Front Page Picks (Mon., Jun 23)

[Willie Bee]

Brewers, Atlanta Braves Under 8½ as Sheets and Reyes duel

Game Time: 06/23/2008 07:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com

Look for a pitchers’ duel when Ben Sheets squares off with Jo-Jo Reyes in Atlanta. The Under is 17-8 in the last 25 meetings here and look for more of the same.

Now it is no secret that Ben Sheets of the Milwaukee Brewers is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but Jo-Jo Reyes of the Atlanta Braves is also in great current form, so runs should be hard to come by tonight.

Reyes allowed just one run and five hits vs. a very potent Texas Rangers lineup in his last start, marking the fourth Quality Start in his last five starts and the third time in that span that he allowed two runs or less. Reyes also tossed a gem the first time he faced Milwaukee this season, allowing only one run and two hits in seven innings.

If Reyes does need some help, the Atlanta bullpen received a boost recently with the return of closer Mike Gonzalez. Even without Gonzalez until last week, the Braves pen is ties for ninth in the Major Leagues with a 3.52 ERA.

Sheets has been his usual dominant self this season, currently sitting at 8-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He has held opponents to just a .270 On Base Percentage so far, and he has already proven that he can handle the Braves lineup, as he has four Quality Starts in his last five appearances against them.

Finally, the Under is 17-8 in the last 25 head-to-head meetings between these clubs in Atlanta, and we look for that pattern to continue here.

Free Pick: Brewers, Braves Under 8½ (-120)

[Willie Bee]

Bannister, Kansas City Royals -106 vs. Colorado Rockies

Game Time: 06/23/2008 08:10 PM -
By: Al McMordie | bigal.com

Kansas City's Brian Bannister has been super in front of the home crowd at Kaufmann Stadium, and that's the reason to play the Royals when they host the Rockies.

Our Monday night MLB selection is on the Kansas City Royals at home in Kauffman Stadium over the Colorado Rockies.

After having to play the Rockies in Colorado in their last three interleague series' in 2003, 2005 and 2007, the Royals finally get to challenge last season's surprise World Series finalists in their home ballpark for a three-game series before facing cross-state rivals St. Louis to end their interleague season for 2008. And this first game is a great matchup for the Royals as 27-year-old right-hander Brian Bannister goes for the home team against Colorado lefty Jeff Francis.

Despite his 6-6 record and 4.81 ERA, Bannister has been stellar in front of the home crowd at Kauffman Stadium going 4-2 with a 2.80 ERA while Colorado's Jeff Francis is coming off his breakout season of 2007 when he won 17 games and had an ERA in the low-4's and has taken a huge step backwards in '08. Francis is 3-6 with a 5.22 ERA and the Rockies have only won five of his fifteen starts.

If things keep going the way they have for the Royals over the last several games, then this team will be sorry to see the interleague schedule come to an end. In their last eight games (all against National League teams), the Royals are 7-1.

Free Pick: Royals -106

[Willie Bee]

Sheets, Brewers -114 at Braves

Game Time: 06/23/2008 07:10 PM -
By: Alex Smart | who2beton.com

Ben Sheets is having a fantastic season for the Brewers who have won 21 of their last 31 games. Make your play on Milwaukee against Jo-Jo Reyes and the Braves in Atlanta.

The Milwaukee Brewers enter into this tilt against the Atlanta Braves in top form having won six of their last seven and 21 of their last 31 games overall to put them seven games above .500 on the season.

With Ben Sheets on the hill for the Brew Crew tonight, they once again look like a good bet. The veteran right-hander is (8-1, 2.74 ERA) on the season, and is 5-0 on the road this year along with a stingy 2.62 ERA, He is 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last six starts overall.

Sheets is also 8-3 with a 4.80 ERA in his 11 career starts against the Braves, and has recorded a very stable 3.48 ERA during a five-start win streak in this series. Let's back him to help his team notch another victory in Turner Field Monday night. Play on the Milwaukee.

Free Pick: Brewers -114

[Willie Bee]

Angels -172 at Washington Nationals

Game Time: 06/23/2008 07:10 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com

What we have here is an absolute mismatch on the mound between the Angels' John Lackey and the Nationals' Jason Bergmann. Lay the chalk on the Halos in Washington D.C.

The Angels open a three-game series with the Nationals this evening when John Lackey takes on Jason Bergmann in Washington.

Lackey remains in sharp KW form with three walks and 19 strikeouts in his last three starts while Bergmann has issued six walks against four strikeouts in his last three efforts. With Lackey owning a 1.61 ERA in his six starts at night this year and Bergmann 0-5 under the lights this campaign with a 5.28 ERA, look for the Nationals to fall to 0-5 at home behind Bergmann this season here tonight.

Free Pick: Angels -172

[Willie Bee]

Diamondbacks, Red Sox Under 8½

Game Time: 06/23/2008 07:05 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com

Josh Beckett has a 3.87 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, while Danny Haren has actually been better with less support, with a 3.26 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Look for a low scoring game in this battle of aces tonight.

Runs should be scarce when Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox host Danny Haren and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Beckett has lowered his ERA to 3.87 after a bit of a rough sport this season, and he has an excellent 1.13 WHIP in 86 innings with 89 strikeouts. He now has four Quality Starts in his last five outings including hurling seven scoreless innings while allowing just six hits vs. the Cincinnati Reds last week. He also pitched very well in his last start vs. Arizona last year, allowing two earned runs and five hits in eight innings.

Haren has also done well in his first year with the Diamondbacks, as he actually has a lower ERA (3.26) and WHIP (1.00) than Beckett does year-to-date while pitching more innings (96.2). While Haren is not as much of a strikeout pitcher, his good 0.96 groundball/flyball ratio will serve him well in Fenway Park. He has also allowed two earned runs or less in four of his five career starts vs. the Red Sox.

It also helps each pitcher that Arizona is batting a pathetic .208 vs. right-handers on the road and Boston has seen its team batting average drop since David Ortiz went out (.266 last 10 games), so look for a safe Under tonight.

Free Pick: Diamondbacks, Red Sox Under 8½ (-115)