Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel are expected to play tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game set at AT&T Park against the resurgent San Francisco Giants.
St. Louis, winner of two in a row and seven of nine, took a one-game lead in the division over Milwaukee with Wednesday's 3-2 victory against the Brewers. The Cardinals' pitching has been outstanding during this nine-game stretch, posting an 0.88 ERA.
St. Louis is looking for a spark from its offense, but that could be difficult as it faces Matt Cain in the series opener. Cain is 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his last four starts.
The Giants look for their season-best fifth straight victory at home after winning all three against Atlanta.
Joel Pineiro has been moved up a day in the rotation to start for the Cards. He is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco.
A light schedule in the majors today with only five games on tap–including two afternoon affairs–and the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks closing things off.
It’s Derek Lowe’s turn in the Braves’ pitching rotation and in his last 10 games against the D-backs, he is 7-3 straight up.
Atlanta is listed at +114 and the Total is set at 7.5.
For more details about baseball check out baseball odds.
Tonight he looks to win his eighth straight decision against the St. Louis Cardinals and sixth in a row with the Brewers when the NL Central rivals continue their three-game series.
Suppan is 5-0 with a 1.62 ERA in six starts versus the Cardinals while with the Brewers. He allowed six singles over seven innings to beat St. Louis 1-0 on May 16.
He's 7-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his last eight outings against the Cardinals, a stretch that began with two starts while with Pittsburgh in 2003. The Brewers are 4-0 against the Cardinals this season and have won 11 of the last 12 meetings.
This will be Suppan's second straight start against the Cards in which he matches up with Adam Wainwright. Wainwright is 2-3 with a 3.09 ERA in seven starts versus the Brewers.
For more details about Baseball odds check out MLB odds.
Morneau went 6-for-10 with a triple, a homer and seven RBI during a weekend series with Milwaukee as the Twins extended their winning streak to four.
Minnesota is also riding a six-game home winning streak at the Metrodome.
The -120 favored Twins are 17-9 at home this season, and Morneau has played a key role with a .438 average, five homers, and 18 RBI over the last 13 games there.
Morneau will now try to maintain his hot hitting against the Red Sox. He's batting .357 with five homers and 17 RBI in 30 career games against them.
The Red Sox are opening a 10-game road trip after beating the New York Mets 12-5 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The Boston Red Sox host the New York Mets in interleague baseball play tonight and see themselves listed at -102.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is set to return after a stint on the DL (shoulder) and in Dice-K’s last 12 Friday games, he is 10-2 and currently on a seven-game win streak.
For more details about baseball check out Baseball Odds.
The surprising Kansas City Royals look to carry over some momentum from a thrilling comeback victory and win their third in a row when they continue a three-game series tonight against the Cleveland Indians.
Kansas City scored four runs in the ninth inning off closer Kerry Wood to win 6-5 on Tuesday. The -125 favored Royals have now won three of four following a season-high six-game losing streak.
Gil Meche will try to keep the momentum rolling as he seeks his first home victory of 2009 for the Royals. Meche allowed five runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings of a 9-5 loss to Baltimore on Thursday. He's 0-2 with an 8.40 ERA in three starts at Kauffman Stadium.
The last-place Indians have lost four straight with their bullpen allowing eight runs in 10 2-3 innings. Cleveland has the AL's second-worst ERA among relief pitchers at 5.84. Be sure to
The Milwaukee Brewers will be without the services of 2B Rickie Weeks for the remainder of the season after Weeks tore a tendon sheath in his left wrist.
According to ESPN, Weeks sustained the injury while striking out in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Brewers begin a series against the Houston Astros today and send Dave Bush to the mound–Milwaukee is listed at -115.
For more details about baseball check out Baseball odds
The Cincinnati Reds are in Arizona to play the Diamondbacks tonight with the Total set at 9.
The two teams tend to take part in lower scoring games however, as the last 20 Cincinnati road games in the desert have resulted in 4 Overs and 16 Unders, including six-straight Unders in a row.
PHILADELPHIA -- While winning four of their first five games of this current road trip, the Braves have proven that they could turn things around once Brian McCann and Garret Anderson returned to their lineup. But to truly make this eight-game trip memorable, they're going to have to continue their current success through their first trip to Citi Field.
With their recent success, the Braves enter this week's three-game series against the Mets with just a 2 1/2-game deficit in the National League East standings.
"We finally got our lineup together, and now we're capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark and driving in runs," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It's not going to happen every game. But we've got a good chance to score runs now."
Runs could be at a premium during this series opener, which will pit Derek Lowe against Johan Santana.
Lowe, who opted to sign with the Braves instead of the Mets in the offseason, is looking forward to his first opportunity to match up against the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who has gone 0-3 with a 2.76 ERA in five career starts against Atlanta.
"You don't have a lot of room for error when you're going up against guys like this," said Lowe, whose Ft. Myers, Fla., residence is just two doors down from the one Santana purchased during his days with the Twins.
The Braves might also be without Chipper Jones, who exited Sunday afternoon's game against the Phillies with a sore right elbow. This isn't exactly good news to those rabid Mets fans, who were likely looking forward to welcoming him to Citi Field with some of those same "Lah-REE" chants that he heard for so many years at Shea Stadium.
Jones, who said there's a 50 percent chance that he'll play on Monday, is hoping that the new park provides the same kind of hostile character that was present in Shea. But he remembers the atmosphere changing in Atlanta in 1997, when the Braves moved into Turner Field.
"I'm wondering how the atmosphere is going to be," said Jones, who hit .313 in 88 career games at Shea Stadium. "The atmosphere from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to Turner Field is different. I'm anxious to see how that kind of carries over to this new park."
Entering this series with the desire to prolong their recent success, the Braves are also looking to avenge the two-game series sweep the Mets claimed in Atlanta last week.
With McCann and Anderson now healthy and productive, the Braves' lineup is starting to take shape. Their presence has seemingly already aided Casey Kotchman, who has totaled eight of his 12 RBIs during the past four games.
With three hits in five career at-bats against Santana, Kotchman may have a chance to continue his recent success and give the Braves even more reason to enjoy their first trip to the Mets' new home.
"I liked Shea, but if there was ever a time for a new stadium, it was time," Cox said.
- Betting on baseball is really heating now that summer is approaching and baseball odds, baseball lines and baseball picks are starting to take center stage in the sports betting world.
One month into the baseball betting marathon that is the MLB regular season and there have been some surprises thus far.
Let’s have a quick look at this opening month from a sports bettor’s perspective.
1)Who is the best “money” team in the AL East?
The Boston Red Sox? No.
The TampaBay Rays? Wrong again.
It’s the Toronto Blue Jays and in fact, the Jays aren’t only the top team money team in the AL East, they are the top money team in the AL and second best in all the majors.As of Wednesday, the Jays are 20-10 overall with a profitable 11-4 record at home and a healthy 9-6 record on the road.
A $100 a game bettor at an online sportsbook would have a profit of approximately $950 if they wagered on every Jay game this season so far (depending on the lines when they bet on Toronto).Over/Under bettors can take note. The Jays have posted 19 overs and 11 unders so far this year.
Toronto hasn’t played many games against teams from its own division so far but it has played a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles and it swept the O’s 3-0.You can’t win in baseball without good pitching and the Jays have two pitchers who rank in the Top-10 MLB money pitchers.
As the ace of Toronto’s rotation, you expect wins from Roy Halladay and he hasn’t disappointed this year with a 6-1 record but Scott Richmond has been a pleasant surprise.
Last season, Richmond only started in five games all season, grabbing 1 win and 3 losses.
This season, Richmond has already pitched in five games and has paid off for those who backed him, racing out to a perfect 5-0 mark.
Toronto is coming off a 13-1 victory over the L.A. Angels last night, where they covered the moneyline odds of -153 and went Over the Total of 9.
The Jays play the rubber match of their current two-game set tonight sending Robert Ray to the mound against the Angels’ Jered Weaver. The sports betting public likes the Angels in this matchup, as online sportsbooks are reporting early betting action coming in at a clip of 65% on Weaver and the home team.
SPORTSBETTING.com currently has the Angels listed as a -162 favorite.
2)Who is the best “money” team in the major league baseball?
The Toronto Blue Jays are second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers when it comes to the MLB’s top money teams.With an overall record of 21-8, the Dodgers have been profitable for the sports betting world who have followed them, but a closer look reveals lopsided results.
LA has made their money for their backers when playing at home. They are only .500 on the road at 8-8 but are undefeated at home at 13-0, their last victory coming in a 10-3 win over the Washington Nationals last night where the Dodgers covered the big moneyline number at -210 and the Total went Over 9.5.
Unlike the Jays, the L.A. Dodgers have played against divisional opponents a lot so far and dating back to April 11, they have gone 17-3 against divisional competition and are currently on a 6-0 run.
The Dodgers’ rotation features money pitchers such as righty Chad Billingsley who is a perfect 6-0 and southpaw Eric Stults who is 4-1.
After finishing a current two-game set against the aforementioned Washington Nationals tonight. Sportsbooks have LA listed at -160.
TheDodgers will begin another series against a divisional rival, this time hosting the San Francisco Giants.
In the last 20 games where the Dodgers have hosted the San Francisco Giants, L.A. has gone 11-9 and more recently, has gone 6-2 in its last eight games.
While we are only in the early goings of the MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays are the Top 2 money teams in all of the majors.
It remains to be seen if they can remain on top.
Enjoy your weekend.
Author: Kevin Taylor is a veteran sports handicapper and student of the sports betting world. He has written for several media outlets, focusing on sports, sports betting and online poker.
NBA Playoffs - Is King James Ready To Take The Throne
By Kevin Taylor
The NBA has tried really hard to find a replacement for Michael Jordan.
Fellow Tar Heel alums Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter were flashes in the pan.Shaquille O’Neal is a shadow of his former self, Kobe Bryant, as of yet, has failed to win a title without the aid of O’Neal and then there is LeBron James.
James has been working his way up the NBA hierarchy and could be primed for the big breakout in this year’s playoffs.‘Bron was just named the NBA MVP for 2009 and as it stands, he has his Cleveland Cavaliers in good position to win this year’s NBA title as well.
The sports betting community knows how popular Lebron James has become, the odds and lines on the Cleveland Cavaliers keep getting higher and higher. Betting on Cleveland means bettors have to deal with some pretty high lines, and that has been the case in the playoffs, as the NBA lines put up on the Cavaliers are often flirting with double digits.
There will also be extra incentive for Cleveland to win a title with James on the roster the next two years as the “King” is one of the deep crop of players who will be free-agents in 2010. Sports betting sites and online sportsbooks have some interesting NBA prop wagers on the betting board related to Lebron’s free agency.
One book, SPORTSBETTING.com, has James listed at -155 to be on the Cavs’ roster for the start of the 2010/2011 season and the prop odds are +115 that he’ll be playing somewhere else.
With only four teams left in the Western Conference, there are four possible opponents that Cleveland could face should they go all the way.
SPORTSBETTING.com also have a very unique betting option, called Prospective Bets. You can wager on any possible NBA playoff matchup. You can bet on Game 1 of the NBA final between the Cavaliers and the Lakers….and you can bet it today. If it doesn’t happen, no sweat, you get your money back.
If LeBron James and company make the finals and face Kobe and Lakers the prospective Game 1 line would see the Cavs listed as 4.5-point home faves.
If they played the Rockets for the NBA title, Cleveland would be a prospective 7.5-point home fave for the final series opener and ditto if they met the Denver Nuggets.The prospective Game 1 line if the Dallas Mavericks and Cavs battled for the title would see Cleveland favored in double-digits at -10.
This is the only online sportsbook in the world offering these unique options.The Cavs won and covered in Game 1 of their second round series vs. Atlanta.While no one is giving Atlanta much of a chance, they might be able to cover a few of the NBA odds put up on them in these games.
The Cavs are also a very reliable bet at home ATS in the month of May going 9-4 ATS dating back to 1999 and more recently have gone 5-0 ATS in its last five games in that month.
However, the best team during the NBA’s regular season has struggled ATS against the Atlanta Hawks and their ilk, which would be teams from the Southeast division, going 4-12 ATS in their last 16 vs. SE division teams, including 1-5 ATS in thelast six.Jordan wasn’t fully given his props until he took home his first title and the same applies to LeBron James.
Will the King receive an NBA crown?
We’ll find out. Enjoy all the NBA playoff betting, be sure to check the NBA odds (future odds and the prospective bets) and the daily NBA lines.
Author: Kevin Taylor is a veteran sports handicapper and student of the sports betting world. He has written for several media outlets, focusing on sports, sports betting and online poker.
Sitting at 13-13 and third in the AL East, the New York Yankees found out that they will be without catcher Jorge Posada for around two to three weeks.
Posada is suffering from a strained right hamstring and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The Yanks play the Tampa Bay Rays tonight and are listed at -158.
Righty Carlos Zambrano was placed on a 15-day DL by the Chicago Cubs with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring says the Chicago Sun-Times in fact, he could require 2½ weeks to recover.
If all goes according to plan, Zambrano could return in time for a three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals which begins on May 19.
The Boston Red Sox will play their first regular season game in the new Yankee Stadium tonight with the BoSox sending Jon Lester to the mound and the Yanks, Phil Hughes.
While the two rivals are only 10-10 in their last 20 games in the Big Apple, Boston is 5-3 in its last eight road tilts against the Yanks.
Boston is -102 for tonight’s game and the Yanks are -108 with a Total set at 10.
Prairie View A&M got three runs in the top of the ninth inning to post an 11-10, come-from-behind win over Texas Southern at MacGregor Park on Sunday.
Oscar Reed’s RBI double tied the score at 10, and George McDonald’s RBI single put the Panthers ahead before Ben Blackburn pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the victory.
Prairie View improved to 21-23, including 9-14 in SWAC play, to keep its postseason hopes alive. TSU fell to 20-25 (10-14) but claimed the three-game series.
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