MLB weekend cheat sheet

[Lumi]

MLB weekend cheat sheet

The final weekend in August finds the MLB pennant races heating up. And with it comes the opportunity to cash in on some solid handicapping situations.

Take a look into the top four series on tap this weekend. Remember, all results are within the series and all pitcher records are ?team starts? (the team?s record in games in which the pitcher starts) versus this opponent.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies

Most Recent Series Result: Braves 6-2 last eight games (8-4 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Braves 6-2 last eight games away (4-2 this season)

Key Day/Month Stat: Braves 7-0 away Fridays

Best Arm in the Series: Phillies? Martinez 5-1, 2.42 ERA home career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Phillies? Blanton 1-2, 4.50 ERA last three starts

Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants

Most Recent Series Result: Rockies 5-1 last six games (7-5 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Rockies 6-3 last nine games away (1-2 this season)

Key Day/Month Stat: Rockies 11-2 on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Rockies? Marquis 7-2, 2.16 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Giants? Lincecum 3-6, 6.00 ERA career starts

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers

Most Recent Series Result: Rays 6-3 last nine games

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Tigers 10-4 last 14 games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Rays 14-2 Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Tigers? Verlander 4-0, 4.50 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Rays? Garza 1-4, 5.28 ERA career starts

Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins

Most Recent Series Result: Twins 6-4 last 10 games (4-3 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Twins 8-3 last 11 games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Twins 16-4 home Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Twins? Baker 3-0, 5.11 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Rangers? Millwood 1-5, 4.31 ERA away career starts

 

[Lumi]

MLB Weekend Top 10

MLB Weekend Top 10

MLB Weekend Top 10
August 28, 2009
By Bodog

How good is the American League East right now? The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the top teams in baseball, and yet they?re 10 games out of first place in the division. The New York Yankees lead the AL East with the best record in the majors. And if the Rays are going to make the playoffs, they?re four games behind the Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card, so they?d better get a move on.

We?ve got all three Eastern rivals lined up in this week?s betting preview, plus the hard-luck Toronto Blue Jays in their latest trip to Fenway Park. All stats are at press time; Bodog Sports is your home for the latest lines.

Top 10 paying teams

1. Los Angeles Angels (75-50, 22.80 units)
2. Texas Rangers (70-55, 18.76 units)
3. Colorado Rockies (72-55, 14.56 units)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (75-52, 12.93 units)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (73-51, 10.79 units)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (74-54, 10.71 units)
7. San Francisco Giants (69-58, 10.46 units)
8. Florida Marlins (67-59, 9.60 units)
9. Seattle Mariners (66-61, 8.39 units)
10. New York Yankees (79-47, 6.81 units)

Top 10 paying pitchers

1. Matt Palmer, L.A. Angels (10-2 team record, 11.64 units)
2. Josh Johnson, Florida (19-7, 10.95 units)
3. Tim Wakefield, Boston (14-4, 10.22 units)
4. Jason Marquis, Colorado (17-8, 10.10 units)
5. Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay (16-7, 9.95 units)
6. Scott Feldman, Texas (16-7, 9.54 units)
7. Josh Beckett, Boston (18-7, 8.48 units)
8. Matt Cain, San Francisco (18-8, 8.30 units)
9. Jered Weaver, L.A. Angels (18-8, 8.13 units)
10. Felix Hernandez, Seattle (18-8, 7.41 units)





This weekend's top 10 storylines

1. Red Sox release SP Brad Penny, welcome RP Billy Wagner
2. Mets SP Oliver Perez (knee) out for season
3. Alfonso Soriano returns to left field for Cubs; may require MRI
4. Diamondbacks activate OF Justin Upton from DL
5. Catcher Jorge Posada (bruised finger) listed as day-to-day for Yankees
6. Rockies call up OF Eric Young Jr., put OF Dexter Fowler on DL
7. Nationals sign SP Livan Hernandez after release by Mets
8. Jake Peavy unlikely to start for White Sox on Saturday
9. John Smoltz to start for St. Louis on Friday, Mitchell Boggs on Saturday
10. Report: Milwaukee places RP Trevor Hoffman on waivers

This weekend's top 10 games to bet on:

1. Sunday: Atlanta at Philadelphia (8:05 p.m. Eastern, ESPN)

We should have an entertaining duel on Sunday Night Baseball between Jair Jurrjens (2.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) and Joe Blanton (3.88 ERA, 1.29 WHIP).

2. Saturday: N.Y. Mets at Chicago Cubs (4:10 p.m., FOX)

The Mets are sending rookie Bobby Parnell (5.08 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) to the mound. This is his first month as a starter; New York?s only win was Parnell?s only quality start in four attempts.

3. Sunday: Chicago White Sox at N.Y. Yankees (1:05 p.m., TBS)

Chicago traded Freddy Garcia to the Phillies in 2006. He?ll make the third start of his return engagement for the White Sox after allowing eight earned runs in his first 10.2 innings of work, both losses for Chicago.

4. Friday: Toronto at Boston (7:05 p.m.)

The Jays (58-67, -14.82 units) have a run differential of plus-16, three more than the AL Central-leading Tigers at 67-59. Boston is on a 5-0 streak against Toronto at Fenway.

5. Saturday: Colorado at San Francisco (9:05 p.m., MLBN)

Our No. 4 money pitcher, Jason Marquis (3.47 ERA, 1.27 WHIP), squares off against former Cy Young winner Barry Zito (4.09 ERA, 1.32 WHIP).

6. Friday: Tampa Bay at Detroit (7:05 p.m.)

The under is 16-7-2 in Detroit?s last 25 games against winning teams and 37-13-3 for Tampa?s Matt Garza (3.74 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) in his last 57 starts.

7. Saturday: L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati (4:10 p.m., FOX)

It?s another start for Dodgers knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP), who threw seven quality innings in each of his first two games, splitting the pair down the middle.

8. Sunday: Texas at Minnesota (2:10 p.m.)

Kevin Millwood (3.63 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) has the under at 15-7-3 for the Rangers, while the over is 15-9-1 for Scott Baker (4.47 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) and the Twins.

9. Friday: Kansas City at Seattle (10:10 p.m.)

It?s Felix Hernandez (2.73 ERA, 1.19 ERA) checking in at No. 10 on our money list. The Mariners are 11-3 in his last 14 starts, and the under is 11-4-1 in his last 16.

10. Saturday: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (7:05 p.m.)

The Pirates will make Kevin Hart (4.14 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) walk the plank. They?ve lost three of his four starts since coming over from the Cubs at the trade deadline.

 

[DoMyDermBest]

Thanks for all the work. Just curious, how many games on average do you bet on any given day?

 

[Lumi]

no more than 3 M-F

on the weekend I will play 2-3 early, and the same for west coast action.

I have to really remain disciplined during football season :shrug: :142smilie

Who hasn't said that before?

 

[Lumi]

MLB Top Weekend Power Trends 8/28-8/30

MLB Top Weekend Power Trends 8/28-8/30

MLB Top Weekend Power Trends 8/28-8/30

Major League Baseball closes out the month of August this weekend, meaning just September stands between us and the postseason. This past month has been quite influential in separating the have?s from the have-not?s. Teams like the Cardinals, Rockies, Angels, and Yankees have stepped up, while others have fallen back to where they are either out of the hunt or in danger of being so shortly. There are a handful of series? on tap over the next three days that will have an impact on the playoff chases in each league. Read on for more about those matchups, plus our weekly look at the Top Power Trends for you to consider in your wagering action.

With the Dodgers having fought off the hard charge by the Rockies by taking two of three from them this week, only one race has any significant drama in the National League, that being for the wildcard spot. The top two teams in that chase, Colorado and San Francisco will go head-to-head for the second straight weekend, this time with the Giants acting as hosts. The Rockies took three out of four in Denver the last time out and lead the overall series 7-5 in 2009. Only three games separate the teams coming in, with the Giants hoping to close the gap. They are 41-21 at home this season, good for +16.4 units of profit.

In the American League, only one of the races is closer than 4-games as well. That is also for the wildcard spot. Boston, Texas, and Tampa Bay are all within 3-1/2 games of one another with the Red Sox leading the way and facing what figures to be the easiest weekend set of the three. They are playing host to Toronto, who is free-falling to the tune of 16-games under .500 since June 25th. Boston remains one of the league?s best home teams at 42-21 and owns an 8-4 record vs. the jays in ?09, including 3-0 at Fenway.

Texas and Tampa Bay both faces rather difficult series? and Minnesota and Detroit, respectively. The Twins remain in the hunt in the A.L. Central Division, 4-1/2 games back of the Tigers. Minnesota may be starting to catch fire once again, having won seven of its last nine games. The Rangers were able to take two of three in New York this week, a successful set, but will need to overcome a 4-9 record at the Metrodome over the last three seasons. The Rays are actually 2-games better than the Tigers in won-lost record, but find themselves in a bigger hole where the playoffs are concerned. The defending A.L. champs are 3-1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the wildcard race and face a schedule of 16-straight games starting Friday against teams that are current playoff position holders. Needless to say, Tampa will make or break its season in the next two weeks. Detroit meanwhile, is doing little special but continues to maintain a somewhat comfortable cushion in the Central.

Elsewhere, the Yankees will play host to the White Sox, the Braves will visit Philadelphia, and the Dodgers will look to build on their big series win over Colorado with a trip to Cincinnati. The Reds own MLB?s longest winning streak currently, four games.


NY METS at CHICAGO CUBS


CHICAGO CUBS are 9-15 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in August games this season. The average score was CHICAGO CUBS 4.3, OPPONENT 5.2 - (Rating = 1*)

ATLANTA at PHILADELPHIA


PHILADELPHIA is 56-30 (+26.3 Units) against the money line vs. NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.5, OPPONENT 4.0 - (Rating = 2*)

LA DODGERS at CINCINNATI


LA DODGERS are 16-5 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) this season. The average score was LA DODGERS 5.6, OPPONENT 3.3 - (Rating = 1*)

SAN DIEGO at FLORIDA


FLORIDA is 22-11 (+12.7 Units) against the money line vs. an NL team with a batting average of .255 or worse in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was FLORIDA 4.7, OPPONENT 4.5 - (Rating = 1*)

PITTSBURGH at MILWAUKEE


MILWAUKEE is 9-24 (-21.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.7, OPPONENT 6.2 - (Rating = 4*)

WASHINGTON at ST LOUIS


ST LOUIS is 22-5 (+14.0 Units) against the money line vs. teams outscored by opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. The average score was ST LOUIS 5.7, OPPONENT 3.0 - (Rating = 2*)

HOUSTON at ARIZONA


HOUSTON is 47-21 (+25.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score was HOUSTON 5.2, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 2*)

COLORADO at SAN FRANCISCO


COLORADO is 14-5 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games vs. a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better this season. The average score was COLORADO 5.0, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 2*)

CLEVELAND at BALTIMORE


BALTIMORE is 6-18 (-13.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) this season. The average score was BALTIMORE 4.0, OPPONENT 5.5 - (Rating = 2*)

TAMPA BAY at DETROIT


TAMPA BAY is 10-21 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season. The average score was TAMPA BAY 4.2, OPPONENT 5.0 - (Rating = 2*)

CHI WHITE SOX at NY YANKEES


CHI WHITE SOX are 7-23 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in road games vs. teams who strand 7.5 or more runners on base per game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CHI WHITE SOX 3.8, OPPONENT 5.8 - (Rating = 1*)

TORONTO at BOSTON


TORONTO is 17-34 (-20.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season. The average score was TORONTO 3.9, OPPONENT 5.0 - (Rating = 2*)

TEXAS at MINNESOTA


MINNESOTA is 20-5 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in home games vs. AL teams allowing 4.7 or less runs/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MINNESOTA 6.0, OPPONENT 3.8 - (Rating = 2*)

OAKLAND at LA ANGELS


LA ANGELS are 30-13 (+16.2 Units) against the money line vs. an overused bullpen that pitches more than 3.2 innings per game this season. The average score was LA ANGELS 6.1, OPPONENT 4.7 - (Rating = 2*)

KANSAS CITY at SEATTLE


SEATTLE is 29-52 (-21.9 Units) against the money line vs teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SEATTLE 3.9, OPPONENT 5.2 - (Rating = 1*)