NFL betting is in full swing, but nobody plays in Week 4 of the preseason, so let's take a break from football and bet on some key divisional matchups in baseball for Tuesday night.
Atlanta Braves @ Florida Marlins
Tim Hudson (NR) vs Anibal Sanchez (2-5, 4.96)
The long road back from Tommy John surgery ends Tuesday for Tim Hudson, who makes his return after more than a year away from the game. It's always difficult to forecast how a pitcher will perform after such a long layoff but, for what it's worth, Hudson is 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA over 13 career starts against Florida. Anibal Sanchez has only made nine starts this season but, strangely enough, three of them were against Atlanta. Though he's 2-1 against them, it's good betting management to wonder if the lineup will start to figure him out. Garret Anderson (.500), Ryan Church (.474) and Chipper Jones (.333) have all owned Sanchez in their careers, and Sanchez is winless at home this season, so his prospects don't look great. Go with the minor upset.
Pick: Braves
Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota Twins
John Danks (12-8, 3.82) vs Jeff Manship (0-0, 5.14)
Are the Twins throwing in the towel in the AL Central race? Maybe they hate the Tigers and want to help the White Sox win the division? That's the message they send by trotting out Jeff Manship for his first career start. John Danks struggled against the Twins earlier in his career but has righted the ship in 2009, sporting a respectable 3.93 ERA over three starts. Then again, looking at the Twins lineup's career numbers against Danks, I fear for the White Sox. In 64 at-bats against him, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel have combined for five homers and 27 RBI. Maybe it's worth taking an online betting flier on the rookie Manship after all.
Pick: Twins
--Betonline.com
Atlanta Braves @ Florida Marlins
Tim Hudson (NR) vs Anibal Sanchez (2-5, 4.96)
The long road back from Tommy John surgery ends Tuesday for Tim Hudson, who makes his return after more than a year away from the game. It's always difficult to forecast how a pitcher will perform after such a long layoff but, for what it's worth, Hudson is 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA over 13 career starts against Florida. Anibal Sanchez has only made nine starts this season but, strangely enough, three of them were against Atlanta. Though he's 2-1 against them, it's good betting management to wonder if the lineup will start to figure him out. Garret Anderson (.500), Ryan Church (.474) and Chipper Jones (.333) have all owned Sanchez in their careers, and Sanchez is winless at home this season, so his prospects don't look great. Go with the minor upset.
Pick: Braves
Chicago White Sox @ Minnesota Twins
John Danks (12-8, 3.82) vs Jeff Manship (0-0, 5.14)
Are the Twins throwing in the towel in the AL Central race? Maybe they hate the Tigers and want to help the White Sox win the division? That's the message they send by trotting out Jeff Manship for his first career start. John Danks struggled against the Twins earlier in his career but has righted the ship in 2009, sporting a respectable 3.93 ERA over three starts. Then again, looking at the Twins lineup's career numbers against Danks, I fear for the White Sox. In 64 at-bats against him, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel have combined for five homers and 27 RBI. Maybe it's worth taking an online betting flier on the rookie Manship after all.
Pick: Twins
--Betonline.com
