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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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08-16-17 | Angels v. Nationals OVER 9 | 3-2 | Loss | -115 | 17 h 23 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Angels @ 1:05 ET - Tanner Roark's overall numbers since the All Star break look better but he has given up 9 hits and 9 walks for a total of 18 baserunners in his 11 innings at home since the break. Remember this is a guy that had a 5.27 ERA before the All Star break and also is only 3-5 with a 5.24 ERA at home this year. He's certainly down from last year. He's opposed by Ricky Nolasco. The Angels right-hander has allowed 30 homers this season! That is a career high and overall its been a tough season for Nolasco. He's 2-7 on the road this year and he is 0-3 in his 4 day games starts. In those outings he has compiled a 6.23 ERA and been hit at a ridiculous .356 clip. Nolasco has a 5.79 ERA and has been hit at a .316 clip since the All Star break. Both lineups enjoy a breakout game early Wednesday afternoon. 8* OVER the total in Washington |
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08-15-17 | Pirates v. Brewers OVER 9 | 1-3 | Loss | -115 | 25 h 49 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 7:40 ET - The Pirates Ivan Nova gave up double digits in hits in his most recent start which was a loss at Detroit. Coincidentally, Nova has also given up double digits in hits in each of his two starts versus Milwaukee this season. In other words, don't be surprised if the "hit parade" for Nova opposition continues in this one. The Brewers will have Zach Davies on the mound in this one and he got rocked for 6 earned runs on 11 hits in less than 6 innings of work in his most recent start. The right-hander has a 6.44 ERA in his home starts this season and 8 of the 12 have gone over the total. Davies has given up an average of 5 earned runs per start in his last 5 home starts. Nova has given up 43 hits in the 28 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 5 starts. The over is 8-3 this season (and 32-16 the last 3 seasons combined) when Pittsburgh is playing after an off day. As for the Brewers, they have been red hot at the plate with 23 runs in their last 3 home games and all 3 plays went over the total. Look for more of the same on Tuesday. 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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08-15-17 | Cardinals v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 4-10 | Win | 100 | 24 h 14 m | Show |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:10 ET - Wind will be blowing out to left field at Fenway Park on Tuesday evening. The Red Sox will have Rick Porcello on the mound. The veteran right-hander was giving up hits in bunches earlier this season but kept managing to escape with little damage done. You knew it had to eventually catch up with him and, sure enough, he has given up 9 earned runs in his last two home starts. In his last 3 starts overall, Porcello has allowed 5 homers and he has now given up 28 on the season. The weather will be favorable for the Cardinals to get some big hits in this game. The problem for St Louis is that Mike Leake takes the mound and he has a 5.62 ERA in his last 3 starts and he has been rocked for 19 hits in 11 innings in his last 2 starts. These pitchers matched up on May 17th in St Louis and the game went over the total with the hurlers combining to allow 16 hits in 13 innings. The Red Sox, entering Monday, are 9-1 so far in August and have averaged scoring 6.1 runs per game. The Cardinals are off of a loss but previously had won 8 straight games and the Cards scored an average of 8.5 runs per game in those 8 games. The over is 13-2 in Cardinals inter-league games this season. The over is 11-5 in Boston's Tuesday games this season. Both these teams have solid bullpens but these two lineups have been red hot and I look for more of the same on Tuesday evening. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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08-15-17 | Angels v. Nationals OVER 8.5 | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 25 h 33 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Angels @ 7:05 ET - The Angels enter Tuesday's action as the hottest team in the majors as they have won 6 straight games. However, they've got lefty Tyler Skaggs on the mound and he is facing a Nationals team that is #1 in the majors this season against southpaws as they've hit .287 against left-handers. Â I am aware of the Bryce Harper injury situation but there is still a ton of healthy big stikcs on this Nats team. As for the Angels sticks, they've scored an average of 5.7 runs per game in their 10 wins that are all part of a red hot 10-3 start to August. Los Angeles is also one of the few teams that has recently given Gio Gonzalez trouble. The Washington southpaw gave up 4 earned runs in less than 6 innings when he faced the Angels last month in Los Angeles. The over is 12-5 in Nationals Tuesday games this season. The over is 6-3-1 in the Angels last 10 road games. Also, Los Angeles has played with a day off between games 10 times this season and only 3 of the games have resulted in an under. After an off day yesterday, look for another high-scoring game in this one Tuesday. 8* OVER the total in Washington |
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08-14-17 | Reds v. Cubs OVER 9.5 | Top | 5-15 | Win | 100 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds @ 8:05 ET - Just a light wind expected at Wrigley Field this evening but it will be blowing out. It will aid the hitters in a hitter-friendly park on a mild summer evening in Chicago. The Cubs will have Jose Quintana on the mound here and he has given up 10 runs (9 earned) in 11 innings in his last two starts. The southpaw has given up 4 homers in those two outings and the Reds come into town swinging the bats well. Cincinnati lost 7-4 yesterday but that was their 8th straight over. The over is 8-0 in the Reds last 8 games thanks in part to the fact that Cincy has averaged scoring 7 runs per game during this hot streak. They won't be the only lineup putting up some big numbers tonight. The Cubs scored 7 runs or more in 2 of their 3 games at Arizona this weekend and they now return home where they have averaged scoring 6 runs per game in their last 6 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of Asher Wojciechowski. Although the Reds right-hander is off of a respectable start he did allow 2 homers for the 2nd time in his last 3 starts and all those starts were at home. Now he's back on the road where he has an 8.00 ERA in his two starts and he has allowed 4 homers in those outings as well. In other words, look for more struggles here on a homer-friendly night in a homer-friendly venue! The over is 7-1 this season when the Reds are a road dog of +175 to +250 and the over is 17-6 this season when the Cubs are a home favorite of -175 to -250. Look for another slugfest here adding to Cincinnati's 8-0 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in the Chicago Cubs game |
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08-14-17 | Rays v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 7:05 ET - The Rays have not been hitting the ball well at all but they finally get a chance to break out of their slump as they face a struggling Nick Tepesch in this one. The Blue Jays right-hander has made two starts this season and he lost them both plus compiled a 9.67 ERA in the process. Tepesch allowed 3 homers in less than 5 innings of work in his most recent start which was at home against the Yankees last week. The Rays are starting Jake Odorizzi in this one and the right-hander gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in just 4 and 1/3 innings in his lone start at Toronto this season. The Blue Jays won 7-1 yesterday and have averaged 5.4 runs per game in their last dozen games. Not only was Odorizzi struggling with a high pitch count in his most recent start but he took a line drive off his foot too. Look for him to labor again in this start as the Jays are heating up again with 7 wins in their last 11 games. Both of the starts Tepesch has made this season have resulted in overs and the over is also 9-1 in Odorizzi's last 10 starts! 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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08-14-17 | Indians v. Red Sox OVER 10 | 7-3 | Push | 0 | 10 h 24 m | Show | |
Rickenbach MLB 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians @ 6:10 ET - Even though the Indians Trevor Bauer has pitched better of late, all of those starts were at home. There is great significance in that because he has a 6.69 ERA in his road starts this season. Also, Bauer is now facing a red hot Red Sox team that has won 10 of its last 11 games thanks in part to an offense that has averaged scoring 6 runs per game during this strong stretch. Also, the Red Sox have been a nemesis for Bauer as he is 0-2 with a 9.52 ERA in his 3 starts versus Boston in his career. The Red Sox will have Doug Fister on the mound for this one. He did have a strong start versus Cleveland two weeks ago but that means they're getting a quick second look here. Also, the prior time he faced the Indians, Fister allowed 6 earned runs in only 4 and 1/3 innings. The Tribe are 6-4 in their last 10 games after another win yesterday and they'll bring extra confidence to the plate as a result. Bauer's starts against the Red Sox have never resulted in an under and I don't expect that to change here. 8* OVER the total in Boston |
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08-13-17 | Red Sox v. Yankees OVER 8 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 4 m | Show | |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox @ 8:05 ET - This is a contrarian play as most will be looking to the under in this one since Chris Sale is on the mound for the Red Sox and he has enjoyed great success versus the Yankees this season. What I am looking at is the fact that the Yanks are starting to get their sticks going again and have averaged 5.2 runs per game in their last 6 games. Sale is off of another great start but he did allow 7 earned runs to the Indians in his prior start. In fact, as stellar as he has been this season, the fact is that the Red Sox southpaw has allowed 3 earned runs or more in more than half of his last 17 starts. The Yankees at home on Sunday night may surprise some people here. However, the Yanks issue tonight will be the fact that they're starting Jordan Montgomery. The southpaw is off of a solid start at Cleveland earlier this month but, prior to that he had given up 19 earned runs on 33 hits in the 29 innings spanning his 6 prior starts. Included in that stretch was a rough start at Boston. That said, Montgomery facing the Red Sox again just a month later is going to do him no favors against this potent lineup. Keep in mind, Boston has scored 6.4 runs per game in going 9-1 in their last 10 games. The over is 18-9 this season in Red Sox road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs and we might even see this one drop to a 7.5 which means even more value for us! The over is 15-7 in Yanks home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs this season. 8* OVER the total in the New York Yankees game |
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08-13-17 | Angels v. Mariners OVER 9.5 | 4-2 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 39 m | Show | |
8* OVER the total in Seattle Mariners vs Los Angeles Angels @ 4:10 ET - Even though the Mariners Ariel Miranda has put up good numbers versus the Angels this season, those were compiled earlier this season when he was throwing well. Miranda is not in good current form now (7.02 ERA and 7 homers allowed in his last 3 starts) and the Angels will take advantage. The Angels have been red hot at the plate and have averaged 5.8 runs per game in their last 13 games. Also, Los Angeles has won 5 straight games and 9 of their last 12 overall. It is likely to be another rough outing for Miranda but Parker Bridwell of the Angels is also likely to struggle. The right-hander gave up 5 earned runs on 11 hits in 6 innings when he faced the Mariners earlier this season and now he has to face them in Seattle. The M's, even with yesterday's 6-3 loss factored in, have averaged 5.1 runs per game in their last 13 games and the over had been 5-1 in the Mariners last 16 games prior to yesterday's match-up barely staying under the total. The over is 18-11 this season in M's home games where their money line ranges from -125 to +125. 8* OVER the total in Seattle |
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08-13-17 | Orioles v. A's OVER 9.5 | Top | 3-9 | Win | 100 | 8 h 46 m | Show |
10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland A's vs Baltimore Orioles @ 4:05 ET - Baltimore won 12-5 yesterday and both of these teams are "feeling it" right now. The Orioles have averaged 5.8 runs per game in their last 14 games. The Athletics have averaged 5.3 runs per game in their last 13 games. Jeremy Hellickson has pitched surprisingly well so far for Oakland since coming over from the Phillies but he did start to get hit hard late in his 2nd start at LA against the Angels. That is a sign of things to come here the way the A's are swinging the bats right now. Also, the ball carries better in day games compared to night games on the west coast and the wind will be blowing out at a good clip in Oakland today. The A's send Kendall Graveman to the mound for this one and he has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in just 7 and 1/3 innings since returning to the rotation for Oakland. Also, he is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in his 4 career starts versus Baltimore. The over is 13-4 in Orioles Sunday games and 11-6 in Athletics Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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08-13-17 | Reds v. Brewers OVER 10 | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 7 h 50 m | Show | |
8* OVER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds @ 2:10 ET - The Reds came out on the wrong end of a 6-5 final yesterday but the over is now a perfect 7-0 in their last 7 games. The Brewers have their sticks going again with 16 runs scored so far in the first two games of this series. They'll take advantage of facing Sal Romano of Cincinnati today. The Reds right-hander has allowed 9 earned runs in the 12 innings spanning his last two starts. Romano also struggled badly when he faced the Brewers earlier this season in a start where he lasted only 3 innings. Matt Garza gets the start for Milwaukee here and he allowed 8 earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings versus Minnesota in his most recent start. He'll try to turn things around here but he has allowed 13 runs (not all earned) in his last 3 starts versus the Reds and those outings have spanned only 14 and 1/3 innings. He's been roughed up by Cincinnati in recent meetings as you can see. Look for the over to improve to 12-6 in Reds Sunday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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08-13-17 | Twins v. Tigers OVER 10 | 6-4 | Push | 0 | 6 h 4 m | Show | |
8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins @ 1:10 ET - Yesterday's slugfest totaled 23 runs and that was that 5th straight over for Detroit. The Tigers late rally for a win ended a 6-game winning streak for Minnesota but the Twins have averaged scoring 7.6 runs per game in their last 7 games. Detroit's Matt Boyd has a 6.32 ERA in his last 3 starts and he won't slow them down. Minnesota's Ervin Santana just faced the Tigers about 3 weeks ago and he got rocked for 5 earned runs in just 3 and 1/3 innings. Both of these bullpens have struggled. The over is 12-7 in Twins Sunday games and 13-3 in Tigers Sunday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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08-12-17 | Indians v. Rays OVER 8 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians @ 6:10 ET - The Rays Chris Archer certainly has strong numbers on the season but he has allowed 4 homers in his last 3 starts and did allow 7 earned runs in 12 innings in his two starts prior to a strong effort versus the Brewers in his most recent start. The real key to this play is that the Indians have been a nemesis for Archer throughout his career. The Rays right-hander is 0-6 with a 6.00 ERA in his 6 career starts versus Cleveland. Mike Clevinger gets this start for the Indians and he had been pitching so poorly that he was relegated to bullpen duty. His lone appearance out of the bullpen didn't go well either and now here is making a start again. I won't hesitate to step in and take advantage because he had allowed 5 earned runs in each of his last two starts prior to having a rough outing coming out of the bullpen as well. Neither team has been hitting the ball particularly well of late (at least heading into Friday) and that is why this is a contrarian play as many will likely look to the under here. However, that just means additional value for us with a low total posted on this game even though Clevinger is struggling and Archer has had a history of struggles versus Cleveland. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Archer's night game starts this season. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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08-12-17 | Pirates v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 10 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 1:05 ET - The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Chris Rowley whom is making his MLB debut. This season, when he jumped from the AA level to the AAA level in the minors, Rowley got hit 70 points higher - .249 at the AAA level - compared to the AA level where he held hitters to a .179 average. The point is that this is a big jump in levels for Rowley whose first full season in the minors was last year. As for the Pirates, Trevor Williams gets the start and he is off of a strong start but that was at home. On the road this season Williams has a 4.89 ERA and has been hit at a .279 clip. The Blue Jays entered Friday's action having averaged 6 runs per game in their last 10 games. The Pirates entered Friday's action having gone 6-2 in their last 8 games and having scored 5 runs or more in 5 of the 6 victories. Pittsburgh entered Friday with road games having a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs having stayed under just 7 of 21 times this season. The Blue Jays entered Friday's action having gone 9-4 to the over in inter-league games this season. 8* OVER the total in Toronto |
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08-11-17 | Twins v. Tigers OVER 10.5 | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins @ 7:10 ET - The over is 3-0 in the Tigers last 3 games after yesterday's loss to Pittsburgh totaled a dozen runs. It should be another crazy game in Detroit today with Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Gibson squaring off in this one. The Tigers Sanchez has a 7.92 ERA in his five starts since the All Star Break and the big ERA is certainly no fluke. Sanchez has been roughed up for 40 hits in 25 innings. The Twins come into this game on a hot streak as they've won 5 straight games. However, their issue today won't be at the plate as their issue is on the mound. Gibson gets the start for Minnesota this evening and he has a 6.75 ERA in his last 4 starts. Even though he had a strong start versus the Tigers recently, he had previously given up 11 earned runs in just 6 and 2/3 innings spanning his two prior starts versus Detroit. That said, don't surprised if the Detroit lineup takes advantage of having just faced Gibson 3 weeks ago. Each of Gibson's two home starts versus the Tigers went over the total and he also got pounded in his lone visit to Detroit this season. Sanchez has given up 9 earned runs in less than 10 innings of work spanning his last two home starts and they both flew over the total. He also got roughed up badly in his most recent road start so Sanchez certainly is showing no signs of turning the corner yet. That said, take advantage here! 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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08-11-17 | Pirates v. Blue Jays OVER 8.5 | 4-2 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 44 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 7:05 ET - The Jays Marcus Stroman has given up 24 hits in his last 18 and 1/3 innings. He also walked 6 in less than 5 innings in his most recent home start. Toronto's win over the Yankees yesterday stayed under the total but 7 of the Blue Jays prior 10 games went over the total. The Pirates got a big win at Detroit yesterday and that was their 3rd straight over. Jameson Taillon gets the start for Pittsburgh here and, overall, he has struggled since the All Star Break. Taillon has allowed 39 hits in 23 and 1/3 innings of work spanning his last 5 starts. The over is a perfect 3-0 in Taillon's last 3 starts with 20 runs (19 earned) allowed in only 13 innings of work. With both starters a little "shaky" of late and with this total dropping from a 9 to an 8.5 the value is clearly with the over in this one. 8* OVER the total in Toornto |
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08-11-17 | Red Sox v. Yankees OVER 9 | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 9 h 28 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - The Yankees are sending Jaime Garcia to the mound and he just allowed 5 earned runs in a start for the 5th time in his last 8 outings! he has a 6.27 ERA over these 8 outings and has walked 3 or more batters in 5 of his last 7 starts. Garcia will be opposed by Boston's Edgar Rodriguez and he is another struggling southpaw. Yes, Rodriguez is off of a quality start in his most recent outing but that was against a slumping White Sox team. Prior to this start he had a 7.97 ERA in his previous 4 starts. Boston has won 8 straight games and the Red Sox have averaged scoring 6.2 runs per game in their last 10 games. The Yankees are off of a shutout loss yesterday but they came into that game having averaged 7 runs per game in their last 3 games and the Yanks had reached double digits in hits in 3 of their 5 prior games. Look for the Yankees to get right back on track at the plate as they take advantage of facing a struggling hurler. With how hot the Red Sox have been and with this total moving down from a 9.5 to a 9 there is great value with the over in this one. 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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08-10-17 | Pirates v. Tigers OVER 9.5 | 7-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 58 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 1:10 ET - Drew VerHagen gets the start for the Tigers here and this is just the 3rd start of his MLB career. Keep in mind, he has mostly worked out of the bullpen in the majors and, last season, in 19 games (all relief appearances) he compiled a 7.11 ERA with the Tigers and was hit at a .346 clip. In the minors this season VerHagen has made 19 starts and he compiled a 4.90 ERA and was hit at a .287 clip. As you can see, he has been far from dominant and when he faced the Pirates out of the bullpen (all 3 appearances were last season) he struggled against them. Look for Pittsburgh to pound him this afternoon but don't be surprised when the Pirates see Gerrit Cole struggle also. The Bucs right-hander has produced great numbers recently but has faced a lot of weaker lineups. This afternoon he faces a Tigers team that put up 10 runs yesterday and has been of the hotter hitting teams in the majors since the All Star break. The over is 23-12 in Detroit's day games this season and 90-58 the last 3 seasons combined. The Tigers are also 11-3 to the over in Thursday games this season. More of the same expected early this afternoon on "getaway day" for the Pirates as they head to Toronto after this one. 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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08-09-17 | Red Sox v. Rays OVER 9 | Top | 8-2 | Win | 100 | 22 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - This is a "contrarian" play because Rick Porcello and Jake Odorizzi are both respected starting pitchers overall and because the Rays have been struggling at the plate recently. Of course long-time followers know I like to be a contrarian and, in this case, there is plenty of reason to expect both Porcello and Odorizzi to get rocked in this one. Even though Porcello has pitched better of late he still has a 5.31 ERA in his last 3 starts and he allowed 6 homers in those outings. Also, though he pitched well against the Rays at Tampa in his most recent start versus them, they've given him trouble overall this season. TB has gotten to Porcello for 13 runs (11 earned) in just 10 and 1/3 innings in his two prior starts versus them this season. As for Odorizzi, he's coming off of the disabled list (back injury) for this one but, like Porcello, he has had trouble with the longball too. The Rays right-hander has given up 5 homers in his last 3 starts and that included a very ugly outing versus the Red Sox. Odorizzi has now given up 9 earned runs in his last 8 and 1/3 innings versus Boston. Though last night's game between these clubs was a pitchers duel, the Red Sox had previously scored 6.5 runs per game in going 6-2 in their prior 8 games. Look for the over to improve to 12-6 on the season in Rays Wednesday games. Also, the over is 8-1 in Odorizzi's last 9 starts! More of the same early Wednesday evening. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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08-09-17 | Rockies v. Indians OVER 9.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 12 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Colorado Rockies @ 12:10 ET - The Rockies are on an incredible 12-2 run to the over in the last 14 starts that Antonio Senzatela has made. He has a 10.29 ERA in his last 3 starts and was relegated to bullpen duty after struggling in his first two starts after the all star break. Though his first outing of the bullpen went well his familiar struggles were back again in his next appearance out of the pen. The Indians will have Trevor Bauer on the mound for this one and the right-hander has been pitching better of late. However, he gave up 4 earned runs in a start that only lasted 3 and 1/3 innings versus Colorado in June. That his lone appearance against the Rockies this season and they got to him for 5 hits and he walked 5 in that short stint. Colorado will step into the box with plenty of confidence against Bauer and the Rockies coming into this series - prior to a loss to Philly Sunday - had reached double digits in hits in 4 of their 5 prior games. Couple that with the fact that the Indians should have no trouble with the offerings of a struggling Senzatela (whom they did see earlier this season as well) and you have the strong possibility of a slugfest in this one. Look for the over to improve to 13-2 in Senzatela's last 15 starts! 8* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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08-08-17 | Padres v. Reds OVER 9 | 7-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 55 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres @ 7:10 ET - The Reds Sal Romano is still a work in progress and that shouldn't come as a big surprise. This will be just the 7th major league start for the 23 year old right-hander and Romano truly wasn't impressive at the minor league level. In the minors Romano has compiled a 33-52 record and got hit at a .278 clip! That is against minor league hitters over the course of 665 innings! It's no wonder, given those numbers, that Romano is having some "growing pains" at the major league level. This season at home he has a 6.23 ERA and in his night games he has a 6.59 ERA and has been hit at a .296 clip! The Padres have averaged scoring 5.6 runs per game in their 11 road games since the All Star break and they'll bounce back tonight after last night's embarrassing 11-3 road loss. However, the issue tonight for San Diego will be their own pitching concerns. The Padres hand the ball to Luis Perdomo and he has allowed 46 hits in the 31 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 6 starts. The San Diego right-hander has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 4 of the 6 outings and the Reds have the added edge at the plate as they did face Perdomo at Petco Park in June and now they get another shot at him at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. The Reds exploded for 11 runs in yesterday's win and will have plenty of confidence at the plate tonight. The over is 7-3 in Cincinnati's games as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season and the Reds are 10-3 to the over in Tuesday games. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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08-08-17 | Rangers v. Mets OVER 9 | Top | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 2 h 29 m | Show |
NOTE: AJ Griffin now getting the start for the Rangers but this is still a play for me. Griffin has a 7.27 ERA in his night starts this season. Also, the past two seasons combined Griffin has been hit much harder by lefties than righties and the Mets are loaded with left-handed sticks and switch-hitters. That will prove to make them a tough match-up for Griffin in this one. 10* OVER in New York Mets; here is the original write-up: Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Mets vs Texas Rangers @ 7:10 ET - The Mets Chris Flexen is only in the starting rotation due to injuries for New York. Once Robert Gsellman is back then Flexen will not be starting any longer. He just turned 23 early last month and, prior to this year, he had never even pitched above the Single A level in the minors. Not surprisingly, Flexen is struggling at the MLB level. He has given up 9 runs (8 earned) on 13 hits and 5 walks in just 6 innings spanning his two MLB starts. Keep in mind that the Mets also have a weak bullpen. That said, Flexen is likely to be an early exit again and that will expose New York's bullpen weakness again. As fro the New York lineup, they are a solid hitting team but off of a shutout loss Sunday night. Look for the Mets to respond in a big way tonight and, in fact, the over is a perfect 4-0 in Mets games this season when they are off of a shutout loss. They'll be facing the Rangers Andrew Cashner whom has not been as strong on the road as he has been at home this season. He is 3-6 with a 4.34 ERA away from home this year. Also, he is winless in four career starts versus the Mets and has compiled a 7.29 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in those four outings. Look for the over to improve to 3-0 in Flexen's rookie season starts. Also, the over is 9-2 in Mets Tuesday games this season and 50-18 in their night games this year! The Rangers have averaged scoring 5.6 runs per game in their last 12 games and the Mets will respond off of a home shutout loss to improve that over record to 5-0 YTD. 10* OVER the total in New York Mets |
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08-08-17 | Tigers v. Pirates OVER 8.5 | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 9 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers @ 7:05 ET - Off of a shutout loss yesterday here at Pittsburgh, look for Detroit to respond in a big way today. The Pirates Chad Kuhl put up good numbers in July and also got August off to a good start with his best start of the season. However, that outing came against the Reds and his starts in July including games versus the Giants, Phillies, and Padres. Those 3 teams I just mentioned rank 28th, 29th, and 30th in the majors for runs scored. Now he is facing a team that ranks 4th in the American League for batting average since the All Star break as the Tigers are hitting .269 since mid-July. Detroit, since the All Star break, is a perfect 5-0 to the over when they are off of a game where they were held to 2 runs or less. The Tigers sending Matt Boyd to the mound for this one should certainly help our cause in that regard. The Detroit southpaw has a 5.61 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in his 9 road starts this season as he has struggled away from home. The over is 6-2-1 in Boyd's starts away from home this season and I like the additional line value here with this total dropping from a 9 to an 8.5 as of early Tuesday morning. Look for the Tigers over to move to 6-0 since the All Star break when they are off of a game where they scored 2 runs or less. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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08-07-17 | Brewers v. Twins OVER 9 | Top | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 8:10 ET - Both these clubs have been trending under of late but the odds makers hung an opener of 9.5 on this total with good reason. That said, the fact the early movement has knocked this total down to a 9 (with the over also available at plus money) means we're getting exceptional line value here. The Twins send Ervin Santana to the mound for this one and he is off of a complete game effort at San Diego in his most impressive start. As impressive as that is, the last two times Santana has thrown a complete game effort it seems to take something out of him over his next few starts. After his last two complete games, in his next game he has combined for allowing 14 hits and 6 walks in just 11 innings of work. That works out to a 1.81 WHIP. Overall, prior to his solid start versus the Padres, Santana had given up 4 earned runs or more in 5 of his last 8 starts. Keep in mind, the Twins right-hander had a 5.46 ERA in the months of June and July combined. His full season numbers look impressive enough and he is off of a strong start but you can see why this is giving bettors some "hidden value" in this one. Over the past 2+ months Santana has had trouble stringing together quality starts. As for the Brewers, Brent Suter gets the call in this one. The 2nd year pitcher is off of a tough start where he allowed 5 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. Also, that start was at home and note that on the road Suter has allowed 12 hits in less than 11 innings spanning his last two starts away from home. The over is 6-3 this season (and 25-16 the last 3 seasons combined) in Milwaukee's Monday games. The over is 24-14 in Twins home games the last 3 seasons combined when they're a favorite in the -125 to -175 range. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-06-17 | Dodgers v. Mets OVER 9 | 8-0 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 23 m | Show | |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8 ET - Battle of southpaws here and these are two of the top hitting teams in the league (based on slugging percentage) versus left-handed pitching this season. The Mets Steven Matz is off of a much better outing but he previously had given up 21 earned runs in only 13 and 1/3 innings spanning his 3 prior starts. He still has an 11.78 ERA in his last 5 starts after allowing 3 earned runs in 5 innings in his most recent start. All 3 of the home starts that Matz has made have gone over the total and he has a 9.69 ERA in home outings this season. The Dodgers are only 1-6 in Hyun-Jin Ryu's road starts this season and the southpaw has a 4.25 ERA away from home this season. The Mets have 14 hits (including 3 homers) in the 11 innings spanning Ryu's last two starts versus New York. The over is 31-18 in Dodgers games versus teams with a losing record this season. The over is an insane 50-17 in Mets night games this season and New York's games versus lefty starters have gone 18-5 to the over this year! In home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs the Mets have gone 14-6 to the over and they also are 13-4 to the over this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. 8* OVER the total in the New York Mets game Sunday evening |
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08-06-17 | Phillies v. Rockies OVER 11 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 36 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 3:10 ET - Yesterday's game got over the total and the Phillies have been hitting better in their last 10 games. Philadelphia should have no trouble with the offerings of the Rockies Jeff Hoffman. The Colorado right-hander has a 10.38 ERA in his last 3 starts and also has a 7.05 ERA at hitter-friendly Coors Field this season. As for the Phils Aaron Nola, I am well aware of the fact that he has been pitching extremely well with a 2nd best franchise record 8 consecutive starts allowing 2 runs or less. In fact, you almost have to feel bad for the guy as he has to now put the streak on the line at the most hitter-friendly venue in the bigs. The problem for Nola is that this is his first ever start at Coors Field and the ball reacts differently here. He won't be able to get the movement he is use to getting on his pitches and the Rockies have been red hot at the plate in home games. Colorado not only scored 8 runs in yesterday's win, they've averaged 8 runs per game in their last 11 home games. Look for more of the same this afternoon and this one should fly over the total just like yesterday's match-up did. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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08-06-17 | Rangers v. Twins OVER 10 | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 7 h 32 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers @ 2:10 ET - Minnesota's Jose Berrios has great numbers on the season and is off of a strong start. However, he had been slumping prior to a solid outing at San Diego Tuesday. Over his 6 prior starts, Berrios had compiled a 5.76 ERA. He's facing a Rangers team that, with yesterday's 4-1 win, has now won 3 of its last 4 games and Texas has built up some confidence at the plate in recent weeks. The Rangers have averaged 5.6 runs per game in their last 11 games and I look for Berrios recent struggles to resume. As for the Twins sticks, they should get back on track as they take advantage of facing a struggling Nick Martinez. The Rangers right-hander, after being recalled from AAA ball, immediately resumed his struggles at the MLB level. He got rocked for 7 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings versus the Mariners. Martinez has a 5.35 ERA on the season and has allowed 9 homers in his 6 road starts this year! The posted total on this game is likely to end up in the 10 or 10.5 range and the over is 12-4 the last 3 seasons combined in Rangers road games with a posted total in that range. The Twins are 104-70 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams with a losing record. 8* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-06-17 | Padres v. Pirates OVER 8.5 | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 29 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Diego Padres @ 1:35 ET - The Padres Clayton Richard is giving the Pirates a quick second look as he just faced them on Tuesday in San Diego. The southpaw gave up 4 earned runs in that outing and is now 0-3 with a 9.68 ERA in his last 3 starts. Pittsburgh turns to Jameson Taillon for this start and he is 0-2 with a 22.95 ERA in his last 2 starts. Both of those Taillon starts went over the total and the over is also 5-2 in Richard's last 7 starts. Yesterday's 5-2 Padres win stayed just under the total but these two struggling starters will bring out the best in both lineups today. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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08-05-17 | Brewers v. Rays OVER 8.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -120 | 22 h 50 m | Show |
Global Warning - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 6:10 ET - The Rays Alex Cobb got rocked in his most recent start. Though it may seem the norm to expect a bounce back after an outing like that, the issue for Cobb is that this could be a sing of things to come. There are some other issues recently that show he's not missing as many bats as he usually does and that was inevitably going to catch up with him. That is what happened at Houston on Monday and the result for Cobb was that he allowed 8 earned runs in only 3 innings of work! This season he has been hit 46 points higher in night starts than in day games and last season, in limited action, Cobb also got rocked with an 11.74 ERA in his 4 night starts. He has given up 5 homers in his last 3 starts and the Brewers are one of the top HR hitting teams in the majors (as are the Rays). Tampa Bay will be facing Zach Davies of the Brewers for the first time. He has put up some impressive numbers recently and has been solid on the road this year. However, Davies pattern last year showed a slow start, some improvement mid-summer and then a tough August. So far he has followed that type of patter this year and I am forecasting another tailing off for him His HR/9, BB/9, K/9 have all trended in the wrong direction from last year. Also, keep in mind, Davies had a 5.56 ERA and got hit at a .306 clip in August of last season. The Rays are 16-10 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs and also entered Friday having gone 23-15 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Saturday |
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08-05-17 | Dodgers v. Mets OVER 9 | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 21 h 59 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 4:05 ET - Even though Rich Hill has great numbers on the season this could prove to be a tough match-up for him. The Mets entered Friday's action with a .463 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching and that ranks among the top teams in the majors! Southpaw Hill, though it was years ago, certainly didn't find pitching in New York versus the Mets to his liking! In fact he has been rocked for 11 earned runs on 14 hits in just 7 and 1/3 innings in the only two starts he has made here in his career. The over is 17-5 in Mets games against southpaw starters this season! As a home dog of +125 to +175 this season, New York is 3-0 to the over. Also, in home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs, the Mets are on a 13-6 run to the over the past 3 seasons combined. One more key stat about Hill is that his ERA in day games is 2 full runs higher than night games this season! As for Mets starter Seth Lugo, he has a 4.61 ERA on the season as a starter and the over has gone 6-3 in his 9 starts. The Dodgers entered Friday's action having gone 30-17 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. Los Angeles has a .446 slugging percentage against right-handed pitchers this season and that ranks them among top teams in the majors. LA also entered Friday's action ranking among the top teams in the majors for batting average (.276) and slugging percentage (.479) since the All Star Break. 8* OVER the total in the New York Mets game Saturday |
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08-04-17 | Rangers v. Twins OVER 10.5 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers @ 8:10 ET - Yesterday's game was played in damp and chilly air with a strong north wind and temps in the mid-50s. Today's game will be played in temperatures about 20 degrees higher as temps are expected to peak in the mid-70s today in Minneapolis. Couple that with the fact that you have two pitchers likely to get rocked here and you have the perfect set-up for an over. Bartolo Colon is viewed to be pitching better because he has allowed just 3 earned runs in each of his last two starts. However, Colon was in trouble in those outings and the damage clearly could have been worse. The aging right-hander gave up 16 hits (including 3 homers) in those two outings and they spanned just 11 and 1/3 innings. Overall, Colon has a 5.87 ERA in his last 3 starts and a 7.87 ERA on the year. He gave up 5 earned runs in his most recent start versus Texas and this one is likely to be uglier as Colon is so hittable this season! As for the Rangers Martin Perez, he is facing the Twins for the 2nd time this season and this time it is on the road where he has recorded just 1 win in 7 starts. Also, Perez has a 7.79 ERA in his last 3 starts and his strikeout numbers are down too since the All Star break. Colon doesn't register many strikeouts either and that means plenty of contact for the hitters on a milder evening with the wind blowing out toward center at Target Field. The over is 12-4 in Colon's 16 starts this season. The over is 11-4 the last 15 times the Rangers have been on the road in a game with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs. The over is a long-term 103-69 in Twins games against teams with a losing record and the over is 5-2 in the last 7 starts Perez has made in addition to that 75% mark on the season for overs in Colon's starts! In other words, a slugfest is to be expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-03-17 | White Sox v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | 5-9 | Win | 100 | 8 h 3 m | Show | |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Chicago White Sox @ 7:10 ET - Mild weather this evening in Boston and the wind will be blowing out to left or left-center. It is set up well for plenty of offense and Rick Porcello is 3-8 with a 5.01 ERA in his home starts this season for the Red Sox. As for Chicago's Miguel Gonzalez, he is 2-6 with a 5.30 ERA in his road starts this season. The White Sox right-hander has given up 5 earned runs on 12 hits in less than 12 innings of work in his last two starts at Fenway Park. As for Porcello, the last two times he has hosted the White Sox he has allowed 10 runs (9 earned) on 18 hits in just 7 and 1/3 innings of work. Though the ChiSox struggled at the plate in yesterday's loss to Toronto, they previously had reached double digits in hits in 3 of their 4 prior games. As for the Red Sox, they've averaged nearly 11 hits per game in their last 7 games and they've had 13 hits or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Boston has averaged 7.5 runs per game in their last 4 games and they're showing no signs of slowing down. The Red Sox were off yesterday and they're 6-2 to the over this season when playing after an off day. The White Sox are 9-4 to the over in the last 13 starts that Gonzalez has made. Look for another one here on a hitter-friendly evening at a hitter-friendly park. 8* OVER the total in Boston Thursday |
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08-03-17 | Mets v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | 4-5 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 36 m | Show | |
Midday Mauler - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 8* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs New York Mets @ 3:10 ET - A cool front has moved through Denver and there will be more humidity than is typical of an early August game at Coors Field. Also, the wind will be blowing in from the north for this game. However, the true result of all this is line value for the over! This total has dropped form a 13 to an 11.5 but this is still a day game at Coors Field ladies and gentlemen. Also, the Rockies German Marquez certainly has great numbers on the season but this is a guy who has been hit 30 points higher by lefties in comparison with righties in his two seasons in the majors. The significance of that here is that the Mets are loaded with left-handed sticks and switch-hitters on their active roster. That said, New York will be challenging Marquez with plenty of left-handed lumber in this one. As for Mets starter Rafael Montero, this could get ugly in a hurry. The right-hander walked 5 in his most recent start but certainly part of the reason for the extra caution with his pitches was the fact that he had allowed 3 homers in his prior start. Montero is 1-4 with a 5.70 ERA on the season and both of his road starts have gone over the total. The Rockies have a .510 slugging percentage at home which ranks them #1 in the majors. The Mets have a .481 slugging percentage on the road which ranks them #1 in the National League. The over is 62-33 in New York's games this season and I would not be surprised to see another game total 15 runs just like last night's game did as the over improves to 5-1 this season in games between these teams. 8* OVER the total in Colorado |
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08-02-17 | Rays v. Astros OVER 9 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 8:10 ET - Perhaps Houston's Dallas Keuchel should worry more about his own pitching and how he gets back on track after coming off of the disabled list rather than dissing his own team for not making moves at the trade deadline. Memo to Keuchel: your team has the best record in the American League (by far) and why change what has been working? In any event look for Keuchel to again get hammered just like he did at Detroit last week in a start that lasted only 3 innings. The southpaw gave up 14 hits in 12 innings in his two starts versus Tampa Bay last season and the Rays come into this match-up heating up at the plate. TB has scored 4 runs or more in 8 of their last 10 games including scoring at least 5 runs 7 times. Of course the Astros have one of the best lineups in baseball even when they're a little banged up. Wednesday they'll take advantage of facing a Rays starter, Austin Pruitt, whom gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his start last week. He may put too much pressure on himself here as he is from the Houston area and went to both high school and college here. This is just his 3rd start in this, his rookie, season as he has mostly worked out of the bullpen. The results have not been good overall. Pruitt has been hit at a .319 clip and compiled a 6.63 ERA this season. The over is 9-2 in the Astros last 11 games. The over is 23-13 in Tampa Bay's games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the over is 34-18 in Rays games when they are off of a win. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Astros Wednesday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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08-02-17 | Twins v. Padres OVER 8.5 | 5-2 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 28 m | Show | |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Minnesota Twins @ 3:40 ET - The Padres will have Luis Perdomo on the bump for this one. He got hit at a .310 clip by left-handed hitters last season and now this season left-handed sticks are batting .331 against him. The Twins are loaded with left-handed lumber (including a number of switch-hitters) and this will likely prove to be a tough match-up for Perdomo as a result. The Padres right-hander comes into this start having allowed 39 hits in just 25 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 5 starts. The over is 4-1 in Perdomo's last 5 starts. The Twins counter with Ervin Santana here. The veteran right-hander has given up 4 earned runs or more in 6 of his last 10 starts! Santana has given up 62 hits in the 46 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 8 starts. As you can see, both of these pitchers have been very hittable and yet we've got a low total to deal with here since this game is being played at Petco Park. Keep in mind, the ball carries better in day games (compared to night games) at San Diego. Last night's under (a rare shutout defeat) for the Twins was just their 2nd one in their last 9 games! The over is on a 103-67 run in Minnesota's games against teams with a losing record. The over is 25-10 this season in San Diego's home games where their line ranges from -125 to +125. Also, the Padres are 34-20 to the over in inter-league games the past 2+ seasons. More of the same late Wednesday afternoon. 8* OVER the total in San Diego |
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08-02-17 | Tigers v. Yankees OVER 10 | 2-0 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 4 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers @ 1:05 ET - Masahiro Tanaka gets the start for the Yankees. He has allowed 5 earned runs in each of his last two starts versus the Tigers and Tanaka gave up a total of 5 homers in those two outings. Detroit sends Jordan Zimmerman to the mound for this one. He is 1-5 with a 6.67 ERA on the road this season and, overall, the over is 13-5-1 in Zimmerman's last 19 starts! Tanaka is 0-5 with a 14.81 ERA in his 6 starts in day game action this season! Teams are hitting .419 against Tanaka under the sun this season. On a warm afternoon with the wind blowing out at Yankee Stadium, look for more of the same early Wednesday afternoon. The over is 22-11 in Tigers day games this season and the over is 10-3 in Yankees games where they are a home favorite in a range of -175 to -250 so far this year. I'll test the combined 32-14 (70%) season mark here as Tanaka's day game struggles continue and Zimmerman's road game struggles continue. 8* OVER the total in the New York Yankees game |
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08-01-17 | Mets v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 54 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs New York Mets @ 8:40 ET - How much worse can it get for Steven Matz of the Mets. Not only has the New York southpaw allowed 21 earned runs on 34 hits in the 13 and 1/3 innings spanning his last four starts, Matz now has to make a road start at the most hitter-friendly venue in the majors. Coors Field is unlikely to be welcoming to Matz who is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA in his two starts against the Rockies in his career - and both those were at New York! Jeff Hoffman was matched up with Matz two weeks ago in New York and that was a 13-4 Rockies win. I expect to see another wild one here. Hoffman has an 11.77 ERA and 2.39 WHIP in his last 3 starts. The over is 3-0 in his last 3 starts and the over is also 3-0 in the last 3 starts that Matz has made. Truly the Mets have been an "over machine" this season as the over is 49-15 in all their night games this season. Also, in August games the past two seasons combined, the over is 38-19 in Mets games. Look for the over to improve to 10-1 in New York's Tuesday games on the season. The Mets enter this game on an 8-2 run to the over. The Rockies are 11-4 to the over since the All Star break. Also, when playing after an off day, Colorado is on a 28-18 run to the over the past 3 seasons combined. Look for the recent high-scoring trend in Rockies games to continue here as both of these pitchers have been getting pounded of late. 8* OVER the total in Colorado |
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08-01-17 | Blue Jays v. White Sox OVER 9.5 | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 29 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Chicago White Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 8:10 ET - Mike Pelfrey gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his most recent start. Prior to that outing he walked 6 batters in just 5 innings in his prior start. The fact is that, after a surprisingly strong run for Pelfrey earlier this season, the fade is now on! He has averaged less than 5 innings per start in his last 6 outings. Pelfrey has given up 14 earned runs in his last 19 and 1/3 innings which has spanned his last 4 home starts. Pelfrey will be opposed by Toronto's Marcus Stroman in this one. The Blue Jays right-hander would likely rather be facing someone else. The Blue Jays are 0-5 in Stroman's starts against the White Sox in his career and he has compiled an ugly 6.23 ERA in those 5 outings. Like Pelfrey, Stroman seems to be "on a fade" as well as he has walked 11 in his last 12 and 1/3 innings. He was unable to complete 5 innings in his most recent start. The ChiSox rallied from a late 6-0 deficit for the 7-6 win yesterday and the White Sox have now seen the over go 5-2 in their last 7 home games. The over is now 4-1 in Toronto's last 5 games overall as well as 4-1 in their last 5 road games. As a road favorite of -175 or more, the Blue Jays are on a 5-0 run to the over. The ChiSox are 28-15 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record on the season. Look for more of the same on Tuesday. 8* OVER the total in the Chicago White Sox game |
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08-01-17 | Indians v. Red Sox OVER 8 | 10-12 | Win | 105 | 14 h 1 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians @ 7:10 ET - This is a contrarian play to say the least! I am well aware of the fact that Boston's Chris Sale has not allowed an earned run in any of his last 3 starts. However, he has allowed 5 homers in his last 3 starts versus the Indians. Also, Sale faced Cleveland twice last season and he gave up 9 earned runs in just 10 and 1/3 innings spanning those two starts. As for the Tribe, Carlos Carrasco gets the start in this one. The Indians right-hander has given up 18 hits in the 10 and 1/3 innings spanning the two starts he has made at Fenway Park in his career. Also, in his only recent start versus the Red Sox he gave up 3 homers in an outing that lasted just 5 innings last season! Carrasco enters this start with a 4.34 ERA in his last 3 starts and each of his last two outings have gone over the total. The over is a perfect 3-0 in Sale's last 3 starts versus the Indians. Yesterday's match-up saw the teams combine for 20 hits but the game stayed under the total. The Red Sox left 10 men on base yesterday while the Indians went 0 for 3 with men in scoring position. Look for more opportunities to be cashed in tonight and I'll take advantage of the very low O/U here posted here as the over improves to 11-4 in Red Sox Tuesday games this season! 8* OVER the total in Boston |
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08-01-17 | Royals v. Orioles OVER 10 | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 8 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:05 ET - Despite 15 hits in yesterday's game it was a 2-1 pitchers duel with the Orioles winning it in the bottom of the 9th over the Royals. Look for Tuesday's game to play out in much different fashion. Kansas City sends Ian Kennedy to the mound for this one and he has a 5.40 ERA in his last two starts. The over is 12-6-1 in his 19 starts this season. Though he hasn't started in Baltimore in many years the fact is that he certainly didn't fall in love with the city. In his two career starts at Baltimore, Kennedy gave up 7 earned runs in less than 6 innings of work! The Orioles are starting Dylan Bundy in this one and the over is a perfect 8-0 in his last 8 starts! Bundy has allowed 5 runs or more in 5 of his last 7 starts. He has allowed 5 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 6 starts. Look for more of the same on Tuesday as, prior to yesterday's low-scoring loss, the Royals had won 10 of their last 11 games and averaged scoring 7.3 runs per game during this hot streak. The over is 16-9 this season in Kansas City road games where their money line is in a range of -125 to +125. The over is 8-4 in Orioles home games with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs. 8* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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07-31-17 | Indians v. Red Sox OVER 10.5 | 2-6 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 34 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians @ 7:10 ET - Doug Fister gets the spot start here for the Red Sox and he is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in his four starts this season. The last time he started against Cleveland, Fister allowed 6 earned runs in just 4 and 1/3 innings of work. Mike Clevinger gets the start for the Indians in this one and he had been pitching well but his start versus the Angels last week - 5 earned runs on 9 hits in just 4 and 1/3 innings - is a sign of things to come in this start. Clevinger certainly looking "off" in that outing and more of the same expected here. The Red Sox have averaged 5 runs per game in their last 6 home games and I don't see them being shut down at Fenway Park. As for the Indians, they should pound Fister just like they did in September. Keep in mind, before their loss yesterday, Cleveland had won 9 straight games and scored an average of 7.3 runs per game in the process! The over was 7-3 in the Indians 10 games prior to yesterday's low-scoring series finale with the White Sox. 8* OVER the total in Boston |
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07-31-17 | Royals v. Orioles OVER 10 | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 26 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:05 ET - The Orioles Ubaldo Jimenez is off of a rare, strong start. Â Prior to a solid outing at Tampa Bay last week, the veteran right-hander had given up 21 earned runs in the 19 innings spanning his 4 prior starts. Jimenez had allowed 4 earned runs or more in 9 of his 11 starts prior to allowing just 2 earned runs versus the Rays. The Royals are starting Danny Duffy in this one. I know the KC southpaw is having a solid season. However, he is currently in the midst of a pattern where he's been unable to string together solid starts. Prior to a strong outing at Detroit last week, Duffy had given up 4 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 5 starts. Even though Duffy has some decent numbers versus the Orioles in his career, he did allow 8 hits in 7 innings when he faced them earlier this season. Also, in his last two starts at Baltimore, the Royals left-hander gave up 3 homers. The Orioles will do some damage here as Duffy's strikeout numbers have been trending downward lately and when Baltimore makes contact they are certainly a dangerous lineup with a lot of pop. The Orioles are hitting .271 over the past week while the Royals are at .305 over the same time frame. In fact, Kansas City has averaged 7.6 runs per game in their last 10 games while the Orioles are averaging 6.4 runs per game in their last 12 games. Look for more of the same here early Monday evening. 8* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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07-31-17 | Braves v. Phillies OVER 8.5 | 6-7 | Win | 100 | 4 h 26 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves @ 12:35 ET - This total has dropped from a 9 to an 8.5 and I am taking advantage of the added line value and stepping in with a play on the over. Mike Foltynewicz is having a great season for the Braves but he is getting hit at a .301 clip by left-handed bats. That is significant here as the Phillies are loaded with left-handed batters and switch-hitters so he is going to see plenty of left-handed lumber in this one. I know Foltynewicz has pitched very well against the Phillies this season but Philadelphia is now getting a 3rd crack at him and I look for the 3rd time to be the charm! The Phils just won their 4th straight game with yesterday's walk-off win and they are stepping into the batters box with the added confidence of a team that has won 8 of its last 11 games! As for the Braves, they should have no trouble with the offerings of Nick Pivetta. He has proven to be inconsistent in this, his rookie, season. Pivetta is 1-2 with a 9.37 ERA in his 3 starts since the All Star break. He struggled in his lone start against the Braves early last month and gave up 6 hits and 3 walks in just 5 innings of work. The over is 2-1 in Pivetta's last 3 starts and a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 starts that Foltynewicz has made. Also, the over is 7-3 in Braves Monday games this season (and 26-14 the last 3 seasons combined). 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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07-30-17 | Pirates v. Padres OVER 8.5 | Top | 7-1 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 4:40 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Padres Clayton Richard does a good job of inducing ground balls and therefore he does get a lot of double plays. However, when you're getting hit as hard as he has been getting hit, damage will eventually be done and that certainly has been the case lately for the San Diego southpaw. Richard has gone 0-3 with a 9.86 ERA and ridiculous 2.42 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Look for his struggles to continue here as the Pirates take advantage of facing a struggling hurler and get their bats back on track. Before struggling at the plate in their 3 most recent games, the Pirates had recorded 11 hits or more in 6 of their 9 prior games! With the way Richard has been throwing, Pittsburgh's bats are likely going to resume that type of hitting and reach double digits in hits Sunday afternoon. The Pirates concern is the fact that Gerrit Cole has struggled on the road this season. He gave up only 2 runs Monday but did allow 10 baserunners in just 6 innings at San Francisco. Now Cole faces a red hot Padres team that has won 7 of its last 10 games and averaged scoring 5.4 runs per game during this hot stretch. The Padres are 12-3-1 to the over in their 16 games since the All Star Break. The over is 7-2-1 in Richard's last 10 starts. He has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 5 of his last 6 starts. Also, the Padres are 7-2 to the over this season (and 20-10 to the over the last 3 seasons combined) when they are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in San Diego |
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07-30-17 | Astros v. Tigers OVER 9.5 | 1-13 | Win | 105 | 5 h 15 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros @ 1:10 ET - The Astros lost 5-3 yesterday. While it is tempting to back Houston off of a loss (as they have responded very well in this situation), Lance McCullers has not been pitching well at all. That is why the play here is on the total. The over is 7-2 the last 9 times that the Astros were off of a loss. Houston has lost each of the last 4 starts McCullers has made as he has compiled an ugly 8.53 ERA during this rough stretch. Also, the Astros right-hander hasn't pitched past the 5th inning the entire month of July. The Tigers Justin Verlander has been pitching well but the trade deadline (tomorrow) has to be in his head a bit as he prepares for this start. Also, he got crushed by the Astros the only time he faced them this season with 6 earned runs allowed in less than 6 innings of work. Look for the over to improve to 5-0 in McCuller's last 5 starts. Houston is 32-14 to the over in road games this season. Also, the Astros have had just 2 unders in 16 Sunday games this season! The Tigers are 21-11 to the over in day games this season and they've had just 3 unders in their 16 Sunday games this season. More of the same this Sunday! 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-30-17 | Angels v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | 10-11 | Win | 100 | 5 h 28 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Los Angeles Angels @ 1:05 ET - The Angels are 0-3 in the last 3 starts Chavez has made and he has compiled an 8.10 ERA with a 1.95 WHIP. In other words, Chavez is struggling badly and certainly the road has not been kind to him this season. Away from home Chavez is 2-6 with a 7.17 ERA on the season. He'll be opposed by the Blue Jays Cesar Valdez whom has mostly been stuck in the minors during his 12-year career. This will be just the 5th MLB start for Valdez in his long career. Even though he is off of a strong start versus Oakland, he has a 6.15 ERA in his 18 games (4 starts) at the MLB level. Look for him to struggle against an Angels lineup that is heating up and, after rallying for the win yesterday, has scored 6 runs or more in 5 of its last 9 games. Los Angeles is heating up and Toronto will certainly score their fair share against a struggling Chavez in this one. 8* OVER the total in Toronto |
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07-29-17 | Mets v. Mariners OVER 9 | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 39 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in Seattle Mariners vs New York Mets @ 4:10 ET - The Mets Jacob deGrom certainly has produced fantastic numbers this season. However, the right-hander has a significant home/road dichotomy as he has been much stronger at home compared to on the road. In his 10 road starts this season he has a 4.34 ERA and he has allowed 14 home runs! 8 of deGrom's 10 starts away from home have resulted in an over. He'll be opposed by Yovani Gallardo in Seattle this afternoon. He allowed 3 homers in his only start since the break and that was Sunday versus the Yankees. The over is 7-1-1 in Gallardo's last 9 starts and he has an ugly 8.49 ERA in these 9 outings dating back to late May. The Mets continue to be an "over machine" this season as, after another one last night (7-5 win over the M's) the over is now 60-31 in New York's games on the year! Look for the over to improve to 9-3 (75%) on the season in Mets road games where they are a favorite in a range of -125 to -175. The over is 33-18 in Mariners interleague games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, look for the over to improve to 15-7 (68%) in M's home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs the past 3 seasons combined. 8* OVER the total in Seattle |
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07-29-17 | Angels v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 12 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Los Angeles Angels @ 1:05 ET - The Angels are setting this one up as a "bullpen game" as Yusmeiro Petit is making his first start of the season because Alex Meyer is "on the shelf" due to injury. Petit has not made an MLB start in over a year. The Blue Jays sent Francisco Liriano to the mound for this one and he is 2-7 with a 5.90 ERA in his 11 starts versus Los Angeles in his career. The last time he hosted the Angels they rocked him for 7 runs (6 earned) in only 3 and 1/3 innings! Liriano comes into this start with a 9.34 ERA and 2.08 WHIP in his 3 starts since the All Star break. Yesterday's 7-2 win saw quite a few runs scored off the bullpens in the later innings. I expect more of the same in this early afternoon game Saturday. Although yesterday's game stayed under the total, the over is 9-3 in Liriano's last 12 starts! More of the same early Saturday afternoon! 8* OVER the total in Toronto |
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07-28-17 | Reds v. Marlins OVER 9.5 | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Cincinnati Reds @ 7:10 ET - Yesterday's match-up stayed under the total but I just don't see either one of these pitchers enjoying success today. Vance Worley gets the start for the Marlins but that is only because Tom Koehler was sent to Triple-A due to ineffectiveness. Worley has been working out of the bullpen but his long relief role truly hasn't gone well. Worley got hit at a .356 clip in June and opponents are hitting a ridiculous .407 against him in July! As for Reds starter Sal Romano, he did pitch well against the Marlins last week but now the Miami hitters get another look at him in his very next start and that generally doesn't bode well for young pitchers. Keep in mind Romano had given up 12 hits and 6 walks in 9 innings for a 2.00 WHIP in his first two starts in July before he had some success versus the Marlins in that start Sunday. Romano's only night start so far at the big league level saw him get rocked at home by Arizona on the 18th. Look for more of the same on Friday evening. Even with yesterday's under, the over is a solid 37-24 this season Marlins night games. 8* OVER the total in Miami |
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07-28-17 | Astros v. Tigers OVER 9.5 | 6-5 | Win | 105 | 11 h 32 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros @ 7:10 ET - Dallas Keuchel has phenomenal numbers on the season but I don't expect him to be ultra effective in his first start back after a long stint on the disabled list. Keep in mind, the last time he faced the Tigers at Detroit he was rocked for 7 earned runs in 5 innings and that was nearly a year ago to the day. Making his first start since June 2nd and against a Tigers team that has averaged 5.8 runs per game in their last 12 games, Keuchel struggles here. The good news for Astros fans is that the Houston southpaw should benefit from plenty of run support in this one. Houston will be facing a struggling Jordan Zimmerman in this one. The Tigers right-hander has a 7.42 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in his last 3 starts. The over is 12-5-1 in Zimmerman's last 18 starts! He has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 4 of those 5 starts. The over is 11-2 in the Astros last 13 games against teams with a losing record. In road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs Houston has gone 33-13 to the over the past 3 seasons. The Tigers have lost three straight games and that is a situation that has resulted in them going 8-1 to the over this season and 34-17 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. Look for these trends to continue on Friday evening. 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-27-17 | Reds v. Marlins OVER 9 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Cincinnati Reds @ 7:10 ET - These teams just met in Cincinnati on Saturday with this same pitching match-up and the total was a high as an 11.5 in some places. Now the rematch total has moved down to a 9 from a 9.5 even though neither pitcher was sharp in Saturday's game. The Reds Robert Stephenson allowed 5 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings while the Marlins Chris O'Grady walked 6 in a start that lasted less than 5 innings. Many will want to play the under here since Miami is off of a record-setting game yesterday where 32 runs were scored in a 22-10 win over the Rangers at Texas. However, there is no reason to expect Miami not to stay hot at the plate against a very hittable Stephenson. At the same time, the Reds scored 5 runs in yesterday's loss at New York versus the Yankees and they have now scored 4 runs or more in 6 of their last 12 games. Even though those aren't phenomenal stats for Cincy, the fact they now face a pitcher (O'Grady) who has struggled with command of his pitches has me expecting at least 4 or more from the Reds here. Certainly the Marlins will at least match the Reds run for run and I expect at least a 6-5 type game in this one. The over is on a 24-16 run in Cincinnati's Thursday games and the over is on a 21-14 run in Reds road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. The over is 37-23 in Marlins night games this season and their .267 batting average versus right-handed pitching this season ranks them in the top 20% of the majors! 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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07-26-17 | A's v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | 2-3 | Loss | -135 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto vs Oakland @ 7:05 ET - The A's send Paul Blackburn to the bump for this one. The right-hander has only made 4 starts at the MLB level in his career. Blackburn hasn't been overly sharp in his last 2 starts as he has allowed 7 earned runs on 11 hits and 5 walks in 11 and 1/3 innings. He only has a total of 5 strikeouts in the 19 innings spanning his last 3 starts so he is not missing a lot of bats. That said, Toronto should enjoy a breakout game at the plate as they will have some extra confidence coming off of back to back wins after some recent frustrating stretches of losing. The Blue Jays issue tonight will be starting pitching. Marco Estrada is struggling and has blamed fatigue. Whatever is behind the struggles the numbers do not lie and Estrada has a 10.38 ERA in his last 3 starts while compiling an ugly 2.08 WHIP in these outings. The right-hander also is 0-2 with a poor 8.38 ERA in his two career starts versus the A's and that includes one early last month. Though Oakland has been scuffling a bit at the plate of late, facing a struggling Estrada is going to help them snap out of it in a big way Wednesday evening. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Estrada's last 4 starts and 6 of his last 7 outings have resulted in an over. Look for another one here! 8* OVER the total in Toronto |
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07-26-17 | Braves v. Diamondbacks OVER 10 | 3-10 | Win | 100 | 6 h 29 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs Atlanta Braves @ 3:40 ET - The Diamondbacks sent Patrick Corbin to the mound for this one. Although the southpaw has a low ERA in his last 3 starts he has allowed 20 hits in the 18 and 1/3 innings spanning the 3 outings. Now he faces the Braves for the 2nd time in the past 2 weeks and Atlanta did get to him for 6 hits in 5 innings when they faced Corbin right after the All Star Break. The Braves roll into this game with extra confidence after an 8-3 win yesterday. That game went over the total and the over is now 6-0-1 in Atlanta's last 7 games. That's right, not a single under for the Braves in their past 7 games. As for the Diamondbacks, they had averaged scoring 6.7 runs per game in their last 7 games before falling short in yesterday's 8-3 loss. They should have no problems with the offerings of Aaron Blair. I realize the Braves righty is seeking revenge today against his former team (Dbacks drafted him) but he struggled when he faced Atlanta last season in May and he has been in the minors all season so far this year. The concerning thing for Blair is he has compiled a 4.86 ERA in the minors this season. Now he takes a step up and faces tougher hitters at the MLB level and I do not expect this to go well for Blair. By the way, the over is 31-18 in Atlanta's road games this season. Also, the Braves are 11-4 to the over in Wednesday games this year. Look for the over to improve to 8-3 in Corbin's last 11 starts. 8* OVER the total in Arizona |
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07-26-17 | Orioles v. Rays OVER 9.5 | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 18 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles @ 12:10 ET - Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for the Orioles and he is having an awful season. The Baltimore right-hander is 4-6 with a 7.82 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP. The bigger concern for Jimenez is that things are actually getting worse not better! Jimenez has given up 12 earned runs on 21 hits (including 3 homers) in just 9 innings of work spanning his last two starts. The over is 10-5 in his 15 starts this season and I expect another one here. That's because, even though Alex Cobb has been throwing very well for the Rays, the Orioles have had his number this season. Versus Baltimore, Cobb has given up 10 runs (8 earned) on 14 hits (including 2 homers) in 11 and 1/3 innings of work. The O's will be seeing Cobb for the 3rd time already this season and Baltimore has averaged scoring 7.5 runs per game in their last 8 games. By the way, versus the Rays this season Jimenez has given up a ridiculous 12 earned runs in 5 and 2/3 innings spanning his two starts versus Tampa Bay. As you would expect, both games flew over the total. The over is 41-25 in Baltimore's games against right-handed starters this season. The over is 11-4 in Rays Wednesday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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07-25-17 | Royals v. Tigers OVER 8.5 | 3-1 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 18 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:10 ET - I lost with this pick yesterday but will come right back with hit here. Yesterday's 5-3 Kansas City win went 12 innings so extra bullpen was used. Also, these pitchers just faced the opponent their facing this evening and that will be a big edge for the hitters who had no problems pounding these hurlers in their most recent appearance. Michael Fullmer gets the starts for the Tigers and he was rocked for 8 runs (5 earned) in less than 3 innings of work last week against the Royals. Though you might expect him to completely bounce back at home, the fact is that Fullmer has had a higher ERA and lower strikeout rate in home games this season. Also, this will be the 3rd time the Royals are seeing him in a span of 4 weeks. KC will send Danny Duffy to the mound for this one. He was hit hard by Detroit last week and was fortunate the damage wasn't worse. The Royals southpaw gave up 4 earned runs on 9 hits in 5 innings of work. Overall, Duffy has found the Tigers to be a bit of a nemesis of late as he has allowed 14 earned runs in 14 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus Detroit. In his last start at Comerica Park he gave up 3 homers. Prior to yesterday's result the over was 7-3 in the games between these teams this season with an average of 11 runs scored per game. That said, I like the value with the low total (8.5) posted on this one. None of Fullmer's last 3 starts have resulted in an under. Also, the over is 3-0 in his last 3 starts versus the Royals and the over is 3-0 in Duffy's last 3 starts versus the Tigers. Look for the over to improve ot 17-9 on the season in Tigers games versus left-handed starters. 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-25-17 | Orioles v. Rays OVER 9 | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 14 h 42 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - The Rays got shutout out at home yesterday but they're likely to respond in a big way as they now face the struggling Wade Miley. The Orioles southpaw has given up 4 earned runs or more in 7 of his last 9 starts. Miley has given up 65 hits in his last 37 and 2/3 innings. As you can see from those numbers, it is no wonder that the Baltimore lefty has been giving up runs in bunches! He'll be opposed by Tampa Bay's Jacob Faria in this one. The 23 year old right-hander has pitched very well in what is his rookie season. However, this is still just his 9th major league start and he is known for throwing strikes and challenging hitters as he walks very few batters. That may not prove so effective against this Orioles lineup. The O's have won 6 of their last 8 and they have an aggressive lineup that is seeing Faria for the 3rd time already within about a 4 week period. They hit 3 homers against Faria in the first two starts and could be even tougher on the righty today as this is the only team that Faria has had to face more than once so far in his young career. Keep in mind, with their 5-0 win yesterday the Orioles not only are on a 6-2 run, they've also averaged scoring 8 runs per game in their last 7 games. The over is 40-25 this season in Baltimore's games against right-handed starters. Also, even with yesterday's home shutout, the Rays are still 6-3 to the over in home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs this season. Look for another over to be added to that record this evening! 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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07-24-17 | Royals v. Tigers OVER 9 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:10 ET - These pitchers just squared off in Kansas City Wednesday and it was a 4-3 game that was a bit of a pitchers duel between these two starters. As a result, it comes as no surprise that this total has dropped down from a 9.5 to a 9 Monday morning. I am grabbing the value with the over here as the wind will be blowing out in Detroit this evening and, even though it will be cool by July standards, it will be a hitter-friendly evening at Comerica Park. The Royals will be seeing Verlander for the 4th time already this season and they did hit 3 homers against him in the last game they saw him in last season. Repetition tends to help the hitters and this will be Kansas City's fourth look at Verlander in less than two months time! Jason Hammel has a 7.25 ERA in his 8 career starts versus the Tigers and he has allowed 3 homers in a game in 2 of his last 4 starts versus Detroit. That under last week on Wednesday was just his 2nd under in 8 starts versus the Tigers in his career! I know both these pitchers have been trending under of late but the over is 7-2 overall in Detroit's last 9 games. Also, the Royals enter this game on a 5-game winning streak that has seen them score an average of 7.8 runs per game! The over is 26-14 in Tigers divisional games this season and I expect another one here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-24-17 | White Sox v. Cubs OVER 8 | 3-1 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 9 m | Show | |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox @ 2:20 ET - The wind will be blowing in at Wrigley Field and it will be a rather cool afternoon by July standards. However, the result of this is that we're being given a low total to work with here in a game that should see plenty of runs. The Cubs have Kyle Hendricks on the mound and he is making his first MLB start in nearly two months as he returns from the disabled list. Though he was strong in his final rehab start as he prepared for this outing, keep in mind that was in AA minor league ball. In his last 2 MLB starts he has given up 9 earned runs in 9 innings. Also, he has given up 8 earned runs in the 9 innings spanning his last two starts against the White Sox. The ChiSox will have Miguel Gonzalez on the mound for this one. He also just returned from the disabled list recently and he allowed only 1 earned run in his first start back. However, Gonzalez did walk 5 and allowed a total of 10 baserunners in 6 innings in that start. Allowing too many baserunners against the Cubs this afternoon could quickly spell disaster as the Cubs are 8-1 since the All Star break and have averaged 6.2 runs per game during this hot streak. Though the White Sox are enduring a lengthy losing streak, they have scored 4 runs or more in 3 of their last 6 games and I look for facing the crosstown rival Cubs to bring out the best in the ChiSox hitters this afternoon. The over is 8-3 in Cubs interleague games this season and it looks like another one is on tap here! 8* OVER the total in the Chicago Cubs game |
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07-23-17 | Red Sox v. Angels OVER 9 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 13 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox @ 3:35 ET - This total has dropped from a 9.5 to a 9 and there is some exceptional line value here with the over. Boston's Rick Porcello faced the Angels just last month while LA's Parker Bridwell faced the Red Sox in that same series. That said, these lineups just faced these starting pitchers not too long ago and that will be an edge for the hitters in the rematch. The fact is that Porcello has often been able to pitch his way out of jams but that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the most hittable starting pitchers in the majors. Porcello has been hit at a .300 clip on the season and Bridwell has a 4.91 ERA in his 3 home starts this season and 2 of the 3 did result in overs. Porcello allowed 9 hits in 6 innings in his most recent start while Bridwell has given up 17 hits in 12 and 1/3 innings in his two most recent home starts. With yesterday's 7-3 win the Angels have now scored 7 runs twice in their last three games while the Red Sox have averaged scoring 5 runs per game in their last 5 games. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Boston's Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels |
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07-23-17 | Rangers v. Rays OVER 9 | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 5 h 14 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Texas Rangers @ 1:10 ET - The Rangers Tyson Ross got rocked again in his most recent start, at Baltimore Tuesday, and he now has a 7.22 ERA on the season. The over is 4-2 in the 6 starts Ross has made for Texas this year. Ross has made two starts at Tropicana Field in his career and the result has been an ugly 11.58 ERA! Jake Odorizzi gets the start for the Rays here and he is off of a fantastic start at Oakland. However, prior to that, the Tampa Bay right-hander had seen each of his 7 previous starts go over the total! Odorizzi compiled a 6.69 ERA during this 7-0 run to the over! Look for the over in Rays games to improve to 6-2 on the season when they are at home in a match-up with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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07-22-17 | Astros v. Orioles OVER 11 | Top | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - The Astros Collin McHugh will make his first start of 2017 at the MLB level after missing time due to injury. He has been hit at a .309 clip in his rehab assignments in the minors as he has prepared for this start. If you think that is a fluke or that he is really "better than that" the fact is that he really didn't pitch all that great last year. Remember that McHugh had a great 2014 in terms of his ERA and then went 19-7 in 2015. This has him high on the radar of a lot of bettors. However, even with going 13-10 last season he actually was hit quite hard and that includes getting hit at a .295 clip in night games. Also, on the road last season McHugh compiled a 4.95 ERA and was hit at a .291 clip. He's facing a tough Orioles lineup that has averaged scoring 9.5 runs per game in their last 4 games. The over is 7-2 in Baltimore's last 9 games. As for the Astros sticks, they are averaging 7.3 runs per game in going 5-3 in their last 8 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of Chris Tillman. The O's right-hander gave up 6 earned runs in just 2 innings when he last faced Houston. Also, Tillman has an ugly 7.20 ERA and 2.02 WHIP so far this season! The over is 27-12 in Astros road games this season and both these teams are loaded with confidence at the plate right now. 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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07-22-17 | Padres v. Giants OVER 8.5 | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show | |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres @ 4:05 ET - With yesterday's 12-9 win, the over is now a stellar 7-0-1 in the Padres last 8 games! It was the 4th time in 5 games that San Diego has allowed 9 runs or more. However, the Padres offense has averaged scoring 6.3 runs per game during this solid stretch. The wind will be blowing out this afternoon at AT & T Park and the ball does carry better in afternoon games in comparison with night games in San Francisco. Couple that with the fact that this is a favorable pitching match-up for an over and you have all the right ingredients for another wild one by the bay. The Giants send Matt Moore to the mound and, though he has been better at home than on the road this season, the San Francisco southpaw has been getting rocked in most of his recent outings. Prior to a solid effort at home against the Indians, Moore had given up a ridiculous 14 earned runs on 26 hits in just 13 and 2/3 innings spanning his 3 prior home starts. As for Padres starter Luis Perdomo, he has been rocked for 22 hits in just 12 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts. Also, this will be the 3rd time this season that the Giants are facing Perdomo and repetition tends to favor the hitters. The over is 7-2-1 in San Francisco's last 10 games. Also, the over is 28-15 in San Diego's divisional games this season. Look for more of the same Saturday afternoon. 8* OVER the total in San Francisco |
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07-21-17 | Marlins v. Reds OVER 10 | 3-1 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 54 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Miami Marlins @ 7:10 ET - It may seem hard to predict Homer Bailey this season because he's been "hit or miss" so far. However, even in his two recent road starts where he allowed just 1 earned run in each he did give up 15 hits in 12 and 2/3 innings of work over those two outings. Also, one thing is for sure, home starts have been a disaster for Bailey. He has given up 14 earned runs in just 7 innings of work spanning his two outings in Cincinnati this season. Now Bailey will be facing a solid Marlins lineup that is hitting .284 on the road this season which ranks them #1 in the National League! As for Miami's pitcher tonight, Jose Urena gets the call. I am well aware of the fact that Urena has solid overall numbers this season. However, the Marlins right-hander has a 6.92 ERA in his last 3 starts and he has given up 5 homers in just 13 innings spanning those 3 outings. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 in the Marlins last 9 games and 5-2 in the Reds last 7 games as this one has the makings of a slug-fest. Bailey has allowed 5 homers in his 7 innings on his home mound this season. In road games with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs, the Marlins are on a perfect 7-0 run to the over. Also, when playing with a day off this season, Miami has gone 5-1 to the over. Cincinnati got crushed yesterday and they are 26-15 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 10 runs or more. Also, the Reds are 31-19 to the over this season when they are off of a loss. Look for these trends to continue Friday. Â 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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07-21-17 | White Sox v. Royals OVER 10.5 | Top | 6-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 10 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox @ 8:15 ET - Very warm evening in Kansas City with the wind blowing out toward left-center at a good clip. The way both these starting pitchers give up the long ball, the set up is perfect for a slugfest in this one. The Royals Ian Kennedy has some decent numbers on the season but he has allowed 10 homers in his 43 innings at home this season and that includes 2 in his most recent start. Though he pitched well in that outing overall, Kennedy was facing a Rangers team that has the worst batting average on the road this season out of all 30 teams. Kennedy now faces a White Sox team against whom he allowed 4 earned runs in just 4 and 1/3 innings when he faced them earlier this season. He did allow 2 homers in that start as well. The good news for Royals fans tonight is that, even if Kennedy is "giving it up", there is a high probability that Kansas City's lineup will be matching the ChiSox run for run. That's because the White Sox are starting James Shields and he has allowed 10 earned runs in 10 and 2/3 innings spanning his last two starts. The right-hander gave up 3 homers in his most recent road start. Overall on the season Shields has given up 11 home runs in 42 and 1/3 innings. The Royals scored 16 runs yesterday while the White Sox had an off day which was much needed as they are still winless since the All Star break. Chicago is 7-4 to the over this season (and 28-17 to the over the past 3 seasons combined) when they are playing after a day off. The Royals have averaged 11 hits per game in their last 5 games and the over should improve to 4-1 in their last 5 with another wild one on a hitter-friendly night at Kauffman Stadium. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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07-20-17 | Blue Jays v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 8-6 | Win | 100 | 6 h 43 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 1:35 ET - Hot afternoon weather in Boston with the wind blowing out toward center field or at least right-center in this one. The point is that it will be a hitter-friendly afternoon. I am well aware of the fact that last night's 5-1 Boston win means that the under is now 6-0 in the Red Sox last 6 games. However, this one is all about the pitching match-up and the fact that is a day game should also help our cause. Francisco Liriano gets the start for the Blue Jays and he exited his last start very early due to a sore neck. Whether or not the neck bothers him much today is not that much of a factor but it certainly won't help him. The fact is that Liriano has been consistently struggling whether his neck is sore or not! The Toronto southpaw has an 8.36 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, on the season, Liriano has particularly struggled on the road! He has an 8.33 ERA in starts away from home and the over has gone 5-2 in those 7 games. The Red Sox hand the ball to Doug Fister for his 4th start of the season. In his first three starts he has compiled a 6.13 ERA and he already has 9 walks in less than 15 innings of work. He just faced the Jays on June 30th and Liriano just faced the Sox on July 1st. The fact these lineups just saw these starting pitchers also should lead to plenty of offense in this one. Also, Toronto has played 13 games as a road dog in a range of +125 to +175 and only 3 of the 13 games resulted in an under! 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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07-19-17 | Cardinals v. Mets OVER 8 | Top | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Mets vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:10 ET - The Mets got shutout yesterday but they had previously scored 30 runs in their 4 games since the All Star break. New York should bounce back in a big way tonight against a struggling Mike Leake. Cardinals right-hander hasn't allowed a lot of earned runs lately but this is hiding the fact he truly hasn't pitched well at all. In Leake's last two starts he has given up 10 runs (5 earned) on 16 and 6 walks in less than 9 innings of work spanning these two outings. As you can see from these numbers, Leake has been struggling much worse than his ERA would lead you to believe. Also, the righty has given up 8 earned runs in less than 9 innings of work spanning his last two starts against the Mets. New York will have Jacob deGrom on the mound and, though he's got great overall numbers, the Cardinals have been a bit of a nemesis for him. The Mets right-hander has given up 9 earned runs on 20 hits (including 7 homers!) in the less than 12 innings spanning deGrom's last two starts versus St Louis. The Cardinals are 11-7 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. The Mets are 18-9 to the over in games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. Also, overall, New York is 28-14 to the over in home games this season, 9-4 to the over in Wednesday games, and 41-15 to the over in night games! More of the same expected tonight as the Mets look to bounce back from a shutout loss. 10* OVER the total in the New York Mets game |
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07-18-17 | Padres v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | 7-9 | Win | 102 | 11 h 31 m | Show | |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 8:40 ET - When you think of the Padres you don't think of offense but they've been doing a great job at the plate lately. San Diego has averaged 5.5 runs per game on 10.5 hits per game as each of their last 4 contests have gone over the total. Look for the Padres to make it 5-0 to the over since the All Star break with another wild one tonight at Coors Field. The Rockies also are on a perfect 4-0 run to the over since the All Star break and Colorado has pounded out 29 hits in their last two contests as they've averaged scoring 11 runs per game. Look for more of the same tonight based on this pitching match-up. The Padres Dinelson Lamet is 1-2 with an 8.00 ERA on the road this season and the over is 3-1 in his 4 starts away from home. The young hurler makes his first ever start at hitter-friendly Coors Field and that is generally not a fun experience for a rookie pitcher! Antonio Senzatela is also a rookie and he has had his share of struggles for the Rockies this season. He has a 10.80 ERA in his last 3 starts and was demoted to the bullpen so this will now be his first MLB start in 4 weeks. Senzatela has already made 2 starts versus the Padres this season so San Diego's lineup is very familiar with him. That said, the way San Diego has been hitting, the "third time is the charm" for the Padres hitters as they pound him in this start. The over is 7-2 in Senzatela's home starts this season and I expect more of the same tonight. 8* OVER the total in Colorado Tuesday night |
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07-18-17 | Mariners v. Astros OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
AL West Total of the Year - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners @ 8:10 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Astros Carlos Correa jammed his thumb and left yesterday's game early. Even if he does not play tonight or ends up on the disabled list, lets not forget that he was 1 for 8 with 3 strikeouts so far since the All Star break. Certainly he is a big stick but Houston has a solid lineup even if Correa sits. The big key here is the Mariners Sam Gaviglio is likely to struggle in his match-up. He has a 6.35 ERA in his last 3 starts overall plus he has a 5.16 ERA in road outings this season. Also, the Astros lineup just faced him in late June so they're getting a quick second look at him. Brad Peacock gets the start for the Mariners here and he is 2-4 with a 5.90 ERA in his starts versus Seattle. He has struggled badly the last two times he has hosted Seattle as Peacock has been rocked for 11 runs (6 earned) on 12 hits in 8 and 2/3 innings. Overall, with 23 walks in his last 30 and 1/3 innings, command has certainly been an issue for Peacock over his last 6 starts. The over is an insane 11-2 this season (and incredible 46-15 the last 3 seasons combined) in Mariners Tuesday games. The over is on a red hot 12-3-1 run in Houston's last 16 games. The Astros have averaged scoring 8.7 runs per game in their 10 games dating back to July 4th! Seattle has averaged scoring 5.1 runs per game in their last 10 games since Independence Day. Hot sticks and two pitchers likely to struggle in this one has me backing the over in a big way here. 10* OVER the total in Houston Tuesday evening |
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07-17-17 | Tigers v. Royals OVER 10 | Top | 10-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers @ 8:15 ET - I know this is a big total and it has climbed even higher since the opening number but the line move is absolutely justified. Justin Vargas has great full season numbers but he is coming off of his worst start of the season (at Seattle before the break) and they were some troubling signs for him in that game. The rough outing versus the Mariners absolutely could be a sign of things to come. Also, he now faces a Tigers team that is #1 in the majors (out of all 30 clubs) with a .477 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers this season! In his last two starts versus Detroit, Vargas has given up 9 earned runs in less than 9 innings of work. The Tigers will certainly need all the runs they can get here as a struggling Jordan Zimmerman takes to the mound for Detroit. Zimmerman has an ugly 9.94 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, he is 0-4 with a 6.99 ERA on the road this season. Only 1 of his last 5 road starts has resulted in an under. Also, the over is 25-15 in Tigers road games this season and 21-12 in their divisional games this year. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in the Royals 7 games versus Detroit so far this season with another high-scoring match-up tonight. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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07-17-17 | Blue Jays v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 6 m | Show | |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:10 ET - Mild evening in Boston with the wind blowing out to left at Fenway Park. I know the Red Sox and Yankees just wrapped up a low-scoring series but this pitching match-up is conducive to an over and so too is the weather. The Red Sox are starting Eduardo Rodriguez and he is coming off of the disabled list. The southpaw is 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in his career against the Blue Jays and this will be a tough spot for him in his first MLB start in nearly 7 weeks. The Blue Jays counter with Marcus Storman and only 2 of his 8 road starts this season have resulted in unders. Also, the Red Sox have been a nemesis for him. In his last 3 starts versus Boston, Stroman has given up 20 earned runs on 31 hits in less than 16 innings of work. That includes Stroman getting rocked by the Red Sox in Toronto earlier this season. Look for more of the same tonight as the over improves to 4-0 in Stroman's last 4 starts versus Boston. The over is 6-1-1 in Toronto's last 8 games and I look for their recent high-scoring trending to continue here as both starters are likely to get tagged early and often. 8* OVER the total in Boston |
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07-17-17 | Nationals v. Reds OVER 9 | 6-1 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 40 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Washington Nationals @ 12:35 ET - Not only did Stephen Strasburg allow 6 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks in just 3 innings of work in his most recent start, he did not record a single strikeout! He now has just 6 strikeouts in his last 10 innings and he took a come-backer off his hip in his final start before the All Star break. Strasburg last faced the Reds less than 4 weeks ago and they got to him for 5 earned runs in just 5 innings of work. He also allowed 2 homers in just just 5 and 1/3 innings in his last start at Cincinnati. Scott Feldman gets the start for the Reds here and he has been pitching surprising well this season but now gives the Nationals a quick "second look" at him as they just faced him less than 4 weeks ago. Lets not forget the Nats have won 8 of their last 10 games and have averaged scoring 6.7 runs per game during this red hot stretch. They are one of the top offenses in all of baseball but they also have a bullpen that has a 6.15 ERA on the road this season and is arguably the worst pen in baseball so far this season. The Reds pen ranks in the middle of the pack this season so neither teams bullpen is likely to be "lights out" in this early afternoon affair as Cincinnati has already given up 29 runs in this series. The Nationals bats are "feeling it" right now but I also look for Strasburg to struggle again here and that is why my play is on the over in this early afternoon affair. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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07-16-17 | New York Yankees - Game #2 v. Boston Red Sox - Game #2 OVER 8.5 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees (Game 2) @ 8:05 ET - Yesterday's game went 16 innings so the bullpens definitely got some extra work. Additionally, these teams are now playing a double header Sunday and that means Game 2 of this day-night double header will mean that at least 34 innings of Red Sox / Yankees baseball will be played within a span of 24 hours. Needless to say the bullpens will be stretched out and couple that with the fact that these starting pitchers are likely to struggle and you have the perfect situation of an over Sunday night. The Red Sox will have David Price on the mound and the Boston southpaw has found the Yankees to be a nemesis of his. Since Price has gone to the Red Sox he has faced the Yanks plenty. The bad news for the Boston lefty is that the constant repetition has helped the Yankees zone in on his offerings. Price is 1-4 with an ugly 8.31 ERA in his 6 starts versus the Yanks. In his last 4 starts versus the Yankees Price has allowed 20 earned runs on 40 hits in just 23 innings of work. He'll be opposed by Masahiro Tanaka. The Yanks right-hander outdueled Chris Sale at Boston earlier this season but then got rocked in the rematch for 5 earned runs in 5 innings and this was a start in which he allowed 3 homers. Tanaka has a 6.24 ERA on the road this season and he comes into this start off of a home outing in which he allowed 5 earned runs in 4 and 1/3 innings. He did give up 2 homers in that start. The over is 6-3 in Tanaka's road starts this season and the over is a perfect 3-0 in Price's last 3 starts versus the Yankees. The over is 15-6 in Yanks road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 this season. Also, the over is 26-13 in Yankees games against teams with a winning record and 25-12 in Yankees divisional games this season. The Red Sox enter Sunday's action with a 10-3 mark to the over in their Sunday games this season. Regardless of the outcome in Game 1 of this double-header, look for the high-scoring trends to continue in the nightcap! 10* OVER the total in Boston in Game 2 |
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07-16-17 | Cubs v. Orioles OVER 10.5 | 8-0 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 32 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago Cubs @ 1:35 ET - 30 runs have been scored so far in the first two games of this series and both match-ups flew over the total. The Orioles are 5-1 to the over in their last 6 games and the Cubs are 6-2 to the over in their last 8 games. Based on the pitching match-up for Sunday, I see these trends continuing. Jose Quintana, recently acquired from the crosstown White Sox, gets the start for the Cubs in this one. Unfortunately for him, his first start is against an AL foe so that means these hitters have plenty of familiarity with him. Quintana got rocked at Baltimore 2 months ago and he has a 6.55 ERA in his last two starts versus the Orioles. In his career, the Cubs southpaw is 1-3 with a 5.16 ERA at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore counters with Ubaldo Jimenez in this one. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.62 ERA in his career against the Cubs. Though it has been many years since Jimenez has started against the Cubs, the fact is that he is coming into this start in poor current form. He has an 8.10 ERA in his last 2 starts. Also, on the season, Jimenez has a 7.25 ERA and that includes a 6.84 ERA in home starts where the over is a perfect 5-0 this season in his outings. The over is 8-2 in Cubs inter-league games this season and 11-6 in Orioles inter-league games on the year. Also, Baltimore is 10-3 to the over in Sunday games this year and 4-1 to the over as a home dog of +125 to +175 this season. More of the same on Sunday. 8* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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07-15-17 | Yankees v. Red Sox UNDER 8.5 | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 17 h 12 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 8* UNDER the total in Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees @ 4:05 ET - Yesterday's game snuck over the total thanks to a Boston rally from a 4-3 deficit to pull out the win in the bottom of the 9th 5-4. I don't expect another bullpen meltdown here on Saturday afternoon and certainly two very capable starters take to the mound for this one. Chris Sale has been phenomenal for the Red Sox and he is 11-4 with a 2.75 ERA on the season. Also, the BoSox southpaw has allowed just 23 hits while striking out 52 batters in the 36 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 5 starts. The under went 4-1 in those 5 outings and I expect ore of the same here as the Yankees Luis Severino has struck out 29 in 19 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts. Though he did give up some big hits at Houston in his most recent road start, Severino has mostly dominated away from home this season and that includes a dominating performance at Boston in his only start at Fenway Park this season. Look for another one here while Sale's long-term dominance continues as well and that spells "under" in this one. There have only been 4 unders this season in the 12 Boston home games thus far that have had a money line between -175 and -250. Look for the under to improve to 10-5 in Saturday Red Sox games this season. 8* UNDER the total in Boston |
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07-14-17 | Diamondbacks v. Braves UNDER 9.5 | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 23 h 51 m | Show | |
Rickenbach MLB Friday 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 7:35 ET - The Braves are starting R.A. Dickey and the knuckle-baller has been throwing extremely well. He has a 1.00 ERA in his last 4 starts. Also, he has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 21 innings at home! The Diamondbacks hitters will be rusty after the All Star Break which will add to the challenge of facing the fluttering knuckler of Dickey. Also, the Dbacks haven't faced him in a long time and the veteran right-hander has a minuscule 1.64 ERA in his 3 career starts versus Arizona. This season he has gone 5-1 with a 2.98 ERA at home and he'll be opposed by the Diamondbacks Taijuan Walker who has gone 4-2 with a 2.65 ERA on the road this season. Also, this is Walker's first ever career starts against the Braves and that gives him an edge over hitters whom are not familiar with him and whom will also be trying to get their timing back after the All Star Break. Keep in mind, Arizona is averaging only 4 runs per game on the road this season and the Braves were held to 4 runs or less in 12 of their last 15 games before the All Star Break. The Diamondbacks have averaged only 5.9 hits per game in their last 6 games and have not reached double digits in hits in a single game this month. That said, the big total posted on this game is offering solid line value for under players. The under is 19-7 this season in Arizona's road games where their line ranges from +125 to -125. Also, there has not been a single over in any of Dickey's last 3 home starts. 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta early Friday evening |
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07-09-17 | Tigers v. Indians OVER 8 | Top | 5-3 | Push | 0 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers @ 8:05 ET - These teams combined to go 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and the Indians left 10 men on base in their 4-0 win yesterday. While many will expect another low-scoring game today I am coming right back with the over in this one. After yesterday's futility at the plate in run scoring opportunities, look for the hitters to get it done today. Everyone will look at the recent starts of the Tigers Michael Fullmer and the Indians Corey Kluber and they'll expect a low-scoring game here but match-ups are extremely important when evaluating starting pitching. That said, Fullmer has allowed 9 earned runs on 13 hits and 6 walks in the 8 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts versus the Indians and those have both come within the past 10 months. As for the Indians Kluber, he has been crushed for 13 earned runs on 20 hits (including 3 homers) in the 13 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts against the Tigers. Not only have all 3 of those starts come within the past 10 months, 2 of them were outings this season! Look for both of these pitchers to continue to struggle against the same lineups that have been proven to give them trouble in the past. By the way, light winds at Progressive Field tonight but they will be blowing out toward center or right-center on a mild evening in Cleveland that will favor the hitters. Look for the over to improve to 5-0 in Fullmer's career starts against the Indians. Also, the Tigers are 9-3 to the over in Sunday games this season and Detroit is 49-25 to the over in road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs the last 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-09-17 | White Sox v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | Top | 0-10 | Loss | -120 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
1st Half Game of the Year - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Chicago White Sox @ 3:10 ET - Yesterday's game stayed under the total but the White Sox entered that game on a 7-0 run to the over. Though the Rockies have been an "under team" this season, this pitching match-up is conducive to a high-scoring slugfest. Both these teams are among the top teams in the majors for batting average versus left-handed pitching. Also, both teams rank among the best in the majors for slugging percentage against southpaw hurlers. Carlos Rodon is making just his 3rd start of the season and this is his first-ever start at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Though Rodon had a strong start at Oakland, he did walk 6 in just 5 innings in his prior start and now he pitches at the most unfavorable park for pitchers in the majors. As for the Rockies, a struggling Kyle Freeland takes to the hill for this one. The Colorado southpaw has given up 42 hits in the 29 innings spanning his last 5 starts. Freeland is 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Though his home starts have had an incredible under trend this season, Freeland is in poor form and now facing the #1 offense in the majors when it comes to facing left-handers. As for the White Sox Rodon, the over is 3-0 in his last 3 starts dating back to September. This will not be a popular play but it will be a winner and I love fading the masses in situations like this. Big total but we get line value as it has already moved downward and both these pitchers get crushed here. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-09-17 | Angels v. Rangers OVER 9.5 | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 19 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels @ 3:05 ET - The Rangers and Angels combined to go 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position in yesterday's game. All in all 17 men were left on base in the 5-2 Texas win that stayed under the total. I won't hesitate to come right back with the same play I lost with yesterday. The Rangers Yu Darvish has given up 12 earned runs on 19 hits in just 9 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 2 home starts! Though he has had success against the Angels this season, this is the 3rd time already that they'll be seeing him this season and Darvish is not pitching nearly as well now as he was earlier this season. Los Angeles is starting JC Ramirez in this one and the right-hander has been rocked for 10 runs (9 earned) on 14 hits (including 3 homers) in his last 2 starts spanning 10 and 2/3 innings. Ramirez has been rocked in 5 of his last 7 starts! He is 2-4 in these 7 starts with an ERA over 7.00 and opponents are hitting over .300 against him since June 1st! Though yesterday's game stayed under the total it was just the 2nd under for the Rangers in their last 8 games and I look for a return to hot hitting in this one based on the pitching match-up and hot afternoon weather in Arlington. 8* OVER the total in Texas |
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07-09-17 | Brewers v. Yankees OVER 9.5 | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 17 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 1:05 ET - This is a contrarian play for sure based on this pitching match-up but the Brewers had scored an average of 7 runs per game during their 8-1 run prior to yesterday's 5-3 loss on a 3 run bomb in the bottom of the 9th. As for the Yankees, although they are only 4-6 in their last 10 games, the Bronx Bombers have averaged 5.7 runs per game during this 10-game stretch. Also, the over was on an 11-5-1 run in the Yanks 16 games prior to yesterday's under. Masahiro Tanaka is 0-4 with a 15.98 ERA in his 5 day game starts this season! Opponents have hit an insane .442 against him in afternoon action this year! I know Jimmy Nelson has improved stats this season but he entered this season with a 21-38 record in his career. He was 8-16 last season and batters hit .268 against him and he is 7-4 this season and batters have hit .258 against him. The point is that Nelson may not have come as far as you would think and I expect the Yankees potent lineup to do damage against him in the Bronx. Nelson has a 4.62 ERA on the road this season and that higher ERA away from home is no fluke as he had a 6.00 ERA last season on the road and a 4.76 ERA the prior season on the road. The over is 25-11 in Yankees games versus teams with a winning record this season and also 11-4 in Yanks Sunday games this year. 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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07-08-17 | Angels v. Rangers OVER 11 | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels @ 9:05 ET - The last time Tyson Ross faced the Angels he gave up 10 hits in 6 innings two years ago. Speaking of getting hit hard, Ross has compiled a 7.71 ERA in his last 3 starts. Coming off of an embarrassing 10-0 loss yesterday, the Angels sticks should respond here against a hurler who has struggled with command of his pitches. Ross walked 5 in 5 innings in his most recent start. The good news for Rangers fans is that the Texas lineup should enjoy another big day at the plate. Texas will take advantage of facing Jesse Chavez. The Angels right-hander has given up 5 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 6 road starts! Chavez is 2-5 on the road this season with an ugly 6.36 ERA. He has allowed 9 earned runs in 10 and 1/3 innings versus the Rangers so far this season and Texas already hit 3 homers off of Chavez in those two starts. The over is 4-1 in the 5 starts Chavez has made versus the Rangers in his career and the over is 3-1 this season in all the starts Ross has made. Rangers games have reached double digits in runs in 7 straight games and I look for another wild one today in Arlington after last night's game stalled out and ended up with 10 runs after a hot start by the Rangers in the early innings. This time both teams will be crushing the ball and scoring plenty. 10* OVER the total in Texas |
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07-08-17 | Tigers v. Indians OVER 9.5 | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 12 m | Show | |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers @ 7:15 ET - The Indians Mike Clevinger and Detroit's Justin Verlander just met Sunday in Detroit and the result was an 11-8 win for the Tribe. Now they meet again in Cleveland and, with the lineups having just seen these hurlers, I look for another wild one. Clevinger has a 6.75 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP in the two starts he has made against the Tigers in his career. Detroit's Verlander is struggling this season and this has been particularly true on the road. The Tigers are only 2-7 in his road starts this season and Verlander has a 6.22 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP in those outings. The over is 7-2 in Verlander's road starts this season and he has an 11.30 ERA in his last 3 starts versus Cleveland. All of those outings took place in 2017 and I expect another rough outing for him at Progressive Field this evening. The Indians were a big home fave yesterday versus the Tigers and they won 11-2. As a home favorite of -125 to -175, the over is 14-9 this season (and 63-42 the last 3 seasons combined) in Indians games. The over is 21-11 this season in Detroit's divisional games and the over is 11-5 in Tigers road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs this season. 8* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-07-17 | Brewers v. Yankees OVER 10.5 | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 7:05 ET - The Brewers won 11-2 at Chicago versus the Cubs yesterday afternoon and that makes them 7-1 in their last 8 games and Milwaukee has averaged 6.8 runs per game those 8 contests. Also, tonight's match-up against Yankees southpaw Jordan Montgomery will be the 3rd straight game (and 4th in last 5) in which the Brewers have faced a left-handed starter. That is a big edge for them and their bats should stay hot here. However, the issue for the Brewers will be their own starting pitcher as a struggling Junior Guerra gets the call here. The right-hander is 0-2 in his last 3 starts with a horrible 9.64 ERA and an unheard of 2.43 WHIP! Guerra gave up 4 homers in his most recent road start and now faces a Yankees team that has scored 6 runs or more in 7 of their last 11 games. The Yanks have averaged 5.7 runs per game during this solid 11-game stretch at the plate. The over is 7-3-1 in those 11 games. Also, the over is on a perfect 5-0 run in Montgomery's last 5 starts for the Yankees. The over is 24-10 in Yanks games against teams with a winning record this season and, also, the over is 7-2 in Yankees games where there a home fave in a range of -175 to -250 this season. 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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07-07-17 | Pirates v. Cubs OVER 9 | 1-6 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 21 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Friday MLB 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 2:20 ET - The Cubs have Eddie Butler on the mound and it is rather amazing that the under is 8-2 in his 10 starts this season because he really hasn't pitched impressively. This has been particularly true of late as Butler has given up 24 hits in his last 23 and 1/3 innings and has walked 3 batters in 3 of his last 4 starts even though he's only averaged 5 innings per start. The Pirates have Trevor Williams on the mound for this one and he has pitched well recently but each of his last two starts have been at home. That is noteworthy because he has a 4.85 ERA on the road. I like the fact that the wind is blowing in today at Wrigley Field because that is keeping the number low on this total. Neither one of these pitchers is a top-flight starter by any stretch of the imagination. That said, we're getting great line value here with this total. The over is 3-0 in the Cubs last 3 games and the over is 21-14 in Chicago's divisional games this season. The over is also 9-3 in Pittsburgh's Friday games this season. After patiently waiting for the total to come out on this one (normal for Wrigley Field O/U's) it is now "go time" with this one. 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs |
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07-06-17 | Astros v. Blue Jays OVER 9 | Top | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - The Astros have gone over the total in 5 straight games and, overall, the over is 9-2-1 in Houston's last 12 games. The Blue Jays certainly have not been hitting like the Astros have but, look for them to build off back to back wins over the Yankees including scoring 7 runs in yesterday's game. Lance McCullers gets the start for the Astros here and he has not been nearly as dominant since coming off of the disabled list. The right-hander gave up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in a start that only lasted 5 and 1/3 innings versus the Yankees in his most recent outing. He was hit hard in his only career start against Toronto and that was just last season. Speaking of getting hit hard, Francisco Liriano was rocked by the Astros when he most recently faced them and that was also last season. As for this season, the Blue Jays southpaw comes into this one struggling. Liriano has allowed 5 earned runs in 2 of his last 3 starts and ironically each of those two outings where he gave up 5 earned runs were the only two that stayed under the total. The over is 6-2 in Liriano's last 8 starts and I look for more of the same here as he faces a potent Astros lineup. Houston has averaged scoring nearly 8 runs per game in their last dozen games. In road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs the Astros are 29-13 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Toronto early Thursday evening. |
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07-06-17 | Reds v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | 6-3 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 8 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 8* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Cincinnati Reds @ 3:10 ET - The Reds are starting Sal Romano here. Not only did he struggle in his lone MLB start on April 16th, he has been hit at a .279 clip in his MINOR league career. In other words, he has trouble missing bats and, in fact, he has only 28 strikeouts in his 47 innings at the AAA level. He struggled badly with command (plus got hit hard when he did find the plate) versus Milwaukee in mid-April. Now he makes his first-ever road start in the most hitter-friendly venue in the majors. Coors Field is where Romano will be matched up with Tyler Chatwood of the Rockies. Chatwood certainly knows all about how tough it is to pitch in Colorado. The Rockies right-hander has a 3.19 ERA on the road this season but is 2-4 with a 6.39 ERA. Last season was no different for Chatwood as he had a stellar 1.69 ERA on the road but went 4-8 with a 6.12 ERA at home! Both these teams are on under streaks and each of the first three games have stayed under the total in this series. However, it will be a very hot afternoon in Colorado with super dry air and the ball is going to carry like crazy in this one and you have two starting pitchers that are very likely to struggle badly here. The over is 23-13 in Reds games against teams with a winning record this season and I look for another one here. 8* OVER the total in Colorado Thursday afternoon |
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07-05-17 | White Sox v. A's OVER 9 | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 6 h 14 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Oakland A's vs Chicago White Sox @ 3:35 ET - The ball was carrying very well in yesterday's afternoon game here between these clubs as the 7-6 A's walk-off win featured 6 home runs! That is a good sign of what to expect today as it will be another mild afternoon game at Oakland with the wind blowing out toward right-center at a decent clip. Although Sonny Gray has been sharp recently for the A's, he is giving the White Sox a quick, second look at him as he just faced them on June 25th. That started a back to back stretch of two consecutive unders in Gray starts but, prior to that, the over was 9-1 in his first 10 starts this season. The over trend should resume here as Gray faces a White Sox team that has averaged scoring 6.2 runs per game in their last 5 games. The ChiSox have had a dozen hits or more in 3 of those 5 games. The A's have not been as strong as the White Sox at the plate recently but facing Mike Pelfrey should certainly bring out the best in them. The veteran right-hander just faced the A's on June 23rd and he struggled. Pelfrey has now given up 8 earned runs and walked 7 and allowed 12 hits (including 4 homers) in his last two starts spanning just 10 innings of work. Also, in Pelfrey's 5 starts against Oakland in his career, he is 0-5 with a 7.56 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. The over is 5-0 in the White Sox last 5 games and I see no reason that streak shouldn't make it 6 in a row today. The over is 25-13 in Chicago's games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* OVER the total in Oakland |
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07-05-17 | Blue Jays v. Yankees OVER 9.5 | 7-6 | Win | 100 | 5 h 13 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 1:05 ET - The Jays Marco Estrada went 0-4 with a 9.11 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in his 6 June starts. The over went 4-2 in those 6 starts and command has been a big issue for the Toronto right-hander as he has walked 15 in his last 15 innings. Estrada got crushed for 7 earned runs in less than 4 innings of work in early June when he most recently faced the Yankees. The Blue Jays also have good odds on having a huge day at the plate today. The Yanks are starting Michael Pineda and he got rocked for 5 earned runs on 10 hits (including 2 homers) in early June when he most recently faced the Jays. The Yankees right-hander has given up 10 runs (9 earned) in the 10 innings spanning his two most recent starts. In his last 4 starts, Pineda has been hammered for 30 hits in 21 and 2/3 innings of work. The over is a perfect 7-0 in Pineda's last 7 starts! Overall, the over is 12-3 in Pineda's last 15 starts and, on the season, the over is 7-2 in his 9 home starts. The over is 6-2 this season in Toronto's road games where they are a dog in a price range of +125 to +175 on the money line. Even with yesterday's under, the over is 23-11 in Yankees divisional games this season and there is every reason to believe the hot hitting resumes today as both starting pitchers are likely to struggle here. 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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07-04-17 | Reds v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | Top | 8-1 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Cincinnati Reds @ 8:10 ET - This is a contrarian play as the total has already moved down from a 13 to a 12.5 as of early Tuesday morning. The fact is that bettors find it tough to play overs when they get up into this range but this big total is definitely warranted! The Reds send Homer Bailey to the mound and you have to really feel bad for the guy. So far in his return to the major league Bailey has been completely crushed for 14 earned runs in less than 5 innings of work spanning his two starts! Now the struggling (to put it mildly!) right-hander has to pitch at the most hitter-friendly venue in all of baseball! Like I said, you have to almost feel bad for the guy and this truly is unlikely to end well for him here considering the way he's getting knocked out around. The only hope for Bailey is to get plenty of run support here and I absolutely do expect that. The Rockies send southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound for this one and he has a 6.75 ERA in his last two starts and those were on the road. Now he's back home at hitter-friendly Coors Field and though he has a surprisingly low ERA at home this season, he has given up 22 hits in the 18 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 home starts. It's going to catch up with him here and the Reds gave Freeland some trouble (including 2 homers) when they faced him in Cincinnati in late May. The over is 11-4 this season in Reds road games where they are a dog in a range of +125 to +175 on the money line. Also, the over is 8-1 in Cincinnati's Tuesday games this season. After a loss this season the Reds are 28-14 to the over and Cincy is 23-11 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. Bailey's last 4 starts at the MLB level all flew over the total and this one will as well. Yes I am well aware of Freeland being an "under" pitcher this season but there are too many signs pointing to a slugfest here! The odds makers knew what they were doing when they set the big total on this one. Look for it to get there by the middle innings! 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-04-17 | Pirates v. Phillies OVER 8.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -120 | 8 h 33 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 4:05 ET - The Pirates got shutout yesterday and truly have not been hitting the ball all that well of late. However, the over is 3-0 this season (and 16-7 the last 3 seasons combined) when Pittsburgh is off of a shutout loss. Couple that with the fact that facing the Phillies Mark Leiter should do wonders for the Pirates lineup, and you have a nice set up for an over in this one. Philadelphia's Leiter gave up 9 hits in 5 innings at Seattle in just his 2nd MLB start earlier this week. He was fortunate he only allowed 4 earned runs as he did give up 3 homers among the 9 hits in just 5 innings. The Pirates will do some damage here. The Phillies are playing a little better of late and its building confidence for this lineup. Philadelphia has won 4 of its last 6 games and they've averaged 5.2 runs per game during this solid stretch. Also, the Phillies have averaged 5 runs per game in their last 3 home games. They'll face Jameson Taillon of the Pirates and they hit him well when they faced him last season and he has allowed 19 hits in the 17 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts. Though he has limited damage in those outings, the fact is that he's been far from unhittable and the Phillies are stringing together hits quite well over the past week. More of the same right here. By the way, only 7 of the last 21 times that Philly is off of a shutout win did their next game stay under the total! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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07-04-17 | Giants v. Tigers OVER 10 | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 13 m | Show | |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs San Francisco Giants @ 1:10 ET - Even though Michael Fulmer has great numbers again for Detroit this season, his ERA in day games is about a run higher than night games and his ERA in home games is 2 full runs higher than road games this season. That said, Fulmer shouldn't have to give up too much here to ensure that this one goes over the total. That's because the Giants send Matt Cain to the mound for this one and Detroit should enjoy a slugfest at the plate. Cain has given up 50 hits in his last 29 and 1/3 innings of work! Also, the right-hander has been awful on the road this season with an 0-5 record, 8.31 ERA and 2.10 WHIP. The over is 7-3-1 in the Tigers last 11 games. The over in Detroit's day games is 19-9 this season (and 86-55 the last 3 seasons combined). Also, the over is a perfect 3-0 this season in games where the Tigers are a home fave of -175 to -250. San Francisco is 7-1 to the over this season when playing after a day off. 8* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-03-17 | Angels v. Twins OVER 10 | Top | 5-9 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles @ 8:10 ET - The Twins send Adalberto Mejia to the mound for this one and his ERA is low over his last 3 starts but he's been in plenty of jams during this stretch. Mejia was simply fortunate to work out of a number of those jams but its going to catch up with him soon. In fact, Mejia has a 6.10 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in his 6 home starts this season. He is matched up tonight with an Angels hurler whom has been struggling away from home this year. Alex Meyer gets the start for Los Angeles and he is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP in his road starts this season. The Angels right-hander was matched up with Mejia in Anaheim early last month and that was an unexpected pitchers duel. It is unlikely to be repeated here as now both lineups get another look at these starters and plus Meyer is now on the road where he struggles and Mejia is back at home where he's been struggling all season. Look for the over to improve to 5-1 in Meyer's road starts this season. The over is 16-8 in Twins home games where their money line has been in a range of -125 to +125 this season. Look for another one here as both these lineups should be able to "tee off" in this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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07-03-17 | Orioles v. Brewers OVER 9.5 | 1-8 | Loss | -130 | 7 h 2 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Monday 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs Baltimore Orioles @ 2;10 ET - The Brewers are 6-1 to the over in Monday games this season and also 11-5 to the over against left-handed starters. Look for Milwaukee to take advantage of struggling southpaw Wade Miley of the Orioles. The Baltimore lefty has a 6.89 ERA and 1.91 WHIP in his last 3 starts. The Brewers are using Brent Suter as a spot starter here. In his young MLB career he has pitched in 22 games (3 starts) and opponents are hitting .287 against him. The Orioles scored 7 runs in their big win yesterday and should have no trouble with the offerings of Suter. Even in the minors the Milwaukee southpaw has been getting rocked. He got hit at a .301 clip last season at the AAA level and has been hit at a .292 clip this season! The Orioles are 14-8 to the over in day games this season and 9-3 to the over in inter-league action. This one has slugfest written all over it. 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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07-02-17 | Rockies v. Diamondbacks OVER 9 | 3-4 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 30 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Sunday 8* OVER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies @ 4:10 ET - The Dbacks are 3-0 in Taijuan Walker's last 3 starts and he has a decent ERA but that is helping to paint a "false picture" of where Walker is really at right now. The Arizona right-hander walked 5 plus had ZERO strikeouts in his most recent start. Overall he has walked 9 in his last 2 starts. Additionally, Walker has allowed 12 hits in his last 2 starts so its been 21 baserunners in just 12 and 1/3 innings of work. Eventually that is going to lead to trouble and I believe that trouble starts today as Walker faces the Rockies for the 3rd time in just the last 8 weeks! As for Colorado, German Marquez gets the start and he allowed 5 earned runs in just 4 innings in his most recent start. The Rockies right-hander had a solid start versus Arizona when he last faced them but, in his prior start versus the Diamondbacks, Marquez was rocked for 5 earned runs in 6 innings. He's giving the Dbacks a 3rd look at him within the past 8 weeks and that also helps a powerful Arizona lineup that is averaging 6.1 runs per game at home this season. The over is a long-term 61-35 in Diamondbacks home games where their money line ranges from -125 to +125. Look for more of the same Sunday afternoon. 8* OVER the total in Arizona |
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07-02-17 | Twins v. Royals OVER 10 | 2-6 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 5 m | Show | |
Rickenbach MLB Sunday 8* OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins @ 2:15 ET - These teams played a double header yesterday and both games went over the total as an average of 16 runs per game were scored. The fact that two "questionable" pitchers are on the mound for this one, there are plenty of hot sticks in both lineups, and it is a warm afternoon at Kauffman Stadium all combines to have me backing the over in a big way early Sunday. The over is now 5-0 in the Royals last 5 games and southpaw Travis Wood (6.25 ERA in 25 relief appearances this season) is getting the start this afternoon. It will be his first start since the 2015 season and, as you can see, he hasn't exactly been dominant out of the bullpen! The good news for KC fans is that they should see plenty of offense in this one as Minnesota sends a struggling Hector Santiago to the mound. The Twins southpaw is 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in his last 3 starts. The over is 3-0 in his last 3 starts and combining that with the Royals 5-0 over mark their last 5 games and you have a perfect combined 8-0 over mark being tested in this one. Also, Santiago has given up 23 hits in the less than 15 innings of work spanning his last three starts versus Kansas City. Look for the over to improve to 10-4 in Royals Sunday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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07-02-17 | Cubs v. Reds OVER 9.5 | 6-2 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 4 m | Show | |
Rickenbach MLB Sunday 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs @ 1:10 ET - The Reds send Tim Adleman to the mound for this one. The right-hander allowed 3 homers in his most recent start and has a 5.62 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP in his last 3 starts overall. He has given up a pair of homers in two of his last three starts versus the Cubs and they'll be seeing Adleman for the 4th time already since mid-September! Jake Arrieta gets the start for Chicago here and he has given up 10 runs (9 earned) in the 10 innings spanning his last two starts at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati! The over is 6-1-1 in Arrieta's 8 career starts against the Reds and I expect the over to improve to 3-0 in Adleman's last 3 starts against the Cubs with a wild one this afternoon. The wind will be blowing out on a warm afternoon in Cincinnati so it is a great set-up for the hitters here. Arrieta walked 6 and allowed 6 hits for a 3.00 WHIP in his short 4-inning start at Washington earlier this week. He now has a 5.04 ERA on the road this season and his struggles should continue against a nemesis here. Look for the over to improve to 9-3 in Reds Sunday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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07-02-17 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays OVER 9 | 15-1 | Win | 105 | 6 h 15 m | Show | |
Rickenbach MLB Sunday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox @ 1:05 ET - Joe Biagini gets the start for the Blue Jays here and he has a 9.75 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Drew Pomeranz gets the start for the Red Sox and he is winless in 2 career starts against Toronto and has compiled a 6.35 ERA and 2.12 WHIP in those outings. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 starts Pomeranz has made and 7-3 in his last 10. Biagini walked 4 in his most recent start and was hit hard in each of his 2 prior starts and definitely appears to be on a fade right now! Look for the over to improve to 9-3 in Boston's Sunday games this season. 8* OVER the total in Toronto |
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07-01-17 | Mariners v. Angels OVER 8.5 | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners @ 10:05 ET - The Angels won Ricky Nolasco's last start and he had a rare strong outing but LA had previously lost each of his 10 prior outings! Also, in Nolasco's 6 prior starts he had given up 26 runs (22 earned) on 45 hits in only 32 and 2/3 innings of work. Now he faces a Seattle team that's lineup is rolling as the 10-0 win last night brings their scoring average up to 6 runs per game over their last 11 games. Although the Angels lineup has slumped their last 4 games, they previously had scored at least 4 runs per game in 7 straight games. Keep in mind, each team getting to just 4 runs guarantees us of no worse than a 5-4 final here and that final score would put this one into the win column. The Angels should enjoy success against Sam Gaviglio. The Mariners right-hander has 7 walks compared to just 4 strikeouts in his last two starts and those outings were at home. Note that on the road this season Gaviglio has a 5.51 ERA in his 3 starts! The over is 6-1 this season in the 7 match-ups between these divisional rivals so far this season. Also, the Mariners have had just 1 under in their last 9 games. The Angels have had just 2 unders in their last 8 home games. Look for more of the same tonight. 10* OVER the total in the Los Angeles Angels game late Saturday night. |
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07-01-17 | Giants v. Pirates OVER 9.5 | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 46 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants @ 4:05 ET - Warm afternoon in Pittsburgh with the wind blowing out to left field and both teams were swinging the bats very well in last night's 13-5 Giants win. Matt Moore gets the start for the Giants and he has a 10.05 ERA in his last 3 starts plus has an 8.39 ERA on the road this season! His lone career start against the Pirates came less than a year ago and he allowed 5 earned runs in 6 innings and took the loss. As you can see, per the stats above, all signs point to another rough outing here. Pittsburgh turns to Chad Kuhl for this one and he is another struggling hurler. Kuhl has a 1.80 WHIP in his last two starts and those were both on the road. Now he's back at home where he is 1-4 with an ugly 7.36 ERA on the season. The over is 5-1 in Kuh's last 6 starts and the over is 7-1 in Moore's road starts this season. Also, the Giants are 10-3 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. San Francisco is on a 4 game winning streak and has averaged scoring 7.8 runs per game during this hot streak. Also, the Giants - though only 2-2 in the 4 games - have averaged 8.3 runs per game in their last 4 contests away from home. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh in afternoon action Saturday |
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06-30-17 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays OVER 10 | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - Marco Estrada is off of a strong start for the Blue Jays but he previously allowed 23 earned runs in the 16 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 4 starts. 2 of those 4 starts were at home and, in fact, he has allowed 5 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 4 starts. With that said, the over is offering great value here because Estrada is matched up with another hurler tonight who is also likely to struggle. Boston sends Doug Fister to the mound and though his first start as a member of the Red Sox fell into the category of a "quality start" he did give up 7 hits and walk 3 in his 6 innings of work. Keep in mind, post-All Star break last season with the Astros, Fister went 4-7 with a 6.20 ERA and a .322 batting average against! In the minors this season as he prepared for his first start with the BoSox, Fister did get hit at a .281 clip. He'll now be on the mound in Toronto tonight where, the last time he pitched here he got rocked for 6 earned runs in 6 innings of work. Look for the Blue Jays lineup to bounce back off of a rare, home shutout yesterday. As for the Red Sox, they've scored an average of 7 runs per game in their last 6 victories and are coming off of scoring 6 runs in last night's win versus Minnesota. The over is 8-4 in Toronto's Friday games this season and there has been just 1 under in Estrada's last 5 home starts! Look for these trends to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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06-29-17 | Cardinals v. Diamondbacks OVER 10 | Top | 10-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs St Louis Cardinals @ 3:40 ET - Yesterday's game (4-3 Cardinals win) stayed under the total but it continued the Cards recent surge as they've now won 3 of their last 4 games and average 6 runs per game in the process! As for Arizona, even with yesterday's loss, they've won 6 of their last 8 games and have averaged 6.6 runs per game during this hot stretch. Look for the over to improve to 8-3 in Cards Thursday games as a struggling Lance Lynn takes to the mound for St Louis. He has given up 7 earned runs in each of his last two starts. 6 of the 15 hits he has allowed in just 10 and 1/3 innings have been homers! Even though Lynn has a solid ERA versus the Diamondbacks in his career, he has allowed 18 hits in the 12 innings spanning his last two starts at Arizona. The Dbacks will have Patrick Corbin on the mound. The southpaw allowed 7 earned runs in less than 6 innings of work in his last home start versus the Cardinals. Corbin comes into this outing have been hit rather hard of late. Even though his ERA has been much better in June compared to his disastrous May, note that Corbin has been hit at a .300 clip this month. He was also hit at a .359 clip in May. That is why his ERA has climbed from a 2.29 in April to now a 4.99 ERA overall on the season. Corbin has been fortunate he has limited damage in June but, the way the Cards have been going, look for the southpaw to come unraveled in this one. Even with yesterday's under, the over is 12-5 St Louis' last 17 games. The over is 10-5 in Lynn's starts this season and 4-1 in Corbin's last 5 starts. 10* OVER the total in Arizona |
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