Friday's Front Page Picks (Oct 12)

[Willie Bee]

Indians and Red Sox Under 8½

Game Time: 10/12/2007 07:00 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com

Two pitchers expected to battle it out for the AL Cy Young must first battle each other in the first game of the ALCS. Play tonight's Indians, Red Sox battle in Boston under the total.

Game 1 of the American League Championship Series finds staff aces Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia hooking up at Fenway Park.

Both star hurlers were on the losing end of 1-0 battles between the two squads at Fenway back in July. Sabathia has allowed just four runs in his last 22 innings of work on the Fenway mound while Beckett posted a 1.80 ERA in his 15 innings pitching against the Indians lineup this season.

With both teams in letdown situations following division series victories, and both hurlers in great current form, look for this game to stay under the 8½ total run impost here tonight.

Free Pick: Indians-Red Sox Under 8½ (-115)

[Willie Bee]

Cash Cleveland (+155) to topple Boston in ALCS

Game Time: 10/12/2007 07:00 PM -
By: James Patrick | playbook.com

With a strong starting staff and bullpen to match Boston, the Cleveland Indians are the right play to win the ALCS and advance to their first World Series in 10 years.

This season's series between these teams that tied for the best record in Major League Baseball (96-66) saw the Red Sox take five of seven games from the Tribe. Keeping in mind that the Boys from Beantown only faced C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona one time each, they will likely see this pair of great arms in at least four of the seven games if the series goes the distance.

The main reason these are the American League's top teams is their pitching staffs as the Red Sox had the best team ERA in the American League and the second-best in all of baseball. Cleveland's staff had the American League's third-best ERA and the Major League's fifth-best. Jonathan Papelbon is one of the most effective closers in the Major Leagues, while the Indians feature a pair of the major's best bullpen setup men.

The Cleveland Indians went on a 27-9 tear in mid-August and are the one team that can match the Red Sox in pitching efficiency. The Tribe has a better defense, more speed and if Sabathia and Carmona can win three of seven games, all they'll need is for Jake Westbrook or Paul Byrd to snag a win at home in Jacobs Field to capture the American League Championship.

These teams are in effect playing for the World Series Championship as we don't feel either National League team will be good enough to defeat either American League representative this season. Our Friday selection from the Diamond Club is to take the Cleveland Indians to capture this season's American League Championship with an ALCS victory over Boston.

Free Pick: Indians to win ALCS (+155)

[Willie Bee]

Cleveland Indians +145 to top Red Sox

Game Time: 10/12/2007 07:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com

This game pits the two Cy Young favorites, as Josh Beckett is 21-7 with a 3.13 ERA and C.C. Sabathia is at 20-7, 3.26. With so little splitting these two, take Cleveland at a price.

While we have all the respect in the world for Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox, we simply cannot pass up C.C Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians at this price.

Beckett may be the favorite to win the Cy Young Award, but Sabathia is probably the second choice, given his 20-7 record, 3.26 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Sabathia has been a model of consistency, recording 14 Quality Starts in his last 15 outings, and in the one start where he was not officially credited with a Quality Start, he posted 13 strikeouts while allowing four runs to Kansas City! He tossed a gem in his only start vs. the Red Sox this season, albeit in a 1-0 loss, as he allowed one run and just five hits in seven innings.

Oddly, Beckett’s only start vs. the Indians also resulted in a 1-0 loss, as he allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. Beckett is certainly worthy of winning the award, given that he is 21-7 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.

However, this may be the first time all year that Beckett does not tower over his mound opponent statistically, so while we still feel that Boston will win this series, we will back Sabathia and the Tribe at this generous price in the opener.

Free Pick: Indians +145