Sports Handicapping Free Mlb Picks - July 09, 2008

Took a loss yesterday as we hit only one game. Four picks today.

Today's MLB Baseball Picks:

Game: Cleveland at Detroit (7:05 PM Eastern)
Pick: 3 units on Game Total UNDER 10 -110 (risk 3 to win 2.7)

What a difference a year makes, as the Indians were riding high last year all the way into October. Flash forward one year and here we are before the All-Star break and C.C. Sabathia has already been dealt. The futility has now reached nine straight losses. This team has produced three runs or less in 44 games on the season, but they have also held opponents to three or less 38 times, recording nine shutouts. The Tigers are finally playing winning baseball having gone 20-7 in their last 27 games. The pitching has led to them playing to the UNDER in 59.2% of those games. Couple that with the way the Indians are under-producing and we like the UNDER here.

Brian Bannister gave the Royals a big lift last year finishing 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA on a bad team. This season he looked even more impressive to start as he held a 0.86 ERA through his first three starts and then the bottom fell out. Bannister has pitched to a 6.18 ERA since, and has allowed five or more earned runs in over half his starts since then. Consequently, the Royals have been 5-10 in those 15 starts. Javier Vasquez has pitched rather consistently all year having allowed six hits or less in 10 of his 18 starts. The White Sox have been on a tear, winners of 10 of their last 12. We like the matchup in this one to ride the Chi-Sox on the road in Kansas City. The Royals are averaging 4.1 runs per game (3.9 against RHP and 3.6 against division foes). The Sox are 41-25 UNDER dating back to last season on the road vs. losing teams. This season they are 23-10 UNDER on the road when the line is -125 to +125 and 11-2 UNDER on the road over teams that average under 0.8 home runs per game. So we also play on the UNDER here.

The Atlanta Braves have been a horrible road team all season as they stand at 13-30. Tim Hudson is certainly an All-Star caliber pitcher, but he has followed the Braves lack of success on the road with his own. While he has been great at home pitching the Braves to a 7-2 record he has struggled mightily on the road with the Braves going just 2-8 in his 10 road starts. Believe it or not, as bad as the Braves have been on the road they have been even worse with Hudson on the mound. Derek Lowe actually has a better career ERA against the Braves than Hudson does against the Dodgers, so we will play the Dodgers in this one.

Results: 2-2

MLB Baseball Picks Resources:

• Don't forget to read our mlb blog here.
• Don't forget to visit our MLB Baseball odds.
• Here we show our mlb against-the-spread records.
• Don't forget to visit our 2008 MLB baseball picks.
• Don't forget to visit our 2008 baseball gambling preivew.
• View our updated baseball gambling philosophy.
• View our updated mlb pick.
• View our mlb sports book here.
• View our MLB Baseball Game Analysis here.
• Take a look at our baseball prior predictions here.

Check out the last five MLB Baseball Picks Newsletters:

MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-08-2008
This is a St. Louis team that has been a lot more competitive than most thought at the beginning of the year. They are 10 games over .500 and their road play has been superb of late as they are 15-9 o...

MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-07-2008
This line is held down by the fact that the Rockies have won five of six. The problem is that all of those games were at home where the Rox have been a better than good team in their last 21...

MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-06-2008
Minnesota is red hot while Cleveland is ice cold. The Twins have won 17 of their last 20 while the Indians have lost 13 of 17. What's interesting is that Minnesota has been winning with offense (n...

MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-05-2008
Where has the offense gone for this Yankees' team? The bullpen has been solid, but the offense has led this team to a startling 32-52-2 mark to the UNDER. This offense has been held to three runs ...

MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-04-2008
What has happened to Tom Gorzelanny? His ERA is well into the 6's. He has been closer to his true self lately, as his last six starts have seen him allow no more than four runs. After a quick star...