Wednesday's Front Page Picks (July 18)

[Willie Bee]

Take Rangers +110 to keep A’s plunging

Game Time: 07/18/2007 03:35 PM
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com

Kevin Millwood now looks fully recovered from his injury, as he is pitching his best ball of the year. He should lead the Rangers to victory over the slumping A’s.

The Texas Rangers are looking to complete the three-game sweep and hand the Oakland Athletics their 10th straight loss this afternoon

The Rangers send Kevin Millwood to the hill knowing he is back in solid current form, with a 1.71 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his last three starts. The Athletics go with Lenny DiNardo, who remains in shaky current from with nine walks and only four strikeouts in his last three home starts. DiNardo has also failed to last more then six innings in any of his 15 Major League career starts

With the slumping A’s mired in a deep team hitting slump, look for Millwood and the Rangers to capture this series finale today.

Free Pick: Rangers +110

[Willie Bee]

Play Mets & Padres Under 8

Game Time: 07/18/2007 10:05 PM
By: Ben Burns | sportspic.com

With the game in pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego, and featuring a pair of solid right-handers in John Maine and Greg Maddux, the Under is the way to go in the Mets, Padres contest.

After yesterday's game landed right on the number, excluding pushes the Under is now a combined 76-44 when the Mets and Padres have faced right-handed starters. Those numbers have a solid shot at improving tonight.

San Diego's Greg Maddux has been significantly better at home than he has been on the road. For the season, he is 5-4 here with a respectable 3.97 ERA. Five of the nine games have stayed beneath the total.

Meanwhile, New York's John Maine has been simply superb in nine road starts, going 7-1 (Mets are 8-1) with a 2.25 ERA. Not surprisingly, the Under was a profitable 7-2 in those nine games. Despite having a powerful lineup, the Mets have been playing low-scoring games underneath the lights all season. In fact, the Under is a profitable 41-22 when they've played at night this season. Consider a play on the Under.

Free Pick: Mets-Padres Under 8

[Willie Bee]

Yankees & Clemens, Blue Jays & Marcum Under 9

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:05 PM
By: L.T. Profit Sports Group | who2beton.com

Roger Clemens has been on his game at home since returning to the Yankees, while Shaun Marcum has a 3.00 ERA on the road. Go Under in the Bronx.

Roger Clemens has done his best pitching here at home since returning to the New York Yankees, while Shaun Marcum has been a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Blue Jays, so runs should be hard to come by in the Bronx tonight.

Clemens has made four starts at Yankee Stadium this season, and he is a perfect four for four in Quality Starts while putting up a 2.22 ERA and a miniscule 0.85 WHIP! The last time he pitched in this stadium, Clemens held a strong Angels lineup to just one run and five hits in eight strong innings, and he is now catching a Toronto team that is hitting a modest .248 vs. right-handed pitching this season. Clemens has also held the Blur Jays to two runs or less in six of his last eight career starts against them, and the two occasions the Jays got to him both came on the road in Toronto.

Marcum has a very nice 3.68 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 12 starts this season, and his statistics are actually better on the road, where he is 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 48 road innings. Sure he has a 6.19 ERA in his last three starts, but that is because of one awful start vs. the Cleveland Indians where he was roughed up for eight runs in 3.1 innings. Granted he allowed five runs in his last start in Boston, but two of those runs were unearned, and Marcum actually received credit for a Quality Start, allowing three earned runs in six innings.

That marked the eighth time in nine starts that Marcum has allowed three earned runs or less, and this streak began vs. these Yankees in Toronto back on May 29, when he tossed six scoreless innings while allowing only two hits. Thus we expect both pitchers to succeed again here tonight, keying a rather safe Under.

Free Pick: Blue Jays, Yankees Under 9 (+100)

[Willie Bee]

Play Cardinals & Marlins Over 9½

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:05 PM
By: Al McMordie | www

Two struggling hurlers in Kip Wells for the Cardinals and Dontrelle Willis for the Marlins meet in this one. Play the Over this evening when Florida and St. Louis get it on in Miami.

Our Wednesday MLB selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins to go over the total of 9½.

This has been a year to forget for Marlins right-handed starter Dontrelle Willis. After back-to-back strong seasons in 2005 and 2006, Willis, who is just coming into the magic age range of 25 when pitchers usually start to excel if they have the talent, should have been in the perfect spot to have a career-best year.

Instead he is having a career-worst so far. With an unsightly ERA and WHIP (4.81 and 1.57), Willis looks to right the ship in the second half. The amazing thing right now is that even with these ugly numbers in the first half of the season, the Marlins still had a strong winning record in the games in which he started (12-8). Part of that is obviously run support, but another part could be that he has been fortunate enough to pitch on nights when the opposing pitcher is floundering more than Willis.

And tonight is a perfect example of that as the Cardinals will start Kip Wells whose numbers are so bad, they would seem to qualify him for whatever the opposite of the Cy Young award is. As bad as Wells' overall stats are, his road stats taken alone are even worse. Wells is an amazing 1-8 with a 7.88 ERA when pitching outside of St. Louis.

Seeing the Cardinals play on the road is a good way to guarantee that you will see some runs scored as the over is 20-7-2 in the Cards' last 29 away contests. Take the Over.

Free Pick: Cardinals-Marlins Over 9½

[Willie Bee]

Pick Devil Rays over Angels and Colon

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:10 PM
By: Alex Smart | who2beton.com

Colon has been arguably the worst pitcher in baseball for nearly two months now, while Kazmir has done well vs. winning teams, making Tampa Bay an easy call.

The Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher tonight, Bartolo Colon, enters this contest in bad form, having garnered an ugly-looking 6.44 ERA on the season.

He has been particularly atrocious as of late, allowing 22 hits in his last 14 innings of work while recording a bloated 7.71 ERA. The former Cy Young award winner has unbelievably allowed 41 earned runs in his last 40.2 innings of work!

With Tampa Bay Devil Rays ace Scott Kazmir taking to the hill for his club, the Devil Rays have a very good chance of coming away with a rare victory on their own turf. The Rays are 6-1 in Kazmir’s last seven starts against above .500 teams, so take the value price by backing Tampa Bay tonight.

Free Pick: Devil Rays -105

[Willie Bee]

Phillies +130 to surprise Dodgers

Game Time: 07/18/2007 03:10 PM
By: Larry Cook | procappers.com

The Phillies are a live underdog here after putting up 13 runs last night, as they send out the 4-0 Kyle Kendrick to the hill. Look for Philadelphia to stay hot today.

The Philadelphia Phillies can finally relax after absorbing their 10,000th loss in franchise history a few nights back.

We could see that the Phillies have taken a fresh breath of air by putting up 13 runs against these Los Angeles Dodgers last night. Look for this success on the base pads to continue, as the Phils are batting a potent .327 over their last 10 games. Kyle Kendrick is the biggest overachiever in the National League to this point for Philadelphia, as he is 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA in his rookie season. The Dodgers also send a solid pitcher to the mound in Billingsley, but they do not have the offensive firepower that Philly features.

The Phillies are 9-3 in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning record, so watch Philadelphia stay hot and put up another high run total while winning this one today.

Free Pick: Phillies +130

[Willie Bee]

-175 with Clemens to roll Blue Jays

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:05 PM
By: John Martin | touthouse.com

It is a chalky price, but the Yankees are on a roll, Clemens has dominated Toronto, and he has pitched great at home this year. Lay the big wood tonight.

The New York Yankees are on a roll right now, and they will look for the veteran Roger Clemens to keep it going tonight.

Clemens has only a 2.95 ERA in his last 3 starts and is getting into a little groove despite his age. The Yankees are 9-2 in Clemens’ last 11 starts against Toronto, as well as 6-1 in their last seven games overall.

Shaun Marcum has a 6.19 ERA over his last 3 outings, with the Blue Jays going 1-4 in Marcum's last five starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Blue Jays are also 19-44 in their last 63 games as an underdog of +151 to +200, while the Yankees are 25-8 in Clemens' last 33 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

Finally, the Yankees are 5-0 in Clemens' last five home starts vs. Blue Jays, and Clemens will have another solid outing today against Toronto, so cash in with New York.

Free Pick: Yankees -175

[Willie Bee]

Southpaws spell Under in Minnesota

Game Time: 07/18/2007 08:10 PM
By: Tom Freese | sportspic.com

Established southpaw Johann Santana meets rising lefty Andrew Miller tonight at the Metrodome in Minnesota. Play the Under when the Twins entertain the Tigers in a pitchers duel.

We like a low scoring game here as Minnesota starter Johan Santana has allowed just seven runs total in his last six starts.

Detroit starter Andrew Miller has allowed just 10 runs total in his last four starts. What we have here is the best left-hander in all of baseball in Santana vs. a rookie lefthander in Miller who someday might be the best left-hander in the game. Play on the Under.

Free Pick: Tigers-Twins Under 8

[Willie Bee]

Take Colon, Halos at the Trop

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:10 PM
By: Bill Young | procappers.com

Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon has been a road warrior over his last 36 starts away from Anaheim. Back the Halos this evening when they meet the Devil Rays at the Trop in Tampa.

The Angels are 27-9 in Bartolo Colon’s last 36 road starts. He is just 6-4 on the season, but Colon will not have a problem against the weak Devil Rays’ hitters.

The Angels are 42-14 in their last 56 meetings with Tampa Bay and 17-4 in Colon's last 21 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Angels are 11-4 in their last 15 vs. American League East. In Colon's last seven starts vrsus Tampa Bay, the Angels are 6-1.

The Devil Rays are 1-7 in their last eight home games vs. a right-handed starter. Take the Angels in this contest.

Free Pick: Angels +100

[Willie Bee]

Bet the Angels & D-Rays Over 9

Game Time: 07/18/2007 07:10 PM
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com

Despite the game listing a pair of solid starting arms in Bartolo Colon and Scott Kazmir, the trends in this one all point to the Over tonight in Tampa when the Devil Rays host the Angels.

The Over is 10-4 in the Angels' last 14 games as an underdog. The Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games overall.

Bartolo Colon takes the mound tonight for the Halos and the Over is a profitable 10-4 in games he's started this season. The Over is 5-1 in his last six road starts. In Colon's last 26 starts vs. a team with a losing record, the Over is a profitable 20-6. Colon's last eight starts vs. Tampa Bay have played the Over.

The Over is 9-0-1 in Tampa's last 10 games. Scott Kazmir's last two starts have played over the total. Kazmir's only start vs. the Angels went over. In the last 26 meetings between the clubs, the Over is 19-6-1. Play the Over.

Free Pick: Angels-Devil Rays Over 9

[strictlywinners]

u are rite on the yankees and angels rangers is terrible play though