Miami Marlins vs. Washington MLB Picks Tuesday, September 20th, 2016

Miami Marlins vs. Washington

Pitching for the Nationals on Tuesday will be RHP Tanner Roark. In his 31 games (30 starts) and 15-8 record, Roark holds a 2.75 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP in 193.1 innings. Roark bagged a win his last time out against the Mets, going seven innings with three hits and no earned.

 

It’s not too hard to find good hitters on the Nationals’ order. Daniel Murphy is out front with 184 hits, 88 runs, 25 homers and 104 RBI. Anthony Rendon holds 144 hits with 84 runs and 78 RBI. Wilson Ramos has hit 140 times with 55 runs, 21 homers and 78 RBI.

 

This pitching matchup is great, so I’ll take the under here—even with the line so low. I’ll give Fernandez and the home-town Marlins a slight edge in the game, though.

Monday Night Football Prediction - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a rare meeting with the Washington Redskins in an inter-conference Monday Night matchup for week 1 of the new season. These two teams haven’t played each other in Maryland since 2008, and the Steelers have beaten Washington the last five times they’ve played. Sports Interaction’s NFL odds on this game are taking these facts into consideration, as the Steelers are -170 favorites.

 

Last year, the Steelers went 10-6 only to lose in the playoffs to the Broncos, who would eventually win the Super Bowl. Current odds have them as +120 favorites to win the AFC North. Now, they will play their first regular game of the season with a couple of glaring holes in their roster. They are missing their star running back La’Veon Bell to a three-game suspension, and wide receiver Martavis Bryant who will be gone for a year on suspension.

 

That’s not their only problem. Last season the Steelers were 30th in the league in pass defense, giving up 271 yards per game. Pittsburgh isn’t exactly deep with talent on the secondary, and with a roll call of rookies filling in for injured cornerback Senquez Golson, they’ll likely struggle again this season.

 

Secondary issues aside, the Steelers aren’t really a team in trouble. DeAngelo Williams is more than a sufficient replacement for Le’veon Bell, and Roethlisberger is healthy, and, according to Mr. Terry Bradshaw, a better passer than Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Roethlisberger was injured and out for four games last year but averaged a league-high 328 passing yards per game and had 21 touchdowns.

 

Washington won the NFC East last year, making this matchup a solid one, and perhaps not the easy win for Roethlisberger and company that the odds suggest. There’s been some discussion about whether we’ll see rookie WR Josh Doctson making his debut, and head coach Jay Gruden suggested as much in interviews. Running back Matt Jones ,who injured his shoulder in the preseason, has been cleared to go against Pittsburgh.

 

The Pittsburgh defense will have it’s hands full against a Redskins offense fronted by Kirk Cousins and his formidable stable of receivers. Cousins had an excellent second half to his season last year (in the last six games his quarterback rating was over 100) and will be trying to build on that success against a less than stellar defense on Monday night. Not only that, Washington will be looking to prove that the end of last season was no fluke, and defeating one of the most reliable teams in the league, right out of the gates, would do just that. The Redskins are currently listed as +240 to win the NFC East this season.

 

One of the matchups most fans will be excited to see in this game will be between the highest paid cornerback in the league, Josh Norman, and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had 136 receptions last season.

 

Monday Night Football Prediction Pittsburgh Steelers are the play.

 

 

 

MLB Picks - Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles August 16, 2016

The Red Sox set their sights on extending their winning streak to five games in tonight's series opener from the Orioles. They'll be sending to the mound Eduardo Rodriguez, who's 2-5 with a 5.43 ERA this season.

 

Rodriguez's has been flat-out dominant since being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket last month. He's allowed only three runs in any one of his previous six starts. That stretch features a solid performance versus the Yankees last Thursday, during that your lefty tossed seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball. Unfortunately, his team couldn't capture the win as a result of surprising not enough production at the plate.

 

Speaking of which, the Red Sox, who lead the majors in runs per game (5.52), will look to Mookie Betts to get things going offensively. He’s been blazing hot throughout this month with a triple-slash line of .385/.407/.788. Betts is also 3-for-9 all-time against Baltimore’s starter in Yovani Gallardo.

 

Boston is 5-5 SU in its last 10 road games.

 

Baltimore is hoping for another solid outing from starter Yovani Gallardo (4-4, 5.17 ERA). His current record and averages this season aren’t impressive to say the least, but the former Ranger has recently put together a pair of quality starts in which he’s allowed just three runs across 12 innings of work. It’ll be interesting to see if Gallardo can keep it going despite owning a 5.26 ERA across five career starts against the Red Sox.

 

Meanwhile, the Orioles have been getting it done on offense, averaging exactly 6.0 runs per game in their previous four contests. Playing a big part of that success are none other than Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo.

 

Machado, the team’s best batter (.305) and hits-leader (139), has gone 7-for-22 with two doubles in his last five games. Trumbo, on the other hand, continues to knock balls out of the park with three homers in his past four outings. He has a total of 34 home runs, the most in the MLB right now.

 

The Orioles are 7-3 SU in their previous 10 games at home.

 

Free MLB Picks - Bet on Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles over the posted total 

MLB Picks- New York Mets vs. New York Yankees – August 4, 2016

The Mets'losing woes show no sign of abating while they suffered a 9-5 defeat to the New York Yankees on Wednesday. It absolutely was another disappointing setback for the Mets who have now lost six of these last eight games. With the loss, the Mets dropped to 55-52 in the NL East standings. They're now two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the 2nd and final wild card spot in the National League.

Pitching has been the main problem for the Mets lately, with New York allowing a massive 40 runs over their last eight games. The onus then is on Bartolo Colon (9-6, 3.58 ERA) to supply a solid start for the Mets tonight. The 43-year-old veteran struggled mightily in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies, surrendering five runs on seven hits and a walk in only five innings of action.

Line: New York Mets (+128) at New York Yankees (-138); total: 8.5 – view all MLB lines

The Yankees on one other hand, will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (9-7, 4.78 ERA). He gave up three earned runs on three hits and two walks over six innings in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Eovaldi has surrendered just six runs over his last six starts after allowing 31 runs within the six outings prior to that.

The Yankees are 3-1 in their last four home games against the Mets. Play the NY Yankees tonight.

Bonus Picks Thursday

Boston Red Sox

Texas Rangers +130

 

Free MLB Picks Boston Red Sox at LA Angels 7/29/16

The best choice of the AL East seems to change on a nightly basis, as Boston, Toronto and Baltimore all fight it out for the division lead. Three losses in a line saw the Red Sox momentarily go from first to third.

 

An undercover bidding war may determine who gets the strength in the future out on top. All three teams are in need of starting pitching, and the one who bolsters its rotation the most within the next few days could tip the scales.

 

On Friday, Boston's starter will be Rick Porcello. Porcello (13-2, 3.57 ERA) has won in his last five starts, thanks in a large solution to his team's offense. Still, Porcello pitches well enough on a nightly basis to offer the Red Sox a shot.

This has been a tragedy of per year for Los Angeles, whose money is wrapped up in Albert Pujols and Mike Trout. While Pujols has been productive and Trout is among the game's best players, the Angels aren't getting much from other sources. The team's pitching is especially weak, and probably in need of nearly total staff overhaul to compete.

 

Friday's starter will be Tim Lincecum, who was rocked in Houston in his last start. Lincecum (2-4, 8.70 ERA) has quit at the very least seven hits in six of his seven starts this season. Only once has he gone six innings.

 

 

The Red Sox let first game of series get away as Angels scored 2 runs in ninth to win 2-1. Boston lost on error that allowed winning run to score and Red Sox recent offensive struggles continued. Tonight their best starter Porcello does enough to allow Boston to get much needed win

MLB Prediction Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox July 26, 2016

MLB Prediction Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox July 26, 2016

There's no denying the truth that the Chicago Cubs hold the advantage in the batting department for tonight's interleague clash. The Cubs are second in the majors in on-base percentage (.346) and fourth in runs scored (498) this season. The Cubs are also third in the National League in the RBI department with 475 with their name this season.

 

Where: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

 

When: Tuesday, July 26, 7:00 PM ET

 

Line: Chicago Cubs (-170) at Chicago White Sox (+150); total: 9.0 – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: ESPN

 

Compare that to the offensively challenged White Sox who have scored just 403 runs in 2010, seventh-lowest in the entire majors. One guy who needs to intensify for the White Sox tonight is Adam Eaton. He is 2-of-5 in his career against Kyle Hendricks with a homer and two RBIs. Eaton leads the White Sox in hits (107) and on-base percentage (.361) this season.MLB Prediction Chicago Cubs win big.

MLB Picks - Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels Monday, July 18th, 2016

MLB Picks - Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels Monday, July 18th, 2016

The Rangers, who have lost seven of the last 10 games, are desperate for a gain tonight. The chances of that from happening appear very good with A.J. Griffin (3-1, 3.81 ERA) taking the hill. He holds a comparatively solid history against the Angels, carrying a 3-2 record with a 3.08 ERA across six career starts. Griffin, however, was rocked for nine hits and six earned runs in only five innings of work during his last time out versus the Twins on July 10.

 

The Halos, meanwhile, are putting their trust on Nick Tropeano (3-2, 3.12 ERA), who's been the team's most consistent starter this season. He registered six innings of one-run ball and punched in eight strikeouts in a no-decision against the Orioles on July 9. Tropeano also owns a 1-2 record with a 3.72 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and .229 opponents'batting average in three career starts versus Texas.

 

MLB Prediction - Texas Rangers Get The Win.

MLB Prediction - Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals July 17, 2016

Having Max Scherzer (10-6, 3.03 ERA) on the mound is just a more-than-enough explanation as to why the Nats are primed to win tonight's series finale against the Pirates. The former AL Cy Young Award winner closed out the very first half the summer season on a high note, yielding just two runs in his last three starts. That stretch includes a shutout performance within a 4-2 victory within the Mets on June 29.

 

Morevoer, Scherzer, who currently leads the majors in strikeouts (164), is in line for another major output against the Bucs. He's 4-2 with a quality 3.09 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .198 opponents'batting averages across nine career games (eight starts) in this matchup.

 

Pittsburgh, which is priced at +1,800 to win the National League title, is 7-3 SU in its past 10 road games.

 

MLB Prediction: Washington (-245) wins it, 5-1, and completes the three-game sweep. Also bet the run line to make it lesserprice.

 

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Winning MLB Predictions - Saturday, July 16th, 2016

St Louis has been noted for late second half runs that buy them in the playoffs and they should do this here, but they are really not that far out from the races. As of this writing the Cardinals currently sit just seven game behind the floundering Cubs in the Central Division and just one game out of among the wildcard slots in the National League.

 

Can't back the Marlins here. Adam Wainwright has struggled on the road in 2010, but in the home he's been very solid, just like he's been throughout his career.

 

The Cards really should start winning in the home or they will skip the playoffs and they need to be able to beat through to Tom Koehler, who has struggled overall lately and on the road this year. Big game for both teams, however the Cards have a big edge on the mound and there is also a good edge at the plate. Cards should take this one.

MLB Predictions - Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers July 15, 2016 Picks

Detroit must certanly be feeling decent with Justin Verlander (8-6, 4.07 ERA) heading on the mound in this series opener with Kansas City. Despite holding a high ERA to date in 2010, he's shown moments of brilliance in brief stretches. His last two starts could attest to the, while the right-handed veteran has only allowed three earned runs along side 13 strikeouts during that span.

 

What's more, Verlander could be in line for a solid outing contrary to the Royals. He's 21-8 along with a quality ERA of 3.26, a 1.17 WHIP and .246 opponents'batting average throughout 39 career starts in that particular matchup.

 

Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan

 

When: Friday, July 15, 2016, 7:10 PM ET

 

Line: Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: FSKC, FSD

 

Writer’s Pick: Detroit Tigers

Batting Edge – Detroit Tigers

Irrespective of expecting excellent outing from Justin Verlander on the mound, the Tigers may also anticipate the hot bats of Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler to supply some key runs at the plate.

 

Martinez and Cabrera have arguably been the most consistent batters for Detroit in 2010, as both are batting team-highs of .305 and .293, respectively. The two have also fared well contrary to the Royals throughout their respective careers.

 

The same could be said for Kinsler, too. He owns an impressive triple-slash line of .314/.360/.519 in the same matchup and current leads the Tigers in hits with 103. He’s also 6-of-9 lifetime against Kansas City’s scheduled starter, Ian Kennedy (6-7. 3.97 ERA).

 

MLB Prediction: Detroit delivers the first blow in this three-game series, 6-3.

 

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MLB Picks - Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Sunday, July 10th, 2016

GIO GONZALEZ 4-7, 4.77 continues to struggle for the first place Nationals. His latest loss was the seventh in the last eight games he's pitched and control issues once more were his problem. The left-hander has now walked at least three or more batters in four of his last five starts. He rarely makes it six innings and if he doesn't start throwing strikes, he is set for an extended year.

 

STEVEN MATZ 7-3, 3.27 gets the decision for the red hot New York Mets. The lefty has been consistent when he's been healthy. He took a tough luck loss Tuesday against the Marlins, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two. Matz seemed to be was cruising and heading for his eighth win of the year until Giancarlo Stanton stepped to the plate in the seventh inning and smashed a two-run shot to put the Marlins ahead for good. Now the question is if Matz can stay healthy and feed off this positive start.

 

The Nationals have owned the Mets so far in 2016 winning seven of nine but New York is playing well right now and a win here would bring them closer to Washington in the standings and give them some much need confidence versus the Nats. I would take Matz over a struggling Gonzalez any day of the week. MLB Picks NY Mets are the play. 

 

 

MLB Predictions - Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets July 8, 2016

A prime pitching matchup is in the cards later tonight as Stephen Strasburg squares off with Noah Syndergaard in Game 2 of the much-anticipated Mets-Nationals series. Strasburg was superb in his last outing, throwing 6.2 no-hit innings against the Cincinnati Reds in his begin back from the disabled list. With the victory, Strasburg improved his record to a great 11-0 slate this season. Syndergaard also dished out a fantastic performance in his last start against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, allowing only one stepped on seven innings while striking out eight.

 

That said, we supply the slight edge to Strasburg tonight as a result of his recent record against the Mets. He has already beaten New York twice in 2010, surrendering just three runs in 12.2 innings. Syndergaard, on another hand, has struggled mightily against the Nats of late. He lasted only three innings against Washington on June 27, allowing five runs because short outing.
Batting Edge – New York Mets (-102)

 

 

Where: Citi Field, Flushing, New York

 

When: Friday, July 8, 7:10 PM ET

 

Line: Washington Nationals (-108) at New York Mets (-102); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: MASN, WUSA 9, SNY

 

 

The New York Mets are on a roll right now and they have their offense to thank for that. The Mets have scored a whopping 57 runs over their last eight games, with New York posting a 7-1 record during this stretch. Powering the Mets’ resurgence is the red-hot Wilmer Flores. He has been on a tear at the plate all week, hitting five long balls over his last five games. Flores homered twice Wednesday against the Miami Marlins and then went an incredible 6 for 6 against the Chicago Cubs with two homers on Sunday. A stint on the bench wasn’t enough to cool down the sizzling Flores last night, hitting the go-ahead three-run homer in New York’s 9-7 win against the Washington Nationals.

 

Speaking of the Nats, they will need Daniel Murphy to deliver another solid performance this evening. With Murphy’s homer last night against the Mets, he has now hit five against his former team this season. Murphy has already racked up 15 home runs this campaign, a new career high. He is just 1-of-5, however, lifetime against Mets starter Noah Syndergaard.

 

MLB Prediction: The Mets (-102) extend their winning streak to three games with a narrow 4-2 victory.

 

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MLB Predictions - New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres July 3, 2016

Pitching Edge – San Diego Padres (-105)

Andrew Cashner (3-5, 4.75 ERA) is placed to make his come back to the mound after dealing with a strained neck he suffered in June. Even though former ace has seen his heydays go by already, he's still had relative success against New York's batters. Only Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorious each have faced the 29-year-old in over 10 at-bats, and yet both have managed to combine for two RBIs against the righty.

 

Meanwhile, the Yankees will counter with Chad Green (0-1, 7.20 ERA). The 25-year-old Green got the call-up from Triple-A for Sunday's start, and is fairly a celebrity in the International League along with his 1.54 ERA in 14 starts. However, the item out of Louisville's last lengthy outing in the big leagues was a difficult one, having surrendered four earned runs and eight hits through five innings in losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 16.

Batting Edge – New York Yankees (-105)

 

Outside of first baseman Will Myers (two home runs, six runs, seven RBIs in the last four games), the Padres don’t have a reliable hitter than they can rely on in the clutch, which has been one of their many glaring problems throughout this season.

 

As for the Yankees, they’ve gotten an unexpected yet welcome production from shortstop Didi Gregorious, who currently has a six-game hitting streak going for a total of 10 hits to go with a couple of long balls, five runs and five runs batted-in during that span. Outfielder Carlos Beltran’s hamstring injury looks to have healed as well, and could also pinch hit for the team on short notice for some much-needed runs. The 18-year veteran Beltran is hitting a solid .299 this season and has 19 home runs and 53 RBIs under his belt already, which is amazing considering that he’s supposed to be regarded as an over-the-hill player by now.

 

Writer’s Prediction: The Yankees (-105) avoid the series sweep with a big win.

 

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MLB Picks Chicago Cubs at New York Mets – Friday, July 1st

The Chicago Cubs visit the New York Mets on Friday night in a game that can be seen on MLB Network. The Cubs are leading the NL Central while the Mets are battling for second in the NL East.

 

ATS Stats

 

The Cubs should be sending Jason Hammel in this game while the Mets go with Bartolo Colon. Hammel gave up just two runs last time out against the Marlins but got the loss. He is 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in five career starts vs. New York. Colon has faced the Cubs just once in his career and that was a year ago when he gave up no runs in seven innings. The Cubs had won six of the last ten against the Mets before this series began with two of the last three going under the total.

 

MLB Picks

 

I will take this game under the total.

Free MLB Picks - Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals – June 30th

The St. Louis Cardinals are favored at home on Thursday night as they host the Kansas City Royals. This is the finale of a four-game series as the first two were in Kansas City and the last two in St. Louis.

 

ATS Stats

 

The Royals should be sending Chris Young in this game while the Cardinals go with Mike Leake. Young has not pitched well this season as he comes into this game at 2-7 with a 6.54 ERA while Leake is 5-5 with a 4.25 ERA. The Royals and Cardinals had split their last ten meetings before this series began with five of the last seven going under the total. The teams had also split their last ten in St. Louis.

 

Baseball Predictions

 

I will take the Cardinals to get the home win.

MLB Picks San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics June 30th

The San Francisco Giants visit the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night in the finale of a four-game series. This is just like the previous game as the first two were in San Francisco while the final two are in Oakland.

 

ATS Stats

 

The Giants should be sending Madison Bumgarner in this game while the A’s go with Dillon Overton. The Giants will be big road favorites with Bumgarner on the mound as he is 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA this season. Overton won his Major League debut on Saturday as he went 5.2 innings against the Angels and allowed three runs. The Giants had won six of the last ten against the A’s before this series began with the last three going over the total.

 

Baseball Predictions

 

I will take the Giants to get the road win.

MLB Picks - Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

AL East Division foes will collide on Wednesday afternoon, once the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays complete their series from Tropicana Field. Boston gave up 13 runs in a series opening loss, but bounced back for an 8-2 victory on Tuesday. SP Rick Porcello struck out eight batters over six frames to earn his ninth win against two defeats. 3B Travis Shaw had three hits and drove in five runs for the Red Sox.

 

Costly free agent acquisition David Price (8-4 4.68 ERA) will check out the hill for the Red Sox on Wednesday. In his last start, Price was rocked for 12 hits and six runs in two plus innings at Texas.

 

The disappointing season for All-Star pitcher Chris Archer continued on Wednesday night. Archer allowed seven hits and four runs over six plus innings along the way to his 11th loss in the year. Brad Miller launched his 10th homerun in a losing effort for the Rays.

 

Tampa Bay will counter with southpaw Matt Moore (3-5 5.04 ERA) in the series finale. The Rays have dropped four of Moore's last five starts and he has allowed 16 runs over his last 31 plus innings.

 

The Boston Red Sox are:

 

    4-0 in Prices last 4 starts during game 3 of a series.
    4-1 in Prices last 5 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
    6-2 in Prices last 8 starts with 4 days of rest.

MLB Picks - Red Sox win on Wednesday Early game.

 

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Miami Marlins vs. Detroit Tigers June 28, 2016 Prediction

Adam Conley has been up and down this season but his coming from his best start of the entire year and his best two starts combined.  Last time out, he pitched eight innings of shut out ball while allowing only four hits. He got the win in a 3-0 victory over the Braves.  Which was preceded by an endeavor where he only went 5.2 innings but he only threw in the towel one hit and one run.  So in his last two starts, he has pitched 13.2 innings and allowed only five hits.  That's pretty impressive.  Overall, he is 4-4 with a 3.56 ERA, but I believe he may be sitting on a great second half and the Marlins will be needing it should they hope to keep up with the Mets and Nationals.

 

Adam Conley has looked great in his last two starts.  He has the stuff and now it's all coming together.  I expect a huge second half performance from him and I believe he's going to offer another superb outing on Tuesday.  Let's take the Marlins on the road.

 

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Indians vs Braves June 28, 2016 Prediction

Atlanta has been playing a bit better of late, but nonetheless most of which was vs the Mets and the Indians are a far better team than them right now. Cleveland has huge edges on offense and on the mound in that one and it is just quite difficult to see them losing this game and they might not lose a game title in this series. 

Atlanta went 15-18 vs their division up to now, but just 11-31 vs the remaining portion of the league and they are just 11-29 at home so far. The Indians have dominated their division and have already been right around .500 vs the remaining portion of the league, but this can be a series that they can really pad their record with and I don't see them failing to complete so. Take the Tribe here.

MLB Predictions - Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays June 28, 2016

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays play Game 2 of their series later tonight with Rick Porcello and Chris Archer each looking to notch a win in their last starts of the month.

 

Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

 

When: Tuesday, June 28, 2016, 7:10 PM ET

 

Line: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: ESPN

 

For all the season, the Red Sox have relied on the offense to carry them to victories. They might need their batters to go nuts at the plate again later tonight with the struggling Rick Porcello (8-2, 3.93 ERA) pitching.

 

Porcello's numbers have continued to worsen following an impressive April in which he went 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five starts. Since then, Porcello went 2-2 (4.65 ERA) in May and 1-0 with a 4.45 ERA this month. In his most recent start, Porcello allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings of an 8-7 win over the White Sox on June 23.

 

Obviously, the offense saved Porcello from picking up a loss because game and the Red Sox look to produce the righty with an ample level of runs for him to manage.

 

 

So far this season, Porcello is getting 7.28 RS/9 from Boston’s offense.

 

David Ortiz is a prime candidate to deal damage to Tampa Bay later tonight, considering his excellent 11-for-29 (.379) career batting line with three doubles and 14 RBI against Rays starter Chris Archer.

 

Boston is 6-1 in its last seven games against the Rays when Chris Archer is the starter.

 

Not much is certainly going Chris Archer's way this season. He's 4-10 with a 4.70 ERA. He's picked up a loss in each of his past three starts, which includes the 6-1 loss to Cleveland on June 22, wherein Archer allowed four earned runs on six hits in six innings of action.

 

Facing Boston's deadly offense later tonight, Archer will need to come right into Game 2 in top form. What's more troubling for the Rays is which they can't even say with a straight face which they trust their bullpen to silence Boston once it's the relievers start the mound. Tampa Bay's bullpen is 24th in the majors with a 4.33 ERA and owns the third-highest home-run-per-nine-innings ratio with 1.92.

 

Tampa Bay's hitters, however, can jump in early stages Porcello to back Archer some runs. Porcello has been bad in the first innings, as he has a 4.20 ERA in first innings, 3.60 ERA in second innings, and 6.00 ERA in third innings.

 

 

Logan Forsythe is 5-for-14 (.357 ) lifetime with a triple and two walks against Porcello

 

MLB Picks Tampa Bay get's the win in this spot.

 

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MLB Picks - Blue Jays vs Rockies Monday, June 27th, 2016

Colorado continues to truly have a rough time and around this writing they had lost two of the first three games within their series vs the Diamondbacks. As always at home it's their pitching that struggles and they allowed 22 runs in the first three games of the series and the Rockies now have a 6.35 ERA at home, that is the worst home ERA mark in the league. That is clearly a reason they are under .500 here at Coors. Oh sure their offense averages over six runs per game at home, but their pitching continues to be quitting more. Arizona is 29th in the league in home ERA at 5.28 so you can see just how bad this staff is here at home.

 

The Talk of this series could be the return of Troy Tulowitzki, but his replacement Trevor Story is having a heck of an initial year up to now and it will soon be fun to see who has the better series. Story is hitting .266 with 18 homers and 49 RBIs thus far, while Tulo is hitting just .217, with 10 homers and 28 RBIs. Looks just like the Rockies have the better player at SS right now.  

 

The Rockies enter this game ranked 3rd in the league in scoring, putting up 5.24 rpg, while also ranking 3rd in hitting at .274 and 6th in homers with 98. The Rockies have hit .297 overall at home, including .288 vs lefties. Colorado has averaged 5.97 rpg and have allowed 6.74 rpg at home for the year. On the mound they have not been good at all as they come in ranked 28th in the league in ERA at 5.05 while also ranking 27th in WHIP at 1.43. At home Colorado starters have an ERA of 6.33, while their pen has an ERA of 6.38. Toeing the rubber for the Rockies will be Jon Gray, who has gone 4-3 with a 4.80 ERA in 12 starts this year, including 0-1 with a 3.71 ERA in his last three starts and 2-0 with a 5.02 ERA in five starts here at home. Gray is now 2-1 with a 6.39 ERA in 10 starts here at Coors in his career and 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA in three career interleague starts. This is his first meeting with the Blue Jays.

 

I like the pitching edge that the Blue Jays have here, but even more so I like the fact of this rejuvenated Toronto offense taking their swings here in Colorado. Tulowitzki has struggled for the Blue Jays but he has hit .321 with a 106 homers and 385 RBIs here at Coors when he was a member of the Rockies. I look for him to have a nice series, along with Donaldson, Encarnacion and the rest of the Blue Jays lineup. Colorado has a good offense for sure but I feel that Estrada can keep that offense under wraps in this one. MLB Picks Blue Jays take game one. 

MLB Picks - New York Mets at Washington Nationals Monday, June 27th, 2016

The finale of a huge three game series is set to go down in the nation’s capital will play out Wednesday night when Steven Matz gets the rough assignment of leading the Mets into battle against Max Scherzer and the division rival Nationals.

 

Following the Mets took two straight from the defending World Series champion Royals just after getting embarrassingly swept at home by the Braves, it absolutely was thought Terry Collins's squad rediscovered its mojo. That idea was quickly kicked to the curb after NY only were able to split a four game series against that same Atlanta ball club within the weekend. You realize, the one with the worst offense in all baseball!

Washington returns home from its longest road trip of the season in terrible form. Dusty Baker's squad opened it down with a couple of wins within the Padres in Petco, however proceeded to drop seven straight and pulled out a 3-2 win in Milwaukee on Sunday to prevent getting the brooms busted out in it there as well.

Something is not right with Steven Matz and it's likely he should already be resting his arm on the DL right now. He's complained of elbow stiffness after each of his last three starts. He just got shelled by the Atlanta Braves last time out to whom he allowed nine hits and 6 ER against and didn't pitch through the fifth inning. He's only reached the sixth twice in his last five starts, and for someone that routinely reached the 7^th inning earlier in the season, it is a tell-tale sign that something's not right.
He's been pretty decent on the way in going 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA, but he's allowed 48 hits through 42.2 innings pitched and currently looks ripe for the taking.

With Stephen Strasburg on the shelf, it’s up to ad Max Scherzer to take the reins of this pitching staff and keep things under control. While he logged his third straight start with double-digit Ks last time out versus Milwaukee, he also gave up a long ball for the third straight start. Allowing home runs has been an issue this season with him conceding 20 of them through his 107.1 innings of work.
That said, he’s been pretty darn good at home where he’s allowed just 24 hits through his 35 innings of work and checks in 3-2 overall with a .195 batting average against.

I just don’t like what I’m seeing out of New York’s camp of late. While the Nats have their warts as well, I can’t help but think they’re going to be super motivated to add a little more separation between them and the Mets throughout this series. Scherzer is the staff ace right now and he has to act like it. Look for the good Mad Max to show up in this one and lead his club to the dub. MLB Picks Washington Nationals.

MLB Picks - Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates June 25th ,2016

The Los Angeles Dodgers make a rare visit to PNC Park to face the hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in a nationally televised game live on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The game is scheduled to start at 8:08 p.m., ET. This is the third game of a four game set.

 

Both teams had high expectations heading into the year after both made the playoffs a year ago, but the Dodgers and Pirates are heading in opposite directions. Los Angeles is 8-2 in their last 10 games, while the Pirates are just 2-8. The Dodgers are in second place in the NL West and are currently atop the Wild Card standings. The Pirates trail the Cubs by an astounding 14 games in the NL Central and are five games behind in the Wild Card race.

 

Clayton Kershaw (11-1, 1.57) gets the start for the Dodgers and that usually equals a win for Los Angeles. He allowed just one run on six hits and struck out eight over seven innings in Monday's win over the Nationals. The lanky left-hander was nasty as ever, as Nationals hitters swung and missed at 19 of Kershaw's 106 pitches. He has now lasted seven innings in all but one start this season, and as great as Monday's start was, his eight strikeouts actually ranks 11th out of his 15 starts in 2016. The future Hall of Famer continues to dominate but will have his hands full with a pesky Pirates team.

 

Clayton Kershaw is 11-1 on the year and is unhittable on most nights even if he doesn’t have his “A” game. The Pirates are really struggling losing 12 out of their last 14 games and find themselves searching for answers especially when it goes to starting pitching. In their slide the past few weeks, Pirates starting pitchers have posted an ERA of over 6 runs and that is not going to win you very many ball games. Kershaw and the Dodgers roll. MLB Picks Bet on Los Angeles Dodgers.

NBA Finals Game 7 Predictions - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

The Oklahoma City Thunder sure know what it feels like being in the current position of the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, who came ultimately back from the 3-1 series deficit to Kevin Durant and crew in the Western Conference Finals, are trying to steer clear of the same fate whilst the Thunder because they host the hard-charging Cleveland Cavaliers. With LeBron James playing like a demigod lately, will the Cavs win Game 7 and come back to Cleveland with the franchise's first-ever NBA  title? Or will the Warriors avoid being the first team to choke a 3-1 finals series lead?

 

Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland

 

When: Sunday, June 19, 2016, 8:00 PM ET

 

Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (+4.5) vs. Golden State Warriors (-4.5); total: 206.5 – view all NBA lines

 

TV Broadcast: ABC

 

How sweet wouldn't it be for the Cavaliers to finish the franchise's title drought with a historic Game 7 win tonight in enemy territory? Well, certainly sweeter than LeBron James stat line throughout the last two games.

 

Needless to say, that's to not down play James'number of monster performances during Games 5 and 6 in which he averaged video-game numbers of 41.0 points, 9.0 assists, and 12.0 rebounds, while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor and committing just three turnovers. Clearly, James could be unstoppable if he desires to be unstoppable. With Andre Iguodala hurting and Andrew Bogut no further there to guard the rim for Golden State, James'likelihood of abusing the Warriors'defense looks great again.

 

Kyrie Irving has been the best player on the Cavs team not named LeBron James, as what his series average of 27.3 PPG on 47.3 FG% shooting points out. Irving will have a critical role this Monday, particularly on offense, where he’s expected to help match whatever production Stephen Curry will have on the other side of the ball.

 

It would also be huge for Cleveland if Kevin Love finally plays like a $110-million professional basketball player. Love has been a target of scorn by frustrated Cleveland fans tired of his miserable play in the finals. So far in the series, Love has put up 8.4 PPG and grabs just 5.4 RPG. Love only had seven points and three boards in Cleveland’s 115-101 win on Thursday. Fortunately for the Cavs, Tristan Thompson has elevated his play to cover up for Love’s shortcomings. Thompson was a beast in Game 6, scoring 16 points and pulling down 16 boards and was always James’ favorite target for slick passes inside the paint.

 

Speaking of which, Cleveland has terrorized the Warriors interior defense of late, as the Cavs averaged 45.0 points in the paint over the last two contests. Golden State, on the other hand, only managed 30.0 PITP.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors (-4.5)

 

The Warriors won a record 73 wins in the regular season but they’re obviously having trouble notching one more to defend their title successfully. Hopefully for the Warriors, having home-court advantage in such a pressure-packed Game 7 would translate to a victory this Monday. The Warriors are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games at Oracle Arena.

 

There’s a lot riding on the shoulders of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. For the Warriors to go back-to-back both players will have to deliver and there’s no better time for them to explode than in Game 7. Curry scored 30 points in Game 6 but was more accurate in aiming his mouthpiece at a Cavs fan, as he’s shooting just 39.0 FG% from the field over the last two games. Curry probably had his rhythm upset by the amount of fouls charged on him on Thursday (he was fouled out). He’ll have to be extra careful on defense to avoid picking up foolish fouls that could cost him some minutes on the floor.

 

Thompson, on the other hand, has been a steady figure for the Warriors. Thompson followed up his 37-point performance in Game 5 with a less-stellar 25-point output in Game 6, wherein he went 9-for-21 from the field and just 3-for-10 from deep.

 

Let's not forget about Draymond Green. Green returned to the court in Game 6 after serving a one-game suspension, but could produce just eight points. He did have 10 rebounds and six assists, however. Green needs to have a much better scoring night in Game 7 with the Warriors holding court.

 

The Warriors also provide their own Kevin Love in the proper execution of Harrison Barnes, who's converted into ghost mode throughout the last two games. Barnes had five points on a horrible 2-for-14 shooting in Game 5. He followed that up with a large fat egg in Game 6, going 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-5 from long range. Barnes need to begin producing offensively to simply help ease force off Curry and Thompson, who are expected to manage a phalanx of Cavs defenders this Monday.

 

 

Golden State’s bench could be the difference maker in Game 7. The Warriors’ bench is averaging 31.3 PPG in the series, almost doubling Cleveland’s second unit production of 16.2 PPG.

 

Golden State (-4.5) wins, .

 

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Los Angeles Angels vs. Oakland Athletics Predictions, Picks and MLB Preview – June 17, 2016

An intriguing Friday night is in store for you later this evening, as two AL West division rivals—the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics—go head-to-head for the first meeting of a three-game set at the Oakland Coliseum. Who will draw first blood? Read on below for more information about this matchup.

 

Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland

 

When: Friday, June 17, 2016, 9:35 PM ET

 

Line: Los Angeles Angels (-137) vs. Oakland Athletics (+127); total: 7.0 – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast(s): CSCA, FSW

 

Betting on the Los Angeles Angels (29-37)

 

The Los Angeles Angels should win this opener against the Oakland Athletics. The Angels, after all, are sending their ace hurler in Matt Shoemaker (3-7, 4.76 ERA) on the mound.

 

Shoemaker has gradually transformed himself into one of the best pitchers in the majors today. The 29-year-old righty started his 2016 campaign pretty slowly, but has finally turned things around lately. He’s given up just eight runs and has struck out a total of 48 batters in his previous five starts. Los Angeles, however, went just 2-3 in that stretch.

 

Hence, the Halos, who are priced at +4,000 to win the American League crown, better pile up some runs at the plate in order to secure their third-consecutive victory later. They can expect the pairing of Yunel Escobar and Mike Trout to lead the charge in doing so. Those two have been performing solidly this year.

 

Escobar leads Los Angeles in batting (.310) and hits, while Trout has actually played even better. The former AL MVP boasts team-highs of 13 homers, 44 runs batted in and a .415 OBP. He’s also gone 9-of-27 with three doubles, three RBIs and one homer in his last eight games.

 

The Angels have lost seven of their previous 10 road games.
Betting on the Oakland Athletics (27-39)

 

Clearly, June has not been a very good month for the Oakland Athletics. They enter tonight’s game having lost 10 of their last 13 games and as losers of three-straight outings. The most recent one happened in yesterday’s series finale versus the Rangers, who defeated them by a final score of 5-1.

 

Shoemaker pitches a gem, and the Angels (-137) cruise to a convincing 7-2 victory.

 

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Now, the A’s hope to finally get their act together when they hand the ball to Kendall Graveman (2-6, 5.28 ERA) later. He’s coming off an excellent start against the Reds last weekend. The 25-year-old right-hander logged in four innings of one-run ball and also added in five K’s despite getting the no-decision.

 

Another solid start from Graveman could be in the making, as he’s pitched quite well versus the Los Angeles Angels. The former Blue Jay is 0-1 along with a 2.12 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and a .250 opponents’ batting average throughout three career starts in this matchup.

 

Over on offense, the A’s, who are averaging 4.06 runs per game this season, can look to Danny Valencia or Billy Burns to light up the plate for them.

 

Valencia’s been having a phenomenal month of June, owning a triple-slash line of .333/.395/.564. The same can be said during home games, as the hard-hitting third baseman is batting .330 at Oakland Coliseum this season.

 

Burns, on the other hand, is 4-of-13 in his last three games and is 3-for-9 lifetime against the Angels’ starter in Matt Shoemaker.

 

Oakland is 3-7 SU in Graveman’s last 10 starts. The A’s are also priced at +4,000 to win the American League championship.

 

 

Shoemaker pitches a gem, and the Angels (-137) cruise to a convincing 7-2 victory.

 

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MLB Predictions - Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs June 17, 2016

The Pittsburgh Pirates have faced the Chicago Cubs six times this season. And through that stretch, the Bucs only managed to emerge victorious once. Will they continue to struggle against their NL Central rivals inside their latest matchup, or will they finally start turning the tables around in this afternoon's series opener at Wrigley Field? Read on below for more about that highly-anticipated matchup.

 

Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

 

When: Friday, May 17, 2016, 2:20 PM ET

 

Line: Pittsburgh Pirates (+240) vs. Chicago Cubs (-280) – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast(s): WLS, RTPT

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on a downward spiral today, winning just four out of their last 15 games. They dropped their second game in a row yesterday from the Mets. But today's opener versus the Chicago Cubs is another opportunity in order for them to relocate their fire.

 

Speaking of which, firing on the mound for Pittsburgh is going to be Francisco Liriano (4-6, 4.92 ERA). He's received losing in his past three starts, but nevertheless, the left-handed Dominican took a big advance during his most recent start from the Cardinals last Saturday. Because game, the veteran registered six innings of one-run ball and struck out eight batters.

 

 

Furthermore, Liriano should be in line for a valiant performance later this afternoon. He has pitched relatively well against the Cubs throughout his career, boasting an ERA of 3.13, a WHIP of 1.13 and a .187 opponents’ batting average.

 

On offense, meanwhile, the Bucs might have to go through another game without one of their top batters in Starling Marte, who is dealing with some minor vision problems. Hence, the pressure is on Andrew McCutchen to step up at the plate especially if Marte does remain sidelined.

 

McCutchen, who leads the team in homers (10) this season, went 3-of-4 with a double and a home run in yesterday’s setback to the Mets. He is also 9-of-29 lifetime off the Cubs’ ace in Jake Arrieta.

 

The Pirates are 2-8 SU in their previous 10 road games. They are also pegged at +4,000 to win the World Series this season.

 

The Chicago Cubs are unsurprisingly the favored team to win here. Besides winning five of their last six matches with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, the Cubs are going to have the luxury of handing the ball to arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now: Jake Arrieta (10-1, 1.83 ERA).

 

Arrieta has been on an absolute tear this year and the Bucs would likely agree to that. After all, they’ve already faced him twice this year and the results weren’t in their favor to say the least. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner went 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA during that stretch. He’s also owns a 3-1 record with a 1.89 ERA across six starts at Wrigley Field this season.

 

Arrieta, though, won’t be the only one that the Pirates need to worry about. The Cubs’ offense, which is accumulating 5.38 runs per contest, is also a testament to their current success and the pair of Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant has led the charge.

 

Zobrist, who leads the Cubs in batting (.316), OBP (.425) and hits (68), has gone 8-of-28 with two doubles, two homers and four RBIs in the last seven games. Bryant, meanwhile, has already put in a team-high of 15 homers, and is 4-of-9 lifetime off the Bucs’ starter in Francisco Liriano.

 

Chicago is 8-2 SU in its past 10 games at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are also the top favorites (+300) to win the World Series this year.

 

MLB predictions - Chicago Cubs win.

 

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Game 6 NBA Finals Predictions- Cleveland vs Golden State

It's Game Six between Golden State and Cleveland, with the Cavaliers fresh off a fantastic performance at Oakland that allowed them to keep their comeback hopes alive.

 

Here is what I love on the Golden State side. Obviously, there's the return of Draymond Green from his one-game suspension. The Warriors missed him more than I believed they would. Oddly enough, I also feel Golden State could actually benefit from devoid of Andrew Bogut. Truth is, they've been a better team in this series when Bogut was sitting instead of when he was on the floor. That's in the numbers for people who might want to take issue with this observation.

When it comes to Cavs, if LeBron James and Kyree Irving duplicate their incredible performances in Game Five, I will lose my bet and those two teams will be playing once more at Oracle for the championship. But I recently can't view a rerun, and while I can't forecast a creature bounce by either or both players, I'll be type of shocked should they even approach the 82 combined points which were registered on Monday night.

The Warriors probably peaked sometime around mid-season. They weren't as dominant down the regular season stretch, and they haven't really overmatched the opposition in the playoffs. Nevertheless, they've still been the very best team on the market, and that features this series to date. Yeah, the 2 losses were nasty, but Golden State still leads the series and they're still in the -400 neighborhood to win the title.

 

Cleveland continues to attack MVP Stephen Curry at every opportunity they get. Kyrie Irving must continue to stay aggressive for the Cavaliers to even this series and send it back to Golden State for a winner-take-all Game Seven. I love Cleveland to get the job done at home with their defense on Thursday night. NBA Finals Predictions Play on Cleveland Cavaliers -2 and also Bet on Under the posted total 208.

 

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MLB Predictions - Side and total Rockies vs. Dodgers Odds

Kenta Maeda is great again. And he’ll continue his solid form when the Los Angeles Dodgers give him the ball in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.

 

Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

 

When: Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 10:10 PM ET

 

Line: Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: ESPN

 

Betting on the Colorado Rockies

 

Chris Rusin isn’t having a good season so far. You could easily tell that based on his 1-4 record and a 4.62 ERA.

 

Rusin lately pitched against San Diego on June 3, which ended with the Rockies losing, 4-0. Rusin went seven innings long in that game, allowing three runs on just four hits. The Padres'three runs, however, came in the initial inning before Rusin settled down and took better control of his pitches. While Rusin hasn't started against the Dodgers this season, he did have one relief appearance opposite LA. That was in a 12-10 loss to the Dodgers on April 24, wherein Rusin took the mound for 3.1 innings, allowing a winner and issuing three walks.

It's hard to trust Rusin at this time therefore the Rockies'offense will have to show up later tonight. Colorado is fifth in the majors in runs, third in batting average, and seventh in on-base percentage. The tandem of Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzales has been on a merciless tear of late, combining for four home runs and 17 RBI over Colorado's past six games.

 

The under is 6-4 in Rusin’s last 10 starts.
Betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Kenta Maeda is getting back to top form. After seeing his ERA rise to 3.29 last May, it has now subsided to 2.84 after recording back-to-back wins.

 

Over his last two starts, Maeda has allowed only one earned run on eight hits across 11.1 innings. It also helped him that the Dodgers were able to compile 13 total runs in those two outings. Thus far this season, Maeda is getting 4.26 runs support per nine innings.

 

Maeda arguably had his best performance of his young MLB career against Colorado on April 23, when he pitched for 6.1 innings, blanking the Rockies and allowing just three hits while recording eight strikeouts in a 4-1 road win.

 

Backing Maeda is the Dodgers’ offense that is getting huge contribution from Corey Seager. The shortstop has been unconscious at the plate lately, going 10-for-24 with six home runs and 11 RBI over his last seven games. With Yasiel Puig on the disabled list, the Dodgers are going to deploy Trayce Thompson on the outfield. Thompson is 5-for-17 with two doubles and two homers in his last seven outings.

 

The over is 4-1 in Thompson’s last five starts overall.
Writer’s Prediction

 

MLB Predictions Los Angeles wins and also like this game to go over the posted total. The Play is Los Angeles Dodgers and over the total.

 

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Free MLB Picks - Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies June 8, 2016

John Lackey and the Chicago Cubs look to punctuate a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies with a win later today. The Phillies, meanwhile, will have the inconsistent but skilled Vince Velasquez on the mound

 

 

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

 

When: Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 1:05 PM ET

 

Line: Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: ESPN

 

 

Betting on the Chicago Cubs

 

The Cubs must certainly be happy to own John Lackey on the pitching rotation. The 13-year veteran

 

John Lackey is on cruise control today and he'll be looking to improve on his 6-2 record and 2.88 ERA when he goes against Philadelphia for the next time in 2010 later today.

 

Lackey last faced the Phillies on May 29, when he yielded just an earned run on four hits across seven frames of a 7-2 home victory. Lackey was even better in his next start, holding Arizona scoreless for 6.2 innings while allowing just five hits in a 6-0 win on June 3. Lackey steps on the mound later with a lifetime career record of 4-4 and 2.89 ERA in eight starts against Philadelphia.

 

Chicago's hitters, meanwhile, must certanly be excited at another chance to bombard Phillies starter Vince Velasquez. The Cubs tattooed their bats with nine hits and seven runs against Velasquez in the aforementioned June 3 ending up in Philly.

 

The Cubs are 4-2 in Lackey’s last six starts overall.
Betting on the Philadelphia Phillies

 

As mentioned, it was a nightmare for Vince Velasquez the last time he pitched against the Cubs. He’ll try to have a more positive outing later today as he makes his second start of the month.

 

Velasquez (5-2, 3.67 ERA) had a better performance in his last start, though. Against Milwaukee on June 3, Velasquez allowed two runs on four hits while recording six K’s, albeit in just 4.1 innings of action. One problem for the right-hander is his struggle to pitch beyond the middle innings. He hasn’t pitched past five innings in each of his last four starts. With that said, the bullpen has to be ready to go in early against the hard-hitting Cubs. Philadelphia’s relievers have a collective ERA of 3.85 and 4.38 FIP thus far this season.

 

The current Philadelphia lineup has a career batting average of .276 against Chicago’s Lackey. Peter Bourjos is 3-for-6 opposite Lackey, while Odubel Herrera is 3-for-7 in the matchup.

 

The Phillies are 3-0 in the last three home starts of Velasquez, who is 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA in five starts at Citizens Bank Park thus far this season.
Writer’s Prediction

 

Free MLB Picks Play on Chicago.

 

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Game 2 Predictions - Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors

We swung and missed with our upset pick on the Cavaliers in Game 1. That won't stop me from going back to the well with LBJ and company. So many weird things occurred in the opener that I'm still having issues wrapping my head around it. I expect the second game to play more true to form and for both offenses to get it moving in a huge way.

I like this the total was at 207 might have gone down. There's just no way that additional games in this series stall out quite like the opener did. It was shocking really.

There's no basis for James to be guarding Curry right now. Maybe later in the series once fatigue sets in, but not now. With LeBron concentrating more on scoring and being the ball facilitator that got the Cavs in the Finals, search for the offense to open up. On the flipside, also search for the Warriors dynamic to obtain more open shots and drain them at a greater clip than in Game 1.

If the Cavs are to produce this a series, they've to win this game. No ifs, ands or buts about it. They're going down 2-0 next game, it's all over. With this the case, search for the Eastern Conference champs to put their finest foot forward and execute a much better game plan in a greater scoring game compared to the opener. Game 2 Predictions Cleveland Cavaliers plus the points.

Former Lions quarterback Erik Kramer jokes that he is a bad shot

That might be the only reason he is alive today. Kramer suffers from depression and bad luck and bad relationships. He had enough and took an SIG Sauer 9mm handgun and shot himself in the chin. The bullet went through his sinus cavities and out of the top of his head, ripping a hole in his tongue. The bullet mangled his face but it did not kill him.

 

Now Kramer wants to tell his story to bring awareness of suicide. It is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans. So he spilled his guts out to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press who pinned a disturbing but important paper that all should read.

 

Kramer spent nine months in two hospitals in California where he underwent multiple surgeries and rehabilitation. Now Kramer believes he is recovered and has gotten rid of the demons that plagued him. “I don’t want to tempt fate but at this point I feel very good,” Kramer said. “And so my hope is to just keep living life and keep contributing and keep all that going.”

 

Kramer should have been the Detroit Lions starting quarterback for many years. But he was the last man in the pecking order behind veteran Rodney Peete and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware, who was a hot shot prospect out of the University of Houston with a strong arm but little passing touch.

 

Kramer had no pedigree. He played junior college ball, went to North Carolina State and ended up in the Canadian Football League before signing as a free agent with the Detroit Lions in 1990. He got his big break in 1991 after Peete tore his Achilles tendon on a player nobody touched.

 

Kramer took advantage and led the Lions to their only playoff victory since winning the NFL Championship since 1957.

 

However, he felt unappreciated in Detroit and signed with the Chicago Bears where he was injured. Depression set in, but for a brief moment, you saw a glow on his face as he trotted off the field at Soldier Field after a satisfying victory over the Lions.

 

But all was not good inside.

 

“I think it was the fall from grace,” Kramer told the Free Press. “Coming in as the starter and the free agent and then getting hurt, feeling better after a few weeks like I could play, but then not getting the opportunity to. And I think that all played a part in it.”

 

This has little to do with the game of football. There were sad incidents in his personal life that made things difficult for him. His father Karl died of esophageal cancer and his son Griffin died of a heroin overdose in 2011.

 

Kramer got suicidal thoughts and reached out to friends, family, and doctors. He checked into the Eisenhower Center where another former Lions quarterback worked – Eric Hipple.

 

“When he came out, he was immobile,” Hipple told the Free Press. “He had a total lack of emotion. No joy, no feeling, just felt out of place completely and no energy, no appetite. So all the classic symptoms of clinical depression that go with him. My guess is he was probably riding that bench for quite a while and then, at the last moment not knowing, he just was stuck, so he made the phone call, and that’s when we went and got him.”

 

Birkett wrote: “Erick Kramer flew home last July, after a month long stay in Ann Arbor and almost immediately began planning his death.”

 

He crawled into bed one night and pulled the trigger.

 

“I would say there was emptiness,” Kramer said. “And I think, just all these people that have meant a great deal to me, all of a sudden were gone already or on their way out. So I think the loneliness that comes with that and, at the point of life I’m in now, all played a role. It’s too late to start over.”

MLB Pick - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs June 1, 2016

In the current four-game showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, pitching rules supreme. On Tuesday, it was the Dodgers’ turn to win via shutout and even up the series at one game apiece.

 

This was to be expected from two of the National League’s best ball clubs, but who will prevail with another victory in the third bout of the four-game set this Wednesday night? Let’s find out more about this stunning matchup from Wrigley Field below.

 

Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago

 

When:  Wednesday, June 1, 8:05 PM ET

 

Line: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs – view all MLB lines

 

TV Broadcast: ESPN, CSN

 

 

After being blanked by the Chicago Cubs on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers responded with a 5-0 shutout of their own this Tuesday to win the second game of a four-game series against the best team in the majors this season.

Los Angeles got a terrific outing from its starter Scott Kazmir, who pitched six innings of one-hit ball to go along with seven strikeouts. And with the victory, the team has now won five of the last seven contests against the Cubs, having allowed no more than two runs in each of those wins.

 

Shortstop Corey Seager continues to provide great numbers for the Dodgers. He went 3-for-5 on Tuesday with a three-run homer in the ninth inning to give him nine hits and five runs over the last five games. Slugger Adrian Gonzalez also knocked in two hits and an RBI that night, bringing him up to 10 hits over his last five outings.

 

With the offense seemingly back on the right track, the Dodgers need another solid effort from their pitchers this Wednesday. However, they may not get a good return from Wednesday’s probable starter, Mike Bolsinger (1-1, 4.50 ERA).

 

Even though Bolsinger is coming off eight days rest, his first couple of starts this season since coming back from a strained oblique injury in spring training were average to say the least. The 28-year-old righty has yet to reach six full innings of work per start, and has surrendered a home run in each of those two outings for a total of five runs allowed.
Betting on the Chicago Cubs (35-14)

 

It’s bad enough that the Chicago Cubs snapped a six-game winning streak given the recent loss to the Dodgers, and it hurts even more after the fact that they squandered a gem of an outing from their bona fide ace, Jake Arrieta.

 

The defending NL Cy Young Award-winner threw seven scoreless innings to go with eight K’s in Tuesday’s game, but Chicago’s bullpen did a terrible job of protecting Arietta’s great head start. In turn, the Cubs lost their first game this season with Arrieta as their starter.

 

Perhaps Chicago’s pitching unit can turn things around this Wednesday with Jon Lester (5-3, 2.48 ERA). Lester appeared to have found his groove back from his last start against the Phillies in May 27 wherein he gave up just six hits and two runs to go with seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.

 

However, the three-time All-Star’s 3.29 ERA from May is still a far cry from his superb form in April (1.83). The odds that Lester will lower his earned-run average this Wednesday is quite bleak, though, as he’s just 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers.

 

Then again, the Cubs just need to get their high-octane offense going again and brush Tuesday’s shutout aside. Luckily for them, this series against the Dodgers is still being held in the Windy City, where they have won six of their last eight contests with an average of six runs scored.

 

Look for centerfielder Dexter Fowler to stay hot and get his team going again from the lead-off spot tomorrow evening. Fowler owns a seven-game hit streak entering the contest to go with four runs and three runs batted-in.

 

Chicago’s offense comes back to life as the Cubs win. Create a betting account now to cash in from all the exciting Major League Baseball regular-season action in an instant.