Front Page Picks (Fri., Jun 27)

[Willie Bee]

Daddy Yankees +120 to whip Pedro, New York Mets in Game 2

Game Time: 06/27/2008 08:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com

It is not too often that you can get good value on the Yankees, but that appears to be the case in the nightcap of today’s doubleheader vs. the washed up Pedro Martinez.

Pedro Martinez of the New York Mets referred to the New York Yankees as his “daddy” when they continually battered him when he was with the Red Sox, and Pedro is nowhere near the level he was then right now.

Martinez is a shell of his former self this year, as he has a 6.57 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in five starts with just one Quality Start among those outings, His last start may have been his worst yet, as he allowed six earned runs and nine hits while lasting just 4.1 innings vs. the Colorado Rockies. He now must contend with a blistering-hot Yankees lineup that hitting .308 as a team while averaging 6.00 runs over the last 10 games. And Martinez is a decided favorite here to boot!

Now Sidney Ponson is making his Yankees debut, and he actually was not terrible with Texas earlier this season, posting a 3.88 ERA in 55.2 innings. Besides, he doesn’t need to be fantastic the way the Yanks are hitting the ball right now, he merely needs not to get shelled. Considering his ERA in the early going, we feel that he is more than capable of giving the Bombers every chance to win this game.

All things considered, this could be one of those rare times when the routinely overpriced Yankees actually offer some value.

Free Pick: Yankees +120 (Game 2)

[Willie Bee]

Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers soar Over 10½

Game Time: 06/27/2008 08:05 PM -
By: Scott Spreitzer | phoenixsports.com

Playing in the Ballpark That Dubya Built, a hitter's paradise, look for the Over to cash Friday night in Texas when the Rangers play host to Chase Utley and the Phillies.

I'm playing the Over in the Philadelphia Phillies/Texas Rangers game Friday night in the Lone Star State.

Brett Myers has struggled this year for the Phillies. His road ERA is an astronomical 7.54. His road WHIP is a horrendous 1.92. It's hard to stay in the rotation with numbers that bad. Remember, that's in the National League where pitchers have to bat.

Tonight, Myers will be throwing in a high-scoring park where he'll be facing a designated hitter. Kason Gabbard goes for Texas with his home ERA is poor 5.63, and his WHIP is 1.69.

I'd be looking at the Over even if we had mediocre offenses on the field. We don't. Texas ranks first in the American League in runs per game and slugging percentage, and second in on-base percentage. Philadelphia is a Top 5 team in those categories in the National League.

I expect a shootout. If both teams get to five runs, we've got a winner. And either team is capable of doing most of the work all by themselves. The Over in the Phillies/Rangers game is the play.

Free Pick: Phillies-Rangers Over 10½ (-120)

[Willie Bee]

Red Sox -1½ (+100) at Houston Astros

Game Time: 06/27/2008 08:05 PM -
By: Bob Harvey | bobharveysports.com

Despite a rough outing in his first start off the DL, look for Daisuke Matsuzaka to be in control tonight when the Red Sox visit the Astros. Back Boston on the run line Friday in Houston.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been Boston’s “stopper” this season, especially on the road. Dice-K is 3-0 away from the friendly confines of Fenway Park, posting a rock solid 2.60 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his five road starts and has struck out 25 in that span.

Dice-K should get some major run support from his teammates. The Red Sox will face Houston starting pitcher Runelvys Hernandez who hasn’t started a major league contest since 2006. The Red Sox, clinging to a half-game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East, have won three of four with Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell tearing it up. Pedroia is 10-for-18 while Lowell is 8 for his last 15 at bats.

Finally, Boston is 51-14 in its last 65 interleague games and 4-1 in Matsuzaka's last five interleague starts. The run line is a safe and prosperous way to go in this one.

Free Pick: Red Sox -1½ (+100)

[Willie Bee]

Oakland A's -160 vs. SF Giants

Game Time: 06/27/2008 10:05 PM -
By: Al McMordie | bigal.com

The Athletics have been extremely tough at home on the years in interleague play, running up a 70-32 mark against NL clubs. Back Oakland tonight when they host San Francisco.

Our Friday night MLB selection is on the Oakland A's at home against their Bay rivals the San Francisco Giants.

In their history, the A's are an incredible 70-32 at home in interleague action, and Oakland has a big advantage on the mound tonight. The Athletics will hand the ball to Dana Eveland who is 5-5 on the season, but has a very good 3.51 ERA.

His mound opponent will be Kevin Correia who has been dreadful this year with an ERA north of five runs per game, including 7.60 over his last three starts. These two pitchers hooked up back on June 15, and Eveland led the A's to a 5-3 win as he gave up just one earned run in 6.2 innings while Correia was bombed for five runs in 5.1 innings. Take Oakland.

Free Pick: Athletics -160

[Willie Bee]

Saunders, Angels -126 at LA Dodgers

Game Time: 06/27/2008 10:40 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com

Joe Saunders has been the ace of the Halos staff, pitching even better on the road than at home this season. Hang with the Halos Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Halos take on the Dodgers in a battle of crosstown rivals Friday evening when Joe Saunders matches serves with Chan Ho Park.

Surprisingly, Saunders has been a better hurler away from home this season where his 1.89 ERA is more than two full runs better than his 4.05 home ERA. He's also 13-4 in his last 17 road team starts.

With Park just 3-7 in his last 10 team appearances against the Angels, look for the Halos to improve to 13-3 behind Saunders here tonight.

Free Pick: Angels -126

[Willie Bee]

Phillies and Rangers Under 10½

Game Time: 06/27/2008 08:05 PM -
By: Doc's Sports | covers.com

The numbers these two pitchers, Brett Myers for the Phillies and Kason Gabbard for the Rangers, bring into this one are deceiving. Play the Under when Texas hosts Philadelphia.

Ameriquest Field is the site for this interleague series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers.

Both clubs are known for their strong offenses, but we expect a pitchers' dual to breakout and thus we will side with the Under. Both pitchers have better stuff then what their numbers would indicate and the fact that Kason Gabbard is left-handed gives him a major edge since most of the Phillies pop comes from the left side of the plate in Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Brett Meyers will be his opponent and he can throw the ball hard and expect him to rack up the strikeout on Friday. We will not worry about who wins this game and just collect with the Under.

Free Pick: Philles-Rangers Under 10½ (+100)

[Willie Bee]

Take Toronto Blue Jays -131 to fly past Atlanta Braves

Game Time: 06/27/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com

The Blue Jays come in winners of three of their last four while the Braves have dropped two of their last three. Take Toronto as the home favorites tonight against Atlanta.

The Atlanta Braves have lost two of their last three games while the Toronto Blue Jays have won three of their last four.

Atlanta is 19-40 in their last 59 road games. The Braves are 8-21 in their last 29 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Jair Jurrjens is on the mound and the Braves have lost five of his last seven road starts.

The Jays are 12-4 in their last 16 interleague home games vs. a right-handed starter. Toronto is 9-3 in their last 12 interleague home games vs. a team with a losing record. Toronto has won the last four meetings between the clubs. Atlanta is 1-5 in their last six trips to Toronto.

Free Pick: Blue Jays -131

[Willie Bee]

Phillies -115 over Texas Rangers

Game Time: 06/27/2008 08:05 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com

The struggles of Brett Myers have been a great mystery, but Kason Gabbard of the Rangers is no stud either, and in a game that should be decided late, the Phillies have the superior bullpen.

Brett Myers has been a huge disappointment for the Philadelphia Phillies, but we do expect him to get decent run support tonight vs. Kason Gabbard of the Texas Rangers, and the Phillies have the superior bullpen to seal the deal.

Gabbard is not exactly in Cy Young form himself, as he is 2-3 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.78 WHIP for the season, and his numbers are actually worse than that in his last three starts, where he owns a hideous 6.46 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. The southpaw is facing a Philadelphia lineup that has hit significantly better vs. left-handed pitching (.274) than vs. right-handed pitching (.194) over the last 10 games.

Myers is a real mystery as he was projected to be the number two starter for the Phils this season. However, just when it looked like he has straightened himself out, he has regressed badly again in his last three starts. Maybe the fact that the Rangers have never faced him before could be enough to get him going again here.

What we really like about this matchup however is that it pits the team with the best bullpen ERA in baseball in the Phillies (2.60) vs. the team with the worst bullpen ERA in Texas (4.98), and the struggles of Myers have kept this price reasonable.

Free Pick: Phillies -115