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.