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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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08-23-18 | Eagles +3 v. Browns | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -105 | 40 h 22 m | Show |
At 8 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Eagles + the points over Cleveland. The Eagles come into this game off back-to-back blowout losses. Last week, they fell, 37-20, to New England. And they lost 31-14, in Week 1, to the Steelers. Philly got a scare last week when QB Nick Foles sustained an injury. But he's been cleared to play vs. the Browns, and will get the start on Thursday night. Over the last 35 years, NFL teams, off back to back games where they failed to cover each by 10+ points, have cashed 68% vs. foes off a SU loss. With the Browns, indeed, off a loss last week to the Bills, we'll grab the points with Philly. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-22-18 | Padres v. Rockies -231 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 19 h 0 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over San Diego. The Rockies' 4-game win streak was snapped by the Padres last night. But I love Colorado to bounce back tonight, as they've won each of Jon Gray's last eight starts, dating back to June 22. And Gray's last six starts were all against Playoff contenders (Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Cardinals, Astros, Mariners). Tonight, it's a much different story, as Gray will face the cellar-dwelling Padres, who are 50-78 on the season -- the worst record in the National League. Gray has given up 1 run or less in four of his last five starts vs. San Diego. And he'll have a huge advantage on the mound tonight vs. Jacob Nix.  The Padres rookie was bombed in his last start by the Diamondbacks, as he gave up 5 runs and couldn't make it through the first inning. Take Colorado. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-22-18 | Astros v. Mariners +130 | Top | 10-7 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 31 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over Houston. In what many thought would be an easy ride for the Astros to another AL West title, not only do they now have to contend with the Oakland A's, but the pesky Mariners are also still very much in the hunt.  RHP Charlie Morton -- who really came through for the 'Stros down the stretch last season -- will make his 25th start today. Through little fault of his own, Morton has only notched one victory in his last six starts going back to before the break. The primary reason, of course, is that the Houston offense has only managed to put 19 runs across in those six games. The Astros did win last night here, but only scored three runs. This afternoon, they'll have to face LHP Marco Gonzales, who has a 2.71 ERA in his 11 home starts this season. Houston has struggled this season on the moneyline vs. Lefties (28-20, minus 10 games on the moneyline), while Seattle has excelled vs. Righties (51-34, +18 games on the moneyline). Finally, Morton's teams are a poor 19-40 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) in his daytime starts. Take Seattle as the home dog. |
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08-22-18 | Reds v. Brewers -235 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 30 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Cincinnati Reds. Just a handful of games separate the top three spots in the NL Central and the Brewers have to be thrilled about the fact that they are still in the hunt for a Wild Card and a Pennant with just about five weeks to go. The Crew features the most surprising starting rotation in the NL -- very similar to the Oakland A's in the American League. Tonight it will be rookie RHP Freddy Peralta making his 13th start of the season. Peralta won't challenge Juan Soto, Brian Anderson, or Ronald Acuna for NL Rookie of the Year honors, but he's had a very successful run for a 21-year-old.  The first inning remained a problem for Peralta in his most recent start against the Cardinals, when he allowed two runs to bump his ERA to 9.00 in 12 opening innings this season. But the Brewers have been working with Peralta on his mechanics so I expect an improved performance this afternoon. The Reds will go with RHP Robert Stephenson (0-1 and 7.94 in two starts this season) and they are 2-6 in in his last eight road starts. Take the Brewers. |
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08-21-18 | Cardinals v. Dodgers -163 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -163 | 17 h 46 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals. How ironic would it be if Hyun-Jin Ryu is the pitcher that gets the Dodgers to the promised land this season? The 31-year-old LH Japanese import has been a huge disappointment over the last two seasons, heading to the DL multiple times for various ailments. True to form this season, Ryu started strong in April, but hit the shelf after a month of action due to a groin injury. Ryu returned on August 15 and fortunately for the Dodgers, he looked like he never missed a beat, tossing six shutout innings against San Francisco while allowing just three hits and striking out six Giants with no walks. He gets a chance to prove that performance was no fluke tonight for his team which is in the midst of the tightest division race in the Majors. The Cards will send rookie RH Daniel Poncedeleon to the mound for his second MLB start as Luke Weaver has been relegated to the bullpen for now. But despite a successful starting debut (7 IP, 0 ER, 0 H), Poncedeleon is an unproven commodity, especially against a lineup like the Dodgers'. Take L.A. |
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08-21-18 | Angels +200 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 15 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels over Arizona. The Angels have been installed as a huge underdog, notwithstanding the fact that SP Felix Pena's ERA in his four road starts is 1.31. Moreover, the Diamondbacks are a money-burning 25-25 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) as a home favorite this season. Take the Angels. |
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08-21-18 | Braves v. Pirates +107 | Top | 6-1 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Atlanta Braves. Knowing that they didn't have to wait any longer to make a run at the NL Title, the Braves made some deadline trades, and it seemed like their favorite hunting ground for pitching was in Baltimore. Atlanta acquired both RPs Brad Brach and Darren O'Day and SP Kevin Gausman from the O's in two separate deals and with Nick Markakis already on the squad, it must seem like Baltimore south around the Braves' locker room lately. Gausman will get his fourth start with the Braves tonight and while with the Birds, the RH faced the Bucs twice, going 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. RHP Ivan Nova continues to excel at PNC Park.  Nova allowed only one run in 6 2/3 innings here on Thursday night, but lost to the Cubs, 1-0. The Pirates are 5-2 over his past seven starts, and Nova has posted a 3.72 ERA during that stretch. He owns a 3.32 ERA in 11 home starts this season. Speaking of 1-0, the Braves took game one of this series by that score on Monday so look for the Pirates to exact some revenge tonight. Take Pittsburgh. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-21-18 | Indians v. Red Sox -142 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -142 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians. In what could be a preview of the ALCS, the Indians came into Fenway yesterday for the first time this season with a showdown of the last two AL Cy Young winners (Porcello and Kluber). Tonight in game two, the pitching match-up is without those marquee names, but at least one of these starters has been putting up Cy Young-type numbers here at home recently. The Sox needed some pitching help, so they traded for RH Nathan Eovaldi at the deadline and the 28-year-old proceeded to get very comfortable in his new home. His first two starts were at home and all Eovaldi did in those was not allow a run in 15 innings while notching a pair of victories. His next two starts were on the road -- one of which was ugly while his last one (in Philly) was a fairly effective five innings. He's back home tonight and looking to extend his Fenway success against a team which he has dominated in the past (Eovaldi is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career games (two starts) vs. the Tribe). Take Boston. |
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08-21-18 | Phillies +132 v. Nationals | Top | 4-10 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over Washington. The Phillies have been installed as an underdog at Washington. And that bodes well, given that the Nationals are a poor 16-21 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) the past two seasons as a favorite with Roark on the mound. Roark's home ERA this season is 5.00 (compared to 3.24 on the road), while Velasquez's road ERA is 3.02 (compared to 4.99 at home). Take Philadelphia. |
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08-20-18 | White Sox v. Twins UNDER 9.5 | Top | 8-5 | Loss | -115 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox 'under' the total. Stephen Gonsalves is rated as the #4 prospect in the Minnesota Twins system. The southpaw pitcher has been in professional ball since 2013, but he is just 23-years-old which gives you some idea of how talented Gonsalves was even as a high-schooler in San DIego. With the injury to Ervin Santana, Gonsalves will make his MLB debut tonight at his new home ballpark against the Chicago White Sox. Although the lefty isn't a particularly hard-thrower, he's had a very solid Minor League career, posting a 2.46 ERA in 113 games (108 starts) covering 599 innings throughout all the various levels from rookie ball to AAA. So clearly Gonsalves deserves this opportunity. RHP Lucas Giolito came into the season with high expectations after a successful sophomore campaign in Chicago. But 2018 has been a huge disappointment with Giolito going 8-9 with a 6.15 ERA in 24 starts. However, he's been much better on the road (4.54 ERA) this season than at home (8.17 ERA). Not surprisingly, eight of his 12 home starts this season have gone 'over' the total, while just one of his 14 road starts the past two seasons have gone 'over' (10 'unders'; 1 'over'; and 3 'pushes'). Take the 'under.' |
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08-19-18 | Mets v. Phillies -185 | Top | 8-2 | Loss | -185 | 15 h 29 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets. The Nationals must be pretty upset that the upstart Phillies have looked like a better team than them pretty much the whole season. So imagine how much more upset they'll be if RHP Nick Pivetta has a great final two months and helps the Phillies get to the post-season (while DC sits at home)? Pivetta was a Nats' draft pick in 2013 but they traded him two years later to the Phils for closer Jonathan Papelbon, who turned out to be just as much of a cancer on their team as he was in Philadelphia. Now Pivetta looks like he's thriving, having thrown three quality starts this month, allowing just three earned runs in 18 August innings. He was dominant last time out against the best team in baseball (Boston) but simply didn't get the run support and ended up taking a bad beat no-decision in a 2-1 Phillies loss. No doubt his lineup will want to correct that tonight and give the 25-year-old the support he deserves, and against LH Jason Vargas (2-8; 8.10 ERA), they should be able to. The Mets are just 2-11 in Vargas' 13 starts this season, while Philly is 22-5 priced as a favorite of -150 or higher. Take Philly. MLB Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-19-18 | Diamondbacks -186 v. Padres | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 60 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego. The Padres won a rare game as a home underdog last night, when Christian Villanueva had a pinch-hit, walk-off single to lift the team to a 7-6 victory over the D-Backs. That loss lowered Arizona's division lead to a mere half-game over Colorado. The good news for Arizona is that it will have its ace, Zack Greinke on the mound today. Even better: Greinke is 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA in his career vs. San Diego. And the Padres are a miserable 9-31 (minus 30 games on the moneyline) as a home underdog this season. Take Arizona. |
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08-19-18 | Dodgers -197 v. Mariners | Top | 12-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 32 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over Seattle. The Mariners won in extra innings yesterday, 5-4, when Los Angeles' reliever, Dylan Floro, balked home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. This season has been a disappointing one for the defending National League champions. And, if the season ended today, Los Angeles would be on the outside, looking in at the Playoff picture. Thus, the Dodgers certainly need to put a win streak together, and they'll turn to their ace, Clayton Kershaw this afternoon. He's done his best work on the road this season, as his ERA is 2.08 away from Chavez Ravine. Moreover, in his career, the Dodgers are 70-26 in his daytime starts (+28 games on the moneyline), compared to 140-91 in his nighttime starts (-11 games on the moneyline). Take Los Angeles. |
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08-19-18 | Astros -144 v. A's | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Oakland Athletics. Don't look now, but with their one-sided victory on Saturday, the A's have hit the reset button on the entire season as they have the exact same record as the Astros (74-49). With about a 1/4 of the season to go, it's a scenario that seemed almost unthinkable even as recently as a month ago. The Astros wouldn't make excuses for this dilemma, but they certainly could. The team had been without three of their best hitters in Correa, Springer, and Altuve until recently. Now two of the three are back and Altuve should return early next week (with Brian McCann possibly not far behind). So in these situations, you want your ace on the hill and the 'Stros have it today with Justin Verlander scheduled for his 27th start. Like his team, Verlander hasn't been at his best lately, but he often excels right around this time (just look at what he did from late August on in 2017).  The A's will go with their best starter as well as LH Sean Manaea get his 26th start. But Oakland is 2-8 in Manaea's last 10 starts vs. Houston going back to 2016. Take the 'Stros. |
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08-19-18 | Rockies v. Braves -130 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 33 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies go for an improbable four-game sweep of the Braves in Atlanta this afternoon. The first three games of this series have been no contest with the Rox out-scoring the Braves by a 21-11 margin so far. But they have to face the "Comeback Kid" this afternoon in the Braves 34-year-old RH Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez has resurrected his career down in Dixie with the Braves as he was nothing more than an afterthought when Atlanta signed him to a one-year, one million dollar contract in the off-season. Sanchez has flourished with his new team going 6-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts. And if there's one thing Sanchez likes doing this season it's pitch during the day. In five afternoon starts, the former Detroit Tigers starter is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (vs. 4-2 and 3.64 under the lights). The Braves lost Sanchez's only other start vs. the Rox this season, 3-2 back in April in Colorado. Before that, his teams (Detroit and Miami) went 5-0 in his previous five starts against them, out-scoring the Rockies 35-16 in those. Take Atlanta. 5* NL Game of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-18-18 | Angels -116 v. Rangers | Top | 11-7 | Win | 100 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Texas Rangers. The Angels have been waiting for Andrew Heaney to arrive on the MLB stage for quite some time. They may not have to wait much longer. A former first-round draft pick of the Marlins in 2012, the veteran southpaw was traded to to the Angels in 2014 but has been slow to develop despite having a pretty good team around him for most of his time in L.A. This season we've started seeing some flashes of what an ace is supposed to look like, including Heaney's first-ever complete game shutout on June 5 against the Royals. More recently, Heaney has been throwing solid outings, with quality starts in six of his last eight trips to the mound and the Halos are benefiting from it even when Heaney doesn't register the victory. The Angels have won six of Heaney's last seven starts (six for six on grass) including his last one on the road in San Diego, 6-3. The Rangers won the first two games of this series, but the Angels have been feasting on bad teams lately, going 8-3 in their last 11 games vs. teams with losing records. Meanwhile, the Rangers' Martin Perez has a 6.71 ERA and 1.96 WHIP this season, and the Rangers have dropped eight of his last 10 starts. Take the Angels. MLB Road Warrior Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-18-18 | 49ers +2.5 v. Texans | Top | 13-16 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 30 m | Show |
At 8 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco 49ers + the points over Houston. Both of these teams won their openers: Houston upset the Chiefs, 17-10, in Kansas City, while San Francisco won at home, 24-21, over Dallas. Unfortunately for Houston, teams off road upset wins have tended to burn money in the Preseason, and especially when installed as a favorite (or PK) in their home opener, as they've cashed just 59 of 146 games. Take San Francisco. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-18-18 | Raiders v. Rams | Top | 15-19 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
At 4 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Rams over Oakland. The Rams were bombed, 33-7, by Baltimore last week, while Oakland bested Detroit, 16-10. The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the Raiders this afternoon. But consider that teams off a double-digit loss in their first preseason game have bounced back to go 61.2% ATS since 1991. Take the Rams. |
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08-18-18 | Jaguars +4 v. Vikings | Top | 14-10 | Win | 100 | 7 h 28 m | Show |
At 1 pm, our selection is on the Jacksonville Jaguars + the points over Minnesota. The Vikings rolled in Game 1, as they blew out Denver, 42-28. That was the most points any team scored in its opening game of the Preseason. But off that high-scoring game, we'll fade the Vikings this afternoon, as favorites that average more than 31.5 ppg have cashed just 40.3% in the Preseason since 1983. Take Jacksonville. |
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08-17-18 | Rockies v. Braves -122 | Top | 11-5 | Loss | -122 | 17 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Colorado Rockies. When the Rockies Kyle Freeland and the Braves Sean Newcomb look into the mirror, you have to wonder if the image of the other one stares back at them. These two young starters' careers are on such similar paths that it's freaky. Both are southpaws who came into the Majors last year at age 24 and put up solid -- but average -- rookie numbers. And now both are excelling in their sophomore campaigns with very similar numbers. Freeland is 10-7 with a 3.02 ERA in 24 starts while Newcomb is 10-5 with a 3.40 ERA in 23 starts. But while Freeland excels at home (7-2; 2.22) and struggles a bit on the road (3-5; 3.74), Newcomb pitches well no matter the venue. Here at Sun Trust Park, Newcomb is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 starts. Newcomb produced two of his best starts of the year before allowing a season-high 12 hits against the Brewers on Sunday. Still, Atlanta's won his last four starts. In his career, Newcomb's 1-0 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts vs. Colorado, including a six inning, five-hit shutout at Coors Field on April 8. Take the Braves. MLB Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-17-18 | Dolphins +3.5 v. Panthers | Top | 20-27 | Loss | -114 | 62 h 26 m | Show |
 At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Miami Dolphins + the points over Carolina. Both of these teams were involved in very high-scoring Preseason games last week. The Panthers upset Buffalo, 28-23, as a 3-point road underdog, while Miami lost at home, 26-24, to their Sunshine State rival, Tampa Bay. One of the things I love to to in the Preseason is fade winning teams that have given up, on average, more than 20 points a game, if they're playing an opponent off a SU/ATS loss. Since 1983, this situation has cashed 63%, including 89% if our play-on team (here, Miami) is averaging 21.5 (or more) points on offense. Take the Dolphins. Elite Info Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-17-18 | Bills +3.5 v. Browns | Top | 19-17 | Win | 100 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
At 7:30 pm, on the NFL Network, our selection is on the Buffalo Bills + the points over Cleveland. The Bills were upset at home, 28-23, last week by the Carolina Panthers, while the Browns blew out the Giants, 20-10, in the Meadowlands. I love the Bills to bounce back on the road, as road underdogs have covered 63.1% ATS since 1983 off an upset home loss, if their opponent was off a double-digit win. Take Buffalo. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Jets v. Redskins | Top | 13-15 | Win | 100 | 39 h 50 m | Show |
At 8 pm, our selection is on the Washington Redskins over the New York Jets. The Jets shut out Atlanta last week, 17-0, while Washington lost at New England, 26-17. We'll look for Washington to bounce back, as teams playing their home opener, off a SU/ATS loss to open the preseason, have cashed 60.4% the past 35 years vs. foes off a preseason-opening SU/ATS home win. Take the Redskins. NFL High Roller Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Rockies -104 v. Braves | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Atlanta Braves. Colorado's Jon Gray has only won two starts since June 22, but that's likely not much of a concern to him or his team right now. That's because even though the W's haven't been coming in bunches for the 26-year-old RH, that hasn't stopped the Rockies from winning when Gray goes to the hill. In fact, Colorado has won seven straight Gray starts going back to the middle of June and they will try to make it eight in a row when he gets his 23rd start of the season tonight against a very good Braves team. RH Julio Teheran used to be the undisputed ace of this staff, but as the Braves have brought up young stars like Sean Newcomb and Mike Foltynewicz, Teheran's role has diminished a bit. And that's a good thing because the 26 year old has struggled through much of the season, posting an 8-7 record with a 4.33 ERA in his 23 starts coming into tonight. The Rockies are 19-7 in the last 26 meetings with the Braves. Take Colorado. MLB Road Warrior. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Eagles +4 v. Patriots | Top | 20-37 | Loss | -118 | 38 h 22 m | Show |
At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Eagles + the points over New England. This, of course, is a rematch of last season's Super Bowl, won by the Eagles, 41-33. We had big plays on the Eagles, as well as the Over in that game, and easily won both. Here, we'll just focus on the side selection, and will grab the points with the Super Bowl champs. Philly actually lost its Preseason opener last week when it fell, 31-14, at home to the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Patriots opened with a home win vs. the Redskins, 26-17. The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the Patriots for its revenge motive. But consider that defending Super Bowl champs have covered 90% as an underdog the past 35 Preseasons off a straight-up loss. Take the Eagles. NFL Game of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Mets v. Phillies -171 | Top | 6-9 | Win | 100 | 1 h 14 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies, in Game 2 of the Double Header, over New York. This match-up will feature Zach Eflin against Steven Matz. The Mets placed Matz on the disabled list after his last start, which was (by far) the worst of his career. New York was drummed, 25-4, by Washington in that game, back on July 31. Matz lasted just 2-3 of an inning and gave up seven earned runs. Of course, anyone can have one bad start. But Matz also wasn't effective in his two starts prior to that, as he gave up 9 runs in 11 innings. So, his ERA over his last three starts is an ugly 12.34. And the Mets are also just 12-21 his last 33 starts. In contrast, Philly has won seven of Eflin's last 11 starts, and his ERA is 3.57 with a 1.10 WHIP this season. At home, even though Citizens Bank Park is not a pitcher's park (it ranks 10th in run production), his numbers actually improve to 3.21 (ERA) and 1.04 (WHIP). This season, Philly is an awesome 17-3 (+12 games on the moneyline) as a home favorite priced at -150 or higher, while New York is an awful 46-90 (minus 29 games on the moneyline) as an underdog the past two years. Take Philadelphia. MLB Roadkill Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Rays v. Yankees -168 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -168 | 10 h 47 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees are in big trouble with their starting pitching. Their bona-fide ace through much of the season, RH Luis Severino has been struggling mightily lately, veteran LH CC Sabathia has been placed on the DL (knee) and their other ace, RH Masahiro Tanaka hasn't been able to get a Yankee victory in his two August starts. It seems the only starters who have done anything lately are the two that New York got in trade recently (JA Happ and Lance Lynn). It's Tanaka's turn this afternoon in this series finale. The Yanks used to dominate the Rays but that hasn't been the case this season as with their victory on Wednesday, Tampa has now won seven of the last nine meetings. The good news for New York today is that Tanaka has been dominant against the Rays in his career, going 8-2 with a 3.62 ERA in 12 starts against them and his only 2018 outing vs. Tampa was his best. On July 24, Tanaka threw a complete game shutout, allowing just three Rays hits. The Rays are just 7-22 in their last 29 in the Bronx. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-15-18 | Giants v. Dodgers -180 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 17 h 16 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco. Hyun-Jin Ryu got his season off to a great start (3-0, 2.12 ERA, 0.87 WHIP in six starts), but sustained an injury, and has missed the last 3 1-2 months. Ryu will make his return tonight, and the Dodgers desperately need his services. They've lost their last five games, and would be out of the Playoffs if the season ended today. Ryu has a 3.36 career ERA vs. San Francisco, while his mound opponent, Derek Holland, has an 0-3 record and a 6.38 ERA lifetime vs. Los Angeles. Take the Dodgers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-15-18 | Rockies v. Astros -199 | Top | 1-12 | Win | 100 | 15 h 17 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over Colorado. It's one of the craziest stats of the season: Houston has lost its last nine home games. That would be hard for even the worst baseball clubs to do. But the Astros have baseball's 3rd best record. Tonight, they'll attempt to right their ship, and will hand the ball to Gerrit Cole.  Cole has a 2.76 home ERA, while Tyler Anderson's road ERA is 4.48. And Cole's teams have won all four of his starts vs. the Rockies the past three seasons. These two pitchers battled each other 22 days ago at Coors Field, and Cole led Houston to an 8-2 win. I look for Houston to snap its losing streak. Take the Astros. |
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08-15-18 | Brewers v. Cubs -133 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were likely concerned about some of their starting pitching in the first half. Case in point is veteran RH Kyle Hendricks, who had been one of their most consistent performers over the past few seasons. But after his first start of July (his 17th overall this season), Hendricks was sitting with a very uncharacteristic 5-8 record and 4.27 ERA. But from that point forward, Hendricks has been much more effective. Since that 17th outing, Hendricks has gone 3-1 and has lowered his ERA to 4.02 in seven starts. Strong second halves are nothing new for the 28-year-old. In 2016, Hendricks went 7-6 with a 2.55 ERA in the first half -- numbers most starters would love to have. But after the break, he caught fire, going 9-2 with a 1.68 ERA in 14 starts. Last season, he did it again, posting a 2.19 ERA in the second half after putting up a 4.09 number prior to the break. The Cubs would love nothing more than to have Hendricks lead them to another Division Crown in the next six weeks. And they're 5-1 in Hendricks' last six starts. Take Chicago. |
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08-14-18 | Giants v. Dodgers -182 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -182 | 16 h 58 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco. Last night, we played on Los Angeles, as we noted that Clayton Kershaw's career ERA vs. San Francisco was 1.60 over 43 appearances. And all Kershaw did was LOWER that career ERA, as he gave up just one earned run over 8 innings. But the bullpen blew LA's 2-1 lead in the 9th inning when it gave up 4 runs -- all with two out -- to hand the Giants a 5-2 victory. Tonight, Alex Wood will try to snap the Dodgers' 4-game losing streak. Wood was a hard-luck loser, himself, in his last start. The Dodgers lost 2-1 to the Astros in that game, even though Wood gave up just one earned run in 6 innings. Wood's ERA over his last three starts is 1.53. And he'll face a fellow southpaw, Andrew Suarez, tonight. Suarez has gotten bombed over his last five starts (7.42 ERA; 1.65 WHIP), and the Giants are also an awful 52-89 (minus 26 games on the moneyline) on the road the past two seasons, including 22-50 vs. opposing starters that don't give up more than 5.5 hits per start. Take Los Angeles. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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08-14-18 | Rockies v. Astros -198 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -198 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Colorado Rockies. Don't look now but the 'Stros painful defeat on Sunday (coupled with yet another Oakland victory last night) has led to the defending Champions' lead in the AL West being knocked down to just two games. While the A's continue to be the surprise team of the Majors, the Astros continue to struggle with second-half injuries and have now lost five of their last seven games with a much-needed day off on Monday. They must take advantage of this two-game mini-series at home against Colorado before heading out west to play the A's, Mariners, and Angels in what looks to be the most important road trip for them of the season. The good news is that they will have their ace, RH Justin Verlander, go to the mound tonight. Verlander suffered his worst performance of the season his last time out, here at home, against the Mariners (2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER). So he looks for a rebound tonight against a team he's never lost to (3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts covering 28 2/3 innings). Even better: Verlander's teams are 21-3 in his 24 interleague home starts, while the Rockies are 1-7 in the last eight meetings with the Astros. Take Houston. Interleague Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-13-18 | Giants v. Dodgers -195 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -195 | 19 h 5 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Francisco Giants. As you might imagine, Giants LH ace Madison Bumgarner, who gets his 13th start of the season tonight, has some very good numbers against his division rival Dodgers. In 30 career games (29 starts) Mad-Bum is 15-10 with a 2.60 ERA in just under 191 innings and he has allowed just seven earned runs in his last five starts against them. But as great as those statistics are, they pale in comparison to what his opposing starter -- fellow LH Clayton Kershaw -- has done against the Giants. In 43 lifetime appearances (42 starts) covering just over 300 innings against San Fran, Kershaw has an unbelievable 1.60 ERA. And in his last five starts vs. them, Kershaw has allowed just four earned runs and has not allowed more than one in any of those contests (going back to last May). So it would seem that Bumgarner has his work cut out for him tonight, especially considering that this is not one of the best Giants teams that he's been a part of by a long shot. And in fact, as well as he has performed lately against tonight's opponent, the Giants are just 2-8 in Mad-Bum's last 10 starts vs. the Dodgers. Take Los Angeles. Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-12-18 | Mariners v. Astros -210 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -210 | 4 h 47 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over Seattle. This match-up will feature Dallas Keuchel vs. Erasmo Ramirez. The Mariners are under water this season vs. lefties, as they're 18-19 (minus seven games on the moneyline), compared to 50-31 (+19 games on the moneyline) vs. righties. This afternoon, they'll face the Astros' southpaw Keuchel, who is 18-7 in his last 25 daytime starts, and 6-1 in his last seven decisions (including an 8-3 victory at Seattle just 11 days ago). Houston is also 9-2 in his last 11 starts, overall. Meanwhile, Ramirez was dreadful earlier this season (10.24 ERA in two starts) before being shelved for 3 1-2 months. Take Houston. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-12-18 | Brewers v. Braves -116 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over Milwaukee. The Brewers are 67-53 this season, but all of their profit has come vs. righty starters. Milwaukee is 53-37 (+16 games on the moneyline) vs. righties, but a dismal 14-16 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) vs. southpaws. This afternoon, they'll have to take on a red-hot Sean Newcomb. The 2nd year LHP has a 2-0 record in his last three starts, with a 1.31 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP. And he came within a single out of throwing a no-hitter vs. the Dodgers 15 days ago. Take Atlanta. |
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08-12-18 | Diamondbacks -112 v. Reds | Top | 9-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over Cincinnati. Last night, the Reds took Game 2 of this 3-Game series, and that's back-to-back wins for Cincy over Arizona. But we'll go against the home team this afternoon, as Cincy is a poor 129-204 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) as a home underdog. The Reds will face Zack Godley, who has led the Diamondbacks to wins in 10 of 13 starts vs. losing teams. Godley's ERA over his last three starts is a solid 2.70, and his WHIP over this stretch is 0.85. He already faced (and defeated) the Reds once this season when he outdueled Luis Castillo in a 5-2 victory. In that game, Godley surrendered just 2 runs over 6 innings, and he struck out 7 batters. Castillo will once again be Godley's mound opponent, and he's been hit hard by the D-Backs in his last two starts vs. them (11 IP, 8 ER, 12 baserunners). Take Arizona. NL Game of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-12-18 | Rays v. Blue Jays -128 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays. After a breakout season in 2017 in which he went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA and didn't miss a turn in the rotation (33 starts), Marcus Stroman looked like he would take it to the next level in 2018. But it hasn't worked out so far this season as Stroman has battled various injuries and had a 5.20 ERA in 16 starts coming into this afternoon. He was forced to leave his last start after seven innings with a blister on his throwing hand, but pitched very well up to that point. That outing was here at home where Stroman has done his best work recently, including just one earned run on seven hits in 14 innings in his last two starts here against the Red Sox and Orioles. RHP Tyler Glasnow came to the Rays from the Pirates in the Chris Archer trade and so far in two starts he's only thrown seven innings. This will be his first road start since joining Tampa at the beginning of the month. Despite their victory on Saturday, the Rays are just 9-20 in their last 29 road games and 7-18 in their last 25 games vs. RH starters. Take the Jays. |
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08-11-18 | Phillies -184 v. Padres | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 17 h 30 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over San Diego. Aaron Nola is 12-3 this season, and comes into this game with a 2.37 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. We played against San Diego last night, in part because of the Padres' horrific record (now 1-11) this season at home vs. NL pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 (or less), as well as its awful mark as a home underdog (now 7-27 this year). The Padres managed to score just two runs last night, but won when the Phillies couldn't score any. That was the second straight shutout loss by Philly. But they should have a much easier time of it tonight vs. Walker Lockett, who has a 9.28 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this season. The Phillies are also 19-4 this season when priced at -150 or higher. Take Philly. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-11-18 | Diamondbacks -139 v. Reds | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -139 | 17 h 31 m | Show |
At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Cincinnati Reds. After spending his first five-plus seasons with the New York Mets, RHP Matt Harvey was looking for a fresh start. And you could argue that after he was traded to the Reds in early May, Harvey got his wish. After all, since 2016, Harvey had logged a 14-24 record with an ERA around six runs with New York, so you could argue that what he's done since joining the Reds has been an improvement. But going 5-5 with a 4.79 ERA in 15 starts -- Harvey's stats since he joined Cincinnati -- is nothing to write home about. Those numbers don't tell the latest story as Harvey is 0-2 with a 10.66 ERA in his last three starts covering just 12 2/3 innings. Tonight, he will take those stats into a home start against the Diamondbacks and LHP Robbie Ray. Ray is 3-2 with a 4.92 ERA in 14 starts, however in seven road outings, he is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA.  The Reds shut out the D-Backs on Friday, but Arizona is still 19-8 in its last 27 road games and 14-6 in Ray's last 20 road starts. Take Arizona. |
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08-11-18 | Mariners v. Astros -191 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -191 | 16 h 0 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners. Great teams find a way to win in the face of adversity. Take the case of the Houston Astros. The defending champions just lost three of their best players due to injury -- George Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa. Despite not having these three in their lineup for much of the current month, the 'Stros are still 6-3 in their last nine games. And the good news beyond that is the fact that all three should be back by early September at the latest. Correa, in fact, made his return from his back injury in last night's game here. Charlie Morton will take the mound for the Astros, and his teams are 27-9 in his career when he's been priced -150 or higher. And the veteran RH has been rounding into form since the break, allowing just four runs in three starts with an ERA of 1.89 and an opponents' batting average of .200.  The Mariners will go with LHP Wade LeBlanc, who is 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 18 starts since moving into the rotation. But his worst outing came vs. Houston on Aug. 1 when he allowed seven runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings. Take the Astros. |
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08-11-18 | Rays v. Blue Jays -143 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -143 | 13 h 57 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays continue with their strategy of using relief pitchers as starters and having them pitch no more than two innings. With the exception of two starters -- Snell and Glasnow -- the Rays have been employing this strategy for the past several weeks. The results, however, are mixed as Tampa is 5-7 in its last 12 games heading into Friday night. The Jays are employing no such strategy, although when you look at their pitching, you get the impression they might start using it soon. RHP Sam Gaviglio will head to the mound for his 16th start of the season and although the numbers haven't been pretty for the 28-year-old lately, he's faced some pretty strong offenses. Since the beginning of July (seven starts), Gaviglio has had to face the likes of the Red Sox, Braves, Athletics, Mariners, and Yankees. So he gets some class relief this afternoon against a team that is hitting just .216 in the month of August. On the other end of that spectrum -- surprisingly -- are the Jays, who are hitting a league-best .295 this month. Heading into Saturday, the Rays are 8-20 in their last 28 road games and the home team is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings. Take the Jays. MLB Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-10-18 | Phillies -132 v. Padres | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -132 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over San Diego. With the Padres having moved both Jordan Lyles and Tyson Ross after the non-waiver trade deadline -- and having not received anything in return -- we're bound to see some new faces in their rotation the rest of the way. On Wednesday it was NJ native Brett Kennedy making his MLB debut and tonight it will be 22-year-old RH Jacob Nix doing the same for the home team. Nix is listed as the Padres #14 prospect and he's had a successful run in the Minors so far. In 10 starts this season at the AA and AAA levels combined, Nix is 3-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in just under 59 innings. Run support tonight could be an issue however as the Phils send out RHP Zach Eflin who's been very effective in this, his third MLB season (8-3 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 15 starts). The Padres are a miserable 0-11 this year at home vs. NL Pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower, and they're an awful 6-27 as a home underdog this season. Take Philadelphia. MLB Road Warrior Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-09-18 | Bears +2.5 v. Bengals | Top | 27-30 | Loss | -110 | 86 h 26 m | Show |
At 7 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Bears + the points over Cincinnati. The Bears opened their Preseason last week in the Hall of Fame match-up vs. Baltimore, and fell by a 17-16 score to the Ravens. But just having played a Preseason game is a big advantage against NFL teams which have still yet to play a preseason contest. Since 1983, such teams with a game in hand have cashed 59.45% of the time. Take Chicago + the points. NFL Game of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-09-18 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays +149 | Top | 5-8 | Win | 149 | 15 h 29 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox. Toronto will hand the ball to rookie southpaw Ryan Borucki tonight. And all Borucki has done this season has compile a 2.30 ERA in his seven starts. Even better: at home, his ERA drops to 1.35. And it's 0.90 in his last three starts (2 road, 1 home). Take Toronto as the home underdog this evening. |
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08-09-18 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays UNDER 9.5 | Top | 5-8 | Loss | -120 | 15 h 28 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in the Toronto/Boston game. Both starting pitchers come into this game in fine form. Rick Porcello has a 2.18 ERA and 0.67 WHIP over his last three starts. Not to be outdone, Ryan Borucki's ERA in his last three starts is 0.90, while his WHIP is 0.85. Boston is 114-90 'under' the total as a favorite, while Toronto is 14-5 'under' as a home underdog this season (and 28-13 'under' as a home underdog the past three seasons). Take the 'under.' |
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08-09-18 | Rangers v. Yankees UNDER 9.5 | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 28 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers 'under' the total. J.A. Happ will get the start tonight after missing his last start due to contracting hand, foot and mouth disease. Happ has been brilliant over his last three starts (1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP), and his teams have gone 'under' in 70 of his 111 starts as a favorite, and in 66 of his 105 starts vs. losing foes. Meanwhile, Texas is 50-28 'under' when priced from +150 to +200 on the road, and 31-20 'under' in its road games this season (regardless of the price). Take the 'under.' Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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08-08-18 | Padres v. Brewers UNDER 9 | Top | 4-8 | Loss | -115 | 17 h 5 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers 'under' the total. With the non-waiver trade deadline having passed, the Padres put Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles on Waivers and they were both claimed (Ross by the Cards and Lyles by the Brewers) and San Diego did not rescind the moves. So the Padres have some openings in the rotation -- which was not that deep to begin with. It hasn't taken long for a deserving youngster to get his shot as 24-year-old RHP Brett Kennedy is being called up from AAA to start tonight for the Pads. You'd be hard-pressed to find a kid in the minors more deserving than Kennedy based purely on the numbers. In 16 starts at AAA El Paso, Kennedy is 10-0 with a 2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 80 strikeouts with 77 hits allowed in 89 1/3 innings. The Brewers have a dangerous line-up, but they've obviously never seen Kennedy before and they may find his ground ball-inducing pitches tough to handle the first few times through the order. RHP Jhoulys Chacin goes for Milwaukee and the under is 17-8-1 in the Padres last 26 road games vs. RH starters, and 22-11 in the Padres' last 33 road games vs. winning teams. Take the 'under.' MLB Total of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-07-18 | Braves v. Nationals -200 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -200 | 16 h 34 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, in Game 2 of the Double Header, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over Atlanta. Sean Newcomb will get the start for Atlanta. He was terrific in his last start vs. the Dodgers, but that was at home. In his last five road starts vs. current winning teams, Newcomb's been dreadful, as the Braves have gone 0-5 in those games. And Newcomb's surrendered 21 runs (20 earned) in 20 innings (9.00 ERA). He'll take on one of baseball's best in Max Scherzer tonight. And all Scherzer's done is win his last five starts (2.91 ERA) to move his season record to 15-5 on the season. He's also won both home starts vs. Atlanta this season (2 runs and 17 strikeouts in 15 innings), and five of his last six at home vs. the Braves. Meanwhile, Newcomb's career ERA vs. the Nationals is a poor 6.46 in three starts. Take Washington. MLB Roadkill Winner! Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-06-18 | Twins v. Indians -188 | Top | 0-10 | Win | 100 | 15 h 52 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Indians over the Minnesota Twins. Another year, and another season of the Indians having the easiest path to the MLB post-season. With about 50 games to go, Cleveland has a nine game lead in the AL Central. But the fact is that if the Indians were in any other MLB Division, they would not be in first place. And if they were in any of the other two AL divisions, they would be behind by either 8.5 or 16.5 games. Unlike last year, when the Twins were a surprising team which pushed the Tribe all the way down the stretch (eventually settling for a Wild Card), this year, Minnesota has long since given up any hope of making the 2018 playoffs. They come into Cleveland tonight to start a four-game series and will have to face one of the Indians' two best pitchers here in Game 1. Trevor Bauer has a chance to set career-bests in Wins, ERA, strikeouts, and K:BB ratio. And five more Ks will put him at 200 for the first time in his career. This will be his first home start of the season vs. Minnesota. And the Tribe is 40-11 in its last 51 home games vs. teams with a losing record. Take Cleveland. MLB Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-05-18 | Yankees +119 v. Red Sox | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 22 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox. If the Yankees are going to start making a run at the Red Sox, they better start right now. Through the first three games of this crucial four-game series, the Sox have embarrassed the Yanks, out-scoring them by a combined 23-9. The problem for the Yankees is obvious. As the season has gotten longer, their starting pitching has worn down considerably. Their consensus best pitcher in the first half -- RHP Luis Severino -- has looked awful lately, ceding that top status to RHP Masahiro Tanaka, who has taken over as the team's ace. Tanaka will get his 18th start of the season tonight and no doubt the Yankees will try to rally around the 29-year-old Japanese before things get out of hand in the AL East Pennant race. Tanaka is 8-4 in his 16 starts against the Sox, while Boston RHP David Price (who will get his 22nd start of the season tonight) is a mediocre 15-13 with a 4.90 ERA in 40 career appearances (39 starts) against the Yankees. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-05-18 | Blue Jays v. Mariners -147 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays. The AL West has been a surprisingly close division this season, and not because the L.A. Angels are pushing the Defending Champion Astros. No, instead it's the surprising Oakland A's and the Seattle Mariners who are closest to Houston -- about five games back. The Mariners have gotten some surprising pitching performances this season, none more-so than RH Mike Leake. Leake is following up his very good -- but short -- showing with the M's last season with an equally impressive campaign this year. His record may be only 8-7 with a 4.16 ERA, however the Mariners have won 14 of Leake's 22 starts so far. Leake looks like he could be a major force in the second half for Seattle as he has thrown quality starts in each of his last three outings, resulting in a 2.95 ERA over that stretch (18 1/3 innings). He faced the Jays in Toronto back on May 10 and tossed seven quality innings, allowing two runs on six hits in a 9-3 blowout Mariners victory. Seattle is 5-1 in Leake's last six starts following a loss in its previous game. Take the Mariners. |
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08-05-18 | Astros v. Dodgers -110 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Houston Astros. The Dodgers wanted nothing more in this weekend series than to exact some revenge for their World Series loss to the Astros last year. Unfortunately, Houston has won the first two games, including a 14-0 whitewash last night. The Astros will turn to Gerrit Cole this afternoon. And Cole was roughed up in his last start when he surrendered four runs in 5 1-3 innings at Texas. He also has had little success vs. Dodger batters in his career, as his ERA is 5.55 in six starts, encompassing 35 2-3 innings. Cole will be opposed by rookie RHP Walker Buehler, who comes into this game off a strong performance in his last outing. Buehler made a mechanical change in his delivery prior to that start, vs. Milwaukee, and it seemingly made a big difference, as he gave up just one run over seven innings pitched. I look for Buehler to pitch great again this afternoon, as he's been much better at home (2.70 ERA) than on the road this season. And Los Angeles is 16-6 its last 22 interleague games here, at home. Take Los Angeles. MLB Game of the Month. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-05-18 | Rockies -111 v. Brewers | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 28 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Milwaukee Brewers. Jon Gray is on a roll since returning to the Colorado rotation, as he's allowed a total of four earned runs, along with just 10 hits (and 17 strikeouts), in 21 2/3 innings over his last three outings (1.66 ERA; 0.69 WHIP). The Rockies have won each of Gray's last five starts, and are also 5-0 in their last five games vs. southpaw starters. With lefty Wade Miley on the hill for the Brewers, we'll take the Rockies to snap their losing streak this afternoon. |
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08-04-18 | White Sox v. Rays -162 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -162 | 14 h 18 m | Show |
At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Chicago White Sox. Teams are usually either sellers or buyers at the trade deadline -- but not both. Unless, of course, you're the 2018 Rays, who made the most curious moves this past week. First, seemingly signaling that they wanted to build a winner for next season, they acquired young five-tool OF Tommy Pham from the Cards for a trio of prospects (Pham has since landed on the DL). But then, just days later, Tampa shipped Chris Archer off to Pittsburgh despite the fact that he was still under team control through 2021. Although the Rays' motives aren't always clear, one thing the Archer trade signals is that the Blake Snell era is upon us. Snell will assume the role of staff ace from here on out and there really isn't a close second. The All Star goes to the mound for the 21st start of what has been a brilliant break-out season for the 25-year-old southpaw. Snell is 12-5 and has a 2.20 ERA. And one of his many dominating starts of 2018 was against these White Sox on April 10, as he tossed six innings of one-hit, one-run ball with 10 Ks. Heading into Saturday, the Rays are 21-6 in their last 27 here at home. Take Tampa. MLB Roadkill Winner! As always, good luck...Al McMordie |
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08-03-18 | Giants v. Diamondbacks -185 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 16 h 7 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over San Francisco. Notwithstanding San Francisco's victory last night to start this 4-game series, the Giants are still a miserable 50-87 (minus 27 games on the moneyline) away from home the past two seasons. Tonight, the Giants will start Chris Stratton, who has struggled mightily over his last three starts (8.62 ERA; 1.91 WHIP). Patrick Corbin has faced San Francisco four times already this season, and he's given up just five runs in 26 2-3 innings (1.68 ERA). Take the Diamondbacks. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-03-18 | Yankees -130 v. Red Sox | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -130 | 14 h 37 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over Boston. Luis Severino will start for the Yankees on Friday, and he's 14-4 on the season, with a 1.08 WHIP and 2.94 ERA. Severino shut out the Red Sox over 6 2-3 innings in his last start vs. them in an 11-1 victory on July 1, and I look for him do dominate Boston's bats once again. Take New York. |
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08-03-18 | Braves v. Mets -140 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -140 | 14 h 37 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over Atlanta. Jake deGrom has pitched exceptionally well this season, but has little to show for it since the Mets' offense hasn't backed him up. Indeed, deGrom has given up 3 runs or less in 18 consecutive starts. His season ERA is a spectacular 1.82, and it's even better at home, where he has a 1.66 ERA. Anibal Sanchez has a 4.34 ERA in 13 career starts vs. New York, while deGrom's career ERA vs. Atlanta in 15 starts is a microscopic 1.80. Take the Mets. |
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08-03-18 | Cardinals v. Pirates -150 | Top | 6-7 | Win | 100 | 14 h 33 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the St. Louis Cardinals. There were many significant deals made on deadline day, but none more significant -- or surprising -- than the one that sent two-time All Star RHP Chris Archer to the Pirates from the Rays. In their wildest dreams, it's hard to imagine that the Pirates would have thought that right before the trade deadline they would reel off 11 wins in a row and put themselves right in the thick of the NL Wild Card. And they must really think that Archer can help them get there -- not just this year but in 2019 as well when he is still under contract -- because they gave up two of their top young players in OF Austin Meadows and RHP Tyler Glasnow. While Archer's numbers don't exactly jump off the page at you -- a 3-5 record with a 4.31 ERA in 17 starts -- he is a veteran who was in need of a change of scenery. So don't be surprised if he looks like his old dominating self down the stretch. The Cards will go with RHP John Gant who has a career record of 4-9. Gant allowed the Bucs three runs in 5 1/3 innings in Pittsburgh on May 25, and has a career 4.32 ERA in his starts vs. Pittsburgh. In contrast, Archer's career ERA is 1.29 vs. St. Louis. Take the Pirates. NL Central Game of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-02-18 | Giants v. Diamondbacks -160 | Top | 8-1 | Loss | -160 | 18 h 17 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Francisco Giants. These two NL West contending teams acted quite differently at the trade deadline. While the D-Backs added some much-needed offense in the form of IF Eduardo Escobar (from the Twins) and relief pitchers Brad Ziegler and Jake Diekman (from the Marlins and Rangers), the Giants did nothing. There were some rumors that they were shopping Andrew McCutchen but at the end of the day, no trigger was pulled. So San Fran will head into the stretch on the backs of players like Cutch and LH ace Madison Bumgarner, who goes to the hill for his 11th start of the season. Bumgarner has been okay since returning from the DL. But as the team's ace, he needs to be more than just okay. Mad-Bum's record is a pedestrian 3-4. And of particular concern is his career-high walk rate of 3.5 resulting in a K:BB ratio of just 2.13. RHP Zack Greinke goes for Arizona and Greinke has, once again, been absolutely dominant at home this season, going 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 11 starts here at Chase Field (vs. 3.52 in 11 starts elsewhere). Greinke's teams have gone 116-43 (+50 games on the moneyline) in his career when they've been favored at home in his starts. Take Arizona. As always, good luck...Al McMordie |
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08-02-18 | Brewers v. Dodgers -190 | Top | 5-21 | Win | 100 | 18 h 37 m | Show |
At 9:00 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers. Now that the Dodgers have had one of the best non-waiver deadlines in their history, bolstering their offense with two of the best hitters from the AL (Machado and Dozier), all that's left is to get their starting pitching revved up for a big, final two months. But that could be easier said than done for a group that has battled injury and inconsistency virtually every season since this staff was built around Clayton Kershaw. But the good news is that the LH ace finally had a start that reminded people of the Kershaw of a few years ago when it seemed like he was winning the Cy Young without any competition. In a 4-1 victory over a very good Braves team in Atlanta last Thursday, Kershaw threw 101 pitches in 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. It was Kershaw's second straight start without issuing a free pass (13 2/3 innings). No doubt Kershaw can't wait to go to the mound with his two new power-hitting infielders behind him. Also, L.A. is 52-15 in Kershaw's last 67 home starts. Take the Dodgers. |
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08-02-18 | Orioles v. Rangers -137 | Top | 8-17 | Win | 100 | 17 h 43 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have held an in-season fire sale over the past two weeks, the likes of which haven't been seen in quite some time. Gone are Machado, Schoop, Britton, Brach, Gausman, and O'Day. We also learned that they were trying to unload Adam Jones but the veteran center fielder vetoed whatever deal they had in place. So, what's next for this once great franchise? One thing's for sure, there are a lot of youngsters that are going to get a chance to play down the stretch for Baltimore. That may be fun to watch at times, but it can wreak havoc on your W/L record (not that the O's could get much worse at this point). RHP Yovani Gallardo signed as a free agent with Texas and out of nowhere the 32-year-old Mexican has a 5-1 record in his first seven starts. The O's are a team he is familiar with as he pitched for Baltimore in 2016. Facing a line-up which will be be comprised mostly of AAA players, Gallardo should be able to get his sixth victory tonight at home. The O's are 3-8 in the last 11 meetings in Texas., and they're 13-40 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) on the road this season. Take the Rangers. |
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08-02-18 | Yankees +105 v. Red Sox | Top | 7-15 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 51 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over Boston. The Bronx Bombers' win streak was snapped yesterday afternoon by the Baltimore Orioles, who downed the Yankees, 7-5. I look for New York to bounce back on this Thursday in this critical game vs. the division-leading Red Sox. Boston will start southpaw Brian Johnson tonight. And the Yankees are a super 24-6 (+15 games on the moneyline) vs. lefty starters this season. New York will also turn to a lefty tonight, as veteran CC Sabathia will get the ball. Sabathia dominated the BoSox in his last start vs. them at the end of June, when he held them to just one run in seven innings pitched. Sabathia is 6-0 in his last seven starts vs. Boston, and gave up 2 runs or less in each of those six victories. Boston has performed much better this season vs. righty starters (59-23, +24 games on the moneyline) compared to lefties (16-11, +1 game on the moneyline). Take the Yankees. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-01-18 | Royals v. White Sox -116 | Top | 10-5 | Loss | -116 | 19 h 44 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals. The Royals have the worst offense in the Majors, as measured by scoring output. And KC finished the month of July with 22 fewer runs on the season than the next closest team -- Baltimore -- and you know how bad the Orioles are these days. So, what lies ahead now that the team has traded away its most productive offensive player in Mike Moustakas? It probably wouldn't matter from here on out if the Royals still had Zack Greinke in their rotation. But, of course, they don't have anyone even close to that. Tonight it will be RHP Jakob Junis taking the mound for KC in the second game of this series in Chicago. What started as a very promising season for the 25-year-old has pretty much turned into a disaster, complete with a stint on the DL that had him miss half of July. Junis has also faced the White Sox once this season, and got blasted (6 runs in 5 2-3 innings). Dylan Covey will start for Chicago tonight. At 4-6 with a 5.40 ERA, he also isn't setting the league on fire. But he was effective in his lone start vs. KC this season (1 earned run in 6 innings). Heading into Wednesday, the Royals are an awful 20-51 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) vs. righties this season. Take Chicago. MLB Elite Info. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-31-18 | Brewers v. Dodgers -171 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -171 | 20 h 23 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over Milwaukee. Walker Buehler has been lights-out at home this season, as he has a 1.78 ERA in his six home starts, with a 0.76 WHIP. Wade Miley also has been terrific in his home starts this season (0.00 ERA). Unfortunately for Miley, his start tonight will be on the road, where is ERA is 2.81 runs higher than at home. Miley also has had little success vs. the Dodgers in his career. His teams have won just five of his 13 starts, including just one of his last seven. And his ERA over those seven starts is 4.38. Finally, Miley's teams are a horrid 0-6 behind him as a road underdog priced from +150 to +200. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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07-31-18 | Rangers v. Diamondbacks -175 | Top | 0-6 | Win | 100 | 20 h 52 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Texas Rangers. It looks as though that ageless wonder, RHP Bartolo Colon, will finish the season in the Rangers rotation. The 45-year-old goes in his 20th start of the season tonight attempting to break a a four-start losing streak. Although Texas is long out of contention, Colon has something to strive for as his 245 wins not only puts him five away from a milestone that few starters ever reach, but it also has him tied with Dennis Martinez for the most victories by a Latin American-born pitcher. But tonight is not likely the night he's going to get #246. The D-Backs are in the thick of a pennant race and playing perhaps their best ball of the season. RHP Zack Godley had back-to-back strong starts prior to the break but has struggled in his last two. But they were against the Rockies and Cubs so he gets some class relief tonight and that will help as Arizona is 5-1 in Godley's last six home starts vs. teams with losing records. The Rangers can't use their DH so Colon will be swinging a bat tonight for perhaps the last time in his storied career. Take the D-Backs. |
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07-31-18 | Orioles v. Yankees UNDER 9 | Top | 3-6 | Push | 0 | 17 h 17 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in the Yankees/Orioles game. Yefrey Ramirez and Masahiro Tanaka will battle tonight in the Bronx. The Orioles have gone 'under' the total in 45 of 75 games as an underdog this season, while the Yankees have gone 'under' in 13 of 19 games as a favorite priced -200 or higher. Moreover, Tanaka has gone 'under' in 36 of 61 home games, and has a 2.29 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over his last three starts. This will be a low-scoring game. Take the 'under.' |
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07-30-18 | Marlins v. Braves -162 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Miami Marlins. So far this season, Marlins RHP Wei-Yin Chen is 2-2 with a 2.18 ERA in eight starts at Marlins Park, but 1-5 with a 10.47 ERA in the same number on the road. That's a home-field bias rarely seen these days. Unfortunately, this game is in Atlanta against the Division-contending Braves (who are tied in the loss column with Philly). The Marlins would love to move Chen and his five-year, $80 Million contract, so getting him out of his road funk is critical to them right now. However, this is a tough place to try to do it, especially against one of the Braves' best in RHP Julio Teheran. Teheran is also looking for a little home revenge tonight as he got blasted in his last start against Chen and this Fish team in Miami. Look for him to have a much better showing tonight. Four of his last five home starts have been gems and the Braves are 8-3 in his last 11 here. The Braves are also 29-16 (+16 games on the moneyline) vs. division rivals this season, which is a large part of their current success in the standings. Take Atlanta. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-29-18 | Cubs -110 v. Cardinals | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 57 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals. It would seem that the Cardinals have thrown in the towel on the season. While the Cubs and Brewers are adding some quality players at the trade deadline, the Cards have not made any significant trades. In fact, the most significant move this team has made was behind the bench when it replaced manager Mike Matheny with interim Manager Mike Shildt. With a 53-51 record, it's hard to imagine the Cards making the post-season at this point given the log-jam of teams ahead of them. The Cubs on the other hand have acquired two pitchers from the Rangers since the break, the most accomplished being southpaw starter Cole Hamels. But tonight it will be RHP Kyle Hendricks going to the mound for the 22nd time. Hendricks has struggled this season but has pitched better lately and will be looking for his seventh win tonight. In six career starts at Busch Stadium, Hendricks is 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA. More importantly, the Cubs are 6-0 in Hendricks' last six starts vs. St. Louis. Take Chicago. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-28-18 | Nationals -147 v. Marlins | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -147 | 17 h 16 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over the Miami Marlins. The Nats are scrambling right now, trying to remain relevant in a division they were expected to win somewhat easily. But here we are, almost 2/3 of the way through the season, and Washington is sitting in third place in the NL East with just a 52-51 record. One season after his best campaign since his first in DC, Gio Gonzalez has won just six times in 20 starts. But he has still posted an ERA under four runs (3.94) and the veteran southpaw has two months to try to turn things around. A start against the Marlins should help as Gonzalez has a 10-3 record and 1.93 ERA in 17 career starts covering just over 107 innings vs. Miami. And this season the Marlins have really struggled against left-handed pitching, logging a .232 BA and .651 OPS vs. southpaws coming into tonight. Maybe if the Nats could just rearrange the schedule so they play the Marlins the rest of the way, they would win that pennant. Miami is just 8-21 in its last 29 home games vs. teams with a winning record and 7-23 in the last 30 meetings after getting blown out last nite. Take DC. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-27-18 | Mariners v. Angels UNDER 8.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 23 h 15 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in the Anaheim/Seattle game. This match-up of AL West rivals features two southpaw starters: Wade LeBlanc and Andrew Heaney. LeBlanc has been super this season, with a 6-1 record, and a 3.25 ERA. He has a solid 1.08 WHIP, and has gone 9-5-1 'under' in his 15 starts this season. Meanwhile, Heaney is also strongly 'under' the total this season (11-6-1), and has a 2.31 ERA at home this year (6-3 'under'). Finally, the Mariners have gone 'under' 55-31 vs. pitchers with a 1.20 (or better) WHIP, while Anaheim is 110-79 'under' vs. winning teams. Take the 'under.' Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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07-26-18 | Phillies v. Reds UNDER 10 | Top | 9-4 | Loss | -109 | 19 h 52 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in the Philadelphia/Cincinnati game. This match-up will pit Philadelphia's southpaw rookie Ranger Suarez vs. Reds RHP Tyler Mahle. Interestingly, this will be the first time in 667 days that a lefty has started a game for Philly. And Suarez has been pitching very well this season, albeit for AA-Reading and AAA-Lehigh Valley. At Reading, Suarez went 4-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts. And, then, at Lehigh Valley, he's posted a 0.57 ERA over three starts. Tonight, he will face a Reds team which has scored two runs or less in six of its last seven games. And the Reds have gone 'under' the total in 14 of Mahle's 22 starts in his career. Take the 'under.' Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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07-25-18 | Pirates v. Indians -167 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Indians over the Pittsburgh Pirates. In what has to be considered the most unlikely winning streak of any team this season, it is now 11 in a row for the Pirates after taking their second straight game in Cleveland against the first-place Tribe. Not only is Pittsburgh comfortably above the .500 mark now, but it is within striking distance of a wild-card spot -- something which was all but unthinkable just a few weeks ago. The offense has been firing on all cylinders, aided by the return of IF Josh Harrison and the resurgence of the outfield (Starling Marte, Chris Dickerson, and Gregory Polanco). But they have to go up against a buzz-saw this afternoon in All Star RHP Trevor Bauer. The Indians' pitching staff has been led by Corey Kluber the last several years. But this season, it's Bauer and not Kluber who is the ace of the rotation. And Bauer loves inter-league play, posting a 9-5 record with a stellar 2.66 ERA in his starts against the NL. Moreover, his ERA in day games is almost a run lower than it is under the lights (3.54 vs. 4.31). In contrast, Jameson Taillon's ERA vs. the American League is 6.75 this year, while his ERA in afternoon starts is 4.22. Take Cleveland. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-24-18 | White Sox v. Angels -175 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -175 | 21 h 33 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox. If the Angels were in the Central Division where the White Sox are, they would only be five games behind the Indians and have at least some chance of winning the Division. But as it stands, they are in the toughest Division in the AL and are sitting in fourth place despite a 50-51 record. So that probably takes L.A. out of the market for any deadline deals at this point, but they are still a pretty good team and certainly much better than the White Sox (although that might not be true in a couple of years). So look for the Halos to experiment with young players -- especially starters -- in the second half and that includes RHP Felix Pena who goes to the hill tonight for his sixth start. You have to like Pena's 3.42 ERA and 3.56 K:BB ratio and clearly there is some talent here. He last pitched for the Angels on July 13, when he gave up one run over four innings against the Dodgers. The Sox will go with LHP Carlos Rodon who has not fared well on the road as Chicago is 5-17 in his last 22 starts away from the South Side. Take the Angels. |
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07-24-18 | Tigers -112 v. Royals | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -112 | 19 h 42 m | Show |
At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Kansas City Royals. Jordan Zimmermann has had a nice comeback in the latter part of the first half. The former Nats ace has posted a 2.60 ERA in five starts since coming off the DL June 16. He regressed in his last start -- which was before the break -- allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings in a loss to the Rays on July 11. It was later revealed that Zimmermann was hampered by a neck issue and he has since received a nerve-blocking injection for that -- a procedure he'd undergone in the past -- and should be ready to go tonight. The Royals will go with RHP Burch Smith who gets his third start of the season. To call Smith a second-year rookie is true, but also a bit misleading. That's because there's a five year gap between Smith's MLB debut season (2013) and now. Originally taking Jason Hammel's spot in the rotation, Smith is now subbing for the injured Ian Kennedy but with Kennedy expected back soon, Smith's days as a starter are numbered. Heading into Tuesday, the Royals are 8-27 in their last 35 home games vs. a RH starter. Take Detroit. |
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07-24-18 | Pirates v. Indians -158 | Top | 9-4 | Loss | -158 | 18 h 37 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Indians over the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a strong second half, 23 year-old RHP Shane Bieber could make a case for AL Rookie of the Year Honors. For such a young MLB pitcher to have a 5-1 record, a walk rate of just 1.7 (eight BBs in 43 1/3 innings) and a 5.25 K:BB ratio through his first seven starts is pretty remarkable. It's also the primary reason why the Indians went after relief pitching, acquiring Brad Hand from the Padres and don't feel right now like they have to acquire another starter. Bieber will make start number eight tonight at home where he's done his best work, posing a 2.81 ERA in four starts (vs. 4.58 in three starts on the road). RHP Joe Musgrove was the main player in the trade that sent Gerrit Cole to Houston and although he's no Cole, Musgrove has been fairly effective so far for the Bucs. But his only victory since May (seven starts) was a 6-3 win over the lowly Padres in San Diego. Excluding that one, Musgrove is 0-4 in six starts allowing 23 earned runs in 32 innings. Take the Indians. |
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07-24-18 | Cardinals -115 v. Reds | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 18 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds. Teams that aren't completely out of contention in late July don't usually send out pitchers on consecutive days that are making their first career MLB starts. So call the Cardinals unorthodox because last night it was 26 YO Daniel Poncedeleon making his MLB debut and tonight it will be 24 YO LHP Austin Gomber getting his first-ever MLB start (Gomber also has 15 relief appearances this season). Gomber is a much higher-ranked prospect in the Cards organization than Poncedeleon, so he has a better chance to stick with the club into next season. And most of his relief appearances were solid (he has a 3.77 ERA in 14 1/3 IP) although he's still looking for his first MLB win. Tonight, Gomber will square off against Homer Bailey. And how many times have we heard that Bailey is coming off the DL to make a start for the Reds? Too many, it seems. Well it's happening again tonight and you really don't know what to expect with Bailey at this point. But his 1-7 record, with 6.68 ERA in 12 starts, tells you all you need to know about his chances of having a quality outing this evening. Take the Cards. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-24-18 | Padres v. Mets -150 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the San Diego Padres. If the Mets move either or both of their aces -- Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard -- in the next week, then expect RHP Zack Wheeler to take on a more prominent role. Wheeler has had an up-and-down season, pitching brilliantly one start and disastrously the next. Wheeler has pitched better lately, allowing nine earned runs in 25 innings over his last four starts. And teams in need of a starter have been checking out Wheeler as a potential alternative to deGrom and Syndergaard (who are seen as costly) so he every reason to continue pitching well. One of the good starts was his only outing vs. this Padres team back on April 29 when he allowed two earned runs over five innings with nine strikeouts in a 14-2 rout at Petco Park. Padres southpaw Eric Lauer has won five times from his 16 starts which is a bit surprising given his ugly 4.87 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. The Padres are just 19-40 in their last 59 road games vs. teams with a losing record. Take the Mets. |
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07-23-18 | Pirates v. Indians -255 | Top | 7-0 | Loss | -255 | 18 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Indians over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The surprising -- and red-hot -- Pirates come into Progressive Field for a three-game, inter-league set against the Indians. It's hard to believe, but Pittsburgh has now won nine straight coming into tonight, including a five-game home sweep of the Brewers followed by three over the Reds in Cincy this past weekend. But things will get tougher for the Bucs tonight as they face a very good first-place Indians team and a bona-fide ace in RH Corey Kluber. Kluber will make his first start since his third straight All Star selection (although he did not pitch in that game). Kluber has historically done his best work in the second half (the first time he won the Cy Young he wasn't even voted an All Star). In his career, Kluber is 40-16 (.714) with a 2.90 ERA after the break (compared with 48-37, .565 with a 3.22 ERA in the first half). Worse for Pittsburgh tonight is the fact that they've never faced the Cleveland ace before. The Pirates are also a poor 31-62 in their last 93 as a road underdog of +100 or higher (minus 20 games on the moneyline), while Cleveland is a perfect 11-0 this season when priced -250 or higher. Take the Tribe. MLB Mound Mismatch Massacre! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-23-18 | Cardinals v. Reds UNDER 9.5 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 18 h 35 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds 'under' the total. It's safe to say that Daniel Poncedeleon's path to the Majors has been different than anyone else's in recent history. Fourteen months ago, he took a liner to the head when pitching for AAA Memphis and was rushed to the hospital for live-saving brain surgery. The 26-year-old not only made a full recovery, but was back pitching for Memphis this season. And he's been performing at a very high level, posting a 2.15 ERA in 18 games, including 17 starts, covering 92 innings. The Reds will send RHP Luis Castillo to the mound for his 21st start of the season. Castillo's overall numbers are nothing to write home about, but he has pitched much better lately and the Reds have won four of Castillo's last five starts. In fact, his last start was against this Cardinals team and Castillo allowed two runs in five innings with five hits and no walks in an 8-2 victory. This will be a low-scoring game. Take the 'under.' MLB Total of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-22-18 | Rockies v. Diamondbacks -173 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 16 h 55 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over Colorado. We played on the Diamondbacks yesterday, and lost a tough, 1-run game after bursting out to a 3-0 lead. That was the 7th consecutive win by Colorado, but I look for its streak to be halted today by Zack Greinke. In his career, Greinke has the best home won/loss performance, as a favorite, of any active pitcher. Consider that Greinke's teams are 115-43 in his career (+49 games on the moneyline) when they've been favored. And when his teams have been priced at -150 or higher, whether at home, or on the road, the numbers are even better: 96 wins against just 27 losses. Greinke is also 5-0 in his last six starts, with a 1.65 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP, including 7 2-3 innings of shutout ball vs. Atlanta his last time out. Meanwhile, Senzatela was bombed for six runs in six innings in his last outing. And he's 0-1 in his lone start vs. Arizona, with a 16.20 ERA (nine runs over five innings). Take Arizona. Mound Mismatch Massacre! Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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07-21-18 | Rockies v. Diamondbacks -120 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -120 | 17 h 27 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks didn't have the prospects that the Dodgers did so they couldn't land Manny Machado. But don't think that means this team is done trying to beef up its offense via trade. There are plenty of other hitters out there that could help the D-Backs, including Mike Moustakas, Adam Jones, Scooter Gennett, and Asdrubal Cabrera. For now, they seem pretty happy with their rotation and one of the reasons is the resurgence of RHP Zack Godley. No starter put together double-digit wins in the first half as quietly as Godley did (he has 11). And the 28-year-old has held hitters to a .255 OBP over his last three starts. He'll get start number 19 tonight against the Rockies and LHP Kyle Freeland. Freeland is one of those rarities who performs better at Coors Field than elsewhere and that won't help him tonight. Freeland is 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA in five career starts vs. the D-Backs, while Godley won his lone start this season vs. Arizona back on June 10 which began a string in which he has won six of his last seven decisions. Godley is also 4-0 in his career vs. the D-Backs, with a 2.02 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in those four starts. Take Arizona. MLB High Roller Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-20-18 | White Sox v. Mariners -197 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 21 h 50 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Chicago White Sox. Of all the surprising starters who came out of nowhere to win rotation jobs in the first half, few are as surprising as the Mariners LHP Wade LeBlanc. Heading into 2018, LeBlanc had started just 18 MLB games over the past five seasons. But he was given a 2nd shot with Seattle (he also pitched for Seattle in 2016) after the M's suffered some pitching injuries early on this season. All the 33-year-old has done is to go 5-1 with a 3.45 ERA in 14 starts since moving into the rotation, though he took his first loss in his last outing. Interestingly, that was the first losing decision LeBlanc has had in 22 starts with Seattle in his career (2016 and 2018). And the Mariners are also a perfect 14-0 in LeBlanc's 14 home starts for the team! He looks to put that rare Mariners loss behind him and start the second half in the same manner in which he pitched for much of the first half. The Sox will open the second half with veteran RH James Shields going to the mound for his 21st start. Shields has never had much success at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, going 4-4 with a 4.82 ERA in nine starts covering 56 innings here. Take Seattle. Mound Mismatch Massacre! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-15-18 | Nationals -128 v. Mets | Top | 6-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over the New York Mets. No team needs a break right now more than the Washington Nationals who lost again on Saturday and are now a game under .500. And although most members of the team will get time off after today, with the All Star festivities taking place in DC, the coaching staff and some players won't be able to really hit the reset button for the next three days. If they can win this afternoon against an inferior Mets team, at least the Nats will go into the break on a high note. What does it say that one of their most consistent starters lately has been RH Jeremy Hellickson? The veteran is 3-1 with a 3.47 ERA in 12 starts and he recently returned from the DL due to a hamstring problem. Except for an ugly start in his second appearance back from the DL, Hellickson has been pretty solid and he comes into this start in New York off of five scoreless innings in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Hellickson has been great on the road this season, going 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts away from DC (vs. 4.87 in four home starts). And the Mets have been dismal as home underdogs, with a 3-15 record this season. Take the Nationals. MLB Division Game of the Month! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-15-18 | Croatia v. France | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 24 h 51 m | Show |
At 11:00 am, on Sunday, our selection is on France to defeat Croatia, and lift the trophy (at -230 odds). Thus, our wager will win, if France succeeds in regulation, extra time, or on penalty kicks. The challenge ahead for Croatia is daunting after surviving its third straight match which required extra time. The Vatreni displayed plenty of grit to rally from an early 1-0 deficit to England to force extra by scoring a tying goal with under 25 minutes to go, and the winning goal in the 109th minute. But how much does this older team have left in the tank? With three straight contests requiring extra time in the knockout stage, the Vatreni have essentially played an extra game than the French (who also have the benefit of an extra day of rest for this championship match). But even if this wasn't the case, I was going to favor the winner of the France/Belgium game against the victor of the England/Croatia match. Les Bleus also are more youthful -- with an average age of 26 -- and they have a clean bill of health. It will be hard for the Croatians to slow down the 19-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe, whose explosive speed will severely test their midfield and defense. Yet while Mbappe and fellow midfielder Paul Pogba receive most of the attention on this French team, it is midfielder N’Golo Kante who is France's Most Valuable Player. Kante was the key piece for two separate English Premier League championship teams for Chelsea and Leicester City with his ball-hawking and defensive skills. He will be up to the task of neutralizing Croatian star midfielder Luka Modric. So, the talent edge certainly goes to France (though Croatia has a slight edge in the midfield overall), especiall considering their back line and goalie Hugo Lloris (who is simply one of the top keepers in the world). Finally, the road for the French to get here has been more difficult with victories over Argentina, Uruguay, and then Belgium in the semifinals. In contrast, Croatia has needed extra-time to defeat Denmark, Russia and then England which are a level of class below what Les Bleus have overcome. Take France. As always, good luck....Al McMordie. |
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07-14-18 | Rangers v. Orioles -105 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Texas Rangers. With the Orioles already far out of contention -- and Manny Machado, Zach Britton, and perhaps Adam Jones about to be traded -- look for a plethora of young pitchers to get a look the rest of the way. One youngster who has already seen considerable action for the Birds is 24-year-old rookie RH Yefry Ramirez. Ramirez has yet to win his first MLB game, but he's pitched well enough, logging a 3.93 ERA in four appearances -- including three starts. With Andrew Cashner on the DL, and the rest of the O's rotation -- except for Bundy and Gausman -- in a bit of flux, Ramirez will likely continue to get starts. The Rangers will hand the ball to southpaw veteran Martin Perez. Perez will make his first start since April 29 after going on the DL with soreness in his non-throwing elbow. He struggled in his five April starts, posting a 9.87 ERA with 13 Ks and 12 BBs in just over 22 innings. There's little to suggest that the time off and recovery process have made Perez -- who owns a 4.60 career ERA -- an effective pitcher. Take the Orioles. MLB Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-14-18 | England v. Belgium | Top | 0-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
At 10:00 am, on Saturday, our selection is on Belgium PK, at --170 odds, to win the match (whether in regulation, extra time, or on penalty kicks). Both these teams will have to pick themselves up from deflating losses in the semifinals for this consolation 3rd place match. However, it will likely be more difficult for England to recover. Not only do the Three Lions have one less day to rest and prepare for this match but they also have to rebound from a grueling physical and emotional 2-1 loss to Croatia that needed the thirty minutes of extra time to resolve. The Three Lions had victory in their grasp for much of that match with Kieran Trippier scoring five minutes in, but they lost steam in the second half and eventually conceded the tying goal in the 68th minute. England looked like it would have the opportunity to win in a shootout but its hearts were broken when Croatia scored the winning goal with just nine minutes left in extra time. Manager Gareth Southgate has indicated that he will rest many of his regulars who are dealing with injuries (or who are simply just gassed from the physical demands of that match on Wednesday). At the very least, this sounds like Trippier, as well as midfield cogs Ashley Young and Jordan Henderson, as candidates to not take the pitch. So, Belgium should be more fit to win this match. Moreover, Manager Roberto Martinez has declared that his team will not be taking this opportunity lightly: "I am not going to make changes now to give certain players opportunities....Any change will be to make the team stronger." A victory for the Red Devils today will result in the top finish in Belgium history at a World Cup (besting its 4th place showing in the 1986 games in Mexico), and that is of great importance to this team. Take Belgium to be victorious (at --170 odds). As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-13-18 | Rays -107 v. Twins | Top | 8-11 | Loss | -107 | 17 h 20 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over Minnesota. Jake Odorizzi will get the start for the Twins, and the Twins have lost six of his last nine starts. And their three wins behind Odorizzi were against the Orioles (26-68), White Sox (26-66) and Tigers (40-55) -- each of which owns a losing record. The Rays, on the other hand, are above .500, and the Twins are a poor 0-6 behind Odorizzi in his last six starts vs. winning American League foes. Tonight, he'll face Nate Eovaldi, who has been in a groove lately. Eovaldi has held two of his last three opponents scoreless, and has a 0.95 ERA over those three games. For the season, his ERA is 3.35, and his WHIP is a sparkling 0.80. And the Rays are a solid 22-12 (+7 games on the moneyline) vs. losing teams this season. Take Tampa Bay. Mound Mismatch Massacre! Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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07-12-18 | Dodgers -185 v. Padres | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 24 h 18 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over San Diego. The Padres figure to have a tough time tonight vs. Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling. After all, Stripling has struck out 86 batters (against just seven walks and 71 hits) in his 13 games/74 innings this season. All told, that's a 1.05 WHIP and a 2.55 ERA. San Diego is a horrid 7-25 vs. pitchers who strike out at least 5 batters per start, and is 6-19 as a home underdog! That doesn't bode well for the Pads, as they will hand the ball to Tyson Ross, who has fallen off a cliff in his last two starts (7 innings, 15 runs, 19 baserunners). And Ross is 0-6 in his career vs. Los Angeles. Take the Dodgers. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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07-12-18 | Rays -109 v. Twins | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -109 | 24 h 17 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Minnesota Twins. The biggest All Star snub this year is a pretty easy choice. When was the last time that a starter who was leading his league in ERA (and was tied for second place in wins) didn't make the staff for the mid-summer Classic? Well, it happened this season as Rays' LH Blake Snell has been left off the roster. He almost certainly will be chosen as an alternate before next Tuesday's game, but it's still a bit of a black eye for the selection process that he wasn't a starter from day one. Snell will likely take out his frustrations tonight in Minnesota against the Twins in his 20th start of the season. He hasn't been as dominant away from home this season, although most pitchers would kill for Snell's road numbers (6-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts). And the Twins line-up certainly doesn't pose the kind of challenge that Snell regularly sees against the Red Sox and Yankees. Snell's been even better lately, going 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA in his last 10 starts. Finally, the Rays are 20-7 in the last 27 meetings at Target Field. Take Tampa. |
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07-12-18 | Mariners -103 v. Angels | Top | 2-11 | Loss | -103 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels. A battle of really good southpaw starters takes place tonight in Anaheim as the Mariners and James Paxton face the Angels and Tyler Skaggs. Paxton has had a dominating first three months. He is 8-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 19 starts. And he is tied for the league lead with two complete games and he also has a no-hitter to his credit. Paxton was moved up a day for this start, due to the injury to Felix Hernandez, and will face the Angels for the first time this season. He shouldn't mind that at all as Paxton is 4-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 11 career starts covering just under 70 innings vs. the Halos. Skaggs will come off the DL tonight to face the Mariners. And while he has a 2.64 ERA in 16 starts, he is just 6-5 on the season. Heading into Thursday, the M's are 5-1 in their last six road games. And Anaheim is a poor 7-17 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) vs. lefty starters. Take Seattle. MLB Road Warrior of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-12-18 | Blue Jays +160 v. Red Sox | Top | 4-6 | Loss | -100 | 21 h 19 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over Boston. Yes, the Red Sox are baseball's best, and hottest team, with 65 wins and nine straight, overall, after last night's blowout of the Rangers. But Red Sox SP David Price has been subpar, to say the least. Price's ERA is 4.44 on the season, and 13.50 over his last two starts. Even worse: Boston is an awful 20-22 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) vs. starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or less. Take Toronto with J.A. Happ on the hill to upset the Red Sox. |
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07-12-18 | Brewers v. Pirates -128 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 21 h 15 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Milwaukee Brewers. Pirates' RHP Jameson Taillon has had an up-and-down first half. Pittsburgh is hoping that the second half will be more up than down and so far based on his recent performances, it looks like that could happen. Taillon cruised through six innings in his last start Saturday at PNC Park before giving up two runs and getting a quick hook from Clint Hurdle. He has a 3.60 ERA in two starts vs. Milwaukee this season and that's very good against one of the most explosive lineups in the League. The Brewers are scheduled to go with LHP Wade Miley. Miley will return from the 60-day DL to make his first Brewers start since May 8, when he strained his right oblique in his second game back from a groin injury. Miley has a 1.42 ERA this season, but the sample size (two starts; 6 1/3 innings) is way too small to draw any conclusions. Last season he had a dismal season with Baltimore, posting a 5.61 ERA while issuing a league-leading 93 walks. In his last two starts vs. the Bucs, Miley has allowed nine runs on 15 hits in just 6 2/3 innings. Take Pittsburgh. |
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07-12-18 | A's v. Astros -197 | Top | 6-4 | Loss | -197 | 16 h 21 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Oakland Athletics. Despite the third-most victories in the AL (11), an .846 win percentage, 2.83 ERA, and 141 strikeouts in 108 innings, Charlie Morton is not a 2018 All Star. The veteran Astros RHP was a major snub, along with Blake Snell of the Rays. But unlike Snell, it's much easier to see why Morton was passed over. When you have a pitching staff that already boasts two legitimate All Stars in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Morton gets his 19th start of the season in this afternoon affair at home against the A's and RHP Trevor Cahill. Cahill was pitching lights out with a 2.88 ERA in eight starts before going down with an Achilles strain. This will be his first start off the DL and first in over a month (June 2) and it's a tough assignment against the defending World Champs. Despite the 2.88 ERA, Cahill only has one victory on the season due to some pretty weak run support (the A's have plated just 12 runs in his last five starts going back to the beginning of May). Take the 'Stros. |
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07-11-18 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -134 | Top | 2-19 | Win | 100 | 18 h 27 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Those hoping for Shelby Miller to produce some solid numbers following a prolonged recovery from Tommy John Surgery (and a decent Minor League rehab assignment have been greatly disappointed so far. The veteran RH has made three starts for the D-Backs since returning to MLB action and the result is an 0-3 record with a 9.00 ERA in 14 innings. His last start was his best, but it was against the Padres. And he still lost while allowing five runs (three earned) in 5 1/3 innings. Now comes his toughest assignment so far, as he has to go into hitter-friendly Coors Field to face the Rockies. Miller has not done well here, going 0-2 with a 9.88 ERA in three career starts covering 13 2/3 innings (numbers eerily close to what he's put up this season). The D-Backs are also 7-19 in Miller's last 26 starts and 2-10 in his last 12 vs. teams with winning records. Meanwhile, German Marquez comes into this start off back to back wins, where he held the Mariners and Dodgers each to just one run. Take the Rockies. Mound Mismatch Massacre! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-11-18 | England -155 v. Croatia | Top | 1-1 | Loss | -155 | 60 h 49 m | Show |
At 2:00 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on England to advance over Croatia, at -155 odds. Croatia needed every bit of its veteran grit (from a host of players that star in La Liga and Serie A of the top Spanish and Italian professional leagues) to outlast host nation Russia on Saturday. The Vatreni looked like they were on the verge of winning that match in extra time by a 2-1 score before they allowed the Bears to level the game on a dramatic goal in the 115th minute. But Croatia survived to win via penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals. But that victory did not come without a cost. The Vatreni were banged-up at the end, with a number of players dealing with injuries. The most notable was their goalkeeper Danijnel Subasic, who seemed to have pulled a calf muscle late in that match. This is an older team, with many of its star players on the north end of 30-years-old. That will make it all the more difficult for this group to be fresh after playing two straight games that required shootouts after 120 minutes of play. Meanwhile, England had things relatively easy on Saturday with its 2-0 victory over a Sweden team which they thoroughly dominated. That was the most complete effort for England in this tournament which gives it even more momentum to reach the finals of this World Cup. This is a youthful, but physical roster which manager Gareth Southgate has assembled. The Three Lions are in a better position to have the endurance to win this match being the more rested group at this point. Take England to advance. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-10-18 | Mariners v. Angels -160 | Top | 3-9 | Win | 100 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Seattle Mariners. In a bit of odd scheduling, tonight will be Mariners RHP Mike Leake's fourth start of the season already against the Angels. His first three were all at his pitcher-friendly home park and Leake is just 1-2 with a 4.11 ERA in those, so he may have a tougher time of it tonight in Anaheim. In his second appearance since coming off the DL, Angels RHP Garrett Richards will get his 16th start of the season tonight. Richards pitched well in his return, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings while being held to a pitch count of 80. He also struck out eight and walked just one in that effort, a 7-4 Halos win against this Mariners club. He hasn't faced the M's at home since 2015, but that season he had three starts here against Seattle, going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA in those. Heading into Tuesday, the Mariners are 1-6 in their last seven road games vs. a team with a winning record. L.A. is 28-8 in Richards last 36 starts as a favorite of -125 to -175. Take the Angels. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-10-18 | Nationals -109 v. Pirates | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team that everyone assumes is going to win the NL East every year is a real enigma right now. Seems like the Nationals either destroy their opponents with devastating ease or they sleepwalk through nine innings and get crushed themselves. By dropping six of their last 10 home games coming into this week, the Nats now have a better record on the road than they do in DC. So maybe it's a good thing that they're coming to Pittsburgh for a three-game set before heading to New York to play the hapless Mets for four. And to whet the Nats' appetite even more coming into this series, the Bucs had lost seven of their last eight here at PNC Park. RH Jeremy Hellickson gets the start for the Nats -- his third since coming off the DL. His first two back were rough, so maybe third time will be a charm for the thirty-one year old who had found new life in his arm this season in DC. He shut the Pirates out over 5 2/3 innings back on May 3 in a 3-1 victory. Pittsburgh is 7-21 in its last 28 vs. winning teams. Take DC. |
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07-10-18 | Phillies v. Mets UNDER 8.5 | Top | 7-3 | Loss | -113 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets 'under' the total. With each of these teams having played five games in the last four days, including a double-header here yesterday, they need to dig deep into their reserves to come up with starting pitchers for tonight. For the Phillies, it will be 22 YO RH Enyel De Los Santos and for the Mets 28 YO RH Drew Gagnon. De Los Santos is the Phillies #11 prospect, so putting him out there today makes some tactical sense since they are trying to swing a deal before the trade deadline. A strong outing could raise his value in the eyes of some of the potential trading partners. And I have no doubt that De Los Santos will pitch well, as he led the International League with a 1.89 ERA this season, and was slated to start in the Triple A's All Star Game tomorrow (before his call-up). Gagnon has a lot of minor league experience having pitched in the Milwaukee and Anaheim systems before coming to the Mets. He owns a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts at AAA Vegas. It's safe to say the hitters on both teams won't know what's coming at them tonight (other than what they've seen in scouting reports and films). The under is 7-1 in the Phils last eight overall and 12-3 in the Mets last 15 at home vs. teams with a losing road record. And each of the previous six meetings this season between these two rivals has gone 'under' the total. Take the 'under.' |
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07-10-18 | Belgium +105 v. France | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 36 h 49 m | Show |
At 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on Belgium to advance over France, at +105 odds. Les Bleus are the slight money-line favorite in this semifinals match, perhaps because of its better result in the 2016 Euro where it lost to Portugal in the finals. However, France was favored to defeat Portugal in that game (which was played in Paris) and the odds were stacked even more in their favor after Cristiano Ronaldo exited in the first-half with a leg injury. Yet France could not take advantage and eventually lost after extra time by a 1-0 score. In this tournament, after a group stage draw with Denmark, Les Bleus showed some vulnerabilities on defense against an overrated Argentina team in their 4-3 come-from-behind victory. They then caught a break in the quarterfinals against Uruguay where they had the fortune of facing a team without one of its best players -- Edison Cavani -- who had scored twice in Uruguay's previous match before suffering a calf injury. Like France, Belgium lost in the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup before its 2016 Euro experience ended by losing in the quarterfinals to Wales. Of course, the Red Devils did not have the benefit of being the host nation for that event. Belgium has won all its matches in this World Cup, including a most impressive victory when it defeated Brazil on Friday by a 2-1 score. It's true that Les Bleus are loaded with young talent but I feel they may be one more cycle away from being the best national team in the world. Belgium has two leaders -- midfielder Kevin DeBruyne and defenseman Vincent Company -- coming off an English Premier League championship with Manchester City, along with a keeper in Thibault Courtois who also won an EPL championship with Chelsea. This looks to be the magic moment for Belgium, and I look for it to advance to the final. Take Belgium to advance. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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07-09-18 | Rangers +195 v. Red Sox | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 2 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over Boston. The Red Sox come into this game on a six-game win streak, and will hand the ball to southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. But Texas is doing better this season vs. lefties than righties (with respect to batting avg. and runs per game). The Rangers will also start a lefty tonight, as Mike Minor will get the ball for Texas. But unlike Texas, the Red Sox have performed worse vs. lefties this season compared to righties. And Minor's been terrific lately, with a 1.89 ERA and 0.84 WHIP over his last three starts, while Rodriguez has been the opposite in his last three outings (5.06 ERA; 1.37 WHIP). Take the Rangers. |
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