The Bum's Major League Baseball Best Bets-News,Trends For April

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 17

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Thursday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet
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Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (114, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Phillies right-hander A.J. Burnett boasts a 1.94 WHIP thanks in large part to 14 walks issued over just 16 innings.

Cold batting stat: Braves outfielder B.J. Upton has just nine hits and 21 strikeouts in 46 at-bats versus Burnett.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 8-2-1 in Braves left-hander Alex Wood's last 11 starts.


Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-106, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner is allowing hitters to bat .329 against him so far this season.

Cold batting stat: Members of the Dodgers roster are batting a collective .201 in 159 at-bats versus Bumgarner.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing out to center field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: Los Angeles is 8-3 in right-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu's last 11 road starts.


Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (-127, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy has a 5.73 ERA in two home starts in 2014.

Hot batting stat: Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has three homers and six RBIs in 25 at-bats versus Kennedy.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies are forecast with temperatures in the low-60s and wind blowing out to right-center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 7-0-1 in San Diego's last eight home games against a left-handed starter.


Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (103, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo allowed two runs over six innings to beat the Pirates last Saturday.

Hot batting stat: Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen is a .325 hitter with two home runs in 40 at-bats versus Gallardo.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-50s are expected with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right-center field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: Milwaukee is 16-4 in Gallardo's last 20 starts against Pittsburgh.


St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals (134, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright is 6-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 10 starts and two relief appearances against Washington.

Hot batting stat: Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has six hits - including a pair of doubles - in 11 career at-bats versus Wainwright.

Weather: Temperatures will hover around 50 with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from right to left field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 5-0-2 in Wainwright's last seven starts against a division foe.


** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 3:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 17


Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez, questionable Thursday

Ramirez was hit on the hand by a pitch and had to leave the game shortly after. He is questionable for Thursday's game against the Giants.

[StarDust Bum]

UPDATED THRU Tuesday Night:


27 - 28 .......................- 3.43

16 - 8 ..........................+ 6.20

11-15 ........................... - 21.99


Thursday, April 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 1:05 PM ET Philadelphia +126 500 *****
Philadelphia - Under 7 500

Cleveland - 1:08 PM ET Detroit -150 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Detroit - Over 7.5 500

Toronto - 1:10 PM ET Minnesota +116 500
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Seattle - 2:05 PM ET Seattle +109 500 *****
Texas - Over 9 500

LA Dodgers - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -121 500 TRIPLE PLAY
San Francisco - Under 7 500

Colorado - 6:40 PM ET San Diego -131 500 DOUBLE PLAY
San Diego - Under 7 500

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Selections:

Milwaukee - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +101 500 *****
Pittsburgh - Over 7 500

St. Louis - 7:05 PM ET St. Louis -135 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Washington - Over 6.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -170 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Tampa Bay - Over 6.5 500

Toronto - 7:10 PM ET Minnesota +117 500 *****
Minnesota - Over 8 500

Boston - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -113 500 *****
Chi. White Sox - Under 7 500

Kansas City - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City -133 500
Houston - Under 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Underdogs

April 17, 2014


Value in MLB Underdogs

As I’m sure you've read and heard before, many solid baseball handicappers believe that taking underdogs is the way to make a nice profit in baseball.

We agree with that.

However, blindly betting underdogs doesn't necessarily do the trick. You must be selective and try to find value in the underdogs you are selecting. A closer look reveals an interesting, but somewhat obvious in hindsight, phenomenon.

The better teams had more positive results as money-line underdogs. Take good teams as underdogs and we’ll make money in the long run. This is easier said than done.

The key is to try and predict which teams will be good (above .500) and take advantage of them. This can obviously be tough to do at times as teams that are expected to do well sometimes under perform. However, once the season gets into swing, most solid handicappers can sift through and determine who the better teams should be at the end of the season. By mid-season, you should definitely have a great grasp on this. So far this year just eight of 30 teams have a positive return on investment as underdogs.

Milwaukee +132.0
Atlanta +131.0
St. Louis +111.7
San Francisco +18.8
New York Mets +14.2
Minnesota +7.7
Toronto +5.0
Los Angeles Dodgers +2.5

This simply says that, for example, if you happened to bet on the Milwaukee Brewers every time they were an underdog this season, you would have made 132% on the money you invested (the amount you wagered).

How do you figure this out? If you wagered $100 on Milwaukee every time it was an underdog this season (5 times), you would be up $660. Since the amount invested was $500, you divide $660 by $500 and you see the return listed above.

Not a bad investment.

You’ll also notice that only one of the eight teams (Minnesota) listed has an overall losing record. Once again, the general conclusion is to find spots where good teams are underdogs and you’ll up your chance of making money. Even bad teams win games as underdogs (and favorites for that matter), but in the long run, they are usually not a money making proposition. You can obviously find spots to play on bad teams and do OK. However, finding good teams, in good spots as an underdog is the way to go.

One team that we'll be keeping an eye on this year as an underdog is Toronto.

The Blue Jays were expected to be a World Series contender last season with some big free agent moves, injuries and a poor start to the season led to a very disappointing season at 74-88. Toronto was only -44 in run differential last season though and they were one of the top power hitting teams in baseball. Home run threats throughout the lineup can keep Toronto in games even against top end pitching. This season, they are tied for sixth in HRs (4th in MLB in HRs last season). For being a team with great home run power the Jays don’t strike out that often either.

After a quiet offseason, the expectations are much lower for 2014 but Toronto has averaged over 80 wins per season the last nine seasons with 73 being the low water mark as they have been relatively consistent, though without a breakthrough playoff season.

The AL East features prominent teams and some big name pitchers so the Jays are going to be an underdog in many matchups, even sometimes at home where they have a strong historical track record. Jays have already been dogged in half of their games this season and a home set with Houston is already out of the way (three games where the Jays had some of the highest favorite lines they will have all season). Boston has struggled early, New York looks down this season, and the Rays are battling early season injuries as the division as a whole may not be as strong this season.

With veteran innings-eaters Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey the Blue Jays should be able to avoid burning through the bullpen early in the season and Brandon Morrow remains a starter with a high ceiling despite inconsistency while young starter Drew Hutchison has been promising in early season action.

Toronto starters won’t be overvalued like some of the big name pitchers around the AL East and while Dickey and Buehrle are proven veterans many see them as past their prime though both could have bounce-back seasons. The bullpen has also had solid early results with no blown saves and a 3.35 ERA.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's National League betting cheat sheet


Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Friday's National League games:

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (-101)

Hot pitching stat: Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija has held opponents to three runs over his first 21 innings this season.

Cold batting stat: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is a .207 hitter with six strikeouts in 29 at-bats versus Samardzija.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-40s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right field at 14 mph.

Key betting note: Over is 12-4 in Samardzija's last 16 home starts.

Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (-111, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse struck out nine over 8 2/3 sensational innings in a win over Pittsburgh last Sunday.

Hot batting stat: Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun is 7-for-15 with a homer in his career against Pirates starter Charlie Morton.

Weather: Overcast skies are expected with temperatures in the low-60s.

Key betting note: The Pirates are 6-1 in Morton's last seven appearances following a quality start in his previous outing.

St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals (+103, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez was torched for six runs over six innings in a loss to Atlanta in his last outing.

Cold batting stat: Members of the St. Louis roster are hitting .221 with 17 strikeouts in 68 innings versus Gonzalez.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s under cloudy skies.

Key betting note: The Cardinals are 7-2 in right-hander Michael Wacha's last nine starts.

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets (-101, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Braves starter Aaron Harang has limited opponents to a .145 average through his first three starts of the year.

Hot batting stat: Atlanta outfielders Jason Heyward and Justin Upton are a combined 17-for-39 against Mets starter Jonathon Niese.

Weather: Overcast skies are in the forecast with temperatures in the mid-40s.

Key betting note: New York is 6-0 in Niese's last six Friday starts.

Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies (-147, 10.5)

Cold pitching stat: Philadelphia is just 1-5 in right-hander Jonathan Pettibone's last six road starts.

Hot batting stat: Members of the Colorado roster are a combined 8-for-17 versus Pettibone.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-70s are expected with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 11-2 in Pettibone's previous 13 games.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (-190, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke has racked up 16 strikeouts over his previous two starts spanning 11 1/3 innings.

Hot batting stat: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp is 5-for-15 with a pair of home runs against Arizona starter Wade Miley.

Weather: Fans should expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the high-50s.

Key betting note: The Dodgers are 12-1 in Greinke's last 13 starts against division foes.

San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres (+101, 6.5)

Cold pitching stat: San Francisco is 2-9 in starter Matt Cain's last 11 outings against teams with losing records.

Cold batting stat: Padres outfielder Seth Smith has just two hits in 26 lifetime at-bats versus Cain.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies are forecast with temperatures in the low-60s and wind blowing out to right field at 6 mph but tapering off.

Key betting note: Under is 6-0 in San Diego right-hander Tyson Ross' last six starts against teams with winning records.

Interleague

Seattle Mariners at Miami Marlins (-116, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Over is 8-2-1 in Miami right-hander Nate Eovaldi's last 11 starts with five days rest.

Hot batting stat: Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is 3-for-5 with two home runs against Mariners starter Chris Young.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s but the Marlins Park roof may be closed with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

Key betting note: Under is 20-5-4 in Miami's last 29 interleague home games.


** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 10:10 p.m. ET Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's American League betting cheat sheet


Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Friday's American League games:

Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians (-127, 8)

Cold pitching stat: The Indians have lost right-hander Justin Masterson's last five starts against the American League East.

Hot batting stat: Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista is 6-for-17 with two home runs in his career against Masterson.

Weather: There is a 29 percent chance of rain with temperatures in the mid-50s and wind blowing out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 6-1 in Toronto right-hander Drew Hutchison's last seven road starts.

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers (-128, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Angels right-hander Jered Weaver has allowed five home runs through his first 18 2/3 innings this season.

Cold batting stat: Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson is 2-for-13 and has fanned six times versus Weaver.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing out to center field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Los Angeles is 8-2 in Weaver's previous 10 starts against the American League Central.

Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (-136, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Red Sox right-hander John Lackey threw six solid innings to upend the Orioles 6-2 in his season debut.

Cold batting stat: Members of the Boston roster are hitting .200 with three homers in 165 at-bats versus Baltimore starter Chris Tillman.

Weather: Temperatures will hover around 40 with partly cloudy skies.

Key betting note: The Orioles are 7-1 in Tillman's last eight Friday starts.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (+104, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is limiting opponents to a .236 batting average through three starts.

Hot batting stat: Rays outfielder Matt Joyce and second baseman Ben Zobrist have combined to hit five homers in 26 at-bats versus Kuroda.

Weather: N/A

Key betting note: Under is 10-2-1 in Kuroda's last 13 road starts against teams with losing records.

Chicago White Sox at Texas Rangers (-157, 10)

Cold pitching stat: Texas is 3-7 in starter Martin Perez's last 10 series-opening appearances.

Hot batting stat: Rangers slugger Prince Fielder is 4-for-8 with two home runs against White Sox right-hander Felipe Paulino.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies are expected with temperatures in the low-70s.

Key betting note: Under is 4-1 in Perez's last five home starts.

Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals (-150, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco stymied the Royals on five hits over eight solid innings to earn the win last Saturday.

Hot batting stat: Minnesota star Joe Mauer is 9-for-21 with six RBIs lifetime versus Kansas City lefty Jason Vargas.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under clear skies with wind blowing out to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Over is 6-0 in Minnesota's last six series openers.

Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics (-200, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Astros right-hander Jarred Cosart twirled seven strong innings in his previous start, fanning eight in a win over Texas.

Hot batting stat: Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson has three singles and a double in five career at-bats against Cosart.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with sunny skies and wind blowing out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Oakland is 6-0 in Sonny Gray's last six starts on five days rest.


** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 10:06 p.m. ET Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Game of the Day: Angels at Tigers


Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers (-128)

The Detroit Tigers broke out of their offensive funk in their last time out and would like nothing more than to end their struggles in another area – beating the Los Angeles Angels. The Tigers, who host Los Angeles for the first of three games on Friday, halted a stretch in which they scored nine runs over the previous four games with Thursday’s 7-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. Ian Kinsler homered and drove in four as Detroit won for only the third time in eight tries.

The Tigers, who scored the second-most runs in the majors a season ago, hope those offensive struggles won’t return with the arrival of the Angels, who held them to a total of 17 runs in six 2013 matchups and has won the last nine meetings overall. Los Angeles looks to start its nine-game road trip off on the right foot after Chris Iannetta hit his fourth career walk-off home run in the 12th inning Wednesday as the Angels avoided a three-game home sweep by the Oakland Athletics. The Angels lead the majors with 24 homers and rank second with 83 runs scored.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles) FSN Detroit

LINE HISTORY: The Tigers opened as -128 home faves for the first game of the weekend series.

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Angels (-140), Tigers (-191)

INJURY REPORT: Angels OF Josh Hamilton (Late May, thumb), OF Kole Calhoun (15-day DL, ankle). Tigers OF Andy Dirks (15-day DL, back)

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "The Halo's record certainly doesn't match their payroll thus far." Covers Expert Sean Murphy.

MLB WAGS WAR: C.J. Wilson's wife Lisalla Montenegro (L). Kate Upton (R) has recently denied dating Tigers' ace Justin Verlander, but who cares? It's a great excuse to post a pic of her.

[StarDust Bum]

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (0-2, 5.79 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Drew Smyly (1-0, 0.00)

Weaver avoided taking a loss for the first time in three turns on Saturday, but Los Angeles fell to 0-3 in his starts after he surrendered four runs on three hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings against the New York Mets. After yielding four home runs on the road in his previous turn, the three-time All-Star surrendered another at home against the Mets and is winless after three starts for the first time in his career. Weaver has also struggled in 10 career outings against the Tigers, going 3-4 with a 4.97 ERA.

After winning the rotation job in spring training, Smyly will make his long-awaited first start of the season as the Tigers haven’t needed him due to two postponements and three scheduled off-days. The 24-year-old has been sharp in his two middle-relief appearances, however, tossing a pair of scoreless three-inning outings while allowing two hits and striking out six. Smyly has a 2.77 ERA in three career appearances (one start) versus the Angels, but has yet to factor into the decision against them.

TRENDS:

* Angels are 9-0 in the last nine meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in Weaver's last five starts vs. Tigers.
* Tigers are 5-2 in their last seven home games.
* Over is 8-2-1 in Angels last 11 road games.

COVERS CONSENSUS: 67 percent of wagers are on Detroit.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Odds on winning the 2014 NBA championship

9-5-- Miami Heat-- Can they turn it on after mediocre last 25 games?

5-2-- San Antonio Spurs-- Veteran nucleus going for fifth NBA title.

4-1-- Oklahoma City Thunder-- Lost in second round to Memphis LY.

5-1-- Indiana Pacers-- Had a horrendous second half this season.

10-1-- LA Clippers-- Thought their odds would be lower than this.

20-1-- Houston-- Opening series with Portland will be fun to watch.

*****

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.......
13) NHL's St Louis Blues have never won the Stanley Cup, despite making the Finals the first three years they were in existence- no pro sports team has a weirder history than that. Could this year be different?

12) NHL expanded from six to 12 teams in 1967, and put the six new teams in the same division-- St Louis won it the first three years, got squashed in the Finals all three years, but since then, have only made it back to the league's semifinals once, in 1972. Last night's triple OT win over defending champ Chicago could be a sign that this year will be different under the Gateway Arch.

11) Long time ago, I read the book Friday Night Lights; good book, but because I read the book, I never bothered to watch the movie or the TV show. Until very late last night, when it was on AMC. Just a tremendous movie. Really, really good. I'm very late with this, but if you've never seen the movie, its worth watching.

Billy Bob Thornton was great as the coach whose west Texas high school team had a whole small town's self esteem resting on its shoulders- the halftime speech he gives during the last game is 180-degree opposite of Al Pacino's "game of inches" speech in Any Given Sunday. Both are excellent, but in their own way.

10) Speaking of high school football in Texas, did you hear that the $60 million stadium they built for a high school team in Allen, TX may have to be demolished and rebuilt because of structural flaws? Someone's got some 'splainin' to do.

9) If you live near Houston, they have $1 hot dogs at Astros' Thursday night home games; its a nice stadium, located downtown. I was there a few years ago, can vouch for the food there being very good. Astros are getting better, too.

8) You hear a lot about the Wonderlic test, which NFL gives to draft prospects to measure basic intelligence (I guess thats why they do it); well, Ryan Fitzpatrick finished the test in nine minutes, which has become a legendary performance.

Fitzpatrick has bounced around to a few teams, is a decent QB, more of a backup; he has a 27-49-1 record as a starter, but you wonder if he hadn't aced the Wonderlic, would he even be in the NFL?

7) This has been a strange month for college hoop coaches; first Buzz Williams left Marquette to go to Virginia Tech, a total head scratcher, now Frank Haith bolts Missouri to go to Tulsa- Tulsa is in Conference USA, Missouri is in the SEC.

Apparently, Haith's move is "jump before you get pushed"; he felt Mizzou would fire him if he had a bad year next year, so he skipped town and will be welcomed in Tulsa with open arms. Which leads us to this flashback......

6) 15 years ago, Missouri needed a new basketball coach; they chose one of Coach K's henchmen, Quin Snyder, who did alright until he ran afoul of the NCAA. Their second choice after Snyder was the guy coaching at Tulsa.

You may have heard of him; a guy named Bill Self. Oy.

5) Louisville signed a deal with adidas for $8M a year thru 2019; its the third biggest deal in country, behind Notre Dame ($9M a year/Under Armour), Michigan ($8.2M a year/adidas). Big money for a school without a great football team.

4) Cardinals did have a terrific QB last year, Teddy Bridgewater, but his pro workouts have been so lackluster, he might slip out of the first round of the draft; there is also some doubt his body can withstand the pounding an NFL QB takes.

3) Texas Tech had six returning QBs when last season ended; well, five of them transferred, which is odd, considering Kliff Kingsbury is a QB guru and a former QB himself. Vincent Testaverde (yes, his son) will be an incoming freshman, and they have another freshman and two walk-on's coming in, but thats an odd story. QB guru is a head coach for one year, and five of the six returning QBs transfer.

2) I wonder if anyone has ever done a study of how pitchers do in the half-inning after they ran the bases? Does it hurt their performance, or doesn't it matter?

1) 2014 NFL schedule will be released Tuesday night; we're looking forward to that and will have lot of opinions about the schedule Wednesday morning.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Atlanta at NY Mets
The Braves head to New York tonight to face a Mets team that is coming off a 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks and is 0-6 in Jon Niese's last 6 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. Atlanta is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18

Game 901-902: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Simon) 15.917; Cubs (Samardzija) 14.006
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); No Total
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-120); N/A

Game 903-904: St. Louis at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wacha) 15.661; Washington (Gonzalez) 16.746
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+100); Under

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Lohse) 15.653; Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.237
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+100); Under

Game 907-908: Atlanta at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Harang) 16.921; NY Mets (Niese) 15.795
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-120); Over

Game 909-910: Philadelphia at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Pettibone) 15.769; Colorado (Chatwood) 14.602
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 12
Vegas Line: Colorado (-140); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+120); Over

Game 911-912: San Francisco at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 16.368; San Diego (Ross) 14.915
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120); Under

Game 913-914: Arizona at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Miley) 13.026; LA Dodgers (Greinke) 15.777
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-200); Under

Game 915-916: LA Angels at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 16.247; Detroit (Smyly) 14.973
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+115); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Hutchison) 14.966; Cleveland (Masterson) 14.540
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+130); Over

Game 919-920: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Kuroda) 16.274; Tampa Bay (Bedard) 13.243
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 3; 7
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-120); Under

Game 921-922: Baltimore at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 16.233; Boston (Lackey) 15.112
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Boston (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+115); Under

Game 923-924: Chicago White Sox at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Paulino) 14.196; Texas (Perez) 15.536
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Texas (-160); 10
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-160); Over

Game 925-926: Minnesota at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Nolasco) 15.891; Kansas City (Vargas) 14.862
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+135); Over

Game 927-928: Houston at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Cosart) 13.199; Oakland (Gray) 16.718
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 3 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Oakland (-210); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-210); Under

Game 929-930: Seattle at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Young) 15.133; Miami (Eovaldi) 13.617
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Miami (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-105); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, April 18

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CINCINNATI (6 - 9) at CHICAGO CUBS (4 - 10) - 2:20 PM
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 658-730 (+53.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 595-674 (+37.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 473-525 (+42.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 328-342 (+45.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 366-317 (+63.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 131-207 (-46.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-54 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 139-181 (-62.0 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 28-57 (-20.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 32-56 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-54 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 46-82 (-29.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 75-102 (-37.0 Units) against the money line after getting shut out since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 654-652 (-155.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

ALFREDO SIMON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 1-3 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.68 and a WHIP of 1.488.
His team's record is 2-5 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.5 units)

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ST LOUIS (10 - 6) at WASHINGTON (9 - 7) - 7:05 PM
MICHAEL WACHA (R) vs. GIO GONZALEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 20-32 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
GONZALEZ is 46-23 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 46-23 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 31-13 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 32-43 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WACHA is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.346.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

GIO GONZALEZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GONZALEZ is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.42 and a WHIP of 1.192.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

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MILWAUKEE (11 - 5) at PITTSBURGH (8 - 8) - 7:05 PM
KYLE LOHSE (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 105-79 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 33-16 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 105-79 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 69-46 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 86-66 (+19.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 341-351 (+49.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 61-57 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LOHSE is 10-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 12-8 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-9. (+1.6 units)


CHARLIE MORTON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
MORTON is 2-5 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.30 and a WHIP of 1.471.
His team's record is 4-6 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-3. (+2.5 units)

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ATLANTA (10 - 5) at NY METS (8 - 7) - 7:10 PM
AARON HARANG (R) vs. JON NIESE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 27-13 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 101-59 (+28.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 37-23 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 35-52 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 8-17 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 283-302 (-90.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 35-52 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 38-58 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 11-24 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 28-50 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-1 (+1.4 Units) against ATLANTA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

AARON HARANG vs. NY METS since 1997
HARANG is 4-5 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 5.20 and a WHIP of 1.735.
His team's record is 5-6 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-3. (+4.8 units)

JON NIESE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NIESE is 6-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.62 and a WHIP of 1.483.
His team's record is 8-7 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-6. (+1.9 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (7 - 8) at COLORADO (8 - 9) - 8:40 PM
JONATHAN PETTIBONE (R) vs. TYLER CHATWOOD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 161-178 (-38.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 161-175 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 57-74 (-22.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 38-45 (-15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 18-10 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 117-100 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
COLORADO is 31-49 (-21.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JONATHAN PETTIBONE vs. COLORADO since 1997
PETTIBONE is 0-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 3.667.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)


TYLER CHATWOOD vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
CHATWOOD is 1-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.700.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (10 - 6) at SAN DIEGO (7 - 9) - 10:10 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. TYSON ROSS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 34-47 (-25.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CAIN is 11-22 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 7-14 (-11.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 14-28 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in April games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 11-22 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 3-11 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 54-38 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 968-805 (+114.9 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 514-506 (+48.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 47-36 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MATT CAIN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
CAIN is 7-11 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 12-19 (-10.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-17. (-7.4 units)

TYSON ROSS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ROSS is 0-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.558.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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ARIZONA (4 - 14) at LA DODGERS (10 - 6) - 10:10 PM
WADE MILEY (L) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 4-14 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 4-14 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 54-26 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 26-8 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 18-4 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 25-6 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 13-2 (+9.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 26-8 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 19-5 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 44-15 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 13-4 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 18-23 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 5-0 (+5.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

WADE MILEY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MILEY is 3-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.359.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-4. (+0.5 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GREINKE is 3-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 5.15 and a WHIP of 1.492.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+3.7 units)

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LA ANGELS (7 - 8) at DETROIT (7 - 5) - 7:05 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. DREW SMYLY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 85-92 (-24.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 16-24 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 80-91 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 58-71 (-28.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 708-694 (+63.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 178-160 (+30.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 258-191 (+47.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
WEAVER is 74-38 (+23.4 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 192-154 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 57-48 (-18.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JERED WEAVER vs. DETROIT since 1997
WEAVER is 3-4 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.97 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 5-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.2 units)

DREW SMYLY vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SMYLY is 0-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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

TORONTO (8 - 8) at CLEVELAND (7 - 8) - 7:05 PM
DREW HUTCHISON (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 99-79 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 96-76 (+20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DREW HUTCHISON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
MASTERSON is 3-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.161.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

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NY YANKEES (10 - 6) at TAMPA BAY (7 - 9) - 7:10 PM
HIROKI KURODA (R) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KURODA is 1-11 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 522-603 (+21.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 36-25 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BEDARD is 50-60 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BEDARD is 36-68 (-30.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 1-0 (+1.6 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
KURODA is 2-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 7.36 and a WHIP of 1.534.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.9 units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
BEDARD is 4-5 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.312.
His team's record is 5-9 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.7 units)

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BALTIMORE (7 - 7) at BOSTON (7 - 9) - 7:10 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 115-79 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 188-156 (+38.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 161-185 (+35.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 90-82 (+28.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 27-14 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 87-77 (+18.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 173-133 (+43.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 127-108 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 132-107 (+32.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TILLMAN is 33-18 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 7-0 (+9.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 17-8 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 31-16 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 34-42 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 2-8 (-8.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 473-352 (-56.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
TILLMAN is 4-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.262.
His team's record is 7-5 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.0 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
LACKEY is 14-5 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.190.
His team's record is 17-7 (+6.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-17. (-12.1 units)

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

CHI WHITE SOX (8 - 8) at TEXAS (9 - 7) - 8:05 PM
FELIPE PAULINO (R) vs. MARTIN PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 71-107 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 28-59 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 6-21 (-17.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 69-102 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 43-70 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 4-18 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-68 (-29.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 43-20 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 102-90 (-25.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 10-14 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

FELIPE PAULINO vs. TEXAS since 1997
PAULINO is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.77 and a WHIP of 1.853.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

MARTIN PEREZ vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
PEREZ is 1-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.429.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

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MINNESOTA (8 - 7) at KANSAS CITY (7 - 7) - 8:10 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. JASON VARGAS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 83-70 (+19.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 43-35 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-26 (+16.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 70-85 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NOLASCO is 23-13 (+18.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 66-50 (+30.5 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 63-49 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 51-31 (+31.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 31-22 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-0 (+3.6 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
NOLASCO is 1-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JASON VARGAS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
VARGAS is 2-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.05 and a WHIP of 1.664.
His team's record is 4-5 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.9 units)

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HOUSTON (5 - 11) at OAKLAND (10 - 5) - 10:05 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. SONNY GRAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 111-228 (-60.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 69-119 (-44.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997.
HOUSTON is 42-87 (-38.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less since 1997.
HOUSTON is 108-221 (-59.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 35-85 (-26.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 18-68 (-31.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 108-74 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 49-36 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 107-65 (+28.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 83-59 (+23.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 105-70 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 128-86 (+42.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 135-93 (+43.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 80-62 (+21.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 96-58 (+26.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JARRED COSART vs. OAKLAND since 1997
COSART is 0-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 2-0 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

SONNY GRAY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GRAY is 1-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.813.
His team's record is 1-1 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

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

SEATTLE (7 - 8) at MIAMI (6 - 10) - 7:10 PM
CHRIS YOUNG (R) vs. NATHAN EOVALDI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 31-40 (-16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
YOUNG is 1-11 (-10.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 114-102 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
MIAMI is 21-43 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 42-80 (-24.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

CHRIS YOUNG vs. MIAMI since 1997
YOUNG is 3-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.62 and a WHIP of 1.165.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. SEATTLE since 1997
EOVALDI is 0-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, April 18

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

2:20 PM
CINCINNATI vs. CHI CUBS
Cincinnati is 15-1 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 10 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. WASHINGTON
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. CLEVELAND
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games at home

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Pittsburgh's last 16 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:08 PM
LA ANGELS vs. DETROIT
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Angels

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. NY METS
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home

8:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TEXAS
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Texas
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Texas is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. KANSAS CITY
Minnesota is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Kansas City is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Minnesota

8:40 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. COLORADO
Philadelphia is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Philadelphia is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games at home
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Houston's last 23 games when playing Oakland
Houston is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oakland's last 9 games at home

10:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. SAN DIEGO
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of San Francisco's last 19 games
San Diego is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of San Diego's last 20 games at home

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 12-5 SU in their last 17 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games at home
LA Dodgers are 5-12 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against Arizona

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 18

Hot pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-1, 1.29 in three starts this season. Simon is 1-1, 1.20 in two starts this season.
-- Wacha is 2-0, 1.89 in three starts this season. Gonzalez is 2-1, 3.50.
-- Lohse is 2-0, 2.16 in his last couple starts.
-- Harang is 2-1, 0.96 in three starts this season.
-- Pettibone is 2-1, 3.66 in his last six starts.
-- Greinke is 3-0, 2.76 in three starts this season.

-- Hutchison is 1-1, 3.68 in three starts, two of which were scoreless.
-- Kuroda is 2-1, 3.86 in three starts this season.
-- Tillman is 1-1, 1.08 in his first three starts.
-- Perez is 2-0, 2.79 in three starts this season.
-- Vargas is 1-0, 1.64 in three starts this season.
-- Gray is 2-0, 1.89 in three starts this season.

-- Young threw six shutout innings in his first start since 2012.

Cold pitchers
-- Morton is 0-1, 6.23 in his last two starts.
-- Niese is 0-1, 3.46 in two starts this season.
-- Chatwood is 1-1, 4.26 in his last three starts.
-- Cain is 0-2, 4.50 in three starts this year. Ross is 1-2, 6.23 in his three starts.
-- Miley is 2-2, 5.04 in four starts this season.

-- Weaver is 0-2, 6.27 in three starts this season.
-- Masterson is 0-0, 12.97 in his last two starts. Smyly was 4-3, 3.99 in his 18 starts in 2012, his only MLB starts.
-- Bedard was 0-2, 5.63 in his last three starts LY.
-- Lackey is 1-1, 4.97 in his last two starts.
-- Paulino is 0-1, 11.57 in his last two starts.
-- Nolasco is 1-1, 5.50 in three starts this season.
-- Cosart is 0-1, 5.54 in his last couple starts.

-- Eovaldi is 1-1, 4.19 in three starts this season.

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
Cin-Cubs: Simon 0-2; Samardzija 1-3
Stl-Wsh: Wacha 1-3; Gonzalez 2-3
Mil-Pitt: Lohse 1-3; Morton 0-3
Atl-NY: Harang 0-3; Niese 1-2
Phil-Col: Pettibone 0-1; Chatwood 0-1
SF-SD: Cain 1-3; Ross 1-3
Az-LA: Miley 1-4; Greinke 0-3

LA-Det: Weaver 1-3; Smyly 0-0
Tor-Clev: Hutchison 1-3; Masterson 1-3
NY-TB: Kuroda 1-3; Bedard 0-0
Blt-Bos: Tillman 0-3; Lackey 1-3
Chi-Tex: Paulino 2-3; Perez 0-3
Min-KC: Nolasco 0-3; Vargas 0-3
Hst-A's: Cosart 2-3; Gray 1-3

Sea-Mia: Young 0-1; Eovaldi 1-3

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Cub games went over the total.
-- Four of last five St Louis road games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Milwaukee road games went over.
-- Seven of nine Atlanta road games stayed under.
-- Four of six games at Coors Field went over total.
-- Four of last five San Diego games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Arizona road games went over total.

-- 11 of 14 Angel games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Toronto games went over.
-- Five of last seven Bronx games stayed under.
-- 12 of 16 Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four White Sox games stayed under.
-- 12 of 15 Minnesota games went over the total. Four of Royals' last five home games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Houston games stayed under total.

-- Seven of Miami's last eight games went over total.

Hot teams
-- Cincinnati won three of its last four games.
-- Cardinals won five of their last six games.
-- Pirates won five of their seven home games.
-- Braves won five of their last six games. Mets won four of last five.
-- Colorado won four of its six home games. Phils won four of last six overall.
-- Giants won four of their last five road games.
-- Dodgers won six of their last nine games.

-- Angels won four of their six road games.
-- Bronx won six of its last seven games.
-- Orioles won three of their last four games.
-- Rangers won four of their last five games.
-- Kansas City won its last three games. Twins won five of their last six.
-- Oakland won four of its last five games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost 10 of their first 14 games.
-- Washington lost five of its last seven games.
-- Brewers lost three of their last four games.
-- Arizona lost its last six games.

-- Detroit won five of its seven home games.
-- Indians lost five of their last seven games. Toronto is 3-4 in its last seven home games.
-- Tampa Bay lost its last four games, outscored 32-7.
-- Red Sox lost four of five series openers.
-- White Sox lost four of their six road games.
-- Astros lost 11 of their last 14 games.

-- Marlins lost nine of their last ten games. Seattle lost five of last six.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, April 18


Dodgers SS Ramirez day-to-day

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is listed as day-to-day due to a bruised hand.

Ramirez left Wednesday's game after being hit by a Ryan Vogelsong pitch in the left hand. He buckled over in pain and slammed his helmet to the ground before being ushered to the clubhouse at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The Dodgers announced X-rays were negative, and Ramirez did not play Thursday in the series finale, a 2-1 win for Los Angeles over the San Francisco Giants.

Ramirez, 30, missed the start of last season with thumb injury and played only 86 games, batting .345 with 20 home runs.


Umpires give All-Star pitchers the benefit of the doubt

According to a recent study which uses two years worth of data, umpires calling balls and strikes are apt to be more generous with "highly regarded pitchers" than they are with average pitchers.

If pitchers are throwing in the exact location, ones that have more All-Star Game appearances will receive the benefit of the doubt and get more called strikes/fewer balls.