Rays today as the home underdog. Additional Plays |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Angels -103 v. A's | 1-5 | Loss | -103 | 4 h 22 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #917 Los Angeles Angels over Oakland A's (3:35pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels are going to be sneaky good this year. They're not getting much attention right now after a quiet offseason, but they were much better than the 74 wins that they put up last season. One of the reasons they played so poorly last year was due to devastating injuries to their starting rotation. One of the guys that missed significant time was today's starter Tyler Skaggs. The 25-year old left-hander posted a 4.17 ERA in 10 starts last season, but has a world of potential. If he can stay healthy, I think this might be Skagg's breakthrough season. Today he'll face one of the weaker lineups in the American League in the Oakland A's. Once again the A's are playing with a decidedly low payroll and are disadvantaged against just about every other team in the league. I like the pitching staff for the A's overall, but today's started Andrew Triggs comes with some big question marks. Triggs had a 4.31 ERA last season working mostly out of the bullpen. He made only one start in the minor leagues as he was being groomed to be a relief pitcher. But the A's think he has the arsenal to be a middle-of-the-rotation guy. I'm not convinced, so he'll have to prove it to me first. I like the Halos here to get the job done. |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Cubs v. Cardinals +120 | 6-4 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 36 m | Show | |
3-Unit Play Take #926 St Louis Cardinals over Chicago Cubs (1:45pm EST) Cardinals don't want to lose two in a row at home against the Cubs and they know how to fluster Lackey. |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Rockies -101 v. Brewers | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 2 h 30 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #903 Colorado Rockies over Milwaukee Brewers (1:40pm EST) |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Royals +107 v. Twins | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 2 h 50 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #913 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (1:10pm EST) |
|||||||
04-06-17 | Phillies v. Reds -110 | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 1 h 24 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #902 Cincinnati Reds over Philadelphia Phillies (12:35pm EST) |
|||||||
04-05-17 | Indians -107 v. Rangers | 9-6 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #971 Cleveland Indians over Texas Rangers (8:05pm EST) The Indians took the first two games of the series versus the Rangers and today they go for the sweep. Danny Salazar gets the ball for Cleveland and I think he's primed for a big 2017 season. Salazar quietly has one of the better arms in the American League, but now I think he's ready to fully harness it. He owns an impressive 3.72 career ERA in four seasons, but he has the potential to be a sub-3.00 ERA guy if he can put it all together. The Tribe got a lot better in the offseason when they added Edwin Encarnacion. The big slugger adds to an already scary lineup that could be the best in the majors. Michael Brantley is also back in the fold after missing last season, and he was their best player two years ago. It's hard to imagine the Indians being a lot better than what they accomplished last season, but it's an improved team on paper. Texas, on the other hand, has some huge question marks after a very fortunate 2016 campaign. The Rangers were 36-11 in one-run games last season, and we may never see a team do that again in our lifetime. The Rangers will regress this season and aren't much better than a .500 team in my mind. Take the Indians to get the sweep today. |
|||||||
04-05-17 | Braves +185 v. Mets | 3-1 | Win | 185 | 8 h 55 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #957 Atlanta Braves over New York Mets (7:10pm EST) As we mentioned on Opening Day, the Atlanta Braves are an improved team. They finished up last season on a big 34-27 run (3rd best in the National League) and their talented young players have another year under their belt. They're going to be more competitive than people think, at least until the trade deadline in July. The linesmakers and betting public have a huge gap between these two teams given the line on today's game. But I think this is going to be a dogfight. Bartolo Colon will go up against his former team and you know he's going to be motivated. The ageless wonder had a great season at 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA in nearly 200 innings of work last year with the Mets. Colon's going to be a workhorse for this Atlanta staff and be a great source of leadership in the clubhouse. The Mets counter with right-hander Jacob deGrom today. He pitched with discomfort last season after having some scary elbow problems. He should get back to form in 2017, but it might not happen right away. I think the Braves position players stack up favorably against the Mets when you consider both the offense and the defense (Atlanta actually is probably slightly better there). This game should be nip and tuck, so we're going to grab the high price on the Braves. |
|||||||
04-05-17 | Blue Jays v. Orioles -114 | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 48 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #970 Baltimore Orioles over Toronto Blue Jays (7:05pm EST) Watch for Bundy to hold Toronto at bay and outmatch Toronto's Happ! Toronto is good - Baltimore is better! Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
04-05-17 | Royals -110 v. Twins | 1-9 | Loss | -110 | 2 h 51 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #965 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (1:10pm EST) KC is a better team than MINN and they hit lefties well. Should not be a tough game for them. |
|||||||
04-04-17 | Angels -111 v. A's | 7-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 14 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #915 Los Angeles Angels over Oakland A's (10:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels are coming off of a horrible 74-88 campaign. They aren't getting much attention coming into the 2017 because they didn't make much noise during the offseason to improve the roster. But I see a reason to be optimistic. The Halos suffered a ton of devastating injuries last year, mainly to their talented pitching staff. The starting rotation was in shambles throughout 2016, and it started before the season even began. But one of the bright spots last year was the emergence of Matt Shoemaker. The 30-year old right-hander posted a 3.88 ERA in 27 starts, but he was downright dominant at times. During the month of June, Shoemaker posted a 2.14 ERA in 42 innings of work. That was coming off a 3.28 ERA in May. His fastball velocity shot up last season and he honed his secondary pitches to make for a lethal combination against opposing pitchers. Today he faces the A's in his 2017 debut. Oakland is still rebuilding the roster and has a ton of question marks heading in the season. The rotation is definitely a potential problem area, especially considering that Sean Manaea is the #2 starter right now. Manaea has a lot of potential and turned in a solid 2016 season, but I'm not sure he's ready to be counted on this heavily. I like the Angels in this one. |
|||||||
04-03-17 | Mariners v. Astros -145 | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 20 h 22 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #964 Houston Astros over Seattle Mariners (8:10pm EST) After a slow start to the 2016 campaign, the Houston Astros fought their way to an 84-78 record. It doesn't sound like much, but when you begin the season in a 20-29 mark that's a big accomplishment. And the Astros might have improved their team more than anyone in the offseason, adding Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann and Nori Aoki. They'll also get a full season of Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel in 2017. The lineup is downright scary on paper, but there are some big questions in the starting rotation. There isn't much in the backend of the rotation, but that's not a concern today. Dallas Keuchel gets the ball for the Astros against Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners. A few years ago, this matchup would have been big for the M's. But the tables have turned as King Felix is no longer perched atop his throne. Hernandez had his worst season since 2006, posting a 3.82 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 25 starts. Even more concerning was another dip in his velocity and a loss of confidence in his secondary pitches. Felix will turn 31 next week and there's a good chance he continues to slide further in 2017. I like what Seattle did in the offseason, but with several new faces it could take a little while before they put it all together. Houston is the much better team right now and should get the job done in their home opener today. |
|||||||
04-03-17 | Braves +166 v. Mets | 0-6 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 23 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #953 Atlanta Braves over New York Mets (1:10pm EST) The Atlanta Braves finished with a 63-98 record last season, last place in the National League East and tied for the second fewest wins in all of baseball. But records can be deceiving and there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the 2017 version of the Braves. First off, Atlanta finished last season on a strong 34-27 run - third best in the National League down the stretch. Their young guys are also a year older and they are ready to move into a brand new stadium this season. I like the moves that Atlanta made in the offseason, bringing in veterans Brandon Phillips, Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia and R.A. Dickey. It's a good mix of youth and veteran presence, and I expect Atlanta to be competitive until at least the trade deadline (when they are likely to lose a couple of veterans). Julio Teheran takes the mound for the Braves today and he is a legitimate ace when he's on. Last season Teheran recorded a 3.21 ERA and 1.05 WHIP to lead the staff. The Braves are going to have some mismatches with the rest of their pitching staff, but Teheran win games all by himself at this point in his career. Today they take on the New York Mets, who start the season a little big banged up. David Wright is on the shelf once again, their best defender Juan Lagares is out with an oblique, and closer Jeurys Familia is suspended for the first 15 games. I'm really concerned with the Mets defense, as they are below average at nearly every position on the diamond. Of course they have some stud pitchers (like Noah Syndergaard today), but that defense isn't going to help them out any. These teams are closer than they appear and there's some value on the Braves at this price point. |
|||||||
11-02-16 | Cubs -115 v. Indians | 8-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 19 m | Show | |
2-unit Play Take #901 Chicago Cubs (-115) over Cleveland Indians (8:05pm EST) This is it. The 2016 baseball season will conclude after tonight’s World Series Game 7. It’s been a great series between the Cubs and Indians and only fitting that it goes the full distance. We also get to see a spectacular pitching matchup tonight as Kyle Hendricks and Corey Kluber will square off for their respective squads. Hendricks has been the model for consistency this season. He led baseball with a 2.13 ERA and hasn’t been fazed by the postseason hoopla surrounding this team and any supposed pressure. Kluber has been dominant throughout the postseason with a scant 0.89 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 30.1 innings of work. His two starts against the Cubs in Games 1 and 4 were brilliant and we shouldn’t expect anything less today. Terry Francona will likely look for 5-6 innings from Kluber before handing it over to their fantastic bullpen. The Cubs will likely have to face Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. No easy task. But the Indians won’t have an easy time with what the Cubs will have coming out of their bullpen either. Mike Montgomery has been very good and Aroldis Chapman will surely see at least two innings tonight as well. And don’t forget that manager Joe Maddon has hinted that Jon Lester has a good chance of getting into this game as well. All in all, I think this game comes down to who gets the big hit. And if I’m writing down guys who have the best chance to get that big hit, I think of the Cubs hitters before the Indians hitters. The Cubs were the best team in baseball all year and they’ve overcome so much in the postseason already. They find a way to win Game 7 and cap off their amazing 2016 season. Take the Cubs to win the World Series tonight. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
11-01-16 | Cubs -144 v. Indians | 9-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #951 Chicago Cubs (-155) over Cleveland Indians (8:05pm EST) The Chicago Cubs stayed alive with a win in Game 5 in Wrigley Field and now the World Series heads back to Cleveland. Jake Arrieta will get the ball for the Cubs and he is coming off of an exceptional outing in Game 2 where the Indians hitters couldn’t touch him. Arrieta threw five innings of no hit ball before being lifted in the sixth, and definitely had some nasty stuff. The Indians will probably bring a different gameplan today, but I’m not sure that will matter much if the reigning NL Cy Young has his A-stuff again. The Indians trot out Josh Tomlin to the hill, and he’s coming off of a tremendous effort as well. In Game 3, Tomlin shut down the Cubs for 4.2 innings while allowing no runs on just two hits. Tomlin, however, struck out just one batter in that start and didn’t exactly dominate throughout. He had a 4.40 ERA this season, so it’s tough to imagine him being able to get through that Cubs order a couple of more times without allowing some damage. I expect a tight game, but the Cubs have been great at battling from behind in the playoffs. I think they get Game 6 and force a decisive Game 7 tomorrow. Take the Cubs.Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports  |
|||||||
10-28-16 | Indians v. Cubs -185 | 1-0 | Loss | -185 | 9 h 56 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #902 Chicago Cubs over Cleveland Indians (8:05pm EST) The wind is going to be howling out at Wrigley Field for Game 3 of the World Series tonight. Obviously that’s going to help the hitters on both sides, but it particularly helps a Cubs lineup that has a little more power in it than the Indians. It also could spell trouble for Indians starter Josh Tomlin, a flyball pitcher who surrendered a whopping 36 home runs this season. That’s opposed to Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who allowed just 15 dingers this season. And by the way, Hendricks led all baseball with a 2.13 ERA while Tomlin checks in at a 4.40 ERA during the regular season – more than twice that of Hendricks. Manager Terry Francona will have a short leash on Tomlin early on if he gets roughed up, but it will likely already be too late as the Cubs shouldn’t need much offense for Hendricks. The price is high, but we like the Cubs to win this one rather easily. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-25-16 | Cubs -113 v. Indians | Top | 0-6 | Loss | -113 | 9 h 12 m | Show |
10-unit Play Take #951 Chicago Cubs over Cleveland Indians (8:05pm EST) Game 1 of the World Series gets underway as two franchises starved of championships square off. The Cubs were clearly the best team in baseball all season long and I don’t think there was a particularly close second. They have it all – great starting pitching, a deep lineup, a strong bullpen, exceptional defense and a great manager. The Indians clearly have earned their way to this series, but the Cubs are the better team in nearly every phase of the game. The one area where you can say Cleveland has the advantage is the bullpen with Andrew Miller and company (not that the Cubs are chopped liver). However, with today’s starting pitching matchups, the bullpens aren’t going to be as big of a factor as they will be later in the series. Jon Lester and Corey Kluber are two of the best hurlers in baseball and you can probably count on seven innings or so from both of them. And as good as Kluber has been throughout his career, he doesn’t have the resume that Lester does – especially when you look at the postseason. Lester has been a rock in the playoffs throughout his career and this postseason is no exception. The Cubs also introduce a wild card tonight in Kyle Schwarber, who returns from a knee injury suffered in the first week of the season. Adding a hitter the caliber of Schwarber to an already dangerous lineup just doesn’t seem fair, but his power from the left side creates a great matchup against the Indians right-handed heavy pitching. The Indians have been off since last Wednesday and those six days may be enough to throw off their timing a bit. I expect some rust the first few innings and that combined with the better pitcher in Lester and better overall team in the Cubs, the only way to look is Chicago at this price. Take the Cubs. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-22-16 | Dodgers v. Cubs +120 | 0-5 | Win | 120 | 10 h 31 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #910 Chicago Cubs (+120) over Los Angeles Dodgers (8:05pm EST) In Game 2 of the NLCS, Clayton Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings against the Cubs and allowed just two hits. He was dominant, but he had to be. That’s because Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs bullpen held the Dodgers to a lone run – a homer by Adrian Gonzalez. Most of the attention was focused on Kershaw that night, and for good reason. But the Cubs were in that game the whole way and now they’re coming off of a pair of games in which they scored 10 runs and 8 runs, respectively. I’d be surprised if we get another 1-0 result in Game 6, so the Dodgers are going to have to prove they can score off Hendricks as well. And if this ends up being a bullpen game, which is very possible, the edge swings into the Cubs favor. This is about as big of an underdog as the Cubs have been all year at home as well. The Cubs were an impressive 57-24 in Wrigley Field this season – the best mark in baseball. Kershaw is fantastic, but I think he’s more than getting priced into today’s line. Take the Cubs in the underdog role as they look to advance to the World Series with a win tonight. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-20-16 | Cubs -151 v. Dodgers | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 40 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #905 Chicago Cubs over Los Angeles Dodgers (8:05pm EST)  The Chicago Cub bats certainly woke up on Wednesday, as they drubbed the Dodgers 10-2 in Game 4 last night. Now the two teams wheel back for the pivotal Game 5 in this series. Jon Lester gets the ball for the Cubs today. The Dodgers have struggled against left-handed pitching all season long, and Lester is one of the best in the business. He shut down Los Angeles in Game 1, allowing just one run on four hits in six innings of work.  There’s no reason to believe this game will be any different, even though it’s in Los Angeles. Lester has pitched in so many big spots throughout his career, while the Dodgers turn to rookie Kenta Maeda today. The Cubs feasted on Maeda in Game 1 to the tune of three runs in four innings of work. Maeda walked three batters in those four innings and never looked comfortable. This shouldn’t be a game decided by the bullpens, but if it is, the Cubs get the check mark there as well. Take the Cubs to win Game 5 of the NLCS tonight. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-18-16 | Cubs v. Dodgers +114 | 0-6 | Win | 114 | 8 h 6 m | Show | |
4-unit Play #954 Los Angeles Dodgers (+105) over Chicago Cubs (8:05pm EST) The NLCS is all knotted up at one game apiece as the Dodgers and Cubs head to Los Angeles for Game 3 tonight. Jake Arrieta goes for Chicago, and he hasn’t been himself over the last few months. After dominating in the first half of the season with a 2.68 ERA, Arrieta posted a mediocre 3.69 ERA in the second half. He’s not getting nearly as many swing and misses as he used to and the league seems to have made some adjustments against the strong right-hander. The Dodgers send lefty Rich Hill to the mound. Since coming over to Los Angeles, he has dominated the National League with a 1.83 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 34.1 innings of work. The Cubs haven’t faced Hill this season, and that’s a big advantage to the 36-year old southpaw. He has one of the best curveballs in the game and it’s not easy to pick up. The Dodgers were dominant at home this season with a 53-28 record and I think they will be just a little bit better than Chicago in this pivotal game. Take Los Angeles. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-17-16 | Indians v. Blue Jays -172 | 4-2 | Loss | -172 | 8 h 59 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #952 Toronto Blue Jays over Cleveland Indians (8:05 pm EST) Home field advantage is big in this ALCS, with both the Indians and Blue Jays constructing squads that take advantage of the dimensions of their respective ballparks. Toronto's mashers will get the upper hand today as they take on Trevor Bauer. It's been an up and down season for Bauer, who has the stuff but just hasn't been able to put it all together. Marcus Stroman goes for the Jays and he's been good in the postseason throughout his short career as he seems to relish the big stage. Toronto needs this game in the worst way and I expect them to get the job done. This line is higher than we usually like to take, but I still see value with Toronto. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
10-15-16 | Dodgers v. Cubs -191 | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
3-unit Play #904 Chicago Cubs (-195) over Washington Nationals (8:05pm EST) The Chicago Cubs were able to slay the beast in the NLDS, as they knocked out the San Francisco Giants in four games. That was a tough series that they earned, and quite honestly I think they could have an easier time in this NLCS than they did last round. Jon Lester gets the ball for the Cubs and he's coming off of a brilliant performance in Game 1 of the NLDS in which he went eight innings without allowing a single run. Lester is a big game pitcher and I would expect a similar outing from him today. The Dodgers really struggle against left-handed pitching and Lester is one of the best southpaws in the game. The #3 starter for the Dodgers Kenta Maeda gets the ball in this one. He had a solid first season with Los Angeles, but he hasn't been as good as he was earlier in the year. The Cubs have some nice momentum after beating the Giants, and I think they get the victory tonight. Take the Cubbies. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
10-14-16 | Blue Jays v. Indians -135 | 0-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 60 m | Show | |
3-unit Play #902 Cleveland Indians (-130) over Toronto Blue Jays (8:05pm EST) The Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians get the American League Championship Series started on Friday night. This should be a great series, but I think the Indians may be getting a little bit shortchanged amongst the media and in the betting markets. When most people think about the Blue Jays, they immediately think of that dangerous lineup with the likes of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki. There's plenty of power up and down the Toronto lineup, but most people would be surprised to know that the Indians actually outscored the Jays this season. Not only that, they did it while playing in a tougher stadium to score runs than the Jays. Conversely, not many people would guess that Toronto has a better team ERA than the Cleveland, mainly due to their excellent starting pitching. Keeping all of this mind, I think the Indians have a big edge in Game 1 tonight. Corey Kluber goes up against Marco Estrada, and that's obviously an advantage to the Tribe. Any time a Cy Young candidate like Kluber takes the hill, you just expect him to dominate. And once his day is through, you can count on a lights out bullpen to finish the job. Andrew Miller, Brian Shaw, Dan Otero and Cody Allen have done a tremendous job of efficiently getting outs and putting up zeroes all year long. Toronto has some good bullpen options as well, but it just doesn't stack up with what the Indians have. So Cleveland has the edge in starting pitching today with Kluber, the edge in the bullpen and we already told you that they have scored more runs than the Jays this season. Throw in the managerial edge the Indians have (Terry Francona over John Gibbons) and the choice is clear for this game. Take Cleveland to win Game 1. Best of Luck - Doc's Sports |
|||||||
10-13-16 | Dodgers +140 v. Nationals | 4-3 | Win | 140 | 11 h 44 m | Show | |
Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-11-16 | Cubs -126 v. Giants | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 4 m | Show | |
4-unit Play #953 Chicago Cubs (-130) over San Francisco Giants (8:30pm EST) The San Francisco Giants did it again last night –they survived yet another elimination game. It was a wacky game that lasted 13 innings and featured several big moments on each side. But Bruce Bochy and the Giants are now 10-0 over their last 10 elimination games in the postseason. That certainly makes it tough to go against them here tonight, but all streaks are inevitably broken. The Cubs are without question the better team, and I think they have a distinct advantage on the mound tonight. John Lackey put together another solid regular season with a 3.35 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 188.1 innings of work. But the Cubs didn’t acquire the veteran right-hander for the regular season. They wanted him for the playoffs. Throughout his career, Lackey has been a part of several championship teams and performed amazing under pressure. He has won several big games to clinch series and owns a postseason career ERA of 3.11 against some of the best offenses the game has to offer. He’s a gamer and I expect another great effort tonight. Matt Moore of the Giants had a decent year, although he’s been up and down throughout his career. He has a little bit of postseason experience as well (16.1 innings), but his numbers haven’t been very good as he has put up a 4.41 ERA. This will be another tight game and I think the bullpens will play a major role. The Cubs have the advantage there as well, so we’re going with Chicago to close out the series tonight. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-10-16 | Indians v. Red Sox -145 | 4-3 | Loss | -145 | 7 h 53 m | Show | |
7-unit Play #932 Boston Red Sox (-140) over Cleveland Indians (3:05pm EST) After a rainout yesterday, Game 3 of the ALDS shifts to Boston as the Red Sox find themselves in a 0-2 hole to the Indians. This isn’t what most prognosticators envisioned, as many had this team in the World Series after a strong second half. We cashed a ticket in Game 1 of this series with the Tribe as the price on Bauer was just too good to pass up in Cleveland. Today we get another good price, this time on the Red Sox in Fenway. Home field advantage is a big factor in this series. The Indians had the best home record in the American League this season, and on the road they were barely above the .500 mark. The Red Sox played well both at home and on the road, but it’s fair to say their offense is much better suited for their own ballpark. In fact, Boston averaged almost a full run higher at home than on the road (5.89 versus 4.95) this season. Clay Buchholz gets the ball for the BoSox and he’s been pitching a lot better than his 4.78 ERA on the season indicates. Over his last three starts, Buchholz had a 1.42 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Breaking it down by halves, he posted a whopping 5.91 in the first half of the season and a 3.22 ERA in the second half. Clearly Buchholz has figured it out and looks like the once-dominating pitcher he was a couple of years ago. On the other side if Josh Tomlin for the Indians. Tomlin was removed from the Indians rotation about a month ago due to ineffectiveness. He posted an ugly 11.48 ERA in August. Injuries to the rotation gave him another chance, and Tomlin did bounce back with a nice September. However, I have much more confidence in Buchholz sustaining his success into the postseason based on their respective histories. I also have faith that the Red Sox will find their groove offensively in Fenway after getting completely shutout in Game 2. This is a must-win game for Boston and I think they extend the series today in our Game of the Month. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
10-01-16 | Orioles +102 v. Yankees | 3-7 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 4 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #967 Baltimore Orioles (-100) over New York Yankees (4:05pm EST) The Baltimore Orioles are surging at the right time. Three straight victories have put them at the top of the AL Wild Card heap with just two games remaining in the regular season. With a win today there’s a chance that the O’s could wrap up a playoff spot (they’ll also need a little bit of help). The Yankees fought hard down the stretch to stay in the playoff race, but they fell just a little short and now they might be out of gas. The Yanks are giving pitcher Luis Severino another chance to start today in what has been a nightmare season for him. Severino comes in with a 5.75 ERA and he’s spent half of his time in the bullpen due to his struggles. His peripheral numbers are better than his ERA indicates, but Severino seems to have lost his confidence. Baltimore starter Wade Miley certainly hasn’t had a banner 2016 campaign either (5.40 ERA in 29 starts between the Mariners and Orioles), but he is left-handed and lefties have a distinct advantage pitching in Yankee Stadium due to the dimensions. New York will be trotting out several youngsters these last couple of days to see what they have the future. Winning just isn’t that important for the Yankees right now. Baltimore, on the other hand, will be playing today like a playoff game and manager Buck Showalter will pull out all of the stops to get a W. Take Baltimore here with the very short line. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-30-16 | Blue Jays v. Red Sox -147 | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show | |
6-unit Play Take #918 Boston Red Sox (-150) over Toronto Blue Jays (7:10pm EST) The Toronto Blue Jays are fighting for their playoff lives as they’re tied for the AL Wild Card with the Orioles at the moment. Both the Tigers and Mariners still have a chance to sneak in, so the Jays need to win a game or two in this final series in Boston to punch their ticket to the playoffs. The Red Sox have already clinched the AL East, but they still have plenty to play for. They have an outside shot of getting home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and if they fall short they can still possibly get home field in the ALDS versus the Indians. In addition, Rick Porcello takes the mound tonight as he looks to add to his AL Cy Young resume. He’s 22-4 with a 3.11 ERA while pitching in one of the tougher places to pitch in baseball. The award is likely already his, but one more quality outing can further solidify the unlikely honor for Porcello. Boston is the hottest team in baseball despite just getting swept by the Yankees. The BoSox are 19-8 over their last 27 contests and have proven that they have one of the better offenses that we’ve seen in several years. The entire lineup is dangerous and there are several young players that just keep getting better. Mookie Betts and David Ortiz are both legit AL MVP candidates and guys like Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts are putting up huge numbers as well. This line is a bit too low given what the Red Sox have done this season and especially of late. We all know this game is bigger for Toronto, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot in baseball. Play Boston as our Game of the Week. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-22-16 | Braves +130 v. Marlins | 6-3 | Win | 130 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #901 Atlanta Braves (+130) over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) The Atlanta Braves will finish with close to 100 losses this year, but it’s tough to ignore their progress in the second half of the season. They are 30-33 in the second half and are currently working on a five-game winning streak. And those five wins certainly weren’t cheapies, as they were against the Nationals and Mets by a combined score of 29-15. That’s pretty impressive for any team, but especially so when you consider how far the Braves have come this season. The young guys are playing much better than they were earlier in the season, and the addition of Matt Kemp has provided some nice protection in the middle of the lineup. Atlanta recently acquired Josh Collmenter from the Cubs and he’ll make his second start with the Braves today. Collmenter had pretty good stuff last time out, striking out eight batters in five innings of work and allowing just two runs against the dangerous Nationals. Today he gets the Marlins, who are trying to stay in the wild card race. Miami is just 9-15 over the last few weeks and they’re now four games back from the wild card contenders with only 10 games remaining. Jose Urena gets the ball for Miami today after getting shellacked in his last start. In Philadelphia, Urena allowed seven earned runs against the Phillies in just two innings before getting removed. That raised his ERA to 5.59 on the season and it’s a bit surprising that he’s pitching meaningful games this late in the season. The Braves have been swinging red hot bats and I think they have a great chance to win this game. We will play Atlanta at a very nice plus price here. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-17-16 | Cardinals v. Giants -125 | 3-2 | Loss | -125 | 11 h 45 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #964 San Francisco Giants (-130) over St. Louis Cardinals (9:05pm EST) Coming into this series both the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants were playing horrible baseball. With the recent surge by the Mets, this series is huge in establishing a foothold for one of the NL Wild Cards. So far the Giants have answered the call, and with relative ease over the Cards. The first game of the series went to San Francisco by a 6-2 tally and last night it was the Giants once again winning by a count of 8-2. St. Louis has now dropped five of their last six overall in the most crucial part of the season. Injuries are a big reason for their struggles, but they’ve been able to overcome them in the past. This team just isn’t as deep as is has been and the pitching staff has far too many holes. Mike Leake and Jeff Samardzija are set to battle on Saturday, and that’s a clear advantage for the Giants. Leake owns a 4.60 ERA this season and only once in his last eight starts has he escaped without allowing at least three earned runs. For some reason he hasn’t fit well with the Cardinals and that 5-year, $80 million deal is starting to look like a huge mistake. Samardzija got big money in the off-season as well, but he’s been a little more productive with 11 wins and a 4.07 ERA. The Giants look to be getting on track here and I don’t have much faith in the Cardinals reversing their fortunes. Play the Giants here. |
|||||||
09-14-16 | Marlins v. Braves +131 | 7-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 31 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #912 Atlanta Braves (+130) over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) The Atlanta Braves are going to finish with close to 100 losses this season, but that’s no indication of how they’ve been playing of late. The Braves are 12-10 over the last few weeks and the offense is mostly to thank. Adding Matt Kemp to the lineup has allowed guys like Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis to flourish, and getting back Ender Inciarte was also huge. Some of the young guys are also starting to figure it out and the future is shining bright for this franchise. Today they face a team going in the opposite direction of late in the Miami Marlins. Over the last three weeks, the Fish are just 5-12 and have fallen out of the wild card race in the National League. Injuries really plagued this Marlins squad in the second half and the team looks like they’re running on fumes right now.Today’s matchup features the respective aces of these teams with Jose Fernandez going up against Julio Teheran. Fernandez is having another brilliant season, but once again he’s been a different pitcher on the road than he is at home. While Fernandez owns a sparkling 1.77 ERA at home in 2016, on the road he checks in at a below average 4.46 ERA. The Marlins are also trying to protect Fernandez’s arm this season, so with the Marlins bowing out of playoff contention I don’t think they’ll push Fernandez too hard in today’s start. Teheran is having a very strong 2016 campaign with a 3.01 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 26 starts. He has cut his walk rate way down this season and that has allowed him to bring his game up to another level. The Braves are playing their best ball of the season right now and the Marlins clearly are in their worst stretch. We’ll back Teheran and the Braves as underdogs here. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-12-16 | Rockies v. Diamondbacks +114 | 9-12 | Win | 114 | 10 h 47 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #912 Arizona Diamondbacks (+110) over Colorado Rockies (9:40pm EST) It's been a nightmare season for Arizona right-hander Shelby Miller. After coming over the D-Backs in a big trade with the Braves, Miller has laid an egg with a 6.89 ERA in 16 starts. But he has looked a little bit better of late despite some rocky numbers. After spending some time in the minors, Miller is getting a second chance and I think the pressure is off a little bit now. Nobody is expecting him to pitch well and he's being priced about as low as possible. Today the D-Backs are underdogs at home against the Rockies and Tyler Anderson. There's no question that Anderson has had a great rookie season, especially considering half of his starts are at Coors Field. Anderson is 5-5 with a 3.35 ERA and has kept his team in all 16 games that he has pitched. I hate to say it, but this is about as good as it's going to get for Anderson. His numbers really only have one direction to go from here, and that's straight down. We're going to sell Anderson at his high and jump on Miller at the low here. Take the Diamondbacks today. |
|||||||
09-10-16 | Mets -125 v. Braves | 3-4 | Loss | -125 | 9 h 35 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #905 New York Mets (-125) over Atlanta Braves (7:10pm EST) About three weeks ago the New York Mets were left for dead. They were just 60-62 and had an assortment of key players on the disabled list. Since then, the Mets are 15-4 and have recorded six straight victories. A lot of those contests were ugly wins, but they are finding ways to get the job done. Last night was a great example as they rallied to come from behind after a 4-0 deficit with two runs in the sixth and four in the eighth against the Braves. Tonight they get Atlanta once again and we get a very reasonable price backing the Mets. Atlanta has played better of late too, but this is still a team that’s going to finish with close to 100 losses in 2016. With the way the Mets are playing, this line appears to be a little bit short. Bartolo Colon takes the mound for New York and he’s put together another unbelievable season at the age of 43. Colon is 13-7 with a 3.22 ERA and there’s no sign of him wearing down in the final month. He’s coming off of two really good starts and is pitching as well as he did 10 years ago. The Braves counter with right-hander John Gant. The rookie has good stuff but is far from being a finished product at this point. He owns a 4.70 ERA despite most of his work coming out of the pen this season. We have to keep riding the Mets at this price point. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-09-16 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays +103 | 13-3 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 26 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #968 Toronto Blue Jays over Boston Red Sox (7:05pm EST)  A huge series gets underway in Toronto on Friday night as the Blue Jays host the Red Sox. Boston is currently sitting atop the AL East, but the Jays are just a game back with roughly three weeks remaining in the regular season. On paper these two teams stack up very similarly, and obviously after 139 games they have proven that. It’s a bit surprising that the Jays aren’t at least a -120 favorite in this contest, as they have the home field advantage and that’s big for these clubs. Toronto is 40-28 at home this season and the Red Sox have been much better at home as well. The pitching matchup is fairly even with Rick Porcello going up against Marco Estrada. Porcello has the much more impressive record, but the ERAs and peripheral stats aren’t far apart for these two. Both of these teams are playing much better than they did earlier in the season, but I trust the Blue Jays a bit more right now. They have the more complete team when you consider bullpens, defense and intangibles. Play Toronto as our Game of the Week. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-07-16 | Orioles v. Rays +111 | 6-7 | Win | 111 | 2 h 15 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #918 Tampa Bay Rays over Baltimore Orioles (7:10pm EST) We missed yesterday with Tampa Bay, but we’re going to give it another shot tonight. I still think the Rays are a bit undervalued and I like the pitching matchup in this one. Drew Smyly certainly hasn’t pitched like we know he can this season, but he matches up extremely well against the O’s lineup. Baltimore has a ton of left-handed power and that gets somewhat neutralized against southpaws. Tropicana Field also holds back some homers and can work against guys that have big swings. Youngster Dylan Bundy gets the ball for the O’s. I like what he’s done so far but he could be hitting a wall. He’s walked 11 batters over his last three starts, which spans only 15.2 innings. Tampa doesn’t have a great offense, but when you are issuing free passes it doesn’t matter. I like the home underdog to get the job done here. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-03-16 | Marlins v. Indians -110 | 3-8 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #980 Cleveland Indians over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) Several weeks ago the Miami Marlins looked like they had a legitimate chance of grabbing one of the wild card spots in the National League. Then it happened – Giancarlo Stanton made his annual trip to the disabled list for the remainder of the season. The Marlins haven’t been the same since, and have dropped six of their last seven contests. Tonight they send ace Jose Fernandez to the hill to try and turn things around. Fernandez is having another spectacular season, but once again a lot of his success has come at home and he’s been mediocre on the road. Fernandez owns a shining 1.91 ERA pitching in Marlins Park in 2016, but away he has a 4.02 ERA. He’ll be in Cleveland tonight to face one of the more balanced lineups in all of baseball. The Tribe has been terrific at generating runs this season despite missing superstar Michael Brantley for the entire season. They are third in the American League in runs scored and at home they’ve been particularly tough to deal with. Cleveland is 43-23 at Progressive Field this season. Trevor Bauer will take the mound in this one and he’s coming off of a really good outing last time. The 25-year old pitch six scoreless innings in his last start and owns a strong 3.73 ERA overall this season. Nobody studies film as much as Bauer and he’s one of those guys that are going to continue to get better with time. Add it all up and I think the Indians should be bigger favorites. Play Cleveland. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
09-02-16 | Yankees v. Orioles -128 | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #916 Baltimore Orioles (-130) over New York Yankees (7:05pm EST) A big AL East series gets underway in Baltimore on Friday night as the Orioles host the Yankees. Both teams are hanging on to their playoff hopes, but it’s the O’s who actually have a legitimate shot to make it happen. The Yankees made their statement when they traded away Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran. They clearly wanted to stockpile young talent in an effort to build for the future. It’s valiant that they’re not giving up on 2016, but it’s just a matter of time before the bottom falls out. Gary Sanchez has been hitting like Babe Ruth over the last month, and he surely can’t carry this team on his back for the rest of the season. Baltimore has been sliding of late, but they do play much better baseball at home. They are 43-24 this season in Camden Yards – one of the best marks in the league. They send young phenom Dylan Bundy to the hill tonight. Bundy has been more than the O’s could have even asked, posting a 3.71 ERA in 85 innings of work between the bullpen and the rotation. The Yankees touched him up a bit in his last outing, but I expect Bundy to bounce back here at home where’s been more comfortable this season (3.04 ERA at home versus 4.54 on the road). New York counters with a youngster of their own today in Chad Green. He’s been solid so far with a 4.09 ERA, although his skill set isn’t anywhere close to Bundy’s. This line is about 10-15 cents too low, so we’re all over the Orioles as our Game of the Week. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-31-16 | Cardinals -148 v. Brewers | 1-3 | Loss | -148 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #913 St. Louis Cardinals over Milwaukee Brewers (8:05pm EST)  The St. Louis Cardinals have to like what they’ve seen from 23-year old Luke Weaver so far. In his first three big league starts the young right-hander has a 3.61 ERA and a strong 16-5 K-BB ratio in 15 innings of work. Weaver was lights out in the minor leagues and he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. There will surely be some bumps in the road early on, but I think Weaver will have the edge the first time he sees each team he faces. He has a nice assortment of pitches and can get his fastball into the mid-90’s. The Brewers are playing for the future and it seems like some of their guys might have started to tune out after the trade deadline that saw one of their leaders Jonathan Lucroy get dealt. The Brew Crew has dropped six straight games, including the last two against the Cardinals. St. Louis goes for the sweep tonight against Brewers right-hander Matt Garza. The veteran hurler is struggling with a 4.89 ERA this season, following up on a 2015 campaign in which he registered a 5.63 ERA. The end could be close for Garza, and I’m confident that the Cardinals will get some good hacks on him tonight. They’ve seen him plenty of times throughout his career. Play St. Louis in this one. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-30-16 | Padres v. Braves -153 | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 57 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #956 Atlanta Braves (-155) over San Diego Padres (7:10pm EST)  Whenever Edwin Jackson takes the mound, you have to take a close look at betting the other side. He’s been among the worst pitcher in baseball over the last few years and this season is no different. Jackson comes in with a bloated 5.71 ERA in 52 innings of work between the rotation and bullpen. Most of those innings were thrown in pitcher’s parks, so it could get even worse for the right-hander. The Braves lineup hasn’t been very productive in 2016, but it is getting better. Some of the young players are improving and the addition of Matt Kemp gives the Braves some protection for Freddie Freeman. Atlanta sends their ace Julio Teheran to the bump today for his 24th start. He owns a strong 3.15 ERA and 1.03 WHIP and is still developing at the age of 25. He’ll face a Padres team that is really barebones after trading away Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton and Fernando Rodney. Teheran should pitch well enough against this weak lineup to get the Braves a win today. Take Atlanta.Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-29-16 | Marlins v. Mets +143 | 1-2 | Win | 143 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #904 New York Mets (+145) over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) The New York Mets were written off for the 2016 season about a week ago, but apparently the players didn’t get the memo. New York has won six of their last eight games and is within striking distance of the second wild card spot. The Mets have battled through a ton of injuries throughout the 2016 campaign, but they are slowly but surely getting guys back in the lineup. Lots of guys have been stepping up and they’ve been doing this all without much contribution from the newly added Jay Bruce. He’s hitting well below his weight and is still trying to get comfortable in his new uniform. The Mets will have a huge challenge today against Jose Fernandez. However, while Fernandez is one of the game’s best pitchers, his numbers have been subpar on the road. Fernandez owns a 4.42 ERA away from Marlins Park this season (1.91 ERA at home). The Mets go with youngster Rafael Montero, who will make his first big league start of the 2016 season. Montero has amazing stuff but inconsistency has plagued him throughout his professional career. When he’s on he can beat anyone, but when he’s bad he’s been really bad. He’ll need a big effort tonight, and we’ll get rewarded with a nice payoff if he does. Take the Mets at a nice plus price at home. |
|||||||
08-29-16 | Blue Jays v. Orioles +125 | 5-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 10 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #912 Baltimore Orioles over Toronto Blue Jays (7:05pm EST) Big series gets underway in Baltimore tonight as the Orioles host the Blue Jays. These two clubs are a tight three-way battle atop the AL East along with the Boston Red Sox. While I don’t think the O’s are the best of the three, they certainly are #1 when it comes to playing at home. The O’s are 42-22 this season in Camden Yards, as management has done a spectacular job of building this team to flourish at home. They have a ton of left-handed power and regularly take advantage of the advantageous dimensions in right field. The Jays clearly have the edge as far as starting pitchers today, but that’s almost always the case for Orioles. Baltimore doesn’t win games because of their starting pitching. Their advantages lie in the defense behind their pitchers, in the bullpen and their powerful lineup. I think the wrong team is favored in this matchup. Take the O’s. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-29-16 | Nationals v. Phillies +185 | 4-0 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 4 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #902 Philadelphia Phillies over Washington Nationals (7:05pm EST) The Washington Nationals have dropped six of their last eight and head to Philadelphia to play an underrated Phillies squad. The Phils are way ahead of schedule as far as their rebuild goes and are only 10 games below the .500 mark at the moment. They are 30-33 at home and have a lot of young guys trying to make a good impression for next year’s roster. One of those guys is today’s starter Jake Thompson. In four starts, Thompson has been a train wreck on the mound. He owns a 9.78 ERA and is walking just as many batters as he’s striking out. But the stuff is definitely there and this is an excellent opportunity to buy low on a live arm at home with a big payoff. Thompson shined in the minor leagues and I think he has a chance to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm once he’s able to shake off the jitters. The Nats counter with Tanner Roark today. The right-hander is having a really nice season at 13-7 with a 2.99 ERA, but he has been fortunate along the way. Roark has a 3.80 FIP and has been able to avoid the home run ball more than most. He’s not the kind of pitcher you envision when you think about laying a price of nearly -200 on the road. The Phils clearly are the inferior team today, but his line is far too high. Play Philadelphia. |
|||||||
08-26-16 | Cubs -110 v. Dodgers | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 21 h 23 m | Show | |
5-unit Play Take #961 Chicago Cubs (-110) over Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10pm EST) It’s not often you can get this low of a price on the Chicago Cubs, and we’re going to take advantage tonight. The Cubs are just slight favorites in Los Angeles as they take on a Dodgers team that is getting more and more attention of late. The Dodgers have been playing good baseball recently, but their rise to the top of the NL West has been more about the Giant’s collapse. It’s the Cubs who have been playing the better baseball of late, as they’re in the midst of an impressive 22-5 run since July 27th. The Cubs don’t have any weaknesses and their young players just continue to get better by the day. The latest rising star is catcher Willson Contreras, who is already a top five hitting catcher and his defense is much better than even the Cubs anticipated.Left-hander Mike Montgomery will make the start for Chicago as he has temporarily taken the rotation spot for the injured John Lackey. Montgomery has had a breakthrough season, posting a 2.41 ERA between his time in the rotation and bullpen. The Dodgers have struggled mightily against left-handers this season, posting an MLB-worst .227 batting average against southpaws in 2016. Lefty Matt Moore was able to shut them down last night, and I think Montgomery can keep them at bay once again. The Dodgers counter with Bud Norris, who is only in the rotation due to multiple injuries. He owns a hefty 4.69 ERA and hasn’t really shown any signs of improving. The Cubs bats are hot right now and I expect them to bounce Norris early on today. Take the Cubs to get the job done in our Game of the Week. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-25-16 | Mariners -140 v. White Sox | 6-7 | Loss | -140 | 9 h 25 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #917 Seattle Mariners over Chicago White Sox (8:10pm EST)  Big mismatch on Thursday between two teams going in opposite directions. The Mariners have made a really nice push of late to get into the AL Wild Card race. They are 15-7 over the last few weeks and are getting contributions up and down the entire roster. The White Sox, on the other hand, have been an awful baseball team since mid-May when they were tops in the AL. It’s been a drama-packed seasons for the Sox and it seems like this team is looking forward to offseason more than its next game. James Paxton toes the rubber for the M’s and he has sparkled in his 13 starts this season, posting a 3.53 ERA and an impressive 73-18 K-BB ratio in 81.2 innings of work. Chicago counters with Anthony Ranaudo, who has been a complete mess so far in limited work. Ranaudo owns a hefty 9.42 ERA and is currently walking an unheard of 8.2 batters per nine innings. For some reason he’s still getting starts and continues to embarrass himself along the way. This is a big line to lay on the road, but I’m comfortable in backing Seattle in a spot where they should be able to crush. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-24-16 | Braves +126 v. Diamondbacks | 9-10 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 42 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #957 Atlanta Braves (+125) over Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40pm EST) Two of the worst squads in the National League duke it out on Wednesday as the Diamondbacks host the Braves. Both teams send their ace to the hill in this one with Julio Teheran facing off against Zack Greinke. Teheran has been one of the bright spots for the Braves this season, posting an impressive 2.90 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 22 starts. His name has been brought up in several trade rumors throughout the 2016 season, but Atlanta decided to keep the talented 25-year old for now. One of the surprises for the Braves organization this season is how well the team has played defense behind their pitchers. They’ve been ranked near the top of the defensive efficiency ratings all season long and that will help you win some games that you otherwise wouldn’t. The same can’t be said of Arizona, who ranks 29th in the league in adjusted defensive efficiency right now. Greinke has suffered without a solid defense behind him, sporting a mediocre 4.21 ERA – a far cry from his 1.66 ERA last season in Los Angeles. While Greinke’s numbers are down across the board, it’s the lack of support behind him that has been his undoing in several outings. The Diamondbacks have the better overall roster, but not by a lot. This line is too high, so we’re going with Atlanta. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-23-16 | Giants -109 v. Dodgers | 5-9 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 45 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #909 San Francisco Giants over Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10pm EST) Big series gets underway in Los Angeles tonight as the Dodgers host the Giants in the first of three games. The Dodgers have a one-game lead in the NL West and have been playing much better baseball of late than their counterparts. In fact, San Francisco has the worst record in baseball since the All-Star break at 11-23. Despite those struggles, the Giants have a chance to even up the division race and they have the right guy on the mound to do it. Madison Bumgarner gets the assignment tonight as he looks to continue his dominant 2016 season. Bumgarner comes in at 12-7 with a flashy 2.26 ERA and is striking out 10 batters per nine innings. He’s one of those pitchers that rise to the occasion, and this is certainly the biggest regular season game of the season for San Francisco to date. The Dodgers have struggled mightily against left-handers this season, and Bumgarner is about as good as it gets from the left side. As a team the Dodgers are hitting a measly .224 versus lefties – the worst average in baseball. That means the pressure will be on Kenta Maeda to pitch nearly perfect baseball without much run support. Throw the recent struggles to the side for this series. I like the Giants to get the first game of this series at a very reasonable price. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-21-16 | Cubs -162 v. Rockies | 4-11 | Loss | -162 | 5 h 44 m | Show | |
4-unit Play Take #911 Chicago Cubs (-160) over Colorado Rockies (4:10pm EST) The red hot Chicago Cubs look to notch another series win this afternoon in Coors Field. The Cubs are 16-3 over their last 19 games and haven’t dropped a series yet after the All-Star break. The Cubs starting pitching has really been the backbone of the team, aided by some spectacular defense. In fact, the Cubs defense is rated as one of the best in the history of baseball at this point in the season. When you can suppress runs like that and have an offense as potent as Chicago has, you get a lot of lopsided wins. Kris Bryant has been on an unbelievable tear at the plate and is in the driver’s seat for the NL MVP right now. Jason Hammel takes the mound today and is having a career year at 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He’s not getting much attention, however, with so many Cubs players having huge seasons. He’ll take on an overrated Rockies offense that is atop the league in runs scored due to its playing half of their games in Coors Field. A truer statistic is runs scored on the road, and the Rockies rank only 11th in the NL in that category. Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa makes his 19th start of the season and has yet to find his groove. He hasn’t been this bad (5.29 ERA) since 2006 when he was with the Brewers. The Cubs have really excelled versus lefties this season, so they should have a field day against De La Rosa. We like the Cubs to roll to an easy victory in this one. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
|||||||
08-20-16 | Red Sox v. Tigers +110 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 51 m | Show | |
3-unit Play Take #970 Detroit Tigers (+110) over Boston Red Sox (7:10pm EST) Good matchup tonight in Detroit as the Tigers and Red Sox go at it with a pair of southpaws on the mound. Drew Pomeranz has had a great season overall, but his time with the BoSox has been subpar. Pomeranz has a 4.59 ERA with Boston compared to 2.47 with the Padres this season. This is not a huge surprise as Petco Park is known as a pitcher-friendly environment. In addition, pitchers who go from the NL to the AL mid-season have struggled mightily over the years. There are far more dangerous lineups in the AL and the designated hitter instead of the pitcher is a big factor as well. As a result, Pomeranz is probably getting a bit overrated in the betting lines. On the other side is Daniel Norris of the Tigers. Norris owns a respectable 3.47 ERA in limited action this season, and posted a 3.75 ERA in roughly half of a season last year. His skill set is impressive and he could develop into a solid #2 rotation arm with some more polish. The Red Sox have one of the best lineups in baseball, but the Tigers aren’t far behind. Considering both starters are left-handers, I actually give Detroit a small edge in the hitting department today. The Tigers have a heavy right-handed lineup and have mashed lefties the last few years. I like Detroit as a home underdog in this spot. Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports |
- Early Lines
- High Limits
- NEW VIP Rewards
- VIP Program
- Mobile Betting
- Crypto
- VIP Program
- Crypto
- Live & Mobile Betting!
- Crypto
- Live & Mobile Betting
- 48 Hour Payouts
- 35% Crypto Bonus
- Live Betting
- Mobile Friendly
Guaranteed Winners or your money back and Free Picks in the NFL football, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, NCAA college football and basketball, Nascar Racing, Arena Football nhl hockey leagues and more.
We are part of the internets Premier Sports Handicappers League with full documentation of all members on this sports betting news and info portal. Free Membership, Join Today and start Winning!
For any resources you could need like sports handicapping odds, handicapping stats, schedules, or handicappers free picks and tips please click on any of the links on the right hand side of this page.