Sheets & Brewers look to extend wild card lead
Ben Sheets and the Milwaukee Brewers are in the NL Wild Card driver's seat as they open a four-game series in Philadelphia. The Phillies are growing desperate to gain a repeat ticket to the postseason.
If the Philadelphia Phillies (79-67, -2.23 units) are going to get back into the National League Wild Card race, there’s no time like the present.
The Phillies host the Milwaukee Brewers (83-63, +9.17 units) in the opener of a pivotal four-game series on Thursday night, with the Brewers leading the Phillies by four games for the NL Wild Card. Milwaukee sends righthander Ben Sheets (13-7, 2.82 ERA) to the hill, while Philadelphia counters with ageless southpaw Jamie Moyer (13-7, 3.64).
Oddsmakers have dogged the Phillies at home, listing them as +110 underdogs for Game 1 on the betting odds. The Brew Crew is priced as 1118 favorites on the moneyline, with the total set at 8½ runs.
Milwaukee has the fave tag because of Sheets’ dominance over his past three starts. Sheets is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA during that span, and hasn’t allowed a run since August 19. The Brewers have played under the posted total in six of Sheets’ last seven outings, which fits into a larger O/U trend for Milwaukee. The Wild Card leaders have played under in 16 of their last 21 road games.
What’s also impressive about Sheets are his numbers away from Miller Park this season. The righty is a bankable 7-3 with a stellar 2.74 ERA on the road, to go along with a 9-3 record and 2.32 ERA in night starts. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:05 EST.
Moyer is no chopped liver, but he’ll be going on three days rest. That might not affect a guy that throws offspeed pitches all the time, but it’s definitely something handicappers should take into account. On the positive side of the ledger, Moyer hasn’t dropped a decision since August 5, and threw seven scoreless innings against the New York Mets last Sunday.
The teams split the two-game set they played in the first month of the season, with the Phillies cashing 3-1 on April 24 as +132 road underdogs. Tom Gordon picked up the win in relief of Moyer, who allowed one run in six innings in his only start against the Brewers this season. Pat Burrell knocked in two runs for Philly, while David Riske took the loss after coming in for Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan.
The Brewers have lost seven of their last 10 against the moneyline for backers, despite all the games coming at home. Milwaukee did slip past the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Wednesday as huge -245 faves, as the teams pushed the 7-run total posted by sportsbooks. Mike Cameron’s RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth inning was the difference, while Guillermo Mota got the victory in relief of ace C.C. Sabathia.
Milwaukee’s problem has been scoring runs, especially against right-handed pitching. The Brewers scored only 28 runs during their recent 10-game homestand, while hitting .222 as a team – and a sub-Mendoza .192 against righties.
The good news for Milwaukee bettors is the Brewers torched lefties during the skid, batting .311 against southpaws. That bodes well against Moyer, although better production is needed from the middle of the order. The 3-4-5 combination of Ryan Braun-Prince Fielder-Corey Hart combined to hit .208 with no homers and six RBIs over the last 10 games.
Maybe a change of scenery is good for the Brewers, and it better be for their backers. Milwaukee plays its next 10 games on the road, a trip that could make or break a few futures plays on the Brew Crew. The Brewers run into a Phillies team that has won 10 of its last 14 against the moneyline, and that are only 3.5-games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East.
Philadelphia fell 7-3 to the Florida Marlins on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, failing to get it done as -144 favorites. Losing pitcher Brett Myers gave up four runs over 7 1-3 innings for the Phillies, while Ryan Howard hit his league-leading 42nd dinger in the upset. Over bettors padded their bankroll on the 8½-run total, as Philly went over the number for the fourth consecutive game.
Ben Sheets and the Milwaukee Brewers are in the NL Wild Card driver's seat as they open a four-game series in Philadelphia. The Phillies are growing desperate to gain a repeat ticket to the postseason.
If the Philadelphia Phillies (79-67, -2.23 units) are going to get back into the National League Wild Card race, there’s no time like the present.
The Phillies host the Milwaukee Brewers (83-63, +9.17 units) in the opener of a pivotal four-game series on Thursday night, with the Brewers leading the Phillies by four games for the NL Wild Card. Milwaukee sends righthander Ben Sheets (13-7, 2.82 ERA) to the hill, while Philadelphia counters with ageless southpaw Jamie Moyer (13-7, 3.64).
Oddsmakers have dogged the Phillies at home, listing them as +110 underdogs for Game 1 on the betting odds. The Brew Crew is priced as 1118 favorites on the moneyline, with the total set at 8½ runs.
Milwaukee has the fave tag because of Sheets’ dominance over his past three starts. Sheets is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA during that span, and hasn’t allowed a run since August 19. The Brewers have played under the posted total in six of Sheets’ last seven outings, which fits into a larger O/U trend for Milwaukee. The Wild Card leaders have played under in 16 of their last 21 road games.
What’s also impressive about Sheets are his numbers away from Miller Park this season. The righty is a bankable 7-3 with a stellar 2.74 ERA on the road, to go along with a 9-3 record and 2.32 ERA in night starts. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:05 EST.
Moyer is no chopped liver, but he’ll be going on three days rest. That might not affect a guy that throws offspeed pitches all the time, but it’s definitely something handicappers should take into account. On the positive side of the ledger, Moyer hasn’t dropped a decision since August 5, and threw seven scoreless innings against the New York Mets last Sunday.
The teams split the two-game set they played in the first month of the season, with the Phillies cashing 3-1 on April 24 as +132 road underdogs. Tom Gordon picked up the win in relief of Moyer, who allowed one run in six innings in his only start against the Brewers this season. Pat Burrell knocked in two runs for Philly, while David Riske took the loss after coming in for Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan.
The Brewers have lost seven of their last 10 against the moneyline for backers, despite all the games coming at home. Milwaukee did slip past the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Wednesday as huge -245 faves, as the teams pushed the 7-run total posted by sportsbooks. Mike Cameron’s RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth inning was the difference, while Guillermo Mota got the victory in relief of ace C.C. Sabathia.
Milwaukee’s problem has been scoring runs, especially against right-handed pitching. The Brewers scored only 28 runs during their recent 10-game homestand, while hitting .222 as a team – and a sub-Mendoza .192 against righties.
The good news for Milwaukee bettors is the Brewers torched lefties during the skid, batting .311 against southpaws. That bodes well against Moyer, although better production is needed from the middle of the order. The 3-4-5 combination of Ryan Braun-Prince Fielder-Corey Hart combined to hit .208 with no homers and six RBIs over the last 10 games.
Maybe a change of scenery is good for the Brewers, and it better be for their backers. Milwaukee plays its next 10 games on the road, a trip that could make or break a few futures plays on the Brew Crew. The Brewers run into a Phillies team that has won 10 of its last 14 against the moneyline, and that are only 3.5-games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East.
Philadelphia fell 7-3 to the Florida Marlins on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, failing to get it done as -144 favorites. Losing pitcher Brett Myers gave up four runs over 7 1-3 innings for the Phillies, while Ryan Howard hit his league-leading 42nd dinger in the upset. Over bettors padded their bankroll on the 8½-run total, as Philly went over the number for the fourth consecutive game.