The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday May 20th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (21-17) at Padres (20-20)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 20, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Tyson Ross has been one of baseball's best strikeout artists this year, though it's come with a price - lots of walks.

It could be feast or famine Wednesday night for the San Diego Padres starter against the visiting Chicago Cubs, who also do a lot of both.

Ross (2-3, 3.94 ERA) earned his first victory in six starts Thursday, giving up two runs while striking out six over five-plus innings in an 8-3 win versus Washington. Both his victories have come at Petco Park, though he owns a 5.06 ERA in three outings there compared to a 3.34 mark in five road games.

The right-hander averages 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, tied for the sixth-best rate in baseball, but his 5.1 walks per nine are the most in the NL.

Ross is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in three matchups with the Cubs. At Wrigley Field on April 18, he gave up three runs, including a solo shot to Miguel Montero, and walked five while matching a season high with nine strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings in a 7-6, 11-inning loss.

Chicago (21-17) ranks second with 10.5 plate appearances per walk, but its 377 strikeouts are also more than any other club.

The Cubs struck out 14 times, including 11 against James Shields, in Tuesday's 4-3 loss, their second straight defeat following six consecutive victories. They walked once after drawing 19 the past three games.

San Diego (20-20), which had lost three in a row, went ahead on Derek Norris' two-run double in the eighth. Shields helped stabilize a rotation that had given up 16 earned runs during the losing streak.

'We really made an emphasis during our meetings today to get that edge back and it's something that we really pride ourselves on, being a gritty team that's never out of it until the last out is recorded,' he said.

'It was a great comeback. The pitching is what kept us in tonight.'

The Padres placed Wil Myers on the disabled list, retroactive to May 11, because of tendinitis in his left wrist. Myers tried to take some cage swings Tuesday but still experienced pain. He has missed the last seven games.

He's hitting .291 and ranks second on the club with five home runs.

Tsuyoshi Wada is making his season debut after sitting out due to a strained groin. He went 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA in six rehab starts for Triple-A Iowa.

"Typically, he's not the hard thrower, but he has great action on his fastball," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "He's throwing the ball extremely well. He feels great."

Wada went 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA in 13 starts as a rookie last season, and the Padres handed him his first loss in his second outing. The left-hander gave up season highs of five runs and four walks over four-plus innings in an 8-3 loss July 23.

Chris Coghlan homered twice Tuesday for Chicago, which has dropped eight of 12 on the road and nine of 12 in San Diego. Kris Bryant, who played at the University of San Diego, singled to extend his hitting streak to eight games.

The Cubs shipped catcher Welington Castillo to Seattle on Tuesday in exchange for reliever Yoervis Medina, who was sent to Triple-A Iowa.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Padres
Tue, May 19 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Padres
Wed, May 20 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Padres
Thu, May 21 - 9:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (24-14) at Giants (21-18)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 20, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

Outstanding pitching has been key to the San Francisco Giants' recent home success, especially against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tim Lincecum should be looking forward to a return to AT&T Park as he tries to help the Giants to their longest home winning streak over the Dodgers in 12 years Wednesday night.

San Francisco (21-18) has won 11 of 14 at home behind a rotation that's posted a 2.37 ERA after it compiled a 4.46 mark while the Giants dropped six of their first seven games there.

The starters aren't the only ones dominating the Dodgers (24-14), as the staff owns a 1.46 ERA while winning all four home matchups this year. Tim Hudson and four relievers combined on a seven-hitter in Tuesday's 2-0 victory in the opener of this three-game set.

San Francisco last won five straight at home against Los Angeles from April 10-June 24, 2003.

Lincecum (3-2, 2.43 ERA) is trying to win a fourth consecutive home start for the first time since 2009. He's yielded one run in 20 innings - none in the last 15 - in his last three outings there, including a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers on April 21. The right-hander allowed one run in six innings to improve to 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 13 career home starts against them.

Lincecum wasn't nearly that sharp at Los Angeles on April 27, giving up four runs and eight hits with three walks in four innings of an 8-3 loss. He struggled again on the road Thursday, surrendering three runs and walking a season-high five over 4 2-3 innings before escaping without a decision in a 4-3 loss to Cincinnati.

"Too many wasted pitches," Lincecum told MLB's official website. "I wasn't attacking the zone the way I wanted. I was lucky to get out of there with what I did."

Buster Posey has a .341 average during an 11-game hitting streak, matching Joe Panik's team high from earlier this month. The catcher has at least one hit in each of the seven season meetings with the Dodgers, going 9 for 26 (.346) with an RBI single Tuesday.

Los Angeles has totaled 13 hits and been outscored 9-2 while losing two of three.

Adrian Gonzalez is 4 for 28 in the last eight at San Francisco after going 11 for 26 in his previous seven games there. He's 6 for 12 against Lincecum over the past two seasons, while Jimmy Rollins is 2 for 17 with six strikeouts in the last four - 0 for 5 this year.

Rollins had a single Tuesday, snapping his 0-for-20 slump at San Francisco.

Brett Anderson (2-1, 3.50) will try to reverse his fortunes against the Giants after going 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA in five career starts. The left-hander opposed Lincecum in back-to-back starts in April and was roughed up for seven runs and 14 hits in 8 2-3 innings.

Anderson, though, has a 1.10 ERA over three starts since - winning his only decision. He yielded two runs and struck out a season-high eight in 5 1-3 innings Thursday, but Yimi Garcia blew the save by surrendering three runs in the ninth of a 5-4 defeat to Colorado.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Giants
Tue, May 19 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 2
Dodgers at Giants
Wed, May 20 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Giants
Thu, May 21 - 3:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (14-27) at Astros (26-14)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 20, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Even when Dallas Keuchel is not at his best, the Houston Astros keep finding ways to win for their ace.

As the Astros try to continue that trend, the left-hander looks to extend his undefeated run to 14 games in Wednesday's decisive finale against the visiting Oakland Athletics.

Keuchel (5-0, 1.87 ERA) allowed four runs over 45 innings in his first six starts, then four and eight hits in each of his last two while lasting 12 2-3 innings. He managed to get the win in both, however. Houston (26-14) is 12-1 while he's gone 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA since losing at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21.

'His first six starts, he dominated," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. 'It's hard to keep that pace up. I think it speaks more about the domination that he had at the beginning of the season and less about the struggles or anything like that.'

The first Houston starter to go 5-0 since Roger Clemens won his first nine decisions in 2004, Keuchel remains confident but slightly frustrated after those last two performances.

'I can't keep having self-inflicted wounds," he said. 'I can't keep putting myself in those situations and keep expecting to get out of them. That's not the way this game is meant to go. I think the law of averages is catching up to me, and I've got to do a better job of keeping my foot on the gas.'

Keuchel hasn't let up much while the Astros have won his last five versus Oakland (14-27), and he is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in the last four. He gave up two hits over nine scoreless innings of a 5-4, 11-inning victory over the A's on April 24.

After Houston's five-game winning streak ended with Monday's 2-1 loss, it bounced back for a 6-4 victory one night later. Colby Rasmus, Chris Carter and Jason Castro each homered for the Astros, who have the AL's best record and are 17-0 when hitting at least two of their major league-leading 60 home runs.

'I hope we do it for four more months,' Hinch said.

Brett Lawrie had three hits for Oakland, which has dropped 11 of 13.

The A's are 1-6 in games started by Jesse Hahn (1-3, 4.42), who has an 8.71 ERA while losing his last two road outings. His most recent start came at home Friday when he gave up four runs - two earned - over 6 1-3 innings of a 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

This will the right-hander's his first appearance against the Astros.

Rasmus is 6 for 15 with three RBIs in his last four games versus Oakland.

The A's could be without center fielder Coco Crisp, who left Tuesday's game after the top of the fourth with neck tightness. Crisp, who dealt with a neck problem last May, is 2 for 45 since debuting May 6 after recovering from elbow surgery.

"Similar to last year," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said, "but to what degree, we're not sure."

Rookie Billy Burns, who replaced Crisp on Tuesday, had two hits and is 10 for 23 in his last six contests.

Lawrie is 0 for 12 versus Keuchel.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Astros
Mon, May 18 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Athletics at Astros
Tue, May 19 Final 4 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Astros
Wed, May 20 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet

May 20, 2015


Trending Up

Los Angeles Angels

Just like when they started a little slow last year, it was only a matter of time before the Angels got it going, and that appears to be the case at this point in time. After surprisingly starting 12-15, Los Angeles became the second team in the AL West to finally ascend above the .500 barrier, with nine wins in their past 13 games. Their pitching has been a big reason for that, yielding three runs or less in ten of those 13 contests, making them a great consistent unders play over the past couple of weeks. Interestingly, it looks like their offense hasn’t even collectively hit their stride yet, entering Wednesday with the third-lowest team batting average in the game (.234), so when they inevitably improve upon that mark, look out. The Angels could be on the verge of a monumental run comparable to last year’s extensive streak, and might be a good team to tail as we progress through the next few weeks. They’re +110 road ‘dogs tonight in Toronto with ace Jered Weaver on the hill, opposing fellow Opening Day starter Drew Hutchison.

Trending Down

Miami Marlins

This choice really isn’t surprising, given that the Marlins have continued to struggle even after the firing of manager Mike Redmond. Usually, when you endure a midseason dismissal of your skipper, there’s some sort of improvement right away (see: Brewers), but that hasn’t been the case so far, with Miami dropping both games against Arizona under new manager Dan Jennings, who also happens to be their GM. Overall, the Marlins have dropped five in a row and eight of their past nine, and combined with Philadelphia’s recent surge, they’ve sunk into last place in the NL East. At least they’ve been a pretty consistent team in regards to over/under bets, producing a 23-15-2 record towards overs, including a 14-5-1 mark at home. They’re at Marlins Park tonight as their series with the Diamondbacks continues.


Cincinnati Reds

With a four-game losing streak and seven losses in their past ten games, the Reds suddenly find themselves in a bit of trouble, being only 3.5 games separated from last-place Milwaukee in the division. Mainly, you can look at their starting pitching as the big reason for their recent funk, having allowed a whopping 33 runs over the past four games. In fact, their starting rotation has surrendered the third-most home runs as a group with 36 long balls, so this might be something that becomes closer to the norm. You might not want to count them out for long, though, as their offense has been overachieving, recording the most stolen bases in baseball as a team, and are in the top five in home runs as well. With numerous impact players in their lineup, the Reds’ lineup should have them back on track sooner than later, but they’re going to need more consistency from the pitching staff outside of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake if they want to get back into first.

Hitter to Watch

Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers

There’s no doubt that even after a down year in 2014, Ryan Braun has to still be considered amongst baseball’s uppermost elite hitters. Even so, the fact remains there were whispers about a potential decline coming into the season, but the face of the Brewers franchise has done his best to bring that conversation to an end. He’s especially heating up as of late, with three home runs, nine runs batted in, and a stolen base over his last six games, while hitting .318/.333/.773 during that span. For the year, he’s got 9 HRs and 27 RBIs, helping Milwaukee resurface from its horrid start that resulted in the firing of manager Ron Roenicke. The Brewers are playing much better baseball right now, with Braun playing a big role in that, and have a chance at a potentially shocking three-game sweep of the Tigers in Detroit. They’re +130 road ‘dogs in the series finale, with Kyle Lohse taking on Shane Greene.

Pitchers to Watch

Tsuyoshi Wada - Chicago Cubs

Yes, this seems like a pretty unorthodox pick for a “Pitcher to Watch” but it’s certainly justified. Tsuyoshi Wada is making his season debut tonight against the Padres in San Diego (as a +125 road ‘dog), after coming up to the big leagues for the first time in 2014 as a 33-year-old rookie. This is very intriguing to me, not just because he was one of my top sleeper picks coming into the campaign, but I also feel he can be an underrated piece for the Cubs as they continue to make their postseason push. As a rookie last season, he was 4-4 in 13 starts with a 3.25 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, while registering a modest 57/19 K/BB ratio in 69.2 innings. The left-hander maintained a fine 2.86 ERA in six starts at Triple-A this year, and probably would have cracked the Cubs’ Opening Day roster in camp had he not been sidelined by a groin injury. His big-game experience in Japan, pitching for the national team in the Olympics and World Baseball Classic, could serve to suit him well and help prevent any jitters he might have in trying to stick in Chicago’s pitching rotation. He could be a very profitable starting pitcher as the season rolls along, and offers fine value in his first outing this evening.

Jason Marquis - Cincinnati Reds

Generally I reserve this portion of Wednesday’s weekly analysis to cover a pitcher who is trending upwards, but I’ll throw in an extra one this week from the opposite end of the spectrum who commands your attention, considering his next start is tonight. Of course, I’m referring to veteran Jason Marquis, who has been an absolute overs machine, registering a 6-1 record for over bets in his seven starts. Comically, in the one under he did take part in this year thus far, it was in no thanks to him, as he lasted only four innings and surrendered four runs. Marquis’ next assignment is this evening on the road against a hard-hitting Royals lineup that ranks amongst the best in baseball in most major offensive categories, so if you’re a fan of trends, you might want to start riding this one. Furthermore, his opponent tonight is Jeremy Guthrie, who isn’t an overpowering pitcher. Marquis looks poised to extend his overs run at least one more start.

[StarDust Bum]

Yanks' Ellsbury heads to DL w/knee injury

May 19, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is heading to the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right knee after getting injured Tuesday night during an 8-6, 10-inning loss to the Washington Nationals.

The Yankees said that outfielder Slade Heathcott would be called up from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Heathcott will be selected to the 40-man roster, requiring another move to make room there.

Ellsbury, New York's leadoff hitter, left Tuesday's game in the fourth inning after manager Joe Girardi noticed the player seemed hurt while batting.

Ellsbury walked in that inning, then moved to second on a groundout. That's when Girardi and a team trainer went out to visit him. But Ellbury stayed in, wound up scoring, then left before the bottom of the inning.

''I went out and talked to him and said, `Are you in a lot of pain?' And he said, `No, not really.' And then I said, `Can you run?' And he said, `Let me see. Let me get through this inning and let me see.' And when he got in the dugout,'' Girardi recounted, ''we just said, `That's it.'''

Ellsbury entered the game with a team-leading .327 batting average.

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Tigers place Victor Martinez on DL

May 19, 2015

DETROIT (AP) - Victor Martinez has been put on the 15-day disabled list by the Detroit Tigers after struggling in his return from offseason knee surgery.

The Tigers announced the move Tuesday. They recalled outfielder Tyler Collins from Triple-A Toledo.

The team says Martinez is dealing with left knee inflammation. He had surgery on that knee in February after tearing the medial meniscus.

The 36-year-old Martinez is hitting .216 with only one home run in 2015. The switch-hitter is 12 for 26 against left-handers and 12 for 85 against righties.

Detroit has four outfielders who have been in the starting lineup for at least 14 games: Yoenis Cespedes, Anthony Gose, J.D. Martinez and Rajai Davis. Now they all might play regularly, since Martinez's designated hitter spot is open.
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Nationals put OF Werth on disabled list

May 19, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth has been put on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left wrist after getting hit by a pitch.

Washington also recalled infielder Wilmer Difo from Double-A Harrisburg.

The Nationals announced the moves before Tuesday night's game against the New York Yankees

Werth was hit on the wrist Friday against the San Diego Padres. His second stint on the DL this season is retroactive to Saturday.

Difo is considered one of the Nationals' top prospects and recently was promoted to Harrisburg, hitting .308 in 52 at_bats.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Wednesday

May 20, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Reds are 14-0 since August 22, 2008 on the road when their starter went less than four innings in his last start after a loss for a net profit of $1705.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

When Tim Lincecum starts the Giants are 9-0 since July 14, 2012 when he worked between 3.67 and 4.67 innings last start less than seven days ago for a net profit of $933 when playing on.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

The Royals are 13-1 (+$1185) since April 19, 2014 as a home favorite in the second or third game of the series when they are off a win in which they never trailed.

CHOICE TREND:

The Nationals are 0-7 since April 17, 2014 at home after a win that was tied after six innings for a net profit of $1001 when playing against.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

The Mariners are 2-12 since August 30, 2014 when they are off a loss in which they held the lead for a net profit of $1095 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Six times I saw my dad when he was the happiest.......

-- May 1970, Knicks over the Lakers in Game 7 to win the NBA title. He loved the Knicks with Frazier-DeBusschere-Reed-Bradley.

-- Not sure of the year, but he was a $2 bettor at the racetrack-- horse named Old Vic won and he hit a $131 exacta-- he talked about that for the next ten years. .

-- December 2003-- He won an NFL pool at the bank he went to. First place, decent amount of money. He was very happy.

-- Whenever he was working at Town of Colonie golf course; he worked there after he retired from NY State. He loved his friends he worked with there.

-- 1986, Mets over Red Sox in World Series. My dad was a Brooklyn Dodger fan, but he became a huge Met fan. Daniel Murphy was his favorite current Met.

-- 1981-- Chargers beat the Oilers in the Astrodome; Dan Fouts kept throwing TD passes. That was last game on my dad's football ticket that week-- he saw Fouts on TV last year and still remembered that Fouts won him his football ticket that day.

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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: RIP Dad, thanks for everything..........

Its hard to write this; my best friend died last night.

Bernie Fischer was a great dad, a better friend, the best person I ever met. He passed away last night at age 89. I will miss him greatly.

He was born in Queens but lived in Albany since the mid-50's, when he met my mother. My dad grew up a huge Brooklyn Dodger fan-- his favorite player was an OF named Pete Reiser who always got hurt running into walls.

My dad loved the Mets, Knicks, Giants, Rangers; he loved to golf, probably because its sense of honor appealed to an honest man. He was someone who didn't have great professional success because he wasn't a weasel like a lot of people who "get ahead".

You hear stories about moms who threaten her kids with "Just wait until your father gets home!!!" Hell, we couldn't wait until he got home-- things always got a lot better once he walked in the house. He was a joy to be around, just a nice person who like to smile and have fun.

I wasn't allowed to watch the Three Stooges as a kid, but if my mother went out I would put it on; my dad would walk in, shake his head; within five minutes, he was laughing harder than I was. He'd say how stupid it was, then walk out of the room laughing his head off.

Dad was a very good shortstop as a kid; I sucked at baseball, but he always tried to help me and the one year he coached me was the year I was actually pretty good, even made the All-Star team. My proudest moment was getting a double in the All-Star Game and seeing him cheering wildly behind home plate.

I was the student manager of our basketball team in college; he went to the games with his friend Joe and would stop by practices to bring me home. My friends on the team always went up to talk to him and greet him during drink breaks-- the coaches too. I'll be forever indebted to them for that.

He was a patient man who never busted my balls when I showed up for my driver's test without the piece of paper you needed to take the test, or when my orthodontist yelled at me because my braces broke, or when I got divorced.

He was a great husband; he loved going to Florida for a couple months every winter after he retired. He became a pretty good golfer, even though he didn't hit the ball real far. He always hit it straight and he could putt fairly well.

The last few years, Dad liked going to Cliff's restaurant on Saratoga Lake with his friend Fran; it was a bad omen when Cliff's closed for good in January. He went there every Thursday for many years.

He was a religious man who was an example of how to live a good life; he was not a guy who wore his religion on his sleeve, but he was nice to everyone and if you didn't like him, it said more about you than about him.

As sad as today is, he is with his parents, his brother and my mother today; he is telling St Peter how the Mets need a shortstop. Seriously, he probably is.

Like I said before, my dad is the best person I've ever met; even though he is gone now, its hard to believe he'll ever be very far away.

RIP Dad, thanks for everything. I love you.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 20


National League
Cardinals @ Mets
Martinez is 0-2, 10.29 in his last three starts, all of which went over.

Colon is 2-2, 5.33 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Mets won four of last seven games with St Louis; under is 9-1-1 in last 11 games in series. Mets won three of last four games- they're 16-5 at home. Under is 7-4-2 in their last 13 games. Cardinals lost six of last ten games- five of their last seven games stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Marlins
Anderson is 0-0, 0.98 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went under.

Phelps is 2-0, 2.30 in his last five starts, four of which went over.

Miami lost eight of last nine games; their last three stayed under; they are 4-6 in last ten games with Arizona-- six of last eight series games stayed under. Arizona won its last two games; four of its last five stayed under.

Phillies @ Rockies
Gonzalez is 1-1, 10.57 in his two starts- they both went over.

Butler is 0-3, 8.25 in his last three starts.

Colorado lost 14 of its last 17 games, with four of last five going over; they lost four of last six games with Philly- five of six went over total. Phillies won six of their last seven games, with five of those staying under the total.

Cubs @ Padres
Wada is making first '15 start; he was 0-3, 5.32 in his last five starts LY; under is 5-3 in his last eight starts.

Ross is 1-1, 3.00 in his last three starts; seven of his last nine went over.

Cubs lost five of last six games with San Diego (over 5-0-1); Chicago won six of its last eight games- under is 5-3-1 in his last nine. Padres lost three of last four games, outscored 27-10; four of their last five games went over.

Dodgers @ Giants
Anderson is 1-0, 1.65 in his last three starts. .

Lincecum is 2-0, 1.45 in his last three starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Home side won eight of last nine Dodger-Giant games; LA lost last four in this park. Dodgers are 2-4 in last six games, but 6-4 in last ten road games. Giants won last four games, scoring 32 runs; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven.

American League
Angels @ Blue Jays
Weaver is 2-0, 0.55 in his last two starts; his last three stayed under.

Hutchison is 1-0, 2.45 in his last two starts; five of his last six went over.

Angels won nine of last 13 games; ten of their last 12 stayed under the total. Halos won nine of last 12 games with Toronto. Blue Jays lost eight of last 10 games; five of their last eight went over.

Mariners @ Orioles
Elias is 0-1, 3.26 in his last three starts; his last four stayed under.

Chen is 1-1, 2.25 in his last four starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Seattle lost six of last eight games with Baltimore; seven of last nine series games stayed under. Mariners lost seven of last eight road games; five of their last six games overall stayed under the total. Orioles are 5-6 in last 11 games; four of their last five games stayed under.

Rangers @ Red Sox
Klein is making first MLB start; he has 3.80 RA in 23.2 big league IP. Klein was 1-0, 1.69 in six AAA games this year, but only two starts.

Kelly is 0-2, 7.16 in his last five starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Boston won six of their last eight games with Texas; they're 6-3 in last nine games overall, with last six games staying under total. Red Sox lost five of their last seven home games. Rangers lost four of last five games.

A's @ Astros
Hahn is 0-2, 7.89 in his last four starts, all of which went over.

Keuchel is 7-0, 1.74 in his last ten starts; four of his last five went over.

Houston won six of last seven games, scoring 35 runs; they won last five of last six games with Oakland- four of last five went over total. A's lost ten of last 12 games; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven.

Indians @ White Sox
Marcum is making first '15 start; he's made 161 MLB starts, but last one was in 2013 for the Mets- he is 4-0, 1.36 in five AAA starts this season.

Rodon is 1-0, 6.30 in his first two MLB starts, both of which went over; Sox scored 15 runs in thos two games.

White Sox won eight of last ten games, with seven of last eight staying under total. Chicago won three of last five games with Cleveland; last dozen series games stayed under total. Indians are 5-6 in last 11 games; five of their last seven games stayed under.

Interleague
Bronx @ Nationals
Warren is 1-1, 4.67 in his last three starts; six of his last eight went over.

Zimmerman is 1-0, 2.37 in his last three starts; his last four went over.

Nationals lost three of last four games with Bronx; three of last four in series went over the total. Washington won ten of last 12 games (over 11-1). Bronx lost six of last seven games, with five of seven staying under the total.

Twins @ Pirates
Pelfrey is 3-1, 3.41 in his last five starts; his last three went over.

Locke is 0-2, 7.62 in his last five starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight.

Minnesota won seven of last ten games with Pittsburgh; six of last eight in series went over. Twins are 4-4 in last eight games; seven of their last ten went over. Pirates lost five of last six; six of their last nine stayed under.

Brewers @ Tigers
Lohse is 2-0, 2.77 in his last two starts; over is 4-2-2 in his last eight.

Greene is 1-0, 0.69 in his last two starts; four of his last six went over.

Milwaukee is 6-4 in its last ten games; under is 4-2-1 in its last seven. Detroit lost its last three games, scoring four runs; seven of their last ten games stayed under the total. Teams are meeting this week for first time since 2009; Brewers are 4-3 in last seven series games, with four of last six went over.

Rays @ Braves
Odorizzi is 1-1, 2.29 in his last three starts; his last five stayed under.

Perez is making first MLB start; he was 2-0, 1.33 in five AAA starts.

Rays lost four of last six games with Atlanta; eight of last 11 series games stayed under. Tampa Bay won five of last seven games; its last three games went over the total. Braves won three of last four games, allowing 11 runs; three of their last four games went over.

Reds @ Royals
Marquis is 1-2, 8.40 in his last three starts; his last five went over.

Guthrie is 2-0, 2.92 in his last two starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Cincinnati lost six of last seven games with Kansas City; four of last six went over total. Reds lost last four games, allowing 33 runs; three of their last four games went over. Royals won four of last five games; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Mia-- Anderson 1-6; Phelps 3-3
StL-NY-- Martinez 5-2; Colon 6-2
Phil-Colo-- Gonzalez 1-1; Butler 3-4
Chi-SD-- Wada 0-0; Ross 4-4
LA-SF-- Anderson 4-3; Lincecum 3-4

LAA-Tor-- Weaver 3-5; Hutchison 5-3
Sea-Balt-- Elias 0-4; Chen 4-3
Tex-Bos-- Klein 0-0; Kelly 4-3
A's-Hst-- Hahn 1-6; Keuchel 7-1
Clev-Chi-- Marcum 0-0; Rodon 2-0

NY-Wsh-- Warren 5-2; Zimmerman 5-3
Min-Pitt-- Pelfrey 5-2; Locke 4-3
Mil-Det-- Lohse 4-4; Greene 5-3
TB-Atl-- Odorizzi 4-4; Perez 0-0
Cin-KC-- Marquis 4-3; Guthrie 5-2

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Mia-- Anderson 3-7; Phelps 1-6
StL-NY-- Martinez 1-7; Colon 2-8
Phil-Colo-- Gonzalez 2-2; Butler 3-7
Chi-SD-- Wada 0-0; Ross 2-8
LA-SF-- Anderson 0-7; Lincecum 1-7

LAA-Tor-- Weaver 3-8; Hutchison 2-8
Sea-Balt-- Elias 2-4; Chen 2-7
Tex-Bos-- Klein 0-0; Kelly 4-7
A's-Hst-- Hahn 3-7; Keuchel 2-8
Clev-Chi-- Marcum 0-0; Rodon 0-2

NY-Wsh-- Warren 2-7; Zimmerman 3-8
Min-Pitt-- Pelfrey 1-7; Locke 1-7
Mil-Det-- Lohse 4-8; Greene 2-8
TB-Atl-- Odorizzi 1-8; Perez 0-0
Cin-KC-- Marquis 3-7; Guthrie 2-7

Umpires
Az-Phil-- Five of six Dreckman games went over.
StL-NY-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Eddings games.
Phil-Col-- Underdogs won four of last five Davidson games.
Chi-SD-- Favorites won all five Nauert games.
LA-SF-- Four of last five Hernandez games went over.

LA-Tor-- Over is 4-0-1 in Schrieber games this year
A's-Hst-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Meals games.
Sea-Balt-- Four of last six Hirschbeck games stayed under.
Tex-Bos-- Underdogs are 4-4 in Winters games this year.
Cle-Chi-- Six of seven Scott games went over the total.

Min-Pitt-- Three of last four Kellogg games stayed under.
NY-Wsh-- Three of last four Hudson games stayed under.
Mil-Det-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Gorman games.
TB-Atl-- Underdogs are 12-9 in last 21 Hoberg games.
Cin-KC-- Five of last six West games went over total.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, May 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing Houston
Oakland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Oakland
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Minnesota is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. WASHINGTON
NY Yankees are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
NY Yankees are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 9 games when playing at home against Seattle
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle

7:07 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Toronto's last 20 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

7:08 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. NY METS
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of NY Mets's last 11 games when playing St. Louis
NY Mets are 18-5 SU in its last 23 games at home

7:10 PM
TEXAS vs. BOSTON
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Texas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games at home
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing Miami
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Arizona

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. ATLANTA
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Tampa Bay's last 23 games
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 11 games when playing Tampa Bay

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Cleveland's last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Chi White Sox are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Cleveland

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. KANSAS CITY
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Kansas City's last 13 games when playing Cincinnati

8:40 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Philadelphia's last 24 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Colorado's last 24 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games

10:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN DIEGO
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing San Diego
Chi Cubs are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
San Diego is 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

10:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 12-6 SU in their last 18 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
San Francisco is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, May 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A perfect example of why you should be handicapping MLB umpires
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill Welke leads all MLB umpires with an 8-1 Over/Under record when behind home plate this season.

On May 1 of this year, Carlos Carrasco of the Cleveland Indians and Mark Buehrle of the Toronto Blue Jays took the bump for their respective clubs in an American League showdown that pitted one of the game’s up-and-coming talents against one of Major League Baseball’s most accomplished lefties.

But when the dust had settled at Progressive Field in Cleveland on that chilly Friday evening, the 28-year-old, newly-minted Carrasco and the 36-year-old Buehrle had combined to surrender an astounding 12 earned runs through 10 1-3 innings pitched in a shootout that saw Cleveland top Toronto by the score of 9-4.

On the surface, many would simply discredit this May 1 outing as a night in which neither starting pitcher brought his best stuff to the rubber. But as a gambler, looking to gain an edge over the house in any way imaginable, we can’t afford to take this nearsighted approach. Everything that happens in professional sports happens for a reason. Sometimes you just have to sift through the wreckage in order to discover the red flag.

In this particular instance, that red flag comes in the form of 17-year-veteran MLB umpire Bill Welke, who was behind the plate in Cleveland on May 1. Casual bettors get so caught up in pitching matchups and, to some degree, situational analysis, that they can easily lose track of one of the most important aspects of baseball wagering: Knowing the man behind the plate tasked with calling balls and strikes.

Why is a keen understanding of the man in the mask so integral to baseball wagering? Look no further than our above example for a textbook lesson in how different umpires can dictate the flow of the games in which they are assigned.

As of this past Sunday evening, Welke had assumed his position behind the dish nine times in 2015, with a staggering eight of those encounters resulting in victories for the home team, just like it did for the Indians over the Jays on May 1. But even more specifically, Welke’s style of officiating lends itself well to high-scoring affairs, as those nine matchups umpired by the man in question have gone a highly lucrative 8-1 Over/Under.

How does an umpire influence the amount of runs a given team will score on any particular night? In the instance of Welke, it’s a smaller strike zone that greatly benefits hitters. With Welke calling balls and strikes on May 1, Carrasco finished the night with just 62.3 percent of his 101 pitches going for strikes - the worst percentage the right hander has posted all year in games in which he’s pitched at least 5.0 innings (six). In Buehrle’s case, the wily veteran had just 63.6 percent of his 80 pitches called as strikes, which is the lowest strike percentage of his last five starts.

More balls lead to more walks, more walks equate to more base runners and more base runners result in more runs scored. In the case of Welke, his nine games behind home plate this season have seen an average of 10.89 runs per game scored (fourth most of 87 MLB umpires) and 6.89 walks per contest issued (16th most), which means that bettors should be licking their chops to play the Over when the 47 year old steps behind home plate.

With a new-found respect regarding the importance of each and every umpire crew now under our belts, here are some of the key names to monitor over the coming weeks:

UMPIRE RECORDS FAVORING HOME TEAMS

Bill Welke: 8-1
Greg Gibson: 7-1
Mike Everitt: 7-1
Jordan Baker: 6-1
Larry Vanover: 6-1
Jim Reynolds: 6-1

UMPIRE RECORDS FAVORING ROAD TEAMS

Dale Scott: 6-1
Mike Muchlinski: 5-1
Bruce Dreckman: 5-1
Joe West: 6-2
C.B. Bucknor: 6-2

UMPIRE RECORDS FAVORING OVERS

Paul Schrieber: 5-0
Bill Welke: 8-1
C.B. Bucknor: 6-1
Dale Scott: 6-1
Brian Knight: 5-1

UMPIRE RECORDS FAVORING UNDERS

Mark Ripperger: 6-0
Vic Carapazza: 5-1
Mike Estabrook: 4-1
Dan Iassogna: 7-2
Chris Guccione: 6-2

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 20


Arizona @ Miami

Game 901-902
May 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Anderson) 16.293
Miami
(Phelps) 15.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
-140
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+120); Under

St. Louis @ NY Mets

Game 903-904
May 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Martinez) 16.853
NY Mets
(Colon) 14.363
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-110
7
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-110); Under

Philadelphia @ Colorado

Game 905-906
May 20, 2015 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Gonzalez) 13.261
Colorado
(Butler) 16.810
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 3 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-140
10
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-140); Over

Chicago Cubs @ San Diego

Game 907-908
May 20, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Wada) 13.101
San Diego
(Ross) 16.548
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 3 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-145
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(-145); Over

LA Dodgers @ San Francisco

Game 909-910
May 20, 2015 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Anderson) 17.633
San Francisco
(Lincecum) 13.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 4
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-120
7
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-120); Under

Oakland @ Houston

Game 911-912
May 20, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Hahn) 13.676
Houston
(Keuchel) 15.966
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-165
8
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-165); Under

LA Angels @ Toronto

Game 913-914
May 20, 2015 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Weaver) 16.116
Toronto
(Hutchison) 14.591
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-120
9
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(+100); Over

Seattle @ Baltimore

Game 915-916
May 20, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Elias) 16.014
Baltimore
(Chen) 13.591
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+115); Over

Texas @ Boston

Game 917-918
May 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Klein) 13.104
Boston
(Kelly) 16.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 3 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-170
9
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-170); Over

Cleveland @ Chicago White Sox

Game 919-920
May 20, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Marcum) 14.377
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 17.276
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-135
8
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-135); Over

Minnesota @ Pittsburgh

Game 921-922
May 20, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Pelfrey) 15.005
Pittsburgh
(Locke) 13.548
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+130); Under

NY Yankees @ Washington

Game 923-924
May 20, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Warren) 16.593
Washington
(Zmmermnn) 15.617
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(+125); Under

Milwaukee @ Detroit

Game 925-926
May 20, 2015 @ 7:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Lohse) 16.212
Detroit
(Greene) 15.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-165
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+145); Under

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

Game 927-928
May 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Odorizzi) 16.018
Atlanta
(Perez) 18.005
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+115); Under

Cincinnati @ Kansas City

Game 929-930
May 20, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Marquis) 14.457
Kansas City
(Guthrie) 16.092
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-155
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-155); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 20

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARIZONA (17 - 21) at MIAMI (16 - 24) - 7:10 PM
CHASE ANDERSON (R) vs. DAVID PHELPS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 81-119 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 81-119 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 62-89 (-25.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 28-51 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-22 (-13.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 2-0 (+2.4 Units) against MIAMI this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

CHASE ANDERSON vs. MIAMI since 1997
ANDERSON is 1-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

DAVID PHELPS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (26 - 13) at NY METS (23 - 17) - 7:10 PM
CARLOS MARTINEZ (R) vs. BARTOLO COLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 19-35 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 102-100 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 16-5 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 13-3 (+9.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
NY METS are 16-5 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 15-4 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 52-47 (+10.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLON is 44-26 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLON is 44-26 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 26-13 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-13 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 21-8 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 54-39 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 11-25 (-12.7 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CARLOS MARTINEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
MARTINEZ is 0-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

BARTOLO COLON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
COLON is 4-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 0.923.
His team's record is 6-0 (+6.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA (17 - 24) at COLORADO (14 - 22) - 8:40 PM
SEVERINO GONZALEZ (R) vs. EDDIE BUTLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-37 (-19.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 73-93 (-29.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 80-118 (-34.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 225-298 (-80.8 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
COLORADO is 80-118 (-34.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 52-83 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 55-87 (-30.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 34-49 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

SEVERINO GONZALEZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

EDDIE BUTLER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO CUBS (21 - 17) at SAN DIEGO (20 - 20) - 10:10 PM
TSUYOSHI WADA (L) vs. TYSON ROSS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1408-1570 (-279.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1351-1483 (-253.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1033-1167 (-212.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 104-79 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 104-79 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 33-20 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 34-22 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 3-1 (+2.2 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

TSUYOSHI WADA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WADA is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 11.25 and a WHIP of 2.250.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

TYSON ROSS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
ROSS is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.371.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA DODGERS (24 - 14) at SAN FRANCISCO (21 - 18) - 10:15 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. TIM LINCECUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 121-97 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 31-14 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-12 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 121-97 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1037-867 (+118.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 246-157 (+53.0 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 68-51 (+17.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 57-49 (+12.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LINCECUM is 22-11 (+11.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 56-27 (+20.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-2 (+4.4 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 6.10 and a WHIP of 1.597.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LINCECUM is 9-8 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.360.
His team's record is 16-10 (+6.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 14-11. (+1.7 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OAKLAND (14 - 27) at HOUSTON (26 - 14) - 2:10 PM
JESSE HAHN (R) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 14-27 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 49-55 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 5-13 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
OAKLAND is 25-33 (-19.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 49-55 (-26.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 1-12 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 14-27 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 1-8 (-9.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 44-49 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 26-14 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 52-52 (+14.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 26-14 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 16-9 (+7.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 16-9 (+8.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KEUCHEL is 24-13 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 16-5 (+14.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 23-12 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-3 (+2.7 Units) against OAKLAND this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

JESSE HAHN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. OAKLAND since 1997
KEUCHEL is 1-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.275.
His team's record is 5-3 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.1 units)

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LA ANGELS (20 - 19) at TORONTO (18 - 23) - 7:05 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. DREW HUTCHISON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 284-246 (+41.8 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 57-29 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 760-738 (+70.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 190-171 (+29.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 93-62 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 67-34 (+22.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WEAVER is 90-44 (+32.9 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against TORONTO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

JERED WEAVER vs. TORONTO since 1997
WEAVER is 9-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.39 and a WHIP of 1.049.
His team's record is 10-2 (+7.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.9 units)

DREW HUTCHISON vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HUTCHISON is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 6.52 and a WHIP of 1.553.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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SEATTLE (17 - 21) at BALTIMORE (17 - 19) - 7:05 PM
ROENIS ELIAS (L) vs. WEI-YIN CHEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 20-36 (-20.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-19 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 82-87 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ELIAS is 6-13 (-9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 117-89 (+33.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 58-44 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 64-41 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 103-77 (+29.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 82-54 (+32.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 63-52 (+13.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 50-33 (+16.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 34-15 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 23-12 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 11-1 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ROENIS ELIAS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
ELIAS is 0-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.406.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
CHEN is 2-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.052.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)

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TEXAS (16 - 23) at BOSTON (19 - 20) - 7:10 PM
PHIL KLEIN (R) vs. JOE KELLY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 83-118 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 79-112 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 54-93 (-33.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 53-80 (-20.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 4-16 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
KELLY is 26-14 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 90-112 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-50 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-57 (-29.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-28 (-13.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 80-96 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 64-79 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 63-78 (-19.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-55 (-25.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

PHIL KLEIN vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JOE KELLY vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (15 - 23) at CHI WHITE SOX (18 - 18) - 8:10 PM
SHAUN MARCUM (R) vs. CARLOS RODON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 15-23 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-17 (-11.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-23 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 2-12 (-13.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 63-62 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 30-20 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 38-53 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 4-3 (+0.8 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
7 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+7.0 Units)

SHAUN MARCUM vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MARCUM is 4-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 1.99 and a WHIP of 0.787.
His team's record is 6-0 (+6.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)

CARLOS RODON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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MINNESOTA (22 - 17) at PITTSBURGH (18 - 21) - 7:05 PM
MIKE PELFREY (R) vs. JEFF LOCKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PELFREY is 10-34 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 140-99 (+28.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 93-55 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 363-370 (+48.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 22-17 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 12-5 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
MINNESOTA is 22-17 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 13-6 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 12-5 (+9.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-6 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PELFREY is 6-0 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 55-55 (-32.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-0 (+1.5 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
PELFREY is 3-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.78 and a WHIP of 1.407.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

JEFF LOCKE vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY YANKEES (22 - 18) at WASHINGTON (23 - 17) - 7:05 PM
ADAM WARREN (R) vs. A.J. COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 94-64 (+28.9 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ADAM WARREN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

A.J. COLE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

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MILWAUKEE (15 - 25) at DETROIT (23 - 17) - 7:05 PM
KYLE LOHSE (R) vs. SHANE GREENE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 15-17 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 25-30 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 35-37 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 49-49 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 2-0 (+2.5 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.0 Units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. DETROIT since 1997
LOHSE is 7-6 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.65 and a WHIP of 1.514.
His team's record is 10-10 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-9. (+0.1 units)

SHANE GREENE vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

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TAMPA BAY (22 - 18) at ATLANTA (18 - 20) - 7:10 PM
JAKE ODORIZZI (R) vs. ERIC STULTS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 99-103 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
STULTS is 40-31 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 97-103 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 95-102 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 76-84 (-18.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
STULTS is 2-12 (-9.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

ERIC STULTS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
STULTS is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of 1.876.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CINCINNATI (18 - 21) at KANSAS CITY (25 - 14) - 8:10 PM
JASON MARQUIS (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 8-25 (-14.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 27-53 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 25-14 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 25-14 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 89-63 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 88-62 (+15.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GUTHRIE is 26-16 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 26-15 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 698-787 (+41.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 507-569 (+35.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
KANSAS CITY is 14-25 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 300-319 (-72.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
MARQUIS is 3-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.968.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.1 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, May 20


Potential thunderstorms at Coors Field Wednesday

According to weather forecasts, there is a 78 percent chance of thunderstorms in Denver when the Colorado Rockies host the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday evening.

The Rockies, currently priced -132, are scheduled to start Eddie Butler, while Severino Gonzalez is the scheduled starter for the Phillies. The total is down to 10 from the opening 10.5.


Indians and White Sox play to 12th consecutive under

The Cleveland Indians topped the Chicago White Sox 3-1 Tuesday night, making the under 12-0 in the last 12 contests between the two AL Central rivals.

Dating back to last season the under is also a crazy good 20-3 in their last 23 meetings overall.

The teams will try for 13 unders in a row when they continue their four-game series Wednesday night in Chicago.

The Tribe will call on veteran Shaun Marcum to make his first start since 2013, while the Pale Hose counter with rookie Carlos Rodon. The total for tonight's game is currently at 8.0 runs.


Astros tough to beat when Keuchel on the hill

The Houston Astros are 7-1 this season when Dallas Keuchel takes the mound and will try to make it 8-1 Wednesday afternoon against the Oakland A's.

In fact the Astros only loss in a Keuchel start was a 2-1 defeat against the Texas Rangers on May 4th, where he pitched 8.0 innings allowing just one run on five hits.

Keuchel takes his 5-0 record and 1.87 ERA to the hill this afternoon as -163 home favorites. Jesse Hahn (1-3, 4.42 ERA) gets the call for the A's.


Odorizzi continues to cash Under tickets

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi has been one of the best Under pitchers in the Major Leagues this season and takes a 1-7 O/U count into Wednesday's start against the Atlanta Braves.

Under tickets have cashed in five-consecutive Odorizzi starts and the righty gets just 2.00 runs of support per outing ranking him last among American League hurlers.

Oddsmakers have a total of 7.5 on Wednesday's Rays-Braves game. Atlanta is scheduled to counter with Williams Perez on the hill.


Struggling Marlins costing bettors money

The Miami Marlins (and their backers) are mired in a five-game losing skid which has seen the club close as favorites in each instance.

Miami was swept by the visiting Atlanta Braves priced as -130, -120 and -127 favorites before dropping its first two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks priced as -119 and -142 faves

The NL East club is currently the third-worst in our Money Standings at -$998.

The Fish will try to snap their skid as -131 home faves against the Diamondbacks Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, May 20


Twins mashing lefty starters

The Minnesota Twins are 8-0 in their last eight games in which they have faced a lefty starter after last night's 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and lefty Francisco Liriano.

But not only are the Twins beating left handers, they are beating them up, scoring an average of 8.25 runs per game over that eight game stretch.

The over, not coincidentally, has also been a hot play when the Twins face lefties, going 6-2 over/under in the last eight games and 13-4 O/U for the season.

The Twins are currently +137 underdogs as they face their second straight lefty at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Wednesday, when they go up against Jeff Locke.

Locke is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in seven starts this season. The Twins counter with Mike Pelfrey (3-1 3.23 ERA).


Top Over umpire calling Angels-Blue Jays

Paul Schrieber, one of the top Over umpires in the Major Leagues at 5-0 Over/Under, will be tasked with calling balls and strikes in Wednesday's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.

There is an average of 11 runs crossing the plate per game when Schriber is calling pitches. That number ranks him third behind Bruce Dreckman (11.2 per game) and James Hoye (11.1 per game).

The total for Wednesday's game opened at 9 and is down to 8.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 1 - Cavaliers at Hawks

May 20, 2015

For the first time in franchise history, the Atlanta Hawks are in the Eastern Conference finals. To get there, Mike Budenholzer's team needed six games to get past both Brooklyn and Washington.

In order to get to the NBA Finals, the top seed in the Eastern Conference will have to go through a second-seeded Cleveland squad that features the world's best player in LeBron James. The Cavaliers swept Boston in the opening round before sliding past Chicago in six.

James has taken Cleveland to the Finals before, turning the trick in 2003 with an inferior supporting cast. In his second tour of duty with the Cavs, a better set of players was put around the franchise centerpiece. However, perennial All-Star Kevin Love was lost for the season due to a shoulder injury sustained in Game 4 against the Celtics.

Love averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 75 regular-season contests. His absence has led to more minutes for Tristan Thompson, who is averaging 8.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game in 10 postseason outings.

James has another All-Star at his side in Kyrie Irving, who is playing in the playoffs for the first time. Irving has averaged 19.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds against the Celtics and Bulls, but he's been bothered by foot and knee injuries. Nevertheless, the one-year star at Duke is "going to go" in Game 1 at Philips Arena.

Cleveland (61-31 SU, 44-48 ATS) overcame a pair of series deficits to win three straight games and advance past Chicago. Trailing the series 2-1 after a Derrick Rose buzzer beater off the glass clipped them in Game 3, the Cavs answered in Game 4 thanks to a LeBron James' jumper just before the horn.

Cleveland overcame head coach Dave Blatt in the Game 4 win. The first-year NBA man nearly committed one of the worst coaching blunders in NBA postseason history. When the Bulls tied the game on a bucket with 9.4 seconds remaining, Blatt inexplicably tried to call a timeout when there were none left in his pocket.

This would've resulted in a technical foul, but assistant Tyronn Lue alertly halted his boss's negligent intentions before one of the referees noticed. Then Blatt went from dumb to dumber.

Cleveland was fortunate to get to design a play as the officials went to replay to determine how much time was left. Before eventually ruling there were 1.5 ticks left, Blatt drew up a play with James throwing the inbounds pass. This would obviously not allow him to take the shot, so James vetoed his coach in a moment of utter incompetence.

Moments later, James cut to the corner, caught the pass and drained the game winner.

After pushing past Chicago in Game 5 at home, the Cavs closed it out at United Center by spanking the Bulls, 94-73 as 2.5-point underdogs. Matthew Dellavedova erupted for 19 points in the series decider, while James contributed 15 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Thompson finished with 13 points, 17 boards and two blocks. Irving only played 12 minutes.

As of early Tuesday night, most betting shops had Atlanta (68-26 straight up, 55-37-2 against the spread) listed as a one-point favorite with a total of 197 points for the series opener.

Atlanta hasn't played its best basketball of the season recently, but it's extremely difficult to look like the club that had an amazing stretch of 33 wins in 34 games during the regular season. With the series against Washington knotted at 2-2, the Hawks rallied to beat the Wizards 82-81 in Game 5 behind a late putback bucket from Al Horford.

In Game 6 at Washington, Paul Pierce nearly forced overtime by nailing a 3-pointer from the corner with his team trailing by three. However, replays showed the ball was still in Pierce's hand when the red light turned on at the buzzer, allowing the Hawks to prevail by a 94-91 count as 2.5-point 'dogs.

DeMarre Carroll led the way with 25 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap added 20 points apiece, while Horford had 13 points, seven boards, four assists and two blocked shots.

Carroll has been sensational in the playoffs, averaging a team-best 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The University of Missouri product is hitting 52.4 percent of his shots from the field and 43.9 percent from long distance.

Budenholzer has to feel good about getting this far with Kyle Korver in a shooting slump. Korver led the NBA in 3-point percentage (49.1%) this year, but he's made only 35.0 percent in the postseason. He went 1-of-8 from the field in Game 6 at Washington.

After getting blown out at Cleveland (127-94) in the first head-to-head meeting this season, Atlanta won the next three encounters both SU and ATS. On Dec. 17, the Hawks stroked the Cavs 127-98 as 6.5-point road underdogs. They followed that up with 109-101 and 106-97 home triumphs.

Sportsbook.ag has Cleveland listed as a -230 'chalk' for the series. Gamblers can collect a +195 return (risk $100 to win $195) by backing Atlanta to get to the NBA Finals.

How rare has it been to see Atlanta in such a short home 'chalk' position? VegasInsider.com's Kevin Rogers explained, "The Hawks are favored by less than seven points at home for the first time since a 114-95 setback to San Antonio in late March as a 1 ½-point favorite. Interestingly enough, that was the lone defeat for Atlanta as a home favorite of 4 ½ points or less this season, as the Hawks compiled a solid 6-1 SU/ATS mark at Philips Arena in this pointspread range."

Budenholzer has been playing back-up point guard Dennis Schroder with Teague at times recently, and that's likely to occur again in this matchup. Rogers noted, "Schroder scored in double-figures in three of the four matchups against the Cavs coming off the bench, including a 15-point, 8-assist effort in a nine-point home victory."

The 'under' has been a major money maker in Cleveland games, cashing at a 54-37-1 overall clip. The 'under' is 26-19-1 for the Cavs in their road assignments.

Totals have been an overall wash for Atlanta (47-47), but the 'over' has posted a 25-22 record. The 'under' has gone 7-5 for the Hawks in the playoffs.

This rivalry had seen six consecutive 'overs,' including three this season, until the 'under' emerged in the last regular-season meeting this year. The combined points scored in this year's four encounters were 221, 225, 210 and 203.

Tip-off for Wednesday's Game 1 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern on TNT