8/4 - Around The Horn...
We’ve now entered the home stretch of the 2008 MLB season with 50+ games left on each teams regular season schedule; that means you’ll have to spend a lot more money to make less and hope the tall chalks come through more times than not, or you’ll back the rabid dawgs hoping they have more bite than bark. Picking your spots has never been more important.
HOU/CHC
The NL Central leading Chicago Cubs currently sit in the –210 to –190 ranges at home where they’ve been the best bet in all of baseball going 41-15 – reeling in $1650+ for their betting backers. Ryan Dempster will be making his 24th start of the season after picking up an impressive win at Milwaukee in his last start where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball in the Cubs 7-2 win. He’s a stellar 10-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.16 WHIP at Wrigley, and the Cubs have won 11 of his 13 overall home starts. If ever a club deserved to be a 2:1 favorite at home, it’s the Chicago Cubs evidenced by their impressive W/L mark at Wrigley and Dempster’s home dominance.
That said, the Astros come into this series red-hot winning 7 of their L/10 overall having just swept their three-game series with the Mets over the weekend. They’re also the only team in the NL Central that holds a winning mark against the Cubs this season (5-4). Cagey vet Brian Moehler has seen his career get rejuvenated the last couple seasons in Houston, and he’s had some success against the Cubs in the past going 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in five overalls starts. In his two starts against them this year, he’s 0-1 (ND in HOU 2-1 win on 7/18) allowing a combined 11 hits and four earned runs in 12 total innings of work. He’s coming off a near complete game masterpiece where he allowed just seven hits and two earned runs in the Astros 6-2 win in “The Juicebox”.
Houston’s struggled immensely against RHP throughout the season (.256 BA / .407 SLUG), but they enter tonight’s contest hitting righties at a .324 clip. The first game of a series has seen the Astros put their best foot forward 20 of 36 times; they boast losing marks in Games 2, 3, and 4. So, this looks to be the best spot to back Houston throughout this three-game set taking everything we’ve already spoken about into consideration.
WSH/COL
Sure, at first glance it looks strange to see a 51-62 team installed as a –230 to –215 home favorite, but the Rockies are currently playing some solid ball since the break (12-5) while the Nationals continue being the suckfest they’ve been all season long. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for the Nats to suit up and go out there every night; pretty demoralizing. Before sweeping the Reds this past weekend, the Nats were losers of nine in a row and they’ve managed to win just 18 of their 55 road games costing MLB bettors close to a grand. The Rox have been woeful on the road, but they sport a winning mark at home (31-22).
Redding’s been the only bright spot in the Nats starting rotation (7-6 with a 4.34 ERA) as they’ve won in 15 of his 23 overall starts. However, Cook was the Rox NL AS pitching representative, and his club has been just as good whenever he’s toed the bump winning 15 of his 23 starts this season (7-3 at Coors).
Redding’s been beaten up of late allowing 23 hits and 14 runs in just 16 total innings of work to go 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA his L/3 starts. Cook counters with a perfect 3-0 record and a 3.27ERA his L/3.
The only negative in Rockies camp is the fact that this will be their first home game since playing 10 in a row on the road. I’m not a huge fan of backing teams in that scenario, but the Rox know they’re still in the NL West race with both the Dodgers and D’Backs barely sitting over .500. Expect a max effort in a game that should go the way of the home team. They can’t be losing games like this if they want to eat away at their current seven-game deficit within the division.
So with that said, I like the Astros to give the Cubbies a run for their money, and for the Rox to upend the Nats……what says you??!!!
HOU/CHC
The NL Central leading Chicago Cubs currently sit in the –210 to –190 ranges at home where they’ve been the best bet in all of baseball going 41-15 – reeling in $1650+ for their betting backers. Ryan Dempster will be making his 24th start of the season after picking up an impressive win at Milwaukee in his last start where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball in the Cubs 7-2 win. He’s a stellar 10-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.16 WHIP at Wrigley, and the Cubs have won 11 of his 13 overall home starts. If ever a club deserved to be a 2:1 favorite at home, it’s the Chicago Cubs evidenced by their impressive W/L mark at Wrigley and Dempster’s home dominance.
That said, the Astros come into this series red-hot winning 7 of their L/10 overall having just swept their three-game series with the Mets over the weekend. They’re also the only team in the NL Central that holds a winning mark against the Cubs this season (5-4). Cagey vet Brian Moehler has seen his career get rejuvenated the last couple seasons in Houston, and he’s had some success against the Cubs in the past going 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in five overalls starts. In his two starts against them this year, he’s 0-1 (ND in HOU 2-1 win on 7/18) allowing a combined 11 hits and four earned runs in 12 total innings of work. He’s coming off a near complete game masterpiece where he allowed just seven hits and two earned runs in the Astros 6-2 win in “The Juicebox”.
Houston’s struggled immensely against RHP throughout the season (.256 BA / .407 SLUG), but they enter tonight’s contest hitting righties at a .324 clip. The first game of a series has seen the Astros put their best foot forward 20 of 36 times; they boast losing marks in Games 2, 3, and 4. So, this looks to be the best spot to back Houston throughout this three-game set taking everything we’ve already spoken about into consideration.
WSH/COL
Sure, at first glance it looks strange to see a 51-62 team installed as a –230 to –215 home favorite, but the Rockies are currently playing some solid ball since the break (12-5) while the Nationals continue being the suckfest they’ve been all season long. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for the Nats to suit up and go out there every night; pretty demoralizing. Before sweeping the Reds this past weekend, the Nats were losers of nine in a row and they’ve managed to win just 18 of their 55 road games costing MLB bettors close to a grand. The Rox have been woeful on the road, but they sport a winning mark at home (31-22).
Redding’s been the only bright spot in the Nats starting rotation (7-6 with a 4.34 ERA) as they’ve won in 15 of his 23 overall starts. However, Cook was the Rox NL AS pitching representative, and his club has been just as good whenever he’s toed the bump winning 15 of his 23 starts this season (7-3 at Coors).
Redding’s been beaten up of late allowing 23 hits and 14 runs in just 16 total innings of work to go 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA his L/3 starts. Cook counters with a perfect 3-0 record and a 3.27ERA his L/3.
The only negative in Rockies camp is the fact that this will be their first home game since playing 10 in a row on the road. I’m not a huge fan of backing teams in that scenario, but the Rox know they’re still in the NL West race with both the Dodgers and D’Backs barely sitting over .500. Expect a max effort in a game that should go the way of the home team. They can’t be losing games like this if they want to eat away at their current seven-game deficit within the division.
So with that said, I like the Astros to give the Cubbies a run for their money, and for the Rox to upend the Nats……what says you??!!!