Major League Baseball Pick - July 20, 2007
3-0 yesterday. We've been on fire since the All-Star break hitting 67% (14-7) for +14.9 units over the last week!
Three plays today including two four-unit selections.
Today, our own handicapper Mr. East has penned an article about the future of the New York Yankees' baseball empire. Check it out below!
Today's MLB Baseball Picks:
Game: Arizona at Chicago Cubs (2:20 PM Eastern)
Pick: 4 units on Chicago Cubs +110 (risk 4 to win 4.4)
The Cubs continue to do it for us. They won for us again yesterday and we'll back them today as well. They've won six of their past seven and 18 of 23. Arizona has lost four of five and 12 of 16. Despite these streaks, we get the better hot team as a home dog here. Hallelujah! Sure, Jason Marquis has struggled of late, posting a 7.47 ERA over his last three starts. But, his team is 2-1 in those starts! And, he's 4-2 overall at home this season with a 3.90 ERA. Don't get too carried away with his recent perfomance. Brandon Webb, while solid this year has also been off of late (13 runs allowed in 18.7 innings in his last three starts). The big difference is that Marquis will get run support and Webb will not. Chicago gets 5.0 per game at home and 5.2 per game vs. righties. Right now this team is averaging 7 runs per game over their last seven games. Arizona averages just 3.9 per game on the road and vs. RHP. Their offense is slumping, if that's possible, posting 3.4 per game over their last seven. To get a much hotter team, with a much beter offense as a home dog is a gift that doesn't come along often. Take this gift!
Game: Seattle at Toronto (7:00 PM Eastern)Pick: 4 units on Seattle +100 (risk 4 to win 4)
Hot team, hot pitcher... even odds? We'll take it! The Mariners have played as well as any team in the majors for what amounts to a third of a season. They have played close to .680 baseball going 34-18. There are two reasons for this performance. The new Jeff Weaver and tonight's pitcher Miguel Batista. Batista was carrying a seven ERA through mid-May, and then the turnaround. He has been lights out since. He has pitched to a 2.96 ERA since, with the Mariners winning 67% of those starts. The Jays offense has produced just 12 runs in their last five games. The Jays are night and day when the pitcher throws from the right side opposed to the left. The Jays feature 10 players hitting .286+ against LHP and seven over .300. They are awful against RHP. They feature 0 players .286+! That is amazing and deserves a repeat: 10 over .286 against LHP and 0 against RHP! It is no wonder they play .607 baseball vs. southpaws, and .432 against righties. The difference? They are a playoff team against LHP, and a basement team against RHP! Mariners get the call here.
Game: Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota (8:10 PM Eastern)Pick: 3 units on Los Angeles Angels -125 (risk 3 to win 2.4)
We don't like making a habit of taking road favorites but here is one worth taking. Neither of these teams is hot. LA lost three straight before winning last night over Tama Bay. Minnesota is off a sweep at home at the hands of the Tigers. But LA matches up well here. They have won 12 of the last 19 between these two clubs. And, they have John Lackey going. Lackey has been nothing short of amazing in 2007. He's 12-5 overall and 7-2 on the road. He's been very consistent (2.98 ERA overall, 2.39 on the road and 2.95 over his last three starts). He's going very deep into games too. That can't be said of Carlos Silva. He's got a 4.55 ERA and has been tagged lately. He's off a good showing against Oakland but his two prior starts resulted in being yanked after the 5th inning after allowing six runs in each start. The Angels are a winning road team with a record on the road nearly as good as Minnesota's at home. LA is 45-21 as a favorite this year and Lackey is 9-1 the past two seasons on the road when working on 5+ days of rest.
Results: 2-1
MLB Baseball Picks Resources:
Check out the last five MLB Baseball Picks Newsletters:
MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-19-2007
Detroit has won nine of eleven games and sends the red-hot Jeremy Bonderman to the mound for the sweep of Minnesota. Bonderman is 10-1 this season and a perfect 5-0 on the road. He's got a 3.50 ER...
MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-18-2007
What can you say about Aaron Harang? He pitches on a bad team, yet when he toes the rubber, the Reds are 15-5! They are 24-50 in all other games. The Reds have won 10 of his last 12 road starts and no...
MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-17-2007
Arizona is ice cold right now having lost seven of their last nine. Milwaukee has won three in a row. Both pitchers are suspect. Yusmeiro Petit has only thrown 17 innings. Claudio Vargas has been pret...
MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-16-2007
Wow. The Cubs are rolling. They swept Houston, putting up 22 runs in the three game series. They have won 15 of 19 and own a 25-12 record since early June and they've won five of their last six se...
MLB-Baseball-Picks-July-15-2007
Jose Contreras was 9-0 to start the season last year. He has since been 9-19. The wheels have come off. He opened the season pitching fairly well, as he started 4-4, 3.71. He has gone down hill since....
